Author

Maserati

Maserati Celebrate A Decade of Success!

Maserati are the Italian supercar kings that are this month celebrating 100 years of brand success. This celebratory anniversary has encouraged many to enthuse in the greatness of Maserati marques, new and old alike.

Maserati

So, how does such a huge globally recognised company begin?

‘Maserati opened for business in Bologna, only moving to Modena after the company was bought out for what would prove to be the first of many times. The business premises that the Maserati brothers (wildly different in age and the sons of a railway worker) acquired are right in the centre of Bologna at 1A Via de Pepoli, just a few hundred metres from the Piazza del Nettuno, where the youngest Maserati – Mario – would sketch Neptune’s Trident when the company needed a badge.’ Tells the Telegraph.

The Maserati brothers did not actually start making cars until the late 1920’s but had focused on servicing, repairs and race-prepping’ Alfa Romeos and Bugattis.

They introduced the Type 26 (made in 1926) to the market; this was a definitive juncture in the brother’s long-lasting career.

By 1929 the brothers were building more cars and by 1939 they were well and truly established. But by then Maserati had been acquired by local industrialist Adolfo Orsi and the business moved to Modena and the Via Emilia Levante, this cleared the way for the new, modern vehicle makers.

‘Under Orsi, Maserati built its most famous, its most beautiful, its cleverest, fastest and most successful cars including the 250F single seater that Fangio took the World Championship and the A6 series including the 1953 GCS which is quite possibly the most beautiful car yet built’ claims the Telegraph.

Now we are seeing cars like the Grancabio take to the roads, influenced directly by these humble beginnings.

So, Happy Birthday Maserati, may you experience another decade of triumph!

aston_martin

Aston Martin prepares to celebrate 100 years of excellence

Aston Martin is celebrating its centenary with a racing event unlike any other! The luxury automobile maker has announced that the largest collection of its prestigious racing cars will gather for a race of a lifetime as they compete against each other on a single track at the Brands Hatch in July 2013.

In creating this one-off racing event, Aston Martin has managed to create excitement amongst fans and the media alike who are keen to be part of the carmaker’s centenary celebrations. Boasting 100 years of automobile excellence, Aston Martin’s racing event will recognise and pay tribute to the company’s achievements in sports car racing over the past century. The race car collection will boast the many Aston Martin sports cars over the century from those manufactured in 1922 to the latest models in its luxury sports car range.

The race series in Kent will be held on the 6th and 7th July and will bring together Aston Martin race cars from nearly every decade. The cars will race on the Brands Hatch Indy and Grand Prix circuits and the two day event will also host two special centenary races – one covering the pre-war era to the mid 1960s and the other open to all Astons from the mid-sixties. The latter will include the latest Aston Martin GT1, GTE, GT3 and GT4 cars, all of which will compete in a single race on the Grand Prix circuit.

There will also be additional races that will include pre-war Astons and it is rumoured that Lagondas and Bentleys will take part in these as well.

Other events scheduled for the brand’s centenary celebrations include two rounds of the 2013 Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain, examples of nearly every Aston Martin racing car ever produced, display of its finest road machinery, and on-track demonstrations that will host everything from pre-war Ulsters to Nimrods and the Aston Martin AMR1.

The event will also boast a James Bond showcase celebrating the history of the partnership between the carmaker and the 007 agent with Aston Martin cars on display from the DB5 featured in the 1964 Goldfinger to the most recent appearance in Skyfall.

mansfield640

Mansfield manager Paul Cox wins Aston Martin in bet

In what is seen to be one of the most expensive sporting bets this year, Mansfield owner John Radford has bought team manager Paul Cox an Aston Martin after Mansfield won 8-1 against Barrow.

After the non-league team won 5-0 against Dartford last weekend, Mr Radford decided to raise the stakes promising the manager one of the world’s most expensive cars in return for Mansfield scoring five in the first half of the Blue Square Premier game against Barrow. Even though the Stags had won in the game against Dartford, Mr Radford’s bet looked the promising winner as this was the team’s first time hitting five in a match all season.

However, the game against Barrow seemed to swing in Mr Cox’s favour, as goals from Lee Stevenson, two from Matt Green and one from Colin Daniel meant Mansfield was 4-1 after half an hour into the game. This was quickly followed by Adam Murray scoring a goal before the break to win the bet for Mr Cox as Mansfield led the game 5-1.

Mr Radford, who was returning from a trip to Ireland and missed the first half of the game, rushed to meet with Mr Cox and reiterate his promise to buy the manager an Aston Martin DB9. The impact of winning the bet was visible not just for the lucky manager but for the entire team as Mansfield went on to win 8-1.

Mr Cox, still apprehensive about receiving one of the world’s finest sports cars, said: “As for the car, I’m not sure if it is wind-up. Maybe I’ll get into the car park and it will be a bicycle with some stabilisers on it.”

