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WELCOME I wonder how many Aston owners choked on their breakfast when they heard that a man from Nissan had been recruited to run the company. They needn’t worry. Andy Palmer, highly regarded in the industry, knows what Aston needs to grow and, more importantly, how to do it. He’s also a man who likes to get stuck in… and if that means spending a weekend racing a Vantage GT4 in monsoon conditions, then so be. We caught up with Palmer at Gaydon and at Silverstone to discover what makes him tick. One weapon in Aston’s future armoury is the production version of the DBX crossover which will come to market shortly after Bentley, Lamborghini and RollsRoyce all start selling their new SUV models. But the concept of a practical supercar is far from new, as automotive historian Giles Chapman reveals. Anyone remember the Lamborghini Flying Star or the Ferrari 456 Venice? And talking of Ferraris, not too far from Maranello is a remarkable private car collection housing some exceptionally rare Ferraris, Alfas, Lancias and more. The story goes that the Righini family ran a scrapyard during WW II to which the Italian government sent old cars to be broken up for their raw material. Thankfully Mario Righini realised that some of the cars were too significant to be reduced to scrap and were spirited away. How significant? Put it this way, the collection includes the only surviving (of two) Auto Avio Construzioni 815… the very first car built, at the start of the war, by Enzo Ferrari. Some lucky H.R. Owen customers have been able to see the collection firsthand as part of a trip to Maranello, but we are delighted to now be able to give every reader a glimpse behind closed doors. Summer is here which means it’s time to get out and about. Why not let DRIVE be your guide to the best festivals, what to wear to the Goodwood Revival or how to arrive (and where to dine) in Mayfair? Our redesigned front section, “Front Seat” also gives you all the news from the world of H.R. Owen and its famous brands, plus some of the quirkier ephemera that car culture embraces – from the Millau Viaduct, to trendy street-food vans, via Lego Technics. We hope you enjoying reading this issue and would love to hear your comments at the e-mail address below.
MATTHEW CARTER Editor-at-Large | DRIVE drive@hrowen.co.uk
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 Alex Doak: Deputy Editor 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 Adam Garwood: Project Manager PUBLISHING ENQUIRIES Call Alan Cooke on +44 (0)20 7987 4320 or email a.garwood@rwmg.co.uk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call Rachel Eden on +44 (0)7793 380 012 or email r.eden@hrowenmagazine.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Michael Taylor, Andrew Frankel, Chris Hall, Amy Welch, Josh Sims, Giles Chapman, His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent GCVO Credit also goes to: Drew Gibson (pp38-44), Rob Vanderplank (pp53-56), Charlie Gray (pp70-75), Jerome Hunt (pp88-90)
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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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SUMMER 2015 // VOLUME #10
10
contents
C OV E R S TO RY
38 UNDER LOCK & KEY: RIGHINI AUTO Drew Gibson and Michael Taylor venture behind closed doors at Castello di Panzano, Modena to photograph and report on the frankly jawdropping collection of cars crammed inside. And that includes the first-ever car Enzo Ferrari made after leaving Alfa.
58.
65.
29. F E AT U R E S
53 AM/CEO: ANDY PALMER In his most candid interview yet, Aston Martin’s down-to-earth new boss tells DRIVE why he’s joined from the top ranks of Nissan and how he’s going to shake up the British institution.
70 MAYFAIR LADY: ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST II Kerb appeal is one thing – velvet-rope appeal something else. Which is why you need to arrive at west London’s most discerning nightspots in a suitably glamorous set of wheels. A Rolls-Royce 58 GT4 TO THE FORE: BRITCAR Ghost II will do nicely, as Charlie Gray’s Aston Martin Racing’s off-the-peg photos attest. Vantage GT4 racer is taken to task at the Britcar 24 hours, with Andrew Frankel 80 DRESS, DRIVE, ARRIVE, REVIVE: sharing the driver’s seat with the GOODWOOD boss himself. Don’t just plump for a white boilersuit – vintage fashion expert Josh Sims 65 SUPERCAR TECH: ACTIVE AERO offers his tips for looking the part at the Chris Hall gets to grips with one of Goodwood Revival. the most cutting-edge fields in car development, while we remember 84 ESTATE OF MIND: SHOOTING BRAKES the legendary wind tunnels that have Every luxury marque seems to be developed in parallel. chasing the craze for SUVs – but as Giles Chapman reminds us, the idea of a practical supercar isn’t so newfangled.
REGULARS
16 FRONT SEAT: NEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE Our new-look front section embraces the best of car culture, and reveals the latest models on the H.R. Owen forecourt. 33
AUTOMOBILIA: WATCHES & PETROLINA The latest engines for the wrist, plus the fascination of filling-station ephemera.
47 ROAD TRIP: SUMMER FESTIVAL SPECIAL How to do Festival No.6 or Kendal Calling in high-octane style, without the mud. 77 MEET THE EXPERT: PATRICK ALLEN Silverstone Circuit’s new MD on his vision and the viability of the British GP. 88
AT YOUR SERVICE: SOTHEBY’S REALTY H.R. Owen’s chauffeur fleet for a remarkable houseviewing.
92 CHEQUERED FLAG: H.R. OWEN NEWS All the latest launches, drive outs and knees-ups from across the Group. 96
THE BACK SEAT: HRH PRINCE MICHAEL OF KENT
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“I WAS HAVING A FANTASTIC STINT, I GAINED TEN PLACES AND THE CAR FELT GOOD… SO IT WAS FRUSTR ATING TO BE PUNTED OFF SO EARLY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN HOW GREAT THE CAR WAS LATER IN THE R ACE. THE TEAM DID A PHENOMENAL JOB MAKING REPAIRS, WHICH MEANT WE COULD GET BACK ON THE TR ACK AND GAIN SOME MORE VALUABLE EXPERIENCE FOR THE FUTURE...”
16
GUY SMITH, CAR #85, BENTLEY MOTORSPORT CONTINENTAL GT3, NÜRBURGRING 24-HOURS, 17/5/15
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SUMMER 2015 // VOLUME # 10
FRONT SEAT NEW MODELS // NEWS + EVENTS // INSIDE THE FACTORY // KNOWLEDGE = POWER // // CHARITY WORK
FERRARI FXX K
MAMMA MIA! Such was Sebastian Vettel’s response on experiencing his first taste of Ferrari’s latest track-only powerhouse. The fruit of a symbiotic partnership between Ferrari’s GT and GES racing divisions, the FXX K arrives almost two years after the launch of the Prancing Horse’s most powerful-ever road car, LaFerrari and quite apart from unleashing a torrent of performance it has already secured a chequered flag for its extreme bodywork, from Red Dot’s “Best of the Best” award judges. Unfettered by racing regulations, the laboratory-car will never be used in competition, rather developed to guarantee an unprecedented driving experience for its exclusive group of client-test drivers, who might want to bend Mr Vettel’s ears for some tips, for nothing much else will prepare you. V12 6,262CC // TOTAL POWER 1,050CV (860CV DELIVERED BY V12 ENGINE, 190CV BY ELECTRIC MOTOR) // MAX TORQUE >900NM // MAX REVS 9,250RPM
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F R O N T
S E A T
“When I judge a sports car, I have a simple logic: unless you fall in love with it at first sight, the car is a failure” SANG YUP LEE, BENTLEY’S HEAD OF ADVANCED DESIGN
FACTORY NEWS: ROLLS-ROYCE
WING AND A PR AYER Here’s another exciting new prospect from an unlikely source: Rolls-Royce is dipping its toe in the waters of all-wheel-drive SUV territory. An open letter to its stakeholders in February updated us on the progress of “Project Cullinan”, with photographs depicting the first engineering mule, which will be seen on public roads this week. Based on a shortened Phantom Series II body, it has been created purely to begin the development of an all-wheel drive suspension system delivering a ride that will be “Effortless … Everywhere” in the words of Rolls-Royce’s
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marketeers. In other words, that hallmark “magic-carpet” ride, not only on the road, but off-road too. The first series of tests will focus on Project Cullinan’s on-road behaviour from suspension throw to high-bodied stability, and will test the new suspension across all types of international road surface, from Belgian Pavé to cobblestones and corrugated concrete. Just don’t ask us whether that rear wing will be an option, though…
F R O N T
S E A T
DRIVE ROLLS-ROYCE: // DIARIES OUT!
SAeroboat A LO N P R I V É Launch
BENTLEY EXP 10 SPEED 6
LEAN, MEAN, GREEN It took a particularly special car to make an impact at a Geneva Motor Show full of extreme evolutions and out-of-leftfield concepts. But what was particularly out of leftfield was that the car in question is a Bentley. Catching everyone off-guard in March, Crewe’s finest unveiled its concept for a high-performance twoseater sports car – a bold statement that Bentley hopes will redefine an increasingly busy sector of luxurious coupés. It’s perhaps the most visceral nod to the marque’s racy origins, during “W. O.” and his Bentley Boys’ pre-war days, but that taut, muscular bodywork is in fact said to be inspired drawn from sleek, aerodynamic aircraft forms. Striking copper elements are employed, on both exterior and interior features, as accents to highlight the car’s highly anticipated hybrid powertrain. In chairman and chief executive Wolfgang Dürheimer’s revealing words, “EXP 10 Speed 6 is one vision for Bentley’s future… It could be a future model line, alongside the Continental GT and the styling of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could influence the expansion of the Bentley family.”
The styling is dynamic to say the least, using twisted surfaces to imply speed and an athletic stance through its short front overhang, long bonnet, low grille and wide rear shape. Unlike most concepts however, the thinking behind the EXP Speed Six isn’t skin-deep. Being Bentley, just as much effort has been put into its quilted-leather “performance-orientated luxury cabin”, hanging off a continuous line running around the cabin and looping back into the console armrest.
3 SEPTEMBER: Now entering its 10th consecutive year, Salon Privé has established itself firmly on the summer social calendar for luxuriant Londoners – a concours d’elégance where spectacular cars shine, the diamonds sparkle and the champagne corks pop away. First held at Hurlingham, and now safely ensconced at Blenheim Palace via Syon Park, it is a luxurious hospitality-only event that’ll appeal to petrolheads looking for respite from the usual, provincial Sunday motoring events. Chin chin! salonpriveconcours.com DRIVE // DIARIES OUT!
G O O DWO O D R E V I VA L
With the Bentayga SUV a firm prospect, the arrival of this highly focused driver’s car neatly bookends a brand that will know no rivals across the board. We can’t wait to drive it. hrowen.co.uk/ bentley
SHOWROOM CLASSIC
GLIDING BEAUTY Currently gracing the chequered showroom floor of Jack Barclay is this automotive stunner: a Bentley Continental Type R, chassis no. BC21D, completed in early 1955 and delivered to its first owner, Charles Perroud of France on the 12th of February, finished originally in grey with grey leather. The coachwork was a one-off design by French builder Franay, built on the same-style chassis as all of the other R Type Continentals, but 16 inches shorter at the rear when compared to a Mulliner Fastback, to save weight and produce an even more sporting motor car. During Mr Tom Solley’s ownership in the 1980s the car was restored by noted specialists Alpine Eagle with expenditure totalling £65,000 and in more recent times the car has been improved to exacting standards. It’s yours for a princely £675,000, and can only rise in both monetary and sentimental value.
11-13 SEPTEMBER: This year’s celebration of all things retro and revving will pay tribute to legendary racing car constructor, driver and engineer, Bruce McLaren, with a sensational parade of cars spanning his career taking to the track on all three days of the event. The Revival continues to go from strength to strength and – unlike so many over-optimistically billed events – it really is fun for all the family. But before you head to Lord March’s Sussex estate, make sure you turn to page 80 for Josh Sims’ indispensable guide to looking the part. goodwood.com
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F R O N T
S E A T
DRIVE THE ROUTE
BENTLEY MULSANNE SPEED [ FIRST DRIVE ]
GERMANY
MATTHEW CARTER STRETCHES THE LEGS OF CREWE’S NEW FLAGSHIP, WHILE HIS PASSENGERS STRETCH THEIRS IN THE BACK…
Like Matthew, why not take your Mulsanne Speed to task in the beautiful Alpine foothills?
T
here’s nothing remotely subtle about the tough-looking Bentley Mulsanne Speed: it does what it says on the kickplate. It’s the car the company says, “…redefines the fastest luxury driving experience in the world.” And it does that by having more of everything: more power, more torque, more speed. But without compromising any of the refinement inside, in true Bentley style. The venerable 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 has been blessed with a power hike from 505hp to 530hp while torque has risen to an extraordinary 1,110Nm. Underbonnet changes are legion with a revised combustion chamber, inlet ports, fuel injectors, spark plugs and compression ratio all helping a faster and more controlled combustion process. Add in new variable valve timing and revised turbocharger control and the result is spectacular: despite weighing in at three tonnes, give or take, it will hit 60mph in 4.8 seconds and has a claimed top speed of 190mph.
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That’s totally believable. On a stretch of derestricted autobahn the Mulsanne Speed accelerated to 160mph in what seemed like the blink of an eye. How long would it have taken to make the final 30mph? No idea, as this was a busy Friday afternoon and it was pouring with rain, so self-preservation kicked in. The point is, though, at that speed and in those conditions, the Mulsanne Speed felt rock solid, totally planted. Part of that is down to revised suspension settings which can be switched between Comfort and Sport, the latter stiffening the air suspension settings and sharpening the steering for greater feedback. There are some visual changes between the ‘ordinary’ Mulsanne and the Speed. The stainless-steel matrix grille and wing vents have a dark tint finish as do the lights front and rear. The car can also be specified with Bentley’s first directional wheel. The 21” wheel, which is available in painted, polished or dark tint with machine accent finishes,
is individually machined from solid forged blanks. Inside, the more sporting nature of the beast is accentuated by the adoption, as standard, of Mulliner Driving Specification with diamond quilted hide door panels and seats, embroidered emblems to all seats and even drilled alloy pedals. And there is, of course, the opportunity for greater personalisation via the Mulliner Bespoke Portfolio – the Mulsanne Speed will always be exclusive, but it is easily possible to create your own totally unique model. Interestingly, Bentley reckons it will produce around 300 Speeds a year, as part of the 1,100 Mulsannes it will make. And the vast majority of those 300 will be sold in Europe rather than China, one of the biggest markets for the top Bentley. Why? Because the Chinese prefer to be driven while we like to drive – and make no mistake, the Mulsanne Speed is a driver’s car. hrowen.co.uk/bentley
Our first-drive experience was based on Munich. On day one we experienced the car from the back seat, but on day two we ended south from the city down the autobahn towards the chocolate-box-pretty alpine resort of GarmischPartenkirchen – and from there beyond into Austria. The lunch stop was on the shores of Lake Constance, on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, before heading back, via autobahn. The route took in motorways and Alpine passes, and the Mulsanne Speed was totally at home on both.
