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V I E W T H E F I L M AT W W W. G I E V E S A N D H A W K E S. C O M

C O N TA C T S & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS DRIVE magazine is published on behalf of H.R. Owen PLC by RWMG. For all publishing and advertising enquiries please contact: RWMG 6th Floor, One Canada Square Canary Wharf London, E14 5AX T: +44 (0)20 7987 4320 E: info@rwmg.co.uk www.rwmg.co.uk DRIVE EDITORIAL TEAM Tom King: Head of Marketing Matthew Carter: Editor-at-Large George Chapman: Deputy Editor & Project Manager

Welcome, “This is a supercar that has been designed and engineered to be as approachable as possible: as such it’s a supercar that can be driven, and enjoyed, by mere mortals, as well as by the driving gods.”

In that single sentence, journalist, racing driver and something of a driving god himself, Steve Sutcliffe captures the very essence of the new Lamborghini Huracán.

He calls it ‘sophisticated’, ‘resolved’, ‘refined’ but makes the point that despite all these, er, unfamiliar attributes, the Huracán remains a true Lamborghini. As a mere mortal, that’s good to know… I look forward to my first drive, knowing I’ll come away stirred but not shaken!

I well remember being both stirred and shaken the first time I saw William Towns’ Aston Martin Lagonda. Rodger Dudding, the host of this issue’s Under Lock and Key feature, was clearly more positive about the razor-edged limousine. As writer Andrew English discovers, his extraordinary – and vast – private collection of cars and bikes includes 20 Lagondas… some three per cent of the entire production run.

Personal choice is a theme that runs through this issue of DRIVE. At Bentley, so wide is the choice of colours, veneers, leathers and so on that every car leaving Crewe is to all intents and purposes totally bespoke.

We also discover how H.R. Owen’s team of buyers can help you own your own personal favourite classic, no matter how rare.

I’ve run out of room to tell you about some of the other features in this diverse issue. Steering wheels, the awesome Getty photographic archive, athlete Michael Johnson, hot rods, the Lotus 56, Maserati’s first diesel, and an epic driving route… it’s all here and more.

We’ve enjoyed putting this issue together and really hope you enjoying reading it. Do let us know your verdict at the e-mail address below.

MATTHEW CARTER Editor-at-Large | DRIVE drive@hrowen.co.uk

H.R. OWEN PLC Melton Court, Old Brompton Road London SW7 3TD T: +44 (0)20 7245 1122 F: +44 (0)20 7245 1123 E: enquiries@hrowen.co.uk www.hrowen.co.uk RWMG Giles Ellwood: Publisher Eren Ellwood: Managing Director Mark Welby: Creative Director George Chapman: Deputy Editor & Project Manager Jonathan Lewis: Designer PUBLISHING ENQUIRIES Call Giles Ellwood on +44 (0)20 7987 4320 or email g.ellwood@rwmg.co.uk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call Rachel Eden on +44 (0)7793 380 012 or email r.eden@hrowenmagazine.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Andrew English, Nick Swallow, Steve Sutcliffe, Matt Prior, Sarah Bradley, Jonathan Bell, Quentin Wilson, Peter Blond CREDIT ALSO GOES TO: Drew Gibson (pp18-24), Tourism Australia (pp26-30), Charlie Gray (pp38-45), Stuart Price (pp52-60), Horst A. Friedrichs (pp74-77), Getty Images (pp46-50), Jaguar Heritage (p62-63) John Edwards/500legends.com (pp80-81), Flickr Creative Commons Licence in order of appearance (pp83-86): James Tworow, Ryan Gabbard, Ben Sutherland, James Emery, Katherine Tompkins, Rex Gray(3), Lothar Spurzem, TVR2, Marc Delforge, Alexander Meijer, Darrell Miller, Moto Club4AG Miwa, John Shepherd, Rafał Andrzejewski, Pontfire, Navymailman, ZT Jackson, Axion23

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©COPYRIGHT 2015 H.R.OWEN PLC 2015 Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor H.R. Owen PLC nor any of its subsidiary or affiliated companies can accept, and hereby disclaim to the maximum extent permitted by law, any liability for any loss or damage that may be caused by any errors or omissions this publication may contain. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the publisher. Information correct at time of going to press. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or H.R. Owen PLC. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of material used in this publication. If any copyright holder has been overlooked, we should be pleased to make any necessary arrangements.

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CONTENTS

REGULARS 18 UNDER LOCK & KEY: RODGER DUDDING 26 ROAD TRIP: DRIVE GOES DOWN UNDER 34 AUTOMOBILIA: SPRING / SUMMER MEN’S FASHION 62 MEET THE EXPERT: PETER BLOND OF SOTHEBY’S 65 SUPERCAR TECH: MASERATI GHIBLI DIESEL 70 AT YOUR SERVICE: H.R. OWEN’S GROUP BUYERS 80 KNOWLEDGE = POWER: LOTUS 56 STP TURBINE 88 FORECOURT: 2015 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW COVERAGE 92 CHEQUERED FLAG: THE WORLD OF H.R. OWEN 98 THE BACK SEAT: QUENTIN WILSON

FEATURES 32 DRIVE VS MICHAEL JOHNSON 38 SUITS YOU: TAILOR MADE BENTLEYS 46 THE ART OF ARRIVING BY ROLLS-ROYCE 52 CLOSER TO THE EDGE: LAMBORGHINI HURACAN LP 610-4 74 MODERN RODDERS 78 AIR PARTNER PROMOTION 83 REINVENTING THE (STEERING) WHEEL

P88

P38

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UN DE R LO C K & KE Y 18

Under Lock & Key ANDREW ENGLISH MEETS SERIAL ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA COLLECTOR , ‘KING OF THE LOCK-UPS’ AND OWNER OF THE FASTIDIOUSLY MAINTAINED STUDIO 434 COLLECTION, RODGER DUDDING.

19 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREW GIBSON

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‘Dudding has turned down offers in excess of £1.8 million for his Lagondas, but it seems he’s in it for the long run, even to the extent of breaking his golden rule of never indulging in restorations.’

SERIES 1 (1974–1975) A long-wheelbased, four-door version of the Aston Martin V8 was announced at the 1974 London Motor Show. Designed by William Towns and based on the DBS, the Series 1 was the first car to wear the Lagonda name since the 1961 Rapide.

The Aston Martin Lagonda was also an early pioneer of the equally loved-and-hated digital dashboard that became so popular in the 1980s. The dashboard featured three five-inch CRT displays monitoring various parameters while touch-button electronic controls, supplied by Lucas Electronics completed the space-age cockpit - some even came with ‘talking’ computers.

Just seven Series 1 examples were sold.

“Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye”, wrote William Shakespeare in Love’s Labour’s Lost, but he hadn’t seen William Towns’s Lagonda. Just 645 examples of Aston Martin’s gargantuan, luxury gran turismo were produced between 1976 and 1990, but its challenging, razor-edged styling gave it significance beyond numbers.

“It certainly has that intangible quality, ‘presence’,” wrote Peter Dron of the restyled Series 4 car in Fast Lane magazine in 1988. It was also pretty hard to look at, stupendously unreliable and cramped.

So while you might imagine a single example of this egregious GT tucked away in the most comprehensive car museum, Rodger Dudding has 20 Towns Lagondas in his collection; over three per cent of the entire production run.

“Well I had one back in 1981,” he says laughing. “I liked going out in it, but it never managed it home. That’s when the bug bit. They say you are mad to own one Lagonda and certifiable to own two, so I should be locked up”.

“I suppose I’m doing a bit of a Bunker Hunt,” he adds; in reference to Nelson Bunker Hunt, the former oil billionaire who, with his brother, William, attempted to corner the world silver market in the late Seventies.

Dudding has turned down offers in excess of £1.8 million for his Lagondas, but it seems he’s in it for the long run, even to the extent of breaking his golden rule of never indulging in restorations. He has recently acquired an ex-Dodi Fayed Lagonda, which needs ‘significant work’, but has to be made ready for Aston Martin’s Lagonda relaunch in the UK this spring.

For Dudding, a spritely workaholic 77-year old, is nothing if not canny.

Dubbed “King of the Lock ups,” this former navy engineer made his first fortune selling ticketed queuing systems for supermarkets, GP surgeries and post offices. The company’s name Dudrich wasn’t an ironic stab at soothsaying, but a portmanteau word combining Dudding’s and his partner’s name. It still tickles him though.

“Everyone thinks it’s a bit of cheeky comment about how things turned out,” he says, “it couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

In the early Seventies, on the advice of a friend, Dudding started buying up lock-up garages, amassing them by driving round on Sunday to find the garages, asking people checking on their possessions who the landlords were and then phoning on Monday to buy the lot. A combination of rising land values, smaller new-build houses and flats and the acceptance of self storage in the UK saw the business boom. At the last count Dudrich Holdings had over 12,000 lock ups and in the 2014 Sunday Times Rich List Dudding was in 18th position, worth an estimated £160 million. It’s allowed him to indulge a collecting habit which he admits, drives his company secretary, Jacqueline Ancell to distraction.

“She’s always telling me off for squandering money,” laughs Dudding, who reckons his car habit costs about £300,000 a year.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A selection of Rodger Dudding’s 20 ‘Towns’ Aston Martin Lagondas.

1961 Jaguar E-Type S1 Roadster.

DRIVE’s Andrew English (right) and Studio 434 Collection owner, Rodger Dudding.

Rodger’s collection of prancing horses also includes examples of the 512 BB, 550 Maranello and Mondial Cabriolet.

Visit studio434.co.uk to view the entire collection.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary is surrounded by a selection of classic motorcycles.

The 1939 Lagonda LG6 drophead coupe that was found in a lock-up.

The only replica in the collection: 1959 Aston Martin DBR2 V8-engined replica.

Background: 1955 Morris Minor Split Screen alongside 2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Foreground: 1956 Messerschmitt KR 200.

2007 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Sessanta and 1980 DeLorean DMC-12.

He’s just bought his 202nd car for the collection, which is conservatively valued at over £10 million and resides in a mock Art Deco former plumbing supplies warehouse in Potters Bar - although there’s overspill into another couple of buildings. Dudding’s got his eye on another site where he plans his £10 million pet project to house his entire collection as well as providing car storage and delivery services, and workshop and apprentice training facilities - he already lends cars and support to the engineering department of Barnet and Southgate College. Dudding reckons such a facility could break even financially within a few years and has been talking about it for a couple of years now as his collection grows.

“We’ve sat on the pot for long enough,” he says. “Now we need to get on with it.”

You get the feeling ‘The Deal’ is part of the attraction for Dudding and he’s able to exactly describe the acquisition of every car in the two-storey building. His reputation is of a straight dealer, but he’s not one to waste money, either. His daily driver is a used Range Rover bought from Ancell’s husband and while his limited edition Rolls-Royce Phantom Silver is a cosseted newish indulgence, he’s not without his criticisms of the car and still loves his old Bentley Arnage T, which is now part of the collection.

“I don’t get rid of my cars,” he says, telling the story of how the collection started in 1970 with a 1969 Mark I Jensen FF, the first car he didn’t have to trade in to buy its replacement.

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“I like to keep things,” he says. “It seems almost disloyal to get rid of them.

You bought it because you loved it, well just keep it and keep on loving it.”

Indeed Dudding seems an extraordinarily nice man to sell a car to.

He’s offered several previous owners the opportunity to buy back their cars at a fair price, or borrow them for a weekend.

As for what’s in the collection, it certainly puts the ‘tic’ into eclectic.

Dudding’s taste runs along the less well-travelled byways of classic ownership. And while you do find the familiar grand marques, they’re not the obvious examples; a Ferrari Dino sits with a 2007 special edition 612 called Sessanta and once owned by Graff Jewellery. There are Clynos (car and bikes), a Morgan three wheeler, an immaculate Morris Minor once owned by Dudding’s father (“My favourite car,” he says), a Lagonda Rapide saloon, which is a little known Aston-Martin DB-based four door. Similarly there’s no AC Cobra but an AC428 Frua coupé instead – “Isn’t it just lovely?” he asks. It is.

Some of the cars were even found in lock ups, such as the graceful 1939 Lagonda LG6 drophead coupé. While it was strictly speaking his, Dudding went back to the vendor and offered to buy the car, which had been mistakenly parked in there. There’s a Bentley Mark VI and a Three Litre model, but also a DeLorean, a customised short wheelbase Mini with trailer, Messerschmitt and Isetta bubble cars and that stalwart of British car collections, a Sinclair C5.

“We like to have everything up and ready to go if we get the call,” says Dudding. “The on-going maintenance can be a lot of work.”

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He’s also got some interesting motor cycles, including Honda and Ariel-engined Nortons, BSAs, Triumphs and Douglas Dragonflys. A former racer, Dudding’s motor cycling days came to an end after he broke his back in an accident while in the navy. Then there’s the memorabilia, a body-framing buck from the Lotus M250, the car that never was, or the Rolling Stones four-track recording machine from the super group’s touring studio.

