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 Issue 166 / April 2017

CONTENTS

THERES AN XK-FLAVOURED EDGE TO ITS

SMOOTH EXERTIONS IF YOU LOOK FOR IT
SIR WILLIAM LYONS JAGUAR MK10
Page 118

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 Issue 166 / April 2017

CONTENTS

FEATURES
30 YEARS OF THE 959
Page 72
Getting under the skin of Porsches techno-fest
and on track with the latest 911 GTS

72 BROOKLANDS REVIVAL
Page 94
The great restoration nears fruition

THE GOLD DELOREAN

Page 104
Extraordinary version of an extraordinary car

BERNIE ECCLESTON
Page 114
Looking back as new hands take the F1 wheel

146 138 WILLIAM LYONS JAGUAR MK10

Page 118
Driving the founders personal limousine

FAREWELL TO LONGBRIDGE
Page 130
Eerie insight into what remains of The Austin

FERRARI 166
Page 138
In Turin with Gianni Agnellis gorgeous barchetta

CHURCHILL TANK
Page 146
Mark Dixon meets a man who restores them

BRISTOL ARCHIVES
Page 154
David Lillywhite goes underground in Kensington

CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Page 158
Why one particular model is the car to buy now
94

7
 Issue 166 / April 2017

CONTENTS
REGULARS
NEWS AND EVENTS
Page 18
Non-stop 500-mile race for vintage cars
in Spain; new Lamborghini Aventador tested

COLUMNS
Page 59
Jay Leno, Derek Bell, Stephen Bayley
and Robert Coucher share their musings

GEARBOX
Page 66
18 Racing driver and TV commentator John Watson

LETTERS
Page 69
Recollections of driving an XKSS in the 1960s

OCTANE CARS
Page 166
Robert Coucher revives the family Derby Bentley

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Page 178
50 66 Tony Lago, impresario behind the teardrop Talbot

ICON
Page 180
The plain white T-shirt, made cool by James Dean

CHRONO
Page 182
How Cartier is forging new links with its past

PLACES TO GO
186
Page 184
An eclectic museum in Belgium

BOOKS, PRODUCTS, MODELS

Page 186
Plenty of stuff for your wish list and man-cave

THE MARKET
Page 193
Auction news, previews, star buys and advice

DAY IN THE LIFE

Page 274
188 Motorcycling Dakar winner Sam Sunderland

8
 CALIBER RM 11-03

RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUES

Didier Gourdon

GENEVA PARIS LONDON MILAN MONACO MUNICH

ABU DHABI DUBAI DOHA BEIRUT

www.richardmille.com

AMY SHORE
EDITORS WELCOME
Continuation cars:
good or bad?
AN INTERESTING and deeply animated
conversation over breakfast at Rtromobile:
the subject was continuation cars, given that
Jaguar Land Rover Classic chose the event to
show off its XKSS, while Aston Martin Works
was present to chat about its DB4 GT project.
The protaganist was a seasoned, highly
respected historic car dealer from mainland
Europe, who gave an impassioned plea against
such machines. He argued strongly that the
factory built a certain number of cars in the day,
and thats how it should be, regardless of how
many were intended to be built poor orders,
fires, etc, notwithstanding.
More importantly, in this argument, such
cars do not have stories, and the way this
particular dealer works is to sell a story with a
car attached (and he really does, which we
truly admire). Continuation cars do not have
such stories and theres also the age-old
accusation that manufacturers are creating
these cars simply for financial gain.
We wouldnt disagree with much of that, but
there is another side. For starters, I suspect
there are easier ways to make extra money as a
modern car manufacturer.
The really important point in this is less
obvious; and thats the positive effect that the
10
Issue 166 / April 2017
manufacture of these continuation cars has for
owners of the originals.
Take the XKSS: there are so many parts that
just were not available to owners, which meant
that their original cars arent being used as
much as they might be. And values have
escalated to such an extent that were not seeing
these cars being driven any more.
Bring a continuation car into the mix, and
not only will a small but invaluable stock of
spares be produced, but the continuation cars
themselves are more likely to be used,
demonstrating to other enthusiasts worldwide
how they look and sound in action.
Were not in the pockets of the manufacturers
or the originality buffs, and we appreciate both
sides of the argument. We just love cars for what
they are but wed like to hear your views too.
David Lillywhite,
Editor
FEATURING
DAVID TREMAYNE
There was a time when Formula 1 without
Bernie Ecclestone was as unthinkable as
Formula 1 without Ayrton Senna. Now he
has departed, and vengeful critics vilify
without fear. But, as with the passing of any
great era, what a character achieved is a far
better barometer of their worth than are
their failures. Turn to pages 114-116.
TIM ANDREW
TIM ANDREW
Brooklands instantly conjures mental
images of vintage cars and planes, banking
and racing. On arrival Im shown a fenced-off
piece of concrete, but Im ready for the
challenge as sun breaks through the
morning mist. Thats the art of making the
apparently ordinary look special. See Tims
extraordinary pictures on pages 94-102.
GILES CHAPMAN
Any gloriously pointless car is bound to
get my attention, and the gold-plated Amex
DeLorean is too valuable to park anywhere,
has never turned a wheel under its own
power, and tarnishes if touched so kid
gloves at the ready for a certain kind
of American madness.
Find out more on pages 104-112.
Important Sports, Competition ENQUIRIES
and Collectors Motor Cars +44 (0) 20 7468 5801
ukcars@bonhams.com
Sunday 19 March 2017
Chichester, Sussex 1961 ASTON MARTIN DP214
REPLICA GT COMPETITION COUP

ENTRIES NOW INVITED

bonhams.com/motorcars
 Issue 166 / April 2017

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 Mille Miglia, 1951. Eugenio Castellotti/Giuseppe Rota, #340.
Courtesy of Archivio Foto Locchi.

AMELIA ISLAND | 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta by Touring; Chassis no. 0058 M MONTEREY | 1950 Ferrari 166 MM/212 Export Uovo by Fontana; Chassis no. 024 MB

AMELIA ISLAND 1011 MARCH | VILLA ERBA 27 MAY | MONTEREY 1819 AUGUST

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IGNITION / News
IGNITION
N E W S + E V E N T S + O PI N I O N
Benjafield
WE ALL LOVE the Le Mans Classic, but its not
a continuous endurance race because cars race
for just 2hr 9min each in total, over three races.
Full endurance races for pre-war cars are rare
sets new
indeed, and the one planned by Chris Lunn of
the Benjafields Racing Club should be a cracker.
Its inspired by the Brooklands 500 races run
Challenge
from 1929 to 1937, initially over 500 miles but
reduced to 500km for the final event. Lunns
version, which has the enthusiastic blessing of
the Brooklands Museum, is called the Benjafield
500 Challenge, and the idea is for the winning
car to break the 500-mile barrier between the
Eighty years on, Bentley club races start at 9am on Sunday 15 October and its
will reprise the Brooklands finish eight hours later.
The first Brooklands 500 was held on 12
500 in southern Spain October 1929, says Lunn. So this one will be on
Words John Simister the weekend closest to that in 2017, 80 years
18
since the last 500. Well have signing-on, free
testing and qualifying for the grid on Saturday,
the race on Sunday and a lavish gala dinner to
finish. Its as much a social event as a race.
This event will be held not in chilly autumn
Britain, though, but the 5.4km Ascari circuit in
the mountains near Ronda, southern Spain. Far
from being a bumpy banked track, its a smooth
and twisty course with some fast straights and
many gradient changes. It will be a severe test
of a pre-war cars brakes and tyres, never mind
its drivers muscles. Note drivers, plural, for
there must be at least two drivers for each car,
swapping every hour-and-a-half.
Benjafields is a Bentley-oriented club, of
course, but rival Brooklands-flavoured makes
of the era are encouraged for the 30-car grid.
Talbots, Bugattis, Lagondas, Alfa Romeos, even
Austin Sevens are welcome, and a handicap
system will ensure they are all in with a chance.
It will be an endurance event rather than a
sprint, Lunn insists, with the winner more likely
to be the tortoise than the hare. Weve already
had interest from the owners of 35 cars, with
another ten possibles.
Included in these is likely to be a team or two
of Bentley Belles, reprising the success of the
all-ladies team who starred in the last Benjafields
marathon, a 24-hour race at Portimo in 2015.
GERARD BROWN
 GERARD BROWN
GERARD BROWN
GERARD BROWN

