Volkswagen préfère le bleu

Après M-Sport, Hyundai et Citroën, c’est Volkswagen qui a présenté à son tour la livrée des nouvelles Polo R WRC lors d’une cérémonie organisée à Wolfsburg, à quelques jours du départ du Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Comme on pouvait s’y attendre, le bleu est très présent à l’avant en l’honneur du partenaire Red Bull, alors que l’arrière est à dominante blanche.

Les trois pilotes étaient présents, Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala et Andreas Mikkelsen, accompagnés de leurs copilotes respectifs.

Sur les combinaisons, on peut distinguer deux étoiles, synonymes de deux titres mondiaux.

La présence de Sébastien Loeb au Monte-Carlo fut commentée par le patron Jost Capito et Sébastien Ogier : « C’est bien pour le championnat qu’il soit de retour. Et si les gens veulent se rappeler de nos derniers affrontements, pourquoi pas ? », a rigolé le champion 2014.

Pour expliquer le changement de la livrée des VW Polo R WRC, Jost Capito a déclaré : « Certaines photographes utilisaient les photos de 2013 l’an passé. Désormais, ils vont devoir tout refaire ! »

Last but not least, it was Volkswagen’s turn today (Thursday) to show off the new colours of the Polo R WRC at a special presentation in Wolfsburg, just a handful of days before the start of recce for the Rallye Monte Carlo…

As many observers had been expecting, the new livery of the German car features deep blue at the front in honour of the WRC programme’s partner Red Bull. However, in contrast to the three-time Dakar-winning VW Touareg, the rear has a clever white design.

All three drivers were present at the presentation, namely Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen who were naturally accompanied by their respective co-drivers. The overalls of all six crew-members depicted two stars on the shoulders as a gentle reminder of who has won the world championship’s Manufacturers’ title these past two seasons.

The presence of Sébastien Loeb on the Monte Carlo was raised by both team boss Jost Capito and his number one driver Sébastien Ogier. “It’s good for the championship to have him back. If people want to recall our lasts fights, why not?” mused the 2014 world champion.

When asked the reason for the change of colour scheme, Capito broke into a huge smile: “Some photographers were using 2013 pictures for their work in 2014. Now they will have try harder this season!”

La nouvelle livrée des Ford M-Sport ; De nouvelles couleurs pour Hyundai aussi

Les Ford Fiesta RS WRC engagées par M-Sport WRT auront une nouvelle livrée bleue et blanche au Rallye Monte-Carlo (22-25 janvier)

L’équipe britannique a annoncé que cette livrée avait été inspirée par la Ford Escort RS 1800 Mark 2 d’Hannu Mikkola de 1980 et la Ford Sierra RS Cosworth de Colin McRae de 1989.

« Avec ce nouveau design, on souhaitait faire un trait d’union entre la modernité et le passé prestigieux de Ford en Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA », a déclaré Malcolm Wilson, le directeur de M-Sport.

The 2015 Rallye Monte-Carlo (January 22-25) will see the M-Sport World Rally Team-run Fiestas appear for the first time in a new blue-and-white livery.

The Ford Fiesta RS WRCs of Elfyn Evans and Ott Tanak will feature a brand new colour scheme in this year’s world championship.

The British team says that the new design takes its inspiration from Hannu Mikkola’s Mark 2 Ford Escort RS 1800 of 1980 and the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth of Colin McRae of 1989, with an added modern touch.

“When designing this year’s livery we were keen to produce something fresh and exciting whilst celebrating Ford’s long and prestigious standing within the FIA World Rally Championship,” says M-Sport WRT Team Principal Malcolm Wilson.

“Ford cars have produced some of the most striking colour schemes which became firm favourites around the globe. It’s great to see some of these iconic liveries reflected in our 2015 car – a modern twist tailoring the design to our young and ambitious team.”

Comme M-Sport et Citroën, Hyundai Motorsport a également dévoilé les couleurs des i20 WRC qui seront engagées en Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA 2015. Le Néerlandais Kevin Abbring rejoint la marque coréenne.

Pilote Skoda/VW sur quelques manches WRC en 2012, Kevin Abbring (26 ans) avait remporté la Peugeot 208 Rally Cup la saison suivante ce qui lui valut de disputer le Championnat d’Europe 2014 au sein de la Peugeot Rally Academy sur une 208 T16. Très rapide, le Néerlandais a joué de malchance, sauf au Rallye de France où il a remporté sa catégorie.