Everything is in terrific condition and almost all the cars are driving examples, which is an almighty undertaking.

“We like to have everything up and ready to go if we get the call,” says Dudding.

“The on-going maintenance can be a lot of work.”

He employs five people at Potters Bar and his son Guy also takes a hand in running and organising the fleet, which is hired out to film and events companies under the Studio 434 name. Each car is meticulously researched and polished to a deep shine. And on the walls are pictures, old posters and photographs of the cars ‘working’: London Mayor Boris Johnson at the wheel of a 1966 Citroën DS21 Decapotable; actress Ruth Wilson with the Jensen FF on the set of Luther.

In one way, Dudding has just amassed a random collection of auction orphans.

It’s not junk, more a haphazard memorial to other people’s sunk restoration money, but there’s also a street-scene authenticity about these cars. These are the cars that you might see parked at Ascot, on a Mayfair Street, or outside church in a wellheeled suburb, perhaps that’s why they’re so popular with film companies.

“If I see something I love and there’s money in the bank, I buy it,” he says.

“There’s no plan to it.”

It’s that lack of plan that gives Dudding’s garage such charm and rarity; let’s hope he gets a chance to put it all on display.

TOP: 1966 Citroen DS21 Decapotable BOTTOM: 1952 Sunbeam S7 (left) and Honda-engined Norton special.

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ROAD TRIP:

DRIVE GOES DOWN UNDER D R I V E S U G G E S TS H I R I N G A C A R A N D H E A D I N G D OW N U N D E R TO S Y D N E Y, A U S T R A L I A A N D T H E S U R R O U N D I N G E M P T Y R OA D S O F N E W S O U T H WA L E S , F O R T H I S I S S U E O F R OA D T R I P. A LO N G T H E WAY YO U ’ L L R E L A X I N T H E W I N E L A N D S O F T H E WO L L E M I N AT I O N A L PA R K , WA K E - U P I N T H E B LU E M O U N TA I N S , A N D W I T N E S S T H E R OA R O F V 8 S U P E R C A R S I N B AT H U R S T.

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VE DRI

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Wellington

DOW

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H.

OWEN .

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ROAD T

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Orange

T H E TOTA L D I S TA N C E O F T H I S R OA D T R I P I S A P P R OX I M AT E LY 7 00 M I L E S , S O A L LOW AT LEAST A WEEK.

Whilst the road trip can be completed in either direction, we’d head north out of Sydney on the A1/ M1 towards Brisbane, booking a few nights at the excellent Bells at Killcare Boutique Hotel. Amongst many other activities and award-winning Italian cuisine, here you can charter the hotel’s CABO 38 Express sports cruiser – enjoying a cruise, a fish or even a wreck dive.

Continental GT3 also made its Bathurst debut at the track recently in the Bathurst 12 Hours.

Leaving the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit, follow the A32 to the majestic Echoes Hotel in Katoomba for a well-earned rest and bite to eat.

The view from the hotel stretches for more than 80km over the Blue Mountains and is one to be savoured for as long as possible.

Once back on the road, continue north on the M1 Pacific Motorway, turning inland onto the M15 at West Wallsend. After approximately half an hour you’ll enter the famed Hunter Valley wine region, and the Spicers Vineyard Estate complete with ‘Spa Anise’. Only after you’ve sampled the estate’s crispy-skinned ocean trout and local Semillon and Shiraz should you continue on to your third and most secluded overnight stop, Wolllemi Retreat, reached via the scenic Bylong Valley Way.

Heading back to the outskirts of Sydney on the M4 motorway, the Sydney Motorsports Park at Eastern Creek is the ideal place to sample the power of a V8 Supercar first hand, with one of its Fastrack V8 Experiences. With your need for speed well and truly satisfied, continue south towards Wollongong for a spot of luxury glamping along the gorgeous New South Wales coastline at the Paperbark Camp, Jervis Bay. If you or your partner loathes camping, this is the campsite for you!

Designed to offer guests a modern, self-sustaining eco retreat experience with a 100% reliable offthe-grid solar power supply, the accommodation boasts incredible views, an outdoor hot tub and its very own outdoor pizza oven.

For the final leg back into Sydney, go via the incredible Sea Cliff Bridge for one final farewell to the South Pacific coast, before catching your flight home.

Start

Exotic Sports Car hire, Sydney Bells at Killcare Boutique Hotel, Killcare Wollemi Retreat, Rylstone Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst Echoes Hotel, Katoomba Sydney Motorsports Park, Eastern Creek Sea Cliff Bridge, Coalcliff Finish

Boorowa

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WHICH CAR?

Yass

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

sydneymotorsportpark.com.au

The obvious car choice in which in cruise the empty roads of New South Wales is a V8-powered Aussie super-saloon from Ford or Holden. However, DRIVE prefers its hire cars slightly more sophisticated (not to mention stylish), which is why we’d recommend approaching one of Sydney’s leading sports and prestige car hire companies. Dream Drives Sydney offer Aston Martin’s superb V8 Vantage in both coupe and roadster form along with host of other prestige brands to suit.

dreamdrivessydney.com.au

hrowen.co.uk/Aston-Martin

bellsatkillcare.com.au Heading south on the brilliantly fast and twisty Peel Road, the next recommended stop is Bathurst – the spiritual home of Australia’s leading touring car series, the V8 Supercars. Held in early October, the Bathurst 1000 sees thousands of motor racing fans descend on this sleepy town for what is widely known as ‘The Great Race’. The Bentley Motorsport

Paperbark Camp, Jervis Bay

wollemiretreat.com.au echoeshotel.com.au paperbarkcamp.com.au mount-panorama.com.au

Canberra

Bun

a

Goulburn River National Park

Myall River State Forest

Gulgong

Dungog

Mudgee

Spicers Vineyards Estate - Hotel

Wollemi Retreat

Maitland

Newcastle Wollemi National Park

Yengo National Park Olney State Forest

Central Coast

Bathurst

Parr State Recreation Area

Newnes State Forest

Blue Mountains National Park

Echoes Boutique Hotel and Restaurant

Bells at Kilcare Boutique Hotel, Restaurant & Spa

Sydney Motorsports Park

SYDNEY NSW

Burragorang State Recreation Area

Kanangra-Boyd National Park

Royal National Park

Sea Cliff Bridge Nattai National Park

Upper Nepean State Conservation Area

Crookwell

Goulburn SYDNEY, EAST COAST AUSTRALIA Total driving time Morton National Park

Paperbark Camp

15 HOURS 4 MINUTES

Total distance

700 MILES

Best stretch

PEEL ROAD TO BATHURST

DID YOU KNOW...

The Australia Day Regatta in Sydney conducted since 1837 is the oldest continuously-conducted annual sailing regatta in the world.

Bungendore Yadboro State Forest

SYDNEY

A U S T R A L I A N S P O RT 30

A NATIONAL OBSESSION

P L A N N I N G A R OA D T R I P D OW N U N D E R ? C O I N C I D E YO U R V I S I T W I T H O N E O F A U S T R A L I A’ S L E A D I N G S P O RT I N G E V E N TS I N 2015.

M O T O R R A C I N G : B AT H U R S T 10 0 0 8-11 October Held at the vertiginous Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, ‘The Big Race’ as it is widely known, is the flagship event of the flame-spitting V8 Supercar Championship Series. Covering over 160 laps and total of 1,000km, the Bathurst 1000 has hosted some incredible racing since its origins in the 60s, hosting Series Production, Group C, Group A and Super Touring cars. V8 Supercars is the third most attended and fourth most watched sport in Australia - it is not unusual to see crowds of more than 160,000 in attendance. Featuring large grids consisting of closely matched, 600bhp production-based saloons, the racing is regarded by many as some of the best in the business. For more information on all the V8 Supercar races and to book Paddock Club tickets, visit v8supercars.com.au

SURFING: RED BULL CAPE FEAR 31 August Named after a deadly big wave break in Sydney that washes onto a sheer cliff face, the Red Bull Cape Fear surf competition attracts the world’s very best big wave surfers. Judged by wave size and difficulty, four surfers are in the water at all times, two contesting a paddle-in style and two contesting the jet-ski tow-in style. "Pound for pound, Cape Fear is the heaviest and most dangerous wave in the world," says big wave surfer and one of the brains behind the concept, Mark Mathews. redbullcapefear.com

C R I C K E T: I C C C R I C K E T W O R L D C U P F I N A L 29 March Australia’s own ‘Cathedral of Cricket’, the Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the final of the 2015 ICC World Cup. Hosted at venues in both Australia and New Zealand, the tournament is played across 23 fixtures, with the strongest teams being whittled down to a knockout finals stage. If England’s recent performance against New Zealand’s Black Caps is anything to go by however, a safer bet may be to target one of England’s earlier pool fixtures. Either way, expect glorious conditions, buzzing atmosphere and a truly international sporting spectacle. icc-cricket.com

H O R S E R A C I N G : M E L B O U R N E C U P C A R N I VA L 31 October One of the most prestigious events on the social and sporting calendar, the Melbourne Cup Carnival (now in its 155th year) is an event not to be missed. Beginning with the Victoria Derby Day, the feature race boasts prize money of over $1 million. The Flemington Racecourse also provides an elegant backdrop to the hotly-contested Myer Fashions on the Field competition for both men and women. melbournecup.com

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MICHAEL JOHNSON D R I V E M E E TS L E G E N DA RY U. S . S P R I N T E R A N D B B C S P O RTS C O M M E N TATO R M I C H A E L J O H N S O N AT T H E L A U N C H O F T H E N E W M J P H O L DA L L R A N G E BY F 1- I N S P I R E D LU G G A G E B R A N D, D O M R E I L LY. BY G E O R G E C H A P M A N .

“There is really no ‘edge of control’ as far as sprinting is concerned..., you train to reach your absolute maximum as quickly as possible. ”

Q: It could be argued that the ability to drive a racing car on the limit depends on the amount of control, is the same true about sprinting?

They are two very different things but yes, control is extremely important, as is balance – for both sports. There is really no ‘edge of control’ as far as sprinting is concerned though, you train to reach your absolute maximum as quickly as possible.

You then learn to remain at your maximum for the entire race.

Q: Your running style possessed a kind of ‘traction control’ that seemed to allow you to put power to the greatest effect, how did you achieve that?

It comes down to technique and bio-mechanics. My style was very different but it turned out to be much more effective and so I was able to generate significantly more power than most of my competitors. My style (and the body angles it created), lent itself very well to speed of endurance over 200m. As a result, I could be more consistent throughout the entire distance, start to finish. I don’t think anyone’s called it traction control before, but I see the link.

Q: You remain the fastest man in the world over the longest sprint distance, covering 400m in 43.18 seconds. Which is more important over this distance, mind-set or technique?

I don’t know exactly, but I know both are very important. My objective was always to be 100% effective in each area, as opposed to spending any amount of time at all concerning which is more important. The truth of the matter is, both are vital components in the exercise of preparing to sprint and race, over any distance.

Q: Formula One has seen some mighty battles over the years; Hunt vs Lauda, Senna vs Prost and most recently, Hamilton vs Rosberg. Who was your toughest rival on the track?

No doubt about it, my toughest rival by far was Frankie Fredericks from Namibia, starting from our university days in the United States. We had some battles then and throughout our entire professional career at many different World Championship, Olympic and Grand Prix events. It was always a tough race when competing against Frankie and I always knew I had to be at my absolute best to beat him. He got me a couple of times but fortunately it didn’t happen at any major championship event.

We always had a mutual respect for one another when we were competing, there was a rivalry for sure, but since then we’ve become friends.

Q: Daniel Ricciardo brings a positivity to F1 that some say has been missing, what’s your prediction for his 2015 championship?

I think he’ll have another good season. He’s obviously in a tricky situation with the car, following the introduction of new engines with more advanced hybrid technology in 2014, but that’s the same for many of the teams. He had a fantastic season last year, especially considering it was his first with Red Bull and with the then reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel as his team mate. He’s a very courageous driver, a tough competitor and obviously has the skills to win. A lot comes down to the car in that sport though and importantly he was able to get a lot from it last year - more so than Sebastian.

Q: Who are your heroes in motor sport?

Having known Frank Williams for many years, what he’s achieved with the Williams F1 Team is quite amazing. He’s always managed to be competitive amongst the larger manufacturer teams despite much smaller budgets. His life as a whole has always been very inspirational to me.

Q: How did the partnership with Dom Reilly come about?

