UNIQUE MASERATI 3500 GT • DODGE VIPER GTS-R • 1928 MERCEDES SUPERCAR
McLAREN’S
GAME CHANGER F1 PERFORMANCE FOR SALOON CAR MONEY: WHY YOU NEED A 12C
ALSO
ALL THE McLARENS SINCE 2012 Plus why the analogue supercar market is booming
WORKS ALPINE A110 • KEITH HELFET INTERVIEW • INDIA TO THE UK IN A 1950 MG YT • NEW! MARKET INSIDER £5.99 / AUS $14.99, ISSUE 252, JUNE 2024
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bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos bonhamscars.com/fos ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES Forthcoming Forthcoming Forthcoming Forthcoming auctions auctions auctions auctions ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES ENQUIRIES Forthcoming Forthcoming auctions auctions Forthcoming auctions Forthcoming auctions GILDED GILDED GILDED GILDED AGE AGE AGE AGE UK UK UK UK Europe Europe Europe Europe Forthcoming Forthcoming Forthcoming auctions auctions auctions USA USA USA USA GILDED GILDED AGE AGE GILDED AGE Middletown, Middletown, Middletown, Middletown, Rhode Rhode Rhode Rhode Island Island Island Island | 27 April || | 27 27 27April April 2024 April2024 2024 2024 GILDED AGE UK UK Europe Europe UK Europe USA USA UK Europe USA GILDED GILDED GILDED AGE AGE AGE +44 UK (0) +44 +44 +44 20 (0) (0) (0) 7468 20 20 207468 7468 5801 74685801 5801 5801 +33 Europe (0)1 +33 +33 +33 42 (0)1 (0)1 (0)1 6142 42 42 1061 61 61 1110 10 1011 11 11 +1 (415) +1 +1 +1USA (415) (415) 391 (415)4000 391 391 3914000 4000 -4000 West ---West West Coast WestCoast Coast Coast +1 (415) Middletown, Middletown, Rhode Rhode Island Island || | 27 27 April April 2024 2024 Middletown, Rhode Island | 27 April 2024 UK UK Europe Europe +1 +1 +1 (415) (415) 391 (415) 4000 391 391 391 4000 4000 4000 | motors.us@bonhamscars.com | | | motors.us@bonhamscars.com motors.us@bonhamscars.com motors.us@bonhamscars.com Middletown, Rhode Island 27 April 2024 USA USA USA +44 +44 (0) (0)(0) 20 2020 7468 7468 5801 5801 +33 +33 (0)1 (0)1 42 4242 61 6161 10 1010 11 1111 +1 +1+1 (415) (415) 391 391 4000 4000 West West Coast Coast +44 7468 5801 EUCars@Bonhamscars.com +33 (0)1 (415) 391 4000 - West Coast Middletown, Middletown, Middletown, Rhode Rhode Rhode Island Island | | |27 27 27April April April2024 2024 2024 +44 (0) 20 7468 5801 +33 (0)1 42 61 10 11 +1 (415) 391 4000 West Coast UKCars@Bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com +1 (212) +1 +1 (212) (212) 461 (212) 6514 461 461 461 6514 6514 -6514 East -----East Coast East East Coast Coast +1 +1+1 (415) (415) 391 391 4000 4000 || |Island motors.us@bonhamscars.com motors.us@bonhamscars.com (415) 391 4000 | motors.us@bonhamscars.com +1 (415) 391 4000 motors.us@bonhamscars.com +44 +44 +44(0) (0) (0)20 20 207468 7468 74685801 5801 5801 +33 +33 +33(0)1 (0)1 (0)142 42 4261 61 6110 10 1011 11 11 +1 +1 +1(415) (415) (415)391 391 3914000 4000 4000---West -West WestCoast Coast Coast Coast UKCars@Bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com +1 +1 (212) (212) 461 461 6514 6514 East Coast +1 +1(415) (415) (415) 391 391 391SALE 4000 4000 4000 | | |motors.us@bonhamscars.com motors.us@bonhamscars.com motors.us@bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com +1 (212) 461 6514 - East CoastTHE+1 THE BONMONT THE THE BONMONT BONMONT BONMONT SALE SALE SALE UKCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com +1 (212) 461 6514 --East East Coast * For details ** For *For Forof details details details the charges of ofofthe the thecharges charges payable chargespayable payable in payable addition in ininaddition addition to addition the fito nal totothe the hammer thefifinal nal finalhammer hammer price, hammer please price, price, price,visit please please please bonhams.com/buyersguide visit visit visitbonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide USCars@Bonhamscars.com USCars@Bonhamscars.com USCars@Bonhamscars.com USCars@Bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com UKCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com EUCars@Bonhamscars.com +1 +1 +1 (212) (212) (212)461 461 4616514 6514 6514--East -East EastCoast Coast Coast Cheserex, THE THE BONMONT BONMONT SALE SALE THE BONMONT ** For *For For details details details of ofofthe the the charges charges charges payable payable payable in ininaddition addition addition to totothe the the fifithe nal nal final hammer hammer hammer price, price, price, please please please visit visit visitvisit bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide USCars@Bonhamscars.com USCars@Bonhamscars.com Cheserex, Cheserex, Cheserex, Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland |SALE 29 June || | 29 29 29June June 2024 June2024 2024 2024 * For details of the charges payable in addition to fi nal hammer price, please bonhams.com/buyersguide USCars@Bonhamscars.com THE BONMONT SALE * For details of the charges payable in addition to the final hammer price, please visit bonhams.com/buyersguide USCars@Bonhamscars.com THE THE BONMONT BONMONT BONMONT SALE SALE Cheserex, Cheserex, Switzerland Switzerland || | 29 29 June June 2024 2024 * *For *For For details details details ofofof the the the charges charges charges payable payable payable ininaddition inaddition addition tototo the the the final final final hammer hammer hammer price, price, price, please please please visit visit visit bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide USCars@Bonhamscars.com USCars@Bonhamscars.com USCars@Bonhamscars.com Cheserex, Switzerland | 29 June 2024 +33 THE (0)1 +33 +33 +33 42 (0)1 (0)1 (0)1 6142 42 42 10 61 61 61 11 10 10 10 |SALE 11 11 eurocars@bonhamscars.com 11 || | eurocars@bonhamscars.com eurocars@bonhamscars.com eurocars@bonhamscars.com Cheserex, Switzerland 29 June 2024 Cheserex, Cheserex, Cheserex, Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland ||eurocars@bonhamscars.com | |29 29 29June June June2024 2024 2024 +33 +33 (0)1 (0)1 42 42 61 6161 10 1010 11 1111 || | eurocars@bonhamscars.com +33 (0)1 42 eurocars@bonhamscars.com +33 (0)1 42 61 10 11 eurocars@bonhamscars.com * For details ** For *For Forof details details details the charges of ofofthe the thecharges charges payable chargespayable payable in payable addition in ininaddition addition to addition the fito nal totothe the hammer thefifinal nal finalhammer hammer price, hammer please price, price, price,visit please please please bonhams.com/buyersguide visit visit visitbonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide +33 +33 +33(0)1 (0)1 (0)142 42 4261 61 6110 10 1011 11 11| | |eurocars@bonhamscars.com eurocars@bonhamscars.com eurocars@bonhamscars.com ** For *For Fordetails details details of ofofthe the the charges charges payable payable payable in ininaddition addition addition to totothe the the nal nal finalhammer hammer hammer price, price, price, please please please visit visit visitbonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide details of charges the charges payable in addition to fififithe nal hammer price, please bonhams.com/buyersguide * For* For details of the charges payable in addition to the nalfihammer price, please visit visit bonhams.com/buyersguide * *For *For For details details details ofofof the the the charges charges charges payable payable payable ininaddition inaddition addition tototo the the the final final final hammer hammer hammer price, price, price, please please please visit visit visit bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide bonhams.com/buyersguide
Issue 252 / June 2024
CONTENTS ‘I WAS KEEN TO MAKE IT APPEAR SCULPTURED, JUST LIKE JAGUARS ALWAYS HAD BEEN’ KEITH HELFET ON THE JAGUAR XJ220, PAGE 90
46
80
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CONTENTS 114
70
FEATURES MCLAREN 12C Page 46 How McLaren changed the supercar game – and why you will want one now
EVERY MCLAREN SINCE Page 58 It’s fought at the forefront for 15 years
ANALOGUE HYPERCAR BOOM Page 64 Insiders on Carrera GT, Ferrari Enzo and more 106
64
96
1928 MERCEDES-BENZ S-TYPE Page 70 Driving the supercharged supercar of its day
WORKS ALPINE A110 Page 80 On Rally Portugal stages in Dieppe’s recce car
THE OCTANE INTERVIEW Page 90 Keith Helfet, Jaguar XJ220 designer
VIPER GTS-R Page 96 How the Americans beat Porsche in GT racing
MG CENTENARY Page 106 Family celebration drive: Mumbai to Abingdon!
BERTONE MASERATI Page 114 At the wheel of Scaglione’s unique 3500 GT 7
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Issue 252 / June 2024
CONTENTS 16
REGULARS EVENTS & NEWS Page 16 The month in pictures; essential diary dates; beware the perils of electrifying classic cars
GEARBOX Page 32 Racer and Ferrari dealer Michael Fisher
COLUMNS Page 35 144
Jay Leno, Derek Bell, Stephen Bayley and Robert Coucher pontificate
142
LETTERS Page 43 The cosmonaut and the racing legend
OCTANE CARS Page 126 Merc 500SL, Jag XK140, Sierra Cosworth…
OVERDRIVE Page 136
150
Ineos Grenadier; Aston Martin DB12 Volante
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Page 142 Bail-jumping jailbird racer John Paul Jr
ICON Page 144 More than just numbers: the Phone Book
CHRONO Page 146
152
Take a chance on restoring a Seiko 6139
GEAR, BOOKS, MODELS Page 150
154
Only the loveliest things to buy
THE MARKET Page 158 More insider knowledge to arm yourself with
AUTOBIOGRAPHY Page 186 146
Indian collector Yohan Poonawalla
8
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YORKSHIRE ELEGANCE 1 6 T H - 1 8 T H J U LY 2 0 2 4
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YE Octane 285x225 2024.indd 1
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Issue 252 / June 2024
FEATURING
JORDAN BUTTERS
BEN BARRY ‘Ron Dennis talked me round the McLaren 12C 15 years ago and I refereed an early group test, so revisiting the mid-engined supercar brought home just how much McLaren achieved with this clean-sheet design – not to mention the astonishing value 12Cs represent today at £65k or so.’
Find out more on pages 46-56.
EDITOR’S WELCOME
F1, round two McLAREN MAY HAVE been swathed in some negative headlines and unwelcome speculation for quite a few years now, but it’s easy to forget that there was a time not so long ago when the company was not only unimpeachable but untouchable. Its utter dominance of Formula 1 may have drawn to a close in 1990, but there were still spurts of brilliance, seemingly coming towards the end of each decade. And even when it wasn’t winning, McLaren was still always a contender, still a very big fish in the paddock. Then, after the turn of the millennium, design – especially British design – suddenly became a big deal, as the world’s purchasing ethos shifted from people only wanting everything as cheaply as possible to swathes of people being prepared to pay a premium for excellence built on flawless or innovative engineering. Especially if it was blue-blood British. Just ask James Dyson. The time was ripe for McLaren to launch itself into road cars, the company image, the sterile headquarters in Woking (from which my rotten old nail was once evicted on aesthetic grounds, but that’s another story) all suggesting a laboratory from which only purity and genius could emerge. Of course, there had been McLaren road cars before, but this was a whole different ballgame to the one-off M6GT that Bruce McLaren himself drove around Woking, or the F1, which
will forever remain as much a high-volume science experiment as a low-volume car. The acute singularity of purpose of McLaren’s previous road cars meant that, really, the MP4-12C was its first real ground-up production car, a high-performance supercar with its own singular purpose: to give a bloody nose to Ferrari. And it did. As you always knew it would, with Ron Dennis at the helm. Not only that, though, the MP4-12C (or 12C as virtually everyone would have it) was the strategic foundation for everything that has come since, McLaren seamlessly melding its rich heritage with cutting-edge technology… and so much pace. Whatever McLaren’s current woes, the 12C was a high watermark for a remarkable company at the height of its powers. I’m not saying everything has gone downhill since, but even today the 12C is still the one I’d want, not just for what it can do, but also the enormity of what it represents.
RICHARD PEARCE ‘Doing our best to dodge the springtime showers, we rolled out the almost centuryold Mercedes-Benz 36/220 and positioned it in the crisp sunlight. At this point, the beauty of the car did all the hard work – it was almost impossible to take a bad photo.’
Richard’s superb photography accompanies Mark Dixon’s feature on pages 70-78.
JOHAN DILLEN ‘I felt the Viper GTS-R before I first laid eyes on one. The deep rumble of its 8.0-litre V10 got hold of my guts and left a permanent mark. Being able to drive one – and to find out that this intimidating monster is actually a very well-sorted GT racer – was a career highlight. I am now a snake charmer.’
James Elliott, editor in chief
How the Viper won Daytona: pages 96-104. COVER PHOTOGRAPHY JORDAN BUTTERS
10
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ISSUE 246 DECEMBER 2023
MAGAZINE OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
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Fuelling the passion
●
FERRARI 512BB COUNT TROSSI MERCEDES SSK LOTUS ELEVEN BMW 1M COUPÉ MASERATI KYALAMI FAREWELL VOLVO ESTATE ● ● ● ●
Fuelling the passion
246 COLLECTORS’ EDITION
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If you like Octane, you’ll love… CONCOURS ON SAVILE ROW Two days of the greatest cars and the finest tailoring in the heart of London’s Mayfair. The event is free to visit and takes place from 10am to 8pm on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 May. See concoursonsavilerow.com.
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B:228 mm T:222 mm S:196 mm
AUCTIONS & PRIVATE BROKERAGE
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MAY 8–17 ONLINE ONLY REGISTER TO BID
Featuring Selections from A RENOWNED HONDA MOTORCYCLE COLLECTION Offered Without Reserve
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FRI AUG 16 SAT AUG 17 LIVE AUCTIONS B:291 mm
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NOW INVITING CONSIGNMENTS OFFICIAL AUCTION HOUSE OF THE PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE ® Featuring Selections from THE TOM LARSEN COLLECTION Offered Without Reserve
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FRIDAY 30 AUGUST LIVE AUCTION NOW INVITING CONSIGNMENTS OFFICIAL AUCTION HOUSE OF THE CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE HAMPTON COURT PALACE
1953 FERRARI 166 MM/53 SPIDER SOLD for £2,531,250 London Auction 2023 CONTACT OUR SPECIALISTS TO LEARN MORE INQUIRY@GOODINGCO.COM Pebble Beach® and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® are trademarks and service marks of Pebble Beach Company. Used by permission.
GCO_OCTANE_RHP_03.indd JOB #
TP3478426
DATE
Bleed 228 mm w x 291 mm h Trim 222 mm w x 285 mm h 196 mm w x 256 mm h Live
FINAL
4-4-2024 5:25 PM Revisions
Notes Int'l RHP/June, on Sale 4/24, US 5/1 Due: April 4 150 Line Screen PDFX1A 7MB limit SHIP: Elaine Briggs elaine@hothousemedia.co.uk
Production Artist Production Manager Proofer 1 Proofer 2 Project Manager
GCO_OCTANE_RHP_03.indd
IGNITION / Month in Pictures
IGNITION E V E N T S + N E W S + O PI N I O N
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Per Ardua Ad Infinitum, 10-11 February HERO-ERA’s mid-Wales season-opening rally was treated to unseasonal sunshine and an entry bursting at the seams, with 45 cars ranging from 1957 Austin-Healey to 1991 Mazda MX-5. After a first day that was in essence all tests and a second devoted principally but not wholly to regularities, the winners were the relentless equipe of Dan Willan and Niall Frost in their 1962 Volvo PV544. They were 2min 38sec ahead of Kurt Vanderspinnen and Iain Tullie (1964 Ford Lotus Cortina), with Jon Dunning and Henry Carr (1980 Ford Escort RS2000) rounding off the podium. The coveted Test Pilot award went to Escort driver Mick Valentine. Image: Will Broadhead / HERO-ERA
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IGNITION / Month in Pictures
VSCC JOHN HARRIS TRIAL, 2 MARCH
The Ashover, Derbyshire vintage trial was truly ‘blessed’ with mud for 2024, here being negotiated by Jonathan Mellor’s Austin Seven. Largest-capacity car to tackle the tricky sections was Jeremy Holden’s 4.5-litre 1914/20 Vauxhall A-Type.
RALLY NORTH WALES, 16 MARCH
Matthew Robinson chased hard in his Escort but went out with diff problems.
VSCC HEREFORDSHIRE TRIAL, 16-17 MARCH
Charlotte Bowyer’s all-female crew storm a hill in their eyelashequipped Model A.
CLASSIC SPORTS CAR CLUB, DONINGTON, 23 MARCH
The Jaguars of Andrew Harper and Colin Philpott battle it out on track.
PEGASO MEET IN MADRID, 21 MARCH
Two 1955 Touring Z-102s, a 1954 Saoutchik and ex-works 1952 ENASA.
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CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: REBECCA HIND / REVVED PHOTOGRAPHY; MICK WALKER; MARIO LAGUNA; PETER McFADYEN; PAUL LAWRENCE; SIMON RICKETTS / REVEREND PIXEL
PHILLIP ISLAND CLASSIC FESTIVAL, 6-10 MARCH
Victorian Historic Racing Register event back to its pre-pandemic best.
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IGNITION / Month in Pictures
WESTON PARK AGBO STAGES, 17 MARCH
Best four-wheel-drive was David Bonning’s Escort Cosworth.
12 HOURS OF SEBRING, 13-16 MARCH
Less than a second separated first and second this year.
PRACTICAL CLASSICS CLASSIC CAR & RESTORATION SHOW, 22-24 MARCH
More than 25,000 enthusiasts flocked to the NEC in Birmingham for the annual event at which 160 clubs exhibited their wares.
RALLY THE GLOBE GENERATIONS RALLY, 22-24 MARCH
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: BEN LAWRENCE; MATTHEW PITTS; GERARD BROWN; HARRY HURST
History was made on this popular three-day event when an all-female crew won the pre-war class on a Rally the Globe event for the first time. Some 90 pre-’86 cars took part, with Charlotte de Montmorency and her aunt Philippa Bailey driving a 1938 Triumph Dolomite.
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IGNITION / Events Diary
4-5 May Gaydon Land Rover Show Hundreds of Land Rovers and Range Rovers gather at the British Motor Museum. britishmotormuseum.co.uk 4-6 May Nostalgia Nationals The hottest of hot rods put on a show at Santa Pod, where the drag strip will also be open to front-engined, pre-1973 cars for a bit of ‘run what ya brung’ fun. santapod.co.uk 5 May Curborough Speed Trials The VSCC Speed Championship gets underway at Curborough. vscc.co.uk 6-9 May Vintage Shamrock Pre-1946 cars explore Ireland, tackling regularity sections and special tests along the way. rallytheglobe.com
Concours on Savile Row, 22-23 May Image: Matthew Howell
COMING UP…
Good luck deciding how best to spend your next few weekends; May is shaping up to be one heck of a month 25 April – 4 May London to Lisbon A 2800km regularity rally for crews in pre-1991 cars, finishing in Portugal’s delightful capital. hero-era.com 27-28 April Classic Car Boot Sale Classic vehicles and sellers of all sorts of vintage goodies roll into King’s Cross in London. classiccarbootsale.co.uk 28 April Audrain Veteran Car Tour Pre-1908 cars from across the USA meet at the Audrain Automobile Museum before setting off on a 50mile drive around Rhode Island. audrainmotorsport.com 28 April VSCC Wiltshire Tour Open to pre-1956 cars, this is the first of 13 tours the VSCC has arranged for its members in 2024. vscc.co.uk
2-5 May Simola Hillclimb Furious hillclimbing action in Knysna in South Africa. speedfestival.co.za 3-5 May The Greenbrier Concours d’Elegance Concours classes at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia will include an interesting one for light trucks. greenbrierconcours.com 3-5 May Hockenheim Historic Classic DTM cars are among the machines racing at the Hockenheimring this year. hockenheim-historic.de 4 May Rattletrap Pre-1940 hot rods and pre-1960 motorcycles blast along the sand at Crowdy Bay Beach, four hours up the coast from Sydney. drag-ens.com.au
4 May Brooklands Italian Car Day Italian cars and bikes descend on Brooklands and the adjacent Mercedes-Benz World track. brooklandsmuseum.com 4 May Museum on the Road Cars from Portugal’s Museu do Caramulo are fired up for display drives and passenger rides. museudocaramulo.pt 4-5 May Donington Historic Festival A busy schedule for 2024 includes the three-hour Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Trophy for GTs, Touring Cars and sports-racers. doningtonhistoric.com 4-5 May Keels & Wheels Beautiful old cars and boats share the stage at Lakewood Yacht Club just outside Houston, Texas. keels-wheels.com
7-12 May Monaco Historic GP Tour A four-day tour of Provence ends with a drive into Monaco in time to watch the Historic GP. v-events.co.uk 10-12 May GP de Monaco Historique Among the milestones being celebrated in Monaco this time is Hesketh Racing’s F1 debut, which came back in 1974. acm.mc 11 May Hagerty Hill Climb Fifty hand-picked competition and road cars charge up the hill at Shelsley Walsh, before visitors are given the chance to drive the course in their own cars. hagerty.co.uk 11-12 May Vintage Revival Montlhéry A special edition of the Vintage Revival to mark the centenary of Montlhéry autodrome. vintage-revival.fr 11-12 May Prescott Italia & Classics at Prescott Non-competitive hillclimbing at
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Curborough Speed Trials, 5 May. Image: VSCC
pretty Prescott. Saturday’s event is for Italian cars only. prescotthillclimb.co.uk 12 May HCVS London to Brighton Run Classic commercial vehicles motor from Brooklands down to Brighton en masse. hcvs.co.uk 17-19 May Spa Classic One of the best-attended events of the Historic racing season, drawing some 20,000 spectators each year. peterauto.fr 17-19 May Cavallino Classic Modena A celebration of all things Ferrari in Enzo’s hometown, headlined by a concours and a parade. cavallino.com 18-19 May Beaulieu Spring Autojumble With a number of displays courtesy of clubs including the Morgan Sports Car Club. beaulieu.co.uk 18 May – 23 June Peking to Paris Motor Challenge The toughest challenge in endurance rallying sees crews follow in the tyre-tracks of the pioneers who raced 15,000km from China to France in 1907. hero-era.com 22-23 May Concours on Savile Row London’s Savile Row closes to traffic as stylish cars go on display. concoursonsavilerow.com
24-26 May Nürburgring Classic Wheel-to-wheel racing at the Nürburgring, where spectators are invited to walk the grid. nuerburgringclassic.de 24-26 May Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este At Lake Como, classics compete in classes including ‘Time Capsules’ – reserved for ‘cars that the outside world forgot’. concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com 25-26 May Masters Historic Festival The Masters circus comes to Brands Hatch, with grids for pre-’66 GTs, F1 cars from the period 1966-1985, Touring Cars and Le Mans prototypes. mastershistoricracing.com
A 5 - D AY D R I V I N G A D V E N T U R E FROM ASTURIAS TO PORTO
25-30 May Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille The route for the 2024 edition of the ladies-only regularity rally runs from Paris to Andorra. peterauto.fr
S U N D AY 2 2 – F R I D AY 2 7 S E P T E M B E R
For our 2024 event we’re returning to Iberia where some of the greatest driving roads in Europe are to be found, taking in the Picos mountains, Castile y León and the incredible Douro Valley before we cross the finish line in Porto.
26 May Bergamo Historic Gran Prix Action on the Circuita della Mura, a street course that follows the walls of Bergamo in Italy. bergamohistoricgranprix.com 30 May – 2 June Jersey International Motoring Festival Including the Jersey Concours d’Elegance, organised with restorer and car dealer Le Riche (leriche.com/concours). jimf.je
Our tours combine great driving with a relaxed and informal itinerary, meaning there’s plenty of time to enjoy the fabulous hotels along the way. There will be just 20 cars taking part, and you’re welcome to bring whatever you love to drive, whether that’s a classic or a modern supercar.
For further details and to receive the brochure please contact Georgie on 01635 867705 or email georgie@v-management.com v-events.co.uk
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IGNITION / News
New guidelines issued for the electrification of classics Latest HCVA directive seeks to clarify the legal and physical dangers of converting your car Words Dave Richards
that all classic cars converted will be safely built, able to be used without harm, and feature the kinds of inbuilt safeguards to ensure First Responders and other road users are not injured when approaching a car that looks like a conventional classic, but presents all the dangers of an electric vehicle when it has been involved in a collision or fire. The HCVA identifies this first publication as being to Minimum Professional Standards, adding that updates will keep abreast of best practice as it changes. HCVA executive director Guy Lachlan is calling on the classic
car industry to ‘not undertake unsafe modifications’, adding that ‘classic vehicles are being converted to become electric cars, but so far it has been a grey area – and the DVLA has not had good systems in place up to this point’. In trade parlance, a new BEV – Battery Electric Vehicle – is covered by wide-ranging legislation. But the abilities and ingenuities of audacious hobbyists have already resulted in the conversion of cars from Fiat 500s and VW Beetles to Land Rovers, MGBs and Ferraris. Whether repurposing components from a crashed Nissan Leaf or a powerful Tesla, the
MARK DIXON
NEW GUIDELINES FOR those converting heritage vehicles to electrical propulsion have been issued by the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance. The aim of the document – HCVA MPS for Electric Conversion v1.6 – is to advise both affiliates of the trade body and enthusiast members alike of best practice in the changes involved during the process. In releasing these guidelines, the HCVA is keen to not take sides one way or the other regarding the ‘should classic cars be converted?’ debate. Instead, it is seeking to bring a unified set of professional standards that will ensure
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result could be ‘things going wrong spectacularly’, as Guy Lachlan advises. The document is intended for the exclusive use of HCVA members. Its 31 points cover, broadly, recommendations for the qualification levels of those engineers performing conversion work, and the minimum liability insurances to be carried by the companies carrying out any changes made to the cars involved. It adds other specific requirements relating to carbuilding: battery boxes and mounting points, cabling, automated welded-contactor cut-outs, and other necessary safety functions. It further advises on how the installers of electrification in classics should provide a laminated card to inform First Responders of the car’s features and how to make it safe. It finishes with identifying how the car’s professional creators need to create a system with the DVLA, first to certify the car so that its fuel taxation category can be changed, and second so that, in the future, all owners of such cars can be contacted in the event of recalls or other safety concerns. There are no implied restrictions on power output and nor does the document explore the suitability of other existing onboard systems, such as braking. Car-builder, experienced auto electrician and owner of the firm Cherished Storage in Worcestershire, Dave Tassell believes the move towards professional standards is positive: ‘For any BEV involved in repair through a bodyshop, it has to have an exclusion zone around it of up to four cars’ void area, in case of damage to it then causing further potential harm to humans and other property.’ His experience as a car-builder also identified that adding weight to any classic (because of an electric conversion) is not necessarily ‘a problem, because older cars are not plated for axle weights in the way new cars are’. But just adding performance through electrification, when the resulting car might also be heavier than its donor forebear, might require reinforced tyres that traditional designs cannot match. At present the current v1.6 of the document addresses none of these issues. From a legislative framework, the DVLA is moving its goalposts by allowing cars that meet the ECEr.100.01 standards to be independently tested by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), the UK’s Vehicle Type Approval Authority, and then to have their fuel category changed on their V5C. How that applies when already one classic Mini has had its registration plate revoked owing to a cabling hole drilled in the original bodywork remains to be seen. Significantly, the stance of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) is well-known, underwriting the Department for Transport’s ruling that, to enjoy MoT exemption and zero-rated annual vehicle excise
duty, the car must not have been ‘substantially altered’ within the past 30 years. The Association of Heritage Engineers’ Dominic Taylor-Lane agrees. ‘Whether in legality or reality, it stops being a classic once electrified. For some folks living within large and punitive Low Emission Zones, using an electric classic car might be the only way they can continue to drive their cherished car regularly,’ he said. ‘Legislation only ever seems to get tighter as we go forwards. We need DVLA/VCA clarification on all of this before we end up fighting it in court to create case law.’ He reports that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has prosecuted two firms selling de-cat kits and pop-bang maps. ‘For the classic car world to keep its house in order is a good thing,’ he added. For anyone wanting to carry out their own conversion, they are still welcome to crack on. Amateurs can build what they like, but shouldn’t expect to get fuel category change without inspection – which would blow any exemptions allowed only for a car under the 30-year rule. It is important to remember, too, that the document refers only to UK legislation. Other countries have different rules regarding historic vehicles, tighter for instance in Germany, less so in the USA. Whatever happens, the disruption that the electrification of classics is causing in the wider classic world might draw increased scrutiny from legislators – and ultimately affect the concessions that owners of unmodified classic cars have enjoyed for so long.
‘LEGISLATION ONLY EVER SEEMS TO GET TIGHTER. WE NEED CLARIFICATION ON ALL OF THIS BEFORE WE END UP FIGHTING IT IN COURT’
Left and above Mark Dixon drives a battery-powered RBW Roadster, significantly quicker in acceleration than the MGB on which it’s based; electrification in all strata of classic cars is increasingly popular. 25
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IGNITION / News
NEWS FEED
Scandi concours launched Scandinavia is to have a world-class concours d’elegance for the first time with the launch of The Aurora. With tickets already on sale, the event is sponsored by BMW, Koenigsegg and MOTIKON and will take part on what is dubbed the Swedish Riviera on 5-7 July. As well as the main concours, which will feature nine classes including ones for locally built cars, Maseratis and Minis, historic vehicles will also be flaunted in the Aurora Showfield where visiting owners and enthusiasts will display their own rare and classic cars. As a counterpoint, there will be a special event for modern hypercars. Sponsored by Koenigsegg in its 30th anniversary year, the Hypercar Experience will combine an exhibition with an opportunity for exhibitors to visit Koenigsegg’s Gripen Atelier, to meet founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg and to drive their cars on the company’s track. A series of talks is also promised on topics as diverse as hypercars, innovation, future classics, and upkeep of today’s automotive treasures. The location is the botanical gardens and manor of Norrviken in the chic fishing village of Båsta on the Bjärehalvön peninsula in southern Sweden, just 20 minutes from Ängelholm Airport. See theaurora.se.
Museum in the money The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu has received a £226,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to refurbish the Museum building, transform the entrance and welcome area, and to develop a new gallery, as well as help fund the museum’s outreach programme.
Refurbed machines A new business has been launched selling manufacturer-refurbished machinery for a host of industrial sectors, as well as workshops everywhere. Machinerefurb.com is a sister company to Partsformachines.com, which for the past three years has offered an aftermarket sales platform.
MotoFest plans Celebrating its tenth anniversary, MotoFest Coventry has a new sponsor on 1-2 June in EON. As well as activities on (and under) the ring road and in the ruins of the cathedral, there will be a sustainable transport showcase and a future technology zone. Museum buys AROnline The Great British Car Journey museum in Derbyshire has acquired the AROnline website from its founder, former Octane man Keith Adams. AROnline was established in 2001 and now has nearly 6000 articles. Buy a motoring bookshop! After decades of serving petrolheads, the owners of Autobooks-Aerobooks, the well-known store in Burbank, California, are looking to sell on the business and retire. Interested parties should see AutobooksAerobooks.com to contact them. Exclusive return in Italy The self-annointed ‘world’s most exclusive concours’, Concorso d’Eleganza Varignana 1705 will return for 2024 in the grounds of the Palazzo di Varignana resort, in Italy’s Motor Valley from 27-29 September. It will feature just 30 pre-1973 classics; see palazzodivarignana.com/en/ experiences/concorso-deleganza. Paolo Pininfarina RIP Paolo Pininfarina, chairman of the Pininfarina Group since 2008 and grandson of Battista, died in Turin on 9 April, aged 65. He was surrounded by family: his wife Ilaria, five children (Greta, Giovanni, Iole, Tullio, and Giulia) and his mother Giorgia Gianolio.
End of all Hope Simon Hope has left H&H Classics and its Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), 31 years after co-founding the auction house. Under Hope’s stewardship the company became one of the leading outfits in the UK and one of only five to have sold a classic car for in excess of $11,000,000. He will be spending more time with his golf clubs and Maserati.
Velocity revs up The fifth Velocity Invitational festival – taking place at Sonoma Raceway in California on 4-6 October – is to include rides in Group B rally cars, as well as modern-day rally cars, as part of the DirtFish Rally experience. Cars slated include a 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2, a 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Corsa and 1986 Peugeot 205 T16, and tickets for the Group B Rally Experience will start at $2999. See more at velocityinvitational.com.
Be a Savile Row VIP For the first time, visitors to the superb Concours on Savile Row in the heart of London’s West End can buy VIP tickets to the prestigious event. The concours takes place on 22-23 May and the special ticket not only gets you access to the VIP areas, but covers breakfast plus a three-course lunch at Sartoria. For details, see concoursonsavilerow.com.
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1968-69 REPCO BRABHAM BT26/BRABHAMCOSWORTH BT26A
■ Driven by the great Jochen Rindt for late-1968 season ■ 1969 Canadian Grand Prix winner with Jacky Ickx ■ Earned Brabham and Jacky Ickx runner-up in 1969 Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships ■ Spaceframe design with stressed panels by Ron Tauranac ■ Repco 860 V8 for ‘68 replaced by 3L FordCosworth DFV V8 for ‘69
14 Queens Gate Place Mews London SW7 5BQ T: +44 (0)20 7584 3503 W: www.fiskens.com E: cars@fiskens.com
IGNITION / News
Real highlights of Cheshire Superb line-up promised for Concours d’Esprit
Drive a dream classic to raise vital cash for Africa THE HOPE CLASSIC Rally – a unique charity event that has raised almost £2million since its foundation in 2015 – takes place on 28 June. As well as a great drive through the English countryside, a glamorous dinner and a stay at a luxury hotel, what makes the rally stand out is the opportunity to do it in a priceless classic. For example, this year’s line-up includes a 1955 Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing’, a 1962 Ferrari 250GT SWB and a 1967 Lamborghini Miura.
These and around 100 other classics will be loaned by their owners for the 2024 running, centred around The Elvetham hotel in Hampshire. Last year’s event raised over £420,000; the hope is to exceed that this year. All the revenues fuel the works of WeSeeHope, a charity that invests in entrepreneurialism and community-led change for vulnerable children across East Africa. WeSeeHope sets up self-funding community banking groups for parents and guardians and trains them in business and financial skills. With access to loans from their groups, they can then establish small businesses to improve the quality of their families’ lives. The charity says that every £1 spent goes on to generate £4. Rally guests will arrive at The Elvetham for breakfast and the most thrilling part of the day – the official envelope opening to find out what car they’ll be driving. They then tour Hampshire and the South Downs, with a lunch stop at The White Horse in Graffham, before returning to The Elvetham for a drinks reception, followed by dinner (with charity auction) and overnight stay. It is possible to take part in your own classic car at a reduced fee if you prefer. For further details see hopeclassicrally.org. Above and left Unique rally raises funds that help East African families acquire the business and financial skills to improve their lives.
JOHN GAULD
Hope springs eternal
A spectacular line-up of cars is guaranteed for the ninth Cheshire Concours d’Esprit, including the 1936 Aston Martin Mark II ‘Spy Car’ featured in Octane 248. The concours, which takes place on 28 July, the Sunday of the Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting, is organised by the South Cheshire Raiders and will showcase 50 pre-1974 thoroughbred sports cars. Already scheduled to be lined up with the Aston are everything from a 1908 Brasier to a 1965 Ford GT40 via 1948 Bristol 401 Superleggera, 1936 Lagonda LG45 Rapide and more. Concours cars will be displayed in a paddock in front of the Fogarty Moss Centre overlooking Cascades, and will do parade laps. There are classes for pre1940 and post-1946 cars, with the judges picking an overall winner, the Car of the Year, which will receive a trophy featuring Roman god Mercury. It was won last year by the 1925 Sunbeam Tiger (below). Winner of the pre-1940 Class is awarded the Cheshire Life Trophy, presented to the Vintage Sports-Car Club by Cheshire Life magazine back in 1967, while the 1946-1974 Class winner will receive the Stansfield Shield. Event principal Tim Gresty said: ‘Each invited entry is selected because it has a unique and fascinating story to tell of its design, competition history, ownership or originality. Each is part of the rich heritage of vintage, post-vintage and postwar thoroughbreds. ‘They are not cocktail cars, twin-packed and super-polished but lacking in attainment. Some are spectacularly smart. Others wear their cheerful decay with singular aplomb. Every one shows esprit.’
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1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe Available at the Monterey Jet Center Auction 2024 Estimate: $1,500,000 - $1,800,000
MONTEREY JET CENTER AUCTION 15 - 16 AUGUST 2024
IGNITION / Man & Machine
MAN & MACHINE
1936 Austin Seven Ruby Classic car sales specialist James Wheeler tracked down his dad’s old Austin I ACQUIRED THIS charming little Ruby in September 2019 after searching for it for a couple of years, because my father had owned it during the 1980s. I come from a family in the motor trade and we had garages in Newbury and Wantage, the latter set up by my father and having the BMC agency. On his regular visits to Hartwells in Oxford for warranty work on the BMC cars, he would see this Ruby in a pub car park opposite, gradually looking sorrier for itself and never seeming to move. In 1978 he called into the pub and bought it. He brought it back to our home in Winterbourne, wedged it into the back of a garage with a 1954 Bentley R-Type and a 1969 Lotus Super 7 and there it sat, stationary, throughout my childhood. In the late 1980s he had a clearout of the three, plus his Aston Martin DB6, which was in a similar situation. In 1987 the Austin was sold to Town and Country Tyres in Newbury, which sold it on to a local car trader who stored it in the barn of
RL Motors, a car repair garage in Newbury, and part-dismantled it for a stalled restoration. Shortly after the Millennium, the Austin Seven was bought by an old schoolfriend of the proprietor of RL Motors and taken to Hungerford for restoration. After about 18 months of hard work, the retired engineer had the Ruby repainted in its original colours (although by accident the green is lighter than it should be) and it was back on the road in late 2003, the finishing touch being the DVLA granting the reregistration of the car with its original number plate. Initially he attended many shows, but as time moved on it saw less use and he last drove it in about 2015. I came across it during a quest to trace the cars my father owned when my brother and I were growing up. The Lotus was in Belgium, his Bentley in Germany, and there was a Mini Moke in Preston. I even managed to track down cars that my father and his family had before
my brother and I were born, but the one that proved the most difficult to trace was the smallest: this Austin Seven Ruby. Eventually, in 2017, I put an advert on a classic car website ‘Searching for a 1936 Austin 7 / Seven Ruby EPG 289’ with a couple of photos of the car from 1986. I had several suggestions that led nowhere, but eventually a former Secretary of the Austin Seven Clubs Association who lives near Newbury spotted the advert and remembered that the neighbour of a relative in Hungerford owned a Seven, confirmed it was the same car and gave me the name and telephone number of the current owner. I was so excited. After going to see the car and several conversations with the owner, I was delighted to acquire it in September 2019, but couldn’t enjoy it immediately because it needed some careful recommissioning after so many years lying idle. My impetus came in the latter part of 2021 when I became aware that events were being planned to celebrate the centenary of the Austin Seven the following year. The search for a specialist to recommission the car began in earnest but, despite their apparent enthusiasm and the promise of slots in their workshops, the Ruby remained in the barn at home. As the celebrations loomed they only got busier, but a friend recommended Jeremy Cooper of DA Cooper Vintage Restoration in West Sussex. Just one week before the centenary celebrations, the Ruby was brought to my home in South West London and my first drive of it was both exciting and poignant: I was the first member of my family actually to drive the little car that we had known for over 40 years. What became clear was that the car was slow – very slow. Moreton-in-Marsh was 85 miles away… I set off at 4:30am, lights on, eyes half-open, avoiding motorways, and four hours later we arrived, the car having not missed a beat and me by then extremely fond of it. The Centenary event was fantastic and, following an enjoyable day, the Ruby and I set off for home. After another four hours, we arrived back in London. What a truly fabulous little car! I’ve since used it frequently around London and on occasional visits to the countryside, and it is arguably the most enjoyable car I have ever owned. The pleasure it gives other people (I hope even those travelling slowly behind me!) and me is enormous, and I hope it remains in my family for many years to come.
