Today we would like to continue our recent celebration of France's glorious automotive history. In the last two updates we have looked at lesser known models and manufacturers, but now its time to highlight two of the most famous French cars. First up is the Bugatti Type 50T Coupe Profilee. Penned by Jean Bugatti at a very tender age, the unique coupe's design combines the classic early 1930s shape with fresh influences from the aerodynamics revolution. Currently part of the vast Louwman Collection, it was awarded 'Best of Show' in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1964. The other French legend is the Delage S8 15, which completely dominated international single seater racing in 1927 by winning all five Grands Prix of the season. Even to today's standards, its 1.5 litre supercharged straight eight engine is a technical tour de force, producing 170 bhp at a staggering 8000 rpm.
Aston Martin is globally renowned for their rich racing history, but not all their efforts were equally successful. After just having won at Le Mans the company ventured into Formula 1 with the ill-fated DBR4. It proved to be too little, too late.
Later this week Las Vegas will host the fortieth annual SEMA where the wildest customized vehicles are on display. One of the most interesting should be the Ford Mustang GT AR500, sporting a brand new two-speed supercharger produced by Antonov. Celebrating the Solstice's recent racing success, Pontiac will take the wraps off the funky Solstice Club Sport.
A variety of new releases grabbed our attention this week, highlighted by the new BMW 3-Series Convertible, the exquisitely styled Fiat Bravo and the face-lifted Ford F6 Typhoon.

A few months after unveiling the very well received TT Coupe, Audi has now released the first information on the TT Roadster. Fortunately Audi did not equip the two-seater convertible with a fold-away tin-top, which would only have added weight and removed trunk space. With 200 and 250 bhp engines available, the TT Roadster should be a hoot to drive. Even more powerful are the two manufacturer customized vehicles in this weeks update. First up is the Nissan 350Z GT-S, which using aftermarket parts packs quite a punch. America's customizers annually gather in Las Vegas for the SEMA show and General Motors will be present in force this year. One of the highlights on the stand will be the Corvette Z06 engined Silverado 427.
Last week we took a closer look at two of France's lesser known manufacturer and today we continue our celebration of the peak of France's automotive industry with a look at rare examples of three better known manufacturers. Built in just thirteen days, Bugatti's Type 54 Grand Prix was one of the most powerful racing cars of the era. This combined with the very twisty chassis and poor tires earned it the nickname 'Widow Maker'. Delahaye's last sports racer of the 1930s was the V12 engined type 145 and after the War two of these received stunning Chapron coachwork as part of road-going conversion. We managed to shoot both together on the Pebble lawn earlier this year. Also gracing the meticulously prepared grass was the unique Talbot Lago T26 GS Dugarreau Barchetta, which was one hour away from winning the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans.
It is quite remarkable that last century's finest designer, Giorgietto Giugiaro, has only penned a Ferrari design two or three times. Of course Ferrari's long standing relationship with Pininfarina left him little room. Employed by Bertone and only 21 years old he had his first go, resulting in the very elegant 250 GT SWB Coupe Speciale.

Even though there were nearly 200 of the world's most spectacular vehicles on display on the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach golf course, two cars were featured very prominently in all of our photographers' shots. There is a lot more that these, the Bucciali TAV 8-32 'Fleche d'Or' and Voisin C20 Mylord Demi-Berline, have in common. Both cars are designed by aviation pioneers, feature the same Voisin sleeve-valve V12 engine, sport a stylish art-deco coachwork and are one-offs. Our favourite was the Bucciali, which is the only one ever delivered to a customer by this ill-fated manufacturer. It comes complete with the front-wheel drive system pioneered by Albert Bucciali. Being the single survivor of his fine vehicles, this was our only opportunity to tell his life story, which is as interesting as his many achievements and our 2500 words still only cover the surface. For this alone we would like to recommend Christian Huet's fabulous Bucciali book, which is one of the most interesting automotive books published in recent years.
Gabriel Voisin operated much in the same spirit as Bucciali in not following convention, but by giving his cars' design a personal touch they are easily recognizable. The C20 Mylord Demi-Berline featured today is arguably his finest work. With an underslung chassis and sleeve-valve V12 engine the C20 is a technical tour de force, and with its art-deco inspired coachwork, it also scores good marks in the aesthetics department. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Gabriel Voisin was responsible for both the mechanicals and design.

