2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce Rwd on 2040-cars

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The cars of notorious dictators

It's good to be the king, at least until your people have had enough of you. Last week, we brought you famous presidential cars. This week, we're going to the opposite end of the political spectrum, looking at what history's mad men drove throughout their repressive and violent regimes. These dictators were absolutely powerful, and absolutely corrupt. More nightmares for their people than rulers, their iron-fisted control gave them the ability to satisfy any wild desire with nearly limitless funds. While they all splurged on luxury goods, cars were a particular passion of many dictators. Cars make a powerful statement to the public about wealth, status and control. It's how you are presented at ground level to your adoring masses or mortal enemies. A custom luxury car with plenty of armor plating reinforced the specialness and "otherness" of the ruler to friend and foe alike. Muammar Gaddafi, Libya, 1969 - 2011 Lybia's President for Life Muammar Gaddafi fancied himself not just a car enthusiast, but a car designer for the masses as well. He supposedly designed a car called the "Saroukh el-Jamahiriya" or Libyan Rocket. It had a 230-horsepower V6 and the nose and tail of a rocket. He was trying to produce a safer car. What makes it safe car? Tough to say. Not a lot was ever released it. Apparently the el-Jamahiriya did come with airbags and collapsible fenders in case of a collision. A spokesperson said "The invention of the safest car in the world is proof that the Libyan revolution is built on the happiness of man." We'll just have to take his word for it. When he wasn't designing his own cars, Gaddafi was ordering up custom rides, large and small. Besides a heavily armored BMW 7 Series and a Mercedes S-Class stretch limo, Gaddafi had this custom Fiat built at a cost of $260,000. The gold in the trim is real gold (of course) and comes with some touches that are pure Gaddafi. For instance, the Fiat badge was replaced with an outline of the continent of Africa, with Libya cut out in green. Rebels seized the Fiat and Gaddafi's other trappings of power after putting an end to Gaddafi's 42 years in control. Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Haiti, 1971 - 1986 Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier was the second-generation dictator of Hati from 1971 to 1986. He made life hell for his people for 15 long years, starting when his father died when he was just 19 years old. Imagine if Justin Beiber was given a tiny island nation to run.

Dodge Viper-based 2010 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Zagato rarity could be yours

It has been a decade since it was launched, but the 2010 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Zagato is just as bizarre and beautiful as the day it was revealed. It's what you get when you have Italian design house Zagato give a Dodge Viper an Alfa Romeo body. And this one, number six of a total of nine examples, could be yours. It's going to be auctioned in Elkhart, Indiana, by RM Sotheby's along with several other rare vehicles. Now when we described this car as a Zagato take on an Alfa but using a Viper, that's exactly what it is. All the mechanical bits are from the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, down to the 8.4-liter 600-horsepower V10 and six-speed manual transmission. The body does do an impressive job disguising this, from the signature Zagato double-bubble roof, to the unique, almost shooting brake-style rear roofline and Kamm tail. The Alfa grille in the nose also throws off the scent. But look closer, and Viper elements start showing up. On the outside, the push-down flush door handles remain. Inside, the gauges feature the same fonts and layout as in the Viper, the only change being the TZ3 logo sitting in the middle. Particularly glaring is the audio head unit, which was shared with every other Dodge product on the market since the early 2000s. But the leather appointments throughout do make it nicer. Also amusing is the fact that all the owner's manuals are simply Dodge examples, with no changes to the covers or names. One other bizarre thing, since this is a 2010 car, it was built at the very early start of Fiat and Chrysler joining up. As omens go, this was a pretty solid one. Regardless, it is an extremely striking car that's sure to be exhilarating to drive. And that's not something the previous owner experienced much, because the photos suggest it's only been driven about 200 miles. RM Sotheby's doesn't give an estimated sale price, but it should go for well into six figures, if not more. And it will sell, as it's being offered with no reserve. The auction starts May 1. Related Video:    

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider brings roofless Italian performance to the well-heeled masses

Following through on its Geneva concept and year-end rumors, Alfa Romeo has introduced a roofless version of its mid-engine 4C at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Like the Lotus Elise, the canvas top on the 4C Spider isn't some fancy automatic roof. Instead, owners will need to manually sort things out. Unlike the Elise, at least, the 4C's top is easier to manage when both fixing and removing from the mid-engined sports car's body. For those that prefer the security provided by a hard top, a removable carbon-fiber roof will be added after launch. Aside from that change, most of the tweaks for the 4C Spider have to do with options and equipment. As we explained in our original post, opting for the topless version of this turbocharged Italian will still get you to 60 in just 4.1 seconds, while Alfa claims the 4C Spider can still pull 1.1 lateral g. Check out our full gallery of photos of the new 4C Spider, direct from the floor of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, at the top of the page. And for more on Alfa's second US product, check out our original post, right here.