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IGNITION / Gearbox
GEARBOX
1 I love this GTO painting by Tony Upson. It has pride of place in my study and I look at it every day. It reminds me of what I’ve been doing all these years. And why.
Michael Fisher
An accidental influencer (@brdcspeedyman) in his 70s, BRDC racing driver and leading top-end Ferrari dealer since the 1960s
2 Growing up in 1940s London, everyone my age wanted to be a Spitfire pilot. This model is a MkVb, and those wonderful, sleek lines are still bewitching. 3 In the 1980s Mrs F bought me this ’60s Cartier Tank. It’s all original, matching numbers and I’ll never sell it. I do wear it! 4 I spend my life in my office. Although a few elements of my work and passion for cars have spread into the rest of the house, this is my domain. It’s my toybox.
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5 Here is my dad having just won the Magnet Cup at York in 1966. There’s two sides to horse racing: the very posh side and more gritty side. I’m from the latter. Dad wasn’t a car-man though he bought a Ford Thunderbird, which he loved.
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6 I raced Porsches a lot, but it was always Ferrari for me. I competed in GTOs, LMs, P3s and plenty more, but the GTO was always the one. This model beautifully illustrates the perfection of its shape.
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7 I have been a very proud member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club since 1986. The small lapel pin is a pre-war silver one I bought from Eoin Young, who always had all manner of fantastic memorabilia. 8 I’ve been lucky to have four ex-Team Sky – now Team Ineos – works bicycles and I’ve had this one a couple of years. I used to cycle a lot but now I ride once a week. This is basically the F1 of bikes, amazing engineering, all carbonfibre, light as a feather, electric gearchange. But the main reason to have it is to keep me moving.
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9 This book is what started it all for me when I was four. I used to run around the house being a racing car. Then came the models. I drove my father potty, he never got it. I was Ferrari-mad but my first car was an Austin 1100, though admittedly by the time I was 22 I had an AC Cobra. 10 The two reasons I can’t hear anything these days are because I didn’t ever wear earplugs when I was racing and because I shoot. I love shooting because it allows me to just stand out in the countryside and switch off from everything. It’s the only place I can. This is one of my guns, a Spanish Arrizabalaga 20-bore. I don’t care if I hit anything, it’s pure therapy.
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11 I am a great fan both of sunglasses and of Steve McQueen, so the day after my 60th birthday party I flew to the Petersen Museum in LA for the second large McQueen sale, solely to buy his blue-lens Persols from The Thomas Crown Affair. I bid to £50,000 and didn’t get them! I do now have an identical pair, apart from the lenses, that I found in Sicily years ago. It’s not the same as having McQueen’s own pair but they were an awful lot cheaper!
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IGNITION / Opinion
JAY LENO The Collector
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very car I have ever bought was for one reason alone, and that’s performance. I pretend there were other criteria – fuel economy, practicality etc – but performance is my only real reason. As a college student I worked in a couple of car lots. The first was a Ford dealership; the second was a European dealership called Foreign Motors in Boston. We carried Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Peugeot, Citroën and just about anything else that had to be imported. That’s where I got my real education. I got to sample everything from Citroën SMs to Rolls-Royces. In those days we didn’t sell enough cars to warrant a transporter. I would just fly to Newark, New Jersey, take the cars off the boat in Port Elizabeth and drive them back up to our dealership in Boston. Whenever a customer wanted to know why the car had 200 miles on it, we always said: ‘Oh, those were test miles done by the factory to make sure everything was alright.’ That’s where I first fell in love with the 6.3 Mercedes-Benz, which at that time was the fastest fourdoor sedan you could buy. The first time I got to drive one from the port to our ’shop I thought that one day I would have one. As much as I like Rolls-Royces, they just didn’t have the power of the 6.3. Or a rev-counter. One day I was told to deliver a brand-new Rolls-Royce Corniche for a customer in New York and get $35,000 from him. This guy always paid in cash. Go back to Port Elizabeth, get another Rolls and drive it and the money back to Boston. It’s hard to believe but in 1971 a brandnew Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible was $29,000. About what you’d pay for a Kia today. At the time I was a young comedian just starting out in the business and New York had one of the few comedy clubs. The Improv was in Hell’s Kitchen, one of the worst neighbourhoods in the city. I figured if I pulled up in a new Rolls maybe the owner would think I was rich and put me on. It worked. He said, you’ve got five minutes. I went on about ten o’clock, put my bag with the $35,000 on the piano, and did my act. It went great. The owner thanked me and asked me to come back again. I was so excited I listened to my act on my tape recorder on the way home, analysing every joke. When I got to the first tollbooth in Connecticut, I realised I didn’t have the bag with the $35,000 in it. I was
so excited that I’d left it on top of the piano. I quickly turned around and drove the 90 minutes back to New York City. It was one o’clock in the morning, there were about half-a-dozen people left in the club, and a female act singing Broadway tunes. I saw my bag sitting on the piano, ran around to the side of the stage and quickly grabbed it. ‘Sorry, forgot my lunch.’ I ran back to the car and decided to count the money. As I opened the bag, I thought to myself: sitting in a brand-new Rolls-Royce in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in New York City, counting out $35,000 in cash at one o’clock in the morning probably is not a great idea. I just assumed all the money was in the bag and drove on to Boston. As I think back to that incident, I realise that if that money had gone, I’d be getting out of prison right about… now. Back then I’d never considered owning a Rolls-Royce, not that I could have afforded one. It was all luxury rather than performance and handling. As my career picked up a number of secondhand Silver Shadows came on the radar, but not enough to pique my interest. Then, in the late ’80s, the Bentley Turbo R was introduced to America, billed as the fastest four-door sedan you could buy. Remember, this was when Bentley was still a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce, so it was basically a highperformance Rolls-Royce, as well as having that allimportant rev-counter. I put my order in and got one of the first in the country. I’ve been driving that car now for more than 35 years and it’s pretty much bulletproof. It still makes me smile when I put my foot down. I lost interest in Rolls when it first got bought by BMW. I didn’t pay much attention to what was happening. When the Cullinan came out, they lost me completely. A Rolls-Royce SUV – heresy! All that changed with the new Spectre. To my eyes the new electric Spectre is the most beautiful Rolls-Royce in decades. And for the first time in my life I have bought a car for comfort rather than performance. I love the fact that there’s no Sport or Track mode. I love the old-school interior, combined with modern technology. I love the fact that I’m not using petrol. I know I’m not really saving the planet, but at least I’m not making it worse. My Spectre is being built as I write this. I cannot wait for it to arrive. As I live in California it will mean no more smog tests. I’ll keep you posted.
‘SITTING IN A BRANDNEW ROLLS-ROYCE, COUNTING OUT $35,000 AT 1AM PROBABLY IS NOT A GREAT IDEA’
JAY LENO Comedian and talk show legend Jay Leno is one of the most famous entertainers in the USA. He is also a true petrolhead, with a huge collection of cars and bikes (jaylenosgarage.com). Jay was speaking with Jeremy Hart.
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IGNITION / Opinion
DEREK BELL The Legend
I
have quite the aversion to films centred around motorsport. The overwhelming majority are awful, written by people who clearly have never spoken to a racing driver, been to a race meeting or probably even driven a car – of any kind. Watch them and there is invariably a scene where a driver will adopt a steely glare and lock eyes with another driver as they speed along side-by-side. Then, inevitably, they will press the accelerator all the way down, having apparently been using only half-throttle until that point. Not only that, they will then go faster by dropping down a gear, or maybe even two. I have missed out how a hesitant driver will locate his misplaced balls by driving through fire, thus regaining the respect of his team and his love interest. All of which brings me onto crashes. There must be plenty of them, each more lurid than the last. Thank heavens for CGI. Having stayed with me thus far, I am sure you are wondering where I am going with this, but I just want to get across the point that I won’t normally rush to see a racing flick. I would sooner stare at the wall. I will admit to having been keen to watch Ferrari, however. The truth is, it isn’t as though it was set in my period, as it were, but I was there in the late 1960s when the team was still very much centred around the man with his name above the door. I cannot say I knew Enzo Ferrari well, but I did know him. I thought Adam Driver’s performance was extraordinary. The same was true of Penelope Cruz as his wife. I also knew Signora Laura. I remember having Sunday lunch with them at their summer house. I went there with Chris Amon in late 1968. If you were invited, it meant you would be driving for Il Commendatore the following year. He was oblique that way. I am sure there will be some who would pick holes in the plot, or the historical accuracy of the film, but I was frankly rather impressed by a lot of the details that would probably have flown over the heads of most viewers. I loved the fact that they worked in testing at the old circuit in Modena, which was smack bang in the centre of town with a park in the middle. I had my first test there in 1968 in an F1 car. It was pouring with rain and there were no ‘wet’ tyres. Chief designer Mauro Forghieri said to me: ‘If you crash ze
car, it’ll be the last time you’ll drive a red car… Now show us how good you are!’ There, on the outside of the longest corner on the circuit, was Enzo Ferrari in some kind of 2+2 GT. If I had gone off, I would have clouted him for sure. But I didn’t. I was hired. So many of these memories came flooding back while I was watching the film. I would like to commend Michael Mann for making it. I gather it had been a passion project for many years, and it certainly shows. Not long after watching Ferrari I was chatting with Mario Andretti, and we got to talking about Enzo himself. Mario knew him better than I did and we began comparing notes. It really was a different world back then. I have written before about how I have become a motor racing romantic in recent years, largely because I never looked back when I was competing. It was always about the next race, the next drive, the next win. That isn’t the case anymore. I am so glad that I got to experience what I did at a time when racing was still human. I don’t want to decry today’s motorsport because I remain addicted, but it is all so dreadfully corporate now. Grands Prix are played out in front of empty grandstands in countries with appalling human rights records, while the teams are owned by faceless – and usually nameless – hedge fund managers. Where’s the romance in that? Having said all that, I will admit to having put my prejudices to one side so far this year because it looks as though there might actually be a few battles in F1. I was delighted to see Oliver Bearman’s amazing performance in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he subbed for Carlos Sainz at zero notice. I broke my duck in F1 with Scuderia Ferrari at the 1968 Italian Grand Prix. I am still proud that I made my entrance with the Scuderia, and fair play to the British teenager for coming home seventh and making such a strong impression. I was thrilled for Sainz that he came back after surgery, having fallen ill with appendicitis, and won next time out in Australia. Now I imagine there must be a few people in the corridors of power at Ferrari who are wondering if it was such a good idea not to renew his contract for 2025. Going by his current form, you would rather have him driving for you than against you.
‘I’M GLAD I GOT TO EXPERIENCE WHAT I DID AT A TIME WHEN RACING WAS STILL HUMAN. IT IS ALL SO CORPORATE NOW’
DEREK BELL Derek took up racing in 1964 in a Lotus 7, won two World Sportscar Championships (1985 and 1986), the 24 Hours of Daytona three times (in 1986, ’87 and ’89), and Le Mans five times (in 1975, ’81, ’82, ’86 and ’87).
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IGNITION / Opinion
STEPHEN BAYLEY The Aesthete
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’ve met a lot of the great car designers, but I never met Marcello Gandini. Although I did very nearly meet him… in a Milan court. Gandini famously had what you might call an artistic temperament and he was apparently inclined to go to law over any commentaries that questioned his claim to autonomous creative responsibility for the ineffable Lamborghini Miura. His Times obituary even had a photograph of him standing by the car. My error had been to venture – ever so gently, I’d thought – that design history is complicated. Gandini clearly had little time for historians! Even so, his recent death is a significant one for classic car culture. We will not see his like again. Meanwhile, his outstanding rival, Giorgetto Giugiaro, is 85. Bertone and all the great carrozzerie have long gone. Pininfarina survives on commissions for yachts and whisky bottles. Cars are designed differently nowadays. ‘Who designed the Miura?’ is the ‘Where’s Wally?’ of car culture. There was little love lost between Gandini and Giugiaro: in 1963, Gandini had approached Bertone looking for work, but the equally young Giugiaro already employed there had lobbied Bertone against hiring a potential rival. When Giugiaro left Bertone for Ghia in 1965, Gandini stepped in. One of the things he found was the bare chassis of what became the Miura, a project already in development. We cannot be certain how hard he looked, but Gandini claims not to have seen any Giugiaro drawings other than early proposals for the Alfa Romeo 1750, which required – in his view – many changes. Nothing, he said, to have inspired the Miura. This is odd. Unless Giugiaro snuck out after dark with a bulging portfolio of drawings, it seems unlikely that the plan chests were otherwise empty. In fact, they were not. In 1964, Bertone was working on a mid-engined Bizzarrini GT. Giugiaro signed the drawings. When they were digitised and turned into a 3D model for his 70th birthday, the resemblance to the Miura was clear. The genius eyelashes are missing and so are the distinctive vents and louvres, but… Gandini completed what had been begun. Perhaps irritated by the presumption of the disputatious youngsters, Nuccio Bertone later said the Miura design was ‘clearly already set out’ when Gandini arrived. The great man even claimed to have had a hand
in the drawing himself. Success is often about employing the smartest people and taking credit for their work. What’s indisputable is the sensation the Miura caused when shown in 1966. Leonard Setright called it a ‘supercar’. However, this was not a new coinage: in a puppet TV series of 1960, Mike Mercury drove a VTOL ‘Supercar’ with reverse-thrust retardation, submarine capability and a repertoire of dynamics that makes a mere Lamborghini look dull. The Miura’s life was short. In 1971 at the Geneva salon, Bertone presented the Countach prototype. It did not appear on Lamborghini’s stand because the manufacturer wanted to showcase the SV-badged version of the Miura. Yet so enthusiastic was the reaction, the curvaceous Miura was soon dropped and replaced by the Countach, which established the extreme design language that remains Lamborghini’s identity. And Gandini, he da man. When asked why his gorgeous Miura was so unlike his later razoredged designs, Gandini said: ‘It was the beginning of my career so I was being prudent.’ Perhaps that was like saying ‘I was content to follow the established house style.’ It had been the same when Giugiaro inherited the traditions of Franco Scaglione, his predecessor at Bertone. History is continuous as well as complicated. As Picasso noted, great artists don’t borrow, they steal. When asked about his own involvement in the Miura’s astonishing shape, Giugiaro sounded like the confession video of a kidnap victim, saying (and I paraphrase) I really am innocent. Never mind. Let’s agree it was Bertone. The elephantine question following Gandini’s death is ‘Whither the classic?’ Are classic designs created only by maestros with titanic egos? I think we can agree on the answer without much debate. And perhaps Bertone himself was that true maestro. But what is a true classic? A classic being what the critic Sainte-Beuve described as ‘universal and permanent’. Look at the other great Italian designs of the day: Olivetti office equipment by Ettore Sottsass and Mario Bellini now appears as antique as The Ark of the Covenant. Who now remembers Mike Mercury? Are Gandini’s Lamborghini designs universal and permanent? I am not sure. Certainly we will not see their like again. We will not see a designer like Gandini again. Nor a coachbuilder like Bertone.
‘WHAT’S INDISPUTABLE IS THE SENSATION THE LAMBORGHINI MIURA CAUSED WHEN SHOWN IN 1966’
STEPHEN BAYLEY The individual for whom the term ‘design guru’ could have been coined, Bayley was the founding director of London’s Design Museum and his best-selling books include Sex, Drink and Fast Cars and Taste: the Secret Meaning of Things.
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IGNITION / Opinion
ROBERT COUCHER The Driver
‘G
’day Bruce, wanna go and show those Poms a thing or two? You seem to have been “straight up” with your racing cars, so we’ll send you back to the old country on the “Drive to Europe” mission and get Black Jack Brabham to keep an eye on you.’ Born in 1937 in far-away New Zealand, Bruce McLaren arrived in the UK in 1958 on this programme. He’d grown up in Auckland, where he learned about rebuilding cars at his parents’ service station. Clearly mechanically gifted, at the age of 15 he entered a local hillclimb at Muriwai Beach in his 1929 Austin Seven Ulster and set FTD. Handy behind the wheel too, then. On arrival in the UK, McLaren was introduced by Black Jack to the Cooper outfit. He then went out to win the US Grand Prix, the youngest winner ever at the time. He claimed three more GPs, as well as Le Mans in 1966 with Ford. Bruce founded McLaren Motor c Racing in 1963 and a year later it produced its first proper racing car, the M1. This was followed by the grunty M1B, which went on to show the Yanks a thing or two across The Pond, winning 43 victories in the Can-Am Championships, three times more than its rival Porsche. With the help of designer Robin Herd, the awesome papaya orange-coloured M6A was one of the finest-handling machines of the time and, with his Kiwi mate Denny Hulme, McLaren dominated Cam-Am in ’67, winning five of the six races. Having proved himself a top-flight constructor and driver in the Formula 1 and Can-Am series, Bruce McLaren had always wanted to build the ultimate roadgoing sports car, leaning heavily on the latest racing car engineering developments of the time. In 1969 the M6GT project started; the car looked incredible and was effective thanks to its 370bhp Chevrolet LT1 engine, racing car suspension and matching chassis set-up. McLaren used the test car on his commute to work as well as attending race meetings, but the dream to produce 250 examples died with Bruce on 2 June 1970, when his M8D Can-Am car crashed at Goodwood after the rear bodywork came adrift. He was just 32 years old. His business continued and produced one of the most significant racing cars in 1981, with the John Barnarddesigned MP4/1. It was the first carbon-composite F1 racing car, light, strong and contributing enormously to driver safety. A demonstration of this fact was provided
by John Watson crashing an MP4/1 at Monza doing 140mph. Watty walked away… For the 1988 F1 season, Alain Prost, after just five test laps, informed team principal Ron Dennis that the new MP4/4 would win the Championship. Indeed, it won 15 of the 16 races, Senna took the World Championship and McLaren took the Constructors’ by a huge margin. According to chief mechanic Neil Trundle, the MP4/4 was the perfect package: lightweight, with outstanding downforce and that jewel-like Honda V6 engine. It remains one of McLaren’s best ever cars. In 1986, Dennis had enticed Gordon Murray (also from far away – South Africa) of Brabham to join McLaren and he brought along his experience to create the MP4/4, MP4/5 and MP4/5B F1 cars that dominated the sport from 1988 to ’91. Stiff, light, fast, aerodynamic… Time for another McLaren road car. On his way home from the Italian GP in ’88, Murray sketched a sports car design and presented it to Ron Dennis. The car was to consist of carbonfibre, Kevlar, magnesium and gold. And it was to be a threeseater. Surprisingly, perfectionist Dennis gave this disruptive idea the nod and, although Murray had initially aimed for a Honda engine, the F1 received the magnificent Paul Rosche-designed BMW S70/2 V12 producing 618bhp, an incomprehensible figure in 1990. The McLaren F1 weighed in at just 1138kg with its specially designed Kenwood sound system fitted. Years ago, I had the unnerving experience of being driven flat-out around a circuit by an angered McLaren F1 test driver (another story), where proper g-force was experienced around the heavily banked curve. Later I got to drive an F1 from Saint-Émilion across to Geneva, some 450 miles of shared seat time. A superb machine, though that central seating position made conducting narrow, coned-off roadworks a challenge. The 12C, launched in 2011, has to be my choice of a McLaren to own and drive regularly. Initially saddled with that nerdy MP4-12C nomenclature and styling that can only be described as discreet, some regard it as not raucous enough. But, with 592bhp (later 616bhp), it cracks 60mph in three seconds and tops out at 200mph. Hardly ordinary, it’s one of the most usable supercars you can buy, at around the price of a Volkswagen EV appliance. Won’t remain that way for long.
‘A TOP-FLIGHT CONSTRUCTOR AND DRIVER, BRUCE M LAREN WANTED TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE ROAD CAR’
ROBERT COUCHER Robert grew up with classic cars, and has owned a Lancia Aurelia B20 GT, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta and a Porsche 356C. He currently uses his properly sorted 1955 Jaguar XK140 as his daily driver, and is a founding editor of Octane.
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IGNITION / Letters
Letter of the month
The snow must go on I was taken back in time by Glen Waddington’s short piece ‘Why we love… Driving in snow’ in Octane 250. Shortly after I passed my driving test in 1977, it snowed heavily and my dad took me to a deserted Asda car park one Sunday afternoon – shops weren’t open on Sundays in those days – to show me how to drive on snow. We drifted, skidded and slid, and I learned more about car control than ever I have since. A year later, as a young RAF pilot officer at Linton-on-Ouse, I was the proud owner of a 1973 Audi 100 in Tibet Orange. We had a fall of snow one Sunday so I ventured onto the deserted airfield with some friends to drift around. The one in the back wound down the rear window just as I did a handbrake turn, and a bow wave of snow filled the back seat. He went on to lead the Red Arrows, so I think I was the making of him! A minute later, the gearlever literally came away in my hand. Ever inventive, we inserted a screwdriver and carried on. That screwdriver did thousands of miles over the following year! Stephen Godber, Nottinghamshire
IN GLEN WADDINGTON’S excellent article on the René Bonnet Djet, Octane 250, he mentions that Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was given a Djet when he visited the Renault plant near Paris in 1965. Apparently Gagarin was well aware of what was happening in motor racing, too. Eric Dymock, in his excellent book Jim Clark: Racing Legend, tells the funny story of how, in June 1965, a small Team Lotus party consisting of Jim Clark, Colin Chapman, Mike Spence and Sally Stokes were on their way to the French Grand Prix when they accidentally met Gagarin in the little airport at
LETTER OF THE MONTH WINS A MOUNTNEY STEERING WHEEL UP TO THE VALUE OF £300 The writer of Octane’s Letter of the Month can select from a range of Mountney Classic steering wheels
Clermont-Ferrand – and the Russian turned out to be a keen follower of Jim Clark’s exploits and knew that Clark had just won the Indy 500. ‘They were enjoying the Champagne, when the astronaut realised he had just met Jim Clark. He leapt from his chair, came over, hugged and kissed Jim and Chapman, and told them he was an avid fan. He knew all about Indy and asked them to sit down and talk.’ In 1968, Yuri Gagarin crashed to his death. Strangely, it was barely ten days before Jim Clark’s fatal accident at Hockenheim. Joris V Teck, Namur, Belgium
Spanish flyer Your feature on the Djet helped to clear up a near 30-year mystery. While backpacking in Spain in 1997, I spotted this car [below] and have never known what it was. Now I do. What a great little thing, more relevant than ever on our crowded roads. Darren Geldard, Cumbria
Mountney Classic is part of the Mountney Group, which is based in Banbury and has been established nearly 50 years. It encompasses a host of brands and covers, not just modern and classic steering wheels and bosses, but also a wealth of other high-quality interior and exterior accessories, such as gearknobs, mirrors, horn pushes, fuel fillers and much more. To find out more, visit www.mountneyclassic.co.uk or call +44 (0)1295 270770.
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Djet for a real-life rocketman
Too fast for Fangio? Your superb article in Octane 250 on the Maserati 250F [above] mentioned the experimental V12 version. A few years ago I visited the Panini family Maserati museum near Modena (they also make the world’s finest Parmesan cheese!), where they have Fangio’s V12 250F. I distinctly remember being told on our tour that Fangio thought the car was too fast and not as controlled in V12 guise, which might be an added dimension to it not making an appearance in 1958. Andy James, Northants 43
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IGNITION / Letters
No monkey business Much as I enjoyed Derek Bell’s column in Octane 250, I couldn’t reconcile myself to his backhanded compliment: ‘Good grease-monkeys are worth their weight in gold.’ Having had a father who was a mechanic after he returned from being an airframe mechanic and then a B-24 pilot with Coastal Command in World War Two, I know the pride he had in working to provide for his young family. My mother once told me about his reaction the one time she called him a grease-monkey: ‘This grease-monkey is putting food on the table and a roof over our heads.’ He was right to be proud of his work and to point out that the term is insulting. Mark Kowalchuk, Ontario, Canada Valiant performer I love the great mix of articles in Octane, including the Icon and Chrono regular features. I’ve owned a series of mostly ’60s American classics here in Australia down the years, more recently a 1963 Thunderbird. I wasn’t actively looking to buy another car, but when I spotted the ad for this white ’66 Valiant Barracuda [above] I just had to go and look it over. The Barracuda has some advantages for someone who tends to drive their old machines any day of the week. It runs the same common mechanicals as our local Valiants, so most of the moving parts can still be sourced easily. Being a rare South African import, it was already right-handdrive, had disc brakes, and the virtually unbreakable 225ci slant-six motor. For just over $16,000 AUS, the car was very affordable in comparison to any equivalent US pony car, probably because of its relative obscurity. The front sheetmetal and mechanicals are the same as Australia’s 1967 Valiant sedan, but it is truly ‘party out the back’, where the rear end flows into an enormous glass-domed fastback. The rear ’screen is apparently the biggest single piece of glass ever used on a production car. The fairly short but useful boot area
is separated from the cabin by a panel secured with spring-loaded pins. With the back seat folded and the boot panel laid flat, there’s ample room to sleep fully stretched out, and the car can accommodate my 9ft surfboard without a squeeze. These cars were badged ‘Valiant Barracuda’ because the Plymouth brand didn’t exist in Australia or South Africa, and they were assembled in South Africa using a Plymouth bodyshell matched with Aussie Valiant steering and dash components. I was surprised to learn that Valiant was the top-selling car brand in South Africa from 1966 to 1968, beating Volkswagen’s popular, cheaper 1500, the only time an American car was to become a best-seller in the South African market. In 2021 my car got absolutely hammered during a hailstorm. My insurers offered a low-ball payout but I negotiated a settlement that allowed me to stump up a little extra for a gorgeous pearl-white respray. In retrospect, the hailstorm was a bit of a stroke of luck. Having had the car on the road for over ten years now, I’ve been very happy with its reliability, economy and versatility as both hauler and daily driver. Noel Forsyth, Australia
Kindness of a stranger In the early 1980s I was driving on business through the small town of Chatham in south-west Ontario, Canada, and stopped at a small garage where I could see a Duesenberg grille shining through the window in the sun. I knocked on the door and was greeted by a friendly gentleman with dirty hands and a smile on his face. When I asked if I might take a quick look at the beautiful Duesy, he welcomed me in and told me all about the car and its history. That gentleman was Rob Myers [interview, Octane 249, and pictured on left, below, in the earliest days of RM Restorations with RM’s second employee, upholsterer Paul Garant], and he helped cement in me a lifelong fascination for classic cars. As a Canadian, I have felt very proud to watch Rob and RM Restorations grow to become a world-class organisation. Thank you, Rob, for your time spent with me all those years ago. Brad Proudfoot, Ottawa, Canada
To be fair to Derek, he did begin by saying: ‘The mechanics are the real heroes in motor racing.’ MD
Plastic Porsche 904 Your cover feature on the Porsche 904 in Octane 247 was superb! The image [above] is from a February 1964 photoshoot by Ken Merker of model kit maker Monogram Engineering, gathering data for the 1:24 and 1:32 scale Porsche 904 slot cars and kerbside kits of the car. To this day, they are the most accurate replicas of an original 904 I have ever seen – there was even a Japanese toy copied from the 1:24 Monogram 904. Bob Johnson, Missouri, USA Send your letters to letters@octane-magazine.com Please include your name, address and a daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for clarity. Views expressed are not necessarily those of Octane.
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VOLCANIC ACTIV IT Y
Ben Barry was present at the McLaren 12C’s launch. 15 years on, he revisits this game-changing supercar and discovers F1 performance for rather less than £17m Photography Jordan Butters
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Mc LAREN 12C
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he first time I sat in a McLaren MP412C, it was 2009 and I was in a preview room deep inside the McLaren Technology Centre, with Ron Dennis looking back at me through the windscreen. The man who’d overseen most of McLaren’s eight drivers’ championships and 12 constructors’ titles, not to mention the McLaren F1 road car, was intently following my prompts until his finger lay exactly on the highest point of the passenger-side front wing. ‘Right a bit… STOP! That’s the centre-line of the wheel,’ announced McLaren’s executive chairman proudly, once I’d successfully directed him to the summit. ‘Optical cueing, those things against which the driver determines his timing. You can position this car precisely on a race circuit or in a car park.’ Now, 15 years on, those same peaks and the low scuttle are helping me guide a 12C (the MP4 prefix was quickly dropped) over this fast and flowing landscape with total confidence, the view like that from a low-flying F14 and the handling to match as tarmac ribbons ahead of me. I squeeze the throttle and boost from twin turbochargers hauls me out from the next 30mph zone like an undertow dragging me relentlessly out to sea, with every throttle-lift and gearshift triggering a whipcrack release of pent-up energy, every determined squeeze on the brake popping up the Airbrake rear spoiler behind me. Even the boss hadn’t driven a 12C when we spoke in 2009, deferring to his development team, but he’d covered 1000 miles in his own F1 road car the weekend before and still daily-drove a Mercedes-Benz SL65 – handy reference points for the performance and comfort he hoped would define the 12C. Today the performance Dennis promised remains explosive – 616bhp is neck-and-neck with an F1’s – and the damping is remarkably supple over this sweeping cross-country route. Everything in owner Stuart Templeton’s exceptional 13,000-mile 12C is exactly the same as I remember from McLaren’s design studio, not only the remarkable visibility, but the Volcano Orange launch colour and seats with leather bolsters and centres in honeycomb ‘technical’ fabric, too. The big difference boils down to price. On its launch in 2011, a 12C cost £168,500 before options. Now there’s no shortage of nicely spec’d low-mileage examples for £65,000 and specialist help to make bills more palatable. No mid-engined supercar provides comparable bang-per-buck (Audi R8 V10s can be had for less but are 100bhp off the pace), and only the underwhelming Alfa 4C offers carbonfibre construction for less. The 12C was that rare thing in the automotive industry: a complete clean-sheet design with literally zero carry-over components. No excuse for not getting that driving position spot-on. Former McLaren chief test driver Chris Goodwin was key to that, an experienced hand who’d first raced the F1 GTR in 1997 and was still regularly working with McLaren when Dennis asked for a meeting. ‘Ron was pretty brutal and said racing was a waste of time, that no-one cared and I needed to come and work for him!’ laughs Goodwin. ‘He said we were going to try and take on Ferrari. That was around 2000.’ The Mercedes-McLaren SLR joint project was the warm-up act and then – following a pause rather than the originally intended overlap between the two cars – McLaren’s attention turned to the 12C, with a team short on road-car experience but high on ambition and brain cells. 49
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Mc LAREN 12C
Below, right and bottom right Rear spoiler also acts as an air brake; superb driving position allows you to place the car perfectly; even getting in and out is a theatrical occasion.
Mark Vinnels was on board as product director and had worked at Lotus, but technical director Dick Glover was a former F1 man and ‘recruited a bunch of super-clever guys from uni’. Building a car from the driver outwards was all part of the blue-sky thinking. ‘A good deal of work was done in advance in terms of a concept, but the first thing I did was sit in the styling studio in a wooden box, and we worked on sightlines and A-pillar positions, thinking about where the driver should sit and what he wanted to see,’ recalls Goodwin. A carbonfibre tub was always planned for its strength, stiffness and light weight, and because McLaren had pioneered the material in Formula 1 and used it soon after on the F1 road car. But series production demanded an alternative approach to the 4000 hours consumed by the F1’s pre-preg construction, and so McLaren turned to resin transfer moulding. Now a tub could be knocked out every four hours. Called MonoCell, the new tub weighed just 80kg, which along with a mix of SMC and aluminium exterior panels contributed to the 12C’s dry weight of just 1336kg – 44kg less than Ferrari quoted for the aluminium (and less powerful, at 562bhp/398lb ft) 458. Aluminium subframes front and rear provided attachment points for the all-round double-wishbone suspension and mid-mounted engine.
Before the first tub, though, a Noble with modified suspension pick-up points and a chassis beefed up to comparable stiffness was used as an early test mule, while McLaren’s expertise in simulation also carried over from Formula 1. ‘We were using Top Gear’s Dunsfold test track, which was an awesome place for us,’ enthuses Goodwin. ‘We very quickly realised the suspension wasn’t great but McLaren was way ahead of the game with driver-in-the-loop simulators, so we made a significant change to the geometry based on simulator work – after that, entry stability and the speed you could carry into a corner was unreal.’ While a carbonfibre chassis was non-negotiable, debate dragged on over whether the engine should be naturally aspirated – the norm back then – or turbocharged. Goodwin favoured natural aspiration because the turbo Lotus GT1 car he raced never finished, while the McLaren F1 always did and its V12 was, as he astutely observes, ‘mega’. ‘Thankfully that was one of the few bits of my feedback that didn’t get listened to because we had some amazing performance out of the turbo engines,’ says Goodwin, ‘but that made it more challenging to install and to develop reliably.’ Initially fitted in an Ultima GTR engine development mule, the result was a 3.8-litre, flat-plane-crank V8 with twin turbochargers, designed
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Mc LAREN 12C
‘BUILDING A CAR FROM THE DRIVER OUTWARDS WAS ALL PART OF THE BLUE-SKY THINKING’ by Ricardo and dubbed M838T. Power was initially 592bhp, rising to 616bhp soon after as part of a package of free upgrades to remedy driveability. Torque was 443lb ft either way. Those very early cars were shunty when you backed in and out of the throttle, where Stuart’s updated car is much smoother and more progressive, the boost better finessed. But one thing his car doesn’t have is revised door buttons – a quick fix for a design that bowed to Dennis’s aversion to clutter by banishing physical handles. Often criticised for appearing anonymous in period, today the Frank Stephenson design (officially Stephenson ‘finalised’ the design, after joining McLaren in 2008) looks striking precisely because of its understated if muscular proportions, restrained detailing, and those notorious ‘handles’ activated by gliding a hand under the ledge on the doorskin – the trick is to do it with a flourish, like a magician running a hand under a levitating assistant. Then the dihedral door swings up, revealing a chunk of carbonfibre sill and – beyond – a narrow spine of a centre console that helps position two occupants closer to the centre-point of the car (even the infotainment screen is portrait oriented). It’s something of a limbo dance to climb inside, but the driving position is near-perfection, with pedals that very much invite left-foot braking, and comfortable, supportive seats that drop your backside way below your knees but could perhaps go a fraction lower (maybe this car’s electric adjustment doesn’t help in that respect). It’s far from sparse, but the vibe is function and focus in here. No drivemode buttons sully this steering wheel, a rev-counter redlined at 8500rpm dominates the dash like an all-seeing eye, while the Active Dynamics Panel on the centre console allows you to mix-and-match three flavours each of powertrain and handling modes like a fighter pilot might run through a pre-flight check. Press the starter button and the M838T is a match for the no-frills character, with a gruff growl of an idle that’s more purposeful than charming. Easy thing to mooch about in, though, with good driveability around town and the Graziano transmission proving smooth from even tentative hill starts. It’s just that, at first, nothing feels particularly direct. The brake pedal is very soft (intentional, says Goodwin, to give good modulation on track, with mushy initial response the compromise) and even gearshifts are a little soft, an impression not helped by interconnected paddles that feel a little baggy. Neither is the low-speed ride as resolved as I remember, with some bobble and the occasional hollow thunk transmitted through the carbonfibre structure. Rather, it’s the inherently spot-on driving position and delicate steering that first help me bond with the 12C, the latter being a hydraulically assisted set-up that’s calmer than a Ferrari 458’s flighty rack, and significantly more talkative. But to really click with the 12C, you must 52
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Mc LAREN 12C
Below and right Dart-like yet muscular profile has aged beautifully, perhaps thanks to its ineffable understatement; twin-turbo V8 offers devastating acceleration.
‘BEST LOOK AHEAD, NOT DOWN AT A DIAL, BECAUSE THE TURBOS ARE LIT AND THERE’S A FRENZIED RUSH’ add speed and plenty of it. Only then does the missing cohesion and drama filter through to the driving experience. And even though nothing much happens below 3000rpm, there’s response to throttle inputs and the sense of a very big handle being furiously cranked in the background, and by the mid-to-high threes your right foot is dipping into a large swell of performance. It’s a slightly ominous feeling: things are moving quickly now, and by the low fours it’s as though the road is being sucked under the plunging neckline of a windscreen and into the induction plenums. Best look ahead, not down at a dial, because the 12C’s turbos are really lit, and there’s a frenzied rush until the full 616bhp is served up at 7500bhp, with generous spare change beyond that. This is not like the scream of a V8 Ferrari, rather a deeper, darker flavour of V8, more industrial in nature if still compelling in its own way, with a reach to this vast performance that’s hard to repeatedly tap on the road. It’s at these heights, with its fusion of massive performance, response and the reward for chasing peak revs, that the M838T really elevates itself above the forced-induction norm. Even the initially dozy gearshifts snap awake, engaging near-instantaneously to land you bang in the meat of that powerband all over again.