“On a stretch of derestricted autobahn the Mulsanne Speed accelerated to 160mph in what seemed like the blink of an eye”
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KNOWLEDGE = POWER
343m
Millau Viaduct
The height of the tallest pier, P2 – the tallest structure in France, taller than the Eiffel tower 3.0783° E
Millau, in southwest France, used to be known for its traffic jams. But thanks to a 10-year-old icon of modern engineering, it is now famous for its bridge over the river Tarn’s valley, short-circuiting the town by joining two parts of the A75 autoroute from Paris to Béziers and Montpellier. The structure, designed by Sir Norman Foster and the group Europe Etudes Gecti - SERF - Sogelerg, took only three years to build using the most advanced techniques and it is, quite simply, breathtaking – both to look at and to drive across. The numbers are quite something too…
LONDONS TOP FIVE
STREET-FOOD VANS Meals on wheels have never tasted so good. Currently sweeping the hipper hotspots of London town is a street-food phenomenon that’s a million miles from rubbery hotdogs or grey hamburgers in sweaty polystyrene cartons. Indeed, the organic, artisan foodie scene owes a large part of its existence to a new crop of youthful chefs and their mobile kitchens, thanks to lower overheads and less financial risk on London’s fickle restaurant landscape. Many of the originals, like MEATliquor and Pitt Cue have gone on to successful bricks and mortar ventures, but the vans keep rolling in – and the kids’ automotive choices have never been more eclectic…
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44.0986° N
RIVER TARN
7 Number of piers suspending the bridge, each with 4 concrete “Moroccan wells”, between 9 and 18 metres deep. Each – at up to 2,100m3 of concrete – was pumped in one go
1. Kimchinary Who: Hanna Söderlund. What: A take on Korean dish “samgyeopsal” (grilled pork belly with samjang wrapped in lettuce with kimchi and other fermented and pickled sides) in burrito form. Wheels: 1974 electric milk float. “Very slowmoving,” Söderlund notes. kimchinary.co.uk
2. Patty & Bun Who: Marylebone restaurateurs, Joe Grossmann and Tom Monaghan. What: Arguably the finest burgers on London’s booming burger scene. Wheels: “Shirley”, a 1987 Grumman Olson Kurbmaster imported from the States. “She’s a beauty,” says Grossmann, “and we decked her out with a banging sound system as well a kitchen!” pattyandbun.co.uk
MILLAU
1,500 tonnes The total weight of stay cables, each made of 45 to 91 steel cables, or strands. The longest stays are stretched under a 1,200 tonne force
F R O N T
S E A T
€394 million A75
The final cost, with a toll plaza costing an additional €20 million. The builders, Eiffage, financed the construction in return for a concession to collect the tolls until 2080
343m 324m
The Response Sir Norman Foster wanted his bridge’s piers to look as if they had “barely alighted on the landscape, light and delicate, like butterflies’ legs”. But what did everyone else think? “To watch Foster’s bridge emerge from the mist is one of the most thrilling architectural experiences you can have. The strength of the project is that it does not try to pretend it is part of this natural landscape. Nor does it attempt to be sculpture. It is a magnificent piece of infrastructure.” KIERAN LONG, ICON
“Its arrogant daring can surely be forgiven. It took a feat of engineering and a leap of the imagination to span the rough, rugged Tarn Valley in the Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France. The result is breathtaking.”
600 The number working on the site at its peak. They mastered the most modern technologies to control the bridge’s 2.46km-long construction to the nearest millimetre. And it took only three years, from December 2001 to December 2004
ELAINE SCIOLINO, IHT
“The Millau Viaduct is a magnificent example, in the long and great French tradition, of audacious works of art, a tradition begun at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by the great Gustave Eiffel.” JACQUES CHIRAC, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE
3. Le Swine Who: James Packman. What: Bacon butties, served at London markets and private The catering. Citroën H Van Wheels: 1960s The most beloved and Morris prevalent set of wheels on the street-food scene is the French ambulance. carmaker’s H-Type or HY – a “Just like delivery van produced between 1947 and 1981. The distinctive corrugated our bacon bodywork was inspired by the aluminium-bodied German butty,” says Junkers JU-52 and in France Packman, it’s lovingly known as “Nez de Cochon”, or “Pig “she is a British Nose”. classic. We’ve shown her an awful lot of love to get her looking the way she does… and we love her little snouty front!” leswine.co.uk
4. Street Kitchen Who: Mark Jankel, head chef at The Notting Hill Brasserie, and Jun Tanaka, chefpatron of Pearl. What: British bistrostyle dishes served daily around the City. Wheels: Three 1962 Airstream trailers. “We needed an authentic and stylish set of wheels to match the food,” says Jankel, “and our hand-crafted trailers were the perfect choice.” streetkitchen.co.uk
5. Crêperie Nicolas Who: Gill Wyles and her husband Keith, a former haulage worker. What: Breton-style crêpes and galettes at the Real Food Market behind the Royal Festival Hall. Wheels: 1965 Citroën H. “We started six years ago by going to Creperie School in Brittany,” says Ketih, “and bought the H van on the same trip – the perfect vehicle to showcase French cuisine.”
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F R O N T
S E A T
STYLE WATCH
BUG’ BOOTS Following the successful opening of its debut London flagship boutique in Knightsbridge last year, Bugatti’s luxury style label, Ettore Bugatti is starting to take shoes very seriously indeed, launching the Bespoke Shoe Collection for autumn/winter 2015. Eagle-eyed petrolheads will take delight in the centerline “Norwegian” stitching, flowing the full length of the shoe in direct reference to the crimp of Bugatti’s iconic Type 57SC Atlantic, running bumper to bumper. Meanwhile, connoiseurs of style and craftsmanship will appreciate the sheer level of artisanal skill that goes into every pair. Entirely hand-made in Florence, customers can request from a wide selection of colours (hand-stained by eye, of course) and rich leathers such as pony, suede, alligator or ostrich. We especially love the only noncustomisable detail: the leather soles, all strictly in Bugatti blue. lifestyle-bugatti.com
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ROLL CAMERAS! THE FASTBACK WR AITH FROM ROLLS-ROYCE GETS AN UPDATE WORTHY OF THE SILVER-SCREEN, SPURRED ON BY THE BFI In a world of frenzied media trying to grab our attention, it’s SPECIAL EDITION harder and harder for luxury brands to get their message across impactfully. But Rolls-Royce is one step ahead of everyone, whether through clever alingments with the worlds of art, fashion or photography. All three came together with the moody launch film for the Wraith last year, and so sophisticated was this particular bit of marketing that And the World Stood Still has now been accepted into the British Film Institute’s National Archive – the world’s most significant collection of film and TV. Not one to miss an opportunity, Rolls-Royce has subsequently created Wraith “Inspired by Film” – a true hero car that hints gently at the (film) noir through a number of bespoke touches: a unique two-tone Silver and Jubilee Silver paint scheme, with an Anthracite leather interior worthy of a leading man, accented with Casden Tan. Its steely character is topped by a pin -sharp aluminium band shooting through the Maccassar Ebony open-pore panelling. All of which adds up to a square-jawed matinee idol of a car. Though unlike the hero in the film, with a car like this, we’d recommend actually stopping and offering the femme fatale a ride…
FREEZEFRAME The Wraith’s “noir” launch film, And the World Stood Still was awarded a Gold Award at the 26th International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) Awards. Filmed at a secret location near Barcelona, the shoot included an innovative “Timeslice” sequence created using 100 SLR cameras rigged in an arc around the car and the film’s glamorous protagonists (pictured top). Taking 100 stills at once, all stitched together by software to produce a frozen tracking shot, the effect is similar to the groundbreaking “bullet time” slow-mo seen in The Matrix (1999). Watch the film here: rollsroycemotorcars.com/ wraith/inspiredbyfilm
F R O N T
S E A T
NIKI’S TRACK-DAY TIPS
Portrait by Drew Gibson
INSIDE TRACK
• Always start slowly and get the line right before adding the speed. There will be no F1
B R A N D S H ATC H
talent scouts there so the only person that you will impress
WHICH CAR?
(or disappoint) is yourself!
K E N T, U K (I N DY C I R C U I T)
• Remember this easy formula: brake, change down
WE KICK OFF OUR NEW EXPERT GUIDE TO FAMOUS CIRCUITS WITH ONE OF
a gear if required, turn, wait
BRITAIN’S OLDEST AND BEST-LOVED, THANKS TO ITS UNIQUE COMBINATION
until you make the apex, then
OF DIPS, CAMBERS, FEARSOME CORNERS AND HILLS. AND WHO BETTER TO
apply the power smoothly, like a tap rather than an on/off
First launched in 2010, the
TAKE US ROUND THAN DRIVING WIZARDS’ NIKI FAULKNER – FORMER GT3
switch, using the width of the
GranTurismo MC Stradale
DRIVER, TOP GEAR STUNT CO-ORDINATOR AND H.R. OWEN’S VERY OWN
track.
took development ideas
LAMBORGHINI DRIVING PRO’
• Try to keep to doing a few
seamlessly blending them into
laps before a “cool down” lap
its GranTurismo coupe. Its
to allow your brakes and tyres
all-new carbon-fibre bonnet
to recover. Racing cars are
not only creates high-speed
a lot lighter and have better
downforce and improves
cooling, even if you have
cooling, you get lightning-fast
carbon ceramic brakes.
gear shifts from its six-speed
from its Trofeo racing cars
5 2 6
• You may be sharing the
4
track with professionals who will know the track and its limits, and equally there could be drivers who are very nervous and don’t know where
electro-actuated “MC Race Shift” transaxle gearbox and ride height is lowered by 10mm at the front and 12mm at the rear. All with room for four adults.
the racing line is. Therefore, there is no need to take any
3
unnecessary risks when passing other cars or letting them through.
brandshatch.co.uk drivingwizards.com
• Wear your helmet and
1
seatbelts and have a great time!
TURN 1:
TURN 2:
TURN 6:
Druids Hairpin (2nd gear)
Graham Hill Bend (2nd or 3rd gear)
TURN 4 & 5:
Paddock Hill Bend (3rd or 4th gear)
Surtees (3rd gear)
Clearways (3rd gear)
This is a very rewarding corner when you get it right, but it will punish you if you don’t. With a steep, downhill apex to exit, the entry to the corner is key. Brake long and light otherwise it will unsettle (lighten) the rear of the car on turn-in and may result in a spin. If you don’t brake enough then there is a huge gravel trap waiting with open arms! Remember to look for the rumble strip on the exit and let the left tyres clip it for a satisfying hum, confirming that you’ve got it right.
Uphill braking and is therefore fairly easy. You need to brake before the bridge usually where the gravel trap ends on your left. Which line you choose depends on which you prefer, so try both and do what feels right for you and your car. Remember that the exit is downhill so only get back on the power smoothly and after you have passed the late apex.
Downhill braking so you need to brake earlier than first appears, just before the kerb starts on the right. Brake in a straight line, cutting across the kink before aiming for the turn in point on the right. You have good visibility through this corner so focus on making the apex and getting good acceleration out of the corner to carry you down
This is a left-right S-bend that requires precision and smoothness. After a small amount of braking, you need to get to the smoother part of the kerb on the left apex. If you miss the apex then you will run wide towards the harsh kerb on the right and will compromise your line. It is also easy to try to carry too much speed into here and end up in the tyre wall in front of the medical centre… appropriately.
Braking should be in a straight line, from the kerb on the right towards the turn-in on the left. Look ahead and to your right for your apex, as it is blind. You are looking for an extra bit of kerb that pokes out on the crest – that is your apex. The track falls away before going back uphill and the camber works back into your favour. This means that you need to apply the power gently until the camber change and then you can get “on it” for the straight, ready to tackle Paddock Hill Bend again and test your stomach muscles.
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TURN 3:
the back straight.
F R O N T
S E A T
EVOLUTION
PRONTO: SUPERVELOCE ARRIVES THE MOST HARDCORE, OFF-THE-PEG LAMBORGHINI LANDS – AND IT ’S WELL WORTHY OF THE HALLOWED “SV” BADGE With increased power, lower weight and improved aerodynamics, the Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce – Lambo’s first “SV” since the Murcielago’s final bow in 2009 – is the most pure incarnation of a Raging Bull to date: dynamic superiority and exceptional driving precision, with the marque’s signature bonkers-ness still running through like a stick of Brighton rock. Featuring a fighter-jet-worthy rear wing, the main focus has actually been on the stuff you can’t see – or rather taken away – thanks to a weight reduction of 50kg through major deployment of carbon; even down to things like the rear engine cooling intakes, now fixed where they usually have motors, and entirely fibre-based. Meanwhile, inside the 6.5-litre V12 powerhouse itself, valve timing and variable intake trumpets have been trimmed so it pushes even harder at high revs (now up to 8,500rpm) and breathes out via a new free-flowing lightweight exhaust. All of which means a power-to-weight-ratio of 2,03kg/hp and frankly mind-scrambling acceleration to 100km/h (62mph) in 2.8 seconds, topping out at a claimed 350km/h. That’s more than 217mph. “The new Aventador Superveloce continues the Lamborghini tradition of SV models, pushing the boundaries in terms of performance and pure driving emotion,” said president Stephan Winkelmann at Geneva in March, understating things somewhat. We’ll let a test drive make up your mind. hrowen.co.uk/lamborghini
BOY’S TOY
S TA R T T H E M E A R LY Summer holidays are fast approaching, with the inevitable rainy days indoors. So it’s time to think of how to occupy the kids in an improving manner… preferably with a toy that you can happily commandeer once the weather improves and attention spans wane. Best you make it the consistently impressive Lego Technics then, whose generically designed “24 Hours Racer” LMP1 kit car has echoes of Bentley’s 2003 winner about it, thanks to the green livery. It features a detailed V8 engine with moving pistons, opening gull-wing doors, all-round independent suspension, working front steering and can even be broken down and re-made into a bang-on-trend SUV – a trend we get to the bottom of from page 84 – so there’s something else to do once the rain sets in once again. £99.99, shop.lego.com
MOTORSPORT
BENTLEY LEARN LESSONS AT NÜRBURG The newly re-formed Bentley Motorsport division earned valuable experience at the gruelling Nürburgring 24-Hours this May, as well as suffering the blight of Lady Luck. After a positive start that saw all three Continental GT3s running in the top ten after two hours, fortunes changed. Most notably the #85 car of Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane, which was hit and spun off the track, costing a total of five hours’ recovery and repair time and dropping the team out of contention. However, after repairs, the car was one of the quickest on track for the rest of the race, climbing 72 places before the chequered flag to finish P74, boding well for Crewe’s new generation of Bentley Boys later this summer.
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F R O N T
S E A T
MODERN CLASSIC
LAMBORGHINI DIABLO THE STORY BEHIND EVERY ’90S SCHOOLBOY’S DREAM SCALEXTRIC CAR AND BEDROOM POSTER
SCISSOR DOORS Also known as beetlewing doors, turtles, or switchblade doors, Lamborghini doors are automobile doors that rotate vertically at a fixed hinge at the front of the door, rather than outwardly as with a conventional door.
LAMBORGHINI DIABLO The Diablo was named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century, famous for fighting an epic battle with ‘El Chicorro’ in Madrid on July 11, 1869.
T
he Lamborghini Diablo has its origins as far back as March 1971. A precocious young designer by the name of Marcello Gandini was – perhaps nervously – awaiting the world’s reaction, as Lamborghini prepared to unveil its LP500 concept car. Gandini had been working at the Bertone coachbuilding house for five years; the LP500 was the second car Gandini had designed for Lamborghini, and was a significant departure from the first (a humble little thing called the Miura, which he designed aged just 27). The LP500 was, bluntly, a hit. Three years later it went into production as the Countach (supposedly a Piedmontese exclamation akin to a four-letter word, uttered by Nuccio Bertone on seeing the design). The Lamborghini Countach began life by epitomising
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the wedge shape of the 1970s, and ended it in 1988 as Lambo’s most successful car. More than 2,000 were built, over five iterations. Such was the height of shadow cast for the Diablo - and Gandini – to exceed, when Lamborghini decided the time had come for a successor in 1985. History diverged, however, in 1987, when Lamborghini was bought out by Chrysler. Project 132, as the Diablo was codenamed, had a head-turning Gandini design by this point: a continuation of the aggressive trapezoid shapes and air intakes used on the Countach. Chrysler took one look, however, and insisted on softening the look, working with a Detroit studio to tame the Diablo’s lines somewhat. Piqued – massively so, in fact – Gandini stormed off the project. Almost uniquely, we were given a view of the path not taken, as he teamed
up with Ferrari dealer and engineer Claudio Zampolli and music mogul Giorgio Morodor to produce the Cizeta V16T, using his original Diablo design. Meanwhile, the Diablo was ready for launch, after a 6bn lira development. The compromise in design hadn’t hurt it greatly – in fact, with 25 years’ hindsight, it’s hard to see why Gandini was so upset. The swooping profile, “shoulder pad” air intakes and cleaner lines than lateera Countachs make it an arresting sight to this day. But what about under the bonnet? Briefed to at least exceed 196mph, the Diablo launched with a 5.7l V12 making 492 horsepower. 0-60 came in 4.5 seconds and the car topped out at… 202mph. It may not have been the first car to break 200mph, but it was a worthy flagship to steward Lamborghini into the modern era.
