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Starr, while this example’s first owner was Sir Arthur Frederick Wheeler, whose father sold war loans to finance World War One.

First shown at Earls Court in 1962, the car

The Alpine A110 lived a very long, successful life; over 14 years, this little coupé won several rallying titles – most notably the very first official World Rally Championship in 1973. Over that time the road car was developed extensively, using many Renault parts. Based around a steel-backbone chassis with Giovanni Michelotti-styled glassfibre bodywork, its original engine options were 1.1-litre R8 Major or R8 Gordini units. changed colour to grey early in its life, and went through a couple of owners before being laid up in 1967 to change the headlamps. There it stayed until 1997, when the new owner commenced with a major restoration at a London-based specialist. The car later passed to respected Bugatti collector Barry Burnett, before the current owner eventually took stewardship. The Facel II has since been treated to a refurbishment and partial respray. As of its restoration, it had covered a mere 800 miles since 1967.

The 1600 S model arrived in 1969 with a 138bhp high-compression version of the R16TS motor with twin Weber carburettors. In 1973 the 1600 S was upgraded to the A310’s 138bhp 1605cc engine, and a few months later the rear suspension was changed from a swing axle to a doublewishbone set-up.

An icon of otherness – the Robert Opron-styled SM may have been built from 1970-75, but few cars will look this futuristic again.

As a young boy, the current owner would get off the bus in Richmond, London every day, and see a spaceship in wheeled form – an SM.

When he purchased this example six years ago, he noticed that the number plate was the same as on the car he’d coveted all