14 The Sunday Times MOTORING
FEBRUARY 19, 2012
NEWS
Paris classic car auction makes history
H
istory was made last Friday week as the biggestever sale of collectors’ cars in France took place. In a five-hour auction that saw €14.5 million of classic cars change hands, the star attraction was the Ferrari 250 GT California bought new by Roger Vadim. The famous French filmmaker’s old car sold for its top estimate of €4 million before fees and taxes were added, making a final sale price of just over €4.5 million. Also under the hammer at the Artcurial auction was a 1913 Delauney Belleville Type 06 8-litre, dismantled and hidden during World War II and only rediscovered decades later. It sold for €471,800. Ninety per cent of more than 100 cars offered were sold in front of a crowd of over 1,000 people. Among the stranger of the lots was a Citroen 2CV from 1965, with just 116 miles from new. Its new owner paid a mildly shocking €59,600 for it. The auction is further proof that classic cars are a very sound investment in economically challenging times. While banks can print more money, cars like these can never be made again and the doublewhammy of scarcity and heritage makes these cars very tempting to investors.
Harley unveils stunning new 72
A
stunning new retro custom bike has been revealed by Harley-Davidson – the Sportster 72. The 72 is based on the Sportster XL1200 series, but with more of an emphasis on styling from yesteryear, including spectacular flaked paintwork and slim, whitewall tyres. It harks back to the glory days of the 1970s ‘custom chop’ style that originated from Whittier Boulevard, a street in East Los Angeles otherwise known as Route 72. The paint, called Hard Candy Big Red Flake, is created by applying a black base coat, followed by a polyurethane system that carries hexagon-shaped flakes that are more than seven times the diameter of metal flake used in typical production paint. Each flake is coated with a thin aluminium film and then tinted red. Four applications of clear coat, combined with handsanding, create a smooth finish over the flakes for an amazing finish. “In creating the 72, we were very much inspired by the vibe of the early chopper era,” Frank Savage, Harley-Davidson manager of Industrial Design, said. “Those bikes were colourful and chromed, but also narrow and stripped down to the essentials. You look at period examples and they are almost as simple as a bicycle. The 72 reflects the creative urge of riders from yesteryear in a thoroughly modern package. The 1200cc, fuel-injected Vtwin engine is familiar from existing Sportster bikes. The two staggered, chromed exhausts are beautiful, adding to an extremely well-proportioned bike. The fuel tank is as small as it looks, however, measuring just 7.9 litres. That means fill-ups cost little over €15. (PA)