Ses performances ne sont pas passés inaperçues chez Hyundai Motorsport. Il rejoint l’équipe coréenne avec laquelle il participera au développement de la nouvelle i20 WRC et disputera quelques épreuves mondiales.

Hyundai Motorsport a par ailleurs dévoilé la livrée de ses i20 WRC. De nouveaux partenaires ont rejoint le programme WRC, comme des filiales du constructeur Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Steel et Hyundai WIA, ou encore l’équipementier Alpinestar. Les couleurs dominantes seront le bleu et le rouge.

Like M-Sport and Citroën, Hyundai Motorsport has revealed the livery of the i20 WRCs that will contest this year’s FIA World Rally Championship. The Korean team has also recruited Dutchman Kevin Abbring.

After taking part in selected rounds of the 2012 WRC as a Skoda/VW driver, Kevin Abbring won the 2013 Peugeot 208 Rally Cup which earned him a programme with the Peugeot Rally Academy in last season’s European Rally Championship. The Dutchman was down on luck most of the year but his efforts in the 208 T16 harvested class success at October’s Rallye de France-Alsace.

Hyundai Motorsport has now snapped up the youngster (26 next week) to aid development of the new i20 WRC and appear in a number of WRC rounds.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motorsport has released pictures of the i20 WRC in its 2015 colours which are predominantly blue and red. The team has also attracted new partners for its WRC programme, such as the make’s Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Steel and Hyundai WIA subsidiaries, and the equipment brand Alpinestar.

DAKAR stage 12 ; Price (KTM) se révèle , Terranova (Mini) se fait plaisir

Rapide et régulier depuis le départ de Buenos Aires, Toby Price ne cesse de monter en puissance à mesure qu'il prend de l'expérience sur son premier Dakar. Vainqueur de sa première étape à Rosario et solide troisième du classement général, le rookie australien est l'une des révélations de l'édition 2015. Orlando Terranova est lui déjà bien respecté parmi les ténors de la catégorie auto et s'offre un quatrième succès pour la forme.
Dans le Top 5 à sept reprises depuis le départ, Toby Price n'avait plus beaucoup de temps pour décrocher un éventuel premier succès sur le Dakar. Un Graal pour tout débutant, déjà obtenu par Matthias Walkner un peu plus tôt dans le rallye, et que le pilote KTM aura finalement arraché lors d'une avant dernière étape maitrisée de bout en bout. Loin de baisser de rythme après 12 jours de course, l'Australien a en effet réalisé une démonstration de force vers Rosario en se présentant en tête à tous les points de passage pour consolider sa superbe troisième place du classement général. Il n'est même plus très loin (25 minutes) du leader du rallye Marc Coma, qui doit surveiller de près ce nouveau venu parmi l'élite des rallyes-raids.

Une élite dont fait déjà partie Joan Barreda, comme l'a à nouveau prouvé le pilote Honda vendredi. Deuxième à 1'55'' du vainqueur, l'Espagnol a joué son rôle d'ouvreur avec brio. Paulo Goncalves a de son côté lui aussi encore démontré de belles aptitudes avec le troisième temps à l'arrivée, insuffisant toutefois pour inquiéter un Marc Coma en pleine gestion de son avance au général. Sixième à 6'25'', l'officiel KTM n'a pris aucun risque et déroule vers une cinquième victoire sur le Dakar. Il est même devancé par un duo slovaque plutôt en forme en fin de deuxième semaine avec la 4ème place pour Ivan Jakes et la 5ème pour Stefan Svitko. Pablo Quintanilla cède lui dix minutes à Price et voit le podium final s'éloigner un peu plus.



Déjà vainqueur jeudi, Christophe Declerck explose littéralement en cette fin de rallye pour décrocher un deuxième succès d'affilée, à nouveau avec la manière. Intouchable sur les pistes menant à Rosario, le Français a ultra dominé la spéciale du jour et termine avec plus de sept minutes d'avance sur Nelson Sanabria. Rafal Sonik est lui un sage quatrième à dix minutes et cruise tranquillement vers sa première victoire sur le Dakar.