Lancia's 100th anniversary has gone by almost unnoticed and to our embarrassment we have to admit that we have not given it any ink either. This week we would like to make up that lapse with an indepth look at the D24 Sport Pinin Farina Spyder; one of the finest cars produced by Lancia in those hundred years. Designed by the legendary Vittorio Jano, it was one of the most advanced sports racers of its era. Sadly the attraction of Formula 1 cut the sportscar-program short, but not before wins in the Carrera PanAmericana, Targa Florio and Mille Miglia were scored.
Yesterday the Paris Motorshow closed its doors and today we would like to wrap-up the show with a final look at some of the cars launched in the 'city of lights'. Chevrolet celebrated their first wins in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) with the very aggresively styled WTCC Ultra Concept. Skoda's Joyster concept sported a much subtler design, which might enter production. At the Aston Martin stand the new V8 Vantage Sportshift took center stage.
While it is hard to imagine after the recent successes, there have been several very bleak periods in Ferrari's racing history. The first of these started with the introduction of the three-litre regulations in 1966. To get back on track Mauro Forghieri designed the very striking, but somewhat ugly 312 B3 'Spazzaneve'. It was never raced, but it did form the basis for the 312 T range that brought Ferrari back on top. A few weeks ago we featured a massive V8-engined Benz, but we have recently come across something even more impressive; the Darracq 200hp Sprint Special. To be auctioned by Bonhams this December, it was driven to very impressive speeds by Sir Algernon Lee Guinness and is the oldest surviving V8.

Now that things have cooled down, we can now look at the events that we did not have time to feature immediately. This week we want to round up the busy Monterey Peninsula weekend with in-depth reports of The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering and the various Auctions and Sales.
The unique concours d'elegance at the Quail resort in the Carmel valley this year celebrated Zagato, the 100th Anniversary of the Targa Florio and the 50th Anniversary of the Laguna Seca race track. Separated in nine classes there were a large number of fantastic vehicles on display, but at the end of the day the entrants awarded the cherished 'best in show' to the ex-Steve McQueen Jaguar XK-SS. What makes this event extra special is the abundance of fine food and drinks, and the opportunity to drive a variety of cars; all included in the ticket price. If you were not among the lucky 3000, who got hold of a ticket, this is your chance to get a great impression of 'The Quail'.
After visiting or competing in the various events, the many collectors were able to expand their collection every night at auctions all over the area. Over the four-day weekend cars changed hands for nearly $100 million. RM Auctions was responsible for over 40% of that result and also sold the most expensive lot in the form of the Ferrari 412 S. The highlights of ever one of these sales can be found in our full report and slideshow.

In this week's update we would like pay a tribute to the 1960s; an era when artistic and engineering freedom was still at an abundance in the automotive industry. Probably the least known, but arguably the most interesting is the ultra-rare Serenissima 308 Jet Competizione. We were fortunate enough to capture this 1965 racing car at its first public appearance in forty years. With the help of the Jet's care-taker we can now offer an indepth account of the car's little known history. Much better documented, but even rarer is the featured Ferguson P99, which in 1961 was the very first all-wheel drive Formula 1 racer. In recent years it has been fully restored and as pictured in our gallery, it sees action once more in the hands of racing legend Sir Stirling Moss. Needing little introduction is the third car in our tribute; the Ferrari 250 GTO Pininfarina Coupe. This particular car was the very first to be fitted with the 1964 body style and as such served as the development prototype.
It has almost become a tradition these days to showcase concept vehicles that sport designs very close to upcoming models. At Paris Renault unveiled two of these in the form of the Koleos and Twingo Concepts. The latter also sported a new 1.2 litre turbo-engine that will become optional in the company's small car range. The star on the Toyota stand was the Auris Concept, which will form the basis of the Corolla replacement.
The last race of the Le Mans Series at Jarama last month saw the competition debut of a new car. This Lavaggi LS1 had already been shown in the paddock two races early, but the team wanted to pitch it against its rivals before continuing development in the winter. Although the race was a bitter disappointment, we are hopeful that the ungainly LS1 could be a lot more competitive after its properly developed.

At first sight the Paris Motorshow stand of Venturi was filled with two funky concept vehicles, but closer inspection revealed that there was a lot more to them than just their unusual appearance. Running on electric engines only, both the Astrolab and Eclectic come complete with large solar cells to charge the batteries while driving. Solar cars are nothing new, but were usually only seen in races fielded by research companies. What's new about these two Venturis, is that both are destined for production, although their price is not for the faint of heart. Also quite steeply priced are the limited edition Gallardo Nera and Murcielago LP640 Versace that grazed the Lamborghini stand in Paris.
Like Venturi, Honda also showcased their desire to provide an alternative to the internal combustion engine with the FCX Concept. This fuel-cell vehicle is almost ready for production and should be out on the streets of Japan as early as next year. Less likely to go out and mingle with the other cars is the stunning Sivax Izana show car. Hopefully one of the major Japanese manufacturers will use the services of this local 'carrozzeria' soon.
Of course the biggest motorsport news in Paris was the launch of Peugeot's new Le Mans contender, but the company had another racing ace up their sleeve; the Spider 207. The mid-engined machine will most likely be used for a one-make championship as part of the regular support series for the 2007 Le Mans Series. Porsche also showed the much anticipated customer version of the RS Spyder. On Thursday Porsche could not confirm any orders, but a one-two in class this Saturday in the Petit Le Mans should have taken the last doubts away.