ALAMY

Left, above and right

Inspired by the Brooklands 500
race, last held in 1937, and
following the Benjaelds 24 at
Portimo in 2014, the Benjaeld
Challenge will pit vintage Bentleys
against other Brooklands-style
racers at Ascari in Spain (top left),
this October.
ALAMY

19
IGNITION / News

NEWS FEED THEY

New man at the top for FBHVC; 20 years of EuroNCAP; see a SAID
Bluebird at Bromyard; grand gathering of Jaguars at Windsor

Steel pressed to be new
FBHVC president
Lord Steel of Aikwood, known to
most as the former Liberal party
leader David Steel, is the new
president of the Federation of
British Historic Vehicle Clubs. He
becomes the Federations second
president after Edward, Lord
Montagu. Lord Steel is a long-
time classic car enthusiast; he
has competed in six Monte Carlo
Historic rallies, has advised
organisers on setting up
international rallies, and is a driving
force in the All-Party Parliamentary
Historic Vehicles Group.
Henry Ford museum gets a
better, but longer, name
The Henry Ford museum has
always seemed to sell itself short,
given that this amazing collection
of US social history and scientific
endeavour has always been about
much more than just the motor
industry. On 23 January the
Dearborn-based museum, covering
250 acres and containing around
26 million artefacts, was renamed
the Henry Ford Museum of
American Innovation.
EuroNCAP marks 20 years of
safety tests with two crashes
Drive a 2017 Honda Jazz into an
offset concrete block at 40mph and
you will be a lot more intact than
you would have been in a 1997
Metro-based Rover 100, according
to EuroNCAPs publicity. The
Rover scored just one star in the
organisations first batch of tests,
with its passenger compartment
destroyed. It was, of course, an
old design even then, and known
to be a poor crash performer.
Bluebird from 1927 to star at
Bromyard Speed Festival
It set a Land Speed Record of
175mph at Pendine Sands in 1927
with its Napier Lion engine, and
Malcolm Campbell broke 200mph
in an improved version at Daytona
in 1928. Now the Napier Bluebird
will join the Fiat Beast of Turin
and the Liberty-Thomas Babs in a
record-breaking trio at the festival
held in the streets of Bromyard,
Herefordshire, on 2 April, with
around 150 other machines. Well
demonstrate a flame-off through
our 12 exhausts, promises Lorne
Jacobs, the Bluebirds owner.
Five forward gears for MGB
British Motor Heritage is now
stocking Vitesse Globals five-speed
gearbox kit for the MGB, using the
unit from a Mazda MX-5 Mk3.
Priced at 2490 excluding fitting,
the kit includes a clutch plate,
hydraulics, speedo cable and
propeller shaft. BMH says the gear
ratios are ideal, not least because
the MG and Mazda have the same Its a romantic notion...
final drive ratio. Advantages include that some future little
more relaxed cruising.
Gurney will touch the
Burlen creates local jobs shiny skin of an Eagle
with in-house machining
The prolific manufacturer of SU, racing car somewhere
Zenith and AMAL carburettors sometime and be proud
has installed new CNC machinery
that, it says, will help it to monitor
of his ancestry
Dan Gurney at the opening of
quality, improve availability and The Eagles Have Landed: Dan
keep costs down. Two new staff Gurneys All American Racers at
members have joined the Salisbury Petersen Automotive Museum.
company, with further expansion
planned as SUs fuel injection
system goes on sale. Its a little gem
of historical
You can do it yourself with
a Swifty plasma cutter
Renault passion
Alpine managing director
Using ultra-hot plasma to cut metal Michael van der Sande to
easily and very accurately is Octane on the relaunch of the
normally the preserve of the much-loved French car brand.
professionals, but 2900 now buys
you a computer-controlled DIY
system with its own cutting table. Ferraris are rocking
Manufacturer Swift-Cut says it will right now
help classic car owners to create Occasional Octane contributor
complex parts at home. Harry Metcalfe on news that the
revised F12 will have 800bhp.
Award for Octane contributor
David Burgess-Wise has received
the Mort Morris-Goodall Trophy
The best car I ever
from the Aston Martin Heritage had was a Daimler
Trust for 16 years of editing Aston,
the trusts journal, and preserving
Barker Special Sports
the history and heritage of Aston which I sold for 100
Martin. Goodall founded the Aston The Rt Hon the Lord Steel of
Aikwood (David Steel) on
Martin Owners Club in 1935. previous car loves, at his
appointment as president
of the FBHVC.

Im going to throw
Jaguars gear up for Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival in my house in Maui
Up to 1250 of the marques cars will gather at Windsor Castle on 6 May for a week!
Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler
The Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, Jaguar Classic and the Windsor and Eton encourages the bidding on his
Rotary Club will hold one of the largest single gatherings of Jaguars at Hennessey Venom GT Spyder to
$750,000 at Barrett-Jacksons
Windsor Castle on Saturday 6 May. A parade of 250 Jaguars, spanning Scottsdale sale.
every model produced, will drive through Windsor town centre and into
the castles quadrangle for Royal viewing, before display in the nearby
Frogmore cricket ground. Included will be a C-type, a D-type, the original Ill give you the keys, Ill
MARTYN GODDARD

XJ13 and the young Endeavour Morses Mk1. A further 1000 cars will line
the Long Walk up to the castle, backed by food stalls and trade stands.
be naked in Maui! Toga!
Tyler encourages the bidding to
The event, which will raise money for the Prince Philip Trust Fund, $850,000 (donated to the Janies
will finish with music and entertainment at Windsor racecourse. Fund charity for abused girls).

20
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1957 JAGUAR XKSS

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IGNITION / News

Range Rover reborn

The original luxury SUV is available again brand new
Words John Simister
AFTER THE LAND ROVER REBORN
from Land Rover Classic comes the prolific
restoration operations latest project: Range
Rover Reborn. As with the Series I Land-Rover,
for which there are 50 orders and 12 cars under
construction, the Range Rover is an extremely
thorough restoration, as authentic as possible and
using as many original parts as possible.
The first example to be completed, a 1978
three-door in Bahama Gold, was revealed at the
Paris Rtromobile show on 8 February (and
immediately sold). It represents the Range Rover
in its pure and original form, which is where the
greatest interest for the model lies.
Michael Bishop of Land Rover Classic says the
challenges of restoring a Range Rover are quite
different from those of an early Land-Rover. An
old-school trim shop can handle cars like the
Series I Land-Rover and the Jaguar E-type [ JLRs
classic division is also exhibiting its restored 1962
E-type coup at Rtromobile, commissioned by
a customer], but the Range Rover is more
complicated. The only way to do those moulded
PVC seats is to tool up for them again.
Also, with the Land-Rover theres a pool of
military spares. Thats not the case with the
Range Rover, so stocks are low. Some parts can
still be found but we cant just knock on the
original suppliers doors and ask them to make
some more. Theres a lot of work to do to get
parts remanufactured. Its not an instant supply,
and we dont necessarily want to go the extent
of low-volume production because we cant
over-commit.
The Range Rovers that form the base for the
restorations will, where possible, be cars with
their original mechanical parts and in a viably
restorable state. There will be no rebirths from
parts cars, but Land Rover Classic doesnt rule
out some chassis repairs if the rest of a restoration
candidate makes it worthwhile. Well look at
every vehicle on an individual basis, says Bishop.
Land Rover Classic has a programme to tool
up for some of the harder-to-get body panels,
notably the rust-prone tailgate. The Reborn
project will concentrate on Range Rovers with A-
to G-suffix chassis numbers, from 1970 launch to
around 1980, well within the era of the vertical-
slat front grille and the open-plan, small-binnacle
dashboard. Were not sure yet where people will
gravitate, says Bishop of the likely popularity of
any production year but, for the first run of ten
examples at least, the interior will probably
feature the optional cloth seat trim.
Reborn Range Rover prices start at 135,000.

