Toby Ross first contributed to SCM in September 2011. His company, Ross Classic, has specialized in the sale of French and Italian exotica for over 30 years.
Toby has been a judge at the Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance, and a contributor to The Automobile magazine, Thoroughbred & Classic Cars Magazine, Classic & Sports Car magazine.
He spends his time between France and the island of Malta.
Articles in Sports Car Market
Here are the latest articles from Toby:
1929 Bugatti Type 43 Roadster – A darling of Bugatti collectors faces a challenging pre-war market Of the approximately 160 examples produced, the Bugatti Type 43 chassis number 43248 was assembled in the Molshiem workshop and invoiced to the Belgian Bugatti agent Joeseph Reinartz for the amount of 95,940 francs, then delivered new with a temporary 2-seater body on January 15,… Read more
1912 Bedelia BD2 10CV – It is said that Bedelia cars originated when two impecunious students, Robert Bourbeau and Henri Devaux, crashed a motorcycle and could not afford to replace it. Instead, they built the remains into a two-seat tandem car, with steering operated from the rear seat and a belt drive running from the front-mounted engine to the rear… Read more
1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Spider – Only 38 examples of the 2900 were produced by Alfa Romeo, with fewer known to exist today. Some of the most desirable of these are the long-chassis Spiders — “long” being a relative term, as the wheelbase was only extended by 20 centimeters but provided the most luxurious platform for a 2-seater body. Built in… Read more
1937 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet – A beautiful early example of Jean Bugatti’s masterfully engineered touring model, this unique Type 57 is numerically just the 56th example built and among the first 30 cars invoiced. The chassis was clothed with Bugatti’s 4-door pillarless saloon Galibier coachwork and was delivered through Parisian agents Bucar to the Belgian rally driver Ginet Trasenster on behalf… Read more
1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C Lago Spéciale Teardrop – Following Anthony Lago’s assumption of control at Automobiles Talbot in 1935, the company, now rebranded as Talbot-Lago, shifted its focus to a fresh lineup of sports cars. With engineer Walter Brecchia’s innovative designs, Talbot-Lago introduced a new 4.0-liter engine and modern chassis concepts, alongside a racing team led by René Dreyfus. In June 1936, at… Read more
1938 Peugeot 402 Darl’mat Special Sport Coupe – The Peugeot Darl’mat Special Sport was a remarkable achievement in the world of 1930s coachbuilt automobiles. Émile Darl’mat, a Peugeot dealer with a deep passion for performance and innovation, harnessed some of the greatest talents of the era to create a truly great machine. Darl’mat hired Marcel Pourtout and Georges Paulin for coachbuilding and design,… Read more
1928 Lancia Lambda – This car is the only known survivor of the nine cars that Lancia prepared for the 1928 Mille Miglia. According to the consignor, it retains its original body, engine and special Mille Miglia features; it also has a continuous history from new. The special features include a cut-down driver’s door; long, flowing wings; high running… Read more
1928 Bugatti Type 43 – Assembled in the factory during the summer of 1928, chassis 43264, fitted with engine 124 and crankshaft 159, would not be mentioned for the first time until May 13, 1929, in the factory archives, along with two other chassis and inscribed “Prix Bugatti.” These three cars were destined to be the prizes awarded to the… Read more
1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis Special Cabriolet – Introduced in 1934, the Type 57 is widely regarded as a masterpiece by the hand of Jean Bugatti. Like all Bugattis that preceded it, the Type 57 handled with finesse and possessed a delicate feel characteristic of these magnificent automobiles. Graceful, exquisitely made and incredibly exclusive, the Type 57 was instantly recognizable as a conveyance… Read more
1935 Voisin C28 Clairière Berline – Among French automakers of the Art Deco era, Avions Voisin was unique. With a background in architecture, industrial design, engineering, and a successful career in aviation, Gabriel Voisin reached the height of his automotive career in the 1930s. Each Voisin automobile was designed as a whole in response to the number of passengers and their… Read more
1957 Talbot-Lago America – The factory record supplied by the Talbot Club states that this example was delivered on December 3, 1957, to a Mr. Cassiers in Belgium. This document confirms that the current engine number is indeed the original one and that the car was painted in Light Blue “Salon,” with “Cordoual matic 250” interior and chromed wire… Read more
1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante – The Type 57 presented here in its striking original color scheme is chassis no. 57432, which left the Bugatti coachbuilders on July 13, 1936. This is one of the four known surviving sunroof cars, described in factory records as “Coupé Atalante 57432, black and ivory, tan leather.” It was ordered by Gaston Descollas, the Bugatti… Read more
1936 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet – Factory records on file for chassis 14018 list a delivery date of December 30, 1936, with coachwork specified by Saoutchik. Jacques Saoutchik is best known for flamboyant designs often accessorized with ornate trim. In contrast, this masterfully penned cabriolet demonstrates a great degree of restraint on the part of the designer, while incorporating a lengthy… Read more
1929 Bugatti Type 44 – In the spring of 1966, the Bugatti Owners Club’s Bugantics published the following advertisement: “Type 44 for sale in Poland. Photo shows car number 44380 in tired original condition. It is for sale but only in exchange for a modern car, as this is the only way to get a car out of Poland. It belongs to… Read more
