Five unlikely epic drives: Antony Sheriff

Antony Sheriff, boss of Princess Yachts, has managed some of the world’s biggest car makers, from Chrysler and Fiat to Alfa Romeo and McLaren. After more than two decades in the motor industry, the American-Italian businessman takes a look back through his most dazzling drives.

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Cap de Bou to Monestir de Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain

Fort William to Mallaig, Scottish Highlands, UK

Goodwood Hill, West Sussex, UK

I’ve been lucky enough to drive some remarkable cars up the Hillclimb at Goodwood House. One of the most evocative was the Alfa Romeo 159 (the car in which Fangio won his first World Championship in the 1950s) at a speed that was probably not prudent considering the car’s value! When you’re driving quickly you don’t see much – just the hay bales rushing past and the infamous shale wall out of the corner of your eye.

Car of choice: 1951 Alfa Romeo 159

Photo: Goodwood

Cap de Bou to Monestir de Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain

Right before we signed off the McLaren 12C, we headed to Monestir de Montserrat outside Barcelona. Driving from Cap de Bou you head up the mountain road, one hairpin after another. Coming down at quite a speed into an almost corkscrew corner, it felt as if the car was rotating around its centre axis. Up there it’s all jagged mountaintops, but beautiful and open, plus we had the thrill of driving a sports car the world hadn’t yet seen – spectacular.

Car of choice: McLaren 12C

Photo: Adobe

Valencia, Spain to Portimao, Portugal

Shortly after the drive to Monestir de Montserrat, we headed back to Spain to drive seven McLaren 12Cs from Valencia to Portimao – almost 1,000km. We didn’t choose the straight route, but took every opportunity to cut through country roads, hill routes and ravines. It was an incredible experience, from arid terrain to rivers and hills, before we finally shot out somewhere in the south for a couple hundred kilometres on the motorway down to Portimao.

Car of choice: McLaren 12C

Photo: Adobe

Route 7, Connecticut to New York, USA

I’m fortunate to live in north-western Connecticut, home to some of the USA’s most beautiful scenery and spectacular roads. One is legendary, and that’s Route 7 – it goes all the way up to Vermont through vast forests, past lakes and rolling hills. I often take out a 1966 Series 3 Lotus Elan – a fluid sports car that sweeps around one corner after another – and drive it for a few hundred kilometres on a summer’s day. It’s truly one of the best driving experiences out there.

Car of choice: 1966 Series 3 Lotus Elan

Photo: Alamy

Fort William to Mallaig, Scottish Highlands, UK

This is one of the greatest driving roads in the world. It’s like a video game, or a roller coaster. We did it in a Morgan 4/4, pretty much open to the elements all the time – even with the roof up, the wind gets through! But when you get it on a road like that, you have incredible feedback. It reminds you what motoring might have been like in a past age. Driving through the Highlands of Scotland on this exceptional road and ending up at Mallaig was wonderful – I’ll always remember it.

Car of choice: Morgan 4/4

Photo: Getty Images

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This article has been tagged Adventure, Driving