Other cars
ripe for rebirth
Reincarnating classic cars is the most
on-trend trend in the old-car world
right now. Beyond the high-prole
machinery already starting a second
life is a raft of cars supported by LOTUS ELAN S3/S4/SPRINT MAZDA MX-5 MK1 MINI MK1
near-complete parts availability, some The bodyshell and chassis are still The factory still supplies most parts, Who would own the project? BMW
of it made by or sanctioned by the available from Lotus, though other including panels, everyone loves the owns the brand, British Motor Heritage
original manufacturer. Some of those parts might have to come from Mk1, and there are plenty of rusty makes the bodyshells. Those shells are
manufacturers might not be so keen elsewhere, including the engine for donors. They could be sold as factory- for later-pattern Minis and would need
to go the whole way, however. So which new blocks and heads are sanctioned specials, perhaps reborn modifying with external door hinges
here are our picks for a new life, available. Lotus could make it as by factory tuning house Mazdaspeed. and so on. Many other parts are to
and the chances of it happening. specialists have been doing for years. Stranger things have happened. later design, too. Financially unlikely.

22
 Alvis lives!
You have the drawings, the
skills and the parts stocks.
Why not make some more?
Words John Simister

CONTINUATION CARS are the big thing

Above and left
Each Range Rover Reborn is painstakingly rebuilt
from a donor car; the rst ten cars all feature cloth
upholstery because the original moulded and prone
to cracking vinyl seats have not yet been re-made.
of the moment. Now Alvis is to make more of
what it used to make. For many years the car
part of the Alvis business, acquired by Rover in
1965 and run down by British Leyland in 1967,
has been owned and operated by Red Triangle
in Kenilworth. It has all the records and assets,
and is the centre of the Alvis servicing and
restoration universe.
Around four years ago Red Triangle revealed
a plan to make a continuation series of the
4.3-litre (actually 4387cc) Vanden Plas-bodied
tourer, of which 150 examples were sanctioned
at an Alvis board meeting in 1938 but just 73
were made before the war intervened. The three
cars so far constructed out of the 77 remaining
allocated chassis numbers have stayed largely
Top and above
under the radar; one is in Scotland, one in Fancy a brand new TF21-based Graber coup? Or
Moscow, one in Dubai. a Bertelli fastback coup? Now you can order either.
Now the Alvis Car Company, as this Red
Triangle venture is named, wants to step up the The Vanden Plas 4.3 was quite a supercar
operation. It will have four original Alvises at in its day, says managing director Richard
Februarys London Classic Car Show. Three of Joyce. It gets to 60mph in 11.8 seconds, it has
them two pre-wars with Lancefield tourer an all-synchromesh gearbox and independent
and Bertelli fastback coup bodywork, and a front suspension. No Alvis was faster until the
1966 Graber coup which was a more modern, 1966 TF21.
horizontal-grille and ultra-rare evolution of The 4.3 updates include a higher compression
the familiar TF21 represent cars in the ratio, a fuel injection system and a catalytic
continuation catalogue, which also contains converter. To get IVA, a car has to meet 1991
the TF21 itself. with 25 examples planned emissions standards, says Joyce. We also fit
exclusively in drophead form. disc brakes all round we decided not to
None has so far been re-made, although a cover them up to make them look like
further Vanden Plas is currently under drums and a collapsible steering column. We
construction. All the continuation cars will be change just enough to comply without altering
built out of all-new parts, updated over the the driving experience.
original designs only where required to pass Prices for the pre-war-based cars start
the IVA test. This will allow them to be at 190,000. For more information, visit
registered as new cars. www.thealviscarcompany.co.uk.

PORSCHE 911/ BMW 2002/
MERCEDES-BENZ SL PAGODA
All are well served by the classic
divisions of their respective companies,
and all could easily be reborn. Market
values of pre-impact 911s and the SL
certainly make them viable; dont bet
against the 02 heading that way.
JENSEN INTERCEPTOR
There have been several attempts
at this over the years, typically with
a modern engine and better rear
suspension. Good original cars have
been too temptingly cheap to make
an expensively re-engineered rebirth
attractive, but that might change.
FERRARI DINO
A new line for Ferrari Classiche?
There are still rusty Dinos to be found
(more so than grander Ferraris), and
they will doubtless be bought and
restored. It makes sense for Ferrari to
take some of the market for itself, and
offer cars with their seal of approval.
JAGUAR MK2
Jaguar Land Rover Classic will need
another project soon and reborn
Jaguar Mk2s are nothing new. Those
by Vicarage and Beacham majored
on upgrades (from V8s to soft-tops);
Browns Lane would more likely
provide you with a standard 3.8 MOD.

23
 IGNITION / News

STANZANI FAMILY / VITTORIO FALZONI GALLERANI ARCHIVE

KIDSTON SA

Paolo Stanzani 1936-2017

Massimo Delb recalls the father of the Lamborghini Miura, Countach and many more

INGEGNER PAOLO Stanzani was born in
Bologna in 1936, graduated in 1961, and was
hired by Ferruccio Lamborghini himself on 30
September 1963 to work for the newly formed
Lamborghini Automobili. Hed always declared,
with a smile, that he was hired simply because
Lamborghini wanted a back-up in case something
happened to Giampaolo Dallara, and with Dallara
he went on to become the technical father of the
Miura. In 1967 he was appointed general manager
and technical director of Lamborghini, and is
also considered the father of the Countach even
though the Urraco was his favourite creation,
because of its more advanced technical content.
In 1974 he quit Lamborghini and set out on his
own, building dams for an energy company, then
founded Tecnostile, his own consultancy firm, in
1979. In 1991 he joined the Bugatti Automobili
of Romano Artioli, and entered history as the
technical father of the Bugatti EB110 too.
If his achievements as an engineer are more
than renowned, less is known about the man
himself because of his natural shyness. For me,
Paolo Stanzani was a mine of information: I cant
even remember how many times I have asked him
details about the men and machines of his period.
His support in helping me with the Octane feature
celebrating 50 years of the Miura (issue 153) was
simply invaluable.
He was even happy when I encouraged him to
recall the Carrozzeria Touring proposal for the
would-be Miura, showing him an old picture of
What Ill miss most are those special moments
of reminiscence, such as during a memorable
dinner in Ferrara, when he spent a good hour
describing his first day of work at Lamborghini.
His journey with Ferruccio in a fast and noisy
Ferrari to Pirelli in Milan could easily be the basis
of a Hollywood comedy Stanzani admitted he
had never been in a car faster than a Fiat 500
before, and Lamborghini explained to him how
he was supposed to trick the manager of Pirelli
into granting a further discount on tyres. On the
way back, he was asked to drive and, when the
pair stopped at a service station, Lamborghini
bought a single bottle of water to share, adding
that it was important never to waste money.
It was with Stanzani that I spent one of the
most interesting evenings of my life. During
the Miuras 45th anniversary tour in Tuscany,
organised by Simon Kidston, we listened to
Stanzani and Ferruccios son Tonino sharing
memories after dinner. It was wonderful to hear
them and to discover that sometimes they had
different recollections of the same event.
Stanzani recalling his memory of the birth of
the name Countach was invaluable, because he
was there, one of the very few eye-witnesses of
that very moment. We were running late with
the preparation of the new car to show at Geneva,
he told me, and both companies, Bertone and
Lamborghini, were hit by sudden strikes. It was
too risky to have the car, and the components
needed to finish it, in one place where a strike
need for privacy and Bertone offered us a
solution: a barn at one of the farms close to his
headquarters. It was late at night and, suddenly,
one of the doors opened, and we saw this farmer,
who, while walking close by, had heard noises
coming from the supposedly empty barn and
come in to have a look.
Countach! is what he said when he spotted
us with the car a meaningless word for us, as
we all came from Bologna. When we asked the
Bertone men what it meant, the news spread, and
the rest is history.
Stanzani is survived by his wife Maria, daughter
Chiara and two grandchildren, to whom we send
our most sincere condolences.
Above and below
Ingegner Paolo Stanzani, also pictured with the
Countach he developed while Lamborghinis
technical director; with Massimo Delb during
the Miuras 45th anniversary tour.
KIDSTON SA

himself, Dallara and Carlo Felice Bianchi could have stopped everything, maybe for days.
Anderloni with the very first P400 chassis. We couldnt rent an external space because of the

24
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOTOr CArS IN THE WOrLD

Illustrated 1994 Lamborghini DiabLo SE30 (ex-Paris motor Show, 6,513km)

