T87’s Singles Collection, Spring 2025 Edition – Part 3: Italian, British & Swedish Cars

Let’s end this edition on a high, shall we? Various Volvos, juicy Jaguars and delicious Dinos… Well, one delicious Dino GT4, anyway. So I guess that means we’ll kick things off with Ferraris, huh. If we must, that’s what we’ll have to do. Grin and bear it.

The first flat-12 Ferrari was the 365 GT4 BB, made from 1973 to 1976. I hadn’t clocked that this was one of them – the triple taillights and tailpipes is the giveaway. If it ever comes back to the Sunday meets, I’ll make sure to give it the attention it deserves.

That flat-12 lived on in the famous Testarossa, which is not a Ferrari I appreciate much. But hey, it’s probably iconic for a reason.

Mondials used to be pooh-poohed as ersatz Ferraris. And maybe the earlier ones were. But by the time this 3.2 came around in 1985, there were a few more cavallinos in that V8.

Same engine, but a more competent vessel? The concave wheels make this 328 GTB an early example (1986-88) of the breed.

Well, it had to happen someday. They apparently started selling these so-called Purosangues in 2023, yet this is the first one I’ve seen in Japan. I guess most local tifosi prefer their Ferraris in non-SUV form, and who can blame them. Say one nice thing: the rear suicide doors are a cool touch.

Trident-wise, there were quite a few Coupés on the road. I like these, especially the early 3200 GTs (1998-2002), with those awesome boomerang taillights…

Not sure how this one got Mississippi plates. I thought these weren’t sold in the USA?…

Technically, this facelifted (well, buttlifted anyway) version is the Maserati Coupé or 4200 GT, made between 2002 and 2007.

Ah, the Biturbo. Love to hate those, though this one is old enough to at least look pretty good. We have seen it before, in a different setting.

We’ll end the Maser chapter on a Ghibli (the O.G., not one of the subsequent imposters). Hard to believe the very same person – Giorgetto Giugiaro – designed this and the 3200 GT.

The Alfa Romeo population remains at healthy levels, particularly the Bertone 105 coupés.

I tend to only bother photographing the ones I see outside of the Jingu Gaien area. Otherwise, it’d be too easy.

I need to write one of these Alfetta GTs up. Not this specific one, though – a few too many mods for my taste.

I’m sure we all love the 164, but finding one is another matter. Wish this one could have stood still, as it would have made for a fine CC post to go alongside the Lancia Thema one I authored recently.

Talk of the devil, eh?

Three Lancia Delta Integrales in one shot – try and beat that.

Catching one in any colour other than red is worth more points, in my book.

A pair of Beta Montecarlos on the move? This is more of a teaser than anything else, really. Keep your eyes peeled for more on this (hopefully) soon.

We’ll polish off the Italian chapter with a few Fiats. The undisputed king of the mountain – not just the Alps, either: the Panda 4×4.

Lots of aftermarket bits on this Fiat 500, but somehow this is offset by that interesting colour scheme.

This has to be one of the nicest non-Abarth 500s I’ve ever seen.

No notes, full marks. The suicide doors, the luggage rack, the medium blue – all wonderful. Slow? Yes, but what’s the hurry? Noisy? It’s a convertible — not made for conversation anyway.

Over to the British side of the matter, then. Minis come in all shapes, but just the one size. Whoever did the body work on this one did not, one hopes, quit their day job.

Still quite ugly, but the execution was done far more competently. One of the few Clubmans I’ve seen in Japan, too.

If you want to get attention from the Mini crowd, forget Coopers or Clubmans, though: show up in a 95 Van. This is a later model, circa 1980-83, if the steering wheel with the three-blue-bar Austin-Morris logo is any indication.

We have A/C, I see. A pretty common Japanese kit specially made for these cars. Surprisingly roomy in there, too. The Tardis effect, British Leyland style.

Small and tidy packaging, slathered in chrome and filled with wood and leather – the ADO16 Princess seems to have been made for Japanese Anglophiles.

This is obviously an Austin-Healey Sprite racer of some sort. A quick image search yielded no results, so if anyone knows anything more, do please drop a line in the CComments.