Through Frank and the Williams F1 Team primarily. My company Michael Johnson Performance was providing training support to the pit crew when I met Dominic - the team’s (then) head of marketing. Together we developed a product that combines a sports bag with an executive holdall meaning that I can go straight from the gym to a meeting, without the need for another bag. Designed with the type of international travel that F1 teams complete in mind, it suits my needs perfectly. domreilly.com michaeljohnsonperformance.com

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SPRING/SUMMER FASHION

AUTOMOBILIA 34

ARRIVE IN STYLE SPRING WILL SOON BE IN THE AIR AND THE CLOCKS ARE ABOUT TO GO BACK – IT ’S TIME TO REFRESH YOUR WARDROBE WITH A PIECE FROM DRIVE’S SELECTION OF SPRING / SUMMER MENSWEAR AND ACCESSORIES.

ANGELO GALASSO Inspired by the grandeur of the Great Gatsby, the 2015 Angelo Galasso Spring Summer Collection is the latest evolution of the Italian designer’s eccentric style, combining exquisite fabrics with unexpected ethnic and formal elements. Defined as the “Da Vinci of the shirt” from the Financial Times, Angelo Galasso started his revolution in the 90’s with Interno 8, the shirt-dedicated brand that in a few years attracted fans such as Paul McCartney and Roger Moore.

Angelo Galasso, 8-10 Hans Rd, SW3 1RX 020 7584 3978 angelogalasso.com

1 ANGELO GALASSO Black belt: £720

2 ANGELO GALASSO Blazer: £4,600

3 ANGELO GALASSO Bag: £5,800

SPRING/SUMMER FASHION

ET TORE BUGAT TI The lifestyle arm of famous car-maker Bugatti offers two lines of products centred on men’s fashion; the elegant EB – Ettore Bugatti Collection and the sports luxury Bugatti-Performance Luxury Collection. Incorporating the iconic Bugatti bag, inspired by the famous Bugatti radiator grille, the entire lifestyle collection of Bugatti apparel and accessories fully represents the Bugatti DNA and is a combination of the most sophisticated luxury and technical avant-garde design.

Bugatti Lifestyle Boutique, 24-26 Brompton Road, London

1 ET TORE BUGAT TI COLLECTION Double breasted blazer in Bugatti Blue: £820

2 ET TORE BUGAT TI COLLECTION Quilted Ripstop Nylon Stretch Leather Jacket: £1,560

3 ET TORE BUGAT TI COLLECTION The Bugatti Bag, Medium: £19,700

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SPRING/SUMMER FASHION

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GIEVES & HAWKES The brain child of recently appointed Creative Director, Boston-born Jason Basmajian, the Gieves & Hawkes 2015 Spring Summer Collection forms an integral part of the No. 1 Savile Row-based brand’s mission to re-invent itself in 2015 – moving it towards what today’s man wants.

Maintaining its core values of heritage and very high quality tailoring, the collection is available in a range of cool and modern tones, inspired by an English summer on the coast. Read DRIVE’s interview with Basmajian, on page 45.

No. 1 Savile Row, W1 gievesandhawkes.com

‘LOOK 21’

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‘LOOK 11’

Jacket: £1,295 Trousers: £195 Knit: £395 Shoes: from £375

BESPOKE TAILORING FROM GIEVES & HAWKES A bespoke customer, whether visiting London’s No.1 Savile Row with an introduction or through mere curiosity, is introduced to the cutters in the bespoke room where the foundations are laid for a relationship of trust between cutter and customer which may last for decades.

The customer’s tastes, interests and lifestyle are discussed and a picture of the man and his requirements is formed, with the cut and fit of the garment built around his needs.

Next the cloth is chosen from a selection of thousands, the cutter will gently steer the customer towards something suitable. The customer’s measurements are taken, as well as notes on build, stance and posture.

A few weeks later, the customer comes in for his first fitting and can see and feel the beginnings of a unique, superbly fitted suit that previously existed only in his imagination.

To book an appointment visit: gievesandhawkes.com/book-appointment

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Leather jacket: £1,895 Chino: £175 Short Sleeved T-shirt: £125 Bag and Espadrilles: Special order only

www.carrwatches.com

PREVIOUSLY ENJOYED WATCHES 53 Liverpool Street • London EC2M 7QN • Telephone +44(0)20 7220 7755

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S U I T S

Y O U

BY E N C O U R A G I N G I TS C U S TO M E R S TO B E H I G H LY C R E AT I V E W H E N P U RC H A S I N G A N E W C A R , B E N T L E Y B U I L D S N O T WO C A R S Q U I T E T H E S A M E , E A C H R E F L E C T I N G I TS OW N E R P E R F E C T LY. M AT T H E W C A RT E R G O E S I N S E A RC H O F U N I Q U E N E S S A N D D I S C OV E R S I T ’S J U S T L I K E B U Y I N G A N E W S U I T… P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C H A R L I E G R AY

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“Someone calculated the other day that there are so many choices you can have on a Bentley that we could build literally billions of examples and no two would be exactly the same.”

B

uying a sharp suit off the peg is fine, really it is. Buy sensibly from a good outfitters and it will look fantastic… it will fit where it’s meant to fit, hold its shape and last a long time.

You’ll have to put up with the cut, of course, and you won’t be able to change the colour or the cloth. And there’s always the chance that you’ll bump into someone else wearing the exact same suit. But essentially, there’s nothing wrong with an off the peg suit.

It’s the same with cars. Buy a prestige model off the showroom floor and you’ll have a fine piece of machinery. It will ride and handle well, perform strongly and will be crammed with all the latest technology. Never mind that you might find others quite similar in the golf club car park.

There’s a solution in both cases, of course. When you go to a very good tailor and create your own bespoke suit, nothing else comes close. You can choose the fabric and colour, influence the cut and know that the suit in question wasn’t made for anyone else but you. And you can do much the same when it comes to cars – well, certain cars anyway.

“Someone calculated the other day that there are so many choices you can have on a Bentley that we could build literally billions of examples and no two would be exactly the same.”

The speaker is Nigel Stoddard, a customer host at Bentley’s home in Crewe. Having been there for most of his working life, there’s little (if anything) Nigel doesn’t know about Bentley. He knows his way around the expanding factory better than anyone – at the time of our visit alterations were being made to the production line in readiness for the Bentayga SUV due later this year. More significantly, he knows his way around the Bentley configurator, the complex computer programme that ‘builds’ your car in the virtual world as you try this colour and that veneer, this interior finish and those wheels. In times past, Bentley customers chose a chassis and then commissioned a coach builder to fit a suitable body. Whilst this practice is no longer feasible, you can, of course, use the online configurator in the privacy of your own home to create your own Bentley. All you need do is point your mouse towards www.bentleymotors. com and experiment.

Better to do the same thing at your nearest dealer, but easily the best way to create a bespoke Bentley is to organise, through your dealer, a trip to the factory and have Nigel or one of his H.R. Owen colleagues take you through the whole process. It’s not until you have had a guided tour of the factory that you can really appreciate not just the craftsmanship and the attention to detail that goes into every Bentley but also the incredible array of choices on offer.

Take the steering wheel for example. Each one is hand stitched (ingeniously, a humble table fork is used as a guide to mark where the 360 holes should be made) and takes between three and a half to four hours to finish. But do you want simple stitching or cross-stitching? In one colour or a contrasting shade?

In good hands: longstanding customer host at Bentley Motors, Nigel Stoddard’s job is to assist customers through the detailed commissioning process.

Bentley’s flying ‘B’ emblem at CW1 House.

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Choice is the key inside… and outside, too. Incredibly there are more than 140 ‘standard’ colours and more are being added all the time. It’s a perfectionist’s heaven.

Then there are the veneers on offer. Traditional burr walnut from California remains popular, but the choice extends to chestnut, olive ash, bird’s eye maple, vavona, sapelli pommele, eucalyptus, madrona and tamo ash. Or you could go for piano black with a carbon fibre inlay.

Whatever you choose, it takes around 79 hours to produce the finished, mirror-matched interior veneer.

The hides – 14 are needed for a Mulsanne, 10 or 11 for a Continental GT – are available in umpteen colours within different shades – blacks, reds, greens, blues, greys, creams and browns. And we haven’t even started to talk about the contrasting secondary hides, the piping, the diamond quilting, the seat belts, the carpeting and carpet binding. Choice is the key inside… and outside, too. Incredibly there are more than 140 ‘standard’ colours and more are being added all the time. It’s a perfectionist’s heaven.

“We pride ourselves in being able to come up with any colour a customer wants. I’ve lost count of the number of times we have been asked to match a particular shade of nail varnish or lipstick,” says Nigel.

“Famously one customer asked for the car to match a dress she owned and she gave us a sequin from it as a guide. That colour is now on our standard list and called Sequin Blue.

“Another very enthusiastic customer produced a piece of kitchen equipment painted in a distinctive baby blue colour. That is known internally as Blender Blue, but is officially called Glacier Blue and has also become a standard colour offering.”

Realising that the choice is overwhelmingly wide, once the tour is over customers are taken to the factory’s brand new real life configurator, a purpose-built flagship ‘showroom’ called CW1 House where more than a dozen new Bentleys in all manner of colour combinations can be contrasted and compared. Boasting floor to ceiling glass windows and LED lighting specially designed to highlight a car’s body contours, it’s a very calm space to spend a few hours. Leather swatches, carpet samples, exterior colour guides and a very hip coffee bar are also on hand to assist with getting the creative juices to flow.

And then there’s the chance to really individualise the car with personalised tread plates, special marquetry, champagne coolers… or even a gear selector cover made from stingray skin! Examples of all these concepts can be found at CW1 House.

“CW1 House is not a dealership,” says Nigel, “but it is the ideal environment in which to make measured, unhurried decisions about creating a genuinely bespoke Bentley in modern times.”

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JASON BASMAJIAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR, GIEVES & HAWKES As Creative Director of venerable tailors Gieves & Hawkes, the very sharply dressed Jason Basmajian can see strong parallels between his firm and Bentley. Both have a strong heritage and reputation for craftsmanship but both have had to adapt to a younger audience.

“Both Bentley and Gieves & Hawkes have a changing customer demographic, a younger generation with a lifestyle that’s changed but whose values haven’t,” said Jason, his Boston accent still evident despite many years living and working in Europe.

“Gieves & Hawkes has an unbelievable 240 years of history, three Royal Warrants and perhaps the ultimate address in the business: No 1 Savile Row. “That gives us credibility, but we need to be relevant to today. Our clothes need to be luxurious, extremely well made and comfortable but not pretentious. We are dealing with the style side of fashion, not the trend side of fashion.

“I think it’s the same at Bentley. The cars are about power, control and precision. They ooze luxury and give the owner confidence… just like a great suit.”

Given that last statement it is fitting that Gieves & Hawkes works closely with Bentley, providing the bespoke suits that Nigel Stoddard and his colleagues wear as customer hosts. So what sort of a bespoke Bentley would Jason create for himself ?

“My starting point would be the Continental GT and I’d go for a dark exterior, a charcoal grey which, I think, is elegantly understated and perfectly matches the timeless design,” he says excitedly.

“Inside, although I like the modernity of carbon fibre, I think I’d have to go for a more traditional wood veneer trim: I like the idea of natural materials which are warmer to the touch. The leather would be light in colour to reflect our 2015 Spring / Summer Collection.”

The result would undoubtedly be stylish, fresh and sophisticated - a fair reflection of a designer at the very top of his game.

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THE ART OF ARRIVING BY

ROLLS-ROYCE

N OT H I N G S AYS YO U ’ V E A R R I V E D I N S T Y L E Q U I T E L I K E A L I G H T I N G F R O M A R O L L S - R OYC E , C L A I M S N I C K S WA L LOW.

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LONDON 1936

M

any and varied are the blessings of the modern era. The internet, for example. Nowadays you can make a purchase online, from a seller on the other side of the world, at one o’clock in the morning after a convivial evening where you’ve had one too many cognacs.

Whereas in the past, you’d have waited until the sober light of morning and normal trading hours to realise that you didn’t really need a full-size 1950s Standard Oil fuel pump for your bijou London flat.

OK. Maybe the internet was a bad example.

But of all the good things about living in the twenty-teens (don’t rush me, I’ll think of some) we’ve also lost a lot. Our parents’ generation used to have stars. Today we have celebrities.

Stars had something. Let’s call it an aura. Stars weren’t photographed falling out of a taxi in a drooling heap with their underwear worn unfashionably mid-calf.

Stars didn’t get to be stars merely by being the most boorish person in a house-full of dysfunctional and deluded nobodies. Stars sang, or acted, or danced. Stars were always photographed from their good sides. Ordinary folk didn’t see them often, other than on the silver screen, but when they did it added a little sparkle to the drab backdrop of their everyday lives.

Perhaps inaccessibility was all part of the mystique. Stars of Hollywood’s golden era had no way of sharing photos of their breakfast or thoughts on the Syrian war in real time via the 140-character medium of Twitter. They stayed on their pedestals.

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PREVIOUS PAGE Main Image: Subject unknown.

1936: Wearing all white, socialite Mrs John Tooth leaves her home by Phantom III at 6 Stanhope Court, Marble Arch, on her way to an afternoon reception with King Edward VIII at Buckingham Palace.

