Classics Cars

When Rétromobile opens its doors at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, the new year begins for collectors and enthusiasts. There are still a good three months to go until then. But the warm-up is already underway – in Bologna, to be precise. More specifically: at the Auto e Moto d’Epoca from 22 to 25 October.

Here in Germany we have the Beetle, the Italians have the Cinquecento and the British have the MINI. And the French? Their national automotive icon is the Citroën 2CV, better known in these parts as the ‘Duck’. And if the French carmaker has its way, there’ll soon be an electric reimagining of it – the Neo-Duck. What might it look like? We’ll find out at the Paris Motor Show next week. Until then, we’ll be flicking through the latest issue of ramp #71, in which we’ve dedicated a short story to this cult car.

Forty years of the BMW M3. These are stories of racetracks and country roads, of four, six and eight-cylinder engines, of winged models and family estate cars, of great victories and small details, of Laguna Seca Blue, high revs and rather wide tyres. We could try to tell them all now. But we won’t. Instead: a rather subjective journey through four decades of the M3.

Last weekend, visitors to the Goodwood Revival were once again transported back to the golden age of motorsport – the 1940s to the 1960s. And the organisers proved once again that the Goodwood Revival is rightly regarded as the world’s most spectacular historic motorsport event.

In the summer of 1908, three white cars set off from Untertürkheim and Mannheim to take part in the world’s biggest race. And they silenced Europe’s proudest motoring nation. The story of the Dieppe Grand Prix: its drivers, its dangers, its passion for technology. All centred on a 1908 Mercedes Grand Prix car, which is back on the road today.

Recycling is a good thing. It’s even better when good things are looked after so well that they still look as good as new, even after decades. That’s exactly what the Heizr Club community embodies, with fascinating vehicles that are in top condition despite their age. On 20 September 2026, you can experience this live once again at the Kaatsch Recycling site in Plochingen. It’s the club’s biggest event to date. Better still: there are still tickets available.

On 6 September 2026, the Neuffener Steige in Baden-Württemberg will, for the fourth year running, be transformed into a showcase for rare motor cars. At the Schwäbische Alb Hill Climb, historic racing cars ranging from the pre-war era to the Group B era will tackle the nearly four-kilometre-long course, accompanied by well-known names behind the wheel and a paddock right in the heart of the town centre.

Singer has always been a special car customiser. Always a touch more sophisticated than the rest. Always a step ahead in terms of style. And completely unique. A Singer Porsche is, so to speak, the haute couture of car manufacturing. So, of course, it was only a matter of time before a renowned fashion house discovered the potential of this car customiser. That has now happened, with the two cars resulting from the Louis Vuitton x Singer collaboration.

It’s that time of year again: Monterey Car Week kicks off on 7 August. For car enthusiasts from all over the world, this means ten days of motoring bliss, packed with legendary classics and radical concept cars. Here’s a sneak preview of what you can look forward to.

An idea with three variations across eight generations: even a safety feature like a roll bar can be interpreted in different ways. In the Targa, this bar has openness built right into its DNA – along with the assurance of safety.

His third word as a toddler was ‘Porsche’. So you could say that Felix Bauermeister was born to shake up the motoring community. How does he do it? Through the Heizr Club, which regularly organises community events in southern Germany. Two more events are coming up soon. Tickets are in high demand – it pays to be quick.

The road to the Targa was anything but easy. Developing this open interpretation of the 911 took courage and a willingness to make some highly unconventional decisions – the result was complex, yet as unique as it was ingenious.

Whilst searching for a new subject, photographer and director Ben Bertucci came across the family-run business Naito Auto Engineering, which was founded in 1952 as a repair workshop in a suburb of Tokyo.

At night in the city, one question arises: Form. What is that? The 911 Targa provides the answer. Which leads us to the conclusion that even Plato would have chosen a Targa.

We say it time and time again: a road trip like this isn’t about reaching your destination. It’s about the experience, about living in the moment, about being on the road. How wonderful that Louis Vuitton is now giving this idea more prominence once again – with the revival of the Louis Vuitton Classic Run, which this year winds its way through the Dolomites. We take a look at the event that combines classic cars, style and the ultimate sense of freedom.