CLiEnT PorTFoLio
1939 Lagonda V12 Rapide l 1959 BMW 507 Series II Roadster with hardtop
1965 Lamborghini 350GT l 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 l 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S (original RHD)
1970 Fiat Dino 2400 Spyder l 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort
1989 Aston Martin V8 Vantage X Pack (ex-Geneva Motor Show) l 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary (6,500km)
Please note that to respect client confidentiality not all motor cars available may be shown

FoLLoW SIMON SAYS aT KiDSTon.Com anD K500.Com

KiDSTon S.a. 7 avEnuE PiCTET DE roChEmonT, 1207 gEnEva, SWiTzErLanD TEL+41 22 740 1939, Fax+41 22 740 1945 WWW.KiDSTon.Com
IGNITION / News
Buy-out means big
plans for British specialist
Investment fund set to take JD Classics business worldwide
Words Massimo Delb
RUMOURS BEGAN to circulate at the
beginning of 2017 about the sale of the Essex-
based classic car dealer and restoration specialist
JD Classics. So Octane asked its founder, Derek
Hood, what the truth behind the stories was.
After all, this looks to be the first instance of a
classic car specialist being sold to a large
investment consortium.
I heard the rumours too, said Derek. The
truth is very simple. In January 2015 I was
contacted by representatives of the Charme
Capital Partners investment fund, representing
Luca di Montezemolo,
Ratan Tata and some other
investors from the Middle THE REASONS BEHIND
East and Europe. They were
looking for information THE SALE ARE A MIX
about the classic car
business, and I helped
OF FAMILY AND
them in finding and better BUSINESS MATTERS
understanding all the
information they were collecting.
When they had finished their analysis, they
realised how big the market and its potential are,
and they asked me if I would be interested in
selling the business.
JD Classics was founded by Hood three
decades ago. In his first month he sold eight
cars, and moved the business from his driveway
to an old industrial building. Within four years
he had ten industrial units. Realising that
26
customers not only buy cars but also need
restoration and maintenance too, he developed
the company to offer all these services and,
when he saw car manufacturers investing heavily
in the company image of their workshops, he
followed the same route. I spent a fortune and
had to remortgage my family home, Hood
admits. Luckily it worked.
When it comes to the reasons behind the sale,
there is a mix of family and business matters. I
realised that neither of my two daughters
was interested in running the business. On the
other hand, I had the dream
of seeing my company
developing abroad, opening
in the USA, the Middle East
and Far East markets, so the
opportunity offered by the
guys at Charme Capital,
attracted to my company
because of the whole package
of services it offers, was quite interesting, he said.
I sold 60% of the business, and for a certain
number of years Ill be the one still managing it
and having the final word on strategic decisions.
If everything goes as planned, JD Classics will
have seven or eight showrooms around the
world in the next five-ten-20 years, but will always
keep the restoration facility in our English
headquarters and I can hope, in five or six years
from now, to be working a little less
AUTOMOBILIA
Spanish acquisition
Ive owned a couple of yellowing brochures for
Spains legendary Pegaso Z-102 for so long
Ive forgotten where they came from. Perhaps
they were an unexpected bonus in a box of old
car magazines; its incredible what treasures
readers tucked inside their journals years ago.
Interestingly, theyre both in English, with an
almost tiresome repetition of the mantra The
car for the connoisseur. A light small car, trills
the pidgin translation about the Touring-bodied
two-seater peach of the 86 Z-102s made.
Stoutly built, and easily handled, an unrivalled
combination which is universally admired.
Theyre a left-over from a farcical moment
when Pegaso gate-crashed the 1952 London
Motor Show. The tale was recounted to me
over 30 years ago by coachbuilder Harold
Radford. He was hosting two stands at Earls
Court, one showing his customised Bentleys,
the other the Hotchkiss marque, when he
received an urgent phone call from a flustered
Mr Stanley of show organiser the Society of
Motor Manufacturers & Traders [SMMT].
He said hed had a phone call from 10
Downing Street saying it was important to get
the Spanish to increase our export quota, as
so few English cars were allowed into Spain.
They would only agree if the new Pegaso was
exhibited at Earls Court.
I was asked to exhibit it and given a stand
in a very prominent position, and I asked for a
demonstrator. They hadnt got one. A whole
team of these Pegaso people arrived with their
cars, but none of them had an engine they
hadnt made any yet!
I then had a phone call from the Spanish
ambassador, saying would I please give a
champagne cocktail party on the stand, and
invite the chairman and managing director of
every English motor manufacturer, and he was
arranging that Prince Philip and the Queen
Mother would come. With show protocol
flouted, there was more diplomatic angst when
Prince Philip thundered: Who the bloody hell
is going to pay 10,000 for a thing like this?
within earshot of Spanish executives.
Only one deposit was taken, from
construction tycoon Robert McAlpine, but the
car was never delivered because Pegaso axed
its supercar venture before any British-market
cars were made. In one of my brochures is a
May 1955 letter to Mr DR Harvey of Hove from
Radfords South Kensington showroom, saying
a new Pegaso would cost between 7600
and 9800, but otherwise avoiding hard sales
pitch. Brochures were all any potential British
connoisseur would ever get of this exotic
machine from Barcelona. Giles Chapman
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IGNITION / News

Toyotas WRC
heritage

TOYOTA
1973 Toyotas first victory: Walter Boyce/
Doug Woods in a Corolla TE20 on the
Press On Regardless Rally (USA)

1974 Bjrn Waldegrds Toyota debut:

fourth in manufacturers championship

1975 First victory for TTE with Hannu

Mikkola/Atso Aho driving a Corolla Levin

Mkinens back!
in the 1000 Lakes Rally (Finland)

1982 TMG founder Ove Andersson

Former Mitsubishi star returns as Toyota WRC team principal
Words David Lillywhite
FOUR-TIMES CHAMPION Tommi Mkinen has
returned to the World Rally Championship 14 years
after his last competitive drive, this time as a team
principal rather than a driver. Against all expectations
his new team, Toyota Gazoo Racing, finished second
overall at the Rallye Monte-Carlo, first time out.
We caught up with Mkinen halfway through the
rally, to ask him about the change from driver to
manager, and if he misses being out on the stages.
No-no-no, its a younger guys job, he said in that
once-familiar Finnish accent. I was consulting for
them about rallying and finally they ask what Im
thinking about it [running a team]? Finally I say if we
go we have to go absolutely flat out. No compromises.
I have driven the new car. I have some rally
experience [said with a wry smile], I wanted to know
the car exactly to see the differences, how it is acting,
then I can discuss it more easily with drivers.
With the latest technology all cars are very-very
fast and behave well in every kind of conditions;
theyre using such a massive suspension travel and
everything is so strong. You go flat out. I remember
from my time at Mitsubishi there were always places
drives in WRC for the last time, at the
wheel of a Celica 2000GT
1984 First Safari Rally (Kenya) victory,
Bjrn Waldegrd/Hans Thorzelius driving
a Celica Twin-Cam Turbo
where we had to slow down a lot, because suspension
behaviour was not so good, we could break something. 1988 New Celica GT Four would win 29
WRC rallies and six Championships
Quizzed on the differences between the two
Toyota drivers, again he was animated: I noticed that 1989 Carlos Sainz makes Toyota debut
[difference] now we have the two drivers, Juha
Hnninen and Jari-Matti Latvala. Juhas driving style 1990 Sainz becomes Toyotas first
drivers World Champion, piloting
is very-very smooth, hes braking very smooth, hes
a Celica GT-Four
accelerating very smooth. Jari-Matti is more like on/
off; hes braking in a pretty aggressive way, into the 1991 Toyotas first victory in the
corner and immediately he wants a completely Monte Carlo Rally
different response from the engine.
1993 Toyota becomes the first
When youre driving, drive-drive-drive, learning Japanese company to win the
your vehicle, you need to understand how your car World Rally Championship
wants to go fastest. Its not a question of one car is
built for one driver if a driver is clever enough he 1994 Toyota achieves a second hat-trick
of Safari Rally wins, with Ian Duncan in
understands the car, how it wants to go fast, hes able
a Celica Turbo WRC
to change his driving style to follow the cars way to go
fastest. These are the drivers who win the titles. 1998 After a two-season absence,
Will Hnninen or Latvala be one of those drivers? Toyota wins the Monte Carlo Rally
Mkinen says this season is for learning, next season on its return
is for winning but a podium (Latvala finished 1999 Third manufacturers World
second, Hnninen 16th) in the first event of the Championship only two companies
season is quite something. have won more in WRC history

