OUR PICKS FROM PARIS
1957 BMW 507 MOTORBOAT
All those fabulous cars, and what do I choose? A boat, of course! But this 1957 launch is pretty special, built to the order of BMW by shipyard Rambeck on the banks of Lake Starnberg, Bavaria.
Marque aficionados will spot the clues to what makes this unique craft so interesting – the steering wheel, dashboard and chromed ‘gill’ wing vents come straight from a BMW 507 roadster. More importantly, so does the engine, and it’s easy to imagine the sound of that glorious 3.2-litre, 150bhp V8 as it thunders across Lake Como.
After being used for engine sales brochures, the boat fell into disrepair and was discovered in a barn by enthusiast Felipe Garcia, who had it beautifully restored. AC
1957 AC ACE BRISTOL
I also loved the Bmw-flavoured speedboat, but my show find was an Ace from the same year that had once belonged to an American club racer. The headrest, though original, wasn’t to my taste, but the car’s story is engaging. Us-based enthusiast James Cockrell bought the Bristol-powered Ace new in ’57 and raced it in Sports Car Club of America events until the following year, when he was reassigned to Germany. There he competed in hillclimbs before taking on the 1959 Nürburgring 1000km, but lasted barely a lap before flipping the car. It was repaired and sold to another American working in Germany. Although the Ace had been mechanically restored, the body and paint looked great. JB
1964 CITROËN DS19 COUPÉ LE CONCORDE
France’s endearing loyalty to its homegrown marques meant that Citroën’s centenary was always going to be celebrated in style and, away from the manufacturer’s own stand, the most impressive display came from a private collection of Chapronbodied Double Chevrons (we counted 18). Even in such rarefied company this one-of-38 Coupé Le Concorde stood out – and it’s not hard to see why.
The DS originally belonged to the wife of a restaurateur and, angry over their separation, she vandalised the coachbuilt beauty and it’s never been restored. While we hate to see any classic in such a state, this Citroën must surely be unique and it has almost been transformed into a work of art. LP
1966 SERENISSIMA SPYDER
Every year, French auction house Artcurial presents a remarkable selection of unrestored lots, many from secret Gallic collections, that have remained unseen for decades. From an as-found 1936 Panhard et Levassor Dynamic to a remarkable MV collection, this year’s catalogue was worth the trip to Paris alone. The undoubted highlight was a set of three Serenissimas, with Tom Tjaarda-styled Ghia GT and Agena road cars matched with the sole surviving ’66 Le Mans prototype.
Sold directly by team patron Count Giovanni Volpi, this superb timewarp racer featured a 3.5-litre V8 and a Fantuzzi body inspired by the Ferrari 250LM. Watch out for the full story in C&SC soon. MW