Its production run, from 1990 to 2001, overlapped with a massive improvement in baseline spec across the industry. While the original Diablo could be equipped with a $10,500 Breguet dashboard clock, it lacked power steering or anti-lock brakes. Both would be added during the 90s, as would four-wheel drive, paving the way for its successor the Murcielago, which despite its in-house design under Audi’s ownership visibly continues Gandini’s aesthetic legacy. And elsewhere... well, you don’t have to squint too hard at a Honda NSX, Bugatti EB110 or even McLaren F1, to see ghosts of the Diablo - one of the most iconic cars of the 20th century. Words by Chris Hall
F R O N T
S E A T
MODELS Diablo
1990
Diablo VT
1993
Diablo SE30
1994
Diablo SE30 Jota 1995 Diablo SV
1995
Diablo VT Roadster 1995 FACELIFTS Diablo SV
1999
Diablo SV SE35
1999
Diablo VT
1999
Diablo VT Roadster 1999 Diablo GTR
1999
Diablo VT 6.0
2000
Diablo VT 6.0 SE 2000
BOOK AT BATHTIME:
Diablo GTR (1999)
85 YEARS: PININFARINA IN PICTURES
G
Diablo SV (1996)
ünther Raupp has spent the last 30 years photographing cars for Ferrari’s cultcollectable official calendar, so you can’t blame German publisher teNeues for turning to him for their latest lavish coffeetable tome: a celebration of Pininfarina’s 85 years at the drawing board. Though the Torino “carrozzeria” has applied its flowing, futuristic approach to Lancias, Maseratis and Alfas, it is of course best known for most of Ferrari’s finest models, spanning any iconic red sportscar you care to think of; the 250 GT, Testarossa, F40, the FF… all of them Pininfarina. Which by default makes the brand a byword for Italian style.
Today, under the stewardship of Paolo Pininfarina, his family firm is showing no signs of resting on its laurels, with an expanded portfolio ranging from furniture (including the “Ola” kitchen by Snaidero) to machinery, aircraft, even trains –alongside Pininfarina’s famed construction of very small runs and unique cars. In terms of Raupp’s book however, it’ll be the gorgeous Ferrari photography that earns its place in the homes of HR Owen customers.
Published by teNeues 304 pp., Hardcover with jacket € 98 $ 125 £ 80 ISBN 978-3-83273234-9 Available to order at store.pininfarina.com
Diablo SE 30 (1994)
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London • Liverpool • Manchester • Altrincham • Chester • Southport www.davidmrobinson.co.uk
D R I V E
M A G A Z I N E
/ /
V O L U M E
# 1 0
A U T O M O B I L I A
WRIST ENGINES APPLE’S WATCH MAY BE STEALING THE HEADLINES, BUT IN PROUD DEFIANCE, SWITZERLAND’S WATCHMAKERS ARE STILL CRAFTING CONTRAPTIONS OF BEDAZZLING COMPLEXITY, SAYS ALEX DOAK “An expensive watch is a piece of art, part of eternity,” professed LVMH’s watch boss and erstwhile industry spokesman Jean-Claude Biver on CNN in February. “Because,” he explained, “a watch that is made by hand can be repaired in a thousand years. A technological watch will be obsolete in probably five.” That said, Apple and its new “Watch” is poised to seize a huge chunk of luxury watchmaking’s lower-end market – and potentially some of the high end, assuming there are enough people out there happy to spend up to £13,500 on a gold “Edition”.
And Switzerland knows it can’t be caught napping, like it was in the Seventies when cheap quartz technology from the Far East laid waste to the traditional craft. “The smartwatch revolution is a train that’s better to get on,” Biver admits, “so we know better where we’re going, rather than staying at the railway station.” Sure enough, his sports brand TAG Heuer announced a partnership with Android and Intel at March’s Baselworld trade fair. Frédérique Constant and Mondaine also unveiled “Horological Smartwatches” of their own, developed
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A U T O M O B I L I A
with Silicon Valley but made in a Swiss valley. Even top-end brand IWC revealed a “Connected” fitness tracker watch in May. But hardcore watchnerds need not worry; as per Biver’s opening salvo, there are still plenty of brands hand-crafting defiantly “complicated” micro-machines far more soulful than any of the above appliances; a passion shared by petrolheads the world over. The fact that even the most basic mechanical watches on the market have see-through casebacks is down to the same reason Ferrari’s V8’s and Lamorghini’s V10’s are proudly visible just behind the cockpit. “A high-end car and a high-end mechanical watch are both gloriously, admirably over-engineered,” says Ben Oliver, contributing editor and watch columnist for CAR magazine, “and that’s what we love about them. No man needs either, but most men desire both. And there’s a natural, historical association between cars, motorsport, racing drivers and timekeeping, underlining this synergy.” Ironically, it was in fact TAG Heuer that first cemented the two worlds’ synergy in the Sixties, making the very first driver-oriented watches. Legends like Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda and Emerson Fittipaldi all wore one of Jack Heuer’s chronographs, while he provided the timing equipment for F1 races the world
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over. Heuer was even watchmaker of choice for Scuderia Ferrrari throughout the Seventies. And these days, horology is still high-octane – most famously articulated by Richard Mille ever since his eponymous brand’s launch in 2000. Mille’s revolutionary, stripped-back “racing machines for the wrist” were the first to draw direct comparison between the watch case and a racing chassis, as well as the watch movement and a high-performance engine. And thus, we are now spoilt for timepieces that wear their ticking hearts on their sleeves. Gentlemen – wind your watches.
BREGUET TRADITION 7077BB
£57,000 Unlike our other candidates, Breguet manages to combine high-techiness without losing its brand’s inherent heritage – thanks to the fact that even in the 18th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet himself was turning out pocket watches that weren’t afraid to lose the dial and show off its bridges, plates, cogs and springs. The traditional frosted finish on every metal surface only adds to the retro-futurism here, and what’s more, its chronograph function is controlled by a separate geartrain, with a ticking balance wheel in titanium rather than steel. Being lighter, it oscillates faster than the other, permitting smaller timekeeping intervals, down to a tenth of a second. A higherrevving engine, in other words.
W R I S T
E N G I N E S
TAG HEUER CHRONO 1
£4,000 When Jack Heuer started to work on his “Carrera” for motor-racing enthusiasts in 1963, he knew exactly what was needed for the drivers: a wide-open, easy-to-read dial with a shock-resistant and waterproof case tough enough for road wear. This year’s edition retains the robustness, but still manages to strip back the dial to leave things as lean and purposeful as a hotrod, with the sinuous components of its stopwatch engine on display. TAG’s return to its youthful, 1980s heyday was a welcome surprise this year, and this is its posterboy.
MAURICE LACROIX MASTERPIECE GRAVITY
RICHARD MILLE RM 61-01 YOHAN BLAKE
£11,000
£93,500
The Swiss brand is hitting the big four-oh this year, but it’s always been a hard one to place, owing to generic design of old and non-committal pricing. But thanks to pieces like the silicon-spiked Gravity, launched in 2014, Maurice Lacroix can finally be pigeonholed confidently as a contemporary, innovative, quirky choice for low-key brainiacs. This PVD-coated limited-edition version of the Gravity is a case in point, boasting a silicon regulator, or “escapement” that oscillates with mesmerising precision, proud of the dial.
Monsieur Mille’s original brief to his watchmakers in 1999 was two pictures: one of an old Sixties Ferrari engine, and one of a new F1 Renault engine. By applying a no-compromise, stripped-back approach Richard Mille dragged mechanical watchmaking bang into the 21st century and invented the new high-tech aesthetic that you see across this whole page and a good chunk of Switzerland for that matter. But Mille hasn’t remained focused on motorsport – tennis, sailing and even golf have all provided technological inspiration in terms of design and cutting-edge materials. His latest obsession is sprinting and Yohan Blake is certainly set to inherit fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt’s podium with a featherweight Richard Mille on his wrist, in black TZP-N ceramic and NTPT® carbon.
AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK CONCEPT RD#1
£n/a Even the watch world has its show-stealing concept projects, and this year’s from Switzerland’s last family-owned indie maker is certainly no wallflower, reinventing the centuries-old chiming “minute repeater” function alongside the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne down the road, a pitch-perfect musician from the Geneva Conservatoire, a sound engineer, and even a local artisan who crafts stringed instruments. It ding-dongs the hours, quarters and minutes with a clarity that can be heard across the room, 10dB louder than everyone else.
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A U T O M O B I L I A
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P E T R O L I N A
According to Rob Arnold, old filling-station paraphernalia – or, to use the nerdy collective term, “petrolina” – are finally getting the recognition they deserve, as a new wave of antiques collectable. As the proprietor of leading dealer Automobilia-UK, he certainly seems to be attracting more than the usual car nut or hipster cocktail-bar designer, with collectors coming from all walks of life. “We’ve sold pumps to pensioners,” he says, “TV stars, window cleaners, solicitors, teenagers and even delivered one to a knight of the realm on a private island! “These items are seen as a way of connecting to a motoring era that was only previously seen in photographs and news clips. Some of our clients have their prized purchases illuminated in studies,
conservatories, offices and reception areas where they, along with their family, friends and clients take great satisfaction in reminiscing of a bygone age.” It also helps that these bits of nouveau retro, used sparingly, look damned cool in a contemporary setting. Especially a kitchen, reckons Arnold, who recalls one client who purchased not one, but two old American pumps for his. “He warned us that his wife could possibly ‘kickoff ’, as she had already given him so much grief about unfinished car restorations cluttering up the drive. The delivery day arrived and luckily his wife was at the hairdressers, so we quickly installed the pumps, plugged them in and flooded the house with light and sheer nostalgia. “As we stood back to admire these wonderful
1950s icons the client turned to me and said, ‘If she doesn’t like them she will have to go’. And he wasn’t talking about either pump! “But just as he finished speaking the door flew open and his wife entered. We all took a gulp of air, before she spun around… and hugged her husband. She thought they were, as she put it, ‘stunning’.” We can’t help but agree, if anything on this page is to go by. Make sure you check out Arnold’s site, and also The Vintage Garage and The Old Collector’s Garage too, plastic at the ready – we guarantee you’ll need it. automobilia-uk.com theoldcollectorsgarage.com thevintagegarage.com
FILL ’ER UP! WHETHER IT’S YOUR GARAGE OR YOUR KITCHEN, A VINTAGE SIGN OR PETROL PUMP CAN’T FAIL TO ADD A BIT OF OLD-WORLD CHARM TO A MODERN HOME. HERE’S DRIVE’S PICK OF THE UK’S TOP AUTOMOBILIA SPECIALISTS…
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I N
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A S S O C I A T I O N
W I T H
U N D E R
[1]
LO C K
&
K E Y
1.
WORDS: MICHAEL TAYLOR
//
PHOTOS: DREW GIBSON
PRICELESS It’s a headline without hyperbole. Walking into the Righini Auto collection on the outskirts of Modena is an assault on the senses – a castle full of important metal that could destroy auction records if Max Stancari ever broke up his uncle’s collection. And it includes the first-ever Ferrari
F
or nearly 500 years, Castello di Panzano was best known as a hub for the small village’s farming community. The harvest was milled there, with the sluice gates opening to let the snow-melt from the Apennines power the wheels. The flat fields are more likely to fill Lambrusco bottles than flour bags these days, but the Castello is still there, on a hill overlooking Castelfranco Emilia – and far from being one of dozens of regional farming centres around Modena, its significance has become global. For behind its metre-thick stone walls and ironreinforced wooden doors lies one of the greatest private car and motorcycle collections in the world. There are at least 70 cars housed here, with yet more of the Righini Auto collection scattered in other hideaways. More than its greatness, though, is its importance.
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JEWEL IN THE CROWN:
T H E A A C 815
IT BEGAN WHEN THE FAMILY’S CAR-SCR APPING BUSINESS PLACED THEM IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO DECIDE WHICH OF ITALY’S CARS SURVIVED AND WHICH,
You may not have heard of the
UNDER GOVERNMENT INSTRUCTION,
you cannot have missed what
WERE “REPURPOSED”
Auto Avio Construzioni 815, but followed it. Enzo Ferrari ran the race team for Alfa Romeo and the messy end to that arrangement meant that when the man from Modena was asked to build a car for Alberto Ascari to race in 1939, he couldn’t put his name on it, being on a “gardening leave” of sorts… Instead, he used “Auto Avio
It is a collection that began before the Second World War, when the family’s car-scrapping business Righini Demolizioni placed them in a unique position to decide which of Italy’s cars survived and which, under government instruction, were “repurposed”. Too many of the world’s great racing cars, record-setting cars, milestone engineering cars and sports and luxury cars had already been lost – from all nations – so the Righini family saved what it could. And from there it has built and built until it gathered a private collection of history that spans the very earliest days of self-propelled four-wheeled transport and the 1989 Alfa Romeo “il Mostro” SZ. The family has also been far-sighted enough to recognise that keeping the cars wouldn’t be enough by itself, so they’ve kept an astonishing number of spare parts too. They are kept in another facility and, as a core part of Righini Auto, can be sourced by other collectors and restorers, too. But despite the number of cars and motorbikes here, it’s the unrelenting quality and importance of each of them that stands out. Something that never ceases to amaze the lucky few H.R. Owen customers who are shown behind closed doors on rare private appointments, during visits to the Ferrari factory down the road. There are two rooms full of cars here, with the thick stone walls protecting them from the humidity-dripping air that makes Emilia Romagna feel like London in winter and the Amazon in summer. The first, and largest, was once the stables and then spent a second life storing wine vats. And now its arched roofs and slotted buttresses settle a romantic ambience upon what is one of the greatest private collections of pre-war cars in the world. Massimiliano “Max” Stancari is the man tasked with building on the family heritage, most famously boosted by his uncle, Mario Righini. It was Mario who originally assembled the core of the collection, with a unique ability to see through decades of disrepair to the glory beneath. Known far and wide through Italian motorsports circles, Righini ran his own race cars, often hiring Tazio Nuvolari and other great Italian drivers to win in them. It’s no surprise, then, that one of Nuvolari’s most famous racing cars takes pride of place in the collection. Just one of 10 ever built, Righini Auto’s breathtaking 8C Monza 2300 was the works Alfa used by Nuvolari to dominate the 1,550km Italian Grand Prix in 1931. It went on to win the 100-lap Monte Carlo a year later, with Nuvolari pipping Rudolph Caracciola by three seconds, as well as the Targa Florio both years. “This is a very important Alfa Romeo 8C 2003 Monza,” Stancari said. “This car is one of nine, but we have the documentation that it was raced by Tazio Nuvolari.” It’s still driven today, usually by Stancari. That’s not unusual – a surprising number of the cars are still drivable and he has no fear of any of the collection’s machinery. He is a fan of the quirky, bullet-shaped 1912 Fiat Chiribiri World Land Speed record-setter and, in classic rallies, the collection’s Fiat 124 Rallye car. He walks quickly through the older parts of the collection, even though it contains the most cars.
