Unveiled at the March 1989 Geneva Motor Show, the new Mercedes-Benz R129 Series SL range was beautifully engineered. Based around a two-door monocoque bodyshell, its sophisticated, all-round independent suspension was augmented by a host of active and passive safety features including electronic stability control, ventilated ABS disc brakes, adapti..
The Porsche 911 shape and engineering methodology has not changed much since the very first model, the 1939 Series 64. It has proved reliable and, with the finest designers available, has grown in reputation according to developing trends around it. It has proved itself in motorsport just as it has on the French Riviera. In recent years, Porsche br..
The sleek superform aluminium body of the DB9 was initially designed by Ian Callum but had also been significantly influenced by the next director of AM design, Hendrik Fisker. It was powered by a third generation version of the now familiar 6.0 litre, V12 and has a top speed of 186mph. The DB9 was the first of what was to become a long line of pro..
The 4973cc, R129 Mercedes-Benz SL500 carried on the tradition of the fast and reliable grand touring convertible from Mercedes-Benz. Borne out of the earlier 500 SL models, the new SL500 featured many new and innovative ideas for the period, such as controlled electronic damping, automatically expanding roll-over bar and a more modern multi-link re..
Critics immediately recognised the advances inherent in the 928 over the 911 and it was universally praised as one of the greatest GT cars of all time. It handled, it was quick, it looked fantastic, and it was comfortable. With the 928, Porsche created a serious long-distance grand-touring car that could also tackle twisting B roads with ease thank..
Since 1921, the Bentley name has remained synonymous with prestige, performance and luxury. The 'Continental' designation recalls the Bentley Continental of the post-war period. The 'R' resonates to the R-Type Bentleys from the 1950s as well as the Turbo R of the 1980s. Bentley's 1980s resurgence relied exclusively on models whose basic architectur..
The Land Rover Defender was launched in 1948 and, incredibly, production only finished in January 2016 after a continuous run of 67 years. Outwardly, there is little to distinguish the post-1983 vehicles from the Series III Land Rover. A full length bonnet, revised grille, plus the fitting of wheel arch extensions to cover wider track axles are the..
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagon, short for Geländewagen (cross-country vehicle), is characterised by its boxy styling and body-on-frame construction. It uses three fully locking differentials, one of the few vehicles to have such a feature. The G-Class is still in production and is one of the longest produced Mercedes-Benz vehicles in their hi..
The Aston Martin DB7 was designed by Ian Callum and debuted at the 1993 Geneva Motorshow. Taking many of its design influences from earlier Aston Martin models including the DB4/5/6, it is regarded as one of the most beautiful Aston’s ever built. Production of the latest Aston Martin moved from Aston’s iconic home of Newport Pagnell to a purpose bu..
Launched in 1989, the R129-series continued the SL dynasty from Mercedes-Benz, a 'Sport Lightweight' family which began in 1954 with the legendary 300SL Roadster and 'Gullwing' has survived into its 6th generation with the current R231-series. Traditionally the most sporting model of the MB line-up, the SL was the preserve of the rich and famous wh..