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At the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche is proudly presenting the 911 Sport Classic. In creating this unique model Porsche is bringing back the tradition of exclusive series built in very small numbers, for the 911 Sport Classic will be offered in a production run limited to just 250 cars worldwide.

The bespoke character of the 911 Sport Classic has been developed over a period of three years by Porsche Exclusive, the company’s Specialist Department which creates the most outstanding personalised versions of Porsche cars.

Fans of the Porsche 911 will recognize immediately the charismatic styling cues incorporated in this exciting addition to the range, principally the ‘ducktail’ rear spoiler reminiscent of that made famous by the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 and iconic ‘Fuchs-style’ design of the special custom-made alloy wheels. The Sport Classic is further distinguished by its more powerful engine, unique exterior with new front and rear styling, a new centre section in the roof, new side sills, and new design of front and rear lights which illustrate the high technical standard of this very special project.

Every car in this limited series comes in the exclusive new paintwork colour of Sport Classic Grey, with discreet dark trim strips accentuating the unique character of the car. The very sophisticated and elegant interior in Espresso Nature sets new standards, going beyond even the well-known customisation of the 911 interior already offered by Porsche Exclusive.

 

RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, will offer an exciting line-up of important Ferrari sports and racing cars when they return to Maranello, Italy on May 18th for the much-anticipated ‘Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione’ auction event. Headlining the list of significant consignments for the single-day event is a pair of rare and ultra-desirable California Spyders, a 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Pinin Farina with celebrity provenance, and a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupé with a superlative racing history.

London, England (April 14, 2008) – Ferrari aficionados will have a rare opportunity to peruse and bid on some of the marque’s finest – and oldest – sports and racing cars next month when RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, returns to Maranello, Italy for their much-anticipated Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione auction event.

To be held May 18th at Maranello’s legendary Ferrari factory, the single-day event will present dozens of significant vintage Ferraris for auction, as well as a selection of newer Ferrari models, and items from one of the world’s most important Ferrari memorabilia collections, Jacques Swaters’ famed Ferrari Francorchamps Collection.

“Our upcoming Ferrari Leggenda e Passione auction is set to be a truly historic and international event, highlighting over 50 years of Ferrari history,” said Max Girardo, Managing Director of RM’s European Operations.

“We have received tremendous early interest in the event and have secured a magnificent assortment of consignments, including some of the earliest Ferraris produced, making this a ‘must attend’ event for professional collectors and those with a predilection for the Ferrari marque,” he added.

Headlining the growing list of significant consignments are no less than two rare and ultra-desirable California Spyders – a magnificent 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder, (s/n 0923GT) and a stunning 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spyder (s/n 2377GT) with celebrity provenance. Completed on March 3, 1961, 2377GT was shipped to the US in the 1960s after being purchased by Academy Award winning actor, James Coburn, who shared a passion for Italian sports cars with close friend and fellow Ferrari enthusiast, the legendary Steve McQueen. Over the course of his 25-year ownership, Coburn was a regular sight in his Spyder, using it as a daily driver to and from the movie studios. Additionally, on weekends, he, along with McQueen and fellow actor James Garner, could often be found testing their driving abilities through the winding Hollywood hills. Throughout Coburn’s ownership, he repainted the vehicle three times, first in dark blue, followed by silver and finally burgundy; today the car appears in its original black and includes extensive documentation relating to its restoration and maintenance.

 

RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, will offer an exciting line-up of important Ferrari sports and racing cars when they return to Maranello, Italy on May 18th for the much-anticipated ‘Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione’ auction event. Headlining the list of significant consignments for the single-day event is a pair of rare and ultra-desirable California Spyders, a 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Pinin Farina with celebrity provenance, and a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupé with a superlative racing history.

London, England (April 11, 2008) – Ferrari aficionados will have a rare opportunity to peruse and bid on some of the marque’s finest – and oldest – sports and racing cars next month when RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s, returns to Maranello, Italy for their much-anticipated Ferrari: Leggenda e Passione auction event.

To be held May 18th at Maranello’s legendary Ferrari factory, the single-day event will present dozens of significant vintage Ferraris for auction, as well as a selection of newer Ferrari models, and items from one of the world’s most important Ferrari memorabilia collections, Jacques Swaters’ famed Ferrari Francorchamps Collection.

“Our upcoming Ferrari Leggenda e Passione auction is set to be a truly historic and international event, highlighting over 50 years of Ferrari history,” said Max Girardo, Managing Director of RM’s European Operations.

“We have received tremendous early interest in the event and have secured a magnificent assortment of consignments, including some of the earliest Ferraris produced, making this a ‘must attend’ event for professional collectors and those with a predilection for the Ferrari marque,” he added.