WHY WE LOVE became the norm, people in cars got to mainland

Europe by car ferry. Plenty of time for a sandwich,

Car ferries
Fly-drive, thats the modern way. EasyJet, cheap
car hire, job done. But isnt it better to feel the land
and water passing under your body, to sense the
progress from home to destination? OK, so then
you drive the whole way, and the quickest, slickest
way is to fly under the Channel in a sealed capsule
on rails. Maybe youll wolf a sandwich en route.
Before either bit of late-20th Century speediness
a fry-up, even a cordon bleu feast. There were cliffs
to watch receding, France to watch arriving, time
to plan routes on real maps. There was a sense of
occasion, of frontier-crossing, of adventure. Bring
on the amber headlight bulbs and the GB plates.
The first car ferries lifted your car on board by
crane: slow, but symbolic of serious travel intent.
Driving on and off, for Dover and Calais at least,
started in 1953. There is still no better way to
traverse la Manche especially when the hold
is full of interesting old motor cars. John Simister

28
Trading of high quality classic automobiles incl. international warranty

Completition and optimisation of collections

International log istics, comprehensive service and consulting

Investments with style

Arthur Bechtel Classic Motors | Graf-Zeppelin-Platz 1 | 71034 Bblingen | Germany

Phone +49 (0) 7031 / 306 95 22 | info@arthur-bechtel.com | www.arthur-bechtel.com
IGNITION / News
Make a date at Montlhry
Revitalised track has some great events planned for 2017
Words John Simister
THE HISTORIC banked autodrome at
Montlhry, south of Paris, hosts many historic
motoring events. Two of 2017s picks are the
Vintage Revival for pre-1940 machinery on 6-7
May, and the third edition of Les Grandes Heures
Automobiles, held on 23-24 September.
The LGHA is the big one, with cars and
motorcycles from the Autodromes earliest years
through to recent times. LGHA previewed the
event at Rtromobile in February with a display
of Group B rally cars; last year they were lapping
around Montlhrys banking right up to 10pm.
Similar spectacles are promised this year,
supported by many displays from classic car
clubs. Themes last year included five Voisins,
DVLA meets FBHVC
Agenda included accurate V5Cs
and late conversions
THE FEDERATION of British Historic Vehicle
Clubs and the DVLA are getting along these days.
They do wish to assist in the preservation of our
motoring heritage and have no wish to make
unnecessary difficulties, says FBHVCs Bob
Owen in the Federations first 2017 newsletter.
One issue has been a historic vehicles details
as recorded on the V5C registration document.
Sometimes, with imported vehicles or those pre-
dating computerised vehicle records, only the
make field of the V5C has an entry and model is later owner might not know this happened and
left blank, or the make and model are run together
in the make field. Many have assumed the DVLA
30
most notably the 1927 24-hour endurance
record-breaker which ran again on the banking
for the first time in 89 years. Peugeot brought
several historic competition cars including a CD
Peugeot LM66 endurance racer from 1967, while
Citron brought two record-breakers: a 1931 C6
F Petite Rosalie and a 1953 2CV barquette.
The Montlhry circuit is owned by UTAC
CERAM, which also owns the modern test track
at Mortefontaine used by major manufacturers
and the European Car of the Year organisation.
LGHA is hoping for lots of international car
clubs and participants for 2017, pointing out that
the facility has plenty of space to accommodate
them. Definitely worth a visit, wed say.
was just being hopeless, but the truth is stranger.
A new vehicle has a manufacturers code, entry
of which by the DVLA automatically populates
the new V5C. Only the make box, termed D1,
can be filled in manually if a car has no code;
box D2, for model, cannot because the system
architecture doesnt allow it. DVLA is likely to fix
this anomaly when the system is re-platformed.
It also emerges that some applications to regain
the original registration number for a long-
dormant, now-restored car have revealed that the
number was never actually lost. When records
were computerised, owners could submit a
notice of interest to the DVLA and keep the
number live, then activate it a late conversion
when the car was ready to return to the road. A
projects and will listen sympathetically, so
gets a pleasant surprise. The number remains
transferable, unlike a re-issued or age-related one.
HOW TO...
Register a car with
no documents
Somehow, you have in your garage an old
car but not a scrap of documentary
evidence to convince the authorities that it
exists. Thats fine as far as it goes it
might be a barn find or even a pile of bits,
and youre in no hurry to alert the system to
its existence but one day, when its
working, it will need a number plate if
youre going to drive it on the road. How
are you going to do that?
If its a car which has always lived in the
UK, the DVLAs V765 scheme can help
you reclaim your cars registration number.
For this, run in conjunction with an
impressive tally of car clubs, you need,
ideally, the old cardboard logbook.
You dont have it, of course.
Old MoTs, bills of sale, photographs of
the car long ago wearing a number plate;
all help with establishing authenticity and,
ultimately, the reunification of car and
original number.
You dont have these, either. You dont
even know what its number was.
Right. With luck you will at least have
the cars chassis number, stamped or
embossed somewhere on its structure.
A car club or heritage trust might then be
able to match these to a registration
number, or to a record of the supplying
distributor or dealer. There are some
pre-DVLA, ex-council records held at the
Kithead Trust, too, but success here is by
no means guaranteed (Londons records,
for example, are particularly sparse) and
the Catch 22 is that the Trust really needs
the registration number as the starting
point. At least you might have enough
information by now for an age-related one.
Now, suppose your numberless old car
arrived from abroad. To get a suitable
age-related number, whether you have just
imported your project or youve sat on it for
years, you fill in a NOVA1 form, as used for
any car youve imported privately. You
include as much information as you can
from whatever source: car clubs, period
photographs of similar cars, second
opinions from marque experts, whatever
you think will help your case.
Theres no magic formula, then. But the
DVLA and HMRC know that documentary
evidence will be different for different
dont give up. Good luck.
John Simister
IGNITION / News
MAN & MACHINE
Dougal Cawley and Piglet
Longstone Tyres owners 1921 GN/Frazer Nash special
Words and photography Elizabeth Cameron
WHEN DOUGAL CAWLEY bought Piglet
more than a decade ago, the former owner
expressed some surprise that he intended to
drive it home to Yorkshire.
Im a member of the Vintage Sports-Car
Club, not the vintage-car-and-trailer club,
spluttered the owner of Longstone Tyres,
always in support at VSCC racing events. He
adds: Theres nothing better than driving your
car to a track, camping, racing and then driving
whats left of it home.
Piglet, a 1921-chassis GN/Frazer Nash
special, was put together by Roger Buxton in
the 1980s. The name comes from Rogers own
nickname, apparently bestowed on him by his
family after his early years eating habits. Roger
subsequently sold his creation to Mags Diffey,
who reluctantly sold it to Dougal with the
understanding she could have one last race
at Silverstone before handing it over;
unfortunately, after the warm-up lap Piglet had
a small carburettor fire on the start line,
spectacularly terminating Mags ownership.
Nevertheless, Dougal attempted to campaign
Piglet at all the remaining VSCC race meetings
in 2004. Whats brilliant about VSCC meetings
is that you can have what you consider to be a
broken car in the paddock and before you know
it someone has lent you tools and spare bits of
their car. And theres several arms up in your
sump in a giddy bid to get you going again. You
can borrow anything in a VSCC paddock.
Piglets best result in that first year was
finishing one lap of practice at Mallory Park.
Calamities over the course of that first racing
32
season included a distributor scattering en
route to Cadwell and multiple ruptured head
gaskets. But for Dougal, frequent use (and
breakage) creates an intimacy with the
workings of the car, enabling the owner to
understand its faults and ultimately overcome
and even embrace these quirks.
Hes reluctant to use the word reliable but
in the following years the pairing did manage
several seasons of sustained success both on
and off the track; getting faster, winning races
and collecting trophies. But after a couple of
exciting years, Piglets extra speed led to the oil
not reaching where it should in the engine.
At one time I would return to Yorkshire after
a race, pull a conrod and send it to Kent for
white-metalling, then pop it back in within the
week in order to go racing again the following
weekend. However, Im afraid some slapdash
fettling on my part eventually led to a leg out of
bed, whilst flat-out on the Lavant straight at
Goodwood.
Cue Wobbly Steve (aka Steve Smith of
balancing specialist Vibration Free) to rebuild
Piglets 3.3-litre Model A Ford engine. Since
then Dougal has never looked back, winning
his race in one of his favourite events, the
Circuit des Remparts at the walled city of
Angoulme in France. Though it looks as if
Dougal shouldnt fit into the tiny boat-tailed
body on its narrow chassis, his enthusiasm and
can-do mindset is infectious, which ultimately
is what will keep Piglet going. He currently
shares the car on hillclimbs with wife Liz, but
middle son Wilf is champing at the bit.
Laguna Seca Raceway
safe until 2020
Following a three-way battle for control of the
historic Californian race circuit, the Monterey
County Board of Supervisors equivalent
to a UK county council has voted to let the
Sports Car Racing Association of the
Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) run the
county-owned track for the next three years.
In 2014 SCRAMP, which built the track in
1957 and has run it ever since, was put on a
month-to-month contract after being judged by
the County Grand Jury of mismanagement and
financial irregularities. In summer 2015 three
rival groups, including SCRAMP, put their
cases to the supervisors to run the track, the
others being Friends of Laguna Seca and
a partnership including Chris Pook, founder
of the Long Beach Grand Prix.
Its a sweet (if short-term) victory for
SCRAMP, an organisation that has always
relied on volunteers, in its 60th year. We shall
celebrate throughout the year, culminating in a
Racing Through The Decades feature at the
Monterey Motorsports Reunion in August,
said SCRAMP president Michael Smith.
LUKE WEBSTER
Vulcan XH558 into
storage for Cold War
Not that Cold War, obviously, but a new Cold
War Jets engineering facility and visitor centre
at Doncaster Sheffield airport, the former RAF
Finningley. The Vulcan, the last of its type to
fly, has been at the airport since its final flight
in October 2015, occupying the same hangar
in which it was often based during the 1960s.
Now it has been moved to another part of the
airport site while the Vulcan To The Sky trust
chases funds to build the new facilities.
The engineering workshop will be an open
facility, with aircraft being maintained and our
record-breaking Canberra, WK163, being
restored while visitors tour with expert guides,
said the trusts chief executive, Dr Robert
Pleming. The support of the airport gives us
confidence that we have a home in the future.
SATURDAY 4TH MARCH, BROOKLANDS MUSEUM

