And nine other beautiful classics that were registered in the Netherlands in August.
Nearly 300 cars received a new classic license plate from the RDW in August. In addition, there were almost 50 copies where the old license plate was reactivated, for example after a thorough restoration or after a stay abroad. In this article we look at ten special copies that we came across in that list.
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Cabriolet Pinin Farina 2-Posti
Without a doubt, this is a very special classic that has been registered in the Netherlands. It concerns a car that was built during the Second World War for a very high-ranking Nazi. The design came from Mario Revelli di Beaumont, an Italian designer who has several beautiful cars to his name. This time he did so on behalf of Pinin Farina. This copy is the only one with such a design and can therefore certainly be called unique.
The car was in a collection in Austria for a long time, but the owner didn’t like prying eyes and therefore the car remained completely hidden from the general public for about 38 years. Earlier this year, however, the car appeared at the Classic Gala in Schwetzingen, where it received a prize for Best in Class. After that, the car came to the Netherlands via a German dealer. Beautiful!
Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Turismo Berlina
In August, two other classic Alfa 6Cs were even registered in the Netherlands. The first is a 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet from 1949, but unfortunately it was exported again after nine days.
The other is a 1936 6C 2300B Turismo Berlina. The 6C 2300 was designed in 1934 by Vittorio Jano and was intended as a cheaper alternative to the 8C 2300. In 1935 the ‘B’ version was introduced, with a completely new chassis, new suspension and new brakes. Some 760 units of the first version were made, and some 870 of the second. The 6C 2300 was made in various versions, such as the Turismo (long wheelbase), the Gran Turismo (shorter wheelbase), the Pescara and the Millie Miglia (both open and sporty). The example that was recently registered is the second Turismo built by Alfa Romeo, finished in dark red.
Aries CC4S Saloon
Ariès was a French automobile built by La Société des Automobile Ariès in the town of Asnières-sur-Seine, part of the Paris metropolis. The company was founded in 1902 by Baron Charles Petiet. The first years mainly luxury cars were built, later also trucks and even racing cars. Production ended in 1937, by which time approximately 20,000 cars had been produced.
This 1925 CC4S has, as far as we know, the only remaining lightweight body by Audineau, built according to the Weymann principle: a wooden frame covered with leather instead of steel. The four-cylinder engine has a capacity of 1,130 cc and delivers 40 to 55 HP, depending on the number of spark plugs, because you can put four or eight in it. The car is for sale, with an asking price of €59,950.
Aston Martin DB2/4 MkII
At the 1953 London Motor Show the Aston Martin DB2/4 was presented, a further development of the DB2, but with two extra seats in the back. The engine had a capacity of 2,580 cc, but in April 1954 an optional 2,922 cc engine followed. Two years after the introduction the ‘Mark 2’ followed, in which the 2.9 litre engine became standard and in which the design was also updated. The bodies were also built at Tickford in Newport Pagnell. A total of 199 examples of the MkII were built: 145 Saloons, 16 Drophead Coupés, 34 Fixed Head Coupés (FHC) and 4 others. The new price of the Saloon was around £2,050, a price that is unimaginable today.
The example that recently came on Dutch license plates, is one of the 62 examples with the steering wheel on the left. Delivered new in California in the red color Imperial Crimson with a beige leather interior. Since 2013 the car has been fully restored, now with a different red color and a black interior.
Bentley S3 Saloon
The Bentley S3 was produced between 1962 and 1965 and was closely related to the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III. The S3 was very similar to its predecessor, the S2, with the most visible difference being the twin headlights. The 6.2-litre V8 was given a higher compression ratio and larger carburettors, which increased the power slightly. A total of 1,318 examples were built. The S3 that was registered in August was originally delivered to the United States and had the steering wheel on the left. In 2010, the car came to London with its American owner. In 2016, the car fetched £22,400 at an auction by the Brooklands Museum.
Berliet VHA
The oldest car that was registered in August is celebrating its 100th birthday this year! It is a car of the Berliet brand, founded by Marius Berliet who had already built his first combustion engine in 1894. In 1912, a Berliet won the Monte Carlo Rally and around the same time the company was already producing around 3,500 cars per year. Eventually, the production of passenger cars became less and less and was stopped in 1939. However, the company continued to successfully build various types of trucks for many years, until the brand was sold to Renault in the 1970s and the Berliet brand name slowly but surely disappeared. The green Berliet VHA from 1924 that was registered on a Dutch license plate in August has a four-cylinder 2,600 cc engine. For example, the VHA has appeared as a kind of hotel taxi van, but in this case it is probably a larger convertible that can seat about six people, spread over three rows.
DeTomaso Pantera
Alejando de Tomaso started the company De Tomaso Modena SpA in 1959. The most successful model was the Pantera, designed by the American (with Dutch roots) Tom Tjaarda. The engine came from Ford and eventually some 7,260 units would roll off the production line. The car registered in August is a blue Pantera GTS with European specifications that went to America in 1974, as part of a group of eight cars that were intended for some important Ford employees. On September 1, 75 DeTomasos were registered on Dutch license plates. More than half of them, 47 units, were Panteras.
Lancia Fulvia Coupé Rallye 1.3 HF
This version of the Fulvia is quite rare, because only 882 units were built between 1967 and 1969. A real competition car, with a body of thinner steel, various aluminum parts and Perspex rear windows. With that the car was 125 kg lighter than a standard Fulvia. The 1.3 liter engine was also modified and delivered 100 HP, which is certainly not bad with a weight of only 825 kg.
This example is from 1968 and is executed in the color Rosso Chester. Sold new in Italy and recently fully restored. Via Montagna d’Oro the car has now found a Dutch owner.
Lea-Francis 14HP Sports
Over a year ago, this specific example from 1948 was offered by Bonhams, where the new owner must have liked puzzling. The car had been largely taken apart and had to be completely reassembled. Apparently that worked, otherwise the RDW would not have issued a license plate.
Lea-Francis was a small car manufacturer from Coventry in England that started manufacturing cars in 1903. Around 1925 they started making sports cars and some nice victories, such as the Ulser TT, ensured more fame. The 14 HP was produced between 1946 and 1954, in four different versions. All equipped with a four-cylinder in line with 1,767 cc. Of this type 3,329 copies were eventually built.
Mazda 110S Cosmo Sport
After Mazda bought the rights to produce the NSU Wankel engine, the first prototype of the Cosmo was shown in 1964 with this famous rotary engine. Only 982 cc, but a power of 110 HP, enough to give a top speed of 185 km/h.
Actual production began in 1967 and in five years 1,176 units rolled off the production line. Of these, 833 were from the second series, also designated L10B, which even had 128 HP and a top speed of 193 km/h. One of these L10B versions was recently registered via Metropole Classics. Earlier this year, the car was auctioned via Bonhams and fetched € 103,500.
This article is a contribution by Edvar van Daalen.
