Tony Smith made a name for himself as a manager in the music industry: Genesis, Phil Collins and Pink Floyd are just of few of the names he worked with across his career. A passionate car collector himself, he also races some of his vehicles… And he loves doing it. We met Tony at the illustrious Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in Germany to talk about his passion for cars, being a collector of some of the greatest cars in the world and racing his 1934 Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B. Find out what he had to say by watching the video and reading the interview below to discover more.
I think it’s every schoolboy's dream to be able to drive a racing car and I’m lucky enough to be able to do it… Even though I’m not a schoolboy anymore.
Musical Career
Originally from England himself, Tony has managed some of the biggest English rock bands in music history. Since 1973, he’s been the talent manager for rock band Genesis, who’ve had hits such as ‘That’s All’ and ‘Invisible Touch’. He’s also worked with Genesis lead singer Phil Collins as a solo artist, and Tony’s company owns the publishing rights to hit record ‘In the Air Tonight’ and the Grammy Award winning ‘Another Day in Paradise.’ As of 2007, Tony also co-manages Pink Floyd, who continue to rock the world with their psychedelic sounds. But it’s not just music which captures Tony’s heart...
Collector at Heart
Over the years as a dedicated classic car collector, Tony has owned some of the world’s greatest cars. In 2012, he broke world records when he sold an Aston Martin at auction for a ground-breaking €1.3 million. The car was a DB4GT Zagato Sanction II Coupe, which is 1 of only 4 ever made. When we caught up with him at the Nürburgring, he was preparing to race another magnificent automobile, his 1934 Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B. ‘These cars are beautiful things. The engineering is fantastic.’ Tony went on to explain, ‘This car doesn’t go around corners and doesn’t stop. It’s a different driving technique. To drive one of these cars, you need to be able to throw it around, you need to be able to slide it and you need to prepare for breaking a lot earlier because it doesn’t stop very quickly.’
The History of the Alfa Romeo P3 Tipo B
One of the things that makes Tony’s Alfa Romeo so special is its history. Enzo Ferrari, the Italian racing driver and founder of the Ferrari empire, managed the Alfa Romeo racing team in the 1920s before going on to start up his own company. And impressively, the very same P3 owned by Tony today was one of Ferrari’s early cars. And that’s exactly why the car sports a Ferrari badge on the side of it. During this time it won 2 Grands Prix before being rebuilt and then resold. It was bought by an Englishman who brought the car over to Great Britain where it won the British Grand Prix at Donington in 1935. The car has now been owned by Tony for the past 25 years, and it isn’t just the car’s history which makes him love it so much…
These cars are beautiful things. The engineering is fantastic.
Uniqueness
‘What is quite special about this particular car, apart from its race history, is that it’s very untouched, it’s still very original. There are 1 or 2 other cars of these P3s around but they’ve been messed around with a bit. Whereas this one has not been touched - it’s still as it was.’ With its incredible history, uniqueness and originality, the value of the car currently stands at a seriously steep €3.9 million. A top of the range price tag for a first-rate motorcar. And what else did Tony have to add regarding these models of cars? ‘I think the designs are beautiful, they look wonderful. And they’re wonderful to drive, they’re exciting. So, why wouldn’t you be passionate about it?’
Want to follow in Tony’s footsteps? Check out our weekly Classic Cars auction featuring Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars plus many other classics which will drive you wild. Or how about selling your classic car at auction, like Tony did? You can offer it up for auction on Catawiki easily - all you need is a free account. Once you're completed the fast and simple registration and you could be offering up your car today!
This story is part of our 'Beyond Classic Cars' series. Read on to discover more interesting articles about people in the world of classic cars:
- - Episode 1: Living in Search of The Perfect Road: A Conversation with 'Urban Outlaw' Magnus Walker
- - Episode 2: The Story of Guillermo Fierro and His Lean, Mean Vintage Racing Machine
- - Episode 3: Pursuing her Passion: A Conversation with a Classic Car Racer
- - Episode4: Women Racing Classic Cars: A Conversation with Actress and Car Racer Eve Scheer