THE
SPRING
CLASSIC
A MAJOR SALE OF 130 FINE MOTORCARS

SALE TIMES
Saturday, 4th March
Motorcars 10.30
CALL FOR ENTRIES
We invite fine entries for our early
VIEWINGS summer auction at Ascot Racecourse
Thursday, 2nd March on Saturday 20th May
10.00-20.00
Friday, 3rd March
10.00-17.00

1982 FERRARI 512BBi Estimate: 275,000-310,000

Please visit the website for details of all consignments

FINE CLASSIC CAR & MOTORCYCLE AUCTIONEERS

Tel: 00 44 (0) 1753 639170 E-mail: auctions@historics.co.uk www.historics.co.uk
 1931 AlfA Romeo 8C SpideR by ZAgAto
u The ex-Nuvolari, Alfa Corsa, Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo 8C Spider by Zagato u 8C Chassis No. 2111006

1932 bUgAtti type 55

u A fully documented & beautifully restored example of Bugattis legendary eight cylinder supercharged Type 55
u Fitted with one off coach work by Billeter & Cartier
u Eligible for the worlds best pre-war concours & touring events

Where the worlds greatest cars come to be sold - 14 QUeeNS gAte plACe meWS, loNdoN SW7 5bQ t: +44 (0)20 7584 3503 W: WWW.fiSKeNS.Com
 25
1952 ASTON MARTIN DB3
u Extensive period race history including the British Grand Prix Sports Car Race,
British Empire Trophy & reserve entry for Le Mans 24 Hours 1953
u Maintained by marque specialist Rex Woodgate
u Successful entrant at Monaco Historique, Le Mans Classic, Goodwood Revival & Mille Miglia

1959 LISTER COSTIN CHEVROLET years

u The first Costin bodied Lister to be powered by Chevrolet
u Campaigned at Crystal Palace, Silverstone & Goodwood in period
u Meticulously restored & a successful entrant at Le Mans Classic, Goodwood Revival & Members Meeting
IGNITION / Events

RALLYE MONTE-CARLO HISTORIQUE.

25 JANUARY 1 FEBRUARY
CarCaves Opel Ascona slithers to victory in
the notoriously tough Monte historic rally.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: PETER SINGHOF & MICHAEL GREGG; PETER MCFADYEN; EVAN KLEIN; ANDREA SEED; AUTOMOBILE CLUB DE MONACO; CHARLIE WOODING; THE WINTER TRIAL; NEWSPRESS USA
GRAND NATIONAL ROADSTER SHOW. THE CLASSIC AUTO SHOW,
POMONA, CALIFORNIA, 27-29 JANUARY LOS ANGELES. 27-29 JANUARY
The 68th running of the legendary hot rod show. The UKs Classic Motor Show format
moves Stateside for its inaugural event.

CAVALLINO CLASSIC, PALM BEACH,

FLORIDA, USA. 25-29 JANUARY
The winning Ferrari 212 Export Vignale

CLEE HILLS TRIAL, SHROPSHIRE.

22 JANUARY
Rare trials win for a production car in
the Midland Automobile Club event.

36
 in association with

THE WINTER TRIAL, MAASTRICHT

TO SALZBURG. 22-27 JANUARY
Less snow than expected but treacherous
ice patches instead. Lots of incidents...

PLUM PUDDING TRIAL,

WEST SUSSEX. 2 JANUARY
Feeling festive in the 750 Motor
Clubs first sporting trial of the year.

CHICAGO AUTO SHOW, USA.

11-20 FEBRUARY

THE MONTH
Lego Batmobile on Chevrolet
stand, made from 344,187 bricks.

IN PICTURES
Exciting times on now and mud on one
side of the Atlantic, sunshine on the other.
Good times had by all.

ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA, FLORIDA.

28-29 JANUARY
ESM Nissans first time at Daytona ended
with impressive fourth and seventh places.

37
IGNITION / Events
Salon Rtromobile
Paris, France 8-12 February
Words David Lillywhite Photography Renault, Massimo Delb
WHY THE OBSESSION with Rtromobile,
year after year? If you havent been, you must
wonder at this apparent need to head to chilly
Paris every February. And if you sampled it, say,
six or seven years ago, you might think yes, its
good but not worth visiting every year.
Thing is, its become a meeting place for
the worlds major classic car collectors. The
Americans are there. The Brits are there. The
Germans are there. And so on. For this reason,
the biggest historic car dealers are there too,
bringing cars and plush exhibition stands that
they just dont bother with anywhere else,
and more and more car manufacturers are
bringing their heritage collections a few years
back it was only the French manufacturers
who did that.
So, this year, we saw of course impressive
stands from Peugeot, Citron and Renault
(plus Alpine), but also Jaguar Land Rover,
38
Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti, Porsche,
Honda, Maserati. They go all-out to impress,
and the French companies in particular have
long treated Rtromobile as a chance to be as
quirky as can be imagined.
Where else would you see a Citron Bijou
fire engine (not much space for les sapeurs
pompiers) or simply a Chapron CX? Then there
are more topical highlights, such as the world
reveal of the new factory-restored Range Rover
Classic Reborn series, the first of which sold
immediately (prices start at 135,000), and a
lovely line-up of Alpine sports cars, all in white,
culminating in the long-awaited new model.
The dealers stands are a wonder in
themselves. Lukas Hnis stand was themed as
Clockwise from below
Renault went all out, from pre-war to new Trezor concept;
Tillack and Zweimllers Alfa Superflow; Lukas Hni
Bentley vs Bugatti; Porsche heaven; 70 years of Ferrari.
in association with
When Bugatti met Bentley, showing the rivals
offerings of the 1920s and 30s. Incredible.
Fiskens and JD Classics dominated the strong
UK contingent, Axel Schtte and Kienle bring
the best in the Gullwing world, and the rest
arent far behind. Watchmaker Richard Mille
joined in the fun too, with a remarkable
collection of mostly four-wheel-drive F1 cars.
The shows special features almost fade into
the background in such grand company, but
this years Cars of David Brown, starting with a
tractor and working through the Aston DBs,
was a big attraction, as was the 70 Years of
Ferrari, tucked away in Hall 3, and the line-up
of Group B cars courtesy of Motul and Les
Grandes Heures Automobiles on the bridge
between the halls.
For bonkers stuff, Rtromobile does love its
tanks: the Muse de Blinds Saint-Chamond
and Schneider CA-1 were hefty highlights. The
(Beaulieu) National Motor Museums three
GN specials were similarly popular, despite
looking a bit lost on the edge of the show.
Overall the feeling was of a show thats still
getting better every year, and a remarkable
meeting place for the worlds collectors.
 MARCH 31 - APRIL 2 | BROWARD COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER

