Our 6 favourite cars from the Quail 2026

There were eye-catching reveals from the likes of Acura, Cadillac and Aston Martin, but at the centre of it all was a stunning concours featuring four celebrations of Route 66, the Lamborghini Diablo, Japanese GTs and the Ferrari F40. 

We thought it was only right that we reflect on our favourite cars from a sun-soaked weekend at the Quail, picking out only the six machines that well and truly captured our imagination. We could of course include every single one of the Diablos, Skylines and F40s that were strewn so matter-of-factly across the lawns, but these are the cars that left a lasting impression on us.

Ferrari 625/250 Testarossa

And where better to start than with the sculpted piece of art that claimed the Best in Show award? This Ferrari 625/250 Testarossa, owned by renowned collector Bruce Meyer, tells a unique story. Built in 1957, it was one of only two 625 TRCs and purchased originally by West Coast Ferrari importer John von Neumann.

This one, chassis 0672, was powered initially by the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder Tipo 625 Grand Prix engine originally campaigned in Ferrari's early Formula 1 racers. It competed regularly throughout 1957, winning an impressive 11 times, plus a handful of class victories, in the hands of von Neumann and Richie Ginther.

A year later the engine was switched for Ferrari's new 250 Testa Rossa engine, a 3.0-litre V12, which would in theory dramatically improve the car's performance. It wasn't to be however, and between von Neumann and Ginther they managed only two more victories, one in 1958 and one in 1959.

It was passed through a series of owners throughout the following four decades, until it finally came into the ownership of Meyer, who reunited the body with its original 250 TR engine.

As of 2026, the 625/250 Testarossa stands as one of the most exquisite examples of a historic racing Ferrari, exhibited exactly as it was raced during its glory years. It's a special thing to behold, and we very much appreciated its presence at the Quail.

Spyker C8 Preliator XXV Coupé

This one was something of a surprise. We certainly didn't expect to see Spyker unveiling a brand-new car, more than ten years after this builder of glitzy, jewel encrusted supercars fell into financial turmoil.

But Spyker is indeed back, and at the Quail it was showing off its brand new C8 Preliator XXV Coupé for the very first time. It follows very much in the footsteps of the car that came before it, the likes of the C8 and C12, which both featured lavish interiors and big, powerful engines.

The C8 Preliator XXV Coupé is set to be propelled by a mid-mounted 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 taken from Audi, producing somewhere in the region of 800PS (588kW) and 1,000Nm (738lb ft) of torque. It'll also feature a manual transmission, which has of course been crafted in spectacular fashion and left in full view within the cabin.

That authentic, tactile feel continues throughout the entire interior, which is hand crafted to painstaking detail. The dashboard is filled with switches and a host of analogue gauges, and the steering wheel alone is said to take four hours to upholster with leather. Even the screw heads are aligned by hand. You have to love that kind of attention to detail.

It's quite something to look at from the outside, too, particularly in this Quail Green and rose gold specification which to us looks absolutely sublime. Spyker has always created cars that are equal parts jewellery and transport, and the C8 Preliator XXV Coupé is no different.

Shelby Cobra CSX2001

When in the US, you have to share your appreciation for the Shelby Cobra, and the Quail hosted the most special of them all, Chassis CSX2001, Carroll Shelby's first production Cobra. Shipped to Pittsburgh in July 1962, the engine and transmission was installed by Ed Hugus before being sold to Lloyd Casner.

Casner took it out into the wild, shipping it to Europe, where it was prepared as the competition Cobra by Ford Racing of Europe. It was fitted with the Ford 289 engine and became a race winner almost immediately in the hands of French driver Jean Vincent.

This is the car that started it all, the opening chapter of a story that remains one of the most iconic in motorsport history. And the car that we stood next to at the Quail, the metal that we could reach out and touch, is the very same that was manufactured some 65 years ago.

CSX2001 was never crashed, it has never needed to be repaired or restored, so it stands today as it did in 1962: utterly original and perfectly maintained. A stunning car with incredible history, what's not to like?

Chevrolet Cunningham Corvette Le Mans

And we follow that up with a car that was parked just three spaces further along. Another cornerstone of American motorsport, a Cunningham Chevrolet Corvette of 1960, one of the first Corvettes to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Four Corvettes were entered for the 1960 race at the Circuit de la Sarthe, three by Briggs Cunningham and another by Camoradi USA, which incidentally had been founded by the very same Lloyd Casner.

This one, car number two, was raced by Dick Thompson and Fred Windridge, but retired in the 20^th hour after an engine failure. Cunningham's car number three did manage to come home in eighth place, behind a swathe of Ferrari 250s and the Aston Martin DBR1/300 of Jim Clark and Roy Salvadori, but that was far less than Cunningham had hoped for.

Those early Corvettes, this one included, did very little of note during their respective racing careers, and yet their status as the original racing Corvettes is impossible to overlook.

To see it at the Quail is special indeed, particularly as it has been pristinely maintained as it was for that historic race at Le Mans.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce

The spirit of 'La Dolce Vita' is coursing through our veins as we prepare for this year's Goodwood Revival presented by Dunlop to be swathed in Italian culture, so we couldn't help but grovel at the sight of this gorgeous Giulietta Spider Veloce.

A rare variant of the Giulietta sold between 1954 and 1965, just 2,796 Spider Veloces were produced from 1956 to 1962. The one on display at the Quail was built in 1958, and it was an exquisite example.

There is nothing that can quite match the artistry of 1950s Alfas; for us they rank even above the Ferraris of the time. The chrome details accentuate the curves just perfectly, while even the red piping on the interior upholstery provides the perfect foil to that pristine rosso paint.

The Giuliettas were also a significant car in Alfa's history, they were the first to feature the Twin Cam engine, a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder with an aluminium block which in the Spider Veloce produced 90PS (66kW) at 6,000rpm.

Self-Made Can-Am Style Sports Racer

An honourable mention has to go to this, the 'Self-Made Can-Am Style Sports Racer'. A car that was, as per its description, "built outside under a tree in seven months." It was entered into the Custom Coachwork class by Ben Beames, who has built himself a Can-Am style car from scratch. Without doubt, this man is a hugely talented engineer and car builder who has documented the entire process on his YouTube channel.

It certainly looks like the kind of machine that would've raced in the historic Can-Am series back in the 1960s. Beames noted the Chaparrals of that era to be a key inspiration in his design. But underneath there is a fascinating distinction.

You see, Beames has built this chassis with the intention of being able to switch out the Can-Am style bodywork and replace it with something akin to a Group C racer. And to achieve the authentic Group C feel, he's incorporated venturi tunnels into the underside of the car.

The result is an incredible looking thing. It sounds pretty good, too, powered as it is by a 6.7-litre V8, which is well and truly in keeping with its Can-Am roots.