Skiing And Motorsports Go Hand In Hand, Er, Glove In Glove

Alps and Meters

We recently happened upon an article by high-end haberdasher Alps and Meters which lists several enthusiast favorites that owe a bit of their cred to confidently climbing up snow-covered mountain roads.

It makes a lot of sense; we dig four-wheel drive trucks and SUVs, mid-engine sports cars, intuitive front-wheel drive coupes, and big, luxurious boats. These characteristics lend themselves to being competent in snowy, alpine environments, and when they've got style amongst their lines, they turn into instant icons.

Case-in-point that’s on Alps and Meters’ list: Lotus Turbo Esprit. We fell in love with this one the moment we saw its iconic, sporty shape plastered with ultra-80s graphics in the underrated-yet-incredibly-cheesy Bond film For Your Eyes Only (which happens to have a very catchy theme song). Who knew that wedge body shape would make for a great ski rack?

Unfortunately it doesn’t end up being a famous Bond chase car, but the sight of it cutting through the high alpine snow showcases its beauty just fine. We love it when old Esprit Turbos come up on auction sites, we’d totally seek one out if we had the space and funds. In the meantime, we’ll just have to collect less-expensive 80s Bond film icons. Alright, we’ll stop rambling.

Alps and Meters

Moving on! Another icon we love: Alpine Renault. Like the Esprit, its engine-in-the-back layout… well, engine in the way back, behind-the-rear-wheels layout, makes it ideal for cutting through the snow, except this one’s got the minerals: it had a very success run as a World Rally Championship winner throughout the 70s. Footage of this little French rocket skating around is an entertaining sight, and man do we wish we got the Alpine reboot over here a few years ago. We're also extremely jealous of Tedward for getting to drive one of the originals.

Finally, we definitely have to mention the Saab 99. It was built by the Swedes, so its safe to say it was confident on slick roads. It was also front-wheel drive and had a solid rally background, like the Alpine. Plus, it was a favorite among journalists when they strapped a turbo to it in the 70s. Fun fact: one of our staff had the chance to buy a clean example for less than $3,000 back in the mid-aughts; they’ve been kicking themselves ever since.

Alps and Meters