Man Amasses Ridiculously Awesome Gulf Oil-Liveried Racing Car Collection

The ROFGO Gulf Collection by Duncan Hamilton is one man's dream of assembling the largest assortment of racing cars ever to compete in the legendary colors of Gulf Oil. The collection comprises 14 of the most prominent Gulf Oil-liveried competition cars and has been created by Duncan Hamilton & Co.’s Chairman, Adrian Hamilton, for an unnamed but obviously passionate and extremely wealthy client.

All 14 cars were tracked down and acquired in just two years. The collection includes a variety of models ranging in age from the 1967 Mirage, which was the first Gulf-liveried car to run at Le Mans, to the 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo that competed in the GT2 Championship.

Commenting on the collection, Adrian Hamilton said: “My career has been punctuated by many remarkable cars – eg the one and only Mercedes-Benz 196 Grand Prix car in private hands, some nine Ferrari 250 GT0s, 20 GT40s, seven Porsche 917s and numerous Jaguar C and D-Types etc – but few projects have been as enjoyable and satisfying as this one. Like all racing enthusiasts I’ve grown up with the Gulf brand and it is a tremendous privilege to be able to build such a unique and lasting tribute to one of the greatest names in our sport. I am extremely indebted to my client for the opportunity.”

A total of 12 cars from the ROFGO Gulf Collection by Duncan Hamilton will get their first public outing for all to see at Retromobile, an annual show of classic road and racing cars, which takes place at Porte de Versailles in Paris, from February 2 to 6.

In chronological order the 14 cars are:

• 1967 Mirage

Chassis No.10002 – the first Gulf-liveried car to run at Le Mans

• 1968 Ford GT40

Chassis No.1084 – 4^th, SPA 1000 km, Hawkins/Hobbs

• 1969 Brabham BT26

Chassis No.BT26/4 - 1^st German GP, Ickx

• 1970 McLaren M14

Chassis No.M14/A2 – 2^nd South African GP, Hulme

• 1971 Porsche 917

Chassis No.026 – 2^nd, Le Mans 24 Hours, Attwood/Muller

• 1970 Porsche 908/3

Chassis No.12 – Nürburgring 1000 km, Siffert, DNF

• 1972 McLaren M20

Chassis No.M20/3 – 1^st, Watkins Glen, Hulme

• 1974 Mirage

Chassis No.704 – 4^th, Le Mans 24 Hours, Bell/Hailwood

• 1994 Kremer K8

Chassis No.K8/07/SP – 6^th, Le Mans 24 Hours, Bell/Lassig/Donovan

• 1996 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail

Chassis No.022 – 3^rd, Hockenheim 4 Hours, Bscher/Nielson

• 2006 Courage C65 LMP2

Chassis No.07 – 7^th, Le Mans 24 Hours, Gosselin/Ojeh/Ragues

• 2008 Aston Martin DBR9

Chassis No.007 – 4^th in GT1, Le Mans 24 Hours, Frentzen/Piccili/Wendlinger

• 2009 Aston Martin LMP1

Chassis No.DBR1-2/2 – 1^st, Asian Le Mans series, Okayama, Mucke/Primat

• 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo

GT2 Championship, Giroix/Goethe

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Chromed Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 by Hamann for Sale

A fully chromed –ok, it’s not real chrome just chrome paint- Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 pimped by the German tuning firm Hamann has been put up for sale by the London based luxury car dealer ‘Mayfair Prestige’. Even though we think it’s a terrible idea to begin with, the folks at the British used car lot actually believe that they can fetch a whopping £340,000 (about $625,200 / €426,500 with the current exchange rates), for the shiny Lambo. As they say, love is blind and with that much chrome, someone is bound to be blinded… -More pics after the jump

Link: Mayfair – Thanks for the tip Josh!

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore Special Launched at Qatar Motor Show

The 2011 Qatar Motor Show that runs from January 26 to 29 appears to have captured the attention of the VW Group as a whole. Following yesterday's unveiling of the VW XL1 hybrid coupe concept, the German familia's sportiest brand, Lamborghini, lifted the wraps off a special edition version of the Gallardo called Bicolore.

