Valentino Rossi wins Monza Rally Show

It took the Monza Rally Show and the Mastershow (dedicated to the late Marco Simoncelli) and a switch to four wheels for Valentino Rossi to finally score a pair of wins this season. This was the Italian’s third win at the show after winning the 2006 and 2007 editions together with Carlo Cassina.

Rossi’s rival this year was multiple Le Mans winner Rinaldo ‘Dindo’ Capello and his co-driver Luigi Pirollo. The two divided the top spots in the nine stages, Rossi taking 5 and Capello 4, but the MotoGP rider won in the end with a margin of 2.8 seconds.

Pierino Longhi and Luca Cassola took the third spot on the podium, while Andrea Dovizioso ended up fifth with his Citroen DS3 after losing the last stage. The Brivio brothers Davide and Roberto, closed out the three day event in 9th ahead of reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo - who was tenth in his rally debut (he usually does car endurance races).

Loris Capirossi finished in 34th and 9th in his class while Simone Corsi and Claudio Corti had to retire after the second day.

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Italian Exotics to Star at Coys’ 4 Dec 2012 London Sale

Auctioneer Douglas Jamieson should be wishing clients at Coys’ forthcoming pre-Christmas sale a hearty Buon Natale!, as a significant part of the catalogue is of Italian origin.

There are, for example, TWO Lamborghini Miuras. One is from 1967 and converted by the factory in period to SV specification. The other ticks two all-important boxes in today’s market: it’s in ‘barn-find’ condition, a metallic brown car ripe for restoration; and it enjoyed celebrity ownership in period, having been bought by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis as a gift for his friend (magnificently coiffured and a popular singer of the time) Stamatis Kokotas in the early 1970s. Estimate: GBP 320,000 - 370,000. 

Joining the Lamborghinis are no fewer than four Ferraris (including a rare-in-RHD, silver-with-red-hide 1979 512 BB, for GBP 95,000 - 110,000), a 1956 Lancia Aurelia B24 Series One Convertible (GBP 150,000 - 170,000) and two Maseratis, both of which are competitively priced and firm favourites in the Classic Driver office. 



The 1966 Quattroporte is an example of the car that delivered killer performance from its 450S-derived V8 but, as a four-seater, was a discreet, practical alternative to British and Italian GTs of the period. And who doesn’t appreciate Maserati 3500 GTis? This for-restoration, 1963 example is estimated at GBP 38,000 - 45,000. 

Elsewhere in the catalogue, there’s the customary 300SL (a red with red hardtop, disc-braked 1961 car), a super-desirable LHD 1965 Aston Martin DB5 (and a genuine ‘Vantage’, too, for GBP 330,000 - 380,000), three Porsche 356s and a pair of wonderful Bentley shooting brakes. 

All in all, a super selection of cars for Christmas. Prior to the motor cars, Coys will offer over 350 lots of automobilia, including many original film posters. Do have a browse through Coys’ website for these: there’s some great stuff there. 



Coys’ 4 December ‘True Greats’ auction will be held at the Lindley Hall of the Royal Horticultural Society, Vincent Square, London SW1P 2QW. Automobilia will start at 13:00, motor cars at 19:00 prompt. 

Please CLICK HERE to see the full lotlist. 

Coys' website: www.coys.co.uk Text: Steve Wakefield (aus dem Englischen von Mathias Paulokat)

Fotos: Coys

hummer h2. dubai, uae. when enough is enough

It’s difficult not to have a soft spot for the Hummer H2. Following in the enormous footsteps of the gargantuan H1, the H2 wasHummer/General Motor’s attempts to make (ahem) a more civilised urban cruiser. This despite its military-spec origins.

And it seemed to work. Many quickly stumped up the $60,000-ish asking price – including the Governator of California – and soon cities were visibly shaking as wave after wave of the former-armed forces vehicle rolled through.

Very soon, no stag do was complete without a stretched H2.

Yep, you’ve got to love the Hummer, simply because it is completely ridiculous!

In the Middle East, we’re no stranger to examples of this brute. But while the Hummer could never be described as ‘subtle’ (on average, the mobile edifice measures nearly seven-feet both tall and wide and weighs a portly 3000kg), this example from Omanis one of the more outlandish we’ve seen in a while.

These for instance are 30-inch alloys. Let’s just put that into context: that’s six more than the Ford Mustang we discovered outsideLiving Classics recently, nine more than the Audi S8 we were escaping in, and a full 13 more than the Ford SVT Raptor.

Now we’re all for customisation at crankandpiston as you know, and we’re not averse to the sinful black intermixed with chrome look being exhibited on stonking great wheels.

It’s just that we’re more used to seeing it on a Harley Davidson.

HONDA S90 CAFE RACER BY DEUS EX MACHINA

The Honda S90 is one of those bikes that doesn’t get the cafe racer treatment nearly often enough. The ultra lightweight motorcycle was manufactured by Honda between 1964 and 1969, it was fitted with a 4-stoke, air-cooled single cylinder engine capable of 8hp and capable of just over 60mph (with a light rider).

The S90 (or Sport 90) weighs in at 86 kilos (190lbs) but seems lighter somehow, it can be picked up without straining and this makes it rather easy to park in tight spaces. A friend of mine in Hanoi had one for years that he called “Piglet”, the first time I had a go on it I underestimated the capability of the little beast and so managed to accelerate with such force that the front tire lifted 8 inches off the ground, propelling me into Vietnamese traffic with absolutely no directional control at all.

After I’d changed into new trousers I spent the day bumbling around town on Piglet, I came to the conclusion that the little Honda S90 is one of the most fun urban motorcycles ever created.

This cafe racer version was created by Deus Ex Machina, they’ve added custom built polished clip on handle bars, a converted ignition from point to CDI, a custom Japanese exhaust, a Daytona speedometer, a Polaris taillight and a Suzuki GT front headlight. The engine and carburettor has been rebuilt meaning it should now be just about capable of circumnavigating the Earth before needing any mechanical attention.

If you’ve been looking for the perfect urban cafe racer for a city like Melbourne, New York or London, this might just be your horse. Click here to visit in in the Deus Ex Machina showroom.