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Construzioni”, the company Ferrari has set up to build aircraft parts for the Italian Government’s burgeoning air force. Consider it the genesis of the modern Ferrari marque, because every modern Ferrari road car, every auction recordsetting California and every GT racer owes its origins to this car. And it sits in the middle of a room in the Righini Auto collection, as it has done for years and likely always will – except when Massimiliano is driving it in the Mille Miglia, of course. There were two built, and the ex-Ascari car is the only one that survived (the second car was scrapped). It doesn’t matter that the innovative in-line eight-cylinder engine proved problematic, because it was powerful, fast and light. And it didn’t matter that it didn’t win the Brescia Grand Prix it was built for, because it set the lap record for its class and had a half-hour lead when it failed. What mattered is that it laid down the groundwork for Ferrari to become what it is today. Without this car, the world’s supercar scene could look very, very different.
P R I C E L E S S
[2]
[3]
[4]
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[5]
[7]
[1] In gorgeous royal blue, a Fiat V8 Coupé from 1953 – the only one with a Pinin Farina body, built for Gianni Agnelli’s lawyer. [2] The AAC 815, flanked on the left by a Lancia Stratos and on the right by a light blue Lamborghini 350 GT. There’s a Ferrari 328 GTB behind that, with Nuvolari’s Alfa R8 2300 behind the AAC. [3] A rather battered Cisitalia D46 - a 1100cc single-seater designed in the Forties to participate in a single-make training class.
[6]
[4] This 1912 Fiat Chiribiri broke the world speed record for the timed kilometre from a flying start. Its 7,000cc engine produced 300hp and reached 300km/h (186 mph). [5] A Velo Benz from 1894, flanked by a Peugeot and a de Dion, both pre-1900. [6] A Fiat 124 Rallye that is still driven regularly. It’s a fullhouse rally car, from the days when Fiat took over Lancia and tried to kill the Stratos as a rally car, in favour of the frontdrive 124. [7+9] Tazio Nuvolari’s 8C Alfa Romeo 2300 (one of only nine) in which the legendary driver won the Italian GP in 1931. [8] A Fiat 2800 from the Forties, once owned by the king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III
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“ T H I S A L FA R O M E O 8C 2003 M O N Z A I S O N E O F N I N E, B U T W E H AV E T H E D O C U M E N T A T I O N T H A T I T W A S T H E O N E R A C E D B Y T A Z I O N U V O L A R I .” IT ’S STILL DRIVEN TODAY BY STANCARI
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6.
[8]
LO C K
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[9]
4.
“ T H I S C A R W O N T H E T A R G A F L O R I O ,” R A T T L E S O F F S T A N C A R I , “ T H I S I S A P E U G E OT F R O M B E F O R E 1900, T H AT I S A D E D I O N F R O M B E F O R E 1900, T H I S I S A M E R C E D E S-B E N Z T H AT ’S O L D E R T H A N A N Y T H I N G M E R C E D E S - B E N Z H A S I N I T S M U S E U M O R I T S C O L L E C T I O N …”
“This car won the Targa Florio, this is a Peugeot from before 1900, that is a de Dion from before 1900,” rattles off the young man. “This is a Mercedes-Benz that’s older than anything Mercedes-Benz has in its museum or its collection. “This was the car of Vittorio Emanuele III (the Italian King). This was Benito Mussolini’s staff car during the War…” And it’s all true. It’s all documented. The Benz he’s talking about is an unrestored, original condition Velo from 1894, which had 1.5 horsepower. And, no, Mercedes-Benz doesn’t have one. Elsewhere, Panzano’s enormous halls house yet more gorgeous offerings from the likes of Isotta-Fraschini, Bugatti, Lancia, Fiat, Ansaldo, Salmson, Buick... there is even a Ford Model T. And there are at least six Alfa Romeo 6C variants, including the 1750 SS. But his passion for the collection leaps to the surface when he crosses beneath the covered path to the smaller room, housing the more modern parts of the collection. The door opens to reveal a one-off V8 Fiat Coupe from 1953, the only Pinin Farina-bodied version in the world. But it’s more important than that.
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“This is a unique car in the world. It’s the only one. Ghia, Vignale and Zagato all did bodies for this car, but there was only one by Pinin Farina,” Stancari says. “It was for Giovanni Nasi, a descendent of the Fiat founder and Gianni Agnelli’s lawyer.” It sits in pride of place at the front of the collection. But then you know this is a room full of critical cars when a Ferrari Daytona coupé is buried in the rear corner. Castello di Panzano continues to overwhelm. There is a Lancia Aurelia with a Pinin Farina convertible body. There is a first-run Lamborghini 350 GT coupé, a Lancia Stratos, a Ferrari 275 GTB Short Nose and a Mondial Barchetta in mint condition. Sadly, the collection’s ex-Villeneuve 312 T4 Formula 1 car is not here today, but yes Righini has that as well, plus other racers including a Cisitalia D46 and a Stanguellini Formula Junior, which dominated the sub-F1 category before Cooper and Lotus got into their stride. We could have devoted this entire issue of DRIVE to Righini, but sadly must make do with seven pages. We hope you’ve enjoyed them, because “Under Lock and Key” doesn’t get much better than this.
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S U M M E R
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There’s nothing quite like a spontaneous weekend dash for the countryside. But this issue’s Road Trip is setting its sights on two beautiful boutique summer festivals with some amazing roads to get there, so we advise a bit of forward planning. Don’t worry about a tent or earplugs though – why slum it in the mud, when there’s some perfectly lovely hotels nearby?
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Summer festival special
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1 F E S T I V A L N O . 6 P O R T M E I R I O N G W Y N E D D A493 > A497 > A496
52.9178° N
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PORTMEIRON
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TYWYN
A493
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N PENMAENUCHAF HALL HOTEL
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he British Isles positively throng with festivals come the summer, offering an overwhelming choice of music, performing arts and dubious weather for four solid months. Luckily, beyond the leviathan Glastonbury or lager-drenched Reading there are plenty of family-friendly events these days – presumably to cater for those rave casualties who have finally found themselves with responsibilities. But even the socalled “glamping” options can seem a little rough and ready, despite promoters’ best efforts to make a teepee not sound like somewhere designed for an actual pee.
So why not bag yourself some day tickets to somewhere like Festival Number 6 in northwest Wales’ village of Portmeirion, and use it as a glorious excuse for a bit of a roadtrip, taking in Britain’s further-flung countryside? Forget the glamping – stay somewhere properly civilised on the outskirts and maybe even charter a chopper into the festival on the day.
Already the recipient of numerous accolades from the culture industry, Number 6 is into its fourth year this September – held from the 3rd to the 6th, with Belle & Sebastian, Grace Jones and Badly Drawn Boy already confirmed – and the setting couldn’t be more idyllic. The backdrop to the 1970s’ famously impenetrable TV series The Prisoner, Portmeirion was the brainchild of architect Clough Williams-Ellis, who conceived of a tightly grouped coastal village on a romantic clifftop site. He applied his dreamlike Italianate vision to the coastal plot (purchased for £5,000) from 1925 to 1939, then from 1954–76. There’s a host of accommodation throughout the entire village, all of which is sold excusively to revellers during the event, but you can go one better than that.
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WHICH CAR? Bentley Continental GT Speed A coupé it may be, but one of the reasons Bentley’s Continental GT has remained such an enduring part of the marque’s line-up is its sheer practicality. You can squeeze a lot into that 358-litre boot, not to mention two kids in the rear seats, and if you opt for the Speed model, that legendary W12 has been reworked to offer 626bhp of torque – all the better to wrench you round the tortuous coastal paths of Wales. And thanks to the variable-power-assisted steering – providing increased economy and reduced emissions – the drive remains super-precise through the most demanding corners.
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Or why not helicopter? Roads around remote festivals can become congested, so why not leave the Bentley at Penmaenuchaf Hall and charter a helicopter into Portmeirion’s very own heliport on the day you want to visit? Flyheli Wales and its Bell Jet Ranger 206B III offer a fine charter service (flyheliwales.co.uk) and Portmeirion Village charges just £250 plus VAT for landings. Contact Estates Manager Meurig Jones to arrange: meurig@portmeirion-village.com, 01766 772306. BEST STRETCH Coastal road from Tywyn to Dolgellau, A493. “The Dysynni valley’s spectacular Cader Idris rises on the right, below, ancient hamlets limpet the cliffs, all slate roofs bell towers and windbent trees”.
hrowen.co.uk/bentley
PORTMEIRON
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Our spectacular route along the west edge of Wales makes the festival itself a mere stop-off, and the hotel we’ve found is that perfect blend of cosy and grand, within spitting distance. Heading off the A470 (the closest thing mid-Wales has to a motorway), head left on to the A493– a road that clings to the jagged coastal cliffs high above the wild Atlantic. Take on fuel in Aberdyfi – an old but still working fishing port – sail through the fairly unremarkable Tywyn, then open her up on the spectacular Dysynni valley road. Cader Idris rises on the right, beyond is Craig yr Aderyn (Bird’s Rock), around which fly the cormorants that give it its name. After this, you’ll return to hug the coast at Llangelynin; below, on the precipitous sweeping dingle, ancient hamlets
TY COCH INN
A497
PWLLHELI
A497
ABERDARON
A497
dot the cliffs, all slate roofs, church bell towers and wind-bent trees. Your luxurious stay for the night is set in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park close to the market town of Dolgellau. Penmaenuchaf Hall consists of 14 exquisitely furnished bedrooms, boasting wonderful views over the Mawddach valley and the mountains beyond. The next day, it’s north to the Festival itself, via the lurchingly steep track at Arthog up to the Cregennan Lakes. Stop and soak it in: it is truly beautiful up here. After this, neatly avoiding (or perhaps not) the officially recognised naturist area of Morfa Dyffryn Dunes, head on
to Llandanwg from where can be seen the high ramparts of Harlech castle, still imposing after all these years. The A499 through Abersoch goes all the way to Aberdaron – a little fishing village fondly known to be “on the edge of Europe”. The Atlantic crashes all around this spur of Wales, and you should divert via the Nanhoron valley to Porth Dinllaen and its pub on the beach, the Ty Coch Inn – one of the world’s finest beach drinking holes. A well-deserved reward for a relatively ambitious roadtrip… with added glowsticks. festivalnumber6.com penhall.co.uk tycoch.co.uk
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2 K E N D A L C A L L I N G K E N D A L C U M B R I A A6 > A66 > B5289 > A595 > A590
54.6648° N
2.7548° W
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ith the continued boom of the UK festival season, very few niches remain un-catered-for. For a pleasant middle ground, cast your gaze northerly to Kendal Calling. Confusingly, the festival is located 30 miles up the road from the titular market town, on the grand Lowther Estate only a couple of miles outside Cumbria’s Penrith. Held from 30 July to the 2 August, this Lake District gem has gone from strength to strength, winning numerous industry awards including Best Medium Festival in 2013. Despite its relatively clandestine status, attendance has risen from 900 in 2006 to more than 12,000 in 2014 and this year’s headliners are nothing to be sniffed at. Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs and even Snoop Dogg will be gracing the bill, although the food markets, beer festival and self styled ‘house party’ (a staging area constructed entirely from furniture and appliance junk), will no doubt be enough themselves to keep you entertained. Not forgotten on your weekend however is the driving – the Lake District offering some of the British Isles’ most serene routes and stunning panoramas. All ventures do however require sustenance; a bacon sarnie at Catch 23 Café and Restaurant outside Borwick off of the M6 should do nicely. Once suitably fuelled, head straight up the A6 and through the Lake District itself for a breathtaking drive round Lake Windermere, the restricted but quiet roads providing ample opportunity to first utilise the FF’s outstanding 6.3-litre V12. Better still on the A592 are the views of Ullswater, regarded by many as England’s most beautiful lake and the subject of many a Wordsworth
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WHICH CAR? Ferrari FF Undoubtedly the most versatile car in the Ferrari catalogue, its four wheel drive ensures it is perfectly suited to the potential snares of the British weather in the Lake district. But purists fear not, the rear wheels still provide the power with torque only being applied to the front axle
when necessary. The gargantuan 450 litre boot puts some family hatch backs to shame and its four seats leave plenty of room for smaller road trippers, but this remains firmly a drivers car and the most powerful four seater GT in the world, with more than 650bhp being produced by its V12 engine. hrowen.co.uk/ferrari
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N A590
A595
CATCH 23 CAFÉ LAKELAND MOTOR MUSEUM
CONISTON WATER
BEST STRETCH
SCAFELL PIKE WINDERMERE
BUTTERMERE
B5289
KENDAL KESWICK
M6
ASKHAM HALL
ULLSWATER
A6
PENRITH
LOWTHER ESTATE
poem. A romantic and tranquil setting, the road hugs neatly to its entire northern bank from tip to tip. By midday you’ll arrive at camp, although tents, camping mats and an Armageddon of portaloo mishaps should not be on your festival agenda… Located less than two miles from the festival gates, but tucked away to escape the crowds is Askham Hall, a Dickensian manor house steeped in charm and history. In the Lowther family since the early 1800s, its 26 suites will no doubt offer luxury and a welcome retreat from the field extravagances only a stone’s throw away. A late morning rise and it’s time to get back on the road, leaving your undoubtedly sore head behind. The A66 west out of Penrith takes you deep into the Lakes, right to the centre of the park and into Keswick before out onto the road less travelled, the B5289.
BEST STRETCH The B5289: “a winding, undulating and challenging road that takes you past the triumvirate of Crummock Water, Buttermere and Loweswater, all in the shadow of England’s most imperious peak, Scafell.”
The real star of the show, this winding, undulating and challenging road takes you past the triumvirate of Crummock Water, Buttermere and Loweswater, all the while in the shadow of England’s most imperious peak, Scafell. Onto the final stretch and it’s south through a number of pleasant coastal towns on the A595, flanked on the right by glimpses of the Irish Sea before one final stop-off for enthusiasts of all things vehicular, the Lakeland Motor Museum. With swathes of classic cars and an expansive homage to Donald Campbell and the Bluebird series, it’s a fittingly petrol-soaked end to a very green road trip. catch-23.co.uk kendalcalling.co.uk askhamhall.co.uk lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk
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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
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A M / C E O
AM/CEO Aston Martin’s down-to-earth new boss, Andy Palmer is already shaking things up at Gaydon HQ. Here, he gives DRIVE his most revealing, candid interview yet
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WORDS : MATTHEW CARTER // PORTRAITS : ROB VANDERPLANK
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And for Palmer, Aston ticked all the right boxes. “I’d done most things t’s fair to say the motor industry wires were buzzing towards the end in my career – small cars, light commercials, premium, electric – but of 2014 when Nissan executive Andy Palmer was announced as the I’d never done luxury. It’s the last remaining independent British car new CEO of Aston Martin. company of any reasonable scale and I genuinely did go to school five There were three strands to the whispers. Some wondered why miles from Gaydon. It’s a homecoming, if you like.” Nissan was letting him go – this was a man who, after all, was once While there are obvious differences between Aston Martin and the named the most influential Brit in the global car industry. global monolith that is Nissan, Palmer believes there are also many Others worried that the bloke who built the Nissan Almera might similarities. make a pig’s ear of a luxury brand like Aston. “In many ways a car company is a car company And, finally, there were those who wondered if PALMER HAS BEEN QUICK is a car company. It’s amazing the way automotive Palmer – one of the most down-to-earth people in the language transcends national language. We all use the TO ADDRESS THE BIGGEST industry – had taken leave of his senses. Aston Martin same acronyms and the principles of building a car has been bankrupt seven times and has made an PROBLEM FACING ASTON: are the same as are the mechanics of selling them,” annual profit precisely twice in its life. Many people A LACK OF NEW METAL. he says. have tried to make a success of the brand, few have AND THE ASTON STAND AT “The difference is in the size of the infrastructure succeeded: why go there? G E N E VA WA S B R I S T L I N G that sits around you. Take market intelligence, for Palmer smiles. He’s not a man given to boasting example. I used to have a group of about 100 people or, indeed, of exaggeration, but he does admit ego WITH NEW PRODUCT basically just churning statistics for me. I am a huge played a part in his decision to make the move. believer that marketing is about maths not creativity “Wouldn’t it be nice if a Brit, educated five miles down and I used to just eat those statistics. the road, was the only guy in 102 years who managed to make Aston Martin “When I arrived at Aston Martin I found my market intelligence team sustainably profitable?” was one lady in product planning… she’s marvellous, by the way. The invitation to head the company came at just the right time. “I was “The point is that although the principles are the same, it’s the scale 50 and at a crossroads. It’s been my life’s ambition to run a car company. that is very different. Since I’ve been here I’ve met a statistically relevant I might have thought I was doing that at [Nissan premium brand] Infiniti… number of real customers… in a company selling six million cars a year, but there was always someone above me. As far as I am concerned I was never going to get anywhere near that statistical relevance.” the definition of a CEO is when the only people he answers to are the Since arriving at Gaydon on 1 October last year, Palmer has been quick shareholders. to make his presence felt. One of the first things he did was to introduce “But I was never going to make the last step because I’m neither himself to customers. French nor Japanese – Carlos Ghosn (Nissan/Renault CEO) has made it “When I got here I wrote to every past and present customer we were very clear that the next CEO of Nissan will be Japanese. That’s on record.”