Thankfully the chassis does a solid job of transmitting all that shove cleanly to the ground, too, and even as the single pantograph wiper arm sweeps a deluge from the McLaren’s screen, there’s far more traction than you’d credit from the 305-section rear Pirellis, and less to be feared when they do finally relinquish grip. Credit some of that to the good old-fashioned geometry and pick-up points Goodwin mentioned, but he also remembers one big handling breakthrough coming at the wheel of a Subaru – after that, Proactive Chassis Control was a no-brainer. ‘Very early on we did a tech assessment with a kinetic system [from Tenneco] that used hydraulically interlinked dampers,’ says Goodwin. ‘We tried it on a Subaru fitted with the system, and one without, and it was amazing. It provided roll control without any anti-roll bars, so it improved comfort, and the grip and performance you’d find on the way to the apex were just amazing. ‘You really needed the adaptive damping to make it feel a little more natural, though, which we got better at in the later cars, but to this day, that’s still one of the secrets of McLaren’s ride and handling success.’ Brake Steer was another breakthrough, a system that replaces the weight and cost of a limited-slip differential in the 12C with technology
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2012 McLaren 12C Engine 3799cc 32v V8, DOHC per bank, twin-turbocharged, fuel injection Power 616bhp @ 7500rpm Torque 443lb ft @ 3000-7000rpm Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion, power-assisted Suspension Front and rear: double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulically interlinked adaptive damping Brakes Discs Weight 1336kg (dry) Top speed 207mph 0-62mph 3.1sec
THE OWNERSHIP PROSPECT Stuart Templeton downloads his experiences
‘I’ve always had a passion for engineering – I remember watching my dad strip, repair and tune everything from early Astons to rally-prepping a 2.7RS Lightweight. Then a friend ordered a very early 12C from McLaren Birmingham and I was lucky to join him at the open evening. There was a complete 12C on display, but also a rolling chassis with all exposed running gear and, again, I just loved the engineering. ‘I’ve owned everything from an M3 to a TVR Chimaera, Nissan 300ZX and various hot hatches and Porsches over the years, but long had the 12C as a life goal. Then this car came up after I’d been watching 12C prices fall for months. It had been stored in a collection and was a one-owner model in the right colour with 9000 miles when I bought it, plus a carbon diffuser, carbonbacked seats, carbon interior fixtures and carbon engine bay panels. It’s also got the Stealth alloys. The previous owner must have ticked every option box! It also had a full Birmingham McLaren history, if with a few missing stamps due to storage and Covid. ‘Once I’d bought it, I drove it to Birmingham for a thorough inspection and full service, which included all the missing previous service stamps and a new water pump. It has been a little silly on prices for some maintenance items, but it has also been faultless and is such a rewarding ownership experience.’
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Mc LAREN 12C
‘LIFT-OFF THROTTLE GETS THE REAR ARCING ROUND, THE SORT OF REACTIVITY RACERS CRAVE’ McLaren pioneered in Formula 1 and which was subsequently banned for its unfair advantage. In the 12C, Brake Steer works automatically (rather than via an additional pedal) to prevent the inside wheel from spinning while pushing more torque to the outside wheel for a torquevectoring effect, helping drive the car into the turn. Early testing was not high-tech. ‘We cobbled-up a motorcycle brake lever onto the back of the Noble’s steering wheel, made it active on one of the rear calipers and went to Dunsfold to log where I could use it to best advantage, then we’d switch it to the other side and repeat,’ Goodwin explains. ‘That turned into a start point for some control software.’ Toss the 12C into a corner and it all comes together, lungeing for the apex while staying spookily flat and untroubled by mid-corner bumps. It just glides. But neither is this some humourless laser-guided weapon – even with stability control very much engaged, a quick bung of steering and lift-off throttle gets the rear arcing round just a smidge, with the rear tyres still very much working with and gripping against the surface. It’s the sort of predictable reactivity racers crave. Overall, though, contemporary testers rated the 12C a fraction behind the Ferrari 458, myself included. Good as the McLaren was, the Ferrari had more fizz, a more beguiling balance of grip and tippy-toes playfulness, and served up more entertainment than even the 12C could muster. Goodwin acknowledges mistakes were made. After working on the McLaren 720S, he moved from McLaren to work on the Aston Martin Valkyrie in 2017 and then ‘retired’, though he continues to own a race team and manages a ‘huge car world for a wealthy car guy in America’. ‘Today my perspective is totally different,’ he reflects. ‘I’m super-proud of what we achieved but we were myopic, inexperienced road-car people and having a view of who the competition were and what customers wanted was definitely not our strength at that time. Feedback from the media and customers quickly fed into the 650S, 675LT and 720S.’ Goodwin notes that managing the car collection has given him an appreciation for enjoying cars as they were in-period, but clearly that development driver is still in there, agitating for improvement. ‘The 12C was just really short on development time, so arguably the 650S was what the 12C should’ve been from the start, and then the 675LT also benefited from much more experience,’ he sums up. ‘The thing is, the 675LT is just a different flavour of a car, the hardware is the same, it’s just tuning with a more specific target in mind – spring rate, spring balance, damping, a fraction more downforce, that’s it. So my dream would actually be to take a 12C, then re-tune it. There’s a decade of all that knowledge and feel and understanding that you could fire into that.’ More power and less weight, too. Given Longtail models currently hover in the £190-260k ballpark to a 12C’s £65-95k, I suggest Goodwin could have a compelling business plan on his hands. He demurs but who knows… maybe Ron Dennis could persuade Goodwin to quit the day job all over again. End
RUNNING ONE: THE EXPERT VIEW
Thorney Motorsport is the biggest independent specialist Currently there are more than 700 McLarens on the Thorney books, making it the biggest buyer of McLaren parts outside the UK dealer network, with an annual spend of £500k. Typically Thorney deals with 12C geometry that’s easily knocked out of alignment, or wear items such as upper arms, lower arms and Z-bar links. There are, of course, horror stories, including gearbox failure related to input shaft issues. McLaren replaces the gearbox for £27k, but Thorney developed its own driveshaft seals, input seals and bearings and, says John Thorney, ‘We can now repair any gearbox around the world for £7500.’ Cam phasers are prone to wearing, especially if engines are revved hard before fluids are warmed, or run low on oil. That’s a top-end rebuild for £10k. So, yes, 12C ownership can be ruinous if things go really wrong, of course it can. But Thorney charges £125 per hour plus VAT, and servicing should average out at around £1500 annually over three years – circa £500 for a small service, £2500 for biggies. Thorney also offers warranties for £2850 annually to isolate owners from unexpected shocks, and currently covers 350 cars. Visit thorneymotorsport.co.uk.
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THE BEST JUST GOT BIGGER
E X PA N D E D C A PA C I T Y W I T H A N E W F A C I L I T Y I N B E R K S H I R E Since 2016 V Management has provided the UK’s finest secure storage for classics and supercars, and we are now expanding our capacity with a new, state of the art facility adjacent to our existing building in Berkshire, west of London and just off the M4. When you store your car with us you have access to a full range of concierge services, including transport, import/export, detailing, repairs, DVLA administration and more. And it’s not just the management of your cars we can help with. Our award-winning sister company V Events offers a calendar of 5-star tours, track days and events, and V Engineering is the UK’s leading independent McLaren service centre. We also source and sell cars on behalf of our clients, either discreetly within our global client group or on the open market.
If you would like to discuss storage or any of the services we offer, please get in touch. Ben Hadfield 01635 867705 ben@v-management.com v-management.com
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650S/650S SPIDER
X-1 P1/P1 GTR Using an enhanced MonoCage carbon structure that housed a hybrid battery, the P1 added ‘Race’, a track-only mode, to the chassis setting choices. The hybrid system assisted with power and torque fill, removing any lag from the M838TQ twin-turbo V8, the P1’s combined output being rated at 903bhp – enough to give it acceleration, if not the top speed, to eclipse McLaren’s iconic F1. With 375 road-going P1s built, McLaren added to that number with the P1 GTR in 2014. Unburdened of road legislation, the track-only P1 GTR didn’t just allow 58 further customers to experience an uncorked, 986bhp, 800kg-of-downforce P1, but to do so with a full driver training programme aping that of McLaren’s own Formula 1 drivers.
The 650S would be the 12C’s replacement, and the car that McLaren insiders admit the 12C really always should have been. Its construction, powertrain and suspension were all developments of those of the 12C, elevating its performance and poise and adding a level of visceral engagement into the mix that was previously lacking. It was launched as a coupé and open Spider simultaneously, its name highlighting its power, in PS – which is 641bhp. A new look, echoing the style of the P1, was combined with McLaren claiming improvements in every facet of the 650S, all of which blended to create a supercar with incredible breadth of ability and outrageous performance.
2014
2012
2012
McLAREN
The 12C arguably altered the supercar market forever. And that was only the start, says Kyle Fortune
EVERYTHING SINCE THE 12C
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If the 12C was an opening shot to rivals as to what McLaren Automotive could produce, the one-off X-1 that followed it was an early and incredible demonstration of the skillset of McLaren Special Operations – or MSO. The first of MSO’s bespoke commissions, the X-1 completely re-bodied a 12C in the old tradition of coachbuilt cars. Created very much to the desires of its exacting owner, this unique car was designed and built to production principles. It received a mixed reception, but those questioning the X-1 because of its acquired-tasted looks missed the point – which was that McLaren, and MSO, could make whatever you wanted.
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540C/570S/570S SPIDER 570GT 2016
The ‘LT’ in the name stands for ‘Longtail’, which harks back to the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail – a significant redevelopment of the F1 road car for racing. The 675LT aped that but for the road, being derived from the 650S but with power increased in the heavily revised twin-turbo V8 engine (now coded M838TL) to 675PS (a devilish 666bhp), weight reduced by 100kg, downforce up, and, yes, a little bit of length added – a mere 34mm. All that created an intoxicating supercar that came so close to matching the P1 hypercar’s performance. A total of 500 coupés and 500 Spiders were built, with MSO adding a further handful to that with the Carbon Series and HS for some of McLaren’s VVIP customers.
2015
2015
675LT/675LT SPIDER
Having established itself in the super- and hypercar classes, McLaren eyed greater volume at a lower price point with the 570S. The 570S used a version of McLaren’s core twin-turbo V8 engine, dubbed M838TE here, with its output being 570PS (562bhp), or 533bhp as the 540C – the latter was a mildly detuned model for some markets. Featuring its own development of the MonoCell II structure, it came with more conventional suspension that included anti-roll bars. Cheaper, perhaps, but no less rapid, with the 570S able to reach 62mph in 3.2 seconds and a 205mph top speed – the Spider trailed that, with a roof-down maximum of 196mph.
The 570GT bolstered the choice in what McLaren described as its ‘Sports Series’ model line. Simplistically it’s a 570S but with a ‘Touring Deck’ side-opening hatch, which added 220 litres of luggage capacity above the engine. Other changes would be in the details, with revised suspension, powertrain and steering settings, as well as more sound deadening to give the 570GT a more GT-like character (the option of a Sport Pack returning these back to 570S spec). The quieter, more luxuriously appointed interior was accessed via soft-close doors, this being very much a GT as McLaren interpreted it, but an excellent one.
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GT/GTS
McLaren promised the LT badge would feature on more than only the 675LT, and in 2018 it added it to the Sports Series models, creating the 600LT and 600LT Spider: just 47mm longer, but faster, more focused and lighter (by 100kg, if every lightweight option was taken). McLaren claimed some 23% of the car was different to the already fast 570S. An incredible road and track car, it offered Senna-like intensity and pace not far off it, either, for a fraction of the cost. If the 675LT forcefully introduced the LT badge, the 600LT drove the LT message home. As a final hurrah for McLaren’s Sports Series, the 620R was created: a 612bhp track-focused, road-legal model. Only 225 examples were built.
2019
Mark Gayton, McLaren Senna project manager, said: ‘If we’re going to put his name on it, it’s going to have to live up to the expectations.’ The expectation was that the Senna would be the ultimate track car that’s road legal. And that’s what McLaren delivered. Shaped by radical aerodynamics that produced 800+kg of downforce, the Senna was built around a stronger, lighter Monocage III, with its M840TR twin-turbo V8 producing 789bhp and riding on RaceActive Chassis Control II suspension. Just 500 were built, MSO personalising most of them, though a few specials, the Can Am, and LMs added to that, as well as the subsequent track-only Senna GTR.
2018
2018
2017
SENNA/SENNA GTR
Just three years after the 650S, McLaren replaced it with the 720S in the Super Series category. The 720S followed McLaren’s familiar specification, with a carbonfibre core (here called Monocage II) and a twin-turbo V8 powering it. The M840T grew in capacity to 4.0 litres, delivering 720PS (710bhp). A 212mph car that could reach 62mph in 2.9sec, the 720S offered staggering performance, achieved with McLaren’s incredible ride quality and all-round vision like that from a jet-fighter’s cockpit. Form followed function with the car exploiting the air around, over and through it. The Spider followed a year later, with a folding roof that opened in 11 seconds, and could surpass 200mph top-down.
600LT/600LT SPIDER/620R
720S/720S SPIDER
Mc LAREN: WHAT CAME NEXT
A car that re-defines the rules of Grand Touring, suggested McLaren at the launch, but it did so within the technical constraints of the parts that McLaren had at its disposal. A 2+2 was considered but ruled out on costs, so McLaren’s GT would be a two-seater, with a M840TE twin-turbo V8 producing 612bhp mounted behind the MonoCell II-T – ‘T’ for Touring. A supercar masquerading as a GT, then, and its press reception was mixed, but its greater comfort and practicality – thanks to the hatchback above the engine – made it so successful that it remains in production today and has recently been offered in upgraded GTS guise.
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ELVA The Sabre is a little-known MSO project that saw the company build 15 (and one other) for US customers, though three were said to have been sold in other markets. It used the Senna as a basis, with the M840TR engine producing 824bhp, which, without the extreme downforce of the Senna, allowed the Sabre a 218mph top speed. These super-exclusive cars were all personally specified, with owners even involved in the testing. Its design was said to be influenced by the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo virtual car that the company created for gamers.
2020
2020
2020
SABRE
SPEEDTAIL
Hinted at back when McLaren launched the Senna, project BP23 would be the world’s first ‘Hyper-GT’. The Speedtail, as BP23 became, broke cover in 2020, resurrecting the centralised driver, three-seat layout that defined the F1 – this Ultimate Series car was built in the same 106-off production run as McLaren’s icon. A car that can exceed the 241mph top speed of the F1, the Speedtail repeatedly did exactly that at a NASA runway as part of its testing process. It was shaped to cheat the air and pushed through it by an electrically assisted M840TQ twin-turbo V8 with 1036bhp. An instant legend.
Having covered a hypercar all-rounder with the P1, road/track with the Senna, and V-max with the Speedtail, the Elva added the experiential into the mix, being completely open to the elements. Powered by the 4.0-litre twin-turbo of the Senna with 804bhp, the Elva is light, at just 1269kg, making for explosive performance. McLaren planned a run of 399 cars, before dropping that to 249 and finally settling on 149, a number of which needed a windscreen fitting so they could be sold in some US states.
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Apparently not content with its first interpretation of the Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo with the Sabre, McLaren took another shot at it with the Solus GT. A track-only V10powered, sequential-gearbox, single-seater built in a series of just 25 examples, this radical car is assembled around a bespoke carbonfibre structure and weighs less than 1000kg. The V10 revs beyond 10,000rpm and produces 828bhp, but the biggest forces acting on the driver will almost certainly be the g-forces enabled by claimed downforce in excess of 1200kg.
ARTURA/ARTURA SPIDER
750S/750S SPIDER
SOLUS GT Both the 765LT and 765LT Spider (which arrived in 2021) would be built in runs of 765, virtually all of which would be personalised for their owners at MSO. Power, as the name suggests, is 765PS (755bhp), which along with the LT’s other enhancements, lighter weight (around 80kg less), greater focus from the PCC II suspension and enhanced aerodynamics, added precision and even more speed to the already ridiculously precise and fast 720S. The LT is a wellproven formula, but no less impressive because of it.
Until the Artura, McLaren had managed to spin all its models off what is essentially the same box of bits. The Artura/Artura Spider debuted an entirely new powertrain: a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with plug-in electric hybrid assistance. The M630 engine combination produces a total output of 671bhp, that enables 0-62mph in 3.0sec and a 205mph top speed. It isn’t, says McLaren, a 570S replacement, instead the Artura offering an alternative product in the same sphere as the 720S. It gained a new ‘MCLA’ McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture, as well as new electronic architecture, which allows the McLaren to claim advanced driver assistance technology on its newest model.
It’s improbable that you’d get out of a 720S and want more, but the 750S gives exactly that. More downforce and more power – you’ve guessed it, 750PS (740bhp). That is enough to enable the 750S to reach 62mph in 2.9 seconds and, even more incredibly, 186mph in just 19.8 seconds – both those times quicker than the McLaren F1 could manage. Sure, it’ll not go on to the F1’s top speed, but 206mph is enough for most people. What’s next only McLaren knows for sure, but when this car is replaced, and more hypercar models are offered above it, it’s certain that they’ll be special, and very, very fast. Just as every McLaren to date has been. End
2023 2023
2022
2020
765LT/LT SPIDER
Mc LAREN: WHAT CAME NEXT
Kyle Fortune is the author of ‘McLaren, the Road Cars 2010-2024’ (ISBN 978 0 764367 31 1), which was Book of the Month in Octane 251.
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For...
Concours events When it’s finally time to sell The appreciation of owning
THE ANALOGUE HYPERCAR BOOM
MAR KET BUSTE R S
MODERN HYPERCARS
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Analogue hypercars peaked two decades ago – and have become unusually valuable today. Octane’s markets editor Matthew Hayward finds out why
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DESMOND CHAN COURTESY OF RM SOTHEBY’S
THE ANALOGUE HYPERCAR BOOM
FERRARI ENZO
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wo decades is a long time in the automotive world. Long enough that some of the greatest supercars built during that period – Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT, Ford GT and slightly more recent Lexus LFA – now differ greatly in appeal from their current equivalents. As a result, all have seen a significant rise in values over the past five years. So, what has been driving this sector? After decades buying, selling, owning and driving supercars, California-based collector car specialist and ex-racer Bruce Canepa has some thoughts: ‘A big part of these cars’ popularity is the younger demographic buying them. It was a huge change during and after Covid, when some of the older guys stopped looking at older cars, and everything moved forward at speed – especially in terms of what is considered old.’ Peter Haynes, director of PR and marketing for RM Sotheby’s UK and European arm, thinks similarly: ‘The growing demand for rare
21st Century machinery isn’t too hard to fathom when one considers the growing wealth among a younger demographic and the fact that – even for a 50-year-old – these are the cars that sparked desire during the formative years when it was less likely that the ready cash was available to make the dream come true. Pre1980s exotica (never mind pre-’70s!) doesn’t resonate the same way for many collectors.’ While younger buyers entering the market are a factor, it’s worth noting that, at its core, this generation of cars bridges the gap between the pure-analogue supercars of the ’80s/’90s and the far more digitally enhanced hypercars of today. Canepa continues: ‘There’s been a huge interest in the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, but then cars like the Enzo, Carrera GT and Ford GT all feel pretty analogue.’ The Enzo was the pinnacle of Ferrari’s hightech road cars in 2002, yet it is a far simpler driving experience than the ten-years-newer LaFerrari, being unencumbered by batteries and hybrid drive systems. With only 498 built,
and wearing the all-important Ferrari badge, a rise in value was always inevitable, but average prices have almost doubled since 2014, with the best now commanding above $4million. Max Girardo, founder of Girardo & Co, witnessed it first-hand and has his own thoughts on the subject. ‘Yes, the obvious market shift towards limited-edition modernera supercars is indicative of a new, younger generation of buyers and an evolving list of criteria. But, beyond that, I think the Enzo is particularly special. It’s Maranello’s final nonhybrid V12 “halo” supercar and marks a point in the Prancing Horse’s fabled story when digital overtook analogue for the first time.’ Yet, like so many things, the insular Ferrari market included, the power of nostalgia is still perhaps one of the most powerful drivers, as Girardo enthuses: ‘For me, it embodies Ferrari at the peak of its powers – Schumacher, Brawn, Todt, Byrne ruling Formula 1 with a level of domination not seen since the Senna/McLaren years. Silly red wigs and the German and Italian
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THE COMMENTATORS Our authorities are major players from the worlds of racing, supercar sales, brokerage, live auctions and online trading – so we tapped their expert insider knowledge
BRUCE CANEPA
MAX GIRARDO
ED CALLOW
PETER HAYNES
PORSCHE CARRERA GT
national anthems. The good ol’ days. Find a low-mileage car with full Ferrari service history, in a colour that’s not red and with all its factory trinkets. I think the best cars will maintain the edge over the LaFerrari.’ The point about colour is interesting: this is not a trivial matter in the world of supercars. For all of these cars, colour and spec can in some cases mean a difference of at least 20%, potentially a lot more, and an unusual colour brings kudos to your collection. The majority of Enzos are Rosso Corsa, so when a differentcolour car comes up for sale (such as the oneand-only white car offered by RM Sotheby’s) there is significant competition among buyers. Canepa explains: ‘I’ve always been a colour guy, but now people are really more in tune to picking colours than they were ten years ago, and it makes a big difference. In the Porsche world, if you get a Paint to Sample car, it’s a whole different value point than a regular colour. We’ve just sold two Carrera GTs, a yellow and a red one, and, compared to the
standard silver, they tend to bring a significantly larger increment in price.’ Low production volumes also drive competition and therefore higher prices. Peter Haynes puts it well: ‘The terms “modern”, “fast” and “exotic” can be applied to a very wide range of cars, many of which have been produced in healthy numbers and aren’t difficult to acquire. So, people are looking at machinery that has that little extra something – the details that make it that bit more exotic and special than the competition.’ Beyond all the stats and logic, the supercar market is often driven by human emotion. People make heart-over-head choices thanks to one particularly impressive aspect of the car. Haynes explains that a very special engine can make all the difference: ‘Two perfect examples are the Porsche Carrera GT and the Lexus LFA. Two very different beasts but united by one common factor: a spectacular engine. It took a long time for the Carrera GT to gain the traction it deserves, and prices have rocketed.
$700,000 would have bought a good one four years ago, but today you can put an additional $1million on that number. Why? Well, that spectacular V10 engine with Formula 1 and Le Mans DNA has an awful lot to do with it.’ The Lexus LFA is an interesting case, praised by journalists when new, misunderstood by buyers. The Lexus and Toyota brand had a great reputation for building reliable saloon cars, but the company’s first (and last) supercar was always going to be a difficult sell. In the US, at least, many ended up sitting in dealership showrooms. Now, more than ten years later, low production numbers and one of the best engines ever fitted to a road car have won collectors over, and prices have shot up. Five years ago an LFA would have sold for around $400,000 in the USA, and today the same car (especially in a colour other than white) is nudging $1million. The Rare Nürburgring Package cars are upwards of $1.8m for the best. Bruce Canepa has seen the story unfold from the beginning, and was even included on a 67
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L E X U S L FA focus group ahead of the car’s launch. ‘The design has grown on me, but I was critical of it when it came out. The brand had no kind of sports car appeal at all. It was a luxury brand with zero racing legacy. They hadn’t earned their stripes to be in the supercar highperformance business at that point.’ Early on, potential buyers were concerned by this lack of brand history and provenance. When buying a Ferrari or Porsche, you are reassured by the decades of historical info and a back-catalogue of supercars. Lexus simply had nothing of the sort, so the LFA was a bit of a slow-burn, but as the only true supercar to emerge from Japan it has become a firm favourite for collectors, especially in the US. Haynes is a particular fan, and also explains why its popularity has flourished: ‘Lexus, the brand of upwardly mobile executives, managed to pull something special out of the bag back in 2010, and it too put its energy into the engine bay. That’s what collectors are paying the big bucks for. Another spectacularly engineered V10 is at its heart and it sounds like nothing else. That is precisely what makes this car special. It’s a Grand Seiko with a Patek complication under the bonnet and people want to own them – but only 500 people can, so that’s what drives the market.’ So where does that leave the Ford GT? Ford built just over 4000 GTs from 2004 to 2006, and it was a relatively inexpensive car in this esteemed company. Just like the others, though, it has witnessed an incredible rise in prices over the last decade. Around ten years ago, the very best, delivery-mileage Ford GTs were selling for around $250,000 at auction. Again, colour is a big factor in this market, and the Gulfcoloured Heritage editions were $100k more. It remains a firm favourite of Canepa: ‘You know, the original GT40 is one of the most beautiful cars in the world, and they did a pretty spectacular job of making a larger, practical road version of that in 2005. I think it’s timeless and people will always like them. We sell every one we’ve ever bought, and it’s
actually great value as a modern-era supercar, at basically a quarter of the price of all these other cars. A really good 1000-mile car in the right colour is now around $500,000. That seems to be the number.’ ‘Sure, you still see lots with no mileage, but you also see lots that have been driven. It’s even pretty easy to maintain, there isn’t anything complicated about that car, which is a big part of the appeal. Other than a Heritage car, the most popular colours are navy blue, black, or tungsten grey, way more popular than white or red or yellow.’ Changing buying habits during the Covid pandemic and more trust in online auction platforms have seen a considerable number of these cars sold in a way that would not have been possible in the past. The Ford GT is a great example of a car that really started to gain a huge amount of traction on Bring-a-Trailer in the USA, helping to drive owners of this breed of car to consider buying or selling online. Ed Callow is head of business intelligence for the global Collecting Cars auction platform, and says: ‘Without a doubt, over the last four
or five years there has been a huge shift in the buying behaviour of collectors to embrace the offerings of online platforms. When it comes to a specific listing, bidders are assessing how much they trust the car itself. It’s no surprise that modern supercars do well online – we’ve sold seven Porsche Carrera GTs and ten Ford GTs to date – because sufficient images and documentation can be enough for the buyer to become very confident about their condition. These cars don’t rust like a 1970s GT can, and often the entire service history can be traced via the main dealer network.’ That’s not to say these cars can’t and won’t have issues – especially if you don’t drive them regularly – but as long as all the signposts are there with regards to history, mileage and maintenance, there is considerably less risk of buying a bad car. And although low mileage can significantly increase value, Canepa has one final thought on the subject. ‘I tell customers that, whatever car it is, doesn’t matter if it’s a late-’50s Porsche or an Enzo, these cars really need to be driven. Cars that are just parked and never used and sit for extended periods of time all have problems. You can take that car, park and not drive it and know you’re going to spend quite a bit to get it fully operational. Or you can drive it a number of miles, add up the repair costs over time to service and maintain and it’s probably the same amount of money. I’d rather drive it.’ Each of these four cars represents a very special moment in the history of automotive evolution, with attributes that have made them particularly sought-after today. To predict whether or not prices will remain quite so high over the next decade or two would require a crystal ball, but they each offer something unique and very entertaining for anyone lucky enough to own one. As Bruce says: ‘Just make sure you drive it!’ End
FORD GT
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Photo by James Lipman
TURRINO WHEELS LTD
7.5x16 alloy rims
Eagle Speedster
info@turrinowheels.com
+44 (0)1780 470460
www.turrinowheels.com 69
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WHITE CHARGER This most Germanic of motor cars has a particularly British back story, as Mark Dixon finds out Photography Richard Pearce
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hen I was a youngster, I devoured the Jennings series of children’s books, about an enthusiastic but trouble-prone schoolboy called Jennings and his gawky, geeky sidekick Darbishire. Set at a boarding prep-school in a cosy ‘lost England’ world that was intensely nostalgic, the first book appeared in 1950 and the last one, amazingly, came out in 1994. In one of the books, Jennings writes to various motor manufacturers in the hope they’ll send him some car brochures, carefully omitting his age so that they’ll assume he’s a potential customer. Unfortunately, one of the companies – I’ve always liked to think it might have been Alvis – takes the initiative and despatches a sales rep with a demonstrator to ‘Linbury Court’, the name of the school. With hilarious results. Truth is often stranger than fiction, and Bill Boddy, the legendary editor of Motor Sport, recalled in 1975 how at age 14 he had a letter about supercharging published in a car magazine. It was, he admitted, very presumptuous, but it resulted in Lagonda and British MercedesBenz Ltd both inviting him for test drives. Of course, neither company realised his age, which hadn’t been printed in the magazine… Full credit to them: neither Lagonda nor British Mercedes were fazed by the youthfulness of their would-be test driver when he turned up as arranged, and both treated him to high-speed passenger rides. He visited Mercedes first, and was taken out in a 36/220 S-Type exactly like the car pictured here. ‘Our objective was the Barnet bypass, along which these great cars were regularly tested and demonstrated. Here the blower was made to emit its shrill howl, the speed increased, the wintry wind tore round the windscreen and, eyes glued to the speedometer, I saw it register 99mph, before the driver lifted off,’ he remembered. ‘I returned home, a Mercedes convert for life!’ He was far from the only Brit to be seduced by the magnificence of German engineering during the 1920s, not long after the end of World War One. About the time that Boddy was having his joyride in the
Left, below and opposite Handsome Mercedes was originally built with long front wings, believed replaced in the 1940s. Other modifications followed.
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36/220, Sir Cecil Harcourt-Smith, a British envoy to Cairo, ordered a very similar Mercedes-Benz S-Type Four Seater Tourer from the Sindelfingen factory. Chassis 35985 fitted with engine 72191 was delivered to British Mercedes Ltd London on 19 December 1928. Quite the Christmas present. Mercedes already had more than a decade of experience with supercharging engines, experience ironically gained from a need to make German WW1 fighter aircraft fly higher to avoid flak from the ground. Forcing more fuel/air mixture into the engine restored the power lost by the thinner air present at high altitudes, and parent company Daimler’s engineers realised that it would also increase power output in a car engine at ground-level. So, from 1919, Daimler/Mercedes experimented with a whole range of supercharged cars, both for road use and for competition. Unfortunately, the cost of manufacture at a time when customers’ belts were tight meant that the smaller cars were never a great success. But there was a niche market for bigger, more luxurious supercharged Mercedes, and the lofty 630 model that preceded the S-Type proved successful in competition, despite having a relatively high chassis that compromised its handling. Heart of these super-Mercs was an engine designed by Mercedes’ chief engineer, Ferdinand Porsche – yes, that Porsche. He’d come on board
mid-1923 and overseen design of a masterful new straight-six, with overhead camshaft, block made of Elektron and crankcase of aluminium – both to save weight – and a Roots-type supercharger that could be engaged by shoving the accelerator pedal down hard. The forerunner of what would become the S-Type was the 24/100/140 model of 1924, the three figures signifying fiscal horsepower rating, actual horsepower without blower engaged, and the supercharged horsepower. That’s a pretty stark indication of the difference that the supercharger made. When Daimler merged with Benz in 1926, the 24/100/140 was renamed the 630 (or 630K if it was a short-chassis Kurz version). More significantly, however, the merger meant that Porsche found he had a rival in Benz’s own chief engineer, Hans Nibel. Following a clash with Mercedes-Benz’s managing director, Porsche would leave the company in 1929, to be replaced by Nibel. He’d made his mark, however. Realising that he had a great engine in search of a chassis, Porsche had instigated the creation of the S-Type. It featured a new, dropped chassis with the engine mounted lower and further back, and the rear springs suspended under the rear axle. The engine itself, which had been constantly evolved over the preceding years, was now of 6.8 litres capacity, had twin rather than single carburettors, a dual ignition system and many other refinements. A pair 73
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‘Realising that he had a great engine in search of a chassis, Porsche had instigated the creation of the S-Type’
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of the first racing versions of this car, then known as the 680S, debuted at the Nürburgring on 19 June 1927. Not surprisingly, Mercedes scored a 1-2 finish with them in the hands of Caracciola and Rosenberger, respectively. An older 630K, driven by privateer Von Mosch, was third. The production version of the 680S was dubbed the 36/220, or S-Type, and was exhibited at the London motor show at Olympia with, according to Bill Boddy, a retail price of £2300 for a chassis bodied as an open tourer. A house in Greater London could have been bought in the low hundreds at the time. By 1934, Harcourt-Smith’s S-Type had passed to a Cambridge student – yes, really – who campaigned it in stripped-down form at that year’s Inter-Varsity Trials. John Fitzroy, the ninth Duke of Grafton, was just 20 at the time and tragically he would die two years later, racing his Bugatti in the Limerick Grand Prix. The next recorded owner was another keen amateur racer, Robert Arbuthnot, who bought it in 1939 and sold it in 1946 to Edward L Mayer, a collector who was so fanatical about Mercedes that he owned around 100 examples during his lifetime. Sadly, the car lost its original wings in this period – it had been built with Mercedes’ usual very long, straight, sloping front wings – and was re-equipped with the cycle wings it still wears. It was one of Mayer’s favourites, and he kept it until 1960 when advancing age led him to sell it to another pioneering collector, Peter Hampton, founder of the well-known estate agents Hamptons.
Above Central gearchange was moved to right so that previous owner Peter Hampton, whose left arm was injured on D-Day 1944, could operate it.
Peter Hampton gave the 36/220 a comprehensive refresh that included a colour change from black to its current white, and some repanelling of the driver’s side bodywork aft of the bonnet. Originally, the Mercedes had a door here – it’s still with the car – but Hampton had this aperture filled in, probably because he also had the handbrake relocated to the outside and the central gearchange moved to the right of the driver’s seat. Both alterations were necessitated by war wounds he’d sustained to his left hand during the D-Day landings at Normandy in 1944. It’s claimed that, early in Hampton’s ownership, his newly acquired Mercedes was immortalised by Matchbox Toys for its Models of Yesteryear series, and certainly it did release a 36/220 model in white with black seats in 1963, albeit with original-style long front wings. Including the S-Type in this most British range of toys introduced it to a whole new generation of car enthusiasts – how many Octane readers have one tucked away on a shelf or desktop? This car’s most recent custodian has been the late Tom Scott, who bought it from a Brooks auction after the death of Peter Hampton in 1991. It formed part of a collection of Mercedes that is now, in turn, going 75
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Above Supercharged 6.8-litre straight-six is, of course, beautifully engineered – and this car features a rare performance-enhancing 18-fin ‘Elephant’ blower.
to be offered for sale by Bonhams at the Festival of Speed, following Scott’s own passing. It’s the very car that, in 1975 while still owned by Hampton, Bill Boddy finally got to drive nearly half a century after his first thrilling acquaintance with a 36/220. And now it’s Octane’s turn. Having had little use in recent years, the 36/220 was recommissioned by the world-renowned Jim Stokes Workshops, but it’s still in lovely, slightly patinated condition, showing just the right amount of wear to its upholstery. Everything about it, from the sinuous side-exhaust pipes to the sarcophagus-shaped bonnet and scuttle, to the saucer-sized fuel filler and radiator caps – two hands required to wrangle either of them – is larger than life, not to mention its estimated value of £1.6-2.2million. And, oh joy, it has a centre throttle pedal. Having owned a centre-throttle Model A Ford for a few years – estimated value, one-hundredth that of the Mercedes – that’s not such a concern for me. More so is that, for such a long car, there’s not an abundance of room underneath that remarkably thick-rimmed steering wheel. But, once the driver has dragged their legs over the gearbox cover, it’s a comfortable-enough place to be, even for a six-footer. It’s also a commanding one, as you sight along the Mercedes’ prow like the captain of a destroyer. A very full set of dials is scattered across the dash, dominated by a huge rev-counter that reads up to a modest 4000rpm. In contrast to all the Teutonic solidity, the ignition key is a tiny two-pronged affair that would easily disappear among the small change in your pocket. Check that the throttle and ignition levers on the steering wheel are both at the top of their arcs for starting – for the latter, a dramatic red
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‘Acceleration is just as vigorous as you’d expect, like a glider being pulled into the air by its launch cable’
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lightning bolt is engraved on the boss – clutch down, and press a tiny chromed button. The massive straight-six, already warm from a previous start, catches instantly, grumbling away to itself contentedly, and it’s a surprise to find how eagerly it revs when you blip the throttle. Next surprise – the steering isn’t heavy, even when manoeuvring out of a car park; as soon as you’re moving it proves beautifully fluid. A spell of low-speed growling down a country lane in first gear, following the camera car, and then it’s out onto a main road, thankfully quiet in this peaceful rural location. The gearchange is clearly sticky and heavy from lack of use, since Bill Boddy, writing in 1975, said it is ‘very light indeed’, and you can’t feel an obvious neutral position through the lever but, amazingly, it’s not difficult to master; certainly easier than a contemporary Bentley’s. As Boddy noted, there’s a tiny movement across the gate and a very long one toand-fro. The gate-pattern is very vintage, too, a mirror image of the usual one and also flipped top to bottom, so first is away and down from you, fourth is towards you and up. Acceleration is just as vigorous as you’d expect, like a glider being pulled into the air by its launch cable, and the gearing is tall (maybe this car has the high final drive, good for a top speed of 110mph?); it’s hard to get beyond third gear at the kind of modest speeds used for car photography. I’d love to be able to tell you how, once the pictures were done, I pressed pedal to the metal and heard the legendary siren scream
of the supercharger in full battle-cry but, since it has been completely untested after years of the car being laid-up on blocks, I wasn’t keen to bankrupt Octane with the bill for a full rebuild. Over to the April 1928 issue of Motor Sport, then, which was able to test one of the S-Type development cars both at Brooklands and on the road. Besides achieving 110mph on Brooklands’ Railway Straight with four people on board, ‘the great car oozed through the densest tangle with a gentle persistence delightful to experience… it proved possible to trickle along on top gear without a sign of jerk or snatch. Given the chance of a gap in the traffic… the car accelerated in a most satisfying manner, the upholstery simply hitting one in the back’. While the Mercedes SS and SSK sports cars that were derived from the S-Type were even faster, this ‘S’, with its longer, lower, leaner body, has more of a greyhound aesthetic; and those in the know reckon that – just as a Bentley 3 Litre is a nicer steer than a 4.5 Litre – the S-Type is more pleasant to live with. Even a short test drive is enough to reveal this amazing car’s potential: it’s crying out to be used, and driven harder and faster than it has been for the past few decades. Just don’t try hitting the ton along the Barnet bypass. End THANKS TO Bonhams, which is offering the car for sale at its Goodwood Festival of Speed auction on 12 July, cars.bonhams.com; Jim Stokes Workshops, jswl.co.uk; and Hampshire/West Susssex storage facility classiccarstorage.co.uk.