However, Mr Radford delivered on his promise when an Aston Martin DB9 arrived at the One Stadium on Saturday night – complete with the personalised number plate MT51 COX.

bugatti-grand-sport1-280113-jpg_154416

New one-of-a-kind Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse supercar revealed

A new supercar will soon cruise the roads as luxury car firm Buggati announced their plans to launch an exclusive one-off edition of the world’s fastest convertible – the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. Inspired by the Grand Prix winning sports car from the 1920s, the Type 37A, the one-of-a-kind Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse will cost a staggering £2 million and has already been sold to its only customer.

From the house of Buggati Automobiles S.A.S., the French subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse has already created waves for committing to beat the T37A’s supercharged 90bhp speed by being at least 13 times more powerful. That’s an astonishing 1200bhp giving this four-wheel exclusive supercar top speeds of 255mph – more than three times the UK speed limit!

This luxury supercar, which recently made its global debut at the Doha Motor Show in Qatar, has already been sold to an anonymous customer. The owner of the original Type 37A race car, however, is US chat show host and comedian Jay Leno who prides on displaying this top car in his multi-million pound automobile collection.

The Grand Sport Vitesse is an upgraded version of the Veyron Grand Sport and while its top of performance has been increased by 199bhp so has its design. Bugatti has revamped the vehicle’s exterior with bodywork modifications in order to aid the car’s handling and aerodynamics. This is a truly spectacular automobile jewel and one lucky individual can claim ownership of this one-of-a-kind Buggati exclusive.

Batmobile-Auction_Nort_t607

Batmobile sells at auction for $4.2 million

Taking the love for Batman and Robin a step further, an ardent fan has purchased the original Batmobile for a whopping $4.2m (£2.6m) at the recent Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Rick Champagne, a logistics company owner from the Phoenix area, bought the iconic automobile that transported the superhero and his sidekick in the Batman series featured on television from 1966 to 1968. The show starred Adam West and Burt Ward with the Batmobile based on the concept car, 1955 Lincoln Futura, built by Ford Motor Co in Italy.

This was the first time that the Batmobile was put up for public sale. Mr Champagne will have to pay additional costs of $420,000 in premiums as well as the $4.2m auction bid price.

50-year-old Mr Champagne said: “I really liked Batman growing up and I came here with the intention of buying the car. Sure enough, I was able to buy it. That was a dream come true.”

The legendary luxury car boasts a V8 engine and instruments in its steering wheel along with innovations like the push-button transmission. The car was initially bought for a nominal $1 by famous customizer George Barris who had 15 days to work his magic and transform the concept car into the historic Batmobile for the TV show. He worked from a budget of $15,000 to create the original Batmobile and since the transformation and its rise to fame, Mr Barris has continued to own the vehicle until the Barrett-Jackson auction. The car is well-loved for its state-of-art gadgets that include a car phone, twin rear parachutes for quick Bat turns and the ability to deploy oil, smoke and nails to stop villains in their tracks.

Since the series ended, the Batmobile has toured the United States and has also featured in a movie. Soon after, the car was housed in a private showroom in California and Mr Barris now feels that it is the right time for the car to be in the hands of a new owner.

cfs

Rolls-Royce announces launch of Rolls-Royce Wraith

British luxury car maker Rolls-Royce has announced the addition of a brand new model to its fleet of envy-inspiring automobiles. The Rolls-Royce Wraith, touted to be “the most powerful Rolls-Royce”, will be revealed to the public at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show to be held in early March.

Details surrounding the Rolls-Royce Wraith are being aggressively protected but we can expect it to be a coupe version of the car maker’s prestigious Rolls-Royce Ghost. According to sources, the Rolls-Royce Wraith will be “the most powerful Rolls-Royce that has ever played host to the famous Spirit of Ecstasy figurine”.

Rumours making the rounds suspect that the new Rolls-Royce model will boast a V12 engine which is expected to produce in the region of 600bhp.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, discussed the choice of name for the new model. The Wraith name was first used by the Rolls-Royce brand in 1938 when we saw the production of the Silver Wraith that ceased to exist in 1959.

Mr Müller-Ötvös said: “Wraith alludes to an almost imperceptible but powerful force, something rare, agile and potent, a spirit that will not be tethered to the earth. It is the perfect name for our new model.”

The first Wraith cars will be delivered to customers at the end of the year.

The car maker, based in Goodwood in West Sussex, is owned by BMW. It has recently been in the news for its record sale of cars that rose from 1,002 in 2009 to 3.575 in 2012.

Rolls-Royce-Phantom-

Rolls-Royce reports record sales three years in a row

BMW owned Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has reported record sales making this the third consecutive year for the car maker with increased sales. The company recorded a 1% growth in 2011-2012 with sales increasing from 3538 cars to 3575 cars in one year.

However, this was a lower growth rate that those recorded in the last two years that saw the company report sales growth of 31% and 150% respectively. The increased sales for 2011-12 can be attributed to expansions into newer markets with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars now selling luxury cars to Latin America, among other new areas. Another emerging but lucrative market for the car supplier is Saudi Arabia which reported a 63% increase in Rolls Royce car sales with automobile enthusiasts snapping up the luxury vehicles.