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT 1963: Singer and film star Sammy Davis Junior skips to his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I. He was in England for a week of variety performances at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool.

1961: Stood beside a Silver Wraith, Peter Sellers plays Mr Topaze in an English remake of Marcel Pagnol’s film of the same name (aka. ‘I like Money’).

1987: Welsh singer and popular Las Vegas musical act, Sir Tom Jones poses with his Silver Spirit, California.

1970: British model and actress Twiggy steps from a Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupe at an airport shortly after retiring from modelling.

1966: Actress Brigitte Bardot arrives by Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud in the French alps.

They travelled in cocooned luxury, only emerging when their conveyance had been precisely aligned with the red carpet and a uniformed flunky had opened the door. The waiting crowds would see them step down gracefully, smile as the flashbulbs popped and then disappear into the theatre. That was it.

And when they arrived, it was generally a Rolls-Royce they arrived in. That wonderful Roycean quality of waftability does a terrific job of calming nerves and fostering inner serenity. The final moments before you pull up to the waiting throng allow you to make those last-minute adjustments, all the better to emerge with panache. That’s as true today of a t-shirt clad Jenson Button, turning up for driving duty at the Bahrain Grand Prix with a relaxed grin, as it was for socialite Mrs John Tooth, setting off for an afternoon reception with King

Edward VIII (and mentally reminding herself not to mention Mrs Simpson).

If anything, today’s Rolls-Royces set the bar even higher – for instance, you can now specify a starlight headliner. If that doesn’t make you feel like a celestial being sent down to live among the earthlings, nothing will.

These insights into a bygone age are prompted by a recent visit to the Getty Images library, where bulging files full of unpublished press photography are carefully curated. You may be familiar with the Getty Images Gallery at 46 Eastcastle Street W1, where you can browse among stunning photographic images that have illuminated modern history and even buy framed, handprinted copies of them. The library is the hidden resource behind it, and Drive was privileged to be allowed to visit.

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“Our parents’ generation used to have stars. Today we have celebrities. Stars had something. Let’s call it an aura.”

There’s Tom Jones, leaning against the front wing of a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit with the smile of a man who can reduce every woman in a Vegas show audience to quivering jelly. There’s Bardot, who has a similar effect on every man she pouts at. Is she clearing ice off the windscreen of that Silver Cloud? Or waiting for the garagiste to arrive with the snowchains? To be honest, we don’t care. She’s simply the embodiment of cool, in every sense.

Another sixties icon, the fashion model Twiggy, knew better than to alight from a Mini in a mini. Instead, she’s leaning her elfin physique against a twodoor Corniche coupé. There’s a magic about images like that, something quite unique that photography brought to the human experience. The record of a moment, 1/125th of a second captured and recorded on film for eternity. Never before have human beings been able to freeze time itself.

Of course, star quality hasn’t completely disappeared today. Here’s Beyoncé, clad in body-hugging black from head to toe and regally ignoring the massed cameraphones from her perch on the rear deck of a classic convertible.

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With 17 Grammy awards and an 18-year career as the highest-paid woman in the music business, her body language tells us we won’t be seeing her battling it out among the Z-Listers in a Big Brother house.

And then there’s Karl Lagerfeld. Nobody rocks shades, a white ponytail and a high starch collar quite like the muse of Chanel.

And the forward-opening ‘suicide’ doors of his Phantom Drophead coupé are ideal for making a grand entrance at his latest couture preview. Mr Lagerfeld is such a stellar talent that even his cat is a star. Choupette Lagerfeld has her own Twitter and Instagram accounts, Choupette’s Diary, with daily updates on life as the feline companion to a genius. She has her own iPad, eats next to Lagerfeld at the table from Goyard china, and has inspired entire couture collections.

You see? I knew I’d find something good to say about the modern era.

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: 2008: Actress/singer Beyonce arrives in New York for an outdoor concert live on NBC News’ ‘Today’ by Silver Cloud Drophead Coupe.

2013: Karl Lagerfeld is seen arriving in a Phantom Drophead Coupe on August 1, 2013 in Saint-Tropez, France.

2014: Jenson Button arrives at the Bahrain Grand Prix driving a Rolls-Royce Ghost.

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R E P L A C I N G T H E G A L L A R D O A S L A M B O RG H I N I ’S B E S T E V E R S E L L I N G M O D E L , S T E V E S U TC L I F F E TA K E S T H E M I G H T Y N E W H U R A C Á N TO TA S K A LO N G E A S T S U S S E X ’S M O S T D R A M AT I C B A C K D RO P - B E A C H Y H E A D. P H OTO G R A P H Y BY S T UA RT P R I C E

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T

he road that meanders its way gracefully around the headland between the sleepy village of East Dean and the outer edges of Eastbourne, down on the south coast of England, is truly a spectacular piece of road – for all sorts of reasons. And in a car like the new 602bhp, four-wheel-drive, 202mph Lamborghini Huracán it really does represent something close to the ultimate driving challenge.

For although the road itself has no name – the first half of it is known merely as the Birling Gap road; the second half simply the Beachy Head road – it contains so many blind crests and off-camber corners that, even in a supercar as fundamentally secure as the Huracán, you drive along it with your heart half way up your throat. And your hands metaphorically welded to that sexy new flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Get it wrong or push too far on certain sections of the Beachy Head road and, in a couple of places, a watery grave awaits you about 250 feet down below. Elsewhere, there are high grass banks that would in a heartbeat make an expensive mess of a brand new Lamborghini, especially one that’s insured – in this particular spec – for well over two hundred thousand pounds.

In a curious kind of way, though, the Beachy Head road could hardly provide a more perfect environment in which to sample, and savour, the new Lamborghini Huracán. Because unlike just about every other Lamborghini in history, the Huracán has NOT been engineered to be tamed by whoever is lucky enough to climb behind the wheel. This is not a machine that will be driven and relished only by those who have the skills (and bravery) of a racing driver.

Instead, the Huracán is rather more complex than that. This is a supercar that has been designed and engineered to be as approachable as possible; as such, it’s a supercar that can be driven, and enjoyed, by mere mortals, as well as by the driving gods. It is, at a pinch, even a car that you could use each and every day. So it is not, therefore, a car that thumps its chest in public and scares anyone who comes within half a mile of its dynamic capabilities. That’s what Lamborghinis used to be like but, it seems, not any more.

Beachy Head was famously used for the closing scene of cult film Quadrophenia. The cliffs were also used in the opening sequence to the 1987 James Bond film, The Living Daylights.

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RANGE: 398 MILES

Despite its classic mid-engined layout and its thundering V10 engine, the Huracán has precisely zero nasty habits lurking within its dynamic repertoire. It won’t bite your arm off and spit you into the undergrowth backwards if you do the wrong thing with its fly-by-wire throttle, not on the way in, not in the middle, nor on the way out of a corner. And on the Beachy Head road – indeed, on any road, wet or dry – that’s actually a rather comforting realisation.

Is it still a true Lamborghini in that case, I hear you quite rightfully begin to ask? Absolutely. And from the moment you set eyes upon it, you realise why. In the flesh the Huracán is surely one of the prettiest Lamborghinis there has ever been. It looks perfectly proportioned from just about any angle, but never more so than in profile. Most of all,

though, it looks just how a Lamborghini should look; low, wide, menacing, beautiful, expensive, and slightly scary, all at the same time.

Thumb the little door handle that emerges from the bodywork as if by magic when you blip the key and, unlike in the Aventador, the door opens conventionally to reveal a cabin that is as breath taking to look at as it is to sit in and interact with. The driving position is low, the driver’s seat heavily sculpted to provide huge support from every direction, and the smell that hits you is pungent, delicious and luxuriant. Inside, the Huracán smells as if it is worth every penny of what it costs. And then you notice the fabulous new TFT digital instrument panel, and the new centre console, which appears festooned with buttons and switches to begin with but which becomes intuitive to use far, far sooner than you might think.

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On the bottom of the new steering wheel there’s a little button that says Strada, Sport and Corsa.

This enables a driver to switch between three different driving modes on the move, each of which alters the settings for the throttle, gearbox, dampers and the ESP system. But before you start playing with any of those buttons, there’s a far more important one to go in search of.

It’s partially hidden in the centre console beneath a bright red fighter jet “missiles away” failsafe flap, and it’s the one that brings the Huracán’s 5.2-litre V10 to life. Just one gentle prod on this is all that’s required to provide further confirmation that the Huracán is indeed a true Lamborghini.

The eruption of noise once the V10 catches is genuinely magnificent, and for a while you will simply want to sit there and listen while the beast within warms itself up.

Pull the right hand gear paddle towards you to select first gear and several things become instantly apparent as the Huracán first begins to move. Its new seven-speed dual clutch gearbox works far, far better in every aspect of its behaviour than the old e-gear system of the Gallardo.

The ride is also massively more refined, the electric power steering lighter than you’d expect, perhaps, but still super-precise and entirely free from corruption over bumps.

The whole car, in fact, feels polished and resolved and dynamically crystallised in a way that the dear old Gallardo could never hope to match. It feels and sounds much, much more grown up on the move. The damping is in another league compared with its predecessor, and although you are still acutely aware of sitting low to the ground, with a screaming V10 engine behind your ears, the intimidation factor has been deliberately dialled right back.

You don’t start driving the Huracán and think; will I actually make it to my destination? Instead, you tend to sit back and think; wow, this thing really does feel like it will take care of me if something untoward happens. And in turn this enables you to properly relish all the great things about this car.

Such as its searing acceleration, its eye-watering traction, its quite astonishingly powerful new standard-fit carbon ceramic brakes, its utterly lovely new cabin and, best of all, the noise it makes when you unleash it for a moment along a road like the one at Beachy Head.

Sample what the Huracán feels and sounds like just once between 6000-8250rpm and you will be completely addicted. All you will then want to do is slow down and do it all over again. And again.

And after a day with a car like this, on a road like the one at Beachy Head, you will come away dizzy in disbelief. Not just at how good the Huracán is to drive and how hard it will allow you to push it without scaring you half to death – as has been the case with so many Lamborghinis of old – but also how civilised and special the experience feels at the same time.

That’s some range of abilities to engineer into just one car, but then the Huracán really is some car. In many ways, it’s the most complete supercar Lamborghini has yet made. And there have been quite a few good ones over the years. hrowen.co.uk/Lamborghini

BOOT: 150 LITRES

Powered by Lamborghini’s 602bhp V10 and featuring a new seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, the Huracán is extremely capable on tight, twisty sections such as Beachy Head Road.

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Sample what the Huracรกn feels and sounds like just once between 6000-8250rpm and you will be completely addicted. All you will then want to do is slow down and do it all over again. And again.

58 LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN LP 610-4 Price:

FROM £180,720

Engine:

V10, 5204CC, DIRECT INJECTION, PETROL

Power/Torque:

602BHP @ 8250RPM / 560NM @ 6500RPM

Transmission:

SEVEN-SPEED PADDLE SHIFT DCT, FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE

0-62mph:

SUB 3.2SEC

Top speed:

202MPH

Economy/CO2:

22.6MPG/290G/KM

Kerb weight:

1532KG

398HP/ TONNE

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It’s partially hidden in the centre console beneath a bright red fighter jet “missiles away” failsafe flap, and it’s the one that brings the Huracán’s 5.2-litre V10 to life. Just one gentle prod on this is all that’s required to provide further confirmation that the Huracán is indeed a true Lamborghini.

64 MILES 1HR 55MINS

60 LONDON

Y O U D R I V E

A23

MAIDSTONE

THE ROUTE

CANTERBURY

ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS

A22 BEACHY HEAD

EAST DEAN EASTBOURNE BIRLING GAP ROAD

EAST DEAN

SUSSEX HERITAGE COAST

BEACHY HEAD ROAD

GRAND HOTEL

THE HOTEL

THE RESTAURANT

The best hotel near the famous Beachy Head road is the five star Grand Hotel in Eastbourne. Constructed in 1875, it has 152 rooms including 23 suites and is also known as the “White Palace” due to its impressive 400 foot wide Victorian frontage.

The best place to eat nearby is the elegant Mirabelle restaurant inside the hotel itself, which boasts has two AA Rosettes and four RAC dining awards. The food is classic European but with a strong emphasis on the use of local ingredients where possible, with prices between £40-80 per head for dinner.

grandeastbourne.com

PISTONHEADS.COM ARE PROUD ROUD TO BE PARTNERS OF H.R.OWEN Join our exclusive supercar members club by visiting pistonheads.com/VIP where you will receive invites to selected events, test drives and a vast array of unique opportunities and offers.