Avec 7 heures de retard sur Nasser Al-Attiyah au classement général, la victoire d'Orlando Terranova vendredi restera anecdotique. Mais avec trois deuxièmes places lors des quatre derniers jours, l'Argentin était résolu à empocher un quatrième succès d'étape à Rosario et a rempli sa mission avec intelligence en restant en embuscade durant toute la journée pour finalement faire la différence dans les derniers kilomètres. De quoi nourrir un peu plus de regrets après une étape 4 désastreuse, alors que son dauphin du jour Vladimir Vasilyev pouvait être pleinement satisfait de sa progression.

Vainqueur de la 5e étape, le Russe n'est pas passé loin de rééditer sa performance à trente secondes de Terranova et remonte surtout à la cinquième place du général. Emiliano Spataro réussit pour sa part sa meilleure étape sur le Dakar avec une belle troisième place à 1'29'' du vainqueur au volant de son Renault Duster, devant le sénateur Nasser Al-Attiyah qui a lui assuré la 4ème place et n'est désormais plus qu'à 393 km d'une deuxième victoire sur le Dakar. Giniel De Villiers et  Krzysztof Holowczyc l'accompagneront, sauf incident de dernière minute, sur le podium.



Du côté des camions, Hans Stacey n'a laissé personne revenir sur lui après s'être élancé en premier sur la spéciale vers Rosario suite à sa victoire de la veille et a tout simplement doublé la mise. Le Hollandais a joué serré face à ses compatriotes Marcel Van Vliet et Gerard de Rooy qui terminent tous les deux à moins de trente secondes du vainqueur du jour. Cinquième, Airat Mardeev possède désormais 12'43 d'avance sur Eduard Nikolaev au général et voit la victoire finale se rapprocher à grands pas.


 

Quick and consistent since the start in Buenos Aires, Toby Price has kept on progressing as he has acquired experience on his first Dakar. The Australian rookie, winner of his first stage in Rosario today and a solid third in the general standings, is one of the revelations of the 2015 edition. Orlando Terranova is already well respected among the leading lights of the car category and picks up a fourth stage victory.



In the top 5 seven times since the start, Toby Price did not have much time left to pick up a possible first success on the Dakar. The Holy Grail for every debutant, already obtained by Matthias Walkner earlier on in the rally, finally fell into the grasp of the KTM rider on a penultimate stage of the rally that he led from start to finish. Far from lowering the pace after 12 days of racing, the Australian in fact put on a show of force on the road to Rosario by reaching all the time check points in the lead, to consolidate his superb third place in the general standings. He is even not too far (25 minutes) from rally leader Marc Coma, who will have to keep a watchful eye on this newcomer to the rally-raid elite.
Joan Barreda already belongs to this elite and the Honda rider proved it again on Friday. Second to finish, 1'55'' behind the winner, the Spaniard played the role of opener with panache. Paulo Gonçalves also again displayed his fine skills with the day's third best time, but it was insufficient, however, to worry Marc Coma, who contented himself with managing his lead in the general standings. In sixth place, 6'25'' behind Price, the official KTM leader did not take any risks and looks to be heading comfortably to his fifth outright triumph on the Dakar. He was even beaten today by a Slovakian duo in form at the end of this second week of rallying with the 4th place for Ivan Jakes and 5th for Stefan Svitko. Pablo Quintanilla lost ten minutes to Price, meaning the final podium is slipping away from his grasp.



Already a winner on Thursday, Christophe Declerck has been on fire at the end of the rally and picked up his second consecutive victory, once again in impressive fashion. Untouchable on the tracks to Rosario, the Frenchman was ultra-dominant on the day's special and finished with a lead of more than seven minutes over Nelson Sanabria. Rafal Sonik finished a cautious fourth ten minutes behind the day's winner and is gently cruising to his first outright triumph on the Dakar.



7 hours behind Nasser Al-Attiyah in the general standings, Orlando Terranova's victory this Friday will not change the course of the rally. However, with three second placed finishes over the last four days, the Argentinean was determined to grab a fourth stage victory in Rosario and achieved his goal with intelligence by waiting in ambush during the whole day before finally pouncing in the last few kilometres when the opportunity presented itself. Obviously, this will fuel his regrets due to a disastrous stage 4, whilst his runner-up today Vladimir Vasilyev has the right to be fully satisfied with his progress.