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Above, left to right: Andy Palmer presents Aston Martin’s new models at Geneva, including the extreme, £1.7 million Vulcan track car, limited to just 24 examples, plus the motor show’s biggest shock of all: the all-electric DBX crossover, now confirmed for production.
aware of so that they all had my e-mail address… and I was stunned by the response. Utterly stunned. It was a deluge. “In fact, it took me until Christmas to answer every single e-mail and letter… I was absolutely adamant that I would answer them all personally. “This was confirmation – if I needed it – that I was dealing with a very different brand and a very different, far more engaged, customer. I got lots of good wishes and a lot of advice! It became clear very quickly that Aston Martin was their brand as much as it was mine.” There have been organisational changes, too, with one full layer of management removed. Quality used to come under the manufacturing remit. Now it’s part of total customer satisfaction, reporting directly to the top. If that sounds a bit Nissan, it’s meant to. “The Japanese philosophy of ‘the customer is God’ is one I’m trying to instil here. Some of my previous experience is not relevant to Aston Martin but a clinical attention to quality most certainly is. “If the navigation system doesn’t work, the car breaks down or there are squeaks and rattles… that’s where we need to be absolutely obsessive about getting it right. “But it’s different when it comes to the craftsmanship. Because it’s not done by a computer, we should celebrate a slightly imperfect line of stitching for example, because that demonstrates the bespoke nature of the product.” Palmer has also been quick to address what’s seen as the biggest problem facing the company at the moment: a lack of new metal. Indeed, the Aston stand at Geneva was bristling with new product, positive news and a glimpse to a possible future: all part of Palmer’s ‘Second Century Plan’. News included the fact that the Lagonda Taraf will be sold in Europe after all – it had originally been destined for the Middle East only – while the dramatic V12 Aston Vulcan hypercar made its debut. Just 24 examples
PROFILE: Dr ANDY PALMER
Born: June 1963 Status: Married with four children Career: Project engineer, Automotive Products (1983); Chief engineer Rover Group (1991); Business administration manager, Nissan Technical Centre Europe (1991); Deputy MD, NTCE (2001); Programme Director, Nissan LCV (2002); Nissan Corporate Vice President (2005); Nissan Senior VP (2009); Nissan Executive VP (2011); CEO Aston Martin (2014) Hobbies: Punk music, reading and running (“out of necessity”) Proudest achievement (to date): Launch of the all-electric Nissan LEAF (“I proved the cynics within and outside the company, wrong!”)
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On Palmer’s watch, the luxurious new Lagonda Taraf “super saloon” is now available to customers outside the Middle East.
The future, then, will comprise three main strands. There will still be up of this 800bhp track-only car will be built, each with a price tag of to 7,000 sports cars produced each year, but to this will be added a range £1.8 million. There was also the promise of product enhancements to of Lagonda luxury saloons and a new range of luxury GT Crossovers, the Vantage, DB9 and Rapide to bridge the 18-month gap to the all-new based on DBX, designed to appeal to men and women alike. DB9 replacement due at the end of 2016. The latter is important. “There are a large number of high But it was the third model that caused the real stir. A genuine achieving women who would love to own an Aston Martin but who don’t surprise, the DBX concept is Aston’s first all-wheel-drive car, its first want a sports car. We must not ignore them any sports crossover and its first all-electric one, too… longer,” says Palmer. though it will be an petrol-electric hybrid in its “IT’S THE LAST While the new product plans are vital to Aston’s eventual production form. future there is the small matter of paying for them. “We have to find a low emission solution for REMAINING INDEPENDENT Bringing a new car to market requires investment, the future, because legislation demands it. There BRITISH CAR COMPANY masses of it, before any rewards can be reaped. It’s a are two ways this can be achieved. Were we a mass OF ANY SCALE AND I WENT feast and famine cycle that plagued Aston for years manufacturer, we would down size so the V12 would TO SCHOOL FIVE MILES and is one that Palmer is determined to break. become a V8 and the V8 would become a six cylinder, FROM GAYDON. In a frantically busy six months in the job, he probably a diesel, and so on. has not just shaped the future product line-up and “On my watch we will never have a diesel engine IT’S A HOMECOMING, jetted from international motor show to international in an Aston. Nor will there be another Cygnet for IF YOU LIKE” market introducing his vision, but has also secured that matter. As far as I am concerned the V12 is the funding to do it. Some £200 million is to be fundamental to the brand. raised from the release of new preference shares and the UK Government “But with emissions legislation getting ever tougher you’ve got to has chipped in with £6.9 million to help the company grow sales have an offset. And the most efficient offset is to combine it with zero in export markets. emission, with electric. It also fits the Aston ethos… the huge torque and If Palmer is exhausted by his workload he doesn’t show it. The instant, rapid acceleration in near silence of a battery electric vehicle is opposite in fact – a few days after our interview he swapped his business almost as exhilarating as the V12. suit for racing overalls and helped take a works Vantage GT4 to fifth place “In some quarters I might be demonised for even suggesting Aston in the Britcar 24 Hour Race at Silverstone (see page 58 onwards). builds a crossover or suggesting we go to an electric hybrid, but please “Driving the car is part of the job: at least that’s how I justify it to understand I’m doing it because our fundamental business model is myself. It’s a great opportunity to meet customers and it’s great fun, too.” broke. We cannot survive building 4,000–7,000 sports cars a year. It’s been Aston looks to be in good hands. broken for 102 years, not just for Aston, but for plenty of other brands, too.”
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GT 4
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TO THE FORE Aston Martin’s off-the-peg racer was taken to task at the Britcar 24 hours, with Andrew Frankel sharing the driver’s seat with the boss himself
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t is at once reassuringly familiar, yet dramatically different. The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 sits reassuringly in the pitlane, awaiting further instruction. As you walk past, you can’t miss the adjustable carbon-fibre rear wing, nor the big splitter at the front. There are external catches for the bonnet and boot and twin, exposed fuel fillers. The side and rear windows are made from polycarbonate. Peer inside and you’ll see someone has replaced the interior with a massively constructed roll cage. There’s just one seat with a six-point harness but in addition to the standard instrument pack, there’s another mounted on the dash, on which numbers whose meaning are not immediately obvious flicker. But it’s the changes you can’t see that make up the bulk of the real differences between the GT4 and the standard V8 Vantage S coupe upon which it is based. It is, for instance, 300kg lighter – not just because the cabin has been stripped but because the weight of everything from the battery to the wiring loom has been pared to the bone. There’s an on-board jacking system that will lift the entire car clear of the ground in about five seconds. And the suspension and brakes are to full race specification, as needless to say are the treadless, slick tyres.
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ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE GT4 Modified and tuned off-campus by Aston Martin Racing’s engineering team at Prodrive since 2011, the GT4 version of the V8 Vantage is the most popular GT4 car in the world, with nearly 100 cars made and competing in race series across the globe. If you have a racing license, this is the car for you.
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And yet this is no silhouette racer, related to its road-going equivalent by badge alone. The 4.7-litre engine, for instance, is unchanged, as is the paddle-shift transmission save the deletion of the seventh gear you’ll never use on the track. The structure, the body, the suspension layout, indeed all the fundamental architecture of the car is identical to that of the road car. You have to clamber past the safety cage but once you’re sat in the race seat, the view forward is little different to that of the road car. Flick on the ignition, press the button and the V8 rumbles into life, louder than usual thanks to its lightweight racing exhaust, but quiet enough to pass most track and race-day noise regulations. To make it move you just pull a paddle and press a pedal, just as you would in the road car. But you have to be careful with the power because if the tyres are cold they have no grip at all. You need to inject heat into them over the first couple of laps, and be thankful for the 10-position Bosch ABS and traction control switches that should rein in your enthusiasm even if you cannot. But then it is ready to go. Despite the standard engine, owners of standard V8 Astons will barely believe the acceleration. The power may be the same, but the more important power-to-weight ratio is very different and within a whisker of that of the 573bhp V12 Vantage S. Despite this, the undeniable truth is that while
ENGINE Capacity: 4.7-litre V8 engine Power: 430bhp Torque: Over 470Nm Performance: 0–100kmph in approx. 4.5s Weight-reduced rear silencer or straightthrough tailpipes (optional)
I F YO U H AV E N E V E R D R I V E N A P R O P E R LY D E V E LO P E D
FIA-approved bag type 115 litre centrally mounted fuel tank with twin fill
THOROUGHBRED ON R ACING SUSPENSION, BR AKES AND
SUSPENSION
TYRES, YOU WILL NEED SOME TIME TO DIAL INTO WHAT THE CAR CAN DO
Double wishbone suspension adjustable for toe, caster and camber 2-way adjustable Koni dampers Stiffened front and rear anti-roll bars Front suspension modified for extra camber and castor Spherical bearing suspension upgrade package (optional)
BRAKES Four-piston monoblock calipers fitted with high-performance Pagid RS 29 race pads Uprated two-piece front brake discs Twin front brake cooling ducts Endurance brake package (optional) Bosch race-developed ABS and traction control system (optional)
TRANSMISSION Six-speed manual transmission or Sportshift (ASM) transmission Twin-plate cera-metallic clutch with lightweight flywheel
CHASSIS Lightweight aluminium chassis FIA approved full rollcage in 15CDV6 high-strength steel
the GT4’s straight-line acceleration is deeply impressive, it remains within the bounds of what road cars can do. By contrast, its braking and cornering abilities are in a different league. If you have never driven a properly developed thoroughbred on racing suspension, brakes and tyres, you will need some time to dial into what the car can do. You don’t brake only when your every survival instinct instructs you that you must: you brake much later than that. As for the grip of those slick tyres, for those who know the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, the entire run from the exit of Luffield, through Copse, Maggots, Becketts, Chapel, Stowe and to the braking point for Vale is taken in fourth, fifth and sixth gears alone, at an average speed I’d estimate to be well in excess of 110mph. Despite some previous GT4 racing experience, Aston’s new boss Andy Palmer knew that Silverstone’s resurgent Britcar 24-hours race, held on the last weekend of April, would be his first time racing on slicks – and his first at night. He could not however have predicted the weather he would encounter. He drove with me and his creative director Marek Reichman – a trio of middle-aged amateurs – along with 22-year-old Alice Powell, the reigning Asian Formula Renault Champion and probably the most successful woman racing single-seaters at the moment.
Integral air jacks (optional) Polycarbonate side and rear windows
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T H E N I G H T WA S T H E WO R S T I H AV E E N C O U N T E R E D I N 20 YEARS OF ENDUR ANCE R ACING. ANDY CHOOSING TO S TAY O U T O N A F LO O D E D T R A C K WA S O N E O F T H E GUTSIEST DECISIONS I’VE SEEN
While Andy Palmer’s factory entry came home in a respectable fifth at Britcar (right), Beechdean AMR took overall victory (centre). Their car? An Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of course.
There were many faster, more expensive and purpose-built racing cars entered, but we knew also it would be the reliability of the car and drivers that would likely prove the determining factor. One was a given, the other anything but. The early hours were easy, but the night was the worst I have encountered in 20 years of endurance racing. Andy choosing to stay out on a flooded track was one of the gutsiest decisions I’ve seen in a long time. But we got through while others crashed out or broke down and by dawn the track was dry once more. The car performed faultlessly throughout and the only time the result seemed in jeopardy was when I hit someone else’s oil at over 100mph and spun several times down the circuit, mercifully without hitting anything. Our filthy Vantage GT4 crossed the line in at 4.00pm on Sunday afternoon, as good to drive and as quick as it had been 24 hours, 506 laps and 1,852 miles earlier.
We had come 5th overall, from a starting position of 18th. Rightfully, we all felt a massive sense of achievement, but the truth is if the credit belonged anywhere, it was with the Vantage GT4 that took us there. The car really is genuinely easy to drive. Were it anything else, three Vantage GT4s driven mainly by enthusiastic amateurs would not have been found in the first five places at Silverstone that weekend – including the winner. To win a race of that duration you need a car that will not only be faultlessly reliable, but endlessly forgiving of tired driver error too. The Vantage GT4 is that car. And as one of those drivers, I genuinely cannot think of another with the speed, the reliability and the user-friendliness that are all vital components of such success. Perhaps that’s why, to date, Aston Martin have sold over 100 and why they continue to be among the most sought-after gentleman-driver racing cars in the world.
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A C T I V E A E R O DY N A M I C S Chris Hall feels the wind in his hair and gets to grips with one of the most cutting-edge fields of performance-car development, while we remember the cutting-edge tunnels that have developed in parallel, showing how airflow can help – and hinder – a vehicle at speed
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riving fast is a battle. But the primary opponent is, I’m afraid to say, not something glamorous like “the limits of human reflexes” or “the ability to outrun the law” – although both should certainly be respected. The primary opponent to driving at high speeds is air friction. For instance, at “VMax”, a Bentley Continental GT Speed, which has a drag coefficient of 0.31, expends 80% of its 626 bhp in overcoming aerodynamic resistance. Drag increases with the square of velocity, so the air at 206mph is punching back 70% more than it is at 155mph. Overcoming air resistance for top speed performance is (relatively) straightforward, if that’s all you want to do. Donald Campbell’s Bluebird CN7 used the most advanced aerodynamic engineering of the time, and broke 400mph with a drag coefficient of 0.16. But that comes with a few compromises: Bluebird had a maximum of 4 degrees steering lock, whereas your passenger could pretty much do the Daily Telegraph crossword in a GT Speed at 200mph. One of the key differences between old-fashioned aerodynamic design tailored to one specific goal and the flexibility of modern high performance cars is the introduction of active aerodynamics – parameters that are not only adjustable, but that change automatically depending on the situation. Some active aero has been around for a while – most notoriously in the form of rear spoilers that extend when you exceed legal speeds. But the last decade has seen new levels of complexity.
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NASA AMES The world’s largest wind tunnel was built in 1987, at NASA’s Ames facility in California. The 80 x 120 foot chamber is large enough to test a Boeing 737, and has also been used for various US fighter aircraft, as well as the space shuttle and lunar landing parachutes. The tunnel uses six 40ft fans, which can move 60 tonnes of air per second (at a cost of 104 megawatts of electricity). A smaller (40 x 80 ft) high speed tunnel is also used, which is capable of maximum speeds of 345mph.
PININFARINA As befits one of Italy’s best known styling houses, Pininfarina even makes sure its wind tunnel looks as cool as the creations that pass through it. Its 13 fans can generate winds of up to 250 km/h, and since 1972 it has been home to aero testing for countless road and racecars as well as trains, aircraft, motorbikes, skiers and even bridges, buildings and industrial facilities (using 1:100 scale models, naturally).
