The cars

My Fiat Vignale 1300S is a rare gem in the world of classic cars, with only 18 of them still on the road today. This Italian beauty was designed by Carrozzeria Vignale based on the Fiat 1300 with an engine tuned by Giannini Automobili. Its sleek and stylish exterior resembles the Italian 60ies GT cars, making it a true collector's item for car enthusiasts.

The iconic 774 numberplate pays tribute to Jaguar's 1953 Le Mans24h win. This sleek and powerful sports car is a perfect blend of design and modern technology offering an exhilarating drive. Although only 300 horsepower, its light weight guarantees a sporty ride. Also, it's the only car on this list that my better half will travel in.

Introducing Bettina, the Baby Blue Berlina: a 1966 Lancia Fulvia 2C Nobody Asked For, But Everyone Needs

She’s baby blue, boxy, and gloriously battle-worn. Meet my 1966 Lancia Fulvia Berlina 2C, a four-door saloon with the soul of an opera singer and the street presence of a Milanese pensioner in a tailored trench coat.

Under her timeworn bonnet lives a 1091 cc narrow-angle V4 with twin Solex carburettors, sending 71 surprisingly enthusiastic horses through a chassis engineered for finesse, not flash. She’s not a show car. She’s a survivor. The rust is real, the paint’s original (mostly), and yes, she still smells vaguely of petrol and pipe smoke.

Bettina, the Baby Blue Berlina is still a project, but not the kind that ends in a full restoration. This Fulvia is keeping her rat look: cracked paint, pitted chrome, and all the honest wear of six decades well lived. She’s not pretending to be new, she’s proving that age and character go hand in hand.

It’s 1983. Thatcher is in power, synthpop rules the airwaves, and somewhere in northern Italy, an angular coupe rolls off the line with something to prove. Fast forward four decades, and this very machine, once part of the enigmatic Van Mossel collection, is now under the knife. In our hands. Becoming something more. Something faster. Meaner. A little unhinged.
 

We’re not restoring her. We’re weaponizing her.

The goal? To build the ultimate Italian Golf GTI killer. Not just another “retro classic,” but a snarling, corner-devouring wedge that turns smug hot hatches into specks in the rearview. Think sharp throttle response, raspy soundtrack, and a chassis tuned tighter than your nonna’s espresso routine.
 

This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about revenge.

Stay tuned. The sleeper is waking up.

It’s 1997. The Euro is knocking on the door, telecom is exploding, and Lancia, quietly, stubbornly, decides to build a coupe for people who notice things. Not loud. Not flashy. Just brutally elegant. A Kappa Coupé 2.4: hand-finished, low-volume, and so rare most “car guys” will swear it never existed.
 

Fast forward nearly three decades, and this one is in our hands. Not as a museum piece. Not as a polite Sunday cruiser. But as a grand-touring dark horse with unfinished business. Long bonnet, pillarless glass, that discreet Italian arrogance, and an 5 cylinder engine that’s all torque, all day.
 

They didn’t mass-produce this car. They curated it.
Low production. Hand-built touches. A coupe that slipped through the cracks while the world chased Germans in suits.

This isn’t about collecting. It’s about rescuing a forgotten flagship from anonymity.

Stay tuned. The rare one is coming back, quietly lethal.

This car was born in the same month and year as me and features an Aurelio Lampredi 1400 cc engine, a factory 5-speed gearbox and an original Abarth exhaust. The 124 Sport Coupé was designed as a three-box, 2-door notchback coupé by Mario Boano, known for styling the bodywork on the Ferrari 250 GT "Boano". ​

My Fiat 850 Sport Coupe, also known as "the secretary's Ferrari" is a sight to behold. Its sleek coupe lines and iconic double taillights make it a true classic. The Abarth exhaust gives it a loud and powerful roar, earning it the nickname "La Bomba Rossa"
Photo: © Thomas Vanhaute

My 1976 Mercedes 280 SLS 6 in line cylinder is a true beauty. While it may have been underestimated compared to its convertible sisters, its unique design has aged gracefully and is now a sight to behold. 

 

My 1983 Porsche 928s is a stunning model that holds a special place in the heart of car enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson. A V8 beauty was given to him to test and he used it to make unexpected journey from London to Sheffield to visit his ailing father in the hospital.
 

Introducing my hand built TVR with a powerful V6 engine and an exhaust roars like a lion. This car is not for the faint-hearted, as it's guaranteed to wake up the entire neighborhood with its thunderous sound. It also tries to kill me