MORE THAN 25 PORSCHES & HUNDREDS OF AUTOMOBILIA OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2017, Auctions Americas Fort Lauderdale sale is renowned as South Floridas premier
collector car auction. In 2016, the multi-day event generated $20 million in sales, with bidders hailing from 41 states
across the U.S., along with 18 countries; nearly 40 percent represented new clients to Auctions America. The 2017 offering
promises to continue the grand tradition. Dened by its quality and diversity, it will offer something for all tastes and
budgets from American classics to European sports cars, Detroit muscle, hot rods and customs.

REGISTER TO BID | +1.260.927.9797

auctionsamerica.com
Auction License: #AB1943 Auctioneer: Brent Earlywine AU942
IGNITION / Events in association with

Arizona
Concours
Phoenix, USA 15 January
Words and photography Winston Goodfellow

FOR MANY YEARS the kick-off to Americas

car show season has been Marchs Amelia
Island Concours in Florida. After less than five
years, a new show is close to claiming that slot.
The Arizona Concours is held every year at
the Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, immediately
before Scottsdale auction week. This year the
quality and diversity of cars was spectacular.
Every year the Concours features an American
and European marque, and a designer, and the
headlining classes were The Cars of Ettore and
Jean Bugatti, Coachwork by Vignale, and
Lincolns of the Classic Era.
While there were also ubiquitous classes
such as two variants of American Classics and
Postwar European Sports Cars, my favourite
entries came from the Postwar American
Racing Cars. This is where you can find some
American ingenuity (basically stuffing as big an
engine as possible in the smallest frame) that
were true automotive oddities. Bocars are not
unfamiliar but the lithe 1959 XP-5 on display
was a real rarity and it came more than 1000
miles from Michigan. A very cool competitor
also on exhibit was a Bill Thomas Cheetah;
both were powered by potent Chevrolet
small-block V8s, went like stink in a straight
line, but werent developed enough to be true
consistent front-runners.
Such oddities werent limited to America,
though, for its not often you get to see a
Triumph Italia, let alone one in perfect
condition. It contrasted with the radical,
one-off Vignale-bodied OSCA MT4 that
came several hundred miles from northern
California, or the flamboyant Ferrari 250 Clockwise from top left
Europa that was also in the Vignale class. Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Best of Show winner;
Pre-war offerings included a Maybach Class award ribbon; Concours overview, with 1960
Corvette Fuelie in foreground; 1938 Lincoln Model
Zeppelin Cabriolet, Lagonda Rapide Sport K LeBaron Roadster (foreground; one of eight
Tourer and a luscious Delage D8. An assortment made) and 1936 Lincoln Model K LeBaron Sport
of pre-war Lincolns included several Model Ks Coupe (background; one of two known to exist);
featuring faired-in headlights and a stunning very cool Bocar; Bill Thomas Cheetah, hugely fast
in a straight line but never fully sorted in period.
LeBaron Sport Coupe with more traditional
lights, which is one of two known to survive.
Best of Show was a pretty easy pick for this
observer. There were a number of fabulous
Bugattis but, whenever you see a Type 57SC
Atlantic, thats a safe place to bet your chips
and it did indeed win.
We felt we had a significant step-up in the
quality of cars this year, said concours director
Chuck Stanford Jr. Im really happy weve
gotten to this point of credibility, for new
collections are starting to send cars. And, as a
lot of people realise, whats not to like about
Phoenix in January!

40
IGNITION / Events
Concours dElegance Sydney
Sydney, Australia 26 January
Words and photography James Nicholls
HELD, APPROPRIATELY, on Australia Day,
the inaugural Concours dElegance took its first
baby steps towards international recognition.
Along with Pebble Beach, Cavallino Classic,
Pinehurst, Greenwich, Arizona, Concours
dElegance Suisse and the 21 Gun Salute in
Delhi, it was run under the auspices of Ed
Gilberts International Chief Judge Advisory
Group (ICJAG). The 20 local team class judges
(and myself as chief honorary judge) had
undergone a series of training seminars at the
hands of not one but three ICJAG judges
from Pebble Beach.
Chief Judge Nigel Matthews from Vancouver,
Canada; FIVA scrutineer and car historian
Chris Kramer from Germany; and Master
Judge of the Classic Car Club of America,
Siegfried Linke from Seattle in the US (who
started life as a mechanic in the 1950s), flew in
to oversee the proceedings. All three have many
years of experience, not only at Pebble Beach,
where Siegfried has judged for over 30 years,
but all over the world on four continents.
These three educated, mentored and advised
the local Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Ferrari and
Rolls-Royce experts to the nuances of judging.
This included using an objective process, along
with protocol, field manner, ethics and various
other guidelines for assessing beautiful cars and
motorbikes, which start out with a perfect
score of 100 and then lose points for lack of
originality and authenticity.
The event was held at Darling Island Wharf,
Pyrmont, by the Star Casino on Sydney
Harbour. It drew a wonderful, if eclectic, array
42
in association with
of Edwardian (1905-1916), Vintage (1919-
1931), Classic (over 30 years old) and Modern
Classic Thoroughbred vehicles, all judged by
the experts with their newly acquired ICJAG
knowledge. In groups of three under the
leadership of a class judge, they spent 20
minutes poring over each vehicle.
Then it was time for the honorary judges to
become involved. My team including racing
driver and 1966 and 1967 Australian Drivers
Champion Spencer Martin; Michael Stahl,
editor of the Robb Report; custom designer
Ziggy Sadler; and Yvonne Buchreiter, brand
manager of Lamborghini had an enviable
task. The hard work having been done on an
objective basis and the best-in-class vehicles
already chosen, it was time for subjectivity.
Honorary judges have no need to concentrate Clockwise from top left
The winning Mercedes-Benz 190SL Coup and
on originality and authenticity, but adjudicate runner-up Ferrari Dino; Batman and the Batmobile
on the more ethereal notions of design, rarity, entertain the crowds; Hispano-Suiza roadster;
historical significance and elegance. All we had judges pore over a Ford Model T.
to do was look at the tremendous class winners,
each honoured with a red rosette on its
windshield, and decide which vehicle fulfilled After a quick double-check of the votes from
the above criteria and which one we liked the the ICJAG trio to make sure all was in order,
most, in order to identify the Best of Show. the Concours dElegance Sydney Best of Show
Actually, that choice was quite a challenge was announced to the assembled onlookers and
when faced with such splendid vehicles from the prizegiving took place.
the glorious marques of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, The Best of Show award went to a simply
Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari et al. stunning 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Coup,
In the end, though, after an appearance from much to the delight of the owner and his family,
Batman atop the Batmobile (I assume Robin, with the runner-up spot belonging to the 2016
the Boy Wonder, must have been at the wheel) Ferrari National Rally Concours winner in the
to further entertain the holiday crowds, the shape of the 1971 Dino 264 GT in gorgeous
choice was made. Verde Pino Blenheim.
 get involved

THREE EXHILARATING DAYS

Friday 28th | Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th April 2017

QU ALIF Y I N G R AC E DAY S

Featuring: Le Mans cars, Single-Seaters, GT cars, Sportscars and Touring Cars.

Get involved with passenger rides, parades and driving experiences; plus stunt driving shows,
live historic rally action, classic car displays and anniversary celebrations.

