At the upcoming Monterey Peninsula auctions some truly iconic racing cars will cross the block. Quite possibly the most successful is this Ferrari F300, which will be offered on Saturday by RM Sotheby's. The F300 was the first Ferrari Formula 1 car developed by the newly signed dream-team of engineers for Michael Schumacher. The German raced the consigned chassis 187 was raced four times, resulting in victory on every occasion. The undefeated Formula 1 car has a pre-sale estimate of $6-$8 million.
At Goodings official Pebble Beach sale, this Porsche 962C will be offered from what is only the second owner. Its first was Bruce Leven, whose team fielded the car from 1988 through to 1990 in striking Havoline colours. Leven retained the car until his passing in 2017 and since then 962-139 was seen in public only once.
Earlier that same day, this Alfa Romeo 33/TT/12 will cross the Bonhams auction block at the Quail Lodge. Raced in period by the likes of Jacky Ickx and Rolf Stommelen, it has survived in highly original condition. From new, it has had just three private owners, including Ickx himself and Jackie Setton. The 33/TT/12 has a pre-sale estimate of $1.7-$2 million.
Among the new cars due to be launched at Monterey is this Aston Martin DBR22. Inspired by the 1950s Aston Martin sports racers, the V12-engined DBR22 is another limited edition model much like the V12 Speedster of which 88 were built in 2021.

Three early Ferraris are among the headlining lots of next week's Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction. The most recent of these is this 250 Europa GT. The last example built, it was sold new to Jacques Swaters. Benefitting from a recent restoration at the hands of Brad Hoyt and Patrick Ottis, 0427GT has a $2.25 - $2.75 million estimate. Of an even earlier vintage is this 166 Inter. It is one of three fitted with a Cabriolet body by Stabilimenti Farina and was meticulously restored by the consignor. Fitted with a rare alloy body by Ghia, this 212 Inter will also cross the block next Friday. Recently restored and re-united with its original engine, 0145E should find a new owner for around $1.5 million.
Among the new cars due to be released in Monterey is the Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster. The open version of the highly acclaimed Venom F5 will be revealed at Quail on Friday.
Hailing from New Zealand's South Island is this Rodin FZero track-day special. This mighty machine is powered by a twin-turbo, four-litre V10 that is mated to a hybrid electric motor. The combined, maximum output is a staggering 1,160 bhp in a car that weighs less than 700 kg and has massive downforce. The FZero name is a reference to it being faster and one-up on the current generation of Formula 1 cars. Production will start in 2023 and just 27 will be built.

As part of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Gooding & Co. will once again stage the official auction. Among the absolute highlights of the two-day sale are a pair of vintage Bentleys. The most interesting is this 8-Litre Vanden Plas Sports Tourer, which was ordered new by Bentley chairman and legendary Bentley Boy Woolf Barnato. Chassis YR5095 was fitted with a striking two-door Tourer body and had a seventy year single ownership between 1936 and 2004. It is now estimate to sell for $7 - $9 million. A similar estimate is given for this 4½-Litre Blower, which was also clothed by Vanden Plas. During its lifetime, it was owned by several leading collectors and was more recently restored by R.C. Moss at an expense of £700,000. Since then, SM3913 was shown only once, at Pebble Beach in 2019 where it won its class.
Another Bentley set to star at Pebble Beach is the all-new Bentley Mulliner Batur. Due to be revealed on the eve of the Concours d'Elegance, it is the latest limited production, bespoke Bentley.
Among the other consignments to the Gooding Pebble Beach Auctions is the collection of the late William Wonder that consists mainly of competition cars. One of our favourites is this race-winning Ferrari 333 SP. Fielded by the successful Doran Lista team, it was also raced with a Judd V10. Once again fitted with the glorious V12, chassis 025 should find a new owner for over $4.5 million.

It will be a very busy weekend for RM Sotheby's in two week's time as the auctioneer will not only stage its traditional, and now three day Monterey sale but will also offer this McLaren F1 in a special online, sealed-bid auction. Delivered new to England, this two-owner machine is the only one fitted with BMW Z1 Roadster derived headlights as part of an experiment to improve night-time visibility. Not seen in public since 2012, chassis 059 is offered from the Pinnacle Portfolio collection.
The first day of the Monterey Auction is reserved for the Masterworks of Design collection, which comprises of close to 50, predominantly pre-War cars, many of which have not been seen for many years. That is certainly the case for the trio of Mercedes-Benz 540 Ks featured today. With a $9 - $12 million estimate, the most valuable of these straight-eight engined machines is this Spezial Roadster. It was sold new to the King of Afghanistan and today is one of three known to exist with a the long-tail, covered spare tyre bodystyle. Chassis 154075 joined the Masterworks of Design collection in the early 1990s and has survived in remarkably original condition. Fitted with the standard Cabriolet A body, the second 540 K featured today retains all of its major components and was only lightly restored. A right-hand drive example, 130941 should sell over $2 million. Even rarer is this Lancefield Drophead Coupe as it is the only known Lancefield bodied 540 K to have survived. It features a distinct disappearing top and like the other two has been part of the same collection for around 30 years. Chassis 169317 would be an excellent candidate for a concours-winning restoration as it retains all its major components and there is also a wealth of period information available.

At this weekend's Spa 24 Hours, Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren all announced brand-new racing cars. The Ferrari 296 GT3 represents the biggest departure from the norm. It is the first modern Ferrari GT racer powered by a V6 engine and also the first not built by long-term partners Michelotto. Instead, the twin-turbo machine has been developed together with French specialists Oreca. The spectacular 296 GT3 will debut at the Daytona 24 Hours in January and from 2024 will also be eligible for the FIA WEC and Le Mans.
One of the Ferrari's future rivals will be the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Based on the 992-generation 911, it features a new, 4.2-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engine. Although subject to Balance of Performance, the engine is rated at 551 bhp. With the GTE category being wound down, the 911 GT3 R will be the top-level Porsche GT racer going forward.
The latest competition car created by McLaren Automotive is the Artura Trophy. Sharing many components with the recently launched GT4 car, this new Artura is due to compete in the one-make McLaren Trophy from the 2023 season onwards. Owners of the Artura Trophy can also opt to compete in GT4 races with only a handful of changes.
With the Concept Aceman MINI has offer a first glimpse of a new compact SUV due to enter production in the coming years. It will be the first model in the MINI line-up that is electric-powered only.

Earlier this month, we were at the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 10th edition of the Le Mans Classic. First held in 2002, it is a most fitting celebration of the rich history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Twice postponed, the anniversary event more than made up for the wait. Once again, the competitors could use the full 13.6 track with historic racing cars ranging from 1920s machinery right up to GT cars and prototypes of the 2000s. There were ten different grids, with four in the 'support' program and the other six in the main event, which ran from 4pm on Saturday through to 4pm on Sunday. Each of these six main grids had a 40 minute race in darkness as the groups alternated. Among the support program were Group C and the Endurance Racing Legends, which alone put up a show worthy of visiting Le Mans. Visit the racing fans did as just over 200,000 spectators attended the event, which saw around 750 historic racing cars compete.
We spent almost the entire event trackside and have captured as many highlights as was physically possible in this 190-shot gallery, which serves to illustrate our concise report.