ME E T T HE E X P E RT #9

PETER BLOND 62

P E T E R B LO N D, S OT H E BY ’ S I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E A LT Y H E A D O F P R I VAT E O F F I C E , WA S A R A C I N G D R I V E R F O R M O R E T H A N 15 Y E A R S B E F O R E H E J O I N E D T H E E S TA B L I S H E D A U C T I O N H O U S E A N D T H E N I TS LU X U RY E S TAT E A G E N T A R M . H E R E , E XC LU S I V E LY F O R D R I V E , H E R E M E M B E R S S O M E O F T H E R E M A R K A B L E E X P E R I E N C E S T H AT L I N K L I F E I N LO N D O N, W I T H FA S T C A R S A N D A C A R E E R AT S OT H E BY ’ S .

I M A G E C O U RT E SY O F JA G UA RH E RI TA G E.C O M

“Anthony is the one with the brain, and Peter is good with his hands”, so said my mother in describing her two children.

And she was right; I have had a love affair with the motor car since very early days and was lucky enough to gain a car for my 21st birthday, the subject of a substantial bribe by my father, an Jaguar SS100 built in 1936.

I graduated to a XK120 bought from Roy Salvadori in Warren Street and thereafter an ex-Ecosse works ‘C’ Type.

Followed by a ‘D’ Type bought from a young dealer called Bernard Ecclestone! I enjoyed sports car driving enormously; there was no money in motor car racing in those days, you drove your own car to the circuit, pumped up the tyres and Peter Blond probably drove in two, if not three events on a single day.

“Sotheby’s has always provided I was lucky enough to be invited to drive for Lister at Le expert access on the finer things in life whether it be art, property Mans in 1959 after the Nürburgring, but then decided to retire or automobiles.” after getting married in 1961. I was a regular visitor to H.R. Owen and unable to quit the world of motor cars, I started to restore pre-war Rolls-Royces and Bentleys.

My first venture was a 1936 4 ¼-litre Bentley - the show car for the Van den Plas stand at Olympia, bought for £250 - a figure which would probably buy you a sidelight today. We won the Bentley Drivers Club Best Derby and I drove the car in the first Mille Miglia Storico in 1971, we finished, and I still own the car today.

When pondering on the difference of driving in London over the last sixty years, it is intriguing to note that I was able to buy a mews house in the 60s with three car garages for £7,500.

Whereas I understand that you have to pay in the region of £100,000 for a single space in today’s market, according to our team at Sotheby’s Realty.

The London property market has come on a great deal in that time, but so have the cars. Knightsbridge prices have rocketed at a quite incredible rate, but again, so have the numbers of supercars that are driven through central London streets at night.

Sotheby’s car department provided lots of fun in the 90s; Bond Street was closed for a special evening and the RollsRoyce Enthusiasts Club provided some 20 cars which were parked in echelon, either side of Bond Street. They closed the road for all the fun of the fair; stilt walkers, jugglers and every shop was open for drinks. The problem was, one rather refreshed couple were still dining at ten in the evening after the roads were opened for normal traffic at nine. Swerving around an unattended Silver Ghost parked across the road made for demanding driving. Happy days indeed.

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New York style

loft living in the heart of London

A development by Alchemi Group

www.sothebysrealty.co.uk Call 0203 1264573 Mayfair or 01932 798193 Cobham

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SUPERCAR TECH EXPLAINED

MASERATI GHIBLI DIESEL AS THE MOST AFFORDABLE AND FRUGAL MASERATI ON SALE, THE GHIBLI DIESEL MAKES FOR A CLASSY AND APPEALING ALTERNATIVE TO THE SCORES OF GERMAN OFFERINGS, SAYS MATT PRIOR.

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Its a diesel, but not as you know it; the Ghibli ‘D’ blends exclusivity and performance with economy and Italian flair.

D

iesel cars have been big business in Europe for decades. Early on, their extraordinary frugality gave them their popularity; later, improved refinement levels and low carbon dioxide emission levels cemented it.

They’ve had a tougher time of it lately, mind, with local urban air quality issues becoming almost as much cause for concern as greenhouse gas emissions.

Modern diesel cars, though, play a pretty limited part in that. In 2000 a set of emissions levels called Euro 3 were brought in. Between then and the introduction Euro 6 emissions levels last year, maximum particular matter emissions from diesel cars were cut to 10 per cent of year 2000 levels, with nitrous oxide levels cut to only 16 per cent of Euro 3 standards.

The modern diesel is exceptionally clean.

So clean that industry executives we’ve spoken to say that, while they expect diesel to become less popular for smaller cars – where the cost of developing ultra-clean diesel engines is more prohibitive – there’ll be little difference on larger vehicles.

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“...Ghibli ownership will still put you in an extremely exclusive set of wheels, whether they’re petrol or diesel powered.”

Consider this: the UK is far from the most diesel-oriented market in Europe, yet still, more than 80 per cent of Britain’s BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 models are sold with diesel motors.

Which is where Maserati comes in. The Italian performance car maker wanted to increase its sales to 50,000 cars, worldwide, per year, so it needed a new, stylish executive car. In the shape of the Ghibli, it got one.

And it’s precisely no surprise that Maserati’s executives knew they needed to offer it with a diesel engine.

Now, 50,000 cars a year might sound like a lot of cars – and it is,

by Maserati standards. But when you consider that BMW and Audi each

sell well over 1.7 million cars a year, you start to realise that Ghibli ownership will still put you in an extremely exclusive set of wheels, whether they’re petrol or diesel powered.

There are petrol Ghiblis. Of course there are. A Maserati wouldn’t be a Maserati were it not available with a spectacular petrol engine, which today is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6, making either 330hp (Ghibli) or 410bhp (Ghibli S).

But the diesel shares some characteristics with it. It, too, is a 3.0-litre V6 with two turbochargers. And while it’s lighter on power, at 275hp, makes the most torque of the Ghibli range.

Petrol cars tend to make power at high engine revolutions; which is why the Ghibli and Ghibli S make their peak power at or above 5000rpm.

Diesels, though, perform best at lower revs. It’s one of the things that makes them so economical, and even at low rpm they make breathtaking levels of torque.

The Ghibli Diesel produces a staggering 600Nm, at only 2000rpm. That kind of shove is why it can still reach 62mph from rest in only 6.3 seconds.

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“But there’s something else that’s typical of a Maserati: engine noise. Lots of engine noise.

And that’s harder to replicate with a diesel.”

But there’s something else that’s typical of a Maserati: engine noise. Lots of engine noise. And that’s harder to replicate with a diesel engine.

It doesn’t matter how many cylinders you construct a diesel engine from, or how much power it makes, it won’t scream like a petrol unit, but there are things you can do. Common rail injection and serious soundproofing reduces an engine’s less appealing tones, while other sounds – the nicer, powerful ones – can be allowed to run free, or even amplified.

Different manufacturers have differing takes on how to do this.

Some carmakers do nothing but a little acoustic tuning. BMW, meanwhile, artificially augments an engine’s nicer noises through the car’s audio speakers. Maserati’s approach, though, is different again, and much more in keeping with its organic, performance-oriented ethos.

The Maserati Active Sound system comprises two valves near the quadruple-exhausts’ tailpipes. Under normal driving, when you want to make the kind of hushed progress that’s typical of an executive car, the valves remain closed.

At larger throttle openings, though, or if you press the Sport button on the central tunnel, the valves open. That allows the exhaust’s bassy tones to reach and vibrate a membrane, which amplifies the noise along a tube towards the cabin.

Thus, entirely naturally, you get the good exhaust notes amplified, while the sounds you don’t want to hear remain discreetly hidden. It’s a novel and effective solution on the Ghibli, and goes towards making it one of the most charismatic executive cars on sale. hrowen.co.uk/Maserati

MASERATI GHIBLI DIESEL PRICE: FROM £48,830 ENGINE: 3.0-LITRE V6 TURBODIESEL POWER/TORQUE: 271BHP/600NM TRANSMISSION: EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC, REAR-WHEEL DRIVE 0-62MPH: 6.3 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 155MPH ECONOMY/CO2: 47.9MPG/158G/KM EQUIPMENT: SAT-NAV, CLIMATE CONTROL, CRUISE CONTROL, LEATHER UPHOLSTERY, ELECTRIC SEATS, STOP-START

Concert for one P7 Mobile Hi-Fi headphones Lose yourself in music with P7. Engineered to raise the bar for mobile sound quality with a Hi-Fi loudspeaker approach to headphone drive units. Listen and you’ll see. bowers-wilkins.co.uk

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AT YO UR SERVICE #9

Group Buyers WHILST NEW AND APPROVED USED MODELS TAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF SPACE WITHIN H.R. OWE N’S SHOW ROOMS, MAT THEW CARTER MEETS THE TEA M OF BUYERS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOURCING THE G ROUP’S BREATHTAKING LINE-UP OF ‘MODERN CLASSICS’.

S

ometimes traffic jams can be a real blessing. One wet Wednesday a couple of years back, West London’s main artery, the A4, was blocked… cars, vans and buses were going nowhere fast. Some of those who sought diversions found themselves crawling past the H.R. Owen Ferrari showroom in Old Brompton Road in South Kensington.

For most it was the opportunity for an envious glance at the Maranello thoroughbreds on display. But for one driver it was nirvana. Something caught his eye so he parked, ran into the showroom and, half an hour or so later, emerged as the proud owner of a rare and desirable Ferrari 288 GTO. Turned out he was a Ferrari fanatic with a GTO-sized gap in his collection. He hadn’t known the car was being offered by H.R. Owen and had it not been for that jam, he might still be looking.

If he were, he could do worse than swing by Old Brompton Road today, for there’s a pristine 288 GTO in the window once more. And this one has a mere 2,000 kms on the clock. All he would need is a cheque for a cool £2 million…

While HR Owen is perhaps best known for selling brand new Bentleys and Bugattis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Aston Martins, the company is also a leading light in the sale of pre-owned cars. Indeed, many customers join the H.R. Owen family via a previously cherished model.

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“While H.R. Owen is perhaps best known for selling brand new Bentleys and Bugattis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Aston Martins, the company is also a leading light in the sale of pre-owned cars.”

1985 FERRARI 288 GTO PRICE: £2 MILLION ENGINE: 2.9-LITRE DOHC V8, TWIN-TURBO POWER/TORQUE: 400BHP/496NM TRANSMISSION: FIVE SPEED MANUAL 0-60MPH: 4.8 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 189MPH

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“Sunday used to be our busiest day,” recalls Peter Smith. “We would take out a classified advert in The Sunday Times inviting sellers to contact us and the phone would never stop ringing.”

For the most part the used cars we are talking about are recent machines part exchanged against a new model, but rare classics like the GTO are increasingly becoming part of the H.R. Owen portfolio.

Keeping the group stocked with good quality used cars is the responsibility of a small team of just five: four vastly experienced Group Buyers and an appraiser.

The buyers are each responsible for specific areas – Kevin Grace specialises in pre-owned Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars, Peter Smith looks after used Ferrari/Lamborghini/Maserati sports cars while Manchesterbased Mark Rose handles used cars in the Group’s Northern outpost.

The fourth member of the quartet, Barney Singh, combines responsibility for used Aston Martins and is charged with expanding sales of non-franchised brands such as Range Rover, Porsche, AMG Mercedes, Audi R8 sports cars and Q7 SUVs. The way such cars are acquired by the group has changed enormously in the past few years. “Sunday used to be our busiest day,” recalls Peter Smith.

“We would take out a classified advert in The Sunday Times inviting sellers to contact us and the phone would never stop ringing.

“The newspaper no longer works for us. Instead, leads come from our own extensive database. People buy from people, after all, and by building one-to-one relationship with customers we have been able to grow the used side of the business dramatically.”

And that has led to an unexpected area of growth: classic cars.

Using their vast network of contacts, the H.R. Owen buyers have been able to source a growing number of special cars for customers, like the ultra rare Bugatti EB110 Super Sport (see panel).

Other classics that have been recently sourced by the team include an Aston Martin Zagato, a Jaguar XJ220, a Maserati Merak SS (“I regret selling that car,” says Smith) and, of course, the 288 GTO currently on display in Old Brompton Road.

Two more classics will soon grace H.R. Owen showrooms, a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I and a ‘Pagoda’ Mercedes SL which the team found in New Zealand. Neither has been bought for a specific customer but Smith is confident that neither will stay long with a ‘For Sale’ sticker in the windscreen.

“We won’t be advertising the cars. We have a good idea who might be interested… and if they’re not, someone else will soon take their place.

“Our customers know how we operate, that we buy carefully and that the cars are prepared properly. There are good reasons why H.R. Owen is a trusted brand and when it comes to used cars we go the extra mile.”

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1992 BUGATTI EB110 SUPERSPORT PRICE: SOLD ENGINE: 3.5-LITRE V12 QUAD TURBO POWER/TORQUE: 650BHP/647NM TRANSMISSION: SIX SPEED MANUAL 0-62MPH: 3.2 SECONDS TOP SPEED: 216MPH

RARER THAN A HORNLESS UNICORN...