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mercedes-benz-club.co.uk/signup/MKT004
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WORKS ALPINE A110
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RALLYE LES BLEUS Few cars are as rewardingly intimate to drive as an Alpine A110, or as successful in rallying. Richard Heseltine gets to grips with the marque’s own recce car on a Portuguese stage Photography Luis Duarte
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WORKS ALPINE A110
D
ullness and predictability are underrated virtues. This is brought into sharp relief as we head onto a former stage of the World Rally Championship, the one dubbed Lagoa Azul. It sounds lovely, even translated to the more pedestrian Blue Lagoon, and it’s fair to say that there are worse places to be than the Portuguese Riviera. We are armed with the right weapon for the job, too: an ex-works Alpine A110 1600S. It’s just that you don’t so much drive an Alpeen as wear one. What’s more, the chimp behind the wheel, the one with the narrow operating window and tan-repelling skin, doesn’t really ‘do’ heat. It must be ten thousand degrees inside here. Oh, and the smell of unburned hydrocarbons is beginning to have an effect. So much so, the photo shoot is temporarily abandoned, the wheelman earning the
nickname ‘The Sprinter’ on account of the speed with which he alights from the car before communing with nature – though not quite far enough away to escape the sound of laughter. Why, oh why, couldn’t we have done the shoot on, say, an industrial estate in the north of England in winter? While none of this preamble seems strictly relevant, it serves to illustrate that real rally drivers are a hardy bunch, and this car was used as much for long-distance recces as actual competition in period. Days on end in close proximity with your co-driver, and wearing helmets, must have been purgatorial, but the thing about A110s is this: when they are not chucking out petrol, or trying to cremate you, they make your soul quiver. It’s the same every time you drive one: you curse the seating position, the close proximity of well, everything, and the general lack of refinement, but then something clicks and you are left spellbound. Get together with a bunch of owners and they all wear the glazed expressions of cult members. They have the inside line, know what a real sports car is like, and there isn’t anything comparable. Just don’t call the A110 a Renault, or a Renault-Alpine for that matter. Do so and you will be on the receiving end
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of a verbal carpet-bombing. For the better part of its existence, Alpine was an autonomous marque with close links to a mainstream giant, in much the same away as Abarth was to Fiat. It, too, was the brainchild of an individual, the sort of talismanic presence who turned his passion into a business that inspired a fiercely loyal retinue. In many ways, Jean Rédélé made cars in his own image, albeit as much by happenstance as planning. Like Abarth, the firm was rooted in go-quicker bits for proprietary fodder. Born in May 1922, the future motor mogul earned an engineering degree before returning to Dieppe and the family Renault dealership. However, a lack of cars to sell in the immediate post-war years meant that Rédélé and his father were reduced to fixing farm machinery in order to survive. Bit by bit, the business recovered to the point that he set about preparing a tweaked Renault 4CV, complete with self-manufactured five-speed gearbox conceived by André Georges-Claude. Results were such that Rédélé earned plaudits on the international stage, culminating with category honours on the Tour de France
and Liège-Rome-Liège in 1952, and 750cc class wins on the Mille Miglia from 1952 to ’54. Rédélé soon had a tidy sideline knocking out tuning equipment, which in turn led to him becoming a car manufacturer. Société des Automobiles Alpine’s first product appeared in July 1955, the A106 coupé being based on a 4CV platform – naturellement – with an outline penned by Giovanni Michelotti. The A108 appeared two years running at the Paris motor show, complete with a backbone chassis that would become a marque constant. Then came the A110. Launched in late 1962, and entering production the following year, it remained on the assembly lines until July 1977. There was no starry-eyed futurism here; no Colin Chapman-esque desire to break moulds and push envelopes. Rédélé was a pragmatist who was aware of the bottom line, not least where it was located. As such, he persisted in building the same basic car for ages and developing it from the inside out. His approach worked because the product was spot-on to begin with. Derived in part from the A108, it similarly featured a glassfibre
Above and opposite Tail conceals 1.6-litre Renault four-cylinder, which punches beyond its weight; diminutive and nimble Alpine excels in corners.
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WORKS ALPINE A110
1972 Alpine A110 1600S Engine 1606cc rear-mounted OHV four-cylinder, two twin-venturi Weber 45 carburettors Power 123bhp @ 6000rpm Torque 106lb ft @ 5000rpm Transmission Five-speed manual transaxle, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion Suspension Front: unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: swing axles, coil springs, telescopic dampers Brakes Discs Weight 650kg Top speed 127mph
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‘YOU CURSE THE SEATING POSITION AND THE LACK OF REFINEMENT, BUT THEN SOMETHING CLICKS AND YOU ARE LEFT SPELLBOUND’
body comprising upper and lower pieces bonded and riveted to the backbone frame. The bodies were never symmetrical, mind, because each shell was laid-up by hand and inevitably differed slightly from the next. Running gear was borrowed from the newly introduced Renault 8, with unequal-length wishbones and an antiroll bar at the front, swing axles at the rear and coil springs all round. Also lifted from La Régie’s three-box saloon was the four-wheel disc brake set-up and rack-and-pinion steering. In its original guise, the A110 Tour de France Berlinette employed Renault’s latest five-bearing 956cc engine mated to the R8’s four-speed ’box, followed nearinstantaneously by the 1108cc ‘Major’ unit. Umpteen engine options followed thereafter, mirroring Renault’s own development programme, R12 and R16 fours being slung behind the rear axle over time. Renault began supplying Lotus with engines for Chapman’s ‘Car for Europe’ in 1967, the Europa featuring a 1470cc unit. This would probably have rankled Rédélé were it not for the deal that he signed with Renault that same year, whereby it would sell Alpines via its sprawling dealer network. And so Renault’s diamond-shaped badge appeared on the A110’s nose, and bit by bit the automotive giant increased its support, helping to finance Alpine’s competition activities while basking in the reflective
glow of success. Wins were routinely trumpeted in splashy ads, with the Renault badge being entirely disproportionate to that of Alpine. Given that the A110 won more often than not, Renault got a lot out of the relationship. The great all-rounder, Jean-Claude Andruet, claimed the 1970 European Rally Championship as a works driver, the marque following through with a 1-2-3 finish on the following season’s Monte Carlo classic headed by Ove Andersson and David Stone. Alpine repeated the feat two years later, with Andruet and co-driver Michèle Espinosi-Petit (known as ‘Biche’) coming out on top in the opening round of the new World Rally Championship. Dieppe’s finest bested the might of Porsche and Lancia to take the 1973 manufacturer spoils, the same year that Renault acquired a 55% stake in the marque. On the home front, it was a foregone conclusion that an A110 would win the French title, with Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Bernard Darniche and Jean-Luc Thérier claiming drivers’ titles from 1971 to ’73 respectively. ‘Our’ car is a works weapon that was, in effect, a Group 4-spec test mule, and one that was used extensively for testing and reconnoitre purposes, not to mention ice racing. Its competition career included victories for Darniche on the Ronde de Serre Chevelier and the Ronde de Hivernale de Chamonix in 1973.
Above and opposite Characterful instrument panel dominates no-frills interior; big on attitude yet small in stature, A110’s shape and style lives on in current generation.
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WORKS ALPINE A110
‘IT IS BEREFT OF EVEN THE MOST BASIC AMENITIES, A COMPETITION TOOL. IT’S ANTI-SOCIAL, AND GLORIOUS WITH IT’
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Photographs don’t really lend a sense of scale: the A110 is minuscule. Its styling was evolved from Michelotti’s A108 by Philippe Charles under the leadership of Roger Prieur, and is purposeful but pretty, the reverse swage line down the rounded flanks and chrome strakes below the rear scoops (the nearside one funnels cool air to the carbs, the offside feeds the oil cooler) offering decorative flourishes. Then there are the Cibié spotlights, plus the large filler cap ‘door’ that was unique to works cars. It isn’t the easiest car to get into, though. Banging your head is almost inevitable thanks to the low roofline and wide sill. Then there’s the small matter of the roll-cage. Having clambered into the bucket seats, ones intended for narrow posteriors, the cabin seems intimate rather than claustrophobic, although the driving position is skewed thanks to the acutely offset pedals; almost comically so. They are practically in the passenger footwell to the point that you wonder why the seat isn’t angled inwards to avoid having to articulate your hips and knees. The thing is, once you’re in, you’re in, and you acclimatise. You have no choice. There is a surprising amount of headroom, too. All-round visibility is excellent.
Ahead, large Jaeger instruments are clustered within a hooded, crackle-black binnacle with few concessions to luxury to be found within the cabin. It is bereft of even the most basic amenities, being a pure competition tool with all that entails. Flick the ignition kill switch to the ‘on’ position, activate the starter and 1.6 litres of French sorcery blasts into life with the sort of fanfare that does not suggest the Renault 16 from which this engine was borrowed. That would be the open exhausts, the long pipes snaking forwards from the four-branch manifold, then. And the paucity of noise suppression. Oh, and the gurgling Webers. It’s anti-social, and glorious with it. Edging out of an industrial unit, and into weekday Lisbon traffic, the A110 is not a happy bunny. The competition clutch is either in or out. There is no room for slippage. Blipping the throttle makes the revs soar in an instant, the floppy gear-lever slotting into first with a gristly snatch. The engine is tractable, though. Once you’re free of the stop-start shuffle and out onto open road, it’s responsive and nowhere near as cammy as you might imagine. Moving up through the gears, the change sweetens appreciably. There’s no spring-loading so it
Clockwise, from above Long-lived styling is an in-house evolution of Michelotti’s original; rear-mounted engine is a breathed-on Renault unit; works fuel filler; bucket seats and ’cage in tight-fit cabin.
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WORKS ALPINE A110
takes a while to adapt, and blips on downshifts are mandatory rather than advisable. Once on the motorway and given room, you soon find that the Alpine has short ratios. It’s loud, that’s for sure, and not what you might call melodious. The A110 is clearly set up for asphalt, and that set-up is on the firm side of unyielding. You feel every last zit in the tarmac, but it doesn’t dart or tramline. Finally, the Alpine comes into its own on arriving at Lagoa Azul. The car’s manoeuvrability borders on the sublime, as does its steering. This sinewy sliver of blacktop is notorious in motorsport lore due to the fatal accident that befell spectators on the Rallye de Portugal in 1986 (incidentally, the Ford RS200 involved in that crash is one of this Alpine’s stablemates). It’s a deliciously fast-flowing road, and our impromptu hill-climb close by plays to the A110’s core strength: its ability to get the power down out of slow corners. It’s slingshot stuff. Ultra-stiff springs and lashings of negative rear camber keep the swing-axles in check, too. Experience on a track informs you that the tail won’t step out without plenty of prior warning. It’s a busy car, though. Delicacy is the order of the day when trying that bit harder, and you want to keep the power on through corners. You definitely need to avoid lifting off mid-bend, particularly over even
minor bumps. You can rely on the disc brake arrangement, but they tend to grab a little when pressed hard. This is a pure, unfiltered driver’s car with only token nods to civility. It shakes and rattles and the sound of the gear whine threatens to make your ears bleed. It is also a car you should probably drive alone (passengers will hate you, even more than usual, should you get carried away). The exact identity of this car’s engine is unknown. It isn’t a Group 4 unit despite the hardcore spec of the rest of the car, but there’s all the power you need given that the A110 weighs only 650kg or thereabouts. It feels fast most of the time, a sense that is heightened by the need to bang in the gearchanges due to the closely stacked ratios. It assails your senses, that’s for sure. Unfortunately, the day comes to a premature end after the fuel pump lets go (which perhaps goes some way to explaining those fumes). It’s been fun despite the upset stomach and the onset of a migraine. Educational, too. The Alpine won’t appeal to everyone but, for clarity of feedback and sheer charisma, nothing else comes close. It thrives on being spanked. It makes you feel alive. It makes you feel more than you can say. Most of all it presses your fun button. And how. End THANKS TO Manuel Ferrão and Adelino Dinis.
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THE O C TA N E INTERVIEW
Keith Helfet The man who shaped the legendary Jaguar XJ220 supercar should have been famous for even more. Richard Heseltine finds out why Photography Jordan Butters
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CAR DESIGNERS, or at least the ones with staying power, soon learn that it’s best not to focus on the false starts, dead ends and lost causes. They would go mad otherwise, a point not lost on Keith Helfet. ‘Whenever a large corporation is looking to create a new model, multidiscipline board members decide what the brief will be. A design committee is formed, which will convene maybe once a month to review the process. The winning design has to be bought into by everyone, the key players being sales and marketing. The least important people in the process are the designers. If a rival firm has a successful product, the default position is invariably the same: copy that.’ And yet Helfet is the exception to the rule. This likeable designer has shaped everything from supercars to MRI scanners. He enjoyed a 25-year stretch at Jaguar, during which time he was responsible for styling five cars, often without anyone looking over his shoulder. The South African is quick to smile and even quicker to dismiss his career as being one long lucky streak. As such, he was the opposite of a ladder-climbing corporate animal. ‘I have never done things conventionally. I suppose that is why I have had an unconventional career,’ he quips. ‘I have been writing my autobiography and trying to make sense of it all.’ Without wishing to sound unkind, it would be fair to say that the early years of Helfet’s design odyssey were fantastically unprofessional. ‘I can’t remember a defining moment when I first became interested in cars. I can’t remember when I wasn’t,’ he muses. ‘Looking back all these years later, it dawned on me that I have always hated walking, even as a toddler. If I have wanted to go anywhere, I have much preferred to have wheels.
I had my first car – a Tri-ang Jeep pedal car – and “drove” myself to nursery school. I have always been fascinated by, or obsessed with, cars, and that guided my career. That, and a lot of ignorance and naïvety.’ He goes to on add: ‘Really, this whole thing started by chance. I was interested in how things work and after school I studied mechanical engineering at the University of Cape Town. It wasn’t what I expected, though, in that it all seemed to be about physics and calculus. There was lots of great surfing to be done, and parties, too. They appealed more and understandably my parents started to get worried. It was then suggested that I should do an aptitude test. The results concluded that I would be well-suited to industrial design. I had no idea what that was. It didn’t really exist in South Africa in the early 1970s. ‘The upshot was that I discovered there was an offshoot: car design. That’s when I really got interested. It seems weird in retrospect but I decided that the best way to learn was to design my own car. It never occurred to me to draw anything, either. I wasn’t being perverse, I just didn’t know any better. I bought a cheap Triumph Spitfire because it had a separate chassis, plus some foam from a local abattoir, where it had been used for insulation, and as many bags of plaster of Paris as I could afford. It was learning by doing. I worked out how to make a template gauge in order to make it symmetrical, and so on.’ Having earned his degree and completed his car, Helfet then set his sights on joining the Royal College of Art in London. ‘That was in 1975. I arrived straight off the boat and said I would like to enrol on their car design course. With typical British understatement, I was informed that 91
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KEITH HELFET INTERVIEW
Clockwise, from below Helfet with concept models; XJ41 ultimately formed the basis of Aston Martin DB7; D-type-inspired XK180 show car was built to honour 50 years of XK engine; F-type a ‘missed opportunity’; XJ220 supercar, as originally envisioned.
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there was a lot of interest in the course. What made me think I was a suitable candidate? They asked to see my portfolio. I didn’t have one. Did I have any renderings to show? No, but I had some photos of the car I’d built. I don’t think they knew what to make of me but they were very nice.’ Rolling his eyes at the memory, he adds: ‘They told me to go away and put a portfolio together, complete with drawings and photos of my car, and apply properly. I did that but had low expectations, so I decided to bum around Europe, do some skiing, and so on. A month later I learned that I had got in. There were only five places on the course so it was a massive leap of faith on their part. I enjoyed it, but I am probably unique among designers in that I have never been a great artist. What changed everything for me was discovering clay modelling after I joined Jaguar in 1978. That opened my eyes to all sorts of things.’ The once-proud marque was by then fighting yesterday’s war under British Leyland. ‘To me as a foreigner, if you will, it was amazing. I was aware that I was on hallowed ground, and there were reminders everywhere of the glory days. The styling studio, for example, had formerly been the race shop where they made the C- and D-types. There was also a sense that Jaguar hadn’t moved with the times. I mean, there were five different canteens based on your status and function within the company. It was very hierarchical. It also looked like it was going to go under at any moment, and the only proposed new model was the XJ40. ‘There was a meeting with the board and the Government, BL being state-controlled, and the business case was put forward for the XJ40. Jim Randle, the chief engineer, suggested that it might be prudent to suggest something else to give the impression that this wasn’t all we had. That was the start of the XJ41 sports car. There were competing designs and I produced some renderings showing a car as a coupé along with Targaroof and convertible variants. Mine won. It was then a case of making a quarter-scale model out of clay. I was fortunate enough to be helped by Roger Shelbourne, who was an experienced modeller. He guided me.’ Tasked with shaping what was in effect a new E-type, Helfet found himself in the unlikely position of being protected from outside influence by marque founder Sir William Lyons. ‘Can you imagine? He chose my design and I worked with him one-on-one every week from some time in 1980 until he died in 1985. He was like me, a frustrated sculptor. He knew instinctively what I was trying to achieve and I was shielded from all the politics that usually dilute a design. Nobody was going to tell Sir William how to design a car. The project started under BL, continued after Jaguar became independent, and was killed off under Ford’s ownership.’
‘I WAS SHIELDED FROM ALL THE POLITICS THAT USUALLY DILUTE A DESIGN. NOBODY WAS GOING TO TELL SIR WILLIAM HOW TO DESIGN A CAR’ Jaguar had spent £50m and the tooling was in place, but a clash of egos among the higher-ups ultimately put paid to Jaguar’s halo product. ‘I can be philosophical about it now, but I was upset with how it ended at the time because I had spent nine years working on it. It did make it into production but it did so wearing an Aston Martin badge! Tom Walkinshaw manufactured the XJ220 and I gave him the overlays for the XJ41, which included all the XJ-S base points. The next thing we hear is that there will be a high-price, low-volume Jaguar – but “Project XX” subsequently became the DB7. Within Jaguar, it was known as “Project Double Cross”.’ Mention of the XJ220 inevitably leads us to the story of how it was created within the out-of-hours Saturday Club. ‘That was another project in which I got to style a car without interference because it wasn’t officially sanctioned. It was originally meant to be a racing car to compete in the Group B class of the World Endurance Championship. It was referred to as Project Group B. The XJ220 name came later. However, there wasn’t much take-up for this class of racing. It didn’t amount to much so we made a road car. It was my interpretation of a modern XJ13 and I was keen to make it appear sculptured, just like Jaguars always had been. ‘People used to say that the E-type looked like it was doing 100mph standing still, and I wanted to instil that sense of movement. I was nervous
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KEITH HELFET INTERVIEW
Below and left Helfet with wall-mounted sculpture of his most famous creation; scale models of his F-type and XK180 concepts.
‘PEOPLE SAID THE E-TYPE LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DOING 100MPH STANDING STILL. I WANTED TO INSTIL THAT SENSE OF MOVEMENT’ when the prototype was unveiled at the British Motor Show in 1988. I wasn’t sure how the Jaguar faithful would receive it. Of course, eleven inches were removed from it by the time the production car was made, but the overhangs remained the same. I am proud of it, though.’ More so than the XK8. ‘The prevailing attitude within Ford at the time was “edge design”, so everything was very angular. None of the various designs, most of them from within Ford, did well in customer clinics. I ended up being asked to “do a clay” and themes established there were ultimately chosen.’ Helfet declined the offer to oversee the design, but the XK8 in turn spawned a concept car that was entirely his; one that was much-garlanded after it was unveiled at the 1998 Paris motor show. ‘The XK180 was built to honour the 50th anniversary of the XK engine. I was given eight weeks in which to come up with something and I envisioned a car that borrowed from the D-type. Again, I was left to my own devices. A second car was made for Jaguar North America but that was it.’ He subsequently created another show-stopper, one that briefly appeared set to enter production. The F-type Concept was, to some, among the great missed opportunities in Jaguar’s storied history. ‘Back in 1993, I fell in love with the Porsche Boxster Concept. It was exquisite, but everything I liked about it was lost by the time they made
the production version. I was tasked with creating a car for the 2000 North American Auto Show. Again, I wasn’t given a brief so I made the car that I wanted and based its size on the Porsche. The prototype was built with an AJ-V6 engine. After it was unveiled, Ford CEO Jacques Nasser was asked by a journalist what would stop it from entering production. He replied: “Stupidity.” Fifty thousand people placed deposits, but again there was a changing of the guard. The new design management wanted to do their own car.’ Helfet departed Jaguar in 2002, having established his own standalone consultancy. Thereafter, he worked with Jim Randle on a new breed of Morgan under second-generation principal Peter Morgan – ‘It was scuppered after he died’ – and also shaped the Joule electric car for South Africa’s Optimal Energy. He worked extensively in product design, too. ‘I have always been someone who looked forwards rather than back, but writing my book Design & Desire made me analyse my career. I got to design five Jaguars, four of them unimpeded by committees and politics. That is unheard of, so I have been very lucky. Career-wise, I did everything wrong but somehow it came out all right.’ End Keith Helfet’s autobiography ‘Design & Desire’ is published by Porter Press International at £39, ISBN 978 1 913089 01 6; full review next month.
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VIPER GTS-R ON TRACK
job, but it re V10 for the it -l .0 8 n a d e : d It nee managed since s a h d n ra b r e g. did what no oth 911 in GT racin e ch rs o P e th S-R it annihilated in the Viper GT ck a tr e th to s Octane take Dirk de Jager Photography Words Johan
Dillen
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VIPER GTS-R ON TRACK
T
his is not merely a mark left on my memory. Instead, it was branded, with all the hissing and the smoke that come with that, and I can let the film play in my head at any given moment. It was 1999, my first big assignment as a rookie journalist, commissioned to cover the FIA GT round in Zolder, Belgium. Eager not to miss a moment, I was walking towards the first corner as free practice was just getting underway. First the ground felt like it was trembling. Then a deep bass rumble got hold of my chest and started churning my insides. And finally a Chrysler Viper bellowed its way past, spitting flames from its side-exit exhaust on the downshift. I was no longer walking. I was stunned. The Viper left an imprint no other race car has managed since, and there are some very serious cars vying for attention there. Of course, this moment flashes into my mind as Florent Moulin thunders past in the red-and-white number 92 Dodge Viper, a car largely untouched since its racing career ended, including the 2000 Daytona 24 Hours. ‘You’re up next. Be ready,’ he’d told me. No, I’m not nervous at all. Not even a little bit. That’s the Viper’s V10 making me shake, it’s not me trembling.
Above and right Octane is given a pre-track pep talk before heading out behind the wheel of 650bhp and 649lb ft of race-winning legend.
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‘THE VIPER IS basically a modern Cobra,’ says Moulin, as we chat away from the car. The Frenchman is the owner of Luxembourgbased race specialist Art & Revs and an authority on racing Vipers. Moulin himself is French. ‘I grew up in the same town as Alain Prost, Saint Chamond. He was our hero. As a young boy, I spent all my pocket money on car magazines to learn everything about the Viper. In 2007 I was already selling cars. At that time, the Oreca team announced that it was stopping support of the Vipers. That’s when I called and asked if I could buy a Viper with racing history. And after that, I negotiated with Oreca boss Hugues de Chaunac and I bought all the spare parts they had left. All 15 tonnes.’ The Viper was the brainchild of Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca, father of the Ford Mustang. After Iacocca, together with Frenchman François Castaing, had secured Chrysler’s financial future with the successful Voyager minivan, he set out to rejuvenate the ailing Dodge brand’s image. For that he needed a sports car. Iacocca talked to a guy he knew well from his Ford days, one Carroll Shelby. Says Moulin: ‘Iacocca wanted a modern Cobra so that Dodge could take on the Chevrolet Corvette. Who better to consult than Shelby, to make sure the project kept the spirit of the Cobra? It is clear even in the name: with one dangerous snake gone, which other would be available? That would be the Viper. The choice of a V10 was very much the Americans’ take on the Italian V12. They wanted something better than a V8. On top of that, rumour had it that Formula 1 was about to switch to V10 engines. It was Lamborghini expertise, then a part of the Chrysler group, that helped create the
Viper’s aluminium V10 engine, based on a cast-iron Chrysler V8.’ In 1989, the Dodge Viper caused a stir when it was presented to the world. Just one look at those side-exit exhausts was enough to send shivers down people’s spines. A competition version came later. ‘There was a first modest attempt at a racing edition that debuted at Le Mans in 1994, but for the big factory racing programme we had to wait for the Viper GTS, which was nothing other than the modern version of the Cobra Daytona Coupe,’ Moulin explains. ‘Chrysler pitted two teams against each other, and the winner would take the contract to build the Viper racing cars. On one hand you had the Canadian company Canaska Southwind; on the other was the French Oreca team. François Castaing and Oreca boss Hugues de Chaunac go way back. That Oreca had helped Mazda win Le Mans in 1991 will have helped, but it was really de Chaunac’s presentation in Detroit that sealed the deal.’ So, the French had the contract for building the cars, but Chrysler decided to let the two teams each run a racing programme. ‘Canaska Southwind focused on racing the Viper in IMSA in the States, Oreca ran the car in the BPR series in Europe. 1996 was a learning year, and it revealed a major flaw. That year, the Viper ran in the GT1 category, where it stood no chance against specials such as the Porsche GT1 and the McLaren F1 GTR. At the end of the season, only Oreca was retained for all the racing programmes. But then Hugues de Chaunac insisted on switching the Viper to the GT2 category…’ And that’s where the Porsche 911 GT2 reigned supreme.
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VIPER GTS-R ON TRACK
This page and opposite Viper’s monstrous 8.0-litre alloy V10 was developed by Lamborghini from Chrysler’s cast-iron V8; red car is a team-mate of the ex-Wendlinger Daytona winner, in blue and white a Euro-spec ’99 factory FIA GT car.
Florent continues: ‘At the start of the contract, Chrysler’s people had handed over what in their minds was a racing Viper. But at Oreca there was some head-scratching: it was anything but. Yet also clear was that Chrysler had selected some top-quality subcontractors. Reynard made the carbon body panels, Riley & Scott manufactured the chassis, suspension and transmission parts, Ricardo did the differential and Caldwell prepared the engines. Eventually, Roush Industries would take over chassis construction. Oreca, however, also had to revisit parts of the design and engineering work, in close collaboration with Chrysler’s performance division Mopar. One of the positive points was that Chrysler understood that, if the goal was to beat Porsche, you could not be careful with the budget. Chrysler paid what it had to pay to get the result. It soon found that beating Porsche is a costly ambition.’ Even so, 1997 would see Porsche remain on top at Le Mans, yet the Germans were clearly worried by the American monster, as they rolled out an improved version of the 993 GT2 in the form of the 3.8 Evo with double ignition. And then, at the end of the year, Justin Bell triumphed in the FIA GT2 World Championship in a Chrysler Viper. ‘One title was not enough for Chrysler,’ says Moulin. ‘They wanted the Viper to become a halo car in racing, leaving a lasting impression. So, for 1998, it was profoundly reworked – and this is when it became the killercar we have come to know. Its weight dropped by 100kg and suddenly the race car bore only a passing resemblance to the road-going Vipers. In fact, only the internal rear-view mirror and the tail-lights were carried over from the production car. The engine was made especially, and the same goes for the gearbox, transmission and chassis. OK, Chrysler tested the homologation limits to the maximum, but that is how the game is played. The Viper ran in GT2 at first, but you could say it was actually the first of the new GT1 category that was to appear in GT racing.’ From 1998 on, the Viper became unstoppable. In Europe, they raced as Chrysler Vipers in red, white and blue – ‘a reference to both the French flag and the US flag,’ says Moulin – and in the USA we saw bright red Dodge Vipers dominating. In both cases, Oreca ran the programme. With Olivier Beretta, the team already had a blisteringly quick driver. And then Karl Wendlinger came on board. ‘After my crash in Formula 1 in 1994, my recovery took a long time,’ Wendlinger explains of how, two weeks after Senna’s death, he’d crashed heavily in practice for the Monaco GP in his Sauber, leaving him in a coma for 19 days. ‘I tried to come back, but a test in 1995 made clear my days in Formula 1 were over. So, I went Touring Car racing with Audi, until they stopped their programme. Hugues de Chaunac asked if I wanted to drive the Viper. I discovered a great team. I started driving for them from 1998 on, but it wasn’t until 1999, when I was teamed-up with Olivier Beretta, that the real magic started. That year, we won the FIA GT championship and the GTS class at Le Mans, but 2000 was really the highlight of our time together.’ In 2000, the Viper did the impossible: it won the Daytona 24 Hours outright, and Wendlinger was instrumental in securing the very unexpected victory. ‘The situation at the Daytona 24 Hours was unusual. Olivier was sick and could not do much of the driving. On the other hand we had Dominic Dupuy, who was a fantastic third driver but he could not match the rhythm of the top drivers in the Corvettes. And we were 100
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‘In 2000, the Viper did the impossible: it won the Daytona 24 Hours outright. Karl Wendlinger was instrumental in securing the unexpected victory’
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‘Moulin gives “92” a shakedown, returns to the pitlane and switches the engine off. Thunder then makes way for an eerie silence’
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Clockwise, from bottom left Four cars from two eras, representing both Dodge (USA) and Chrysler (Europe); V10 thunder out on track; imagine sitting here during the heat of the Daytona 24 Hours.
battling with the Corvettes all the time. So, as the battle with Chevrolet intensified, ever more weight was put on my shoulders. In the end, I think I drove for 12 of the 24 hours. Fortunately, Daytona was physically not so demanding that year. It was actually quite cold throughout the whole race. But I remember I had my work cut out. There were times when I would get out of the car, be taken on a golf cart to the mobile home in the paddock, change into dry overalls and then be whisked out again on the golf cart to get back behind the wheel.’ The situation soon became rather more unusual. ‘For much of the race, we were involved in a really big battle with Corvettes, but this was for class honours. However, 2000 was also the year when many of the prototypes dropped out. And I remember being in the mobile home, having a bite to eat, while watching the race on TV. I saw another one of the prototypes retire, and a thought struck me: I think this might mean we could actually be running first now. So, we were in the lead of the race overall, with a Corvette hot in pursuit. No stress, then.’ For a while, all went well. ‘We had the race well under control,’ the Austrian remembers – but then two cars collided towards the end. ‘With just 45 minutes to go, race control sent out a safety car. We were leading comfortably but suddenly it all changed. We were supposed to pit for new tyres and we were faced with a vital strategic choice: do we pit under yellow or not? Corvette did, they brought their car in, changed tyres but they did not change drivers. We stayed out and decided to wait for the race to resume before we would pit. We came in, and did both a driver change and a tyre change.’ Wendlinger smiles. ‘Suddenly it was all or nothing for me. With just a 50-second lead on the Corvette, I came out on cold rubber. The Corvette was making up ground quickly and I knew I had two crucial laps ahead of me. If I could keep him behind in these two laps, I would be OK. It worked out fine. And that is how we became the overall winners of one of the biggest races in the world. I am proud that my name is on that list.’ Daytona 2000 was the biggest victory in the long career of the Viper, which ran right into the mid-2000s. We have one of the three Daytona cars here today, at the Chambley circuit in France. ‘Number 92, chassis C27, was the first 2000-spec Viper, unlike the winning number 91 car. It was fast in the race, but it lost 25 minutes because the gearbox let go and ultimately finished in fifth place,’ Florent Moulin says. Next to the UScampaigned Dodge Viper, he has also brought a European-spec, factoryrun Chrysler Viper – chassis C20 – as it ran in the FIA GT championship in 1999 with David Donohue and Jean-Philippe Belloc. And representing the post-2000 era, when Oreca no longer ran the Viper programme but supported the privately run Vipers, is the Belmondo Racing Chrysler Viper. Chassis C25 has a Hollinger sequential gearbox and won the Hungaroring 500km in FIA GT in 2000 and the Silverstone 500km in 2002. ‘Finally, we have the very last chassis built by Oreca. Chassis C51, as raced by Alain Prost in the French national GT championship in 2005,’ Moulin says, as he waves us towards the fourth car. What a line-up. It’s showtime. Florent Moulin gives ‘92’ a shakedown, returns to the pitlane and switches the engine off, thunder making way for an eerie silence. Climbing in is not so easy, with the side-members of the roll-cage leaving you just a tiny window through which to sneak your body. The only way is to step on the seat first, then slide your feet into the tunnel 103
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VIPER GTS-R ON TRACK
as you wriggle your body in. Then you look over what seems a neverending bonnet. ‘Do you have earplugs in?’ ‘Er, no.’ ‘Then get back out. You’re not driving this without earplugs.’ Another round of gymnastics follows. Room for the driver is limited. The big V10 is installed fully behind the front axle. The gearbox takes up a bit of space in the cabin as well. As a driver, you have to be content with a minimalist living room. As I push the starter button ‘with just a sniff of throttle’ as advised, the surroundings suddenly start to shake. The rumble dies down as quickly as it started, settling on a heavy drone instead. I grab first gear, give it a measured dose of the throttle and edge the clutch out. The Viper comes off the line easily, and we stutter out towards the end of the pitlane. I quickly grab second gear. The car is warmed up and there is heat in the tyres. The first corners at Chambley are tight and technical. Instinctively, you brace yourself for a bit of a fight to get this big American monster turning. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that the Viper turns-in at the blink of an eye and is willing to switch direction just as easily. The steering requires no physical effort at all, great for confidence, and you will need plenty of that. The first time you use commitment on the throttle, this thing will scare you. With every increment in the revs, power multiplies. You might feel as though you are sitting on top of a wrecking ball, only there’s a surprising amount of control. The numbers are mindblowing. The propshaft not only has to cope with 649lb ft of torque, but also with 650bhp. ‘That’s with the air restrictors in place,’ Moulin told me. ‘We once took them off for a run on the Daytona banking. Then it’s 750bhp.’ The tyres on this car have already done a full stint at Monza and are past their best. A bit of care on the throttle is advisable in corners: too much and the rear steps sideways. Even so, you feel the slide coming from a long way and there is time to correct. A bit of opposite lock, a bit less throttle, and the Viper settles down nicely.
In fact it’s more satisfying to try to keep it all together for a lap. There is a long, fourth-gear left-hander that demands a careful approach, as it gets faster in the second part of the corner. Screw up here and you’re in the woods. The natural tendency is understeer, and it takes courage to push through by applying more power. Getting it right is more rewarding than sliding it around. The gearbox needs a firm hand, but the action is positive, making a mis-shift rare; braking is also firm and requires a bit of leg power. One thing you will notice is how firmly planted the Viper feels under deceleration, yet at the same time letting you adjust the line should you feel the need to. This is one finely balanced race car. In left-right transitions, it moves over to the next apex effortlessly. Just brilliant. ‘That’s how I remember it,’ says Wendlinger. ‘Easy to drive, wellbalanced and with lots of torque. The car looked so big, especially at the front, but through the chicanes it was actually very agile. The Viper was a very well-developed race car. The only thing was cabin temperature. On average, it was 30ºC hotter on the inside than outside – and in 2000 at Le Mans, outside temperatures reached over 30ºC. Yes, it was quite hot in the car, and if you had to do a stint of one-and-a-half hours, it could be very demanding.’ Temperatures aside, the Viper’s ease of use is precisely what makes the car so interesting now, according to Florent Moulin. ‘The Viper is tomorrow’s star in the race car market,’ he says. ‘With 8.0 litres of displacement, it symbolises the ultimate race car. It’s a completely irrational variation of the American dream on four wheels. It has marked generations of fans. And it is this generation, which we would call the PlayStation generation, who are now arriving in the buyer’s market, with their eyes on the cars that mattered to them. The Viper is their car.’ End THANKS TO Art & Revs (artandrevs.com) and Olivier Bouquet for bringing their Vipers, and to Francis Maillet Competition for opening the Chambley racetrack, circuit-chambley.fr.
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BLUE RN
LE MANS REP NUMBER 7
3 4 ½ WITH ORIGINAL COACHWORK
MATCHING NUMBER SPEED SIX
THREE GENERATIONS OF ONE FAMILY OWNERSHIP
A WINNING FORMULA
MG CENTENARY DRIVE
THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ From Mumbai to Abingdon in a 1950 YT Tourer: three generations of one family’s epic MG centenary drive Words James Elliott Photography Vinay Panjwani
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hat’s the longest trip you have taken in your classic car, with your entire family on board? Probably Milton Keynes to London in my case, and that was more stress than I could handle. Not fearing a breakdown in itself, but fearing their reaction if there was one. So can you imagine setting out from India to the UK in a 1950 MG with several members of your family? This is the story of Lal Pari. Lal Pari, which translates as ‘red fairy’ (or angel), is a car by the way and, having been inspired by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, it seems to be taking on the mantle of India’s equivalent to Ian Fleming’s fine four-fendered friend. Minus the flying. Daman Thakore’s family acquired the 1950 MG YT Tourer in the late 1970s, when he was age four. ‘I had just watched the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and my mother Daksha said I had such a broad smile on my face for the whole movie that she persuaded my dad to go looking for an old convertible that we could enjoy driving as a family.’ Daman’s father found this little red MG YT Tourer, which was instantly dubbed Lal Pari after the hero of the bedtime stories that Daman’s mother used to tell, Lal Pari being the character that always saved them whenever they were on great adventures. And so it went on to prove. ‘I’ve practically grown up in it,’ adds Daman. ‘It has been part of our family ever since and we used it for all birthday parties, visits to the zoo, picnics. In my teenage years I used it to go to the drive-in cinema and then for family weddings. My Lal Pari has been to 15 or 16 family weddings!’ The car remains in Daksha’s name but she stayed behind to look after the Ahmedabad JCB dealership the family has
run since the 1980s and wasn’t part of the grand adventure when Daman decided to celebrate his 50th birthday, 75 years of Indian independence, the centenary of MG and a whole host of other things by having the madcap plan of driving Lal Pari back to its birthplace. The scheme was conceived in 2018 when the Gujarati businessman set out to restore the long-serving MG YT using the mantra ‘back to factory’. To begin with he merely meant original spec, but ‘back to factory’ soon took on a whole new meaning. That nascent plan germinated over two years of restoration, and then lengthy test runs around India, to Jaipur, Kutch and Mysore among others, cemented it. The Thakores were already a very well-travelled family that, in the course of business, had traversed India many times, whether north-south or east-west, and visited 25 or 30 countries. Daman therefore had no trouble roping in codrivers, initially (and principally) his then-75-year-old father, Deval, and Devanshi, 21, one of his two daughters. While Daman spent six months meticulously plotting the route, his father and uncle, 73, toiled through the Indian summer to get Lal Pari ready for the trip and ‘not once did they complain’. He allowed 200-250km a day and drew out a journey officially starting in Mumbai – itself 350 miles from Ahmedabad – and running via Dubai, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Switzerland, France and the UK. That would all go out of the window pretty quickly, but this family is nothing if not adaptable. For example, their Tata Winger support vehicle – dubbed Lal Pari Ki Saheli, Friend of Red Fairy, and piloted by friends who joined for short stints, supported by Daman’s wife Udita, as well as
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Left, above and below Early stages of the journey varied from desert-like wilderness to dense urban traffic; Lal Pari, the wonder years – Daman Thakore as a youngster with extended family.
