West Coast: Ferrari 250 GT SWB Spider California
The clue is in the name, ‘California’. Few cars represent early 60s open-top hedonism better than the roadster version of Ferrari’s semi-race 250 GT coupé. But whether it’s on the Côte d'Azur, in Gstaad or Malibu, owning a ‘Cal Spider’ is a mark of taste, deep pockets and the appreciation of Ferrari’s finest early 60s, race-derived engineering.
The 1961 example you see here, available at Hamann Classic Cars LLC, is one of the super-rare short wheelbase cars (SWB).
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The Hamptons: Aston Martin V8 Volante
Away from the glamour of Hollywood, moving east, it’s more about discretion and old money. The understated styling of an Aston Martin V8 Volante looks good in most locations, but few better the summer refuge of Wall Street banking families – that area of Long Island, New York, known collectively as ‘the Hamptons’.
E. Thiesen Berlin GmbH’s 1985 V8 Volante is ready for this summer.
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Miami Beach: Ferrari 365 GTS/4 'Daytona' Spider
Still in the USA, but moving further south to Florida, there’s another limited-edition Ferrari built especially for the US market: the ‘Daytona’ Spider. With a 4.4-litre, four-cam V12 the car wasn’t lacking in the ‘go’ department and was one of the world’s fastest roadsters of the era.
It’s also passed into legend for its various appearances on TV and film including – as a replica – a starring role in the seminal 1980s TV series ‘Miami Vice’.
No such worries with this one, a superb, Ferrari Classiche-certified 1971 car to be offered at RM’s forthcoming Monaco auction.
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Continuing our geographical tour of the southern US seaboard, it’s over the Caribbean to Cuba, where American cars from the 1950s are still lovingly maintained, having been left there since pre-revolution days.
This Packard Caribbean from Hyman Ltd, in St Louis, is in a condition far removed from the charismatic ‘rolling museum pieces’ to be found on the streets of Havana today, yet would have made the ideal transport for any one of the ‘businessmen’ to be found on the island in the 50s.
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St. Moritz: Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Cabriolet by Frua
Ah, the fresh clean air of the Engadin Valley. What better way to enjoy it than behind the wheel of an open Rolls-Royce?
This exceptionally rare, Frua-bodied Phantom VI is on sale at Volante Classic Cars, located in St Moritz itself.
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Lake Como: Lamborghini 400 GT Spyder
Just a handful under 250 Lamborghini 400GTs were built. It’s no wonder that during that time the small Sant'Agata Bolognese factory lacked the resources to make a roadster version of a car that could truly rival contemporary Ferraris or Maseratis.
Enter specialist restoration expert Jerry Fandytis, of Arizona, who converted two coupés into wonderfully executed spyders in the 1990s, one of which is available from German Classic Driver dealer Modena Motorsport. The ideal car to tour the Italian Lakes.
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For so long the playground of the super-rich, film starlets and the paparazzi, St Tropez developed from humble beginnings as a fishing village in the Mediterranean into the global brand it is today.
What better way to travel from one’s luxury apartment in Geneva or Paris to the sparkling sea of the Côte d'Azur than in this 2011 Bentley Azure T, one of the very last Azures?
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Portofino: Fiat 1200 Turismo Veloce
Like St Tropez, the small village on the Ligurian coast has developed far beyond its simple beginnings and is now another stopover for superyachts touring the Med in the summer.
Its tight streets are notorious... so maybe leave the Rolls at home. No, the ideal car for Portofino is this pale blue, special-bodied 1950s Fiat, available from Chequered Flag International in California.
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The Highlands of Scotland: Morgan Plus 8
Perhaps it’s later in the season, the evenings drawing in and the temperature dropping. If so, you’d be advised to wear a flying jacket, scarf and tweed cap in this Morgan, just the back-to-basics machine for a good, cross-country blast through the Highlands of Scotland.
This 1997 Plus 8, from Dutch dealer Smiths-Veglia, has only covered 37,580 kilometres from new – time to put a few more under its belt driving from Fort William to Inverness...
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Deauville: Mercedes-Benz 230 SL 'Pagoda'
Should you be visiting the stylish Normandy resort of Deauville, what better mode of transport than the timeless ‘Pagoda’ Mercedes SL? With its sturdy detachable hardtop, squally Atlantic weather can be kept at bay, and as soon as the sun shines it’s top-down for a summer picnic by the plages.
This six-cylinder 230 SL is a manual – rare – and is finished in the classic ‘Silver Arrows’ livery of silver with black interior.
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Photos: The sellers