As a young lad Simeon Van der Molen knew one entry in the Guinness Book of Records by heart. Each Christmas he’d be given the up-to-date version of the annual and immediately check which was the fastest car in the world.

For many years that honour fell to the 216mph, quad turbo Bugatti EB110 Super Sports. And the young Simeon promised himself that he would own one when he was older.

Now he does, thanks to H.R. Owen.

“I fell in love with that car when I was a boy and have always vowed to get one to start my own car collection. I was expecting to do that in about five years time… but values of exotic classic cars have hardened, so I reckoned I should do it sooner rather than later,” he says.

“We have a vast network of contacts and pretty quickly we found a car in mainland Europe that fitted the bill. We made further enquiries, conducted due diligence, and then made a trip to evaluate its condition.

“The facilities of a nearby Maserati dealer were put at our disposal and our Bugatti-trained technician came with us to check it over.

“It proved to be rather more special than we thought: it was once owned by the factory and used as an evaluation car. It had been used as a test bed for a number of important modifications that were fitted to the last of the EB110 line.

“Our technician said it was the best he’d ever seen. So I phoned Simeon to give him the verdict and asked whether he still wanted it… and I told him that if he didn’t, we’d buy it for ourselves!”

“I was especially keen to move quickly as I believe the EB110, and the SS in particular, are undervalued.”

The car is now in the UK and undergoing some modifications to comply with our rules and regulations. Simeon will be taking delivery shortly.

But with fewer than 40 examples ever made, tracking down an SS for sale proved virtually impossible. So Simeon turned to Bugatti’s sole UK concessionaire, H.R. Owen, for help.

He said: “This car is so rare and so special that I can’t really believe I now own it. I am equally amazed by the lengths to which Peter and his team went in securing the car for me. It’s not a service they advertise, but it can’t be beaten.”

Peter Smith takes up the story. “Simeon’s call came out of the blue and once we’d established that he was serious – and he proved to be very serious – we started to see what we could do.

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M O D E R O D D

R N E R S

O F T E N D I S M I S S E D A S A M A T E U R , B A C K -Y A R D C R E A T I O N S S P A W N E D F R O M A N E R A O F R E B E L L I O U S P O S T-W A R A M E R I C A N Y O U T H C U LT U R E , T H E T R A D I T I O N A L H O T R O D M O V E M E N T I S B A C K - Q U I T E L I T E R A L LY O N U K S H O R E S , E X P L A I N S S A R A H B R A D L E Y.

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E

ver since man invented automobiles, other men have found ways to strip ’em down, hop ’em up and have themselves a whole load of fun. The concept is nothing new, and throughout the history of motorised vehicles, nowhere has this love of performance for performance’s sake been more prolific or as much a part of popular youth culture than in America, home of the hot rod.

It was in Southern California during the Twenties and Thirties that the movement began to gather pace – although it wasn’t known as hot rodding until after World War II, when the pursuit of outright speed by the guy in the street really took off nationwide.

Young GIs returning from combat were searching for ways to keep their adrenaline pumping. The answer lay in cars. Ford’s ubiquitous Model Ts, As and V8s became the donor models of choice as teenagers souped up engines, dumped superfluous body panels and had a ball on the streets, dry lakes and drag strips of mid-century America.

As technology evolved, automotive-modification techniques and motorsport moved on, and by the end of the 20th Century the rodding world was a very different place. In fact, few people outside of the close-knit ‘nostalgia’ community knew much about these fast ’n’ furious, evocative machines skilfully engineered in the traditional way. The sight of a 1932 Ford sans fenders and hood powering down the road, souped-up flathead V8 roaring and crossplies spinning, would leave the casual onlooker perplexed and confused, the automobile’s old-fashioned styling seemingly at odds with its muscle-bound performance.

Gradually, however, public awareness of these cars and their unique vintage culture was revived. Widely viewed TV shows such as American Hot Rod captivated the masses, while Hollywood referenced rodding’s heyday in movies like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (check out the opening sequence) and Iron Man, in which superhero Tony Stark drove a flamed ’32 Roadster. Even Audi depicted a fleet of snarling classic machines ‘dancing’ on ice in its ‘Beauty and the Beasts’ ad for the R8 Spyder.

The rise of the Internet spread the message exponentially.

With this new-found understanding came the attentions of collectors.

High-end events such as the Louis Vuitton Classic and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance ditched their once-snooty stance against these “gaudy” upstarts, and bestowed them with long-overdue recognition and respect. Original cars with documented provenance are now highly treasured, as are those pioneering builders and racers from so long ago.

Historic hot rods are big business – and, for better or worse, big money.

Yet away from the spotlight, a dedicated band of British enthusiasts have been following their hot-rodding dreams since the late Eighties. As teenagers they yearned for the simplicity and pure excitement of those crazy post-war American days, when skinny tyres and side-valve engines were all a kid needed for driving thrills. Their continuing commitment to emulating that golden era with authentic cars, speed equipment and styling has been intrinsic to today’s renewed interest around the world.

Many are content simply to cruise in their period machines.

Others are more serious about performance, spending months in the workshop in their quest for faster acceleration and, ultimately, competition victory. Most take their enthusiasm to a lifestyle level, listening to the

music and sporting the sartorial style of the Forties-early Sixties. The longest-established UK clubs – notably the Low-Flyers and East Coast Sidewinders – now hold iconic status in the movement’s heritage.

Together they formed the roots of the Vintage Hot Rod Association, the foremost organisation for pre-1949 cars modified in the traditional way.

Building on the appeal of established events such as the Hot Rod Hayride, rockabilly weekenders, dedicated drag meets and invite-only reliability runs, the VHRA has created several world-class events of its own.

GOW! Speed Hill Climb is staged at the Bugatti Owners’ Club HQ, Prescott Hill in Gloucestershire. It’s twinned with the annual Hot Rod Races, which take place on the hallowed seven-mile Pendine Sands in South Wales where British pioneers Malcolm Campbell and John Godfrey Parry-Thomas famously battled to establish ever-faster land-speed records in the Twenties. Both VHRA events perfectly combine that early ‘go-faster’ spirit with a Stateside twist.

Love vintage style, back-to-basic thrills and the visceral beauty of traditional engineering? vhra.co.uk will have you hot rodding with the best of them.

“Young GIs returning from combat were searching for ways to keep their adrenaline pumping. The answer lay in cars.”

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AMERICAN GRAFFITI Hot rods, street racing, girls and a rock ’n’ roll soundtrack; American Graffiti – the ultimate car culture movie – has it all. An early George Lucas production from 1973, the film about teenagers cruising the night-time strip in 1962 California also featured a young Harrison Ford, Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss.

Yet the real star was a “piss yella”, chopped Deuce Coupe driven by rebel John Milner – and seeing him ripping it up on the big screen had an immeasurable influence on hot rodding.

The ultimate hard guy? Perhaps not; actor Paul Le Mat today reveals a more sensitive side his iconic character. “Milner was tough but a softie, too,” he says. “In fact, Graffiti had a lot of good characters, very touching. People talk about it as a comedy, but it was also very perceptive, and sympathetic to the people.”

BUDGET: $777,000

Of the now-legendary ’32, he surprisingly recalls: “I’m ashamed to say I was disappointed when I first saw it. Milner was supposed to have The film was released to critical acclaim and financial the fastest car in the San Joaquin Valley, but that stubby little yellow success, and was nominated thing didn’t look fast to me. I’d expected some really sleek for the Academy Award for mean-machine.

Best Picture. Produced on a $777,000 budget, it has “I’d have preferred the ’55 Chevy belonging to Bob Falfa [Harrison become one of the most Ford] – which helped my character, because Milner was supposed to profitable films of all time. be intimidated and, underneath, worried about this new machine in town. He’s looking at the ’55 thinking, ‘Yeah, that’s a hot rod.

I’m driving this thing here – he might beat me!’ Now, though, I know I was wrong!”

Photography by Horst A. Friedrichs

EDITORIAL PROMOTION

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T H E WO R L D O F P R I VAT E A N D C H A RT E R AV I AT I O N I S C H A N G I N G - I N PA RT N E R S H I P W I T H D R I V E , H . R . OW E N C U S TO M E R S C A N N OW B E N E F I T F R O M A S P E C I A L R AT E D J E TC A R D F R O M L E A D I N G C H A RT E R A I R C R A F T P R OV I D E R , A I R PA RT N E R .

I

n operation for over 50 years, no other company can match the experience Air Partner has in the aircraft charter industry. In that time it has flown every mission imaginable, for every type of business and to every part of the planet.

“We make things happen” After starting life as an advanced flying school for ex-servicemen, Air Partner was born shortly after hiring a number of aircraft for training. In the downtime, it placed the planes on charter. Soon the chartering grew to be bigger than the training and the business took off.

Contrary to belief, it’s thinking small that has made it a global leader.

Small teams of experts take the time to get to know and understand clients, right down to the smallest details, delivering a carefully considered, 24/7 service. Air Partner is the only charter company to guarantee your charter.

“Your time and peace of mind is a precious commodity – it’s at the centre of everything we do.”

Air Partner’s first and last priority is to deliver you safely to where you need to be, on time, within budget, relaxed and ready for business or, indeed, pleasure.

For members, it offers much more than simple ad-hoc chartering.

You’ll benefit from much more flying time on a wider choice of aircraft.

Plus, JetCard members are regularly invited to exclusive sporting and cultural events, such as the Opera in Milan or exclusive classic car auctions in Monaco. Air Partner is aware that busy as you are, you relish the opportunity to enjoy life’s pleasures.

“The benefits of the AirPartner JetCard are simple: at least 25 hours of flying, complete flexibility, no hidden costs and guaranteed availability.”

AIRPARTNER JETCARD The JetCard doesn’t just open aircraft doors – a selection of JetCard members recently attended an auction witnessing the sale of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta, for a record $38.1 million. airpartner.com/privatejets

Readers of DRIVE magazine can benefit from a special rated DRIVE JetCard – call +44 (0) 207 538 2273 or email fly@airpartner.com for more information.

LOTUS 56 STP TURBINE

KNOWLEDGE = POWER 80

FACTS: MIGHTY MACHINES

Powered by an aircraft turbine engine and featuring four wheeldrive, the four wedge-shaped Lotus 56 STP Turbine cars entered by Lotus’ Colin Chapman and Andy Granatelli of STP oil and gasoline treatment products, looked to have the 1968 Indianapolis 500 all sewn-up. In qualifying, pre-race favourite Graham Hill was pipped to the post by team mate Joe Leonard, securing pole positon at an average speed of over 171mph.

Victory eluded the highly advanced and aerodynamic cars however - Hill crashed out on lap 110 whilst Pollard and Leonard (leader for 31 laps) both suffered reliability issues in the final stages of the race. Leonard’s retirement on lap 191 handed victory to

Bobby Unser driving the combustion-engined Eagle Offenhauser.

It was a sore defeat for Granatelli, who only the year before narrowly missed out on Indy 500 victory with his turbine-engined STP-Paxon Turbocar with Parnelli Jones at the wheel. Turbine power and four wheel drive was outlawed by the end of 1968 by the USAC, so Lotus adapted the design for use in Formula One. In 1971 Emerson Fittipaldi brought the renamed 56/B home to 8th place at the Italian Grand Prix.

Later produced in die cast by Mattel, the ‘Lotus Turbine’ was one of the most popular mass-produced Hot Wheels series model cars.

DESIGNED & BUILT IN GREAT BRITAIN FOR THE 1968 INDY 500

1968 LOTUS 56 ONLY

4

WERE EVER BUILT FUEL TANK:

DESIGNED BY MAURICE PHILLIPPE AND COLIN CHAPMAN

POWER TO WEIGHT:

820 BHP 265 LITRES OUTPUT:

500

BHP

1150LB FT TORQUE

DRIVETRAIN: PRATT & WHITNEY STNB6B-74 GAS TURBINE, FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

PER TONNE

40 20

60

80 100

120 140 160 180 200

210 220

1968 INDIANAPOLIS 500 ∙ Attendance: 250,000 ∙ Live radio broadcast: 100 million worldwide ∙ Laps: 200

TOP SPEED: APPROX

200

MPH

“FACING EVER-TIGHTENING REGULATIONS, THE LOTUS 56 EMPHASIZED A MIX OF HANDLING, REDUCED WEIGHT AND SUPERIOR AERODYNAMICS, ADOPTING A WEDGE SHAPE BEFORE THE USE OF WINGS FOR ADDED DOWNFORCE BECAME COMMONPLACE.” ALEXANDER GEORGE, WIRED.COM

∙ Pole position: #60 Joe Leonard - Lotus STP @ 171.559 mph ∙ Winner: #3 Bobby Unser - Eagle MKIV Offenhauser @ 152.882mph

‘The Yard of Bricks’ at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway acknowledges the circuit’s original brick-paved surface and is some of the most hallowed ground in worldwide motorsports.

