Anyone who stumbled along the San Antonio strip in the mid-1990s will remember Pacha at its height (or maybe not depending on how much fun you were having). While there you may well have spotted this fantastic Volkswagen bus, which was used to promote the club and became a bit of an icon on the island.  

At its heart is a genuine, bona fide sixties Kombi, but there’s no escaping the Pimp My Ride-spec refurb, complete with amplifiers, a mixer, speakers, two turntables, and TVs. You’ll either love it or hate it, and I’m definitely in the first camp. I would take it for the livery alone, but look closer and you’ll see loads of cool little details, like the famous Pacha cherries in place of the VW logo on the front panel and the steering wheel centre.  

Ultimately, this bus is just great fun. There are so many Volkswagen events all over the UK and Europe, you would never get tired of showing it off, you can sleep in it if needed, and, perhaps most importantly, you would never have to worry about missing the after party.  

Picking seven cars from the London sale should be a challenge, but this one is a no-brainer. The car was built for the 1978 Deutsche Rundstrecken Pokal season and was raced everywhere from the Nürburgring to Zolder in the first couple of years of its life, while it finished 12th overall at the 1981 Nürburgring 24 Hours. But in many ways this car’s past isn’t half as interesting as its future. 

Earlier this year the car was campaigned at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, finishing a creditable 11th overall in the Gordon Spice Trophy against the big-banger Camaros and Mustangs. That was the second of only two races since a mammoth £130,000 overhaul by Lavant Garage and Westbourne Motorsport that included a Ric Wood engine and gearbox costing a cool £27,500.  

A race-ready Ford Capri with period race history and Goodwood eligibility that could be bought for less than half of the restoration cost—and at no reserve. What’s not to like?  

With current sponsorship deals, manufacturer endorsements, and a strict racing schedule, you don’t really see today’s Formula One drivers competing in other race series. Back in the eighties it was all the rage, and outside of BMW’s short-lived Procar support races, one of the best was the Nürburgring Race of Champions, which pitched the best drivers of the day against each other in near-stock Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16s.  

Senna won that race in 1984 and was so enamoured with the car that he bought a similar example direct from Mercedes-Benz the following year, driving it home from the factory in Stuttgart. Incredibly, this is that very car, and it comes complete with a heap of paperwork all confirming his famous ownership.  

Earlier this year, RM Sotheby’s sold one of Senna’s helmets for a record £720,000, while a raft of other ephemera from his racing life has also all blown past upper estimate. It seems that Senna is hotter property than ever before, and in a market where provenance is everything, this Mercedes really stands out.  

If you’ve had the pleasure of taking part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, you’ll know that the event quickly gets under your skin. You’ll also know that what you choose to drive is of paramount importance, especially if you have struggled asthmatically up hills or been in fear for your life coming down the other side with ineffective brakes. The car is crucial, and this Talbot may be the perfect tool.  

Unlike the one or two-cylinder vehicles that make up the lion’s share of entrants, this fabulous thing has a four-pot engine, giving it the power and torque to make the run truly enjoyable. You won’t have to worry about convincing people to come with you in the typically horrific weather because the passenger compartment is completely enclosed.  

Finally, it’s great value: as a rule of thumb in these circles each cylinder typically costs £100,000, making this example something of a bargain—providing there isn’t a bidding war!  

The Lamborghini Diablo has been criminally overlooked for a number of years, but that’s all beginning to change as the model finally finds its feet with serious collectors. With 503 horsepower on tap and a top speed of 191 mph, the Diablo SV has always had the performance required, but it’s the design that has aged best—particularly this model with its black taillight surrounds and SE30-style rear lamps. 

It's the colour—Olympus Green—that drew me to this car. There’s something very appealing in a wild V-12 wedge supercar finished in such a classy and understated shade. Combined with the Nero leather interior, it’s just a beautifully specified example that I’d love to put some miles on.  

You could, too, thanks to a fresh clutch and flywheel in 2015—no small job on these—plus further servicing work carried out weeks ago at Keys Motorsport.  

The words ‘Bentley Speed Six’ are almost invariably followed by ‘In the style of Vanden Plas’ thanks to the model’s history-making performance at Le Mans. The model is so tied to its victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe that, more often than not, saloon versions of the car such as this have in many cases been rebodied as racers. Thankfully, that isn’t the case here.  

Incredibly, this is one of only two survivors fitted with Weymann Saloon coachwork by Freestone & Webb, and as you would expect the car is unrestored and incredibly original. So much so that its last owner had the front seats recreated so that it could be used properly without damaging the precious originals.  

Beyond its incredible patina, I love this car’s presence. The proportions are incredible and it sits with such purpose on the road. Just imagine the sight of it appearing in your rearview mirror, thundering along the fast lane at 75 mph; or pulling up to Ronnie Scott’s on a Saturday night under the neon lights in Soho. This is a car that could do it all—and then go scoop a preservation award at a top concours on Sunday.  

This car may be last on my list but make no mistake—it would be the first one that I put in my fantasy garage. The Ferrari F40 was my childhood obsession, and I’ll never forget the moment I first saw one in the metal. It’s brutal and beautiful in equal measure, a feat of design that I don’t think has been matched, and a perfect summary of what made the much-missed Pininfarina era so special.  

I’m fortunate enough to have driven my dream car and it’s everything you would imagine, with blistering performance that gives you goosebumps almost 40 years on. It’s a car that demands complete respect, especially on cold tyres, with a sense of drama every time you take the wheel. I don’t think I would ever get bored lifting off at 6,000 rpm and hearing those pops and bangs.  

As a kid I just loved the design of the F40. As a Car Specialist I can appreciate the car more closely, from the visible carbon weave of this lovely example to its matching-numbers engine, gearbox, and coachwork. It’s also fitted with adjustable suspension, which is a non-negotiable on London’s roads.  

There’s a reason Ferrari made more than 1,300 of these things, and a reason everyone still wants one today.