The limited run model will be produced for the European and Asian-Pacific markets in the LP 560-4 guise, which means it gets a 560HP V10 and all-wheel drive, while for the American market it will be only available in the version LP 550-2 featuring a 550HP V10 and rear-wheel drive configuration.

As its name implies, the special series features a unique two-tone finish with a matching interior. On the outside, the pillars, roof, engine hood and rear spoiler are painted in a pastel black that contrasts perfectly with the lower area of the body, available in a choice of five shades (Giallo Midas, Arancio Borealis, Grigio Telesto, Bianco Monocerus and Blu Caelum).

The Gallardo's exterior appearance is further enhanced by the 15-spoke forged alloy wheels finished in titanium gray enamel, and the gloss black finish air-intakes, front spoiler and upper section of the rear diffuser.

The two-tone theme is repeated inside, but in a more understated manner. The instrument panel, seats, door panels and other elements in the passenger compartment are upholstered in black leather with contrast stitching colored to match the exterior paintwork (yellow, orange, blue or gray). The black bezel of the e-gear transmission on the center console completes the look.

Pricing is to be announced at a later date.

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Lamborghini Murcielago Successor gets F1-inspired Pushrod Suspension, Debut Confirmed for Geneva Show

It’s official: the much-awaited successor to the Lamborghini Murcielago (named either Aventador or Jota, depending on who you ask), will be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in early March. As well as officially confirming the supercar's show debut, Lamborghini also revealed details on the suspension.

The Murcielago's replacement will come with an F1-inspired pushrod spring and damper concept, tuned to "meet the needs of a high-performance road-going vehicle." Mores specifically, Lamborghini said that instead of linking to the wheel mounts, the spring/damper elements are connected to the body shell structure, in a transverse position. Pushrods and relay levers/rockers transmit the forces from the wheel mounts to the spring/damper elements, offering a series of benefits.

Because of this setup, wheel control and damper are separate units, improving handling and the reaction of the springs/dampers. This allowed engineers to use less stiff springs, increasing comfort. Last but not least, the shock absorbers are equipped with a hydraulic lifting system, capable of raising the front end of the car by 4 centimeters (1.57 inches) at the push of a button. Thus, small obstacles can be negotiated without causing damage to the front bumper.

All suspension parts are made from a forged aluminum alloy.

As previously reported, the Lambo is motivated by a newly developed 700HP 6.5-liter V12 engine, while stopping power comes from 400mm 6-pot caliper ventilated front and 380mm 4-pot caliper rear carbon ceramic brakes. The LP700-4 runs on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, shod in 255/35 and 335/30 tires respectively.

The steering system is hydraulic with three different servotronic settings, ranging from the hardcore “corsa” racetrack mode to less demanding setups.

There’s no official information on pricing yet, but one German dealer has already listed the car as the “Aventador LP700-4” for €309,900 (US$423,757) with 19% tax.

By Csaba Daradics

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eBay Find: Luigi Colani’s 1970 Lamborghini Miura Le Mans Concept Car

Unveiled in 1970, the Lamborghini Miura Le Mans was an out-of-this-world concept car, envisioned by legendary Italian designer, Luigi Colani. According to Colani’s website, the design study was a “two-part hybrid car”, with a Miura chassis rear section and front passenger cabin designed “like the cockpit of a glider”.

It was used as a show car for about four years, when it suddenly went under the radar, only to be discovered 30+ years later by Bad Influence Hot Rods (BIHR), at an estate auction in Indiana. The new owner put it up for sale last October for $79,000, but the reserve wasn’t met. Now it re-surfaced on eBay for a starting bid of $74,999.

Unfortunately, the Miura Le Mans hasn’t aged very well, as the canopy is broken into several pieces and the engine is gone. However, many parts are still there, including the rear and front suspension, golden rear alloys with blue knockoffs, double nose wheels, brakes, calipers and steering.

While BIHR says that this should be an easy car to restore, we’re not that convinced, but whoever decides to pick it up for this kind of money might as well go all the way. Otherwise, it could make for an interesting coffee table…

By Csaba Daradics

Link: eBay

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