LOTUS 56 STP TURBINE - 1968 INDIANAPOLIS 500

30 60 #60 JOE LEONARD, RETIRED LAP 191

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20

60

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#20 ART POLLARD, RETIRED LAP 188

30 70 #70 GRAHAM HILL, RETIRED LAP 110

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED IN 1968?

To prove just how far ahead of its time the turbine-engined, four wheel drive Lotus 56 was, here’s a quick reminder of what else was happening in 1968…

60 The Boeing 747 makes its maiden flight.

The first ‘Big Mac’ goes on sale in McDonalds in the U.S., costing 49 cents.

First Philadelphia Bank installs the first ATM in the U.S.

COLIN MCRAE WAS BORN IN LANARK, SCOTLAND.

$100.00

HAD THE SAME BUYING POWER AS Gardeners’ World debuts on BBC1 television, presented by Ken Burras and Percy Thrower.

West Bromwich Albion win the FA Cup for the fifth time, with Jeff Astle scoring against Everton at the Wembley Stadium.

$687.46 IN 2014

Apollo 8 Astronauts - Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders - became the first humans to orbit another world.

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#30 MIKE SPENCE 1936 -1968 The fourth Lotus 56 driver destined to enter the 1968 Indy 500, Croydon-born Mike Spence was tragically killed during testing three weeks prior to the race. Driving car #30, Spence set a fastest lap of 169.555mph before misjudging turn one and colliding with the concrete wall.

20 He died from his injuries later that evening.

30

60

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ENGINEERED ENGINEERED EXCITE TOTO EXCITE

TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED WITH DESIGNED THE WITH BEST CAR THE BEST CAR TO MAKERS MAKERS TO ENHANCE THE ENHANCE THE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR CAR. OF YOUR CAR.

IRIS_NO LOGHI CASE AUTO.indd 1 IRIS_NO LOGHI CASE AUTO.indd 1

21/02/13 12:39 21/02/13 12:39

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REINVENTING THE

(STEERING) WHEEL A R G UA B LY T H E WO R L D’ S G R E AT E S T I N V E N T I O N, T H E W H E E L H A S F O U N D M A N Y U S E S . F E W H OW E V E R , A R E M O R E I M P O RTA N T TO M OTO R I S TS T H A N A C A R’ S S T E E R I N G W H E E L . A S J O N AT H A N B E L L D I S C OV E R S , R E I N V E N T I N G T H E S T E E R I N G W H E E L I S N ’ T A B O U T TO H A P P E N OV E R N I G H T.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Knightrider’s 1982 KITT Pontiac Trans Am 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 1951 MG TD 2015 Bentley GT3R

L

ike many motoring innovations, there are several claimants to the invention of the steering wheel. What’s certain, however, is that the steering wheel was born out of motor sport. The very first cars were directed with tillers, a simple mechanical linkage that required the driver to ‘steer’ away from the direction of travel. It rather suited the staid, upright and exposed character of the pioneer motorists, exposed and buffeted as if a captain on a bridge. But a steering wheel made far more sense, even if it increased complexity. In the 1890s, racing drivers began to use the wheel, connected via a shaft to a geared linkage that turned the wheels. They reaped immediate benefits in terms of feel and the ability to reposition the wheels quickly and accurately.

The steering wheel quickly became part of the automobile’s symbiotic control system, allowing skilled drivers to bring the car to life with their hands and feet. In 1898, a raked, column-mounted steering wheel was introduced by Panhard, and the traditional tiller began its fade

into technological obscurity. The first wheels were strictly functional, interchangeable objects that were little more than a giant gear designed for turning. But gradually the wheel came to dominate the cockpit and help shape all that lay around it. They were also the car’s Achilles heel; a hard, unyielding object that became the driver’s first point of contact in an accident.

As technology, complexity and safety systems evolved, the steering wheel’s importance only grew. The first control that crept into the orbit of the wheel was of course the horn. The wheel’s frequently fatal position was first tackled with crude additions of rubber and foam, before the introduction of the airbag introduced the modern era. Developed throughout the 60s and 70s but not a fully viable technology until the 1990s, the airbag has done away with the spindly, elegant wheels of old, as centre bosses thickened up to take the tightly packaged devices. The idea of a steering wheel being interchangeable between different cars all but vanished.

STEERING WHEELS THROUGH THE YEARS

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1928 Bugatti Type 43/44 The quintessential vintage steering wheel, consisting of four metal spokes and a slender knurled disc of wood.

The Bugatti’s large wheel is set practically vertically to the dashboard.

1930 Blower Bentley The historic reputation of the legendary ‘Blower’ Bentleys conveniently overlooks the shortcomings of these massive racing cars.

1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Perhaps the first true supercar, the racing 300 SLR combined speed, beauty and new materials, including aluminium and magnesium.

1956 MGA Roadster The original MGA set the template for over half a century of small sports car design. The MGA’s steering wheel was a three-pronged, wood-rimmed affair, with three slots cut from each spoke.

1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud The standard power steering fitted to the first generation Silver Cloud made manoeuvring the vast straight six-powered saloon a breeze.

1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa The legendary Testa Rossa bears the ultimate manifestation of the pure racing wheels seen back in the Bugatti and Bentley era.

1960 Lancia Appia A circle of black, two horizontal spokes and a semi-circle of chrome for the horn; Italian design perfection.

1963 Ford Anglia The thinnest steering wheel of all? Slim was in; Twiggy strutted the catwalks and the Ford Anglia’s wheel was slender beyond belief.

1966 Ford Mustang The Mustang’s wheel was big and muscular, thrusting out the dash with steeply raked, drilled spokes and a colour-matched rim.

1968 Maserati Mexico Maserati offset the thicket of dials and switches on the ‘68 Mexico with a steering wheel of startling elegance, one of the last hurrahs of the traditional rapier-thin wooden rim.

1969 Fiat Abarth 850 Stark wooden simplicity wasn’t only the preserve of Ferraris and Maseratis. Fiat’s diminutive Abarth 850 could match its more expensive rivals on style.

1969 Jaguar E Type Perhaps the ultimate expression of the sporting steering wheel of the 50s and 60s, the E-Type’s steering gear could also be wrapped in masculine leather.

STEERING WHEELS THROUGH THE YEARS

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“Today’s luxury manufacturers understand the importance the steering wheel.”

We can never go back to the era of slender curved wood, twirled around a pair of stringbacked glove swathed hands. Function has finally overridden elegance. The more sporting the marque, the more likely a wheel will be festooned with functions to switch dampers, sport mode and operate essential controls without taking your hands from the rim. Opt for luxury, and the wheel is the optimal place for all those scattered buttons that help you talk to the car, flip through menus and dial up the cruise control.

The academic John Adams once wrote provocatively that the best way of encouraging safer driving would be to place a large spike on the steering wheel. Some of the elaborate creations of the 50s and 60s were little better, but the modern car wields its wheel like a shield, the heart of the car, bearer of the brand, offering fingertip control and an invisible safety net.

Today’s luxury manufacturers understand the importance the steering wheel. It’s not just a central showcase for a badge, but a literal handson demonstration of the craft skills, material quality and attention to detail that drives their brands. Just like a well-fitted suit or a pair of hand-made shoes, the best steering wheel should feel instantly familiar, forming a bond with the machine that you never want to break.

Will we ever completely forsake the steering wheel? Over the decades, various concepts have showcased yokes, joysticks, levers and handles, but none of them made a convincing case for reinventing the wheel. Autonomous driving might usher in another change; Google’s first autonomous car concept made a big statement of intent by abandoning the wheel altogether.

For now even the most sophisticated lane- and traffic- following systems require the spectre of human touch to keep the machine company and who really wants to give up any semblance of control? For the foreseeable future, the wheel will keep on being turned.

1969 Lamborghini Miura Greek legend, singer and rally driver Stamatis Kokotas owned a Miura, given to him by Aristotle Onassis. The leather steering wheel was adorned with chromed garlands and special etching, making this a masterpiece of 60s kitsch.

1973 Austin Allegro Oft-cited as a characteristic failure of verve, management, manufacturing and common sense, the Allegro’s infamous ‘quartic’ steering wheel wasn’t quite the razor-sharp cornered object of popular imagination.

1979 Maserati Merak The Merak came of age as American safety regulations started to bite, and spindly rims of steel and wood were consigned to history.

1981 DeLorean DMC12 The DeLorean’s was the quintessential 80s interior – too early for airbags, too late for simplicity, to soon for complex curves.

1986 Lamborghini Countach The Countach evolved substantially over its long life, but the compact, functional steering wheel changed very little.

1992 Ferrari 348 Italy’s take on the straight-edged geometry of the era was epitomised by the 348. But for the prancing horse, you’d barely know you were in the presence of a contemporary classic.

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish Perhaps British Leyland was on to something, for when the current flagship Aston flagship broke cover, the lavishly trimmed steering wheel was decidedly un-round. The squared-off wheel originated in the One-77.

Pagani Zonda F One of the most elaborate and lavish interiors of modern times, the Zonda F’s hand-finished wood Nardi wheel is the centrepiece of a highly detailed, Juan Manual Fangio-inspired cabin.

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FORECOURT H.R. OWEN SHOWROOM

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DRIVE REPORTS FROM THE 2015 INTERNATIONAL GENEVA MOTOR SHOW - BRINGING YOU COVER AGE OF THE LATEST PRODUCTIONREADY MODELS DESTINED FOR H.R. OWEN’S UK SHOWROOMS.

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R O A R I N G AT 4 0 : FERR ARI 488 GTB The new turbocharged Ferrari 488 GTB has made its Geneva debut, replacing the 458 Italia as Ferrari’s most popular mid-engined supercar and marking forty years since the prancing horse’s first mid-engined V8 model – the 308 GTB. The new model features a turbocharged 3.9-litre V8, producing 661bhp and 760Nm of torque - considerable hikes of 99bhp and 220Nm over its predecessor. This translates into very impressive performance figures; 0-62mph is completed in 3.0 seconds, whilst 0-124mph can be achieved in an incredible 8.3 seconds, almost a second quicker than the stripped-out 458 Speciale. The 488 GTB can also lap Ferrari’s Fiorano test track in 1m23s, which is two seconds quicker than the V12-engined Enzo.

Featuring a second-generation version of Side Slip Angle Control and a clever torque management system, the 488 promises to offer accessible, track-level performance that can be enjoyed even by non-professional drivers, delivering smooth and progressive acceleration all the way to the 8,000rpmplus redline. Advances in active aerodynamics play a vital role, too. Engineers have also ensured the 488 GTB’s exhaust note is ‘full, clear and totally distinctive’, just as a Ferrari engine should be.

Available to order: NOW / In showroom: Q4 2015 / Delivery: Q4 2015 / List Price: £TBC / hrowen.co.uk/Ferrari

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T R A C K AT H L E T E : A S T O N M A R T I N V A N TA G E G T 3 Limited to just 100 examples, Aston Martin has unveiled a lightweight V12 Vantage-based special edition, called the GT3. Using much of Aston Martin’s race-proven know-how from the GT4 racer, the new model aims to bridge the gap between road and race track driving, boasting a 100kg saving over the standard car.

Powered by the latest 6.0-litre V12 engine and benefitting from a new titanium exhaust and magnesium inlet manifold, power is raised to 595bhp. A new aero package sees flared front wings, a huge fixed rear spoiler and a rear diffuser help to create seven times more downforce than a V12 Vantage S. Deep side skirts, a large front splitter and carbon bonnet vents complete the road racer look.

“The Vantage is the sportiest car we have,” said David King, Aston’s director of special projects and motorsport. “It’s based on a racing platform and we wanted to bring the road car closer to the race car, so we utilised technology from the racing series to do that.”

No official performance figures are available but early tests suggest a 3.5 second 0-62mph time and a top speed of approximately 200mph.

Available to order: Limited edition only / In showroom: NA / Delivery: Q4 2015 / List Price: £250,000 / hrowen.co.uk/Aston-Martin

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TA I L O R E D T O F I T: B E N T L E Y C O N T I N E N TA L G T Geneva marks the arrival of a new suite of design upgrades and features for Bentley’s Continental GT family.

The 6.0-litre W12-engined GT also receives a power hike to 582bhp and 720Nm, resulting in improvements in both performance and efficiency.

All 2015 GT models showcase new, more pronounced bumper and boot lid designs, whilst a metallic ‘B’ badge, helps to emphasise the renowned Bentley ‘power line’ that flows towards the rear from the front arches. The performance-focused V8 S and GT Speed models also gain a new rear diffuser design.

New 20-inch and 21-inch wheels complete the raft of exterior changes.

Inside, new seats feature a contemporary, straight-fluting pattern, whilst Mulliner Driving Specification cars, (standard on the GT Speed) receive seats with a smaller diamond pattern, inspired by British tailoring. GT V8 S, GT W12 and Speed coupe models are now available with suede headlining – colour matched to all 17 of the optional interior hide colours. Three new paint colours are also available across the range (including GTC Convertible); Marlin, Camel and Jetstream.