Headlining the growing list of significant consignments are no less than two rare and ultra-desirable California Spyders – a magnificent 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder, (s/n 0923GT)and a stunning 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spyder (s/n 2377GT) with celebrity provenance. Completed on March 3, 1961, 2377GT was shipped to the US in the 1960s after being purchased by Academy Award winning actor, James Coburn, who shared a passion for Italian sports cars with close friend and fellow Ferrari enthusiast, the legendary Steve McQueen. Over the course of his 25-year ownership, Coburn was a regular sight in his Spyder, using it as a daily driver to and from the movie studios. Additionally, on weekends, he, along with McQueen and fellow actor James Garner, could often be found testing their driving abilities through the winding Hollywood hills. Throughout Coburn’s ownership, he repainted the vehicle three times, first in dark blue, followed by silver and finally burgundy; today the car appears in its original black and includes extensive documentation relating to its restoration and maintenance.

 

Here is a list of the last events we've added to our historic motorsports calendar. It includes classic rallies, vintage races, concours d' elegance, fairs, festivals, classic cars auctions...

Internationales Jochpass-Oldtimer-Memorial
Internationale Oberallgäu-Historic-Rallye
Tour du Mont-Blanc
La Carrera Panamericana
Wöhlk Classic
Wuerttembergische classic
Oldtimer Gala Schwetzingen
2000 Km durch Deutschland
Retro classics meets barock
Sachs Franken Classic
Langerburg Historic
Les boucles de Madame Brioude
Jaoula Classic Tunisie
Boucles du Père Igor
1000 Dunes Safari rallye
Formula Ford Carnival
MG Raceday
Historic Racing Festival at Castle Combe
Boucles de Charleroi
Classic Adelaide

 

Image: Wikipedia

The Mercedes Gullwing is one of the most beautiful cars ever built by Mercedes, and may be one of the most beautiful cars of all time (in my opinion).

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL, also know as Mercedes Gullwing because of its gull-wing doors, is a two-seat sports car. This model has been produced from 1952 to 1963.

For its new season, the Dream Car Garage, one of the most successful TV series on the US airwaves, is featuring a 1957 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing completely restored and owned by BASF.

Enjoy the story:

Complete press release:

Dream Car Garage is one of the most successful TV series on the US airwaves. The half-hour show focuses on the restoration of classic cars and is now in its ninth season on the Fox SPEED Channel. Filmed across North America and Europe, Dream Car Garage has a weekly audience of over half a million viewers who tune in each week to see co-hosts Tom Hnatiw and Peter Klutt drive and restore the world s most amazing cars. The Dream Car Garage crew has now filmed on location at BASF Coatings in Münster, BASF SE in Ludwigshafen and the BASF Coatings site in Southfield, Michigan. The new season will be featuring a cult car, a 1957 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing owned by BASF.

The Gullwing will be completely restored and finished with Glasurit brand paints from BASF Coatings. To maintain the Gullwing s original appearance during restoration, the car will be finished in an original 1957 Mercedes color, using the waterborne Glasurit 90 Line.

"The Glasurit 90 Line waterborne basecoat system is undoubtedly the best waterborne system on the market today," said Peter Klutt, host of Dream Car Garage. "The fact that it is used in the original production of ultra-luxury cars such as the Maybach, the Rolls Royce, and the Bentley testifies to the quality of the system and the confidence that these manufacturers have in Glasurit paint."

When it came to refinishing the Mercedes Gullwing, there was no question that Glasurit paints were the products of choice. Besides offering the highest quality automotive refinish paint, Glasurit also offers the world s largest color database and an unparalleled color-matching system. BASF Coatings extensive color archive allowed the match of the original 1957 Gullwing color.

Mercedes Benz and Glasurit share a rich and somewhat similar history. In 1886, as Mercedes Benz was inventing the automobile in Stuttgart, Germany, Hamburg merchant Max Winkelmann was about to open a business for paints and lacquers that by 1898 were ultimately marketed under the Glasurit name. Winkelmann chose the city of Münster as the main site for his business with paints and lacquers. This marked the beginning of the Glasurit success story as it evolved into one of the world's most successful automotive refinishing brands.

Gullwing history

The official name of the special Mercedes is the 300 SL, whereby the "300" refers to the three-liter engine and the "SL" stands for "Sport Leicht" or "Sport Light." The "Gullwing" nickname is derived from the car s most distinctive feature, its gullwing doors, which when open evoke the impression of a bird s outstretched wings.

The gullwing doors are not a mere styling gimmick, but are rather an ingenious solution to the challenge posed by the 300 SL s spaceframe chassis. The tubular frame was composed of 25 x 1 mm steel tubes welded to form triangles to create a light (82 kilogram) frame that provided maximum strength and stability.

The spaceframe design meant that the tube chassis had to surround the car, resulting in high sills that ruled out the use of normal doors. Mercedes' chief development engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, came up with a stopgap solution for the original 300 SL race car: an upwardly hinged door that allowed the driver to enter through part of the roof. The production of the Mercedes 300 SL was based on the very successful 1952 W 194 race car. The revolutionary Gullwing coupé won at the Grand Prix in Bern, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the Nürburgring racetrack and the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.