There are few better ways to celebrate the birth of the United States than with a car show, and there’s no better time than a long weekend at the peak of the summer. Whether you prefer the raw muscle of a Ford GT or the svelte lines of a Ferrari 250 GT/L, the freedom of the open road has long been a hallmark of the American ethos.
Nestled between Detroit and Chicago, in America’s car manufacturing heartland, the Gilmore displays a massive assortment of predominantly post-war racing, sports, and consumer automobiles. Since 1966, this museum has been displaying historic automobiles, from the unparalleled luxury of Pierce Arrow, to the the elegance and reliability of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.
You’d be hard pressed to find a Ferrari buff who doesn’t consider the 1962-1964 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, a.k.a. 250 GT/L, one of the top five most beautiful Ferraris. Many consider it the most beautiful Ferrari ever, an automobile worthy of possessing for its stunningly elegant Pininfarina design alone.
It seemed like the perfect idea for the affluent auto enthusiast: a V12-powered GT combining supercar performance and room for four adults and their luggage. It would be a like a ground-bound private jet, as home on the Côte d’Azur as on the autostrada, autobahn or New York’s Long Island Expressway.
The Continental R had the distinction of using a body not shared with a Rolls-Royce model. The basic idea for the big Bentley coupe had begun in 1985 with a concept model called Project 90. By then, Rolls had been steering Bentley back toward its performance roots with the Turbo sedan. A new coupe, based on that chassis, seemed the next logical step.