Checking out the $1.5 million Antas

At The Supercar Show in Abu Dhabi, we got to check out the Antas GT Berlinetta in person. The specific car on display cost about 1 million Euros, which comes to around a whopping Dhs 5.4 million. Built by an Italian company called F&M, named after founders Walter Faralli & Luca Mazzanti, the Antas was easily the main attraction of the show. And while all the “cheap” Lamborghinis and Porsches were locked up with “Do Not Touch” stickers all over them, we got a chance to sit inside the Antas, invited by none other than founder Luca Mazzanti.

Luca Mazzanti (seen on the extreme right in the first photo) is a down-to-earth man who was himself at hand, alongside Managing Director Mino Camilotti, talking about the car to all those who were interested. Apparently “Antas” means “Eagle” in an ancient form of the Italian language. F&M, experienced in restoration of classic cars with a team of less than 10 workers, have branched out to offer the Antas as a customised, hand-built and original vehicle.

Unlike modern cars, the Antas uses traditional building methods as much as possible. The chassis, engine and gearbox can be from any exotic car, such as a Ferrari, Corvette or an Aston Martin. The display car uses a 1966 Maserati platform with an antique carburetted 310 hp V8 and a manual gearbox, for nostalgic purposes. The design is then drawn by hand with inputs from the customer, and then the structure is verified by computer.

The aluminium body panels are then shaped by hand, with custom cabin trimmings, alloy rims, carbon-fibre spoilers and special paint choices added as desired by the rich customer. The Antas bits, including the bodywork, start at around 400,000 Euros, or Dhs 2.5 million, before adding the price of the car and other custom work.

Viewing the display car ourselves, it felt fragile with its lightweight doors and exposed bolts. But then, this is how cars were built 50 years ago, and this car isn’t burdened with the safety equipment that make modern cars heavier. But since this is a custom car, the bolts are probably optional, just like the entire shape of the car.

The various hand-stitched leather surfaces were the only luxury items in a car that feels ready to race. Features included racing seats, manual gearbox with a long shifter and aluminium pedals, reverse camera with a screen on the dash, centre-mounted gauges, metal toggle switches, and a cool overhead ignition system with a cover on it, as if starting the car would launch a nuclear missile too. No hint of plastic whatsoever, except for the stopwatch alongside the nuke switch.

Normally, I put down overly expensive cars, but the Antas is not an ordinary car. It is more like family jewelry that gets passed down from generation to generation. Unlike mass-produced Lamborghinis and Porsches, which start depreciating as soon as they drive off the showroom floor, cars like the Antas only appreciate in value. A surefire long-term investment, if there ever was any among today’s cars.

International buyers get invited to some country estate in Italy to define the specifications. After that, the small team spends two-thirds of the year to painstakingly build the custom car, which is why only two are built per year. The construction process is an interesting read on www.femauto.it, even if none of us are in the market for one of these.