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SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY & FARNBOROUGH The Bugatti Veyron pioneered the combination of a lot of active aero elements. The car came with three aerodynamic presets; for ordinary speeds, for ‘Handling’ (which automatically kicks in at speeds above 220kph) and for top speed (which has to be activated from a dead stop). In all three, the rear wing, rear aerofoil, diffusers and ride height all move to different positions according to the desired characteristics of the car, with the slipperiest, lowest setting for high speed, and a high-downforce set-up for better handling. That last part’s the kicker. As Formula 1 engineers well know, for ideal performance, you want vastly different aerodynamic setups depending on the type of driving you’re going to be doing. High downforce isn’t a main concern if you’re beetling up the M1, but the aerodynamic impact on fuel consumption might well be. Conversely, if you’re on a track day, or just your favourite A-road, you’ll be very thankful for some extra weight over the rear axle. In an age where driving profiles – Sport, Race, etc – give us the chance to control throttle response, gearshift times and suspension stiffness, it seems only fitting that the aerodynamics should follow suit. The new Lamborghini Aventador SV 750-4, for example, boasts a rear wing adjustable to three positions, giving distinct performance characteristics with varying degrees of downforce. Combined with a complete remodelling of the car’s underbody, a massive rear diffuser and a new front wing, the SV is 150% more aerodynamically efficient than the standard Aventador, and in maximum handling configuration, delivers 170% more vertical downforce. Ferrari, though, is currently ruling the active aero roost, helped by its Formula 1 expertise. The 458 introduced passively movable flaps in the front air intakes to alter air flow at speed, and the LaFerrari and 488 GTB have advanced matters significantly. Ferrari claims downforce improvements of 50% over the 458 despite also reducing drag - thanks to F1-derived front spoilers (that control air flow to the radiator and, consequently, drag), a rear diffuser with “variable flap geometry” and last but not least, ground-effect “vortex generators” underneath the car. These create areas of low pressure that pull the car down onto the road, with no negative effect on drag whatsoever. It’s the first time Ferrari has used such tech in its road cars (and it’s banned in F1). The benefits of active aerodynamics don’t stop at the pursuit of speed or performance, however. Airflow isn’t always an enemy to be challenged; it is also vital for cooling, and active aerodynamics have their part to play here too. The 488 GTB is able to control how much air flows into the radiator, over the brakes and across the engine, as is the Lamborghini, which uses “NACA” vents to cool the drivetrain – so-named for their development by the National Advisory Committe for Aeronautics; the precursor to NASA no less. Now that’s a Top Trumps bonus if we ever heard one.
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The only university in the UK to offer a postgrad degree in racecar aerodynamics, Southampton has what used to be the no. 2 tunnel at Farnborough installed on campus used by F1 aerodynamicist extraordinaire Adrian Newey during his undergraduate studies. Aston Martin has used its facilities, as have various Formula 1 and Indycar teams. Prior to moving to Southampton in the 1980s, Farnborough’s no. 2 tunnel was instrumental to the development of ground-effect aerodynamics for racing cars, as it was one of the first in the world to use a moving ground surface. Meanwhile, Farnborough’s original facility – instrumental to the development of Bentley’s V8 in 1957 (pictured above left) and Hawker’s Battle of Britain hero fighter, the Hurricane – has been saved from demolition and now serves as particularly dramatic backdrop to corporate events and art installations.
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SOUTHAMPTON HAS HELPED MANY MOTORSPORT TEAMS INCLUDING BAR, BENETTON AND JORDAN – BUT ALSO CYCLING TESTS IN THE RUN UP TO THE BEIJING OLYMPICS, WHERE TEAM GB TOOK H O M E 8 G O L D M E DA L S, 4 S I LV E R A N D 2 B R O N Z E O N T WO W H E E L S
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Kerb appeal is one thing – velvet-rope appeal something else. Which is why you need to arrive at we st London’s most discerni ng nightspots in a suitably glamorous set of wheels. A Rolls-Royce Ghost II will do nicely, thank you…
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7.19PM THE MAY FAIR BAR Set in the prestigious May Fair Hotel is the May Fair Bar, a lively space with an envious drinks menu. Boasting a choice of over 40 drinks expertly made by the in-house mixologists, it wouldn’t be difficult to wile away an evening sampling the lengthy cocktail menu. Those feeling spoilt for choice should opt for the May Fair Mojito, the hotel’s signature drink and a delectable update on the classic concoction. Just around the corner from Green Park and set in the heart of Mayfair, the bar is the ideal pit-stop for a pre-dinner tipple. The May Fair Bar, Stratton Street, W1J, themayfairhotel.co.uk
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hat famous “magic carpet” ride is a given with Rolls-Royce, and its limousines’ bafflingly smooth suspension comes in pretty useful when cruising London’s pockmarked tarmac – certainly more than can be said for their equally amazing performance (unless Knightsbridge does present a tempting, late-night opportunity to test out that 0–60 in 4.9 seconds acceleration…) But where a car like the Ghost II proves to be the first and only choice for an evening out in glitzy Mayfair is the plain, unadulterated prestige that only a Roller can embody. After all, there’s a very good reason the expression, “It’s the Rolls-Royce of…” exists at all. But why the Ghost II? Still as driver-focused as the Wraith, but retaining that sense of Phantom stateliness, it could be the ultimate expression of modernity and luxury – much like Mayfair itself in fact. And just like the fashionistas and glitterati that prowl this area, bounded by Park Lane, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly, the Ghost II offers a host of exquisitely executed bespoke looks and finishes; every detail precisely engineered not only to give complete control of the road, but emanate maximum presence from the pavement.
RETAINING THE PHANTOM’S STATELINESS, BUT WITH PLENTY OF ENJOYMENT TO BE HAD AT THE WHEEL, THE G H O S T I I I S T H E U LT I M AT E E X P R E S S I O N O F M O D E R N I T Y AND LUXURY - MUCH LIKE MAYFAIR ITSELF
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A VIBRANT BUZZ SEEMS TO BOUNCE BETWEEN THE S U E D E WA L L PA N E L L I N G O F M AY FA I R’S C E L E B R I T Y HANGOUT NOVIKOV AND THE LEATHER UPHOLSTERY O F T H E R O L L E R S WA I T I N G O U TS I D E
No request is considered too elaborate, but you may prefer something more discreet such as having your crest, initials or motif embroidered onto the seat headrest. To make the interior more distinctive, you can add alternative wood veneers in numerous combinations or inlay a motif. New 21” wheels are available making a bold, powerful statement, with a choice of five different wheel designs and two different finishes, each with its self-righting “R-R” axle monogram, and arranged to give that classic 2:1 wheel-to-body height ratio. All the better for gliding up to that red carpet in style. But where to show off your pride and joy?
8.41PM NOVIKOV On any given night, the dimly lit chandeliers of Novikov Restaurant and Bar will illuminate an absurdly full house, you can count on that. A vibrant, borderline frenzied, buzz between tables seems to bounce from the suede wall panelling as Mayfair’s distinctive celebrity haunt holds within it both an Asian and Italian restaurant along with a lounge bar spinning tracks by some of the world’s leading DJ’s. The interior may be lavishly brash and the clientele a shimmering mass of glitterati, but this is one characterful dining den you have to experience at least once. 50a Berkeley Street, W1, novikovrestaurant.co.uk
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11.06PM MORTON’S Having wined and dined yourself into the wee hours, Mayfair’s sophisticated Berkeley Square holds the perfect place for a welldeserved (probably) nightcap. Morton’s private member’s club is everything you could want from an up-market late-night bar, all understated luxury and superb service, the sleek interior oozes old-world glamour. The extensive drinks menu includes a dilemmainducing collection of cognac and whisky to wet the whistle – for deep pockets the 1989 Dalmore Constellation scotch is a must-try. Notwithstanding the high-priced modern art on the walls, tearing yourself away from Morton’s charms will prove tricky come 3am. 28 Berkeley Square, W1J, mortonsclub.com
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SETTING THE PACE As Silverstone’s new MD, Patrick Allen has quite a job on his hands – which, as he tells Matthew Carter, isn’t just about keeping the Formula 1 British GP viable… though that’s a massive part of it
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ilverstone circuit will come alive for three days in early July when it hosts the British Grand Prix. Something approaching 400,000 people will descend on the former WWII bomber base in Northampton over the weekend while, all over the world, millions more will watch events unfold on their TV sets. But if you think that once the race is run and the champagne has been sprayed Silverstone goes quietly back to sleep to await next year’s race, you would be very much mistaken. There’s rather more to the place than a 90-minute motor race run on a summer Sunday afternoon. Patrick Allen, MD of Silverstone Circuits Ltd, smiles and shakes his head. “Three days? No, we are operating closer to 363 days a year.
“There’s no denying the British Grand Prix is our biggest event but most of the procedures needed to run a small club meeting apply equally to the Grand Prix. It’s just the scale that’s different.” While most events at Silverstone are expertly handled internally, the running of the Grand Prix necessarily involves outside agencies and organisations such as the Highways Agency, the local council and, of course, the police. For example, to ensure racegoers can get into the circuit before the red lights turn green and can make their way home relatively painlessly at the end of the day, the nearby A43 dual carriageway is turned into a six lane one-way system. The sheer number of helicopter and fixed wing plane movements in and out of Silverstone and the
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nearby Turweston aerodrome, meanwhile, turn the circuit into the country’s busiest airport on race day. Once notorious for its race weekend traffic jams, Silverstone is now one of the easiest Grand Prix circuits in the world to get in and out of. Traffic management is just one part of it, however. The circuit has to be ready for every eventuality from a major incident on track – the track’s medical team comprises more than 130 doctors, nurses, paramedics and radiographers – to off-track issues such as traffic accidents, fires or even terrorist attack. “We really have to plan for the worst and throughout the build-up to an event, we run table top scenarios to ensure that our responses are the right ones should anything go wrong,” says Allen. “And afterwards we have a debrief to look for areas where we can perhaps do things better… it’s all about continuous improvement.” The Grand Prix, though, is also about entertainment and one of Allen’s major jobs since his arrival at Silverstone at the start of the year has been to improve the show for the race fans. With a background in sales and marketing – Allen is a former head of marketing at the Co-Op Group – he knows he has to offer value for money “…otherwise the fans will vote with their feet.” He says: “The Grand Prix this year is a four-day festival. We have made great efforts to provide extra entertainment for the fans and we have, for example, turned the Thursday into a free day for weekend ticket holders. Thursday will also see Madness playing for the crowds and over the weekend we have other bands performing including Deacon Blue and Nik Kershaw. “We’ve improved the camp sites and provide evening entertainment there and we’ve enhanced our hospitality offer with better food at better prices so that race-goers have an alternative to bringing in a picnic. We have also introduced an extra autograph session where the fans can meet their idols.” “We’ve worked on ticket prices too, by raising the age where a child has to pay for entry to 11 and offering reduced entry for 11–15 year olds. We also sold 1,000 raceday general admission tickets for just £99, down from £155, and they went in minutes. And next year we will introduce zero-per-cent finance offers so that fans can budget their attendance at the event. Although Formula 1 is in a state of flux with a number of major European races having fallen by the wayside (there hasn’t been a French Grand Prix for some years and there’s no German race this year despite the dominance of Mercedes and the return of Sebastian Vettel to the top step) Silverstone is guaranteed the Grand Prix until 2026. But it’s not cheap to stage and the price rises year on year. How can Allen hope to keep a lid on prices in years to come or is the Grand Prix something of a loss leader?
“WE ARE RIGHT BEHIND LEWIS H A M I LTO N H E R E – H E’S WO N T H E BRITISH GRAND PRIX TWICE, IN 2008 AND LAST YEAR, AND WENT ON TO WIN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOTH TIMES. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF HE COULD DO THE DOUBLE AGAIN THIS YEAR”
[1] Lewis Hamilton leads the field at last year’s British GP the same season he clinched the championship. [2] Silverstone’s paddock and pits building by Populous was controversial in 2011 but now loved by fans. [3] Over 400,000 fans will flock to the British GP this July, but unlike most other F1 fixtures, the crowds ebb and flow with relative ease.
“The Grand Prix is vitally important to Silverstone as the halo effect cascades down on everything else we do. But it’s not a loss leader as we do make a modest profit from the event. “And we can keep on doing that even if we reduce our prices. By improving our offer we can increase the volume of spectators who want to come to a great event. “But we can’t do it all by ourselves and I am delighted that Formula 1 is looking at ways, such as the reintroduction of refuelling and other rule changes, which will help to improve the quality of the show. “Race fans want to see their heroes winning races on the track, not a bloke dictating the race from his data screen. If fans feel they can predict the result before the race begins then they’ll drift away. “The bottom line is that I am running a business and the Grand Prix is just one element of that. But I know that if people leave the race with a warm feeling towards us they’ll not only be back next year but might well come to another race meeting during the year, or take one of our driving experiences here or perhaps use our facilities for a conference.” So at the end of Sunday 5 July, when the race has been run and won, the annual post-Grand Prix party is winding down and the crowds are heading home, what would Allen hope the weekend has delivered? “A British victory. We are right behind Lewis Hamilton here – he’s won the British Grand Prix twice, in 2008 and last year, and went on to win the World Championship both times. It would be great if he could do the double again this year. “And,” Allen adds, smiling, “it would be even better if Jenson Button could join him on the podium.” The Formula 1 British Grand Prix will be held from 3 to 5 July, and tickets were still available at the time of going to press. See silverstone.co.uk for more details
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DRESS, DRIVE, ARRIVE AND REVIVE
GOODWOOD
Don’t just plump for a white boilersuit – vintage fashion expert Josh Sims offers his tips for looking the part at the Goodwood Revival
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o achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.” So said motor racing legend Stirling Moss. He was, of course, referring to driving rather than dressing, but when it comes to Goodwood Revival, the same advice perhaps applies: to dabble with period style is to look as out of place as to not wear it at all. “The trick is to imagine that you’re dressing for a movie,” says Nick Clements, Revival regular and editor of Men’s File, the journal of ‘reproduction’ men’s style. “A costume designer wouldn’t dress an actor in an RAF uniform and then put him in pointy shoes from Dolcis. I don’t think an outfit needs to be entirely accurate to a chosen period, but it does need to be complete.” So the pressure is on? Not so. As Clements points out, some men are happy to don their dad’s old trilby and throw on a tweed jacket – it’s not going to get into Men’s File’s ‘Best Dressed at Goodwood’ issue, but at least the silhouette is right and they add to the event’s atmosphere. Others want to go to town, seeing dressing up
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as part of the fun, researching period dress blogs and movie stills on the internet for inspiration. As Clements notes, Revival draws the incredibly well-off and just incredible enthusiasts - “the one thing you don’t really need a lot of money for is the reenactment. In fact, it’s a chance to express your passion. If you’re into motor-racing, why not go as your motor-racing hero?” Certainly today, aside from the most obvious route of hiring an entire outfit from a costumiers, there are as many options as they are periods and archetypes to choose from – be that Ted or Mod, Rocker or Ivy League, aristo or worker, mechanic, racing driver, aviator or Land Girl, pre-war, wartime or mid-century (though anything post-1960s might be considered more fancy dress). Many companies – the likes of Pike Brothers and Sugar Cane, Real McCoys and Suixtil, to name just a few – have launched over the last decade or so to provide admittedly rather expensive period-accurate replicas of garments now hard to find in their original form, while others – from Lewis Leathers to Levi’s LVC – are still in business and still making garments from their archives.
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“IT ’S A CHANCE TO EXPRESS YOUR PASSION. IF YOU’RE INTO MOTOR-R ACING, WHY NOT GO AS YOUR MOTOR-R ACING HERO?”