Available to order: Now / In showroom: June/July / Delivery: June/July / List Prices: GT Speed £168,300 / GTC Speed £185,200 / V8S £149,800 / GTC V8S £164,800 / GT W12 £150,500 / GTC W12 £165,600 / hrowen.co.uk/Bentley

ALSO UNVEILED AT GENEVA...

AS TON MARTIN VULC AN Aston Martin has unveiled a new track-only hypercar, known as the Vulcan, at this year’s Geneva show. Shown in a teaser video prior to the event spitting flames from its twin, side-exit exhausts, the Vulcan features a highly-tuned 7.0-litre V12 engine, producing more than 800bhp. Power is transmitted to the track via a race-spec, six-speed sequential gearbox. Aston Martin’s Director of Special Projects and Motorsport, David King, said: “Taking the extensive learning from our various successful racing programmes and applying it to this exceptional track car for customers has been an exciting and sometimes challenging task for the team here at Gaydon.”. hrowen.co.uk/Aston-Martin

ROLL S-ROYCE ‘SER ENIT Y ’ Esteemed British brand Rolls-Royce celebrated the historical role played by silk as a symbol of regal and imperial power at this year’s Geneva show by displaying a truly one-off motor car – created by the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke Design team.

Inspired by the opulent interiors of Rolls-Royces owned by royalty and world leaders it is designed to set a new benchmark for luxury individualisation. Boasting an interior set in silk, using contemporary interpretations of European furniture combined with Japanese Royal Kimono designs, the result is highly striking. hrowen.co.uk/Rolls-Royce

B U G AT T I L A F I N A L E Bugatti has sold the last, 450th Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse roadster called ‘La Finale’ – making its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show.

“In the Veyron, Bugatti has created an automobile icon and established itself as the world’s most exclusive supercar brand,” says Wolfgang Dürheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “So far no other carmaker has managed to successfully market a product that stands for unique topclass technical performance and pure luxury in a comparable price/volume range. An unprecedented chapter in automobile history has reached its climax.”

The Alsace-based super sports car manufacturer will present the 450th vehicle as a world première – alongside the Veyron with chassis number 1 that left the Atelier in Molsheim ten years ago. A customer from the Middle East has secured number 450, the Grand Sport Vitesse “La Finale”, for himself. This vehicle will represent a collector’s item of particular value. hrowen.co.uk/Bugatti

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H.R. OWEN GROUP NEWS

V E R T U B E N T L E Y: C H R I S T M A S D R I N K S 9th December Vertu and Bentley hosted a festive evening of cocktails and canapés at Jack Barclay, Berkeley Square as a result of a collaboration between two world-renowned British luxury brands.

The highlight of the evening was a special performance by composer Jean Philippe Rio-Py, creating a truly festive atmosphere!

R O L L S - R OYC E : S C R E E N I N G O F PA D D I N G T O N T H E M O V I E 23rd November H.R. Owen and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London treated customers and their families to a private pre- screening of the new Paddington Bear movie. As well as being amongst the first to see this much-loved bear’s big-screen adventure guests also partook in a delicious Paddington Bear themed “high tea”, which was enjoyed by children and adults alike.

BENTLEY HERTFORDSHIRE: CHRISTMAS DRINKS 10th December Bentley Hertfordshire combined a celebration of Bentley’s unique heritage of craftsmanship and performance with seasonal celebrations at the showroom in December. Attending guests were treated to a unique viewing of some of Crewe’s rarest cars spanning 95 years of production excellence - EXP2 built in 1919 is the oldest surviving Bentley, the GT3 race car - the most recent competition Bentley and the Limited Edition LE95 Mulsanne, the pinnacle of current production Bentley craftsmanship and exclusivity.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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L A M B O R G H I N I PA N G B O U R N E : C H R I S T M A S D R I N K S 12th December Once again, H.R. Owen customers of Lamborghini Pangbourne got together for some festive drinks at the showroom. On display amongst the guests were models such as the new Lamborghini HuracĂĄn, Aventador and a beautiful Countach.

F E R R A R I AT E L I E R : R AYS O F S U N S H I N E C H A R I T Y A U C T I O N 16th December H.R. Owen customers had the chance to bid on one of only twenty Veuve Clicquot Ferrari Jeroboam sets at the Knightsbridge Atelier in December. These wonderful sets were designed and handcrafted to echo Ferrari’s Tailor Made program. Two lucky winners got to take these fabulous bottles home for Christmas with all proceeds going to our partner charity Rays of Sunshine.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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M A S E R AT I : L A U N C H PA R T Y A N D C H R I S T M A S D R I N K S 4th December Maserati owners and guests joined the staff of H.R. Owen Maserati on Thursday 4th December for a special centenary celebration. On show was the full 2015 Maserati line-up, alongside two stunning examples from the company’s racing past, a display of Bulgari’s limited edition watch for Maserati alongside a line-up of Maserati Trofeo Racing simulators. With champagne, cocktails and canapés to enjoy, the Maserati Christmas Party was a sparkling success for staff and guests alike. Here’s to Maserati’s second century!

G R O U P D R I V E P R O G R A M M E : D E S T I N AT I O N D R I V E S The H.R. Owen drive programme will feature a full spectrum of exhilarating destination drives, road drives and track days. Ranging from convoy drives to the historic Blenheim palace through to tailored experiences at car manufacturers. For more information about the breadth of H.R. Owen driving experiences please email events@hrowen.co.uk.

R

A D D IC T E D T O A U D I O ?

CO M E A N D F I ND S ANC T U ARY KJ WEST ONE (020) 7486 8262

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GRANTING WISHES 96

H.R. OWEN CHARITY WORK

H.R. OWEN IS PROUD TO SUPPORT R AYS O F SUNSHINE CH ILDREN’S C HARITY, H ELPING TO BRIGHTEN UP THE LIVES O F S ERIOUSLY ILL CHILDR EN IN TH E U K. Rays of Sunshine believe that every child deserves to experience happiness and put their illness on hold - even if it’s just for one day. Its vision is to make wishes come true and turn them into happy memories for children ages three to eighteen years old. Rays of Sunshine grant individual wishes, however impossible they may seem for example...

H.R. Owen is proud to support Rays of Sunshine and is always delighted to support where possible – especially where cars are involved. The H.R. Owen staff are big supporters of Rays of Sunshine. In 2014, a handful of employees climbed three mountains in one day, threw themselves out of aeroplanes at 10,000ft and ran countless miles in the signature bright yellow t-shirts. It will be no different in 2015, with a variety of challenges set to take place; Steve Higgins from Lamborghini London will be completing the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon entirely barefoot.

Rays of Sunshine receive no government funding, but rely on the generosity of H.R. Owen’s corporate supporters and individuals to make its work possible. There are so many ways you can help to brighten up the lives of brave and deserving children this year. If your company is looking for a charity to support, then please think of Rays of Sunshine. Or if you would like to volunteer, or find out more about the events and challenges please email Toni Sealey at: toni.sealey@hrowen.co.uk

14 year old Chloe Hayes, from Wigston, was treated to a sightseeing trip with a difference thanks to Rays of Sunshine and H.R. Owen.

Chloe, who is currently living with Friedrich’s Ataxia – a rare inherited disease that causes nervous system damage and movement problems – had her wish granted to have a weekend in London with her family.

To find out more about the incredible work of the Rays of Sunshine team, please visit raysofsunshine.org.uk or email: RaysOfSunshine@hrowen.co.uk

BAREFOOT MARATHON Lamborghini London’s Steve Higgins will attempt to run the London Marathon, barefoot!

Q: Like... Why? Well, it’s not as crazy as it might sound at first, it’s how human beings evolved to move. We are, in fact, the best evolved running animals on the planet and we’re capable of great distances and endurance which many quadrupeds find impossible to do.

Q: Yes but… Barefooted?

Well, sports shoes have only been in existence for 30 years or so, feet have been a work in progress for a few hundred thousand. I’ll play the averages there!

Q: Doesn’t it hurt?

ART AUCTION Jack Barclay Bentley, Mayfair, 4th June Jack Barclay will host a fundraising auction for a wide range of modern and contemporary art this summer. The event will feature works by internationally renowned artists, plus pieces from exciting emerging talent. For more information and to purchase tickets email: RaysOfSunshine@hrowen.co.uk

I prefer to call it “active mild discomfort”. You see, we actually need to feel the feedback from the road. We possess more nerve endings on the soles of our feet than anywhere else on our body. There’s good reason as the data being passed through your body when running alters your stance and pronation, which naturally prevents injuries shod runners often moan about.

Q: But 26.2 miles!

It’s still a long way to run. If I ever feel like quitting, I just think of how fortunate I am to even consider running at all. This is why I choose Rays of Sunshine as a great inspiration for me. Steve’s just giving site: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SteveHiggins3

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60mm

40mm minimum size

YOUR CAR MAY BE JUST WHAT H.R. OWEN ARE LOOKING FOR. H.R. Owen are always looking for high specification cars to buy, and as a reader of DRIVE magazine it’s likely you have what we want.

Their reputation as Britain’s leading luxury vehicle retailer means that H.R. Owen have prospective customers clamouring for low mileage, high specification models in excellent condition – cars just like yours, in fact.

As well as buying the range of marques that H.R. Owen sell new, they are also happy to find a home for other prestige models, including Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz AMG, Porsche 911 and Cayenne Immediate payment and nationwide collection Contact our buying team on 0333 240 3652

H.R.OWEN, OFFICIAL DEALER FOR:

THE BACK SEAT

Y

ou’ve got that posh motor because you hit the motorway early in the morning dashing off to a slew of meetings. You’re likely a wealth creator, entrepreneur, director or company owner. You know all about cost of sales, the burden of taxation on businesses, the importance of growth and GDP and the need to keep consumers spending. And you understand this because you graft harder than anybody else you know. That’s why you bought yourself the nice car.

And probably, like me, you assumed that those who run the country also understand that we have a road economy and that consumers will only spend their cash if they can afford to go to the shops. This, after all, is how the wheels of the economy turn. Well I’m sorry to disillusion you but those who control the nation’s purse strings aren’t nearly as savvy as we are. I know this because I’ve spent the last four years trying to convince the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and The Treasury that over taxing transport and personal mobility is a very bad thing indeed. Westminster has probably had enough of my FairFuelUK petition and seen far too much of me stalking MPs through the House of Commons. But it’s worked. All that effort and those 750,000 signatures have knocked back £30 billion’s worth of fuel duty and tax rises. Since 2011 FairFuelUK has torpedoed 12p’s worth of fuel duty.

I’m quietly proud.

Because this means that kitchen table protests work, I, and FairFuelUK’s founder, Howard Cox, have on a proverbial shoestring changed the way this government taxes fuel. When the Coalition came to power there were no plans to scrap Alistair Darling’s raft of fuel duty escalators but Howard and I stepped in and started shouting. The Government

ENJOYING THE SAVINGS ON THE PRICE OF FUEL IN THE UK IN RECENT TIMES? MOTORING EXPERT QUENTIN WILSON CERTAINLY IS - HIS FAIRFUELUK.COM PETITION HAS SAVED MOTORISTS AROUND £30 BILLION’S WORTH OF FUEL DUTY SINCE 2011. DRIVE ALLOWS HIM TO EXPLAIN... were embarrassed and cut duty by 1p in 2011. Then at every Budget we shouted louder and each due escalator was scrapped. We went to The Treasury and asked them if they knew what would happen to the economy if they cut duty and they said they didn’t know. We paid for reports from economic experts and presented a haversack of evidence that cheaper fuel at the pumps creates jobs and growth.

After a lot of scuffling The Treasury quietly slipped out a press release that stopping all those duty rises had actually increased UK GDP by 0.5% - which in a period of low growth is a pretty cool number. We’ve also helped keep inflation low.

Now as we approach an election in 2015, Howard and I have a problem. The Government thinks they’ve done enough already, the environmentalists still insist we should all travel on a public transport system that doesn’t exist and I want a 3p cut in fuel duty to further stimulate the economy. Cars and vans are public transport and 65% of the working population goes to work by road because they have no other choice. 90% of all goods travel to the shops in lorries because there isn’t an alternative. You don’t have to be Carol Vorderman to understand that having one of the highest fuel duty regimes in Europe make the UK uncompetitive. So why don’t Mr Osborne and Mr Cameron get this too?

So here’s an appeal. When you’ve got a few minutes spare from all that hard work running your business go to FairFuelUK.com and sign up to our petition. And do it not because you want cheaper fuel for your Bentley, McLaren or AMG Merc, but because you understand that if Howard and I hadn’t caused so much noise and trouble, petrol would now be £1.60 a litre, Diesel £1.65 and the economy would be well and truly buggered. Sign up because you know it makes absolute financial sense.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARK WELBY

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