Page 54 - Bespoke Issue

Gran Tourisimo, two words that conjure a nostalgic, romantic notion of classic cars and open roads across Europe. The grand
tourer (it doesn’t sound quite so good in plain English) or GT car had its birth in the heyday of sports car motoring after the second world war, with beautiful sports models designed to carry two people and their luggage, fast and stylishly between glamourous destinations.
One of the most iconic British Grand Tourers came from Aston Martin Lagonda Limited, founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, but it was a certain tractor manufacturer and entrepreneur from Yorkshire who bought company in 1947 that was responsible for the genesis of the brand we know today. David Brown launched the Aston Martin DB1 at the London Motor Show in 1948 and today’s cars still carry the “DB” denomination on the model range. Perhaps the most recognisable of the classic models would be the DB4, 5 and 6 made famous as the transport of choice for the possibly the most famous secret agent in the world, James Bond.
So if you are looking for a modern Grand Touring car for that transcontinental jaunt, with a your companion at your side and your luggage for the trip there are many modern day supercar GT’s that will do the job very well, but there is still a longing for the sense of style that driving from London to Monaco or Paris to Rome in a classic GT car brings to such a journey. The problem is that if you are planning a trip like this in a classic car, you need
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