But Horst Friedrichs, a photographer known for his work in documenting contemporary sub-cultures that live and breath a period style, warns against the dangers of looking too new. “If a garment is worn out a little or has a nice patina, it automatically looks that much more convincing as period dress,” he suggests. “So it’s best not to wear pristine white coveralls, for example. Get them a bit dirty first. It’s important to accessorise in keeping too – carry an old tool-box, not your mobile phone.” Certainly such details are important to being convincingly of a certain time: as Clements stresses, classics the likes of a tweed suit or a ’50s-style waisted dress might look like comfortable short-cuts, but they place all the more emphasis on the little things. “You can buy an old suit, even find a passable kind of shirt to go with it, but then just wearing the wrong tie, or the wrong kind of hat with the dress, can spoil the entire effect,” he argues. Of course, to get both period accuracy and a suitably stylish level of wear and tear, buying vintage clothing is the best solution, even if the turns of fashion and
the internet alike have provided both a means of buying these garments from all over the world, while also ensuring a dearth of supply and a hike in prices. Charity shops might offer a lucky find, but specialist dealers on-line and off – the likes of London’s Vintage Showroom or Cenci, for instance – are more likely to allow a revivalist to strike gold. As Friedrichs notes, many vintage dealers will now hire out garments too. OK, so maybe, as Stirling Moss hints at, the pressure is on just a little bit. But this should never outweigh the pleasure to be had in taking yourself out of your sartorial times for a day. Perhaps the best advice comes from Marie Willey, co-owner of contemporary workwear company Old Town Clothing. “Don’t forget that this is all a bit of escapism, so dress with imagination and creativity,” she says. “You don’t want to come across as a bit humourless. Be expressive.” See overleaf for our pick of the rails...
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PICK OF THE RAILS Josh Sims’ key vintage pieces for that authentic revival style
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[1] Vivien of Holloway Halterneck Poppy Peach Dress: Monroe-esque 50s style given a gently modern make-over. vivienofholloway.com [2] Dawson Denim Jeans Inspired by jeans of the 1940s, these are even made in the UK on vintage sewing machines. dawsondenim.com [3] Real McCoy’s Type B-10 Flight Jacket: Tough to wear on a hot day perhaps, but part of your way to looking very Mustang pilot. realmccoys.co.jp [4] Military Costume Hire: You can never go wrong at the Revival with a (properly done) military uniform, and this RAF officer’s uniform for £65 per week from the Reading firm is simply spiffing, sir. militarycostumehire.co.uk
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[5] Private White VC x Grenson Wilde Canvas Derby Shoes: Built to last and terribly terribly dapper. privatewhitevc.com [6] Puttin’ On the Ritz Spying for the Allies Skirt: Team with fitted blouse, heels, red lips and beret. Allo Allo Boys! puttin-on-the-ritz.net
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[7] Lock Hatters Classic Panama: Hand-crafted in Ecuador, re-imagined as ‘Our Man in Havana’ at Goodwood. lockhatter.co.uk [8] Freddies of Pinewood 1940s Work Blouse: You could even stain your legs with tea for full WW2 effect. freddiesofpinewood.co.uk
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[9] Old Town Clothing Bungalow Dress: In one of the company’s period prints, you’ll avoid being mistaken for Mrs. Mop, the cleaner. Unless that’s the idea of course. old-town.co.uk [10] Nigel Cabourn Unlined Farm Vest: There was a time when no man went without a waistcoat. That time is back (at Revival). cabourn.com
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ESTATE OF MIND Every luxury marque seems to be chasing the craze for SUVs – but as Giles Chapman reminds us, the idea of a practical supercar isn’t so newfangled
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Opposite page: One of the most famous shooting brakes of the Sixties, Aston Martin’s DB5, converted by the factory itself. Left: Jamiroquai frontman and fully paid-up car nut Jay Kay with his one-off, Vignale-converted Ferrari 330GT shooting brake, at 2012’s Salon Privé – commissioned in 1968 by Luigi Chinetti Jr, son of a famous East Coast Ferrari importer and racer. Below left: Ferrari’s classleading, four-wheel-drive FF – a rare case of a modern “shooting brake” actually resembling a shooting brake. Below: Aston Martin’s new allelectric DBX, now confirmed for production, reimagines the luxury GT for a more familyfriendly future.
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t was a long time ago that luxury cars and usefulness first parted company. High-speed motoring of the 1920s and ’30s was associated with raw engineering, racetracks and lantern-jawed heroes. Sybaritic motoring pleasure, meanwhile, derived from the ability to tour the countryside in stately splendour. An expensive motor car had to be smooth, silent, commodious and also suited to picnics and field sports, so there was nothing weird about specifying your Rolls-Royce as a boxy ‘shooting brake’, its wood-panelled body resembling a mobile summer house and the twin rear doors opening on to hampers, shotguns, maybe even a gramophone. On mainland Europe, meanwhile, the touring
opportunities were so rich that the most expensive examples of Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti, Isotta Fraschini and Hispano Suiza were turned out as enormous limousines in which the owner travelled in chauffeur-driven grandeur, while a massive trunk attached to the back carried outfits for every glittering occasion. In the post-war period, snug-fitting comfort, owner-driving, and reliable high performance began to define the finest cars such as the Aston Martin DB2, Maserati A6 GCS 2000, Mercedes-Benz 300SL and Bentley R-type Continental. Ferraris were racing machines mildly tamed for road use and, while Bugatti drifted into hibernation, it was replaced in the no-compromises stakes by Lamborghini, where sensory stimulation was everything and the only ‘activity’ encouraged was pure driving exhilaration and the thrill of 12 cylinders at your command. And yet… there remained untapped demand for a performance car that could be just that little bit more versatile. One that offered room for a suitcase rather than just a washbag, or space for an exhausted Labrador to be carted home following a day bounding after your exploding cartridges. Perhaps not a car that could manage the cashand-carry run for a small private school, but one where carrier bags from Fortnum & Mason don’t have to sit on your lap as you drive home. And maybe some of that overabundant power could be distributed to all four wheels, and not just the rear ones, to lend a hand at iced-up ski resorts. These perfectly reasonable calls have started to be answered. Thank Porsche for taking the initiative
T H E R E WA S D E M A N D F O R A PERFORMANCE CAR WITH JUST ENOUGH SPACE FOR A LABRADOR, EXHAUSTED FROM A DAY BOUNDING AF TER YOUR EXPLODING CARTRIDGES
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Unveiled in 2012, and still awaiting proper arrival, Lamborghini’s angular Urus SUV is a big improvement on the LM002 (see timeline).
in 2002 with its supercar-flavoured Cayenne offroader in 2002, but then still be mildly incredulous at Ferrari’s bold FF – four-wheel drive, a hatchback, four seats of which the rear ones can be folded flat. But the V12 upfront still produces 660bhp of (shooting) brake horsepower. More incredible new multi-purpose supercars are about to roar from the new product pipeline. Maybe even more unlikely than Ferrari’s lifestylefriendly FF will be the Bentley Bentayga. So far, there’s just this new name, but it will be seen adorning a ‘sector redefining’ sport-utility vehicle that picks up again on the outdoor opulence of grand, pre-war ‘estate cars’, albeit now with all wheels driven and natural beauty design inspiration drawn from the Canary Islands to the world’s largest transcontinental snow forest at Taiga. Rolls-Royce will not be out-done by its rival British super-marque. It’s working hard on a similar vehicle, likely to be just as spectacular as a piece of lofty automotive sculpture, and has revealed images
1923
1955
1963
1966
ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER GHOST SHOOTING BRAKE
ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER CLOUD
ASTON MARTIN DB5 SHOOTING BRAKE
LAMBORGHINI 400GT FLYING STAR II
In the pre-war era when the finest
Trying to get as much out of a Rolls-
If you were a chum of David Brown, the
It might have been just about the
cars were all individually coachbuilt
Royce as possible became something
industrial tycoon whose fortune made
narrowest tailgate ever seen, but
on a separate chassis, it was relatively
of an obsession for 1950s London car
Aston Martin great in the 1950s and
the Flying Star II slips in as the only
easy to take an old Rolls-Royce, maybe
dealer and customiser Harold Radford.
’60s, then no doubt you were a lover of
Lamborghini estate car the world has
one that had given faithful service as
He devised numerous ingenious ways
country pursuits as much as high living.
known (up to now, that is – design
a dignified limousine, and turn it into
to make use of spare space within the
Brown was mustard-keen on polo and
trends becoming ever less predictable).
something very different. This 1923
cars, such as fishing rod holders along
shooting, and had his boys at Aston
The year was 1966, the debut was the
Silver Ghost is a perfect example:
the sills, or boot space configured so
create for him a special DB5 estate
Turin motor show, the shortened chassis
once it was a formal saloon but, as
that you could carry your shooting
that had the space for his gear and
came from the delectable Lamborghini
a secondhand motor, inherited this
accoutrements and also sit down for a
the pace for getting there and back in
400GT, and the styling was by the
delightful and practical timber-framed
picnic, with a fold-out table and tiny,
double-quick time. Friends clamoured
legendary Carrozzeria Touring. It was,
body built by coachbuilder Barker from
shooting stick-like chairs. Here, for
for copies and Aston Martin contracted
indeed, the very last design from the
another Rolls that once belonged to
example, a Silver Cloud’s well-padded
Harold Radford & Co to do the
firm before it closed down. Everything
the Prince of Wales; the Windsor clan
interior has been cleverly rejigged
modifications, although the suspension
behind the driver and passenger was
have loved this kind of transport since
to provide overnight accommodation
wasn’t beefed up for really heavy loads.
given over to cargo, with the idea of
the early 1900s. The superior ground
in the form of a double bed. Rolls-
A dozen were sold, all very hush-hush,
little seats for children shunned in place
clearance provided by the huge wheels
Royce, presumably, would never have
and they’re worth a pretty penny today.
of ample luggage space for a decent
suited rough ground…and the Ghost’s
calculated its customers would sleep
Later on, estate car conversions could
two-week trip away – something tricky
uncommonly quiet engine would be
anywhere but a five-star hotel when
be arranged for favoured customers on
to contemplate in the regular Lambo of
unlikely to disturb pheasant or grouse.
away from home, but there would
the Aston Martin DB6, DBS and even the
the time.
always be owners wanting something
1990s Virage.
really different but who could never contemplate a camper van.
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of ‘Project Cullinan’, a hard-working prototype. It might have the pumped-up image of an automotive extra from the movie Mad Max, but beneath its Phantom-like shell lies Rolls-Royce’s secret 4x4 formula to bring its famed ‘magic carpet’ ride to the toughest of driving conditions. It is heralded as a ‘high-sided all-terrain motor car’. Meanwhile, Aston Martin is chasing Ferrari’s FF sports-estate ethos with its recently revealed DBX concept. If it happens – and it looks likely to – a car resembling the full four-seater DBX will deliver four-wheel drive from an all-electric drivetrain with a motor in each wheel. These three cars most certainly are gamechangers – alongside radical all-wheel drive offerings to come from Maserati and Lamborghini. Yet designers working in and around exclusive marques have been quietly pushing the envelope for many years – as you can see from our timeline of key specimens with well-endowed rear ends…
O F
M I N D
WHAT THE SULTAN WANTS, THE SULTAN GETS... You can always rely on Middle Eastern royalty for some fairly exotic one-offs, but back in 1996, Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei commissioned no less than seven special station-wagon versions of Ferrari’s 456 – eerily similar to the current FF. Dubbed the “Venice”, Pininfarina itself took on the job, adding two additional doors and a glazed rear end, with the wheelbase stretched and new seats added. Each example was is rumoured to have cost the Sultan’s brother around $1.5 million but after Pininfarina finished them, the prince only purchased six – the whereabouts of the seventh remains unknown to this day.
1974
1980s
1986
1990s
FERRARI 365GTB/4 DAYTONA NART
BENTLEY TURBO R ESTATE BY JANKEL
LAMBORGHINI LM002
ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA ESTATE
Today it’s regarded as utter sacrilege
You’d probably want to think again about
One of the big shockers of the 1980s
All you had to do was ask and
to mess about with original Ferrari
picking bright, primary yellow for your
was Lamborghini’s decision to give its
Aston Martin was happy to oblige in
Daytonas – the supercar poster boys
Bentley these days, The 1980s, though,
Middle Eastern customers just what
the 1990s when details emerged of
of the late 1960s – but in 1974 the
was a time of excess and designer
they clamoured for – a formidable
this unusual estate car. But there were
owner of the North American Racing
Robert Jankel was at your service to
off-roader that could crush a sand dune
rules. If you wanted the company to
Team, Ferrari apostle and campaigner
turn your Rolls or Bentley (they were
with the most exotic brand name. The
stretch its fearsome Virage supercar
Luigi Chinetti Jnr, decided he wanted
virtually one and the same in those
LM002 was launched in 1986, a massive
into a four-door saloon or five-door
to redesign one that no one who saw
days) into something unique. This is the
four-door pick-up with a version of the
estate – taking hundreds of extra man
it would ever forget. Working with
Jankel Val d’Isere full estate car edition.
Lamborghini Countach’s V12 upfront.
hours to complete the work entirely by
designer Gene Garfinkle, he created
It had rather more than just a lurid
Pirelli designed the tyres specially, and
hand – then you had to accept that the
a jaw-dropping station wagon that, in
face because the power of the Bentley
there was a 290-litre fuel tank! This
Aston Martin identity would be replaced
place of a traditional tailgate, boasted
Turbo R base vehicle was transferred to
desert-basher was surprisingly popular,
by the Lagonda one. That, of course,
gullwing-style opening panels on either
appropriately snowy roads via a bespoke
with 328 examples sold, and was often
made these cars even more exclusive,
side of the wood-lined cargo deck.
four-wheel drive system. No doubt there
called the ‘Rambo Lambo’…by fans and
although the eye-watering sums of
And the conversion work itself, you
were a few shocked faces among Range
detractors.
money involved, which were never
may be amazed to know, was done in
Rover drivers. The Sultan of Brunei,
quoted or discussed in public, meant
Weybridge at the workshops of specialist
apparently, was one customer.
these spacious Lagondas took on a
car company Panther, using the 805th
near-mythical rarity.
Daytona made as a basis. It’s certainly dramatic but is a real opinion-splitter among Ferrari collectors, which perhaps explains why this unique vehicle frequently pops up for sale, and has covered less than 5,000 miles.
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MAYFAIR, FROM MAYFAIR A beautiful new home on the Wentworth Estate has just come o nto the books at United Ki ngdom Sotheby’s International Realty – and as MD Michelle van Vuuren tells Alex Doak, it proves you can get W1K quality with GU25 space, no more than 45 minutes from the capital
A
s far as house viewings go, United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty and H.R. Owen seem to have the whole affair wrapped up nicely. No hovering on a rainy doorstep waiting for a shiny-suited kid with a clipboard here; instead some freshly brewed coffee and crispy croissants on the gleaming showroom floor of Jack Barclay, waiting for our fleet of Bentley Mulsannes and Rolls-Royce Wraiths to be readied. When the time comes to depart for our group’s specially invited “viewing”, I’m in for a pleasant surprise. Bringing up the rear of this multi-million-pound convoy is a beautiful 1974 Bentley Corniche, into which I’m ushered by its owner: 86-year-old Peter Blond, head of United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty’s private office, ex privateer racing driver for Lister Jaguar in the Fifties, and still a dab hand behind the wheel I notice, as we thread through the busy morning traffic of Berkeley Square. “My Corniche is still such a peaceful car,” Blond notes fondly, “and light as a feather. You can’t feel any of London’s bumps, can you?”