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MG CENTENARY DRIVE
This page, clockwise from top Lal Pari making excellent progress in Croatia, where the halfshaft needed to be replaced; close to the impressive Azadi Tower in Tehran, Iran; an Italian admiring a British car.
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classic enthusiast Mukesh Bararia and videographer Vinay Panjwani – was not quite what it seemed. Stuffed with 100kg of food supplies – ‘you have no idea how hard it is to get spicy vegetarian food in Europe!’ – catering equipment and spare parts for Lal Pari, it left each member of the family with space for only three pairs of clothes for the entire trip. In fact, having sourced a spares car for the trip in Canada, after shipping it to India at great expense – 300% import duty – they realised it was far too original and rare to break, so they kept that and found another to cannibalise for parts. ‘Now both my daughters can inherit one!’ Similarly positive was the message of love they were spreading, even if that got off to an ironically rocky start when the first part of the journey was completed by sea to circumnavigate Pakistan. On 15 August, India Independence Day, Daman’s team was flagged off in Mumbai by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Tourism, Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the government of Maharashtra, and Nitin Dossa, executive chairman of WIAA, the Western India Automobile Association. From there, Lal Pari headed for the coast and was shipped to Dubai and an overnight ferry to Bandar Abbas, from where the trip restarted in earnest on 28 August, not to leave dry land again until reaching the English Channel. The team had also grown by one permanent member, Daman’s wife Udita. ‘She had decided she would be there at the start and then join us somewhere in the middle for a bit, but she enjoyed it so much that she stayed for the whole journey.’ In terms of motoring drama, that journey was almost disappointingly straightforward, though there were many hiccoughs en route. There were valve problems and ongoing issues with the spark-plugs, put down to fuel quality, especially in Iran: ‘At 7c a litre you get what you would expect; we were cleaning or replacing the plugs every day.’ The biggest issue was when a halfshaft broke in Croatia due to the elevation and terrain. Daman proudly fixed it
himself, guided over WhatsApp, and did it so well that just a few days later he felt confident enough to mischievously persuade his family that the easiest way to cross from southern to northern Switzerland was via the Gotthard Pass, at an altitude of 2106m. His list of all the problems reads like one of those moodboards that certain business types are fond of: ‘Dubai, fuel tank side unit leakage. Clutch bearing adjustment. Wiring burnt. Glass cracked. Iran, fuel pump. Gearbox – clutch pressure plate. Bad fuel led to plug shot, multiple times misfiring. Fog lamp bracket broke. Carburettor Tehran. Alternator Zanjan. Axle and brake setting – sent. Croatia, 11 Oct, general check-up – oil, brake, plug wires. Verona, 15 Oct, head – 3rd valve, axle bearing and seal, coolant, plugs. Lucerne, 20 Oct, head – 2nd valve. Calais, head – 2nd valve. London, 1st Nov, head – valve and oil pressure pipe broke. Derby, 2nd Nov – engine oil leakage continuous. Rear axle seal – up to 20 Oct, wiper not working.’ The tolerances of the little MG were remarkable if you consider the differences in everything from fuel and road quality to 30ºC variations in temperature. What remained consistent, however, were the welcome and the hospitality and the positive reaction to the equipe. They were greeted everywhere by car clubs and non-enthusiasts alike, a Swiss motor museum even helping them get specialist help. ‘Instead of raising money we wanted to raise smiles,’ says Daman. ‘And we did. Wherever we went Lal Pari would bring a smile to people’s faces, and there would be an instant connection. In one hour on a highway I counted more than 500 cars that honked or waved at us.’ The most challenging driving was near journey’s end in the UK, when Daman had to drive solo (without Lal Pari Ki Saheli) at 20mph for seven hours straight in pitch darkness, near-freezing temperatures and torrential rain with trucks thunderering past at three times his speed on the M40 and M1. ‘I had three cylinders, no wipers and barely any lights.’
‘Wherever we went, Lal Pari would bring a smile to people’s faces. In one hour I counted more than 500 cars that honked or waved at us’
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MG CENTENARY DRIVE
Left, from top With not so far left to go, landmarks include Rome’s Colosseum, England’s South Coast, Paris’s Eiffel Tower and – within striking distance of Abingdon – London’s Buckingham Palace.
Finally, in Abingdon on 31 October – Indian National Unity Day – the journey officially ended at the MG Car Club’s Cecil Kimber House, where the adventurers were greeted by club president John Day and others. There was then a ceremonial handover of Lal Pari’s specially commissioned silver Sardar Patel Statue of Unity bonnet mascot (bearing both UK and Indian flags) to Felicity Dick, Deputy Lieutenant of Oxford, in order to be passed on to King Charles III. Lal Pari had covered 12,000km in 73 days, been driven for 8-10 hours a day (when not ‘resting’), the amended route consisting of 14 countries, cruising at roughly 30mph with two people in the MG at a time for the most part. ‘It’s 46 horsepower; for every person you add, you lose 10mph.’ It must have been quite an experience, regardless of speed: ‘In order to be able to do something like this, you must be very privileged. To be able to drive through Europe in my own car, through Switzerland, past Buckingham Palace or the Eiffel Tower… well, I didn’t imagine that in even my wildest dreams. When we set off we didn’t have bookings anywhere, but we had the entire route planned, where we would start and stop every day, even for lunch. ‘As soon as we started we realised we were not going to be able to follow that because it was up to Lal Pari and what she wanted to do. It was that realisation that allowed us to relax and enjoy the experience, to make detours, to stop at places we liked the look of and to spend time with people we met. Or to have breakdowns. If you make time for yourself, the lack of speed becomes an advantage, it forces you to slow down, experience everything properly and connect with people.’ And the family got on? ‘We have always travelled as a family, which means you can share the joy a lot more. And it stays with you a lot longer. It bonds you and keeps you connected. But 75 days is crazy! We survived it because we all put sticking together above our personal concerns. It wouldn’t have been impossible without Udita, who was our glue and our shock absorber in keeping three generations together. Having clear roles and the family trusting me to get them home made it easier.’ And finally, I bet you felt pretty heroic when it was over? ‘Briefly, but our achievement was constantly being put into perspective by the people we met. In Tehran there was Mr Omidvar, a 94-year-old who rode around the world on his Matchless in 1953 and somehow learnt the Indian national anthem on his way through 93 countries. He sang it to us and we were moved to tears. Or the German cyclist we met who was covering 5000km in a single month around Europe. There we were, pretty pleased with ourselves for doing something extraordinary, then there’s this guy who has just picked up a bicycle and is going 5000km. And you just lower your head slightly and think: “Yeah, yeah, well, that’s actually pretty intrepid.”’ End 112
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MASERATI 3500 GT BERTONE
THE ONE After shying away from the limelight for decades, the unique 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Bertone took a bow at Pebble Beach last year. Massimo Delbò gets behind the wheel Photography Patrick Ernzen
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MASERATI 3500 GT BERTONE
I
t would be easy to assume that everything is known about the most significant classic cars. And yet still there are gems that resurface from the realms of the long-forgotten. When they appear, you wonder how it might be that such an important piece of history could have been hidden under the radar for so long. This is exactly what many thought at last year’s Pebble Beach Concours, while admiring the 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Bertone. Chassis number 101.666 is a one-off designed by Franco Scaglione for Carrozzeria Bertone, and had been returned to its 1959 show-car status after more than 60 years. ‘This unique car is an important part of Maserati history and also Bertone’s,’ says car historian Adolfo Orsi, a member of the family that owned Maserati from 1937 to 1968. ‘It is the only Maserati designed by Franco Scaglione.’ And so straight away we can see that the origins of this car are very special indeed. Back in 1957, Maserati’s very first series production model made its debut. The 3500 GT was a wonderful example of the Italian granturismo concept, crafted by Carrozzeria Touring and benefiting directly from the technical excellence of the Maserati 250F, the 1957 Formula 1 World Championship winner and considered the best single-seater of its period. Only the super-exclusive 5000 GT sat above the 3500 GT in Maserati’s road car hierarchy, a special model of which only 34 were manufactured, based on the 450S racer, with bodies from eight different coachbuilders, and reserved for the likes of the Shah of Persia, Reza Palhavi, a real car guy with a taste for the ultra-exclusive. ‘My father met the Shah of Persia in Livorno, Italy, on 30 November 1958,’ says Orsi. ‘With him was our engineer Giulio Alfieri, taking his request to build the fastest car in the world. It was the Shah who asked to have the 450S engine installed in a 3500 chassis. I believe my father initially decided to assign this new project to Bertone, to avoid distracting Touring from production of the standard 3500 GT, and to have another stylist, such as Scaglione, involved. During the research I carried out for the unique 3500 GT Bertone I realised there could be a logical explanation for its origins, as the first sketches for a Maserati-Bertone are related to a 5000 GT for the Shah and dated December 1958.’ He continues: ‘Unfortunately, those sketches were lost over time, but we have the letter with the specifics they had to fulfil. The car would have 280-300bhp and be capable of 250-260kph [around 160mph], it would have two comfortable seats, a capacious boot, upholstery in very good leather, extra-luxe finishing, the possibility of air conditioning, and it would be of a serious and gentlemanly appearance.’ However, it turned out that the Shah, on seeing the sketches, did not like the proposal and instead had his 5000 GT bodied by Touring. ‘What we know is that Franco Scaglione had already developed a two-door car with sports styling and a long, slightly finned tail in 1957, as a one-off Aston Martin DB2/4 Coupé,’ says Orsi. ‘He kept the same concept for the 1958 NSU Prinz Sport and we see that the same idea developed to become the 1959 3500 GT.’ It is most likely that Maserati sent a rolling chassis to Bertone in the late summer of 1959, to create a car for display at the Turin motor show in October. The car incorporated aspects developed by Scaglione and Bertone for their Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica series for Alfa Romeo, and made its debut on Bertone’s stand – mere metres from the 5000 GT ‘Shah of Iran’ on Touring’s! The press reported widely, clearly impressed by the 3500 GT Bertone’s Grigio Chiaro body and House of Lords Red
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‘THIS UNIQUE CAR IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MASERATI HISTORY AND ALSO BERTONE’S’ – ADOLFO ORSI
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MASERATI 3500 GT BERTONE
ADOLFO ORSI
Connolly leather configuration, and they weren’t the only ones. Swiss Maserati dealer Martinelli & Sonvico bought the car on the spot for one of its best customers, Josef Willi of Lugano, and requested some pre-delivery modifications. ‘The order letter is dated 14 November 1959 and begins with “Following yesterday’s verbal agreement”,’ says Orsi. ‘It includes the full list of requested modifications: wire wheels with three-eared spinners, mufflers for Switzerland, Pirelli tyres, Fiamm horns and Koni rear dampers. The car was ready for collection from Bertone on 1 December, with the full invoice to the dealership for 29,615 Swiss Francs. That’s about the equivalent of €130,000 today, and it was shipped from Maserati on the fifth.’ Before shipping, a series of pictures was taken at the Maserati factory, portraying the modifications, including different front seats and upholstery and the removal of the custom luggage to make room for two traditional back seats. Yet only two weeks later, the car was back in Modena for repairs. ‘We have a series of invoices dated 15 December 1959 for works and spare parts,’ says Orsi. ‘Details included checking the front suspension, replacing the front right hub, checking the steering arm 118
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and box, tyres and wheels, a new tachometer and replacing the engine and differential oil. The car then went to Bertone, most likely for body repairs. It came back to Modena in April 1961 for an engine overhaul, including camshaft replacement and, in September of the same year, for checking the carburettors and replacing gaskets, spark-plugs and distributor, plus a repair to the exhaust mufflers.’ In August 1967 this unique car was sold to James R Thomas Jr, a US Army soldier from Portland then living in France. When he died in 1969 the car was shipped to Oregon, where it would remain untouched, poorly stored in Thomas’s mother’s open shed, from where some components were removed. In March 1978 it was bought, in pieces, by Francis G Mandarano of Seattle, Washington, the founder of the Maserati Club of America. After being alerted by the Maserati Club of Norway’s president, in March 1979 Bertone PR man Gianbeppe Panicco wrote to Mandarano to enquire whether he really had the car and to ask for pictures. Those pictures illustrated a dismantled car, missing the engine, front bumper and rear tail-light, in need of a comprehensive restoration. The works were executed in the Mandaranos’ workshop, with little respect for its historical originality and scant attention to detail. ‘Mandarano did his
‘THE CAR INCORPORATED ASPECTS DEVELOPED BY SCAGLIONE AND BERTONE FOR THEIR BAT SERIES FOR ALFA ROMEO’ Above and opposite The unique 3500 GT Bertone began life as a proposal for the Shah of Persia’s 5000 GT; as seen on its debut at the 1959 Turin motor show.
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MASERATI 3500 GT BERTONE
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best, considering the historical period and the limited information he had available,’ says current custodian Jim Utaski. ‘I recently discovered that he’d had no idea it had been the ’59 Turin show car.’ As it was, the car was shown at Pebble Beach in 1991, in the Custom Coachwork class, and was invited to Italy for the 80th anniversary of Carrozzeria Bertone in 1992. It was displayed at several Italian shows that year and appeared in a press photo with Nuccio Bertone himself. By 1996 it was owned by Joe Nicolai of Honolulu, Hawaii, and won Best of Show at the Maserati Owner’s Club Show in Monterey. Utaski, from New Jersey, bought the Maserati from Nicolai in 2013. ‘I was looking for an interesting project to prepare for Pebble Beach, and this one ticked all the boxes, in terms of rarity, brand importance, historical relevance and documented history. I’m an aesthete and always liked the shapes created by Franco Scaglione, a designer whose work I fell further in love with while researching this car. In this case it is impossible not to notice his trademark traits, such as the forward slope of the hood and the V-shaped vent, the speed streaks of the front wheelarches into the doors, the top fender pleats carried through to the rear tail-fins, the long tail for aerodynamics and the slope of the roof.’ One of the early decisions he took was how to restore the car. ‘We had two options to follow: the Turin 1959 show car configuration, or the first owner’s one. There were significant differences between the two, and this was without considering the third set of modifications applied during Mandarano’s restoration. From the Turin style, we were missing the front fender pleats, the crease from headlights to tail-lights, the Borrani disc wheels and matching Pirelli Stelvio Stella Bianca tyres, the original front bumper, the front seats, and the “no back seats” set-up with the four-piece luggage set. A further issue was the engine, because the car lost its original, number 101.666, sometime during its life and came with a block of the later GTI type.
1959 Maserati 3500 GT Bertone Engine 3485cc OHC straight-six, three double-barrel Weber 42 DCOE 6 carburettors Power 220bhp @ 5500rpm Torque 254lb ft @ 3500rpm Transmission ZF four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Worm and roller Suspension Front: double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, leaf springs, telescopic dampers Brakes Discs front, drums rear Weight 1400kg Top speed 138mph 0-60mph 7.4sec
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MASERATI 3500 GT BERTONE
‘THE STRAIGHT-SIX IS HAPPY TO REV, PROPELLING YOU FORWARDS WITH IMPRESSIVE IMPETUS’ ‘It did not take long for us to realise that the first configuration was the most historically relevant. We were well set for historical references, as the car created a vivid impression when shown in Turin and we had plenty of period car magazine reports and pictures, including Road & Track, Auto Italiana and Quattroruote. We then had Viale Ciro Menotti, the magazine for Maserati enthusiasts, which covered the car several times, beginning in 1962. We even have an Automobile Quarterly portraying the car in colour PR pictures released by Bertone, taken days before the Turin show. And, last but not least, we have the knowledge, competence and passion of Adolfo Orsi, with his personal archive that provided an incredible string of information to refer to, including several pictures, as well as Maserati’s archive.’ And so in 2014 Utaski entrusted Epifani Restorations of Berkeley, California, with the work. ‘It took 5000 hours over ten years, plus a good 3000 from external contractors for specific tasks. The evidence that we did well is that we finished second in the Post-War Touring class on our debut in 2023 at Pebble Beach.’ That’s the headline result, but getting there wasn’t plain sailing. ‘There were many challenging moments during the restoration, mostly linked with the decision to save as much as possible of the original parts. The body’s metalwork was missing some “crests”, and we discovered, looking at the inner surfaces, that they had been blasted away and we had to
recreate them. We had to respray the car twice, but I love the colour. It changes tone from silver when hit by the sun to grey when it is darker. ‘Another task we faced was to find a good engine, and we followed countless tracks trying to get the right unit. Then, in 2015 we performed a miracle, tracking down and purchasing Maserati 3500 GT engine number 101.668, the next down the production line from this car’s original unit. The Pirelli Stella Bianca tyres were out of stock and we wouldn’t have been able to get them without Pirelli’s help. They went the extra mile, scanning every possible warehouse around the world to provide a full set. We got them hours before shipping the car to Pebble.’ To drive, the 3500 GT Bertone understandably differs little from the standard car, and responds perfectly to controlled enthusiasm. The gearbox requires decision, but it is not challenging, and a good deal of the pleasure it provides comes from the musical engine. There is plenty of torque yet the straight-six is also happy to rev, propelling you forwards with impressive impetus. It’s a joy to be behind the steering wheel of one of the greatest symbols of Italian manufacturing capability and automotive design, just as it would have been for the first owner, Josef Willi, who would have cruised along the shores of Lake Lugano in the spring of 1960. For those of us who understand that real elegance is very discreet, it’s time to celebrate this amazing car that was kept out of the light for so long. End
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Tel:+44(0)1302711123
The first of the Maserati 3500GTs fitted crossply Pirelli Stella Bianca. They very soon took advantage of the radial technology in the 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato CA67, which is still the best tyre for these cars today
CA67
Stella Bianca
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by Octane staff and contributors
OCTANE CARS OW N I N G + D R I V I N G + M A I N T A I N I N G
A cruise around the lake 1982 MERCEDESBENZ 500SL MASSIMO DELBÒ
HOW LONG CAN a winter last? This one seems to have lasted a very long time indeed. But it hasn’t; the fault is mine, for not having got enough classic driving under my belt. By February I was suffering withdrawal symptoms, checking the weather forecast daily to predict when I could take my classics out of hibernation. The problem, of course, is not the cold, but the salt copiously scattered on the roads here in northern Italy when night-time temperatures drop below 3°C. Fortunately, this year the cold went away and was followed by ten days of rain, washing away the salt. And then came the perfect day to use a convertible – sunny, warm, a school run to do, the perfect excuse for waking the 500SL. I’d even replaced the battery already (the old one lasted almost six years and 10,000km). Time to turn the key. The first couple of seconds are always the most painful, as you’re aware that oil has drained away from various parts, but very soon 126
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SUPPORTED BY
OCTANE’S FLEET These are the cars – and ’bikes – run by Octane’s staff and contributors
ROBERT COUCHER
International editor ● 1955 Jaguar XK140
ANDREW ENGLISH
Contributor ● 1962 Norton Dominator ● 1967 Triumph GT6 ● 1972 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport
GLEN WADDINGTON
Associate editor 1989 BMW 320i Convertible ● 1999 Porsche Boxster ●
SANJAY SEETANAH
Advertising director ● 1981 BMW 323i Top Cabrio ● 1998 Aston Martin DB7 Volante ● 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLK200
MARK DIXON
‘In Jenks’ words, I am driving at three-tenths but living the experience at ten-tenths’ everything sounds as it’s supposed to. As I lower the roof, I run through my mental ‘to do’ list: a full service (the last was two years ago) and the tyres need replacing. They are nine years and 20,000km old, which doesn’t sound a lot but includes at least three Modena Cento Ore rallies, meaning many laps of Imola, Mugello and several other racetracks. They are 205/70 VR14 Michelins, not too difficult to find but costing a small fortune. Then there’s the ABS sensor, which will be the headache of the Left, above and below 500SL came out of hibernation for a sunny lake-shore run; sun-visors need replacing.
season because it seems impossible to find the correct replacement part. The sun visors appear to have mummified, a common issue with the 107 Series, and I just need to order some new ones. Their only drawback, and the reason I’ve put off buying new ones so far, is that on remanufactured visors the small vanity mirror on the right-hand one is slightly bigger and squarer than it should be. After a few kilometres spent warming everything up, I reach the lake road. It is Thursday, still out of season, and the road is quite empty. I love cruising in the 500, with the subtle rumbling of its V8, and I realise how much I’ve been missing it. The scenery is magical, and there are still caps of snow on the tops of the highest mountains. In Jenks’ words, I am driving at three-tenths but living the experience at ten-tenths. While doing so, I realise that the SL has passed the 230,000km mark, which would be an indecent mileage for many cars but is an
Deputy editor ● 1927 Alvis 12/50 ● 1927 Ford Model T pick-up ● 1942 Fordson Model N tractor ● 1955 Land Rover Series I 107in
absolutely meaningless number in a 1980s Mercedes. It shows that I have covered about 70,000km in 24 years of ownership, a little shy of 3000km every year. The record was in 2006, when I drove more than 10,000km – a holiday in Normandy and a journey to the UK helped – and the lowest recorded figure was last year, a mere 341km. Shame on me! While driving to the lake shore, I had to use the horn. Nothing too Italian, just a flock of birds occupying the road and not hearing the 500SL as it slowly approached. But, instead of the usual sound, all I got was silence. I checked the fuse, but it seems fine. It looks as if the horn itself is blocked – even though it’s actually a pair of horns – so I’ll have to dig into it, even though I’ve never dismantled a horn. All of which raises the usual (and perennially unanswered) question: why do cars break down more when parked than when they’re used?
JAMES ELLIOTT
Editor-in-chief ● 1965 Triumph 2.5 PI ● 1968 Jensen Interceptor ● 1969 Lotus Elan S4
ROBERT HEFFERON
Art editor ● 2004 BMW Z4 3.0i
DAVID LILLYWHITE
Editorial director ● 1971 Saab 96 ● 1996 Prodrive Subaru Impreza
MATTHEW HOWELL
Photographer ● 1962 VW Beetle 1600 ● 1969 VW/Subaru Beetle ● 1982 Morgan 4/4
MASSIMO DELBÒ
Contributor ● 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 ● 1972 Fiat 500L ● 1975 Alfa Romeo GT Junior ● 1979/80 Range Rovers ● 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL ● 1985 Mercedes-Benz 240TD
ANDREW RALSTON Contributor ● 1955 Ford Prefect ● 1968 Jaguar 240
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OCTANE CARS / Running Reports
SAM CHICK
Photographer l 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider
RICHARD HESELTINE
Contributor l 1966 Moretti 850 Sportiva l 1971 Honda Z600
PETER BAKER
Contributor l 1954 Daimler Conquest l 1955 Daimler Conquest Century
DAVID BURGESS-WISE Contributor l 1903 De Dion-Bouton l 1911 Pilain 16/20 l 1924 Sunbeam 14/40 l 1926 Delage DISS
Of mice and AA men 1955 JAGUAR XK140 ROBERT COUCHER
MATTHEW HAYWARD
Markets editor l 1990 Citroën BX 16v l 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four l 1996 Saab 9000 Aero l 1997 Citroën Xantia Activa l 1997 Peugeot 306 GTI-6 l 2000 Honda Integra Type R l 2002 Audi A2
SAMANTHA SNOW
Advertising account manager l 1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 Convertible l 1989 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
JESSE CROSSE
Contributor l 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 l 1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
MARTYN GODDARD
Photographer l 1963 Triumph TR6SS Trophy l 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII
DELWYN MALLETT
Contributor l 1936 Cord 810 Beverly l 1937 Studebaker Dictator l 1946 Tatra T87 l 1950 Ford Club Coupe l 1952 Porsche 356 l 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL l 1957 Porsche Speedster l 1957 Fiat Abarth Sperimentale l 1963 Abarth-Simca l 1963 Tatra T603 l 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 RS l 1992 Alfa Romeo SZ
EVAN KLEIN
Photographer l 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider l 2001 Audi TT
HARRY METCALFE
Contributor l 20 cars and 15 motorbikes To follow Harry’s adventures, search: Harry’s Garage on YouTube.
TIME FLIES WHEN you are having fun, but it’s rather sobering to realise I’ve been enjoying my Jaguar XK140 for 18 years. I keep a little black book in which I record all mechanical work done, with every pound spent, which proves that the XK has been my most reliable classic car to date and has never actually ‘failed to proceed’ on the road. Once, on the King’s Road in London, the SU fuel pump began stuttering, but after I’d whacked it with a hammer it proceeded again. On 14 October 2012 the battery died while I was attempting to start the XK in the garage. Having owned the car for six years, I was happy to replace the dud unit. The AA van arrived and the nice man fitted a new battery without me having to get my hands dirty. Cost: £82.50. Then, on 31 August 2017, the second one died, so it too was replaced by the AA at a cost of £98. Now, on 20 March 2024, I turn on the ignition, the lights light up, the reliable electric Facet pump is pumping away, I push the starter button… Click. Looking at my black book, I saw the battery had been in-situ for five years and seven months, so I called the ever-helpful Battery Service and the AA man (19 years young!) fitted the third Bosch battery for £134.99. Once it was connected, I pushed the starter button with confidence. Click. Then again a few times, eliciting more clicks. Starter motor? We opened the bonnet and began
following the wiring, whereupon AA man came across a pile of seeds in a snug box section that indicated a mice restaurant. Not good. AA man rummaged around and noticed a wire had been nibbled a bit, so continued to trace the wiring as I tried the starter again, and the big six suddenly fired. I like to think he worked some black magic but probably what happened was that the underused, high-torque starter motor had become stuck and finally the new battery released it. I then drove the Jaguar straight down to the premises of Graeme Hunt Ltd (graemehunt.com), to beg chief mechanic Gary Puxty to have a look over it. Gary found one wire slightly gnawed so re-wrapped it in insulation tape, then we checked the car for other signs of mice damage but found none. He vacuumed the old seeds out and cleaned everything up and even noticed that the brake fluid reservoir was low, so refilled it with Dot 4. What have I learned? Leaving cars for too long over winter is not ideal. Batteries are guaranteed for five years with good reason: they don’t last much longer than that. But the 67-year-old Jaguar is now good to go once again, hence its window sticker: ‘Save the planet, buy cars that last 50 years.’ If you’d like three stickers, send a £5 note and a self-addressed envelope to Kirk Rylands, Crookdake Farm, Aspatria, Wigton CA7 3SH.
Top and above AA man came to replace the battery – and discovered a mouse nest, all cleaned up by Graeme Hunt Ltd.
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Over 22,600 vehicles insured for Private Clients
Spring sale 1963 TRIUMPH TROPHY TR6SS MARTYN GODDARD
IT’S SPRING ON the Kent coast; time to peel off the Austin-Healey and Triumph Trophy’s dust covers, wheel them outside into the sunshine, and check the tyres ready for their first run of the new classic season. This year there is one difference: I have decided to sell my TR6SS ’bike. Being the custodian of one of the rare twin-exhaust UK-spec TR6SS ’bikes, of which only 2397 were made, is a pleasure, but I am wary of modern-day drivers not knowing the traditional hand signals I give when approaching busy junctions. I am not a 20-year-old ton-up boy any more, either, which the machine’s weight reminds me about when I am manoeuvring it around my garage. I might drop it! I therefore prepare to fire the beast up one last time. For all her 61 years, the Triumph always starts without fail. I open the fuel tap, set the choke, tickle the carb, turn the engine over, switch the ignition on, and she starts on the third kick. In 11 years of ownership, most of my riding has been down the leafy lanes of Kent to local classic car or bike events, many of them featured here.
I could live with the engine vibration, right-footed gearchange and lack of decent brakes, just to have the experience of owning a 1960s British bike. I had dreamed of owning one since I was about eight years old, when a neighbour came home with a bright blue Tiger 100. But the time has come. I chose an online auction site, as the bike is stored away from my home, I wanted a trouble-free sale, and the auction curator did their homework when adding to my descriptions. The market seems to have flat-lined since 2012, so I’m currently watching the 21-day sale with a mixture of hope and apprehension. I won’t be divorcing myself from classic bikes completely, however, as I will search for a Triumph Tiger Cub 175cc screamer on which to take part in various marathon rides in the West Country – or perhaps even Spain?
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OCTANE CARS / Running Reports
Left and below Cossie more than lived up to its reputation by sliding out of a roundabout – appropriate new tyres took some tracking down.
Going Continental 1986 FORD SIERRA RS COSWORTH JESSE CROSSE
I’M A LITTLE ashamed to admit that, since re-commissioning the Sierra Cosworth back to standard spec, the one thing I’ve done nothing about is the tyres. In my defence, they were Bridgestone RE002s that in themselves were perfectly respectable and hardly worn; what’s more, Bridgestones were OEM spec on the RS Cosworth’s later sister, the booted Sierra Sapphire Cosworth. I didn’t pay too much attention to them, since running-in has progressed at a relaxed pace and pushing it hasn’t been on the agenda. However, a couple of months ago I was given a rude reminder that old tyres have no place on any car, however gently it’s being driven. I was on a local trip on damp roads, exiting a roundabout and gently accelerating in a straight
line to the 50mph limit, when the back stepped out. It may have been a signal that the viscous limited-slip differential (which is the last mechanical thing on the list to get overhauled) wasn’t doing much limited-slipping anymore. However, when I got home, I checked the age of the tyres and found they were stamped 2012, so perhaps it serves me right. Finding decent replacements
that look right is easier said than done on a 15-inch wheel. The original Dunlop D40s with which the car was developed and fitted from the factory disappeared years ago, but visually they were relatively conventional. Modern performance tyres typically have radical tread patterns by 1980s standards and to my eyes look awful on cars of that era. Anyway, the fitments are always for larger-diameter wheels and I knew
that finding the right size with a reasonable speed rating would be tricky. After a bit of online sleuthing, though, I soon came across the ideal thing. The Continental Premium Contact 2 in 205/50 R15 size looked just the job and visually similar to the old D40s the Cossie wore back in the day. With a speed rating of 86V they’re good for 149mph, which is more or less equivalent to the Cossie’s official top speed, too, not that I’ll be venturing anywhere near that now. I’m a bit of a fan of Continental tyres, having done a fair bit of testing with them at proving grounds and driven them on many cars over the years, so I was also confident they’d ride, steer and grip well. Continental tracked down a set for me and had them shipped to my local Kwik Fit. I whipped all four wheels off the Cosworth, and the irony of running them up to Kwik Fit Plus at the Carmondean Centre near Livingston in the back of my electric car wasn’t lost on me. Paul and the lads there did a quick turn-around and pretty soon the Cossie was back on its wheels. Now I’m looking forward to taxing it for the spring and summer and I’m really keen to see how this old Ford steers and rides on the new set of boots.
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Rolls-Royce and Bentley Heritage Dealers “Attention to Detail”
Bentley 4 ¼ Litre MR Series 1938 Semi Razor Edge Sports Saloon by Park Ward
Bentley 3 ½ Litre 1934 Drophead Coupé by Barker
Siam Blue with Blue Grey Hide upholstery. Well maintained with extensive history. Very desirable MR chassis series. Chassis number B54MR.
Black and Grey with Black hood and Grey hide upholstery. Very good well maintained condition with extensive history. Good long distance touring car. Chassis number B112AH.
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I 1959 Standard Saloon
Bentley S1 Continental 1958 Flying Spur by H.J. Mulliner
Sand over Sable with Beige hide upholstery. Excellent restored condition with known history. One of the last made with power assisted steering. Chassis number SNH158.
Tudor Grey with Beige hide upholstery. Excellent condition with extensive history. Restored to a high standard and well maintained since. Chassis number BC42EL.
Rolls-Royce Phantom VI 1977 Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward
Bentley Continental Convertible April 1989
Silver Sand with Dark Brown hide to front and Cream Savoy Velvet to the rear. Excellent unrestored condition. Only 28,000 miles from new and three owners. Chassis number PRH4859.
Graphite with Black Mohair hood and Magnolia hide contrast Slate. Excellent condition with many concours successes. 34,500 miles with history. One of very few made and considered as a desirable modern classic Bentley.
Great Easton, Dunmow, Essex CM6 2HD, England Telephone: 01371 870848 Fax: 01371 870810 E-mail: enquiries@pa-wood.co.uk www.pa-wood.co.uk
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OCTANE CARS / Running Reports
Cactus flowers 1965 TRIUMPH 2.5 PI JAMES ELLIOTT
IT IS A VERY unfair truism that paintshops are the goal-hangers of the classic car world. But, like goals, paint is everything. Poor old James Godfrey-Dunne has been slaving away at my Triumph for almost a year just to give the paintshop a decent canvas to work on; then, after less than two weeks at Peacock Prestige, you can guess who is going to be getting all the glory. For covering up James’ 11 months of hard graft, what’s more. But how they have covered it… Paint was always going to make a vast difference to this car
because it was last done nearly 35 years ago and, quite apart from the big rusty holes, what was once vibrant Cactus Green had become many different shades of ‘dishwater insipid’. The black roof had held up pretty well, but bore the pedal scars from a thieving toe-rag extricating a bicycle from my garage by dragging it over the Triumph’s roof. Then there were the previous repairs and isolated areas of non-matching paint. Hell, if I had gone over the whole thing with rattle cans, it would have been an improvement (though admittedly the few areas I had gone over with rattle cans over the years were most definitely not an improvement!). As previously mentioned, I had become bored of people admiring my ‘rat-rod’ in recent years. Since JGD Classic Services took my car on, James had never considered anyone other than Peacock Prestige (peacockprestige.com) for the paint – he had used them in a
previous life at JLR Classic and continued to ever since – and I must say I was equally impressed with what I had seen of their work. For the sort of guy who still thinks a ‘paint job’ costs £700, is advertised in the front of the Thames Valley Trader and can be done on the street outside your house, visiting Peacock’s set-up in the shadow of Coventry City’s football stadium mid-job was an eye-opener. It is very impressive, with three booths, clinical cleanliness and a wide range of cars in, plenty of them Jags. When I arrived, co-owner Pardeep Koasha was also there (that’s his TVR you can nearly see, above) and it was great to find Paul Mahon’s team at work, even though by then only my bootlid and filler flap were still actually in the booth. Paul Genders had done the spraying. Four coats, 15 minutes apart, painstakingly matched to some of the early 1990s Cactus Green that they had found minty-fresh in one of the door
Clockwise, from top left Triumph arrived prepped; in the spray booth; inspection time, alongside owner’s TVR; minty clean engine bay.
jambs. Plus a wonderfully lustrous new shimmer of black on the roof. It zings. Peacock Prestige have done a magnificent job that just brings the car alive and I can’t recommend them enough. I am so pleased that I let James talk me gently into a situation in which I ‘might as well get the engine bay done while they are at it’, but now slightly disappointed that I didn’t add the inside and boot to the list. Even though no-one is ever going to see them. By the time you read this, the Triumph should be back with James and well into refit, after a little engine, clutch and flywheel fettling, with all-new seals and, hopefully, a bigger brake servo and possibly even a useful heater. There surely can’t be anything else after that, so – bold prediction time – next time you read about the Triumph it will be finished.
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The ex-Archie Scott-Brown
1956 LISTER MASERATI
er… f f o o t d u o pr Pendine is
Located at
Brian Lister, the engineer on a motorsport mission and Archie Scott-Brown, the charismatic driver whose disabilities were hidden behind his raw talent, were probably the greatest pairing in British motorsport during the 1950s. Impressed by Salvadori’s A6GCS, the duo decided that a Maserati engined Lister would be perfect for the 1956 season. The light, nimble chassis was perfect for Archie’s on-the-limit driving style and that year saw a full list of races, including Goodwood, Silverstone, Oulton Park and a win at Brands Hatch. With a known history from new, BHL 1 is one of the most original Listers in existence and the only remaining Works car that Archie competed in. A historically significant British competition car, it is well suited for contemporary motorsport, as demonstrated with a 2nd overall at Monaco in 2018
T +44 (0)1869 357126 W www.pendine.com E cars@pendine.com
OCTANE CARS / Running Reports
SUPPORTED BY
Barrel of fun
1997 PEUGEOT 306 GTI-6 MATTHEW HAYWARD
I’M ALWAYS REGALING people with stories of how brilliant this car is. Not just because it’s fun and (I think) good-looking, but because it rarely causes me any major grief. The occasional failed coil pack aside, it has never actually broken down or left me stranded. I guess that run of luck was bound to change at some point. After a brief run out to see a friend, the 306 ‘immobilised’ itself in a slightly strange way. I parked up for 20 minutes, returned to the car, inserted the key, and… ‘Hmm, it won’t turn in the ignition.’ I wiggled it, tried
re-inserting it upside down, and after about five minutes of fiddling accepted that the car was not going anywhere. The ignition barrel had failed internally. On the bright side, I had stopped in a safe spot and was able to leave the car overnight while I figured out how I was going to proceed. After discovering that decent-quality Valeo locksets were not readily available online, I opted for a relatively inexpensive unbranded ignition barrel from eBay, offered with next-day delivery. And so then I returned with tools. Step one was to remove the old barrel. This wouldn’t normally be too difficult but, as the key couldn’t be inserted or turned, I had to get creative. After disassembling what felt like most of the dashboard, I pulled the whole upper steering column out,
Left and below 306 is great fun and reliable, but a worn ignition barrel required an impromptu fix; interior trim has had an upgrade, too.
recovered it to my workbench and set about removing the security pins with my Dremel. I swapped the new barrel in, and returned it to the car. That cheap eBay part did the job, but I had to rig the immobiliser receiver – a plastic ring that slips over the ignition – with the original key fob to get the car running. The barrel felt cheap and nasty, too, so once the car was re-assembled enough to drive, I got it home and started the hunt for a better solution. In a bid to turn a bad situation into a positive one, I took the opportunity to replace that upper steering column as it had some play in the top bush. I managed to source a known good item, as well as a secondhand lock-set, from a breaker. Then it was just a matter of once again taking the dash apart… hopefully for the final time. Thankfully, it all went to plan, meaning that I could re-use my original key fob and transponder with the replacement blade, and retain one matching key for all the locks. Perfect! It’s been a frustrating ordeal, but after getting it all back together I gave the Alcantara steering wheel a (much-needed) clean, and swapped the baggy doorcards for fresher ones. The interior looks uplifted, and the steering is feeling better than ever. After a few basic checks, I popped the Peugeot down to the local MoT test centre. It passed first time, after which I couldn’t help but think to myself: ‘This car is brilliant.’