CEO of Rolls-Royce, Torsten Muller-Otvos, said: “Middle Eastern customers are completely different from British customers, and for that reason you might see more shiny, different colours in the Middle East.”

Sales in Europe rose 21% while Asia reported an increase of 18%. UK sales, however, were broadly flat that was partly brought on by an overhaul of the London dealership.

In the United States, sales of Rolls-Royce vehicles were spectacular with the country overtaking China as the luxury car maker’s top market. Mr Muller-Otvos said: “The United States proved to be quite strong at the end of the year, and we’ve had a certain slowdown in the Chinese market.”

According to Mr Muller-Otvos, the company has managed to rise above its challenges: “We are the pinnacle of all luxury brands in the world. We are interested in constant growth over the years to come, but sustainable growth.

“We had an outstanding year in spite of the challenges.”

mclaren_colour

New paint job makes McLaren car fastest artwork on roads

We’ve all heard of car makeovers but this one takes “giving your car a paint job” to a whole new level. A German tuning company has revamped the world’s fastest car to the world’s fastest artwork after it gave a McLaren MP4-12C a £90,000 multi-coloured makeover.

Hamann Motorsport has transformed the iconic British supercar, which usually retails at £175,000, into a psychedelic adventure inspired by the classic BMW Art Cars of the 1970s. After the expensive paint job, the 12C that was built in Woking, Berkshire and named the memoR, now boasts a price tag of more than £265,000. The tuning firm’s artwork is a far cry from the traditional colours that the McLaren usually comes in such as blue, black, silver and white.

Hamann Motorsport specialises in souping up cars and described the McLaren in its new avatar as “an exquisitely colourful piece of art”. If you’re thinking of purchasing this expensive psychedelic ride, you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth as the £265,000 also comes with a ‘bodykit’ of new exterior accessories including bumper, new lights, new rear spoiler called the ‘wing’ and a set of 21-inch alloy wheels to compliment the paint job.

The tuning firm is located in Laupheim in southern Germany. Discussing the rainbow McLaren, the company said: “Grass-green Porsches, neon yellow Lamborghinis and even luminous red Ferraris will soon fade away into the background on most streets, as the latest creation from Hamann Motorsport steals the show.

“With the stage set like this, the refined two-seater will transform ugly streets into palatial catwalks, clothing its passengers in magnificent haute couture.”

Now that’s adding colour to your ride!

jay leno

Jay Leno rides in sports car to cast his vote for US elections

King of late night comedy Jay Leno was recently seen heading to the US polls to cast his vote. The television personality lived up to his reputation by arriving in style in an exclusive sports car worth a staggering $200,000!

Leno was pictured walking out of his McLaren MP4 as he made his way to the polling station in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The high-end automobile is a celebrity favourite and boasts ‘butterfly’ doors to add to its sleek make. The McLaren MP4, from the house of the iconic UK Formula One company, complimented the American stand-up as he sported a casual look in a denim shirt, trousers and black suede shoes.

Leno is no stranger to luxury cars and is reported to own a shocking 100 cars hosted in a massive garage. His extensive fleet includes a roadster that was once owned by Howard Hughes. Leno’s collection of automobiles is recognised by the Peterson Automotive Museum where they are regularly on display.

In a recent classic car auction, two cars donated by Jay Leno – a New Holland Tractor and a 2012 Fiat 500 Prima Edizione – were sold for $535,000 and $350,000 respectively. The tractor was previously used for towing cars around Jay Leno’s garage.

Leno is the face of NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno which he has hosted since 1992.

aston martin

Paul McCartney vintage Aston Martin sells for £344,400 at auction

The Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney’s vintage Aston Martin sold for a staggering £344,400 at an auction on Wednesday. The 1964 sports car was offered as part of the RM Auction London sale and was estimated to fetch over £300,000.

The Aston Martin DB5 was bought by Sir McCartney in the summer of 1964, between completing filming for A Hard Day’s Night and embarking on The Beatles 1964 world tour, and was in his possession for the next six years. Canadian auction firm RM Auctions believes that The Beatles star put some 40,000 miles on the car during this time.

Wednesday’s auction was not the first time that the Aston Martin DB5 has been in the news. A 1967 Time magazine profile on Paul McCartney described “Bachelor Paul” as a “movie addict, loves ‘the look of London’, and tools around town in a spiffy blue Aston Martin DB5.”

This particular DB5 is painted Sierra blue and came with options such as chrome wire wheels, black interior leather, a Motorola radio and a unique Phillips Auto-Morgan record player. According to the auctioneers, Sir McCartney ordered for the leather interior to be patterned with musical notes. However, this upholstery has since been replaced.

Before the iconic sports car went under the hammer, Peter Wallman who co-ran the bidding for RM Auctions said: “I’m not going to predict that happening here but if somebody collects Beatles memorabilia and just really wanted to have Paul McCartney’s Aston Martin then it could go crazy.”

According to service records and other reports, Paul McCartney sold the car in 1970. The musical icon continued to own a number of other Aston Martin makes.