The Russian, winner of stage 5, was not far from reproducing such a performance, finishing only 30 seconds behind Terranova and especially climbing up to the fifth place in the general standings. As for Emiliano Spataro, he enjoyed his best stage on the Dakar in his Renault Duster with a fine third placed finish, 1'29'' behind the winner and ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah who made sure of 4th place. The Qatari is now only 393 km from a second title on the Dakar. Giniel De Villiers and Krzysztof Holowczyc will be on the podium with him, unless a last minute incident decies otherwise.



In the truck race, Hans Stacey did not let anybody catch him after starting the special to Rosario first. Following his victory yesterday, he reproduced the same feat to taste triumph again. However, the Dutchman only just beat his two countrymen Marcel Van Vliet and Gerard de Rooy, who finished less than 30 second behind him. The day's fifth placed finisher Airat Mardeev now has a lead of 12'43'' over Eduard Nikolaev in the general standings as final victory draws nearer.


 

Artcurial Motorcars - Collection Baillon, France ...6/02/2015

This is a video of 60 forgotten cars found at one place in France including 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider owned by Alain Delon, 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Frua, Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport coupé Saoutchik, Hispano Suiza H6B cabriolet Millon-Guiet and dozens more.

All these cars will be sold on 6.2.2015 at Artcurial Motorcars Rétromobile auction in Paris.




The full list of cars is:
Amilcar C6 berline; Amilcar CGS; Ariès coach; Auto Union cabriolet; Avions Voisin C15; Avions Voisin limousine C15; Avions Voisin C7 par Gallé; Ballot 8 cyl limousine; Barré torpédo; Berliet coupé chauffeur; Berliet Type VIGB 10HP Taxi Landaulet; Bugatti 57 Ventoux; Citroën Trèfle; Delage D6; Delage D8 coach; Delahaye 135 cabriolet Faget Varnet; Delahaye 135 coach Chapron; Delahaye 235 coach Chapron; Delahaye 235 coach Chapron; Delahaye 235 coupé Chapron; Delahaye Type 43 coupé chauffeur; Delahaye GFA 148 L; Delahaye Type 43 camionnette; Delaunay Belleville limousine VL8; Facel Vega Excellence; Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider; Ferrari 308 GTS i; Ferrari 400' Ferrari Mondial 3.2L cabriolet; Hispano Suiza H6B cabriolet Millon-Guiet; Hotchkiss cabriolet; Innocenti S cabriolet; Jaguar type S 3.4 L; La Buire 12 A; Lagonda LG45 cabriolet; Lancia Thema 8.32; Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 plateau; Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 torpédo par Grumman; Lorraine-Dietrich torpédo; Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Frua; Mathis cabriolet; Mathis FOH; Packard cabriolet Super Eight; Panhard-Levassor Dynamic berline X77; Panhard-Levassor Dynamic coupé X76; Panhard-Levassor limousine X72; Porsche 356 SC ex-Sonauto; Renault AX torpédo; Renault Vivastella cabriolet; Sandford cyclecar 3 roues; Singer Cabriolet; Talbot Lago 11/6 cabriolet; Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet; Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet; Talbot Lago Cadette 11; Talbot Lago coach; Talbot Lago T26 coach; Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport coupé Saoutchik; Talbot Lago T26 Record coupé Saoutchik; Talbot Lago T26 cabriolet Saoutchik ex-Roi Farouk

Honda CB750 ‘Mr Hyde’ by Classified Moto

Words by Martin Hodgson.

Custom motorcycles often leave an audience profoundly polarised, while some lavish praise others ridicule and scoff. It seems the further from sedate you go the more divided the opinion, but designers like Terblanche and Tamburini have shown that is not always true and great custom builders can do the same. Create amazing one off motorcycles that receive almost universal acclaim, are anything but bland and always show off that signature style that lets you know the brains behind the build. Enter John Ryland, Classified Moto and a Honda CB750 known as Mr Hyde.

I always eagerly anticipate a new build from the Richmond, Virginia based workshop and this 1992 Honda CB750 Nighthawk certainly doesn’t disappoint. Customer Jordan had seen a pre-Nighthawk CB750 build of Classifieds called the SuperStrada and wanted something in the same vein. The first thing that hits you in the eyes is the single sided swingarm and this is certainly no bolt on conversion. While the Ducati Multistrada swingarm remains stock the Honda frame required considerable fabrication and welding expertise from Seth and Danik to get the two working in harmony. The Showa shock originally fitted to the Ducati remains in place while just like SuperStrada the rear wheel is from a Ducati 1098.