OTHER NEWS ‘The Moretti 850 is being recommissioned by DTR European Sports Cars and I’m hoping to get it back by May – it’s about time I drove the bloody thing!’ Richard Heseltine
‘A service for the Z4 didn’t rid the odd puff of white smoke I’ve been seeing lately. A new set of breather pipes and oil separator have been ordered’ Rob Hefferon
‘My hankering for a “modern classic” 4x4 has now been sated with a 1998 example of a marque that’s not Land Rover. I’ll explain the man-maths I used to justify it next month’ Mark Dixon
‘The 320i passed its MoT without a single advisory, which isn’t bad for a 35-year-old car. Just need the right weather to give it a proper spring clean’
E ST . 19 6 2
Glen Waddington
Contact Vintage Tyres on
+44 (0)1590 612261 vintagetyres.com
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2001 SALEEN S7-R GT1 “VITAPHONE” 2001 2001 2001SALEEN SALEEN SALEENS7-R S7-R S7-RGT1 GT1 GT1“VITAPHONE” “VITAPHONE” “VITAPHONE” 2001 SALEEN S7-R GT1 “VITAPHONE”
2011 FERRARI 458 ITALIA GT3 2011 2011 2011FERRARI FERRARI FERRARI458 458 458ITALIA ITALIA ITALIAGT3 GT3 GT3 2011 FERRARI 458 ITALIA GT3
COLLECTION C C CO O OLLLLLLE E EC C CT T TII O IO ON N N COLLECTION
by Octane staff and contributors
OVERDRIVE
Below and right Almost a year after first sampling a Grenadier on the road, Mark Dixon finally gets to test one in proper circumstances – and is very glad he did, as it’s unbeatable off-road.
Other interesting cars we’ve been driving
Worth a second look 2023 INEOS GRENADIER MARK DIXON
THE SITUATION APPEARS hopeless. Our two Grenadier 4x4s have driven some distance along this narrow forest track, only to find our way blocked by a fir tree knocked over by the previous night’s gales. It’s lying right across the track at shin height, there’s no obvious way to get around it, and nowhere in the last couple of miles to turn around. My co-driver is an experienced off-roader and he’s looking thoughtful. ‘I reckon I could drive over it,’ he decides. So, with myself and the Ineos PR guy holding back whippy branches and putting our weight on the tree’s flexible trunk, he proceeds
to do just that. I’m seriously impressed. Situations like this, however, are why Ineos is very keen for potential buyers to try the Grenadier off-road. In fact, it took some persuasion before Ineos would allow Octane actually to try one at all, having had its fingers burned with some negative road-tests by magazines more used to exploring the ultimate breakaway of 600bhp supercars. I confess, a brief 20-minute drive of an early Grenadier on and off Goodwood’s estate in March 2023 had left me ambivalent. I could sense its off-road potential but as a road car it left a lot to be
desired, mostly for its very low-geared and unresponsive steering. Exiting a T-junction and having to quickly wind-on and unwind armfuls of lock, with a disconcerting lack of self-centring, was frankly alarming. Still, I was left with a nagging sense that the Grenadier might be a lot better than some of the pundits would have you believe. And, after a week of living with one, I’m convinced that’s true. As an off-roader it’s extremely well-equipped, with separately selectable front and rear axle diff locks – activated by pushing and briefy holding buttons in the roof – and a centre diff lock that’s
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engaged by lifting and pulling the high/low lever knob. No current Defender-style ‘does it all for you’ simplicity here; you have to make your own decisions. That might sound like a negative but, if you enjoy off-roading, there’s an almost perverse satisfaction in mastering and operating all the switchgear like a 747 pilot. There are also lots of thoughtful touches that (unlike, say, the Defender’s plastic faux chequerplate on its front wings) are genuinely practical. You know you’re off to a good start when the vehicle spec sheet lists ‘heavy duty utility flooring with drain valves’. Then there’s a kind of coffer dam in the centre to protect batteries and ECUs from flooding during deep wading, and metal channels along each flank for the attachment of tents and awnings. And – a big plus, this – the vertically divided split tailgate, with its narrow left-hand door, makes getting smaller objects in
and out much easier in a tight parking space. As our tree-driving experience has already revealed, the Grenadier feels almost unstoppable on the rough stuff. It also looks more capable than the Defender, with clear air visible beneath its high-mounted ladder-frame chassis, and deep-sidewall BF Goodrich All Terrain tyres on steel rims. However, if you compare it with an air-suspended Defender set to maximum height, the all-important approach/ breakover/departure angles are broadly similar. Maybe it’s just the optics, then, but the Grenadier does feel as though it might have the ultimate edge. The Grenadier’s twin-turbo BMW 3.0-litre straight-six diesel will also delight traditionalists, if not eco-warriers (Ineos has just announced a new model, the slightly smaller Fusilier, with all-electric or range-extender
electric drive). It has plenty of punch, a pleasantly understated growl, and works well with the eight-speed manually shiftable auto’ gearbox. On-road, you sit even higher than in a Defender but the front wing line is lower, so it’s easy to position on the road. Truth be told, it feels nowhere near as assured as a Defender for hustling along an A-road, but it’s perfectly acceptable in a highsided van kind of way. Most importantly, Ineos seems to have tweaked the steering so that it’s sharper and much more responsive, a suspicion confirmed during a phone chat with Ineos commercial manager George Ratcliffe (son of founder and MD, Jim Ratcliffe). When I mention a residual gripe – an uncomfortable intrusion into the driver’s left foot space, caused by the exhaust downpipe, for which a YouTuber has found a possible solution – George promises to take a look at the weblink to see if they can
incorporate this mod. Can you imagine this kind of responsiveness at JLR? Our test vehicle had an OTR price of nearly £79,000, which is very much Defender 110 territory. Unless you’re a forestry worker or lay gas pipes for a living, it’s undeniably hard to justify buying a Grenadier over a Defender for all-round day-to-day use, given the latter’s superb on-road dynamics. And yet, and yet… The Grenadier has a unique character. It will always be a lot rarer, and consequently makes the driver feel as if they belong to an exclusive club that values function above ostentation. I loved it. Perhaps, really, the comparison should not be with a Defender but with one of those numerous ‘upgraded’ and blinged-up old-style Defenders for which numerous specialists ask huge amounts of money. Even though I’m a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the green oval, I know which I prefer. 137
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OVERDRIVE / Other Cars
Aston’s latest goes topless 2024 ASTON MARTIN DB12 VOLANTE GLEN WADDINGTON
LAST TIME I was out in a big, brand-new and expensive British convertible was late summer, 2023 (Octane 246). The car in question was the Bentley Continental GT, in swansong V12 form. Surely a natural rival for an Aston Martin, but Aston reckons its latest convertible is rather more sporting. And, just like the Bentley, it’s here now only with V8 power. That’s a tweaked, twin-turbo 671bhp worth of V8 power, of course, so maybe ‘only’ isn’t the word. Back in Octane 243, Matthew Hayward had raved about the DB12 Coupé. It’s really a significantly revised DB11 rather than a complete new package, but many of the changes are fundamental, not least the increase in stiffness, the headline figure of which is 140% across the front axle for a gain of 5% overall. That means, most unusually, this topless version required no
further stiffening in the process of losing the roof. James Owen, in charge of engineering for the marque’s front-engined sports cars, talks keenly about this, not least because it allows the dampers to do their work properly, and means that turn-in can be correctly optimised. And that’s how you move from a plush and comfy GT to something a bit closer to Ferrari territory. There’s been no need to back-off suspension settings to make up for a lack of rigidity; indeed, the rear springs are stiffened slightly to make up for the net gain of 90kg, thanks to the roof’s folding mechanism. Aston Martin is proud of that, too, not least its 260mm stack height (it maintains an elegant rear deck and decent boot space) and the fact that it takes only 14sec to lower. Being composed of eight layers of fabric and insulation, it allows the Volante to match the Coupé for on-road silence, too. More obvious to the eye are the styling revisions. The Volante has great sculptural presence and, while some have suggested that the front grille is a bit gobby, I’d wager that, from side-on and just
above, the DB12 is the most elegant Aston we’ve seen since the DB9. I’d call that praise. Same goes for inside, where a redesign has rid us of the DB11’s fussy dash, in its place a confident elegance that makes the most of obvious material quality and luxury. Yup, it’s still Merc-based, but new switchgear and bespoke screens lift the ambience well above that of a C-Class. The DB12’s on-road refinement is obvious. This is not a soft car yet it rides beautifully, taut and tied-down rather than plump and plush, but always comfortable. You can play with pre-set driving
modes from GT to Sport Plus; Sport is a great all-rounder, although I fiddled with the Individual setting to make the most of the more hardcore engine and transmission options, but with the damping dialled back. There’s more performance than you’ll ever need: 0-60mph in 3.6sec and on to 202mph, accessed via an eight-speed auto trans. You can play with the paddles in manual mode, but mostly the gearbox knows exactly which ratio to offer, and you can rip-snort your way from bend to bend, enjoying the roar of that V8. It might be a German engine but it feels at home here. The Aston corners flat with grip aplenty, and it turns-in extremely keenly. In these circumstances it feels more removed from the Bentley, which impresses by handling well for such a comfortable car. The Aston feels more overtly sporting, yet maintains the long-distance comfort that marks out the best GTs. Only a slight sense of artificiality at the helm detracts, marked mainly by a tiny but perceptible degree of on/off assistance around the dead-ahead. In every other respect, the DB12 Volante feels as good as it looks. And that’s delectable. Top and left Sculptural styling and a superbly honed chassis: the DB12 Volante offers multiple new-found talents.
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The Ex-Works, Eddie Hall, 1934 Mille Miglia, 1934 MG K3 Magnette
1934 Lagonda M45 Rapide T9 Tourer
1934 Talbot AV95/105 Super Sports Special Also Available: 1933 Talbot AV105 Super Speed Saloon. Please see website for more details.
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OVERDRIVE / Other Cars
The useful Porsche 2024 PORSCHE CAYENNE GLEN WADDINGTON
BACK IN Octane 237 we celebrated 20 years of the Porsche Cayenne. You know, the SUV that makes Porsche enough money that it can afford to feed us new 911s. And now we’re back, in the same neck of the woods, with the latest generation, recently tweaked and revised. And while the North Pennines have long been a brilliant stomping ground for various modern Porsches (green-laning in that Cayenne, and I vividly recall time spent in Durham and Northumberland driving a Cayman GT4 RS – Octane 229), the muddy and gravelly tracks around Kielder Water and the glorious B-roads that cross-cross the moors up into the wilds of Scotland are just perfect for a car with the broad talents of the Cayenne. Last year a quarter of all Porsches sold were Cayennes, and since it was launched more than 1.25million have been built. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, this latest version deviates little
from what went before, keeping the same basic five-door body with styling tweaks front and rear, a new dash within, and a revised range of engines. Octane is getting to grips with a 468bhp, V8-powered Cayenne S, which sits above the base V6 model. There are also two V6 hybrids (one turbocharged) and a turbocharged V8 hybrid. As before, there’s a ‘coupé’ version, still five doors but with a more steeply raked tail. ‘Our’ S tips the scales at 2160kg and will lighten your wallet of £84,400 in base form. Among the 11 grand’s worth of extras here are adaptive air suspension (£1760) and rear steering (£1325). Makes a change from the more usual extended leather (I can report that the plastic dashtop looks fine without bovine wrapping) though naturally enough there’s fancy paint for £900. Do those extras make for a 911-rivalling drive? Well, there’s no doubt that the Cayenne remains extremely effective dynamically, rarely feeling its weight and seeming to take up less space on the road than its extra-large footprint would suggest. It rides deftly, soaking up lumps and bumps, and never feels
soggy through bends, containing its body movements and not rolling excessively. It also feels quick, not devastatingly so, but certainly living up to its name in terms of acceleration and soundtrack; there’s always an encouraging V8 thrumble in the background. And when we take to the gravel the Cayenne barely seems to notice, providing perfect traction and soaking up much larger lumps and bumps without protest. Only one aspect niggles and that’s the transmission selector’s shift to a cheap-feeling paddle that protrudes from the dash to the left of the steering wheel. It’s unintuitive and incongruous.
One more thing worth adding. Briefly, towards the end of a most enjoyable day, I grab the keys to a base-model V6 running on steel suspension. Out on these glorious roads, I find myself driving it a bit harder and feeling better rewarded as a result. You have to wring out the V6 more than you do the V8, and the standard suspension, which admittedly offers slightly less resolve in terms of high-speed body control, instead provides a little more consistency in reaction and feels more involving. We’re talking degrees here; this is still a big beast. Yet even in its simplest form, the Cayenne is undeniably impressive, and surprisingly entertaining.
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2005/54 Ford GT (1st Gen) Finished in Centennial White with Ebony Leather Interior. Optional Extras – Exterior: Painted Blue Racing Stripe Livery; Light-weight Forged BBS Aluminium Wheels & Red Painted Brake Calipers. Interior: McIntosh AM/FM Radio with Single CD. This vehicle has covered minimal mileage and been regularly serviced by GT101. Originally supplied new to Rod Baker Ford Dealership of Illinois – and personally owned by Dealership Owner Mr Baker used for exhibition purposes only. Mid-engine, 2-seater Sports Car produced between 2005-06 inspired by the 1960’s racing GT40’s in celebration of Ford’s Centenary events. Fully Serviced and covered just 1,800 miles - All Handbooks, Car Cover & Charger + original US Window Sticker £439,995
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Gone but not forgotten WORDS RICHARD HESELTINE
John Paul Jr The meteoric rise and tragic freefall of an American idol who had the world at his feet
IT WAS A last gasp pass that caught everyone off-guard. John Paul Jr bested the greatest oval racer of his generation, Rick Mears, to win the 1983 Michigan 500. Mears was armed with the latest works Penske, at a circuit owned by Roger Penske, but he was jumped on the final lap by a 23-year-old rookie driving last year’s model fielded by a team new to the category. Oh, and the impudent phenom’s left leg was in a cast. Given that Paul Jr had been vying with Mario Andretti for honours during the previous round and was the reigning IMSA sports car champion, his career was surely heading only one way: to the stratosphere. It did, too, only to spectacularly plummet to Earth. There were a few bumps in 1984 but a year later Paul Jr landed a key ride in CART (IndyCar) with the Shierson squad. However, he abruptly departed the team mid-season, making way for future champion Al Unser Jr, while his life unravelled in public. It transpired that his father (and former team-mate) was on the lam after attempting to murder an excolleague who was going to testify against him. Dutch émigré John Paul Sr (born Johan Paul) was a Wall Street whizz before discovering that there was bigger money in marijuana. He was a lousy shot, too, but was adept at jumping bail. He bolted for Switzerland and it initially fell to the drug kingpin’s son to reap the whirlwind. In time Paul Sr was caught, but what did for his talented offspring was a prior arrest when 15. Paul Jr had been caught helping unload a drugs boat in Florida and received three years’ probation for possession. Put under pressure to testify against dear old dad – a man known in the pitlane as The Pirate for his volcanic temper – Jr refused. Despite various well-known members of the motor racing community writing to the judge requesting leniency, his previous conviction weighed heavily and the
man tipped as a once-in-a-generation virtuoso received a five-year sentence for racketeering. He served 30 months. No sponsor wanted to be associated with a jailbird so, when Paul Jr returned to the sport, it was generally with small teams armed with lesser equipment. There would be further, less frequent wins, but rarely at the same level. However, the loss of a glittering career, not to mention his liberty, wasn’t the tragic part of a narrative dripping in pathos. From all accounts Paul Jr was a nice guy and he was quick to admit that he had benefited from his father’s largesse (you don’t race Porsche 935s while barely out of your teens without big-league backing). Nevertheless, Paul Sr could be cruel and vindictive. He divorced his wife in the ’70s and she and her son were reduced to living in a trailer park and surviving on food stamps. Paul Jr certainly hadn’t had an easy ride. He had known hardship. As such, reconnecting with dad meant everything to someone who had been starved of paternal affection, even if it was freighted with pitfalls. Racing for a tyrant also ensured that results mattered, and beyond merely keeping your paymaster happy. Paul the elder was reputedly a brilliant man on many levels, but grievously flawed in others. He and his son were often team-mates. When they were winning, all was good. When they weren’t, Paul Jr generally bore the brunt. Even so, while admitting that his father was a tough taskmaster, he refused to throw him under the bus completely despite further future misdeeds. But Paul Jr’s biggest battle wasn’t a legal or familial one. Everyone in the pitlane knew that the ex-con had speed to spare, and he adopted a have-licence-will-travel approach, competing in everything from single-seaters to stock cars; racing anywhere he could earn a buck to pay the mortgage. Then, in 1999, Paul Jr’s redemption seemed complete, his pariah status redacted, when he landed a works drive with the newly formed Corvette Racing team. Two years later, he was testing his GT-1 car and couldn’t understand why the telemetry differed greatly from what his contact points were telling him. He was subsequently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This was a fight he couldn’t possibly win, his mother and grandmother having both been similarly cursed. Nevertheless, Paul Jr battled hard and lived to reach 60. He died in 2020. His was a life less ordinary, and one in which he was at least partially complicit with his fall from grace. Paul Jr was also a rarity among racing folk: nobody had a bad word to say about him, least of all those he beat. Left Whatever his troubles, there were no question-marks over John Paul Jr’s outrageous pace, here seen winning at Laguna Seca in IMSA in 1981.
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Icon
ALAMY
WORDS DELWYN MALLETT
The Phone Book Once a staple of every home, now heading the way of Berni Inns and Blockbuster BY THE TIME you read this, the very last printing of BT telephone directories will have been delivered. There will be no more after that. Another victim of the digital age. Of course, ‘I’m in the book’ has long ceased to be a stock response to ‘What’s your number?’ but it will now be officially consigned to antiquity and an anachronism in old movies. Soon, everyone will be ex-directory. The world’s first phone directory, a single sheet, was issued in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1878. Britain’s first directory, barely more substantial, arrived a couple of years later in 1880. What both had in common was that neither featured phone numbers. Telephone ownership was still so uncommon that subscriber’s names were simply listed with their addresses, 50 in the New Haven case and 248 in the British: you would ask the operator for them by name and were duly connected. Quite charming and personal but destined not to last as the newfangled ’phone rapidly caught on. By the outbreak of World War One the directory accounted for the UK’s largest print-run, with 1.4million copies. In 1926 it was decided to replace all-figure numbers by giving each exchange a name, generally related to the areas they served, the first three
letters of which would be printed in bold capitals in the phone book, followed by four numbers. The names were, of course, an illusion, an aide memoire, because on the telephone’s ten-hole dial a letter or number was simply a series of clicks to the machinery. Nevertheless, as exchange names were always pronounced in full, subscribers became very attached to their phone numbers, with a quiet satisfaction to be enjoyed when reeling off, say, a BELgravia or MAYfair number. Conversely, residents of some areas objected to their exchange names on the basis that they were too ‘downmarket’. London’s Bethnal Green was changed to ADVance and the today barely affordable area of Fulham became DUKe in the phone book. In 1958, as exchanges started switching to STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialling, not the other thing!), they gradually reverted to strings of numbers. The name-number system ended in 1966 but still elicits pangs of nostalgia for those old enough to remember it. Who could forget that they were once a VIKing (Northolt & Yeading)? One number that became familiar to all, due to the influence of movies and television dramas and irrespective of where they lived, was WHItehall 1212, the number for Scotland Yard (it still uses 1212, but now prefixed by the far less memorable 020 7230). Curiously, the Whitehall number was also familiar to many Americans as it was the title of a popular 1950s radio show that featured sensational cases culled from Scotland Yard’s Black Museum. Another number once as well-known internationally as Scotland Yard’s was ‘Pennsylvania 6-5000’, (six-five-thousand), the number for the Hotel Pennsylvania, a jazz musician’s haunt located in New York’s Penn Station exchange area and made famous by Glenn Miller’s 1940 swing classic. It also claims to be the world’s oldest number in continuous use. Arranging subscribers in alphabetical order of surnames is the obvious way to organise a directory but, for an unfathomable abandonment of this logic in the 1970s, Egypt’s Cairo directory was organised on the basis of first name. This resulted in a run of 18,000 Mohammeds spread over 226 pages! To further complicate things they were subdivided by second names: there being rather a lot of Mohammed Mohammeds in Egypt, it didn’t really help. There are around 45,000 different English surnames and it was hard to resist checking to see how many people shared yours – the fewer the more exclusive, one felt. It’s unlikely that many Smiths bothered with this harmless and fleeting pleasure but I imagine the Clutterbucks, Twelvetrees, Thistlewaites and Shufflebottoms enjoyed a brief frisson of delight at how few of their ilk there were. In an endeavour to be ‘first in the book’ a multiplicity of businesses adopted AAA prefixes and also spawned a plethora of AAardvarks, no doubt to the irritation of the few genuine Aardvark families. As phone directories eventually shrunk to letterbox-friendly size, they ceased to function in one of their secondary roles as a temporary booster seat for kids. Strongman entertainers who had hitherto garnered gasps by tearing the thick jobs in half were forced to seek other props in order to demonstrate their muscularity. Phone books are out of date the day they are printed and as early as the 1950s the cost and volume of paper used in constant updates was an issue, the discussion reaching the House of Lords, which considered a proposal to condense the hefty four-volume Greater London set into three, possibly two, books. It was argued that this would result in a volume as thick as the unwieldy Manhattan directory and the status quo prevailed: four colour-coded volumes, A-D in yellow, E-K pink, L-R green and S-Z blue. All of which should remain familiar to anyone old enough to have wrestled with them in a phone box. By this millennium the BT phone directory print run had reached 22million, consuming a massive 22,000 tons of paper (albeit now recycled), so its demise will not have come too soon for the ‘Ban The Phone Book’ movement, which for decades campaigned to reduce the environmental impact they generated.
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SPEEDMASTER SPECIALIST IN HISTORIC AUTOMOBILES Tel: +44 (0)1937 220 360 or +44 (0)7768 800 773 info@speedmastercars.com | speedmastercars.com
1970 CHEVRON B16 - FORD FVC
Built for the 1970 season and a competitor at both Daytona 24H and Sebring 12 Hours events with owner Brian Robinson early in the season. DBE -04 then returned to Europe and raced in various World Sportscar Championship events in 1970 and 1971. One of only 4 B16s with undisputed history, DBE-04 is eligible for Le Mans Classic, Masters Sportscars and Peter Auto CER1. This car has been raced regularly in Peter Auto and has only 6 hours running since engine rebuild. Complete with spares package, and new HTP. A well known, fantastic car for the world’s greatest motoring events. Please call for more information.
SM Octane APR 24.indd 1
08/04/2024 11:45
1970 Triumph TR6 UK RHD 175bhp, £20k of upgrades by Racetorations. Never bodily restored. Quite unique and a lovely car to drive. £24995
1959 JAGUAR XK1
Correct 3.41959 260bhp car fromXK150S long term JAGUAR 3.4ownership and pre Matching numbers with Jaguar Xk150 S Correct 3.41959 260bhp car from long term ownership and presented in first class condit JAGUAROccasionally XK150S 3.4 in this £149,995 Matching numbers with PAS upgrade Correct 3.4 260bhp car from long term ownership and presented in fi rst class condition with a warranty. wonderful world£149,995 of 1959 JAGUAR XK150S 3.4 1959 JAGUAR MatchingXK150S numbers3.4 with PAS upgrade cars you come Correct 3.4 260bhp carJAGUAR from longXK150S term ownership and presented inpresented first£149,995 classclassic condition with a warranty. Correct 3.4 260bhp car from long term ownership and in first class condition with a warranty. 1959 3.4 Matching numbers withnumbers PAS upgrade Matching with PAS upgrade across a ‘jewel’ of a Correct 3.4 260bhp car from long term ownership and presented in fi£149,995 rst class condition with a warranty. £149,995 1959 JAGUAR XK150S 3.4 car. Incredibly rare to Matching numbers with PAS upgrade Correct 3.4 260bhp car from long term ownership and presented in first class condition with a warranty.£149,995 start with and virtually Matching numbers with PAS upgrade unrepeatable to find in £149,995
this original condition. £139995
1970 Jaguar E Type series II
1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC
1970 Triumph T
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We have 2 outstanding UK RHD uprated and ready t On the button UK registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC long term ownership 1970 Triumph TR6 Ferrari 400iA uprated and ready to go On the button UK registered We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars 1965history Rolls Royce Silver III DHC from 1970 Triumph TR6 Ferrari 400iA FOC concours winner, £ One of the earliest cars made with period competition and aCloud senior 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC 1970 Triumph TR6 Ferrari 400iA term ownership uprated ready On the button UKlong registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CPand model carsto go FOC concours £49,995 FromFOC ourconcours Bath location we winner, have over 20 collecto the button UK registered from CP model carsto go executive of Jaguar as the most recent owner.On Great history. Superb, really superb. We have 2 outstanding UK RHD long term ownership uprated and ready winner, £49,995 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC 1970 Triumph TR6 Ferrari 400iA to be driven. Viewing is by appointment only. Al long term ownership uprated and ready to go From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us On the button£124995 UK registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars FOC concours winner, £49,995 to be driven. Viewing is by appointment only. All the cars are detailed on ou 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC 1970long Triumph TR6 Ferrari term ownership uprated400iA and ready to go From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us and ready On the button UK registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars FOC concoursFrom winner, £49,995 our Bath location have over collector carsonly. serviced, tested by us and ready to be driven.we Viewing is by20appointment All the cars are detailed on our website long term ownership uprated and ready to go
1970 Jaguar E1970 Type 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC long term ownership Triumph TR6
series II. A restored UK RHD matching numbers SALES car with WEBASTO SALES SERVICE sunroof. Perfect for the SERVICE STORAGE summer. £59995 SALES SALES STORAGE TRANSPORT SALES SERVICE T: +44 (0)7794 477 785 / E: NEIL SERVICEFrom our Bath location to be driven. Viewing bycollector appointment All the cars are on our website we have overis20 cars only. serviced, tested by detailed us and ready TRANSPORT SERVICE STORAGE STORAGE SALES to be driven. Viewing is by appointment only. All T: theFINANCE cars are(0)7794 detailed on our website WWW.FENDERBR +44 477 785 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROA From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us and ready FINANCE STORAGE TRANSPORT SERVICE to be driven. Viewing is by appointment only. All the cars are detailed on our website WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM T: +44 (0)7794 477 785 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM TRANSPORT T: +44 (0)7794 477 785 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us and ready TRANSPORT FINANCE STORAGE to be driven. Viewing is by appointment only. All the cars are detailedFINANCE on our T: website WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM +44 (0)7794 477 785 WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM FB-001 Octane advert MAR 23.indd 1 FINANCE TRANSPORT WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM T: +44 (0)7794 477 785 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM FB-001 Octane advert MAR 23.indd 1 FINANCE WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM T: +44 (0)7794 477 785 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM
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Chrono
WORDS MARK McARTHUR-CHRISTIE
A Hewitt to woo How buying and restoring a Seiko 6139 can be more rewarding, and a lot less risky, than owning a Patek Philippe Nautilus IF YOU’D BEEN fortunate enough to snag a basic steel Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/ 1A-010 in 2016, you’d have paid £16,340 (or £20k-ish for a grey market model – there were dealer waiting lists). In the insanity of the 2022 post-plague watch bubble, you could have sold the same watch for nearly £136,000 more. Today, you’d still pay £75,000. This is all splendid if you’re unnaturally prescient, loaded or have a time machine. But if, like the rest of us, you are simply mortal and just have a thing for watches, it’s a proper pain. The rising tide of watch prices has lifted all regatta timers (sorry) and all else with them. The 5711 is a superbly made watch, no question. And, as a Genta design – perhaps the Genta design – it’s part of history. But it’s not all that horologically interesting. So why is it the price of a year-and-a-bit’s worth of ULEZ fines? The top end of Watchworld is as driven by fashion, hype and whim as much as anything else. Ignore that and there are not only still bargains but pieces of history within reach. Like the watch you see here: the Seiko 6139. The debate about whether Heuer, Breitling, Büren and Dépraz’s Project 99 consortium, Zenith or Seiko were first to the post with an automatic chronograph will run and run. All three movements launched around the same time, but Seiko’s cal. 6139 – a 3Hz, fully integrated (no separate chronograph module, unlike the Project 99), column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch – has a solid claim to its place on the podium. Fortunately, people are still unreasonably sniffy about Seiko. That means there are plenty of cheap watches out there running these historic cal. 6139 movements. Wander into your local charity shop this weekend and there’s a better-than-evens chance you’ll find a couple in one of the cabinets. There’s more good news: Seiko movements tend – at this level at least – to be built for function and longevity rather than looks. And, in the right hands, even basketcases like the one pictured on this page are repairable. And that’s the bad news: they need to be. Because most have been working watches, they’ve been bashed about, neglected and sometimes bodge-repaired. The one you see here was, to be polite, a pig in lipstick and a fine example of the problems that can come with old Seikos. For a start, the chronograph hand had a mind of its own. It
would step off happily and then get bored, flopping down to 6 o’clock and staying there. The minute subdial hand fell out and went in search of pastures new. The pushers would push in but wouldn’t spring back out. And the timekeeping resembled First Great Western’s. This was a job for Duncan Hewitt, aka The Watch Bloke. He’s basically Jesus where vintage Seikos are concerned, having raised more from the dead than the rapture. The 6139 was bandaged up and sent off for treatment. Reports were good: ‘Your 6139 has been on the bench at last and is now completed and on test, you’ll be pleased to hear! The service went well, with the usual dirt and degraded lubrication.’ Perhaps things hadn’t been quite as bad as they looked. They hadn’t; they’d been much, much worse. The timekeeping had been dire because the hairspring resembled spaghetti. Duncan had painstakingly curved it back by hand. My watch was an export model, so should have had a geartrain bridge with 17 jewels (the Japanese market watches had 21). Nope, mine was a Japanese bridge. The jewel cap and spring above the escape wheel jewel had gone west.
The movement was missing screws, the set lever spring screw was broken, the pushers had no return springs or seals, and the dial had two bent feet. That’s before the flaking paint on the (wrong) hands that had got into the movement, and a few other minor issues. The pig hadn’t even managed lipstick. Duncan’s not one for hyperbole, and his email simply said: ‘Once I started stripping the watch and finding issue after issue, I didn’t hold out too much hope of getting it back to proper running order at a sensible price, but it’s actually turned out very nicely!’ Even after his full-on Resurrection Man job, the total cost of the watch and repairs was still less than £300, or roughly a tenth of the amount your 5711’s price would have dropped by each and every month since 2022. Just because ‘vintage’ watches have, sadly, become an investment class doesn’t mean there aren’t interesting and beautiful things out there anymore. There are plenty if you’re prepared to take a chance, buy what you like the look of (not what bloggers say is hot) and know a good watchmaker. It’s a lot more fun than immolating your credit card for the ‘latest thing’.
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Chrono
WORDS MARK McARTHUR-CHRISTIE
ONE TO WATCH
Tissot Seastar
The Navigator chrono’s underpriced three-handed cousin WE FEATURED THE Tissot Seastar Navigator Chronograph in issue 223, but here is its three-handed cousin, the plain old Seastar. Collectors discovered what daft value Tissot chronographs were a few years ago so prices have been heading up and good ones are around £1500 now. Fortunately, the three-handers haven’t held onto their coat-tails. For a watch that was mass-produced, the cal. 781-1 that powers it is still properly finished. OK, you don’t get perlage or posh geneva striping, but you do get a neat 17-jewel, hand-winding movement that beats at a respectable 18,000bph. By modern standards this one is tiny – 34mm including the signed crown – but thanks to a slim bezel it’s still perfectly wearable. These ‘basic’ models come in at 6mm thin, so they make fine everyday watches. If you’re after something bigger, you can go after the Seastar Ref. 44518-7 diver at 40mm-plus, but it’ll cost you a lot more. Tissot made enough Seastars to keep you happy for years. The challenge wouldn’t be collecting them, it would be finding space to keep them all. There were divers, dress watches, everyday wearers, gold and stainless cases and almost endless dial variants. One of the lovely things about the heavily lumed models such as this one is that the tritium plots will still glow for a few minutes, even 50 years after being painted. How much? Tissot produced these cal. 781 Seastars from the early 1960s until the ’70s and there are plenty still out there, so rarity hasn’t lifted them out of reach. You’ll find a charity shop special for as little as £15 or a new/old stock watch still in its box for £250. NEW WATCHES
PR516 MECHANICAL CHRONOGRAPH
FREDERIQUE CONSTANT X SECONDE/SECONDE
MEISTERSINGER PANGAEA DAY DATE 365
The original Tissot PR516 was one of the definitive 1970s chronographs. Powered by a hand-winding Lemania movement that ended up in Omega’s Speedmaster as the Omega cal. 321, it’s a proper classic. It’s also now the sharp end of £3k for a good one and you might be cautious about wearing it every day. So here’s the alternative – still hand-wound but now with a Valjoux A05.291 running a variable inertia balance (more precise regulation) at 28,800bph and a claimed +/-5sec per day. It’s chunkier at 41mm, has a domed sapphire and 100m of water resistance. £1720. tissotwatches.com
The watch industry takes itself far too seriously, with a few exceptions – Moser et Cie pokes fun constantly at its fellow Swiss makers and British firm Studio Underd0g always raises a smile. But Frederique Constant? Really? The Genevabased watchmaker hasn’t been known for levity, but its collaboration with Romaric André – better known as seconde/seconde – changes that. Here’s a watch that’s made to FC’s usual standards but looks as though the dial’s been handwritten and the hour markers are doing their own thing and have gone for a wander. Let’s hope for more humour in the industry. £2995. frederiqueconstant.com
Meistersinger is master of the elegant, understated and usually simple single-hander. This new Pangaea seems to be doing its best to undermine the ‘simplicity’ angle. You get the traditional Meistersinger single-handed time, but that hand now does triple duty by adding the date and day, too. It’s a cracking piece of design – a plain black-and-white dial would be too stark, so the maker has added tiny red markers to indicate the day and date and every other five minute interval. The sapphire back gives you a look at the modified 38-hour automatic Sellita SW220 movement. £2590. meistersinger.com
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CHARITY OPEN DAY Sunday April 28th
ASMotorsport Motorsport ltd AS ltd
Poplar Farm, Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 2AP Tel: 01379688356 Mob: 07909531816 Web: www.asmotorsport.co.uk Email: info@asmotorsport.co.uk
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ASM hand build bespoke versions of the R1 roadster, inspired by the Aston Martin race cars that won Le Mans and the world Sportscar championship in 1959. Contact us for details of commission builds and stock.
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Tel: 01379688356 • Mob: 07909531816 Web: www.asmotorsport.co.uk Email: info@asmotorsport.co.uk I-307295.indd 1
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1964 AUSTIN MINI ASM R1 Stirling Moss tribute car enjoying track time at Goodwood. COOPER S MK1 1071
ASM hand build bespoke versions of the R1 roadster, inspired by the Aston Martin race cars that won Le Mans and the world Sportscar championship in 1959. £59,000 Contact us for details of commission builds and stock.
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Renowned for its racing prowess, this sensitively restored example features original factory fitted twin tanks and reclining seats. This model is featured on the Mini Cooper S Register.
15/11/2018 13:08
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149
Gear
COMPILED BY CHRIS BIETZK
1984 PINARELLO MONTELLO AIR Although cyclists knew as early as the 1870s that adopting a tuck position made them faster, it took a long time for manufacturers to start making a real effort to improve bicycle aerodynamics. For a whole century, and in the face of diminishing returns, they sought to improve performance simply by reducing weight – but when the lightbulb went on in the late 1970s, a flurry of activity gave rise to a crop of more efficient bikes. Among them was the Pinarello Montello Air, as ridden to victory by American Alexi Grewal in the road race at the 1984 Olympics. Built at great expense with special teardrop- and oval-shaped ‘Air’ tubing from Columbus of Milan, the bike was thoroughly modern in design but it was also a timeless beauty. We let out an involuntary low whistle when we spotted this ’84 example at Vintage Vélo Berlin. It’s not cheap, but it’s uncommonly well-preserved, and the longer we stare at that blue cromovelato finish, the more panicked the voice of our inner bank manager becomes… ¤6800. vintageveloberlin.de
‘RACING ’73’ SHIRT BY T-LAB
1905 RICHARD-BRASIER POSTER
That illustration, a composite of several cars, is t-lab’s tribute to the high-airbox era of F1, when almost the whole grid used a Cosworth DFV engine and a winning car could still be knocked up by a few clever blokes in a shed. £32. t-lab.co.uk
Richard-Brasier briefly bestrode the world of motor racing, its cars winning the Gordon Bennett Cup in 1904 and 1905, and the company produced a poster to crow about its success, enlisting the services of the celebrated Art Nouveau illustrator Henri Bellery-Desfontaines. His artwork remains vivid on this rare example of said poster, which is in remarkable condition given its age. $POA. vintageautoposters.com
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R/C CITROËN DS BY TAMIYA See Tamiya’s latest radio-controlled model whizz about and you’ll immediately be put in mind of the DS’s exploits in rallying. The shapely Citroën, launched in 1955, was competitive for two full decades, and its last major overall win came 50 years ago this year, in the 12,000-mile 1974 London-Sahara-Munich World Cup Rally. R/C bundle £244; car only £159. jadlamracingmodels.com
BELSTAFF CHALLENGER MOTORCYCLE OVERSHIRT Part of a collection created to celebrate Belstaff’s centenary, this waterproof overshirt was inspired by the wax cotton coats produced by the company for motorcyclists back in the late 1920s and the 1930s. It’s more breathable than those stuffy early garments, though, and it features D30 armour at the shoulders and at the elbows. £450. belstaff.com
STEWART & WHITMORE BY TERRY ROSS Terry Ross has revisited his amusing sculpture of two Lotus Cortinas getting closely acquainted, breaking out the red and gold paint to create an edition that depicts a scrap between the Alan Mann-run cars of Jackie Stewart (#36) and John Whitmore (#35) in the 1966 Snetterton 500km. £1500. speed-still.com
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO EVO 150 D E LOREAN EDITION The excellent Evo 150 all-in-one amplifier and network music player has been given a facelift by its maker, provider of in-car audio systems to the new DeLorean Motor Company. The brushed metal body was inspired by the original DeLorean, and the digital screen can now be configured to display VU meters for an appropriately ’80s look. £2099. cambridgeaudio.com
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Books
REVIEWED BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS
An Austin Anthology III JAMES STRINGER, Veloce, £19.99, ISBN 978 1 787116 50 4
Book of the month
Seventies Motor Racing FRANCO LINI with DOUG NYE, Palawan Press, £400
This is 1970s motor racing through the eyes (and lenses) of photojournalist Franco Lini. The Italian, who died in 1996, was ever-present at the higher echelons of the sport and highly skilled. His work is accompanied by the words of British doyen Doug Nye who knew the dapper Montovan Lini from the mid-1960s. The book is large-format (300x300mm), printed on thick 170gsm paper and, after a brief introduction by Nye and profile of Lini by Gianni Cencelleri, is tackled year by year, each with an overview and some cultural touchpoints before piling into the photos and their lengthy, highly detailed captions. And it is all about those 480 pictures, which are reproduced beautifully and given the space they richly deserve across 432 pages. If you ever doubt the value of this, check out the picture of Emerson Fittipaldi in the Lotus 72 during practice for the 1972 Argentinian GP – the light and tones transport you straight to the Autódromo de Buenos Aires. There will be only 1050 printed:1000 numbered copies of the standard edition, plus a 50-off leatherbound edition. Is it an essential addition to every motoring library? To be honest, probably not because it is a posh photobook, containing many images that have been printed elsewhere. It is essential as a wonderful and affectionate tribute to one of the great pit-lane characters from an era when motor racing’s doors were usually open to the likes of Lini, Crombac et al and they could engage with drivers and teams on a level not dreamed of today.
