There was no shortage of exciting new debuts at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show. However, the golden oldies sharing the stand space also attracted appreciative stares.
Volvo P1800 ES
The newest Volvo on the stand at Geneva was the V90, which is by some margin the most stylish estate to come from the Swedish firm in a long time. No coincidence then that there was a sweet example of the P1800 ES sharing the pine floorspace.
First appearing in 1972, just over 8,000 examples were created in a short two-year production run, but its scarcity hasn’t stopped it becoming one of the prettiest load carriers ever made.
Aston Martin DB5
It’s hard not to have a soft spot for the DB5, particularly in Bond-spec Silver Birch. Aston’s DB11 was getting plenty of attention for all the right reasons but most stand visitors couldn’t help but check out its great-grandparent.
No chance of buying one though. If you can find one with a price tag next to it, don’t expect change from half a million. Aston Martin Works just sold an identical example for €1.2 million.
Alfa Romeo Disco Volante
The only thing more impressive than the Disco Volante’s curvaceous and aerodynamic body is its spectacular name, but then this is a car more Italian than spaghetti carbonara. A joint project between Alfa Romeo and the famous Milanese coachbuilders Carozzeria Touring, just five examples were built.
This particular example has the 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine dishing out 243bhp, and with an incredible drag coefficient of 0.25 (in 1952!) and weighing just 760kg, the top speed of 225km/h is hardly surprising. This one came from the Giovanni Agnelli museum and is the only 3.5-litre model remaining, and so is effectively priceless.
Honda RA272
McLaren Honda will be hoping for better in the 2016 F1 season, and some of the magic of Honda’s first ventures in the sport wouldn’t go amiss now either. This is the RA272, the second Honda to compete in the sport and the first to win a race for the manufacturer.
Ignoring its simplistic beauty for a moment, the RA272’s most impressive feature is the engine.
Unlike its mostly V8 competitors at the time, it had a V12 unit despite the capacity limit of just 1.5-litres, with each cylinder just 124cc in volume. It was capable of revving to over 13,000rpm and delivered 230hp, making it one of the most powerful cars on the grid.
Mercedes-Benz Brabus 280 SE 3.5 Convertible
Mercedes-Benz didn’t fancy squeezing an older car onto its giant stand at Geneva so it was left to the official creator of ludicrously-powerful Benzes to slot some in among 1000hp S-Classes. Arguably the pick of the bunch was this 280 SE 3.5 Convertible lovingly restored by Brabus.
In fact, restored is probably underselling it. According to experts Classic Data this particular example was given Grade A status, with better-than-new panel gaps and flawless paint. It also pumps out 200bhp, which isn’t bad for 1970.
Fiat 124 Sport Spider
It’s been a long time since Fiat sold the Barchetta roadster in the UK so the appearance of an all-new 124 Spider at Geneva was met with understandable excitement. Partly because it is the result of a partnership with Mazda and its superb MX-5 but also because it deliberately evokes memories of the original.
Sharing the mechanical of the contemporary 124 saloon, the Sport Spider brought style and an engaging drive to buyers all over the world.