The front end is equally as accomplished and it’s rare to see a Classified build that doesn’t feature a variation of an USD fork, Mr Hyde is no exception. Donating its forks, lower clamp and front wheel is a late model Yamaha YZF-R6R that brings handling well and truly into the 21st century. Finishing the conversion is Classifieds very own billet aluminium upper triple clamp. With the R6 also kindly donating its controls the front of the bike was nearly complete. But never ones to dodge a challenge the decision was made to bring even the speedo into the 21st century, no dials here as an iPhone mount was carefully CNC’d and a GPS based speedo app takes care of the display. Adding function to the perfected form is a 12v accessory port to keep the iPhones battery at full charge.

At this stage of the build Mr Hyde appears to be quite similar to the bike that inspired it, the SuperStrada. But Jordan had a request, occasionally he wanted to be able to ride his custom “two up”. So unlike the last CB750 build upholsterer Roy Baird shaped the rear of the seat to accommodate a second person and no metal fairing was added. What makes this addition to the build truly exceptional is the set of passenger pegs that sit below the swingarm; Want to ride solo and remove the sight of the second set of pegs? Easy, they’re removable!

While many will automatically assume the fuel tank is simply a Classified Moto’s bare version of an earlier CB750 it is actually from a CB450T Hawk. Matched with the handmade seat, the tanks proportions work perfectly with the later model Honda, both merging at the halfway mark of the frame giving a visually satisfying balance to this urban brawler. It’s these touches that make John such an incredible designer and when the bike makes its growl from a sweet four-into-one stainless exhaust fabricated by Seth you can start to see why the Classified Moto team have taken the motorcycle world by storm and have celebrities knocking on their door.

Now with the Honda in Jordan’s hands, the malevolent Mr Hyde is free to take to the Jersey jungle and do all the things so many of us wish we could do on a Classified Moto build; Hold it open and hang on!

[Photography by Adam Ewing]

via PIPEBURN

SOLO UNA LUNA HL SPEEDY 500

Though we’re not there yet, might there will be a time where the world has one universal currency? Skipping over Bitcoin, which is a struggle for those without electricity, never mind a computer, there’s still one ubiquitous leveler which speaks to many as legal tender. Good old moonshine, distilled by the light of our friendly celestial orb. Be it deep in the woods of North Carolina or out in the Mongolian Steppe, if you want to strike a deal, your best bet is to crack open the good stuff. The local brew in Hungary is catchily called Házipálinka and some claim it’s about the best you’ll find. Feel free to argue that one out amongst yourselves…

For Zoltán Szabó though, the moon has a different connotation. Sola Una Luna; One Moon. It’s the mantra, the inspiration and the name of his company. Based out of Csongrád in the south east of Hungary, perhaps a swig or two of Házipálinka helped in the building of his latest, the HL Speedy 500. As with all his builds Zoltán ensures the bike has a duplicity, a blending of the new and the old. And for this Kawasaki the idea was to create something that would prowl the city streets, “a real night stalker, with many unique parts”.

Rolling right out of 1980, the Kawasaki Z500 donor is as UJM as it gets, the perfect base to inject a little character into. Broken down into piles of keep, chuck and refurb, the latter pile was rapidly growing. Imperfections were to be maintained in choice parts, but mechanically the fully rebuilt machine is tickety-boo. It’s worth noting that all the custom parts were made in an entirely analogue way. No CNC here, just Zoltán and some hand tools, the great finish speaks to the hours of fettling that have gone into the bike.

The frame was cut about as little as possible, just small adjustments to the rear end to maintain flow ‘tween tank and tail. An adopted Suzuki GS550 tank is now in place of the original Kawasaki item, which was a little too far gone to recover. Stripped and buffed back, it was left with flaws and faults to be seen under the glass-deep layer of lacquer. Zoltán hand crafted the tail piece, beautifully judged, the lines rising to draw that imaginary line through the seat, then up and over the tank. Bridged by the hand sewn seat, leather appropriated from an aged chair, the natural wear and tear compliments those marks in the metal.