The shot selection here has been especially magnificent and there is barely one that is simply about cars or on-track racing, the backgrounds often adding their own narrative – such as the shirtless fire marshall at Hockenheim looking on with the ennui of a spotty herbert queuing for ten Bensons in his Spar. Even if you ignore him, the photographer (we think) strolling away from the apex in his singlet vest and tartan shorts is difficult to get your head around. While his action shooting is good, what Lini really excelled at was reportage, whether it was the shot of a fan’s legs signed by multiple drivers or pit-lane scenes. Nor is this dominated by F1, with everything from rallying, sports cars and even ice racing included. Accompanying the slipcased volume on motor racing is a separate, sparsely illustrated three-part cultural essay on the 1970s by Michael Bracewell (below). It is entertaining enough, but I don’t expect it means a great deal more to those then wrapped up in the F1 circus than kids waiting for the next power cut, next ITV strike or unwelcome appearance of the Bay City Rollers on Top of the Pops. JE
Third in a series of compact hardbacks about odd corners of pre-war Austin history, this is perhaps the best. It covers a hugely diverse range of topics, from the 12/4 Open Road Tourer that was fought over by owners Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers, to the Austin Village of pre-fab bungalows in Birmingham – designed to last just 15 years, but still in fine shape over a century later – and much more. There’s even a story of how some 1950s Cambridge University students managed to hoist a ’20s Seven onto the roof of the uni’s Senate House in the dead of night. Packed with pics, it’s a constant delight. MD
Alfa Romeo, an Illustrated History 1910-2010 Schiffer Publishing, £59.99, ISBN 978 0 764367 30 4
Let’s face it, it’s difficult to go too far wrong with an illustrated history focusing on a company with an incredibly beautiful back catalogue. The running order isn’t chronological as you might expect, but is rather presented via themed chapters – such as those on racing history, concept cars, the evolution of Alfa’s grille and its aero engines – in a slightly random order. Providing a reasonably comprehensive overview, it’s a visually pleasing and easily digested 208-page hardback. MH
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Fast Fords JEREMY WALTON, Evro Publishing, £60, ISBN 978 1 910505 83 0
The sub-head below the title is important here: 50 years up close and personal with Ford’s finest. This isn’t so much an overview of performance cars from the Blue Oval – even though it does range from a ’50s Ford Pop up to the Focus and Mondeo era – but rather an autobiographical romp through all the hundreds of Fords (and other marques powered by Ford) that the author has been privileged to drive in his career as a motoring journalist and PR for – you guessed it – Ford. Not that it’s been a total love-affair all the way. Walton confesses that, having been seduced into the corporate Ford world quite early on, he quickly became disillusioned and left the company. He’s been freelance since 1977 – an achievement in itself.
Walton’s first job as a hack was with the anarchic Cars & Car Conversions magazine, which is where that Ford Pop came in: it was a 1650cc, 130bhp club racer. An incredible variety of later cars (and vans, as below) is covered in this hefty 408-page hardback, all tackled from a very personal perspective. Being a handy wheelman, he drove for TV ads, too, reinforcing the impression that, really, he’s never done an actual day’s work in his life… MD
One Formula 50 Years of Car Design
Collector’s book
GORDON MURRAY with PHILIP PORTER, Porter Press International, 2019, value £1750
While Philip Porter wrote this book, it was very much the pet project of Gordon Murray, a brilliant two-volume slipcased work costing £225 that somehow escaped the notice of the judges for the 2019 RAC Motoring Book of the Year. Octane’s Mark Dixon and I were both on the panel, so we’ve only ourselves to blame! While there is, of course, a lot about the McLaren F1 and F1 GTR, those don’t appear until volume two: a reminder of how long and varied
Murray’s career has been. There’s much about the Brabham F1 cars – including the infamous BT46B ‘fan car’ – but the story begins with a fascinating chapter on the cars he owned as a youngster, and it also includes oddballs such as the 2016 flat-pack OX truck and his Alfasud-powered version of the Midas kit car. Beautifully designed and printed, it’s worth every penny of its current £1750 valuation. Ben Horton
Ferrari 330 GTC MAURICE KHAWAM, MAK Group Books, $575 from makgroupbooks.com
Powered by Gibson MARK COLE, Porter Press, £40, ISBN 978 1 913089 65 8
The tale of Gibson Technology, formerly Zytek, is one of the greatest British motorsport success stories that you’ve probably never heard. This wonderfully detailed book from motorsport expert Mark Cole aims to set that straight, uncovering the triumphs, personal stories and all the raw results from this prolific engineering firm. Gibson has been one of the leading engine suppliers across the industry, powering numerous singleseater championships and LMP2 teams at Le Mans. It’s a fascinating read about some genuinely unsung heroes. MH
It would be disingenuous to suggest that every Octane reader needs this book in their collection. Clearly, being dedicated solely to such a niche subject as Ferrari’s luxe coupé and spider of the mid-to-late 1960s, it’s not for everyman, and certainly not at that price. But for owners and superfans, well, surely it’s a must-buy. It is highly unconventional in layout, and certainly far less the coffee table special its stylish slipcase might suggest. Instead, this is a highly detailed reference source, less about lush photography and more about reams of information, as well as insight from the likes of such revered designers as Tom Tjaarda and Aldo Brovarone. The author is an aeronautical engineer, as well as a racing driver and long-term Ferrari owner. His background makes itself evident in the logic and clarity with which the car is laid bare. Instead of the more usual ‘car as art’ presentation, what we find is detail shots of all the parts you usually wouldn’t see. Ever wondered what a perfect set of 330 GTC dampers looked like? Or why Sergio Pininfarina’s own car had two levers for the
heater on the dashboard rather than only one? Or why that latter detail went on to feature in the subsequent 365 series? That’s the kind of thing you’ll get to know here. Of course, this is far from the kind of source you’d keep on your garage workbench, being beautifully printed on thick, crisp paper. But it’s a measure of the book’s character in how it segues from the GTC’s genesis as a more refined kind of Ferrari than the more competition-biased Berlinettas into a detailed and lavishly illustrated analysis of its engineering. The sections by Tjaarda and Brovarone are delightful, as are the extensive appendices on factory certification, advertisements and brochures. And you really don’t have to be an aficionado to enjoy turning all 370 pages. GW
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Models
REVIEWS AND PHOTOGRAPHY MARK DIXON
Classic model WORDS: ANDREW RALSTON
BMW 1600GT by Sablon
1:18 scale
1952 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL By Spark Price £169.95 Material Resincast
It’s said that in the second half of the 1952 Le Mans 24 Hours, as the day was dawning, a fog descended thick enough that the drivers of the works Mercedes 300SLs had to open their gullwing doors in order to see where they were going. The caution paid off, because two of its three-car team came in 1-2 at the finish (the third, driven by Karl Kling and Hans Klenk, had retired due to electrical problems).
Spark’s model is of the winning car, piloted by Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess. It’s a beautiful thing, its flawless silver paint accented by the vivid blue grille surround and interior, complete with Mercedes’ trademark chequered plaid seats, while the super-fine vents in the side windows and rear roof have been cleverly modelled in the open position. For quality like this, the price is very reasonable.
1952 Aston Martin DB3 Spark £64.95 A DNF in the same Le Mans as the Mercedes, above, Parnell/Thompson’s car has also been superbly modelled.
1938 Bugatti T57SC Matrix £114.95 Absolutely gorgeous replica of a rare UK Vanden Plas-bodied Bugatti, with a very finely ‘carpeted’ interior.
1973 Ferrari 365 GTB4 Arena £225.95 The complex livery of a ’73 Le Mans French privateer Daytona has been perfectly reproduced on this handbuilt.
1968 Porsche 911L DSN 43 £87.95 Very light to handle, this 3D-printed resin model is well-finished and fully detailed – and fairly priced, too.
1933 Delage D8S Grümmer ABC Brianza £220.65 A translucent Lalique mascot and incredibly fine open bonnet vents are highlights of this stunning handbuilt.
1980 Vauxhall Chevette HSR Ixo £47.95 At less than 50 quid, this fantastic little diecast of the Airikkala/Virtanen RAC car will be a nostalgic bargain for many.
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Think of Belgium and it’s chocolates rather than cars that come to mind, but the two were brought together in an unusual promotion in 1968. Sablon, based near Brussels, was a newcomer to the diecast toy car market but got off to a good start by forming a link with Jacques, a well-known brand of Belgian chocolates. Chocolat Jacques had always been interested in promotional giveaways, and a model car offer seemed a logical development, the idea being that you could obtain one in exchange for a quantity of chocolate wrappers. You’d have to eat an awful lot of chocolate to get the whole set, however, as a total of 200 had to be sent in to receive just one model! Only five Sablon castings were issued as part of the Jacques promotion: a Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz 250SE, Renault 16, and two BMWs – a 2000CS coupé and 1600 saloon – though the first three were also available as police cars. The models were marked ‘Superchocolat Jacques’ underneath and came in orange-coloured boxes. The same castings were also on general sale under the Sablon name, followed by four other cars: Lamborghini Marzal, NSU Ro80, BMW 1600GT and BMW-Glas 3000GT, as well as a few trucks. Production lasted only into the early 1970s, but some of the cars were later made in Spain by Nacoral. The Jacques/Sablon cars suffered from a fatal flaw: a chemical reaction occurs between the hubs and tyres, causing the wheels to become horribly distorted. The only solution is to fit replacement wheels, but that spoils their originality. While there’s no shortage of sellers asking high prices, auction results suggest actual demand is low.
Models shown above are to 1:43 scale and are available from Grand Prix Models, +44 (0)1295 278070, www.grandprixmodels.com
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Ferrari 499P Winner
murrayscott-nelson.com
01723 361 227
MURRAY SCOTT-NELSON
info@murrayscott-nelson.com
Austin Healey 100/6. Early Longbridge RHD home market car originally sold by Lookers of Manchester in December 1956. Virtually unused since total nut and bolt restoration to the highest standards. Healey ice blue over ivory white with blue leather trim and blue mohair weather equipment. £ Please enquire
Austin Healey 3000 MK 3 BJ8 phase 2. This car has covered less than 200 miles since a total nut and bolt no expense spared restoration by ourselves. It is finished in duo tone Colorado red over ivory white with a black leather trim piped in red with black mohair weather equipment. £135,000
Austin Healey 100/4 BN2. Original right-hand drive export car built 31/5/56. Upgraded to M specification. Finished in ivory white over lobelia blue, louvred bonnet, M spec carburettors, telescopic shock absorbers, front disc brakes, 100S seats, 140mph speedo, Aston fuel filler cap and M registry membership. £87,500
Austin Healey 100/6. Original longbridge duo tone car supplied new to San Francisco 1957. Still in its original colour scheme, rust free ex California black plate car. 2020 Mille Miglia competitor. Fantastic opportunity to buy a Mille Miglia car at a sensible cost.
The Ferrari 499P was the very welcome surprise winner of the 2023 centenary running of the Le Mans 24hrs beating reigning victors Toyota into second and leaving Hypercars from Cadillac, Porsche, Peugeot, Glickenhaus and Vanwall trailing. To celebrate that amazing win, Italian master modelers Looksmart has produced this 1:43 model as well as the #50 pole position teammate. If you prefer your models a little larger, Looksmart will be making the winner in both 1:18 and 1:12 later in the year.
Only £94.46* + £5.00 p&p** *RRP £104.95
Quote: OCT499P
Tel: 01295 278070 mail@grandprixmodels.com
www.grandprixmodels.com
01723 361 227
info@murrayscott-nelson.com
Murray Scott-Nelson, Beaconsfield Street, Scarborough YO12 4EL
Celebrating 40 years of superlative vehicle storage
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Edited by Matthew Hayward
The Market B U Y I N G + S E L L I N G + A N A LY S I S
TOP 10 PRICES MARCH 2024 £9,563,918 ($12,105,000) 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60HP Roi des Belges Rothschild et Fils Gooding & Company, Amelia Island, USA. 1 March £3,480,302 ($4,405,000) 1967 Ford GT40 Mk1 Broad Arrow Auctions, Amelia Island, USA. 2 March
RM SOTHEBY’S
£3,393,393 ($4,295,000) 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa RM Sotheby’s, Miami, USA. 2 March £3,197,848 ($4,047,500) 2022 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Broad Arrow Auctions, Amelia Island, USA. 1 March
RM strikes balance in Dubai Small, high-quality catalogue helped first RM Sotheby’s Dubai auction raise $17.3m SETTING UP A new auction in an unfamiliar location can often lead to unpredictable results, yet RM Sotheby’s judged its first ever Dubai sale perfectly, grossing $17,381,045 in one night. Despite poor weather forcing the Canadian auction house to pull the event forwards by 24 hours, the saleroom – located in one of Dubai’s major art hubs, Concrete in Alserkal – was well-attended. Modern supercars made up a significant portion of the 22-car catalogue, and these were very much the strongest sellers. Leading the sale was something very special: a 2016 Koenigsegg Agera RSR, one of three special ‘R’ versions originally offered only to the Japanese market. Production of the Agera RS was limited to just 27 cars (including these three RSRs), which explains the final sale price of $3,380,000. Another limited-run supercar followed, the one-of-75 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss edition, selling for $3,211,250. The first Aston Martin Valkyrie to appear at auction since deliveries began at the end of 2021 sold for $3,070,625. Something for the ‘shooting brake’ enthusiasts was a one-off 2015 Rolls-Royce ‘Silver Spectre’ by Niels van Roij Design, which made $280,625, slightly shy of the estimated €300,000
original conversion cost. Quite the bargain, then. The 1959 Fiat 500 Jolly by Ghia felt slightly out of place in this company, but it sold for $39,100 after spending over a decade presented in a glass display cabinet (it had been returned to running condition pre-sale). Another slight outlier was the 1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2, which had made its way to the UAE in 2015 after 30 years in the US before that. It sold for a market-correct $103,500. Some of the more traditional ‘classic auction’ cars failed to sell though, namely a BMW Z8 and Porsche 993 Carrera 4S – both failing to gain enough momentum. Although bidding stalled during the auction, the 1935 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Recreation found a new home for an undisclosed sum post-sale. It’s fair to say, RM generally knew what would work well here, and its small but high-quality catalogue worked in the team’s favour – also making very clear the tax liabilities of each car. Sotheby’s Luxury also offered a selection of automobilia, watches and jewellery, which contributed close to $600,000 to the sale total. After a slightly lacklustre result on the grid of the Abu Dhabi GP in 2019, with some stand-out sales but a sale rate of just 58%, this result is a positive step for RM in the region.
£3,045,758 ($3,855,000) 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe RM Sotheby’s, Miami, USA. 2 March £2,628,727 ($3,380,000) 2016 Koenigsegg Agera RSR RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE. 8 March £2,654,668 ($3,360,000) 1990 Ferrari F40 RM Sotheby’s, Miami, USA. 2 March £2,611,214 ($3,305,000) 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 ‘Daytona’ Spider Broad Arrow Auctions, Amelia Island, USA. 2 March £2,497,485 ($3,211,250) 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE. 8 March £2,449,248 ($3,100,000) 1961 Porsche RS61 Spyder Gooding & Company, Amelia Island, USA. 1 March The top ten data is supplied courtesy of HAGERTY
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What goes up Can we predict which cars will increase in value? The short answer is ‘it depends’… THERE’S ONE QUESTION that I fear receiving, and it’s the simplest one of all: ‘What’s going up in value at the moment?’ I hesitate, inhale deeply, then start to reply. ‘It depends…’ First, it depends on where you get your pricing data from. Auctions are the obvious first port of call as most results are published, but they come with problems, many of which revolve around human beings. Live auctions are transactional and theatrical in equal measure: pride and persuasive auctioneers can have an inordinate effect, often aided by alcohol. Over the years, I have watched many times as a car soared past its estimate (and true value) as two bidders entered into the motoring equivalent of a duel at dawn, with bank balances at ten paces. Price guide data tends to be more accurate, as those anomalies can be placed into context. The UK Hagerty Price Guide tracks just under 2900 models and is updated quarterly by humans, who base their values not only on public sale results but also insured values and dealer prices. That’s important, because although Hagerty tracked 64,115 auction sales last year, these accounted for just 15% of the total prices it analysed; 85% went mainly unseen by the public. Wherever you get the data from, the answer will change depending on what question is asked. For example, in 2023, $200m more Ferraris sold at auction than in 2022, and the Prancing Horse saw the largest mean increase per car both in value terms (£69,540 or $88,389) and percentage growth (6.8%). So, are Ferraris growing in value more than other cars? No… a single $51.7m Ferrari 330LM/250 GTO that RM Sotheby’s sold back in November had a huge effect. The recent Paris auction results showed that the average no-sale price was over three times that of the average sale price; more expensive cars are struggling unless they are very special indeed. More interesting for me is watching how the market develops and spotting trends. The classic car market isn’t a fixed entity as most enthusiasts know, and cars go in and out of fashion as celebrities enthuse about them, they are seen in movies, the ownership demographic changes or time alters perspectives. Forty years ago, the very earliest E-types were the same age as the Porsche 996 is now, and the Jaguar MkV was a dead-cert classic. Now, drive a MkV to a classic car meet and no doubt you’ll get a lot of quizzical looks from people in their fifties or younger who have no idea what model it is. And that’s the key to the whole thing: the owners are changing, as are their tastes in cars. Over 60% of people requesting Hagerty insurance quotes worldwide were born since 1965, and the list of Price Guide cars that most rose in value last year reads like a Gen X’s bedroom wall: Porsche 959 and 930 Turbo,
Ferrari 512M and BMW Z3M. 27% of Hagerty policyholders are under 40; all the models insured that are over-represented in this demographic were built in the 1980s or sooner, and all are Japanese and German in origin. So, the answer to the question is to find a car that fits all the parameters: a German or Japanese modern classic, high-performance and with a motorsport heritage, instantly recognisable and with strong cultural references. One car meets all those requirements and has been rising quickly in value. The Hagerty Price Guide value for the Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000 rose by 161% over the past 12 months, more than any other car, and Subaru as a marque topped the list of percentage risers, mainly thanks to record sales of 22B Imprezas. So, is the Turbo 2000 the one to watch? Maybe, but be careful: a cheap car rising by a big percentage can remain a relatively cheap car. The other thing to remember is that all ‘growth’ is relative. Headlines talk about the tiny number of models soaring in value, not the thousands static or falling; owners conveniently forget the cost in time and money that they’ve invested between purchase and sale, and inflation can render even seemingly strong increases in value relatively worthless. If you want to make money, there are easier ways of doing it. If you want to buy a car and enjoy our wonderful hobby, remember your teenage posters, the cars in the computer games or the movies you loved: buy something you’ll be passionate about.
John Mayhead Author, Hagerty Price Guide editor, market commentator and concours judge
M A J O R M A N U FA C T U R E R S , 1 2 - M O N T H VA L U E C H A N G E ( % ) Subaru Citroën Fiat Alfa Romeo Ferrari Aston Martin Land Rover Maserati McLaren Jaguar Lancia Porsche Bentley Lamborghini Rolls-Royce BMW Volkswagen Austin-Healey Mercedes-Benz Ford MG DeLorean
Top ten year-on-year average UK Hagerty Price Guide value changes Source: Hagerty 159
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The Market Auctions
Genesis of a racing legend Bonhams, Monaco 10 May IT’S OFTEN IMPOSSIBLE to quantify just how significant a racing car is, but this rather special Lotus is up there among the greats. Racing fans will already recognise that this 1957-58 Lotus-Climax Type 12 – chassis 353 – was Lotus’s first ever Formula 1 racer. Not only that, but it was driven by Graham Hill during his debut Monaco GP, a race that he would go on to win a total of five times. Originally built to compete in F2 during 1957, this was Colin Chapman’s first singleseater racing car. For ’58, though, the Lotus founder set his sights on F1 and fittted a 2.0-litre Coventry Climax engine. It made its debut at Silverstone, driven by Hill. Its other claim to fame was in being lent to Denis Jenkinson of Motor Sport magazine, who thoroughly tested the car on British roads! Now it is offered by its most recent Australian owner, who has not only restored the car to perfect working order but also documented the full history of ‘353’ within his book on the definitive history of this model. Rather fittingly, it’s being offered in Monaco by Bonhams on 10 May, and estimated at €290,000-390,000. cars.bonhams.com
Auction Tracker
BMW M635 CSi & M6 BMW launched the M635 CSi for the European market in 1983, powered by a 282bhp 24-valve engine (M88/3) derived from the unit in the M1. North American and Japanese versions followed in 1986; badged M6, they used a
£200,000
catalysed S38 engine with power reduced to 256bhp. Bonhams’ Greenwich sale in 2014 saw an M635 CSi with 27,000 miles, first owned by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, make $38,500 (£30,500) – a strong result at the time. Subsequent auction sales indicated an upward trajectory, Classic Car Auctions setting the current benchmark three years later when it hammered away a 15,000-miler for £100,100. Unsurprisingly, the US is the principal market for M6 sales,
where they have followed a similar pattern. Monterey 2016 brought the first stand-out result, Mecum achieving $99,000 (£78,500) for a US-spec example with 25k miles. RM Sotheby’s established the outright record in 2022, with the sale of a 6356km, Japanese-spec M6 (pictured) from a BMW dealer’s collection at €207,000 (£178,000). Dan Norris of Munich Legends offers some insight: ‘Straddling two generations of 5-Series splits the M635 CSi into two groups; the earlier chrome-bumper cars and
the later Highlines. Values are more dependent on provenance, but some colour combinations are more sought-after. The 20 UK-spec Motorsport Editions are the holy grail; a low-mileage, restored car with provenance could sell for £125k. A non-motorsport edition with under 30,000 miles would be a little bit more than £100k today. ‘I don’t think the best cars have dropped back in value. They had a fairly slow climb, which usually means prices hold tight, even when the market has slowed.’ Rod Laws
Line charts the top prices for comparable cars at auction. M635 CSi M6
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Glenmarch is the largest free-to-access online resource for classic and collector car auction markets. Visit glenmarch.com to keep up to date.
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Quick Glance
AUC T ION DI A RY
1974 Lancia Beta Group 4 RM Sotheby’s, Monaco 10-11 May, rmsothebys.com Lancia has built countless great rally cars over the decades, yet the Beta’s exploits seem largely forgotten. This wonderful-looking Group 4 Beta was prepped by the Lancia Works Department as a Group 3 car, before it ended up in privateer hands. Upgraded to Group 4 spec in 1975, it was rallied successfully until 1980. Recently rebuilt, but still largely original, it’s estimated at €90,000-120,000.
1996 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Grand Sport
1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkII coupé
The Frank Micoli Collection
Iconic Auctioneers, Sywell, UK 18 May, iconicauctioneers.com
Hampson Auctions, Cheshire, UK 12 May, hampsonauctions.com
Mecum, Indianapolis, USA 18 May, mecum.com
To celebrate the end of C4 Corvette production, a run of 1000 Grand Sport ZR-1s was built, paying homage to the legendary Corvette racers of 1963. Borrowing the colour scheme, these run-out models featured a 330bhp 5.7-litre LT4 V8 and six-speed manual. This 13,985-mile example is offered with an estimate of £23,000-29,000.
The phrase ‘barn find’ is not mentioned anywhere in the description of this DB2/4 MkII, but it’s certainly a considerable project. It’s offered complete, with a freshly rebuilt engine that lays the foundation for a much-needed bodywork restoration. A difficult car to value, hence it is simply offered at ‘no reserve’.
Frank Micoli has spent his life building an amazing collection of cars, bikes and art, and it will all be sold by Mecum in Indy. Ferraris are at the heart of the Italian theme, with nine of the 40 cars offered featuring a Prancing Horse badge. Highlights include a 599 GTO, 512BB, 812 GTS, Superamerica, 550 Maranello, 456M and two 575Ms!
Also Look Out For… One morning in 1971, Bill Bowerman, struck by an idea, stood up from the breakfast table and poured urethane into his wife’s waffle iron. It was the action of someone sure in the solidity of his marriage, and of a man obsessed with his pet project: the creation of a new, lightweight, all-surface running shoe. University of Oregon running coach Bowerman had co-founded Nike (originally Blue Ribbon Sports) in 1964, but to begin with the company had just been a distributor of Onitsuka Tiger sneakers. Bowerman was driven to give his athletes the best shoe possible, and his moulded ‘waffle sole’, offering cushioning and grip, was one of Nike’s earliest innovations. It was first used on the so-called ‘Moon Shoes’ made for elite runners ahead of the 1972 US Olympic trials.
Maybe 12 pairs were made – by hand and crudely. The sole was attached in two pieces, and the shape was cut out with shears. A very rare surviving pair will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in Toronto on 31 May, and the house suggests that the yellowed Moon Shoes will make (US) $200,000-300,000. That estimate might be a little light: when last offered in 2019, the shoes fetched $437,500, then a record price for a pair of sneakers sold at auction.
Please confirm details with auction houses before travelling 27 March Brightwells, online Charterhouse, Sparkford, UK H&H, Solihull, UK (motorcycles) 24 April H&H, Buxton, UK 25 April SWVA, Poole, UK 26 April Gooding & Company, Oxnard, USA 26-27 April Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, USA 27 April Bonhams, Rhode Island, USA Broad Arrow Auctions, Costa Mesa, USA Classicbid, Stuttgart, Germany WB & Sons, Killingworth, UK 28 April Osenat, Paris, France 30 April Wannenes, online 1-2 May Mathewsons, online 4 May Bonhams, Miami, USA 8 May Brightwells, online 8-17 May Gooding & Company, online (motorcycles) 9 May Artcurial, Monaco 10 May Bonhams, Monaco 10-11 May RM Sotheby’s, Monaco 10-18 May Mecum, Indianapolis, USA 11 May Barons, Southampton, UK Historics, Farnborough, UK Richard Edmonds, Showell, UK (motorcycles) 12 May Hampson, Tattenhall, UK 13 May Brightwells, online 18 May Iconic Auctioneers, Sywell, UK Morris Leslie, Errol, UK 25 May Manor Park Classics, Runcorn, UK 31 May-1 June RM Sotheby’s, Toronto, Canada IN ASSOCIATION WITH
You might like to know: Speedway linocut by Sybil Andrews (featured in issue 251) sold for £47,880.
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The Market Dealer News
SHOWROOM BRIEFS
1933 Bentley 3½ Litre Barker £155,000 Period photos suggest that this interesting colour scheme was first applied when this Barker Sporting Two-Door body was first fitted in the 1950s. Recently serviced and ready to be driven. realcar.co.uk (UK)
2008 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 £184,990 from VVS Ltd, Kent, UK NOT ONLY WAS the Murciélago a watershed moment for Lamborghini – showcasing that an Italian supercar could be every bit as wild under the watchful eye of Audi – but it also seems to have become more appealing with age. As the final model to make use of the original Bizzarrini-designed Lamborghini V12 engine, it book-ended an impressive 40-year run for the legendary power unit. The model underwent many changes throughout its life, and this 2008 version offered by Lamborghini expert VVS represents one of the best-evolved of breed. Being a post-2006 second-generation LP640 means that it is fitted with the updated 6.5-litre V12, producing 631bhp at a spine-tingling 8000rpm. These later Murciélagos also benefit from a muchimproved semi-automatic six-speed E-Gear set-up,
not to mention visual upgrades in the form of updated bumpers, these gorgeous Hemera alloy wheels, a large single-exit exhaust and transparent engine cover. VVS describes this one as a ‘full specification car’, which means it was fitted with all of the expensive options, too, including carbon ceramic brakes and contrasting Q-citura stitching. With around 19,000 miles, this car has been used but also perfectly maintained. It comes in what many think is the definitive colour, Arancio Atlas. By their very nature Lamborghinis tend to be loud and shouty – both literally and figuratively. However, in the context of today’s turned-up-to-11 breed of hyper-aggressive supercars, there’s actually something slightly restrained, pure and analogue about the Murciélago. vvsuk.co.uk
1981 Audi quattro €72,900 In many ways these early 10-valve Ur-quattros are the sweetest to drive, and this honest-looking 117,700km French example with optional leather seats looks appealing. bscc.fr (FR)
1960 Renault Floride $52,500 Originally the daily driver of a Marseille-based local radio star, this Floride was imported to Florida in 2011. The Cibié Optique concave headlights look just right, as do the Robergel wheels. hymanltd.com (US)
The Insider A RECENT VISITOR to the shop with a collection of post-war cars had nothing pre-war as they were ‘slow and boring’. At the end of his visit I took him for a spin in my 4½ Litre Bentley and it changed his mind. He found it visceral, engaging and rewarding, it was fun and he loved it and declared an intention to own one (I’m working on that). Buying an early classic can seem questionable to anyone without the chance to ‘have a go’ but very few give them up once sampled. Dip your toe in Austin Seven Ulster Rep. Small car, huge fun, prices anywhere between £15,000 and £30,000. Overlooked 4½ Litre Lagonda M45 T7 Tourer. Great value under £200,000. What’s hot Bentley 4½ Le Mans Rep. Heroic British all-rounder with film star looks. £550,000-700,000. Grail Invicta S-Type, Alfa 1750, Bugatti Type 43 – if you have to ask the price…
Peter Bradfield Leading London specialist with a penchant for pre-war cars. bradfieldcars.com
1973 Porsche 911 2.4T Targa $279,995 AUS Originally a UK-market car, this 2.4T Targa in rare metallic silver was comprehensively restored in 2011 following its import into Australia. Matching numbers and correct in every detail. classicthrottleshop.com (AUS)
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PETER BRADFIELD LTD PETER BRADFIELD LTD PETER BRADFIELD LTD PETER BRADFIELD LTD PETER BRADFIELD LTD PETER BRADFIELD LTD
1967 Maserati Mistral
1967 Maserati Mistral Maserati’s Modena factory built over 800 Mistrals but only 23 in right hand drive. This matching number example has the super rare Maserati’s Modena factory built 8001964 Mistrals but only 23 intwin right hand drive. This numberback example the super rare 1967 Maserati Mistral alloy body and its impressive specover includes a 4 Litre, six cylinder, plug engine that canmatching trace its heritage to thehas legendary 250F. Works Healey 3000 Lightweight 1967 Maserati Mistral alloy body and its impressive spec includes a 4 Litre, six cylinder, twin plug engine that can trace its heritage back to the legendary 250F. Maserati’s Modena factory built over 800 Mistrals but only 23 in right hand drive. This matching number example has the super rare Delivering of low range built torque and smooth at high revs its is impressive and well matched to thethe5 speed ZFa “767 KNX”lots is an important historic racing car.power It 1967 was hand by performance the Healey Company Competition Department withrare 1967 Maserati Mistral Maserati’s Modena factory over 800 Mistrals but only 23built in right hand drive.Motor This matching number example has super Maserati Mistral Delivering lots of low range torque and smooth power at high revs its performance is impressive and well matched to the 5 speed ZF alloy body and its impressive spec includes a 4 Litre, six cylinder, twin plug engine that can trace its heritage back to the legendary 250F. gearbox and all-round disc brakes. The current owner commissioned a complete restoration that took over four years and was recorded lightweight chassis and an all-aluminium body. It was the only ‘Works’ entry for the 1964 “Sebring 12 Hour” driven by Paddy Hopkirk Maserati’s Modena factory built over 800 Mistrals but only 23 in right hand drive. This matching number example has the super rare alloy body and its impressive spec includes a 4 Litre, six cylinder, twin plug engine that can trace its heritage back to the legendary 250F. Maserati’s Modena factory built over 800 Mistrals but commissioned only 23 in righta hand drive. This matching number example has the super rare gearbox and all-round disc brakes. The current owner complete restoration that took over four years and was recorded Delivering lots of low range torque and smooth power at high revs its performance is impressive and well matched to the 5 speed ZF in hundreds of detailed photographs. The car was stripped to the bare chassis and meticulously rebuilt throughout. The engine had a and then campaigned byrange Ted spec Worswick insmooth the Targa Florio with Alan Minshaw and intrace 1968 with Richard Bond. The current owner alloy body and impressive specincludes includes a441966 Litre, sixcylinder, cylinder, twin plug engine that can traceits itsheritage heritage back the legendary 250F. 1964 Works Healey 3000 Lightweight Delivering lots ofimpressive low torque and power at high revs its performance iscan impressive and well matched to the 5 speed ZF alloy body and itsits acar Litre, six twin plug engine that back totothe legendary 250F. in hundreds of detailed photographs. The was stripped to the bare chassis and meticulously rebuilt throughout. The engine had a gearbox and all-round disc brakes. The current owner commissioned ainjection complete restoration that took over four years andthe was recorded new crank and rods, triple 45DCOE Webers replaced its asthmatic fuel system and a new wiring loom was fitted. The body was 1964 Works Healey 3000 Lightweight acquired it in 2015 and Jeremy Welch thoroughly race prepared it. KNX is very fast and handles well. The high performance 3 litre Delivering lots of low range torque and smooth power at high revs its performance is impressive and well matched to 5 speed ZF “767 KNX” isofanlow important historic racing car. It was hand builtitsby the Healey Motor Company Competition Department with gearbox and all-round disc45DCOE brakes. The current owner commissioned aperformance complete restoration that took over fourwas years was recorded Delivering lots range torque and smooth power atasthmatic high revs is impressive and wellloom matched toand theThe 5 speed ZF a new crank and rods, triple Webers replaced its fuel injection system and a new wiring fitted. body was in hundreds of detailed photographs. The car was stripped to the bare chassis and meticulously rebuilt throughout. The engine had stripped toand bare metal and repainted inracing Maserati blue with the wheels in black and Oxblood leather to the interior. Offered “767 KNX” is an important historic car. was hand built byaaalloy the Healey Motor Company Competition Department with engine with three 45DCOE Webers and all body. round brakes give itbare very nice edge. It has athat fuel cell, fire system and safety cage andaaa gearbox all-round disc brakes. The current owner commissioned acomplete complete restoration took over four years and was recorded lightweight chassis and an all-aluminium Itdisc was the only ‘Works’ entry for the 1964 “Sebring 12 Hour” driven by Paddy Hopkirk in hundreds of detailed photographs. The car was stripped toBorrani the chassis and meticulously rebuilt throughout. The engine had gearbox and all-round disc brakes. The current owner commissioned restoration that took over four years and was recorded stripped to bare metal and repainted in Maserati blue with the Borrani alloy wheels in black and Oxblood leather to the interior. Offered new crank and rods, triple 45DCOE Webers replaced its asthmatic fuel injection system and a new wiring loom was fitted. The body wasa in exceptional condition, its a lot more car than an E Type and a lot less money than a Ferrari. lightweight chassis and an all-aluminium body. It cabinet. was theasthmatic only ‘Works’ entry for the 1964 “Sebring 12your Hour” by Paddy Hopkirk over four years has filled ain trophy Comes with sets of wheels, spares etc, buy owndriven cabinet. in hundreds detailed photographs. The car was stripped tothe the bare chassis and meticulously rebuilt throughout. The engine had and then campaigned by Ted Worswick the 1966 Targa Florio with Alan Minshaw and in 1968 with Richard Bond. The current owner new crank and rods, triple 45DCOE Webers replaced its fuel injection system and amoney new wiring loom was fitted. The body was in hundreds ofofdetailed photographs. The car was stripped to bare chassis and meticulously rebuilt throughout. The engine had a in exceptional condition, its a lot more car than an E Type and a lot less than a Ferrari. stripped to bare metal and repainted in Maserati blue with the Borrani alloy wheels in black and Oxblood leather to the interior. Offered and then campaigned byand Ted Worswick thereplaced 1966 Targa Florio with Minshaw and in 1968 with Richard The current owner new crank rods, triple 45DCOE Webers replaced itsasthmatic asthmatic fuel injection system and anew new wiring loom was fitted. Thebody body was acquired itand inrods, 2015 and Jeremy Welch thoroughly race prepared it.Alan KNX is very fast and handles well.loom TheBond. high performance 3was litre stripped toand bare metal repainted inin Maserati blue the Borrani alloy wheels in black Oxblood leather tofitted. the interior. Offered new crank triple 45DCOE Webers itswith fuel injection system and aand wiring was The inand exceptional condition, its blue a lot with more carBorrani than analloy E Type and a lot less money thanThe a Ferrari. acquired ittobare in 2015 and Jeremy Welch thoroughly prepared it. itKNX iswheels very fast and handles well. high performance 3 litre stripped bare metal repainted Maserati the wheels black and Oxblood the interior. Offered engine to with three 45DCOE Webers and all round disc brakes give a very nice edge. Itless has aOxblood fuel cell, fire system and safety Offered cage and inand exceptional condition, itsblue a race lot more car than an E Type and ablack lot money thanleather aleather Ferrari. stripped metal repainted inin Maserati with the Borrani alloy inin and totothe interior. engine with threeover 45DCOE Webers and all round disc brakes give it a very nice edge. It has a fuel cell, fire system and safety cage and in exceptional condition, its a lot more car than an E Type and a lot less money than a Ferrari. four years has filled a trophy cabinet. Comes with sets of wheels, spares etc, buy your own cabinet. in exceptional condition, its a lot more car than an E Type and a lot less money than a Ferrari. over four years has filled a trophy cabinet. Comes with sets of wheels, spares etc, buy your own cabinet.
