This weekend, the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Belgian Ardennes hosted the ninth annual Spa Classic. With 339 cars entered, spread over eight different grids, it is one of the largest historic racing meetings of the year. The Peter Auto organised meeting is a celebration of the Spa 24 Hours and Spa 1000 km races of the past with sports cars and GTs from the early 1950s through to the present day, and 1970s and 1980s touring cars making up the fields. Specifically created for the Spa Classic a few years ago, the Heritage Touring Car (HTC) field featured a night race as a nod to the period when the Spa 24 Hours was run for touring cars. In addition to the HTC, the ninth Spa Classic featured colourful grids that included the more recent Group C and Endurance Racing Legends fields.
A record crowd was treated to virtual non-stop action for three days. We were also on hand and have captured all the highlights in this 210-shot gallery that serves to illustrate a concise report.

One of the absolute highlights of the upcoming RM Sotheby's Villa Erba sale is this Maserati A6G/54 2000 Zagato Coupe. This example was only the second A6G/54 built and the first clothed by Zagato with coupe bodywork. Retained by Maserati, it was raced in period and was subsequently used by Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson as a reconnaissance car for the 1956 Mille Miglia. Following spells in the United States and Japan, it was repatriated to Europe during the 1990s when it was comprehensively restored. Chassis 2102 will be offered this weekend from a longterm ownership and is estimated to sell for €3 - 3.5 million.
Over the weekend, Bonhams staged their annual dedicated Aston Martin sale. With a 39% sell through rate, the £3 million auction was not a particular success. One rare exception is this right-hand drive DB5 that sold for well above the top estimate at £860,600.

After several teaser images and snippets of information, McLaren have now finally revealed the full details of the GT. Ready for delivery towards the end of this year, this is McLaren's take on a Grand Tourer. Effectively, it is a more refined and luxurious version of the company's familiar design. It features a slightly longer and redesigned chassis that allows for more luggage space that includes a 420 litres section under the rear panel. Underneath the luggage compartment sits a 620hp version of the four-litre twin-turbo engine that has also been purpose-tuned for the GT.
Whereas the GT is to an extent the detuned version of the rest of the product range that can certainly not be set of the John Cooper Works version of the MINI Clubman and MINI Countryman. Both are powered by a 306hp, two-litre engine, which makes them the most powerful cars ever produced in the company's 60-year history. This power is transferred to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Both John Cooper Works models are available from July 2019.

We are on the eve of the annual Spa Classic, which promises to be one of the biggest historic racing meetings on the European continent this year. To get you in the mood, we have taken a detailed look at a pair of racers that will take to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track during next weekend.
Appropriately in Zagato's centenary year, the first car highlighted today is the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ. The 'Tubolare Zagato' was the first car developed by Autodelta and as the name suggests combines a tubular spaceframe chassis and a Zagato body. The lightweight machine was very successful in the under two-litre GT class. The example featured today is the 33rd of 112 built and was originally sold to a gentleman racer in the United States. It has recently been completely restored and was first raced earlier this year at the Espiritu de Montjuic.
Also out on track in Barcelona and again expected to star in Spa is this Porsche 911 GT3 RSR from 2005. First raced by Autorlando Racing, it was campaigned in the 2005 and 2006 Le Mans Series where we captured at several events. It was later also raced by the current owner in the GT Open series before chassis Z5S693061 was pressed into service as a historic racer.

In the opening sequences of the legendary movie the Italian Job from 1969, a Lamborghini Miura is one of the stars. For many years Lamborghini Miura enthusiasts pursued this famous car, which was seemingly crashed on the Great Saint Bernhard pass. As it turned out, it was not destroyed and Lamborghini's heritage department, Polo Storico, have certified that this Miura was the one used in the movie. For the crashed car, an existing wreck was used. Acquired by the Kaiser Collection in 2018, it was shortly thereafter sent to Lamborghini Polo Storico for the detailed investigation that determined that chassis 3586 is in fact the Miura used in the Italian Job.
Another Miura recently entrusted to Polo Storico was this SV that was unveiled post restoration at Retromobile earlier this year. Due to its chassis number, it was long believed to be a Miura S updated to SV specifications but it was only recently discovered that a chassis number from an earlier crashed car was re-used to avoid crippling import taxes into South Africa. Once the full history was discovered, the Miura SV was meticulously restored to its original configuration and colours by Lamborghini's in-house restoration department.
We are inching closer to the release of the new BMW M8, which prompted the German manufacturer to release further teaser images and some details.

Later this month several interesting Aston Martins will cross the block, at the RM Sotheby's Villa Erba sale and Bonhams dedicated Aston Martin auction. At both sales a fine example of the great DB4 Coupe will be offered. This model was crucial to establish the British company as a leading sports car manufacturer. The DB4 due to cross the block at RM is a very early example that has survived in highly original condition. The Series 3 example offered by Bonhams has been consigned by the family of the late owner who acquired the car back in 1969. Another DB4 in the Bonhams lot list is this very rare Convertible. One of just 70 built, it is estimated to sell for in excess of £680,000.
Both auctioneers also have an example of the V8 Vantage Zagato available. The low-mileage chassis 20018 has been consigned to the Bonhams sale while RM have chassis 20053 on offer.
Ahead of the official launch next week, McLaren have offered a further glimpse of the upcoming GT. This is a distinct new model in the McLaren range and the official word is that it will 'redefine the rules of the Grand Tourer segment.'

For over five decades, Lola was one of the leading sports car builders catering to customers from around the world. Today, we have highlighted three of the company's sports cars that we saw in action recently.
The earliest of the trio is this B98/10 from 1998. This was the first Lola sports racer since the demise of Group C racing in the early 1990s. The featured example originally raced at Daytona and Le Mans. It was campaigned into the early 2000s and has more recently returned to Europe in time to compete in the Espiritu de Montjuic last month.
Also in action at the Barcelona circuit was this Lola T600. Originally fitted with a Porsche turbo engine, it was entered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 1981. It was then fitted with a Chevrolet V8 engine but not raced again. Still fitted with a small-block engine, the T600 is now owned by a Swiss historic racer.
One of the famous of all Lolas is the T70, which was raced with great success on both sides of the Atlantic. The ultimate development was this Mk3B coupe of which the very first example is featured today. It has had a colourful history and has most recently been carefully restored to its original configuration. We captured SL76/138 at last year's Spa Six Hours.