It’s always nice to see the rear triangle be put to use with a bit of creative flair. While the open look can reduce the visual weight of a bike, it is a bit of a blank canvas in terms of artistic opportunity. For the Speedy, the Oriental origins have been captured in a subtle rising sun motif behind which the bulk of the electrics now lie. There’s a curvature to the aluminium side covers enhancing the lean look of the bike. The front mudguard is home grown; a well used piece from a classic Danuvia, cut down to hug the front 7-spoke, keeping crud off the satin headers.

Mechanically the triple discs, reliable DOHC 4-cylinder powerplant and Featherbed style frame work in harmony as Kawasaki intended. Stripped, serviced and shining from a thorough clean and polish, they now have the gleam to match the go. Sometimes there is no need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, the sticky rubber, and freshly serviced chassis parts likely offering a far better riding experience than a mismatched collection of tired Ebay finds. The 4 into 1 system coupled to a shorty megaphone lets the Z500 sing to 9000rpm; that ought to shake a few alarms at night.

After final assembly, fuel tap turned, ignition flicked on, she fired right up. The fresh tyres found grip on the blacktop right away and fuel was eagerly guzzled. Prowling the streets of Csongrád under the moonlight, I’ll raise a glass to that.

There are plenty more in depth build photos on Zoltán’s site; check it out.

via The Bike Shed

Cars we love: Citroën DS

Much has been written about the Citroën DS, such was its impact on not just the motor trade, but society in general. From philosophers to presidents, the Gendarmerie to the humble cabbie, it was the car to have, and for very good reason…

Back to the future

It’s October 1955 and Paris motor show-goers have just been treated to a glimpse of the future, thanks to Citroën's avant-garde, stylish and positively wacky Déesse. The Goddess (in English) was justifiably irresistable, and the orders flooded in quicker than they could be recorded.

If Flaminio Bertoni’s space age design was radical, André Lefèbvre’s engineering must have seemed out of this world. Teeming with technology, the DS essentially rewrote the rulebook. It had powered disc brakes up front (the first production car to do so), swivelling directional headlights (on post-1967 models), and hydraulically powered everything, from the brakes to the clutch to the semi-auto ’box. Oh, and that self-levelling suspension, of course; a system so good that it helped win Citroën the Monte Carlo rally twice, and has only just this year been discontinued from the current range. In short, the DS had no real rivals. Well, not for 20 years at least.

In fact it was so advanced, so ahead of its time, that Citroën feared any other car it produced would be inferior and tarnish the brand’s name, then so famed for its innovation. The answer was simple: no others were built. Success was long enjoyed, and some 1.4 million D-Series cars were produced in myriad varieties between 1955 and 1975. 

Cause for celebration

Chapron’s drop-top ‘Décapotables’ are luxury and style of the highest order, though any DS, be it a Pallas, Prestige or Safari estate, is still capable of craning necks (as we found out for ourselves a few years back in London). There’s just something about these cars that’s still so intriguing today. And what with the 60^th anniversary of the DS being marked in 2015 with a number of events, including a special celebration at the inaugural London Classic Car Show in January, expect interest in this French icon to swell. 

Time to plunder Monaco’s Hotel de Paris

Monarchs, world leaders and the international jet set have been wishing each other ‘bonne nuit’ at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo since 1863. Now, with the hotel on Place du Casino about to undergo comprehensive modernisation, various relics are set to go under the hammer…

At the end of January, Artcurial will sell off more than 3,000 collectables from the famous hotel at its auction in Monaco, offering a unique opportunity to acquire some items that helped to attract the world’s elite. How about waking up in a bed Winston Churchill once slept in, slipping into a bathrobe made from Egyptian cotton, and pouring freshly brewed coffee into an original cup from the hotel? If this excites you as much as it does us, circle the 25 January 2015 in your calendar – no advance booking required...

French Riviera style for your home

You might suppose that these lots come with Monegasque price expectations attached, but a glance at the catalogue could surprise you: for example, a sofa and two chairs in Louis XV style from the Sarah Bernhardt suite are estimated at €600-800, while all beds are expected to command just €400-600. The furniture, rare pictures and photos that once adorned the hotel walls are also being offered. It’s a shame they can’t speak of the scenes they’ve witnessed over the years, but they’ll certainly bring a little French Riviera style to your home.

Photos: Getty / Artcurial

All lots from Artcurial's Hotel de Paris auction can be found at www.artcurial.com. 

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