1936 Delahaye 135M Competition Court Cabriolet – Dubbed the “father” of teardrop styling, no one, not even Jean Bugatti, was able to master the sweeping, streamlined and voluptuous coachwork quite like Giuseppe Figoni could. A celebrated French designer, Figoni would form a partnership with Italian businessman Ovidio Falaschi in 1935, and the rest is history. Birthed with undeniable and incomparable aesthetics, beauty… Read more
1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Berlinetta – This magnificent 6C 2300B Mille Miglia left the Portello Works in April 1938. Its early ownership is unknown, but it is first recorded as being owned by Herr Hoffer of Geneva in 1946. In 1953, Herr Hoffer sold the car to Jean-Louis Fatio for the princely sum of 500 Swiss francs. According to correspondence on… Read more
1927 Bugatti Type 35B – The magnificent car we are privileged to offer here is an early Bugatti Type 35B. The 2.3-liter Type 35T engine, number 127, was modified at the factory on April 15, 1927, as a Type 35B unit with a supercharger added. Its proud owner since 1975, Baron d’Huart, a true Bugatti enthusiast and gentleman racing driver,… Read more
1964 Facel Vega Facel II Coupe – In its relatively short life, the French firm of Facel produced approximately 2,900 cars, all of which were stylish, luxurious and fast. Hand built, they were necessarily expensive — the Facel II was priced in Rolls-Royce territory — and bought by the rich and famous seeking something exclusive and distinctive. Launched in 1961, the Facel… Read more
1937 Talbot-Lago T150C SS Teardrop Coupe – The Talbot-Lago T150C SS presented here, chassis 90107, is widely regarded as the most beautiful and unique of the Figoni-bodied Teardrops. Of the precious few Figoni et Falaschi Teardrops built, 90107 is the only original-bodied example of the definitive Modéle New York design with fully enveloping front fenders. A prizewinner at the 1938 Concours d’Elegance… Read more
1959 Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider – Introduced in 1958, the 102 Series 2000 succeeded the celebrated 1900 in Alfa Romeo’s model line. The 2000 was available in three body styles, including the short-wheelbase Spider, and it was powered by the manufacturer’s highly developed 2-liter inline 4-cylinder engine. The Spider coachwork, built by Touring of Milan, was characterized by lavish details such… Read more
1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante Coupe – When the Bugatti Type 57 first hit the pavement back in 1934, there was simply nothing that could compare to it. Designed by founder Ettore Bugatti’s son, Jean, the Type 57 captured the swanky allure of Art Deco styling with vast curving lines that concluded in sharp, striking angles. Like its predecessors, the Type 57… Read more
1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport Cabriolet – Factory archives note this to be a T26 with the potent Grand Sport 4.5-liter power unit, and specifically the more-desirable aluminum-head version, of which a mere three dozen were equipped. Talbot-Lago’s designation for these was T26 Record Sport. Figoni’s production record states that they received the Record Sport chassis from Talbot-Lago on January 29, 1948.… Read more
1951 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Villa d’Este – Bridging the gap between the pre- and post-war eras, Alfa Romeo’s 6C 2500 debuted in 1939 as the third series of Vittorio Jano’s legendary 6-cylinder Alfa Romeos. Capable of 160 km/h, these cars benefited from four-wheel independent suspension and could be had in a handful of levels of tuning. This included the 87-horsepower Turismo, moving… Read more
1949 Georges Irat Labourdette Prototype – Georges Irat launched the first car bearing his own name in 1921. Manufactured by Automobiles Georges Irat SA at Chatou, Seine-et-Oise, France, this was a fast tourer powered by a 2.0-liter, overhead-valve, 4-cylinder engine designed by Maurice Gaultier, formerly with Delage. Unusually, Irat manufactured the entire car — bodies excepted — marketing his products as… Read more
Twins Peak – We were recently witness to an amazing confluence of events, where two Corsica-bodied Bugatti Type 57S cars were auctioned within a month of each other. That both of these cars should come up for auction — and sell — is a strange twist of fate indeed. The first example offered was chassis 57512, at the… Read more
1926 Bugatti Type 37 – The fascinating history of this example is chronicled in a report on file by renowned Bugatti historian Pierre-Yves Laugier. On December 1, 1926, chassis 37227 was invoiced for the amount of 46,400 French francs to Mr. René Bacon in the city of Luxey in southwest France. The Bugatti was delivered by a Mr. Deprat, who… Read more
1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports – The ultimate evolution of the Bugatti Grand Prix car, the mythical Type 59 is both a technical marvel and a masterpiece of industrial art — a model considered by many to be the most elegant pre-war racing car. Debuted in late 1933, the Type 59 featured a supercharged straight-8 engine, sophisticated de Ram shock absorbers… Read more
1925 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix Racer – The car was converted to aluminum wheels to bring it to 35B specs, but it is more authentic as a road car Chassis number: BC31 (not original Bugatti number) Engine number: 70 If ever there was a name synonymous with the Bugatti Owners’ Club, it is that of aficionado Jack Perkins. As a past… Read more
1938 Talbot-Lago T150C SS Teardrop Coupe – The Talbot-Lago T150C SS chassis is arguably one of Anthony Lago’s greatest achievements. The “C” stood for competition, a reference to the marque’s racing success, while “SS” signified “Super Sports,” the short, 8.7-foot wheelbase version of the competition chassis. Its race-bred 6-cylinder engine featured an overhead valve train, hemispherical combustion chambers, high compression, triple carburetors… Read more