If Christmas had wheels, what would it be? Something all encompassing, non-confrontational, politically correct and, more than likely, a bit dull. It might offer you a fleeting moment of excitement but, when you tuck it away after the holidays, you’ll be quietly glad that it isn’t coming back out until next year. The Austin Allegro springs to mind, though to single that out is probably unfair.

What you’d like to be driving at Christmas time, however, is something exotic, tactile and effortlessly cool. It’s got a shape unlike anything else on the road, an ear-nibbling soundtrack, plenty of space for presents and an air of confidence much like a man wearing a beautifully tailored Savile Row suit. We think the Interceptor – a choice for the only most discerning of enthusiasts – ticks every box, and then some.

The Interceptor also has a refreshing dark side hidden beneath that sleek Touring-designed bodywork, which could be the perfect antidote to the in-your-face nature of modern-day Christmas. Lurking underneath the impossibly long bonnet beats a 7.2-litre American V8 heart, developing 300HP and lending the car a razor-sharp edge. As sultry as it might look from the outside, the Interceptor (as its name suggests) demands nothing but respect from behind the wheel. If it were a character in a James Bond film, it would almost certainly play the villain – the kind with which you empathise and secretly envy.

In addition to boasting the single greatest name ever given to a car, the Interceptor was also owned by some of the greatest names in show-business. Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Farrah Fawcett and Darth Vader himself, David Prowse – they could all be counted among those who owned one and, incidentally, they all had a darker side, too. We wonder if any of them were itching to rip off their paper crowns after Christmas dinner and go for a spirited blast, too.

Text and photos: Alex Lawrence / The Whitewall © 2016