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I certainly can’t, I admit, finding myself more distracted by the car’s intoxicating smell of old leather, then, as west London’s urbanity yields to the green belt of Surrey, Peter’s wonderful anecdotes from a colourful life led (if you get the chance, do ask him about the Bee Gees’ marijuana habit back in the Sixties…). As it transpires, our travelling in Mayfair’s limo’ of old in the wake of today’s exquisitely appointed, high-performance flagships from H.R. Owen down to “Robinswood” on the Wentworth Estate, is something of an automotive metaphor. For this extraordinary new five-bed property has been designed and built to a level that supersedes any top-end London residence – it’s the “new Mayfair” if you like, taking advantage of the space that Surrey affords, with London still 45 minutes away. On the market for £18 million, Robinswood is the baby of multimillionaire businessman Mikhail “Misha” Watford, who, like his fellow ex-pat Russians, looks for one simple thing: “Perfection, nothing less,” he says.
R E A L T Y
“In London it is possible to find such top quality, but outside London? No. Not even near. I don’t want to be rude, but they’re the wrong style, wrong finishes, not high-end quality. Not for us.” So when Misha – who made his fortune in oil and gas and now runs High Life property developers from Chelsea Harbour – grew tired of living in busy Belgravia, he commissioned a London-style residence in a prime position on the main “island” of Wentworth, with a literal “no-compromise” philosophy. “Except for about three televisions, everything is bespoke,” he declares proudly from the grand porch entrance, as H.R. Owen’s chauffeurs park our stately armada around the cobbled driveway. “The stone for that,” he points downwards, “is all the way from Italy. But it took several teams to get it right, as the skills have been lost in the UK.” The house’s “leche” limestone cladding is also from Italy, while the sprawling landscaped gardens have been designed and duly manicured by Caspar Gabb at Natural Elements Design. And
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ROBINSWOOD’S QUEST FOR THE BEST IS VISIBLE IN EVERY MARBLE AND HARDWOOD FLOOR, THE WENGE DOORFRAMES, THE CUSTOM-MADE SORRELLS WINE CELLAR, AND DID WE MENTION THE POOL..?
inside, Misha’s quest for the best continues in every marble and hardwood floor, every Wenge doorframe, all three reception rooms, all five en-suite bedrooms, the basement’s custom-made Sorrells wine cellar and – did we mention the pool? – yes, the full-length swimming pool, complete with steam room, sauna and plunge pool, all worthy of a five-star spa. My favourite detail though, which I think says it all, is the motorised curtain rails. “We used soundless motors,” says Misha, “originally developed for military submarines. Normal motors sounds like a Russian tractor…” When you add it all up, and consider that all the bespoke furniture comes with the house, £18 million starts to sound very reasonable indeed. “At nearly 10,000 square feet,” attests United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty managing director Michelle van Vuuren, “that’s just £1,800 per square foot. You’d be paying £50 million for the same space in Mayfair.”
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And if that familiar expression is already running through your mind, Michelle is quick to assuage the usual “location, location, location” argument: “Somewhere like Robinswood is a ‘lifestyle purchase’. We did some research with Wealth BX and our study of high-net-worth-individuals found that these people don’t purchase based primarily on location anymore. They are ‘lifestylists’. “So yes, pick Greater London, but where exactly? It’s not important. It’s the surroundings and the fact you have a world-class golf course literally on your doorstep. And you can have business come to you – you have an office after all, and the house is an impressive trophy asset; the owner of this won’t buy Robinswood as an investment, no more than he bought that Rolls-Royce on the driveway as an investment. “In fact, what’s especially clever about this particular house is its clever division of private and ‘showing-off ’ space.”
The result of the recent general election has provided a vital boost to the UK’s high-end property sector, and Michelle doesn’t expect a house of this value and finish to hang around the market for long. But what’s marvellous is that you needn’t scrabble to secure an open-house slot next Saturday, as seems to be standard everywhere in London these days. Thanks to the partnership between H.R. Owen and United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty, you can make a pleasant day of it, with a spot of lunch back at the Wentworth clubhouse thrown in too. And if Peter pops along in his ’74 Corniche, there’s another hilarious story you should remember to ask about buying a second-hand car from a certain Bernie Ecclestone… For more information on Robinswood, please log on to www.sothebysrealty.co.uk or contact William von Siegmund on +44 (0)1932 860 537 or william.vonsiegmund@ sothebysrealty.co.uk, countryoffice@sothebysrealty.co.uk
ROBINSWOOD, PORTNALL RISE, WENTWORTH A stunning brand new house built to a unique specification located in a prime position on the main island of the exclusive Wentworth Estate in Surrey, 45 minutes by car from London. Constructed of natural stone supplied by Pimar Limestone, the property offers the ultimate of wellbeing and classic elegance, set in the beautiful location of Wentworth. The property comprises grand reception hall, three reception rooms and kitchen/breakfast room. Five double bedroom suites, a stunning wine cellar custom made by Sorrells Wine Racks and a spectacular indoor swimming pool complex.
Beautiful landscaped gardens designed and built by Caspar Gabb at Natural Elements Design. There is provision for staff/secondary accommodation.
Price: ÂŁ18,000,000
Please contact William von Siegmund | william.vonsiegmund@sothebysrealty.co.uk 01932 798 190 | countryoffice@sothebysrealty.co.uk
H . R . O W E N G R O U P
N E W S
CHEQUERED FLAG As usual, it’s been a busy few months for friends of H.R. Owen, and that’s before the summer’s even started! Across the group, from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London to Aston Martin Reading, customers have been treated to all manner of drive-outs, car and dealership launch parties, blasts through the countryside and VIP weekends at the racing. But you don’t have to just read jealously about what fellow customers have been up to – get in touch with your local H.R. Owen business to see how you can get involved and – most of all – get the most out of your pride and joy of a weekend.
HR OWEN // ROLLS-ROYCE
L I M E L I G H T L A N D S I N LO N D O N
6 MAY : The team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London welcomed guests to join them for a glass of champagne and a relaxed celebration to mark the arrival of the new Phantom Limelight Collection. Like every Collection model, it is a showcase for the bespoke design, engineering and craftsmanship of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The Phantom Limelight Collection elevates luxury and personalisation to a new level. Just 25 examples will be created worldwide and our lucky guests were some of the first to view it.
HR OWEN // ASTON MARTIN
W I S H YO U W E R E T H E R E ?
26 MARCH: Twenty customers from H.R. Owen’s Cheltenham Aston Martin and Bentley businesses enjoyed the rare opportunity to view Ten Tenths Racing, the private car collection of legendary Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason. The visit began at the showroom with a spirited drive to the first stop, lunch at the Cotswolds’ highest point, Broadway Tower. From there, the convoy travelled along an exhilarating route to the private location of Ten Tenths Racing, where they were treated to a guided tour of some of the most exotic road and racing cars in the world.
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HR OWEN // LAMBORGHINI
R A C Y W E E K E N D AT S I LV E R S TO N E
23–24 MAY: H.R. Owen Lamborghini customers and friends attended the UK race of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series at Silverstone, whose 2015 series features the new Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo LP620-2. Lamborghini’s private hospitality centre was a hub for the drivers between races, and also offered hot laps and Huracán test drives throughout the weekend.
I N
A S S O C I A T I O N
W I T H
GROUP // GROUP DRIVE
BLAST AROUND BLENHEIM
10 APRIL : The H.R. Owen 2015 group drive programme is in full swing with four successful driving events so far this year and another eight more to follow throughout this year. The newest models from marques across the group descended on the historic grounds of Blenheim Palace for a rapid sortie around the picturesque Oxfordshire countryside.
HR OWEN // BENTLEY
D O M P E R I G N O N ’S S E C R E T P O P- U P HR OWEN // ASTON MARTIN
A S TO N O P E N S AT PA N G B O U R N E
12 MARCH : “Celebrate the past. Anticipate the future,” was the theme for the Aston Martin showroom launch party, held at the new dealership in Pangbourne near Reading. Sharing a site with H.R. Owen’s Bentley Berkshire and Lamborghini Reading businesses the new showroom boasted a full line-up from the current Aston Martin plus exclusive showings of an immaculate Aston Martin DB6, the futuristic DP-100 concept, James Bond’s Vanquish from Die Another Day and a racing Vantage GTE.
7 MAY : Bentley Hertfordshire in partnership with Dom Perignon hosted a private event for 8 VIP Bentley guests. Chauffeur-driven from their home in a mixture of Mulsannes, the guests met at Bentley Hertfordshire before travelling in Convoy to Les 3 Étages – a 10-day pop-up established by the champagne house at a secret townhouse in London. Guests enjoyed a tasting of various vintages paired with dinner by Michelin star chef Skye Gyngel.
HR OWEN // FERRARI
A B R E A K FA S T AT G O O DWO O D C LU B HR OWEN // FERRARI
F E R R A R I ’S O F F I C E PA RT Y
23-24 APRIL : Organised by Ferrari North Europe, H.R. Owen unveiled the new 488 GTB to around 80 VIPs at The Sorting Office in Holborn – a popular venue during London Fashion Week, thanks to its edgy, concrete brutalism. Two cars were unveiled and driven in, to the delight of the guests, and the event was hosted by Ferrari’s Nicola Boari and Francesco Bianchi.
3 MAY : For the eighth year in a row, H.R. Owen’s loyal Ferrari customers convoyed down to the Goodwood Breakfast Club’s annual Supercar Sunday. Some 30 cars turned out despite the abysmal weather conditions for coffee and croissants at The Black Swan in Ockham followed by a blast down the A3 to a very soggy Goodwood for a muchneeded fry up! We plan to do the same for Soft Top Sunday and Vee-Power Sunday so watch this space!
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PRE-DRIVEN The approved-used side of H.R. Owen’s business is growing fast, with as broad a cross-section of luxury cars as you could imagine. This is a small selection of our current stock – for the full range please visit: www.hrowen.co.uk/approved-used
ASTON MARTIN DB9 2014 Stratus White with Obsidian Black Interior
ASTON MARTIN RAPIDE 2012 Onyx Black with Sandstorm and Obsidian Black Interior
ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE 2014 Meterorite Silver with Obsidian Black Interior
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT MULLINER 2007 Beluga with Beluga Interior
1,490 miles
5,500 miles
5,816 miles
58,960 miles
£115,950
£84,950
£73,950
£44,950
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT V8S MULLINER 2014 Kingfisher with Beluga Interior
BENTLEY MULSANNE MULLINER 2015 Burgundy with Shortbread Interior
FERRARI 458 ITALIA 2011 Grigio Titanio Metallic with Crema Interior
FERRARI F12 BERLINETTA 2013 Rosso Corsa with Moccasin and Black interior.
8,359 miles
2,183 miles
16,000 miles
4,650 miles
£136,750
£219,950
£145,950
£199,950
FERRARI F430 SPIDER 2008 Nero Daytona with Nero interior
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR LP700-4 2014 Nero Serapis with Nero interior
LAMBROGHINI GALLARDO LP 570-4 SPYDER PERFORMANTE 2014 Arancio Borealis Pearl Metallic
MASERATI GRAN TURISMO S AUTO 2011 Bianco Fuji with Nero Interior
6,000 miles
2,000 miles
4,720 miles
33,200 miles
£99,950
£277,000
£164,950
£54,950
MASERATI QUATTROPORTE S 2014 Blu Passione with Nero Interior
ROLLS ROYCE GHOST V12 EWB 2012 Midnight Sapphire with Creme / Light Navy Interior
ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM V12 2015 English White with Seashell Interior
ROLLS ROYCE WRAITH 2014 Metropolitan Blue with Seashell Interior
750 miles
19,800 miles
1,500 miles
5,290 miles
£69,950
£159,950
£299,950
£199,950
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A D D ICTE D T O AU D I O ?
CO M E A N D F I ND S ANC T U ARY KJ WEST ONE (020) 7486 8262
2 6 N E W C AV E N D I S H S T R E E T INFO@KJWESTONE.CO.UK
LONDON
W1G 8TY
W W W. K J W E S T O N E . C O . U K
T H E
B A C K
S E A T
THE BACK SEAT
HRH PRINCE MICHAEL OF KENT This issue of DRIVE is truly honoured to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent GCVO to the Back Seat, in which he celebrates Britain’s flourishing motor industry – the very reason he’s backing
The motor industry in Britain is enjoying a particularly exciting period. The industry is recognised for its innovation, design and engineering expertise as well as its manufacturing capabilities. And yet London is the only major European capital without a centrally based motor show. I strongly believe that our motor industry once again deserves a London Motor Show to show off its many successes and achievements. This was the reasoning behind my announcement last December that I was backing a new London Motor Show of which I have now become Patron. We have so much to celebrate within the motor industry here in Britain. April saw the strongest new car sales for a decade, with new car registrations up for the 38th consecutive month. The motor industry added consistently some £10 billion to the UK economy. Almost 80% of vehicles produced in the UK are destined for export. In terms of investment, the UK is leading the rest of Europe. Aston Martin is to invest £200 million in new car development. Jaguar Land Rover is investing £150 million in a new centre for cutting-edge British automotive technology, innovation and education in the West Midlands. And Geely, the Chinese company that owns the London Taxi Company, is investing £250 million in a new taxi manufacturing plant in Coventry creating 1,000 new jobs. All of this is proof positive how the motor industry in Britain is doing, and is something that we should celebrate. It is also significant that Transport for London is putting its weight behind the Show as a means of setting out the important plans for traffic in London. I will continue to be closely involved in the development of the London Motor Show 2016, and I am keen that it should be a show for all the family involving cars of all types including electric and hybrids and luxury brands as well. I am also keen that the Show reflects other important aspects of the motoring scene, in particular road safety and training and apprenticeships. Road safety is a subject that is particularly close to my heart. The International Road Safety Award scheme that bears my name was set up some 25 years ago. It is now, I believe, recognised as the leading scheme of its type throughout the world. It is administered by RoadSafe, of which I am Patron, and recognises and rewards companies, organisations and individuals who have made a major contribution to improving road safety, and preventing death and injury on the roads. I anticipate that the FIA Foundation – of which I am also Patron and who do a huge amount of work across the globe
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Illustration: Mark Welby
next year’s revived London Motor Show as Patron
promoting road safety best practice – will be present at the show. The London Motor Show will promote all that is best on the roads, and the huge contribution that the motor industry has made to improving the safety characteristics and performance of vehicles. I’m also passionate about training. Through my connection with the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) I share their concerns about the image of the industry and the continuing lack of good people who wish to join it and make it their career. There are currently at least 1,500 available jobs in the industry not being filled, and the IMI will be at the show to promote the importance of the motor industry to Britain’s overall success, and the exciting and worthwhile career prospects offered. It is important to encourage our young people to embrace the engineering and design opportunities the industry offers. The new London Motor Show will be held from the 6th to the 8th May 2016 and for the first time, the show will be held in the Evolution premises in Battersea Park. The cost of entry will be set at a price to appeal to all, and over the three-day period total attendance is anticipated at around 35,000. It is an event that is already generating huge enthusiasm from within the automotive industry, the motoring public and outside the industry. The London Motor Show 2016 will be an opportunity for Great Britain once again to demonstrate its leadership in the global motor industry. thelondonmotorshow.co.uk
A truly unique living experience Apartments from ÂŁ695,000*
Sales Marketing Suite, Kingfisher House Juniper Drive London SW18 1TX E-mail: batterseareachsales@stgeorgeplc.com
020 3773 4016
www.batterseareach.com
Computer enhanced image is indicative only. *Price and details correct at time of going to print.
CALIBER RM 011
FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH BLACK NIGHT
Automatic winding chronograph movement Power reserve : circa 55 hours Annual calendar 12-hour totalizer 60-minute countdown timer Chronograph flyback function Grade 5 titanium baseplate and bridges Rotor with ceramic ball bearings Special tungsten-colbolt alloy rotor weight 6-positional, variable rotor geometry With 18-carat white gold wings Balance wheel in Glucydur with 3 arms Frequency : 28 800 vph (4Hz) Moment of inertia : 4.8 mg·cm² Case in NTPT® Carbon Finished and polished by hand Limited edition of 100 pieces