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There are more than 2,000 Ferraris in the city, according to Ferrari Owners’ Club of Hong Kong president David Rosa. Rare vintages owned by local residents include a 195 Inter, a 365 GTC and a Daytona. In recognition of the city’s enthusiasm for limited and exotic models, Hong Kong has been allocated 20 units of the new hybrid LaFerrari, which was unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show and is limited to 499 in number, with a pre-tax price of US$1.3 million.

On your marques with the rarest wheels in town

Multimillion-dollar supercars are a common sight on Hong Kong’s congested roads. Mark Sharp looks at some of the rarest sets of wheels in town. Pictures by Daryl Chapman

It is a question asked often: who would want to own a high-performance car in Hong Kong?

Traffic often slows to a standstill on the city’s congested roads, speed limits are low and there are too many slow-moving obstacles in the shape of trucks and buses.

The common perception is that the most exclusive cars are little more than a show of prestige. But a genuine enthusiasm for performance engineering, an admiration of elegant design and the thrill of owning something that is exceedingly rare all play a part in the urge to drive one of these exotic beasts. Furthermore, strictly limited-run cars – vintage and contemporary – often gain steeply in value whereas that of a mass-produced vehicle drops like a stone the minute it is driven out of the showroom.

There are fewer than 600,000 private cars on Hong Kong’s roads but among them are some of the world’s rarest classics and boutique-made supercars.

English teacher Daryl Chapman, who has been photographing aircraft in Hong Kong for 20 years, is known for his images of planes landing and taking off at the old Kai Tak airport. The Tseung Kwan O resident developed a passion for car photography three years ago, after pollution cut the number of days on which he was able to watch airliners take to the skies. The following are some of the rarer exotic cars he has captured through his lens on our city’s streets.

 

More images by Daryl Chapman can be found at www.facebook.com/DarylChapmanAutomotivePhotography

 

 

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