Robb Report October 2016

The escort Richard Gere portrayed in the 1980 movie American Gigolo had a proclivity for handsomely tailored suits. In one scene, he meticulously lays his clothes out on the bed, taking pleasure and satisfaction in matching the right necktie and accessories with his suit. Gere’s stylish attire played a pivotal role in establishing his character […]

In 1999, during the rowdy heyday of the cosmopolitan and the sweet martini, Sasha Petraske opened a small bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side called Milk & Honey. In many ways, this civilized establishment—hidden behind an unmarked door and specializing in perfectly made classic cocktails—marked the beginning of the modern cocktail era, with an influence […]

Robert Ross reflects on a lifelong love of Ducati. In 1982, using my Lancia Scorpion as collateral, I took out a $5,000 bank loan—a small fortune for a motorcycle at the time—and bought the last new Ducati 900SS in the United States. Ducati, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, was nearly out of […]

Dennis Pinto, managing director of Micato Safaris,on the evolution of the luxury safari. When my parents started the company 50 years ago, safari tended to be hunting. In many ways it was a glamorous era, particularly in East Africa, where you had the old Hollywood set, the William Holdens and Clark Gables, who were at […]

Although its 50th birthday marks the resort as one of the oldest on the Strip, Caesars Palace continues to uphold its legacy as the standard-bearer of the Las Vegas experience. The most expensive casino in the world when it opened in 1966, Caesars has been a driving force behind Vegas’s unique brand of evolution ever […]

As Napa’s most influential winery celebrates a half century, we toast a few of its finest vintages. Fifty years ago, Robert Mondavi built a big, beautiful winery in Napa Valley and started making Cabernet Sauvignon. Isn’t that what everyone does up there? Well, not in 1966. Napa then was a simple farming community, planted with […]

Robb Report’s private aviation advisors identify the costly errors and tell you how to prevent buyer’s remorse. You’ve decided to buy an airplane instead of continuing to use charter services. Now what?  The market offers an overwhelming number of choices in new aircraft models, each with its own set of variables to consider, including speed, […]

Everyone loves the perks of a private jet, but not everyone is a good candidate for ownership. Keith Swirsky, the president of GKG Law, gives the example of buying a $10 million aircraft that decreases in value by a conservative 5 percent the following year. You’ve lost $500,000 in the value of the aircraft, plus […]

Purchasing a business jet is a special occasion, and Embraer treats it as such The complete experience of buying a new aircraft from Embraer Executive Jets, the business-jet division of Embraer, includes a visit to the global Customer Center in Melbourne, Fla. You can bring along your family—and your pilot—for a test flight with a […]

When Embraer introduced the Phenom 300 in 2009, it may have seemed like just a larger version of the company’s previously launched entry-level jet, the Phenom 100. It had a similar fuselage, though it was a bit longer, and like the 100, it could be flown by a single pilot. Yet, it also was one […]

Rules changes promise to streamline the FAA certification process for smaller aircraft, which should benefit buyers and owners, as well as the builders. Honda Aircraft had good reason to celebrate when the HondaJet received its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification this past December. The event in Greensboro, N.C., where the company is headquartered, included more […]

The Rimowa luggage company’s replica of an air-travel classic takes to the sky. It has been 65 years since a Junkers F13 was in active service, but a replica of the aircraft, the Rimowa F13 (rimowa-f13.com), was scheduled to make its first flight in September (after Robb Report Private Aviation Sourcebook went to press), taking […]

Some of the country’s top mixologists are creating leisurely, omakase-style tasting menus that will astound even the most jaded drinkers. The bartender has just presented me with a cocktail, but it is so much more than a cocktail. In fact, it is a miniature Zen garden: The lightly frothy, sake-based drink comes perched on the […]

Lamborghini celebrates 50 years of the Miura by re-creating a drive that starts a film and ends abruptly. The 1969 British caper film The Italian Job opens with a soon-to-be-dead gangster driving his Lamborghini Miura through the Italian Alps. Shot from a helicopter, from the road, and from behind the wheel, the orange sports car […]

In the years since the final one rolled off the production line, Miuras have gone from being cantankerous period curiosities to prized collector showpieces. Purists prefer the aesthetics of the SV’s predecessors; big-game hunters focus on original or perfectly restored SVs. You can expect to spend more than $750,000 for a P400 basket case to […]