Aha, the final Healey – of the Jensen kind, with the troubled Lotus engine. Why do I keep thinking “Triumph” whenever I see one of these?

I’m guessing this is the new(ish) Morgan Plus Four, which has been in production since 2020. They’re starting to look odd, like those folks who had a bunch of plastic surgery.

This circa 1990 Plus 8 looks a lot better to my eyes. The black paint does help, too…

A couple fine Series 1 E-Types were sighted. The usual pair, i.e. a roadster…

…and a coupé. Take your pick, folks.

Just one Jag saloon to report this spring: an XJ40 – not my favourite by any stretch, but one must play the hand that’s dealt.

Seeing a pre-facelift (1996-2000) Cerbera always takes me back to my university days in London. These were the car to be seen in, growling and snarling their way down Knightsbridge, King’s Road or Oxford Street.

These impressive machines either had a 4-litre straight-6 or a V8 (4, 4.2 or 4.5 litre), both being in-house engines. Didn’t save TVR, though – they went under in 2007.

I guess the new in thing to display one’s wealth, whether in London’s West End or in central Tokyo, would be the new Rolls EV – the Spectre. But I’ve also heard they’re not selling all that well. This is only the second one I’ve seen here, for what that’s worth.

The UK’s automotive landscape is replete with tiny specialist shops manufacturing sports cars in minute quantities. Sometimes, I meet one I’d not know about, such as the Radical RXC. These curious-looking contraptions have been street-legal since 2013 and are usually powered, like this one, by a 3.5 litre Ford V6 – some with turbocharging. Intriguing.

Similar to the Radical, albeit made 20 years earlier: the 1992-99 Ultima Sports. This Lee Noble-designed racer and is meant to accommodate a variety of engines. Ultima usually pushed the British-made Rover V8, but many clients preferred their V8s with a Chevy bowtie on top. Some also opted for the PRV V6 or the Mazda 13B rotary.

We have a few Astons to get to, while we’re here. Still not getting tired of the Rapide…

This DB5 was in a shop window near Omote-Sando. No idea why, as the rest of the store sold clothing.

The Aston of the season was, without a doubt, this 1929-30 International tourer.

I had already spotted and posted about one of these rare nonagenarians, but there was another one waiting in the wings. This one is a four-seater, though – beautiful, sporting, exclusive, but you can still bring your friends along.

Somebody on their journey of Discovery took a wrong turn at Zanzibar and ended up at the Prince Hotel car park in Tokyo, eh? No worries, happens all the time. The way to Borneo? Sure. Go down this road, take a right at the second set of lights and head south for about 4500km. Can’t miss it.

One has come to expect the unexpected on this tree-lined avenue, but who had “1961 Commer FC” on their bingo card? I know I didn’t.

No Triumph motorcars were deemed worthy of inclusion (they’re always around, but we’ve seen them before) in this edition, so we will make do with the two-wheeled kind. Bonneville T140, anyone?

This looks like an earlier T120 Bonneville, but I’m really out of my depth here.

OK, strictly speaking, it’s made in India. But with a name like Royal Enfield, it’s wearing its British roots on its sleeves. Or at least its fuel tank.

We move on to the sold Russian entry of the entire season – a substantial one, too. Good thing I wrote one of these LWB Nivas up recently.

Some sweet Swedes to close the post – how delicious. I see this 940 Polar wagon on a fairly regular basis. Never looked at it closely until just a few days ago. The condition it’s in is remarkable (as expected), but the kicker is that baby blue hue. Most unusual.

I’ve seen many more P-1800s around town than these handsome Bertone boxes. Which is understandable, in a way, but also rather odd.

The profile is this car’s best angle. Very Italian, yet still plenty of Volvo cues – terrific blend. No Saabs were caught, sadly, but it’s not quite the last Swedish car I have in store for you. Drumroll please for…

…the first Koenigsegg I’ve seen… ever? Yeah, probably. This is one of the twenty-seven Agera RSs made between 2015 and 2018. Its 5-litre V8 churns out between 1160 and 1340hp. Good thing I was quick to take a few snaps.

What will the summer bring, apart from heat rashes, high electric bills and mosquito bites? We’re just going to have to wait until October the first and see.