With a reputation for being a badge-engineered Rolls-Royce, one might wonder how the name Bentley has managed to stick around for almost a century. The Speed Six is the answer. Introduced in 1928, it continued the marque’s domination of the 24 hours of Le Mans and further defined Bentleys as innovative and enduring.
Car collectors may remember the year 2013 for two of the highest auction prices ever paid for automobiles. Among such breathtaking figures, the $1.16-million sale of another 1967 sports car might have gone unnoticed, except for one thing: it was the highest amount ever paid for a Japanese car, a 1967 Toyota 2000 GT.
A quarter century has passed since the 328 models went out of production, and they’ve finally caught the eye of collectors, as evidenced by a doubling in value over the last five years. With that kind of upward trend, leasing a 328 GTB or GTS through the Premier Financial Services Simple Lease is a smarter strategy than ever.
Maybe there are some “Spinal Tap” fans at Porsche, because they took the 911 GT3, already the closest thing to a racecar in the 911 fleet, and pushed this road/track model to 11 to create the Porsche GT3 RS. RS, in Porsche-speak, is rennsport (racing). If you’re not yet a member of a track, the 911 GT3 RS is the car that may compel you to join.
This week in New York City, RM Sotheby’s is rolling out another curated, art-gallery style auto auction. The auction, called Driven by Disruption, showcases a number of blue-chip classics that broke the mold in the world of power, style, or racing lineage. Premier’s Team of dedicated leasing specialists will be watching the auction closely, ready to assist clients in acquiring any of the cars.
In my professional capacity, I am often liked and trusted by people I trust and like, to assist them in making wise decisions on what car to buy or sell and when. The process always begins with a series of questions designed to determine what I feel is the most important criteria for buying or selling a car: “How will you use it?”
Many auto aficionados no doubt resonate with the idea of a thread running through a carmaker’s timeline and model history, one that then defines the marque’s heritage. Marketing departments sometimes overplay heritage, of course. The best messengers for heritage should be cars that deftly blend a sense of history with their modernity. Call it retro done right.
For over ten years, Festivals of Speed has earned its spot at the apex of auto shows in the Southeastern United States. However, with a golf tournament and preshow reception benefitting The Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, this December’s Festivals of Speed in Orlando will be much more than just a “car show.”
Everyone’s favorite car on this year’s Mountain Mille was a 1954 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Holiday Coupe driven by a husband and wife team of newly-retired Army Colonels—Yes, Sir! Yes, Ma’am!—in training for next year’s Mille Miglia. Yes, every Vintage Rallies event is unique!