1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre
1925 Nash Bentley 1952 Frazer Targa3-4½ FlorioLitre “KYN 9” 1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio “KYN 9”comfort YK 1360 is a Short Chassis Speed Model still fitted with its original Vanden Plas coachwork. It has hasand been uprated with perky The Targa Florio was designed as a sports car with competition potential combined with just enough bootuprated space forwith touring. 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre YK 1360 is a Short Chassis Speed Model still fitted with its original VandenLitre Plas coachwork. It been aa perky 1925 Bentley 3-4½ The Targa Florio was designed as a sports car with competition potential combined with just enough comfort and boot space forwith touring. 1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio “KYN 9” YK 1360 Short Chassis Model still fitted with its original Vanden Plas coachwork. It has been uprated a perky “KYN 9”isengine isaunique because itSpeed was the only Frazer Nash built with the 2.6 litre Austin-Healey derived engine and was the 1952 London 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre 4½ litre giving it a good turn of speed and mechanically feels good on the road. The talented Mr. Getley at Kings1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio 9”The 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre 4½ litre engine giving it a itgood turn of speed andBentley mechanically feels good on“KYN the enough road. talented Mr.the Getley at Kings1925 3-4½ Litre “KYN 9”is isaFlorio unique because was only Frazer Nash built with the 2.6 litre Austin-Healey derived engine and was 1952 London The Targa was designed as athe sports car with competition potential combined with just comfort and boot space forwith touring. 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre Motorshow car. Itwas was sold to Louis Keller in the fitted USA who competed with it in the 1954 Golden Gate Park Race in San Francisco. In YK 1360 Short Chassis Speed Model still with its original Vanden Plas coachwork. It has been uprated a perky 4½ litre engine giving it a good turn of speed and mechanically feels good on the road. The talented Mr. Getley at Kings1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio “KYN 9” The Targa Florio designed as a sports car with competition potential combined with just enough comfort and boot space for touring. 1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio “KYN 9” bury Racing has maintained it. However, aBentley number of previous owners have taken dogged delight inwas willfully ignoring the 1925 3-4½ Litre Speed Model YK 1360 is isahas Short Chassis Speed Model fitted with its original Vanden coachwork. ItPark hasand been with aInperky bury Racing it. However, astill number of previous owners have taken aa to dogged delight in willfully ignoring the Motorshow car.maintained It was sold to Louis Keller in the USA competed with it in thePlas 1954 Golden Race inuprated San Francisco. “KYN unique because it was the onlyBritish Frazer Nashwho built with the 2.6 litre Austin-Healey derived engine the 1952 London 1986 the9”car was discovered by the famous actor, John Rhys-Davies and brought back theGate UK. In 2008 KYN 9 was fully race
YK 1360 aShort Short Chassis Speed Model still fitted with its original Vanden Plas coachwork. has been uprated with aperky perky The Targa was designed asathe asports sports car competition potential combined with just enough comfort and space for touring. 4½ litre engine giving it awith good turn ofFrazer speed andwith mechanically feels good on the road. The talented Mr. Getley at race Kings“KYN 9” isaFlorio unique because was the only Nash built with the 2.6 litre Austin-Healey derived engine and was the 1952 London The Targa Florio was designed as car with competition potential combined with just enough and boot space for touring. bury Racing has maintained it. However, awith number of previous owners have taken aroad. dogged delight inboot willfully ignoring the YK 1360 isisand Short Chassis Speed Model still fitted with its original Vanden Plas coachwork. ItItPark has been uprated with perky Chassis 1066 was delivered desirable Plas coachwork and both chassis and body numbers are stamped in the YK 1360 is acar Chassis Model fitted its original Vanden Plas coachwork. It has been uprated with aaamarks paintwork it has has accordingly developed depth of patina you could drown in. Its bears its battle-scars and witness marks 1986 the was by the famous British actor, John Rhys-Davies and brought back to thecomfort UK. In 2008 KYN 9Getley was fully 4½ litre engine giving it Speed aitto good turn ofstill speed and mechanically feels good on the The talented Mr. atright KingsMotorshow car. Itdiscovered was sold Louis Keller in the USA who competed with it drown in the 1954 Golden Gate Race in San Francisco. In paintwork it accordingly developed aaVanden depth of patina you could in. Its bears its battle-scars and witness YK 1360 is9”and aengine Short Chassis Speed Model still fitted with its original Vanden Plas coachwork. Itdelight has been uprated with perky prepared by Blakeney Motorsport and the car has been campaigned by2.6 three subsequent competitive owners. The current owner bought “KYN is unique because it was the only Frazer Nash built with the 2.6 litre Austin-Healey derived engine and was the 1952 London Motorshow car. It was sold to Louis Keller in the USA who competed with it in the 1954 Golden Gate Park Race in San Francisco. In 4½ litre giving it a good turn of speed and mechanically feels good on the road. The talented Mr. Getley at Kings“KYN 9” is unique because it was the only Frazer Nash built with the litre Austin-Healey derived engine and was the 1952 London places. It was uprated to 4½ litres in 2010 with new crank and rods giving it a good turn of speed and reliability. That Mr. Getley has been bury Racing has maintained it. However, a number of previous owners have taken a dogged in willfully ignoring the paintwork and itand has accordingly developed a depth of patina you could drown in. Its bears itsdelight battle-scars and witness marks 4½ litre engine giving itaaprepare good turn ofto speed andcampaigned mechanically feels good on the The talented Mr. at Kingsprepared by Blakeney Motorsport and the has been by three subsequent competitive owners. The current owner 4½ litre giving it good turn of speed and mechanically feels the road. The talented Mr. Getley at Kings1986 the car was discovered by the famous British actor, John Rhys-Davies and brought back to the UK. Inand 2008 KYN 9Getley was fully race asbury badges of honour and has appeared with distinction on at least least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and raced at the Goodwood the car inengine 2021 had BMS the car the highest standards. Presented in beautiful condition, “KYN 9” israced one ofSan the finest postRacing has maintained it. However, number of previous owners have taken aroad. dogged in willfully ignoring as badges of honour and appeared with distinction on at three Flying Scotsman Rallies at the Goodwood Motorshow car. Itmaintained was sold to Louis Keller inathe the USA who competed with itgood in theon 1954 Golden Gate Park Race in Francisco. In the 4½ litre engine giving ithas atonumber good turn ofcar speed and mechanically feels good on the road. The talented Mr. Getley atbought Kings1986 the car was discovered by the famous British actor, John Rhys-Davies and brought back to the UK. In 2008 KYN 9 was fully race Motorshow car. It was sold Louis Keller in USA who competed with it in the 1954 Golden Gate Park Race in San Francisco. In looking after it but clearly a of previous owners have taken a dogged delight in ignoring paintwork and it has accordingly bury Racing has it. However, a number of previous owners have taken a dogged delight in willfully ignoring the 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre Speed Model paintwork and it has accordingly developed a depth of patina you could drown in. Its bears its battle-scars and witness marks the car inof 2021 and had BMS prepare the the highest standards. Presented in beautiful condition, “KYN 9” isthe one the finest post- the prepared by Blakeney Motorsport and thecar car has been campaigned by three subsequent competitive owners. The current owner bought as badges honour and has appeared with distinction on at least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and raced the Goodwood bury Racing has maintained it.and However, ahas number of previous owners have taken adogged dogged delight incurrent willfully ignoring the war Nash’s and is offered in race ready condition with current HTP papers. A weighty history file accompanies carof9at with magazine bury Racing has maintained it. However, aatoBentley number of previous owners have taken aaIts delight in willfully ignoring Revival. Concours types and ‘try-hards’ need not apply but will suit any number of bounders, blaggards or cads. 1986 thecar car was discovered by the famous British actor, John Rhys-Davies and brought back to the UK. In2008 2008 KYN 9was was fully race paintwork and itwas has accordingly developed aVanden depth of patina you could drown in. bears its battle-scars and witness marks Revival. Concours types ‘try-hards’ need not apply but will suit any number of bounders, blaggards or cads. prepared by Blakeney Motorsport and the car been campaigned by three subsequent competitive owners. The owner bought 1986 the was discovered by the famous British actor, John Rhys-Davies and brought back to the UK. In KYN fully race bury Racing has maintained it. However, number of previous owners have taken dogged delight in willfully ignoring the 1925 3-4½ Litre Speed Model developed a depth of patina you could drown in. It bears its battle-scars as badges of honour and has appeared on at least three Flying Chassis 1066 delivered with the desirable Plas coachwork and both chassis and body numbers are stamped in the right war Nash’s and is offered in race ready condition with current HTP papers. A weighty history file accompanies the car with magazine paintwork and hashad accordingly developed depth ofstandards. patina you could drown in. Itsbears bears itsbattle-scars battle-scars and witness marks the car inof 2021 and BMS prepare the car toand the highest Presented in beautiful condition, “KYN 9” israced one ofand the finest postas the badges honour and hasprepare appeared with distinction on at by least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and at the Goodwood articles, photos, bills letters documenting all itssubsequent owners andin. competition history. Revival. Concours types and ‘try-hards’ need not apply but will suit any number ofRallies bounders, blaggards or cads. paintwork and ititand has accordingly developed aadepth depth of patina you could drown in. Its bears its battle-scars witness marks prepared by Blakeney Motorsport and the carto has been campaigned by three subsequent competitive owners. The current owner bought paintwork it has accordingly developed aaVanden of patina could drown Its its and witness marks car in 2021 had BMS the car the highest standards. Presented in beautiful condition, “KYN 9” iscurrent one of the finest postby Blakeney Motorsport and the car has been campaigned three competitive owners. The owner bought asprepared badges of honour and has appeared with distinction on at you least three Flying Scotsman and raced at the Goodwood Chassis 1066 was delivered with the desirable Plas coachwork and chassis and body numbers are stamped in the right Scotsman Rallies raced at Goodwood. Concours types, ‘try-hards; and matching number zealots need not enquire but will suit any places. Itand was uprated to 4½ litres in 2010 with new crank and rods giving itits aboth good turn of speed andaccompanies reliability. That Mr. Getley has been paintwork and itConcours has accordingly developed depth ofnot patina you could drown in. Its bears itshistory. battle-scars and witness marks articles, photos, bills and letters documenting all owners and competition war Nash’s and isand offered in race ready condition with current HTP papers. A weighty history file the car with magazine as badges of honour and has appeared with distinction on at least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and raced at the Goodwood Also available Revival. types and ‘try-hards’ need apply but will suit any number of bounders, blaggards or cads. the car in 2021 and had BMS prepare the car to the highest standards. Presented in beautiful condition, “KYN 9” is one of the finest postasplaces. badges ofhonour honour and has appeared with distinction on atgiving least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and raced at the Goodwood war Nash’s and offered in race ready with current HTP papers. Asuit weighty history fileof accompanies the car with magazine car in 2021 and had BMS the car to the highest standards. Presented in beautiful condition, “KYN 9”That israced one ofitGetley finest postas badges and has appeared with distinction on at least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and at the Goodwood Itof was uprated to 4½ litres in 2010 with crank and rods itwill aits good turn of speed and reliability. Mr. been blaggard, bounder or cad. looking after it isbut clearly aprepare number ofcondition previous owners have taken a dogged delight innumber ignoring the paintwork and has accordingly Revival. Concours types and ‘try-hards’ need not apply but any bounders, blaggards orhas cads. articles, photos, billsnew and letters documenting all owners and competition history. Also available as the badges of honour and has appeared with distinction on at least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and raced atthe the Goodwood warNash’s Nash’s and offered in race ready condition with current HTP papers. Aowners weighty history file accompanies the with magazine 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre 1934 Invicta Sweighty Type by Carbodies Revival. Concours types and ‘try-hards’ need not apply but will suit any number of bounders, blaggards or cads. articles, photos, bills and letters documenting all itsAbadges and competition history. war and isisoffered in race ready condition with current HTP history file accompanies the car with magazine looking after but clearly atypes number of‘try-hards’ previous owners have taken apapers. dogged delight in ignoring the paintwork and itcar has accordingly Revival. Concours and need not apply but will suit any number of bounders, blaggards or cads. Also available developed aitConcours depth of patina you could drown in. It bears its battle-scars as of honour and has appeared on at least three Flying Revival. types and ‘try-hards’ need not apply but will suit any number of bounders, blaggards or cads. Also available 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre Sdetails Type bycompetition Carbodies Revival. Concours types ‘try-hards’ not apply butInvicta will suit any number bounders, blaggards or cads. articles, photos, bills and letters documenting owners and competition history. on See Website for more 1954 Bentley R1934 Type Continental articles, photos, bills and letters documenting allall owners history. Also available developed a depth of patina you and could drown in. Itneed bears its battle-scars asitsits badges ofand honour andof has appeared at least three Flying Scotsman Rallies and raced at Goodwood. Concours matching zealots need 1925 Bentley 3/4½ Litretypes, 1933‘try-hards; Invicta Sand Type 1965number Alfa Romeo TZ1 not enquire but will suit any 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre 1934 Invicta S Type by Carbodies 1954 Bentley Ravailable Type Also available Scotsman Rallies and raced at Goodwood. Concours types, ‘try-hards; andContinental matching number zealots need not enquire but will suit any Also 1925 Bentley 3-4½ Litre 1934 Invicta S Type by Carbodies blaggard, bounder or cad. 1954 Bentley R Type Continental 1925Bentley Bentley3-4½ 3-4½blaggard, LitreAlso 1934 Invicta Typeby byCarbodies Carbodies bounder or cad. 1925 Litre 1934 Invicta SSType 1954 Bentley R available Type Continental
See Website for more details See Website Website for for more more details details See See Website for more details 1954 Bentley Ravailable Type AlsoRInvicta See Website for more 1954 Bentley Type Continental 8 REECE MEWS 1925 Bentley 3/4½ KENSINGTON Litre 1933 SContinental Typedetails 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ1LONDON SW7 3HE See Website for more details 8 REECE MEWS 1925 Bentley 3/4½ KENSINGTON Litre 1933 Invicta S Type 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ1 LONDON SW7 3HE peter@bradfieldcars.com 8 REECE REECE MEWS MEWS 8 peter@bradfieldcars.com REECE MEWS MEWS 88REECE REECE 88peter@bradfieldcars.com REECE MEWS MEWS peter@bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com
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www.bradfieldcars.com KENSINGTON KENSINGTON www.bradfieldcars.com KENSINGTON KENSINGTON www.bradfieldcars.com KENSINGTON www.bradfieldcars.com www.bradfieldcars.com www.bradfieldcars.com www.bradfieldcars.com
Tel: 020 7589 LONDON SW78787 3HE LONDON SW7 3HE Tel: 020 7589 8787 LONDON SW73HE 3HE LONDON Tel: 020 020 SW7 7589 8787 LONDON SW7 3HE Tel: 7589 8787 Tel: 0207589 7589 8787 Tel: Tel: 020 020 7589 8787 8787 15/12/2023 12:27 14:15 10/04/2024
The Market Buying Guide
THE LOWDOWN
WHAT TO PAY Prices for well-used early cars start at about £3000, although you’ll likely find project cars for less. We’d actually suggest upping your budget to around £5000 to get something with under 80,000 miles and a great maintenance record. Some of the nicest, lowest-mileage examples are saloons, usually with the automatic gearbox. Generally seen as less desirable in four-door form, these could make the smarter purchase if you’re not in need of a dog-friendly wagon.
Subaru Legacy 3.0R spec.B Now we know what’s happened with Impreza Turbos, time to find another prospect CONSIDERING THE inherent advantages of flat-six ‘boxer’ engines, it’s always amazed me just how few cars have made use of them over the years. Porsche no doubt made the most of the low centre-of-gravity and in-built harmonic smoothness, but (without mentioning the Corvair) the only other manufacturer really to embrace the layout is Subaru. Who could forget the wonderful Giugiarostyled SVX coupé? Yet, we’ve been thinking about one that you almost certainly have forgotten about: the Legacy 3.0R spec.B. By all accounts the fourth-generation Legacy – introduced in 2004 – was a smart-looking car, although it suffers somewhat with an air of anonymity. It’s one that really grows on you though, and the trademark Subaru frameless windows make it feel somewhat special. While most models were powered by turbocharged flat-fours, at the very top of the range was the 242bhp, 3.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six 3.0R. So, what is it exactly? The Legacy 3.0R was positioned as a luxury, automatic-only cruiser, aiming at the plusher 5-Series and E-Class models. Yet it had the potential to be something rather more driver-focused, and that’s where the all-important spec.B badge comes in. Subaru developed a bespoke six-speed manual gearbox from the Impreza STi, and fitted a set of specially tuned Bilstein dampers – really waking up the Legacy’s very composed chassis. 18-inch wheels were also fitted, although with relatively modest 215-width tyres, which helped to keep the chassis quite playful. Visually the spec.B remained incredibly understated, perhaps even more so than the
turbocharged flat-four models as it lacked the intercooler scoop on top of the bonnet. Ultimately, it made this one of the least-suspected Q-cars money could buy – boasting a respectable 6.5sec to 60mph and a 151mph top speed. Combined with Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system – permanent, symmetrical four-wheel drive with a viscous centre and limitedslip rear differential – it’s an incredibly capable car in all weathers. The engine remains silky-smooth right up to the 7000rpm redline, which is good as it really does its best work after 4500rpm. 2006 brought with it a mild facelift, most notably a more modern-looking grille, headlights and moderately improved interior quality. If you opted for the optional five-speed automatic, it came with steering column-mounted paddle-shifters. Subaru also introduced the SI-Drive system, which offers Intelligent, Sport and Sport Sharp driving modes via a rotary control knob in the centre console. Those Bilstein dampers were tweaked, as was the steering, to give it a little more weight. The fact that it’s a naturally aspirated engine makes it far less tuneable than the smaller turbocharged models, which along with the Legacy’s more ‘grown up’ image is probably why you can still find gloriously unmodified examples. The 3.0R was never a huge seller in the UK, and being in the maximum tax bracket (and managing around 25mpg on a good day) can make running one as daily transportation a considerable pain. They are at least ULEZ compliant, and if you can find an estate with a manual gearbox, it’s a useful load-lugger with the heart of a performance car… but one that really doesn’t shout about it. Matthew Hayward
LOOK OUT FOR The 3.0-litre flat-six is relatively unstressed, and as long as it gets regular oil changes and servicing, then it’s actually pretty tough. It’s chain-driven, so thankfully no timing belt changes to worry about. Oil leaks are sadly quite common, so a dry engine points to a cared-for car. Getting to all six spark-plugs is a fairly major operation, and misfires can often be traced to old plugs, but it’s key to check that there are no signs of head gasket failure – fixing it could outstrip the value of the car. One weak point is with the original exhaust Y-pipe, which rots prematurely, so an uprated stainless-steel system is a bonus. Just make sure the original catalytic converter is still in place. The Bilstein dampers are hugely expensive to buy from Subaru, but aftermarket options are available, including similar ones from Bilstein. If they’ve not been changed by now, then they will most likely be tired. Suspension wishbone bushes are often worn, but are not picked up by the MoT. Harder-used examples can suffer with corrosion on the sills and rear wheelarches, although rust-proofing is generally a lot better than on older Subarus.
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THE ASSIC THE CLASSIC CLASSIC ASSIC
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1931 TALBOT AO75/90 1931 TALBOT AO75/90 1931 TALBOT AO75/90 “GO 8057” FOR SALE “GO “GO 8057” 8057” FOR FOR SALE SALE • • •
First owned by racing driver and record-breaker First owned by racing driver and record-breaker First owned by racing driver and record-breaker Goldie Gardner Goldie Gardner Goldie GardnerRoesch Talbot with continuous • An exceptional • An exceptional Roesch Talbot with continuous • history An exceptional Roesch Talbot with continuous from new history from new history from new • Unique four-seater tourer by KC Bodies First owned by racing drivercoachwork and record-breaker • Unique four-seater tourer coachwork by KC Bodies First owned by racing driver and record-breaker UniqueBrooklands four-seaterhistory tourer coachwork by KC Bodies • Goldie Period Gardner • Period Brooklands Gardner history •• Goldie Period Brooklands history An exceptional Roesch Talbot with continuous • An exceptional Roesch Talbot with continuous history from new history: from new ENQUIRIES +44 (0)1242 384092 : SALES@CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM : CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM • Unique four-seater tourer coachwork by KC Bodies ENQUIRIES : +44 (0)1242 384092 : SALES@CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM : CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM • Unique: +44 four-seater tourer coachwork by KC Bodies ENQUIRIES (0)1242 384092 : SALES@CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM : CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM • Period Brooklands history • Period Brooklands history
1931 TALBOT AO75/90 1931 TALBOT AO75/90 “GO 8057” FOR SALE “GO 8057” FOR SALE
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Aston Martin Specialists
1957 DB2/4 MKII FHC
Sales | Restoration | Parts | Servicing | Engineering
Only 34 DB2/4 MkII Fixedhead Coupes were built in period, with only 14 of those offered for sale in the UK market. This car is number 33 of 34, the final RHD car produced, and has undergone a full restoration at Aston Workshop prior to dry storage in one of the UK’s premier Aston Martin collections. Resplendent in its colour specification of Peacock Blue with a Silver Birch roof and Grey leather, the car has Mille Miglia eligibility and is presented in fantastic condition.
30+
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CAR OF THE MONTH
MILLE MIGLIA ELIGIBLE
Mille Miglia Preparation from the Aston Martin Experts
Eligible Aston Martins: Bertelli ‘Le Mans’ Cars, 1930-1934 Ulster Cars, 1935 2 Litre Speed, 1936-1937 DB2, 1950-1953 DB3 and DB3S, 1953-1957 DB2/4, 1953-1955 DB2/4 Mk II, 1955-1957
The modern Mille Miglia event is a tribute to the original 1000 mile race on the roads of Italy, and as such the organisers place a supreme focus on originality and period appropriate car preparation. This means that modern upgrades aren’t allowed, so it’s important to use an experienced marque specialist such as Aston Workshop who have the know-how and knowledge to prepare your car with the in-period techniques and equipment that will set your entry up for success. Aston Martin entered the original Mille Miglia race, and by using their entries as guidance we can devise a period appropriate setup that will deliver a reliable and enjoyable race experience.
V8 EVOLUTION 6.0 - AN ASTON WORKSHOP SPECIAL PROJECT CURRENTLY IN BUILD
POA
£199,950
For more information please contact our Workshop Managers Neil Calvert or John Gray on +44 (0) 1207 233525 or email astonworkshop@aston.co.uk
1961 DB4 SERIES III
£399,950
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1959 Jaguar XK 150 FHC
1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible
An outstanding DB5 Convertible with an excellent history. Supplied by us as an excellent original car in 1982, having sinced been the subject of a ground up restoration and upgrade to 4.2 Litres.
1926 Sunbeam Super-Sports A 3 Litre twin cam, dry sump, stiffened chassis frame, mechanically rebuilt with new block (original still with car), rods/pistons high ratio crown wheel & pinion. Veteran of Paris/Deauville, Paris/Vichy rallies. We are always eager to buy important collectors cars. Valuations and advice always available.
Int T 0044 (0) 79 85 98 80 70 sales@charlesprinceclassiccars.com charlesprinceclassiccars.com
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2014 MERCEDES SLS AMG CABRIOLET ‘FINAL EDITION’ (1 OF 350)
A 1 owner car presented in obsidian black with black leather and silver contrast stitching. This is AMG’s fi nal goodbye to its iconic SLS. What they gave us was an exposed carbon fi bre bonnet and fi xed rear wing from the black series and an engine upgrade giving you an extra 20 bhp. The interior is lavished with carbon fi bre and high-grade leather from Mercedes’s design department. 1,185 miles
1983 FERR ARI 512 BBI
1970 MERCEDES-BENZ 280SL ‘PAGODA’
Rosso corsa with crema leather, 1 of 42 UK RHD, Ferrari Classiche certifi cation, extensive history file, original tools and handbooks, 17,347 miles
White with black, known ownership from new, comprehensive history file, original tools and handbooks 62,765 miles
2015 PORSCHE 911 (991) GT3 (LHD)
2016 MERCEDES A MG GT-S
White with black interior, Clubsport package, roll cage, front axle lift, 20” GT3 alloys with central locking nut, optional 90 litre fuel tank, PCM with sat nav, 161 miles
Selenite grey with two tone black and pepper red exclusive nappa leather. 1 owner from new, AMG exterior carbon package, AMG performance steering wheel, Burmester sound system, 7,655 mile
The leading specialist in sourcing the rare and unobtainable. We are always looking to buy interesting cars.
+44 (0) 1772 613 114 | sales@williamloughran.co.uk | www.williamloughran.co.uk
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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish V12 Zagato Full Pure Black leather interior. 1 owner example, just 69 Miles from new and comes optioned with Villa D’este package. Aston Martin main dealer service history from new. 69 Miles. £389,990
2022 Lamborghini Huracan V10 LP 640-2 STO
Ferrari 458 Speciale
Carbon fibre front spoiler and aerodynamic fins, Carbon fibre side sill fins, Carbon fibre engine bay, Carbon fibre racing seats. 400 Miles. £379,990
2019 Porsche 911 Speedster
2016 Lamborghini Aventador V12 LP 750-4 Superveloce
1 owner, Gloss carbon exterior, Carbon fibre interior package, Sports exhaust system, 20/21” Dianthus centre lock alloy wheels. 6,800 Miles. £354,990
Mclaren 765 LT Coupe
Nero noctis contrast package, Sports seats, Multifunctional steering wheel,Titanium rollcage, Lamborghini telemetry, Lifting system, Full body PPF, 20” Hek forged alloys. 590 Miles. £309,990
Black leather interior, Carbon fibre bucket seats, Carbon fibre interior package, Automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors with rain sensor, Cruise control.1,500 Miles. £299,990
MSO Clubsport package, Super lightweight Carbon fi bre racing seats, Bowers and Wilkins sound system, Lightweight alloys with Diamond finish. 4,500 Miles. £292,990
2020 Ferrari 812 Superfast V12
2016 Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 SV
Lamborghini Aventador LP740-4 S Roadster
Suspension lifter, Adaptive headlights with SBL function, Scuderia shields, Rear privacy glass, Titanium exhaust pipes, 20” forged diamond alloys, Ferrari main dealer history. 2,400 Miles. £279,990
2018 Lamborghini Huracan V10 LP 640-4
Magneto-rheologic suspension lifting system, Brooke Race Exhaust system, 20” Loge centre lock alloys, Full body PPF, Full main dealer service history from new. 15,000 Miles. £212,990
2013 Lamborghini Aventador V12 LP 700-4 Multi functional steering, Navigation, Transparent engine cover, Arancio brake callipers, Dione forged alloys, comprehensive Lamborghini main dealer service history, 1 Owner. 3,200 Miles. £176,990
Carbon fibre race seats, Carbon fibre interior package, Matte Carbon fibre exterior package, Lifting system, Large SV decal in Arancio, Arancio painted brake callipers. 15,000 Miles. £259,990
Ferrari 812 Superfast
Leather headliner, Cavallino stitched on headrests, Passenger display, Red rev counter, Privacy rear windows, Suspension lifter, Scuderia shields. 11,600 miles. £209,890
2017 Porsche 911 991 GT3
Carbon fibre bucket seats, Sports chrono package, 6 point racing harnesses, Carbon ceramic brakes, Reversing camera, Guards red Seat belts. 4,700 Miles. £142,890
Fully electric seats, Branding package, Transparent engine cover, Lifting system, 20/21” Dionne alloy wheels finished in Gloss black with Diamond face. 12,500 Miles. £244,990
2008 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Imported by DK Engineering from Singapore, Carbon fibre driving zone with LED’s, Carbon fibre race seats, Carbon fibre engine bay, Scuderia shields, 19” Scuderia alloys. 7000 Miles. £184,990
2015 Lamborghini Huracan V10 LP 610-4
Fully electric and heated seats, Sports exhaust system, Shiny black tailpipes, Transparent engine cover with Forged carbon engine bay, 20” Giano alloy wheels. 28,000 Miles. £124,990
BUYING OR SELLING LAMBORGHINI MOTORCARS T +44 01580 714 597 E sales@vvsuk.co.uk W www.vvsuk.co.uk (Viewing by appointment only) Address: VVS UK LTD PARK FARM, GOUDHURST ROAD, CRANBROOK, KENT, TN17 2LJ www.lamborghinibuyer.com Additional Websites: www.justlamborghini.com
AC HERITAGE
1990 AC Cobra MKIV Lightweight Ordered by Drambuie Liqueur Company in corporate colours, 16,300 miles from new. Retains full factory specification. POA
1970 AC / Allard J2X Thames Ditton 428 rolling chassis with factory fitted 7 litre engine and gearbox. The prototype Allard J2X was fitted by Paul Emery of ‘Emery Cars’ fame. POA
1957 AC Ace Bristol 3 owners. SCCA race history. Matching numbers. Goodwood and Mille Miglia eligible. Current FIVA and FIA papers. £315,000
1953-1963 AC Ace project 1956 AC Aceca Bristol RHD Thames Ditton unnumbered chassis, built to original specification, with AC engine and gearbox for rebuild. £69,995 1956/57 Tulip Rally. NOW SOLD
For more information about any of these vehicles, please contact our sales team. AC Heritage · International Broker of Historic & Classic Motorcars · Brooklands Motor Circuit, Surrey, UK Telephone +44(0)1932 828545 · Mobile +44(0)7557 878123 · www.acheritage.com
The School Garage www.classiccarshop.co.uk
1954 Austin Healey 100/4 BN1
Original RHD Uk car in Black with red leather trim, Hood and red weather equipment. Overdrive, wire wheels, unique registration number AH1004. A magnificent and rust free example with continuous history. Cherished number plate is also available - AH 1004. One of the finest available. Serious enquiries only. £79, 950
2006 Aston Martin DB9
Midnight blue with sandstone and blue leather. Usual high specification, alloys, Aircond, Full electric pack, sport’s exhaust, sports seats, 47000 miles only, with Full AM service history plus one specialist, recent tyres, all books tools and documentation, in mint and original showroom condition. Very rarely as nice as this. £32950
2008 Porsche 997 Carrera 2S cabriolet
With sports Tiptronic auto. Alloys, sports exhaust CD. Power Hood, plus superb factory spec.Black with Black full leather trim and red callipers, Stunning showroom condition example done 44000 miles from new with FPSH, all books & tools, keys and documentation. £36,950
1975 Bentley T1 - Rare
In Seychelles Blue with navy blue leather 75000 miles with excellent comprehensive service history, Vast documentation and original handbook pack original build sheets, bill of sale etc. Stunning example. £34,950
2005 Bentley Continental GT
Dark Emerald Green with Beige leather 2 owners, low mileage, Full documented history in mint original showroom condition. Very special car. £22,950
1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 FHC
Indigo blue with beige leather trim, wire wheels, uprated 5 speed gearbox, matching numbers RHD example, last owner since 1988. Restored several years ago to show winning condition by leading specialist, still in very sharp condition and drives perfectly. £95000
THE SCHOOL GARAGE BOTANY BUSINESS PARK, MACCLESFIELD ROAD, WHALEY BRIDGE, SK23 7DQ T: 01663 733209 • M: 07767 617507 MARTIN J. DALY (EST 1979)
8 FINE EXAMPLES FROM UP TO 50 CLASSIC & PRESTIGE AVAILABLE
2002 Mercedes Benz. SL 55 AMG
In designo mystic Red with mystic Red leather trim, massive factory specification including AMG alloys, Aircond, full electric pack, CD, etc Recent new Tyres and Full service, 48500 miles only, stunning and original, Not to be confused with the normal high mileage/neglected examples on offer, Sold full comprehensive warranty/ delivery etc. £27,950
1964 Jaguar E Type 3.8 FHC
RHD Matching numbers example in Signal Red with original red leather trim. CWW, very original rot free car that drives better than any E Type we have owned. Mechanically perfect, with some areas of cosmetic patination, but if you like driving and rallies this is the car. £79,950
We are always interested in buying part exchanging or selling cars similar to the above. Situated 25 mins from Manchester Airport. Visit our website for more info/photos.
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1938 Aston-Martin 15/98 Drophead Coupe
£ 110,000
Aston-Martin 15/98 D8/840/SC is rare, even by pre-war Aston-Martin standards. Only 24 were made, with only 11 known to remain intact. The 15/98 model was the last of the pre-war cars and was very advanced for the time with synchromesh Moss gearbox, a powerful wet sump 2-litre engine & Girling rod brakes. D8/840/SC has the benefit of wind-up side windows and is equipped with a black hood and cover. The Abbott coachwork provides snug weatherproof motoring with the dickie seat offering 2+2 seating or ample luggage storage. Ideal for long distance touring or rallies.
+44 (0) 1234 240024 | info@ecuriebertelli.com | ecuriebertelli.com | 53 Stilebrook Road, Olney, MK46 5EA, UK
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MILESTONE MOTORCARS
1993 XJ 220
2011 599 GTO
Finished in Le Mans Blue with grey leather. Two owners from new, and only 1450 miles.
One of only 599 constructed. 2840 miles from new. Pristine in Rosso Corsa with Dark grey Alcantera interior.
561 424 6030 For our current inventory please visit our website www.MilestoneMotorcarsLLC.com 175
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R AW L E S M O T O R S P O R T LT D
Austin Healey Restoration - Upgrades - Sales - Service - Upholstery - Concours Prep - Engine Build & Rolling Road
Austin Healey 100 UK RHD, Long Term Ownership & Great History. Old English White paintwork completed 2012, with nice Navy seats and renovated trim. Engine and gearbox re-built in 2012, a fantastic example. £68,500.
1961 Ruddspeed Modiied Austin Healey 3000 MkI, from brand new this 3000 was modiied by legendary tuners Ruddspeed to produce 186BHP. This is a fantastic, Rawles Motorsport restored car with relatively low miles but loving care since. £65,000.
1963 Austin Healey 300 MkIIA, Reno Red, restored 2011 with electrostati coating to chassis. £10,000 programme of improvements by the current owner, very nicely refurbished interior and wet weather gear. £59,750.
1963 Austin Healey 3000 MkIIA, Specialist Restoration, Colorado Red, Black interior. 20,000 since restoration at cost of £110,000 with inflation which was a full nut and bolt job by JME Healeys. £59,500.
1959 Austin Healey 3000 MkI Two-Seater, UK RHD, Ivory White with Red interior. One of just 68 UK cars for the rare and coveted two-seat Healey. Nicely upgraded and with service work by ourselves recently. £49,000.
Austin Healey 3000 MkII, Tri-Carb, Centre Change! A very original and presentable car with excellent panel quality, known to us for a very long time. Very low original mileage of just 66,200 and competitively priced at £39,500.
1960 MG A 1600, original RHD, 5 speed gearbox, Koni damper upgrade, new starter motor, 15,000 miles since restoration. White with Black interior. A very nice usable example of the MGA. £24,750.
NEWLY RESTORED AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 MKIII BY RAWLES MOTORSPORT
Rawles Motorsport Ltd, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4JR
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01420 23212
Enquiries@RawlesMotorsport.com
1964, 1966 and 1967 cars available in Healey Blue Metallic with or without doutone and other cars in build. Original spec or upgraded. £POA.
www.RawlesMotorsport.com
1974 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33-3/Flat 12: Rare, fantastic race record, Ickx, Stommelen, Reutemann, Monza, Nurburgring, Imola. All orig., fresh rebuild, race ready.
WE WILL BUY AND CONSIGN ALL FERRARI AND ALL VINTAGE SPORTS RACING & GT CARS PARTIAL TRADES CONSIDERED - FINANCING AVAILABLE
1966 Porsche 910-001: First of 29 910 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter: Vignale / Drogo, racers built. Full frame-up restoration. Mille Miglia 1952, 1954. Ground up restoHistorical, FIA and title papers. Driven by ration. Race and Rally ready. Niki Lauda, Hans Hermann.
1968 Fiat Dino Spider: Rare. Frame-up resto; bare metal repaint. Driveline & suspension rebuild; new interior top & chrome. With photo docs. Stunning!
1974 Jaguar XKE V12 Roadster: One of a kind, uniquely built. Bare metal repaint, new interior, 5-sp, Webers, SS headers, Alloy radiator, Two tops.
1982 March 82G: Quintessential GTP car, chassis serial No. 82G/001, raced by Rahal, powered by 358 cid, 650 HP Chevy engine. Ready for the track or show circuit.
1958 MGA Twin Cam: Rare, disc brakes, Dunlop competition wheels, frame-up, show quality restoration on an iconic sports car.
1962 Lotus Super 7: 22 year ownership. Super well developed; quick and easy to drive. Known for its winning provenance. Everything has been rebuilt or replaced.
1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 Spider: Excellent, orig. condition. Rust & accident free, matching #s, 26k miles, fully vetted, new shocks, brakes, chrome.
www.MotorClassiCCorp.CoM 350 ADAMS STREET, BEDFORD HILLS NEW YORK 10507 914-997-9133 • SALES@MOTORCLASSICCORP.COM
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1970 Porsche 917:5 liter, flat 12. Total comprehensive rebuild by ex-factory 917 specialist. Driven by Derek Bell, Vic Elford, Jo Siffert; used in the making of Steve McQueen’s movie “Le Mans”. 3/12/24 2:35 PM
12/03/202415:22 15:22 12/03/2024
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EXPERIENCE THE SERIES 1 E-TYPE
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1962 Abarth Simca 1300
Highly original and historically signi�icant Abarth Simca. Known as “Giant killer” major victories were scored by Simca 1300 GTs in 1962. Excellent maintained by marque specialist.
1963 JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES 1 3.8L FHC CHASSIS No. 888031
1963 Ferrari 250 GT “Recreation” Built 2001-2010 by Roelofs/Hietbrink based on 250 GTE Presented in outstanding condition and freshly restored. FIA HTP papers possible. EEC papers. Call us at +31 252 218980 or visit www.vsoc.nl
www.vsoc.nl 178
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Ferrari 575M F1 Rosso Corsa 47,210 Miles
£62,495
Stock Number - 22220
Ferrari F430 Spider F1 Nero Daytona 34,828 Miles
£69,995
Stock Number - 21869
Ferrari 355 Spider Manual Giallo Modena 24,838 Miles
£89,995
Stock Number - 22179
Ferrari 360 Modena Manual Grigio Alloy 13,261 Miles
£69,995
Stock Number - 22157
Ferrari California 30/30 2 Plus 2 Bianco Avus 17,539 Miles
£73,995
Stock Number - 22526
Ferrari 458 Italia DCT Rosso Corsa 36,883 Miles
£119,995
Stock Number - 22446
www.tfcgb.com
True Ferrari Connoisseurs Cavallino Building, ME15 9YG
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Lucien Binachi Ferrari-500 TRC Le Mans, 1957
Dexter Brown Original gouache on board
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T H E
H A I R P I N
C O M P A N Y
LOTUS TURBO ESPRIT HC
The very last and most powerful Giugiaro designed Esprit. This rare Turbo HC is totally original and superb with only 25,000 miles covered by five owners. Esteemed motoring writer, reviewer and enthusiast Harry Metcalfe owned the car for four years until 2021, covering some 5,000 miles many of which were covered in features in this very magazine. Just back from a full check and service by Lotus experts Maidstone Sports Cars, where anything required was dealt with as detailed in an invoice amounting to some £20,000. It comes with everything, keys, books etc and is now ready for its next adventure.
T E L : 0124 9 76 0 6 8 6 • T H E H A I R P I N C O M PA N Y. C O . U K T H E H A I R P I N C O M PA N Y C O M P T O N B A S S E T T W I LT S H I R E S N11 8 R H
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