Gallery: Italian cars at Classic Car Sunday

Italian cars might not quite hold the same standing when it comes to effortlessly stylish design in the 21^st century, but in the era that Classic Car Sunday celebrates – pre-1979 – they definitely held sway.

Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Lancia et al were all at the very height of their powers in the classic era of motoring. With styling from some of the greatest names in automotive design wrapping these stunning machines in the beautiful bodies that would mark Italy out as the capital of automotive style.

To a petrolhead some of these names are easily as memorable as the manufacturers they worked with, Pininfarina, Bertone, Giugiaro, Zagato, all born from the Italian peninsula, all churning out design after design that still make your jaw drop to this day.

To pick but a few highlights from what was on show at Breakfast Club may we point you in the direction of the stunning Ferrari 308 GT4, finished in brilliant red, styled for once by Bertone rather than Pininfarina. The GT4 is perhaps an overlooked Ferrari at times, but its wedgey exterior looks absolutely stunning today.

To demonstrate just how effortlessly the Italians designed their cars “back in the day” we also have some beautiful Alfa Romeo GTAs, a stunning Lancia Flaminia, and somewhere out there you’ll find the brilliant, slightly bonkers, but absolutely ruddy gorgeous, Alfa Romeo Montreal. We think the Montreal is one of the designs that should go down as an all-time great but, let’s be honest, you could say that about most of this wonderful selection.

Photography by James Lynch and Joe Harding.