Advance discounted tickets on sale now

IGNITION / Events Diary
COMING UP
Spring and its joys are just around the
corner; mark these dates in your diary
10-12 March
Amelia Island
Concours dElegance
The winner of the 2016 IHMA
prize for Motoring Event of the Year
will doubtless put on a first-class
show again in 2017, welcoming
some of the best cars in the world
to sun-soaked Florida. Al Unser Sr
has been confirmed as the guest
of honour, and special classes will
include Movie Cars, set to feature
the likes of the Goldfinger Aston
Martin DB5 and Steve McQueens
Porsche 917K from Le Mans.
ameliaconcours.org
16-18 March
Three Legs of Man
Nowhere are classics given a
warmer reception than on the
Isle of Man, and in mid-March
the motor sport paradise hosts
this two-day, three-leg event
featuring more than 20 tests
and some 15 regularity sections.
heroevents.eu
VSCC Spring Start, 18 April. Image: Jeff Bloxham
44
16-19 March
Amelia Island Vintage Gran Prix
Hot on the heels of the Amelia
Island Concours comes this SVRA-
organised meeting, which should
draw big crowds in its second year.
Fernandina Beach Airport hosts
the action.
svra.com
17-19 March
Phillip Island Classic
The largest Historic meeting in
the Southern Hemisphere, held on
Phillip Island just off Melbourne.
Grids are organised by the
Victorian Historic Road Racing
Register and cater for Touring Cars,
various single-seaters, sports racers
and pre-war machinery, too.
vhrr.com
18-19 March
Goodwood Members Meeting
You know the drill: world-class
Historic racing on Goodwood
Circuit and a deliberately limited
Copperstate 1000, 1-5 April. Image: Copperstate 1000
number of spectators (no need
to sharpen your elbows). Were
pleased by the return of the SF
Edge Trophy for spiritedly driven
and indecently quick Edwardian
specials, and a dedicated grid has
been added for Lister sports-racers
to honour the Knobbly (60 this
year) and the late Archie Scott
Brown, Lister pilot extraordinaire.
goodwood.com
19 March
Pioneer Run
As it has done pretty much every
year since 1930, The Sunbeam
Motor Cycle Club will corral almost
400 pre-1915 bikes, tricycles
and sidecars in the Epsom Downs,
before releasing them for a 47-mile
trundle down to Madeira Drive
in Brighton. No other event offers
spectators the chance to see so
many early machines in one place,
so its well worth dragging yourself
out of bed to see the riders off.
The first is flagged away at 08:00.
sunbeam-mcc.co.uk
31 March 2 April
The Flying Scotsman
From the starting point of Slaley
Hall in Northumberland, cars
as early as a 1907 Itala 40 and as
late as a 1948 MG TC will wind
their way along spectacular and
frequently empty roads towards
Gleneagles. Overnight halts at
Edinburgh and Aviemore will
give crews a chance to recharge
their batteries; the hospitality
isalways as good as the driving.
endurorally.com
31 March 2 April
Classic Car & Restoration Show
Birminghams NEC is again the
venue for this spring extravaganza,
which offers displays of pristine
restorations and untouched barn
finds, an auction, expert advice, and
a trade village packed with parts.
necrestorationshow.com
La Jolla Concours dElegance, 7-9 April
Image: Chris Brake
31 March 2 April
Jarama Classic
Back for another go-round after last
years successful first event, which
attracted 10,000 spectators to the
Circuito del Jarama, just north of
Madrid. Expect to see everything
from jewel-like 1930s racers to
thundering Group C leviathans.
peterauto.peter.fr
1-5 April
Copperstate 1000
Pre-1973 sports and touring cars
eat up 1000 miles of dreamy desert
tarmac, on a route through Arizona
and beyond that changes every year.
Crews are treated to the best of
everything, so its not cheap, but
the money raised supports both
the Phoenix Art Museum and the
families of fallen police officers.
mensartscouncil.com
5-9 April
Techno-Classica Essen
See our full preview on page 47.
siha.de
7-9 April
La Jolla Concours dElegance
Theres more than one seaside
concours in Southern California,
and the annual event at La Jolla
in San Diego boasts a location to
rival any you might care to mention
and an equally compelling field
of cars and motorcycles, too.
lajollaconcours.com
7-9 April
Espritu de Montjuc
The wonderful street circuit at
Montjuc in Barcelona fell into
disuse in the mid-1970s but now
comes back to life once a year,
with single-seaters and sports
Amelia Island Concours dElegance, 10-12 March. Image: Dirk de Jager
CLASSIC + MODERN CAR CLASSIC + MODERN BIKE
MULTI VEHICLE COLLECTORS KIT CAR CLASSIC MOTOR TRADE
COMPETITION CAR MOTORSPORT SUPPORT VEHICLE
Goodwood Members Meeting, 18-19 March
Image: Adam Beresford
racers entertaining a knowledgeable
crowd many of whom no doubt
remember Montjuc in its pomp.
espiritudemontjuic.com
15-17 April
Dj vu Killarney
The team behind rallying revival
Circuit Dj Vu has organised a
parade run over Irelands famous
Kerry stages for 2017. In addition
to the usual array of machinery,
spectators will be able to enjoy
the sights and sounds of many
Group B cars.
rpm-motorsport.com
18 April
VSCC Spring Start
The racing season doesnt really
begin until the Vintage Sports-Car
Club says so, and its first meeting
At FJ we understand every classic vehicle owner is dierent.
of 2017 is scheduled, as usual, With FJ+ you can add to your policy from a range of cover
to take place at Silverstone.
vscc.co.uk options* including breakdown, agreed value, salvage
retention and spare parts.
20-23 April
Gran Premio Terre di Canossa Call our friendly UK team for a quote.
Italy has more than its share of great
regularity rallies, and this one takes
lucky crews through some absurdly
0333 207 6047
attractive parts of the countrys or visit: footmanjames.co.uk
north, from Emilia-Romagna to
Tuscany via Liguria. Theres a
culinary itinerary to match
granpremioterredicanossa.it
PROUD PARTNERS OF:
*All cover is subject to insurers terms and conditions, which is available upon request.
Footman James is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Registered in England
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all the latest news, events, offers and competitions.FP ADGE674.9.16
45
 TOUR OF IRELAND
20-25 July 2017

MARTYN GODDARD

A THRILLING DRIVE FROM DUBLIN VIA BELFAST TO THE WILD WEST COAST
Join Octane for an exclusive taste of Irelands attractions: vibrant
city life, fabulous roads, minimal traffic, majestic landscapes,
grand hotels, fine food and wonderful whiskey in the company
of 20 cars. The tour starts (and ends) with the Holyhead-to-
Dublin ferry and on to Belfast, taking in a city tour and a visit to
Titanic Belfast. Well drive along the Antrim coast road, visiting
the Giants Causeway and the Bushmills whiskey distillery, and
cross the border again to Donegal and our hotel at Lough Eske.
Then its south to the Wild Atlantic Way and the bleak Burren,
staying at Ashford Castle before returning to Dublin via Galway.

1400 per person, sharing a twin or double room (519 single room supplement)
For a full itinerary, visit http://tinyurl.com/OctaneTour. To book, email janenicholls2@aol.com

Techno-Classica Essen
Essen, Germany 5-9 April
THREE GOLDEN RULES for attending
Techno-Classica Essen 2017 wear your
comfiest shoes, arrive at the Messe Essen,
Germany, with at least a couple of days to spare,
and have a pre-prepared plan of what you want
to see. This event is huge, filling 21 exhibition
halls with 1250 exhibitors from more than 30
nations, and encompassing every facet of the
classic car world. Chances are you wont get
around to seeing everything.
With Techno-Classica, its not just the scale
of the event that impresses, but also the quality
of the offering and the sheer diversity of the
cars, products and services on show. Small
wonder that last years Techno-Classica
attracted a record crowd of 201,000 visitors
from 41 countries. Little surprise, either, that
modern carmakers have discovered the value of
setting out their wares; this year, 25 modern car
brands will be represented at the show.
But its for the older models that the hordes
descend, and not simply for the extraordinary
displays put on by enthusiastic and imaginative
car clubs, many of which create professional-
standard full-scale dioramas in which to
showcase their favoured marque. Classic car
dealers will be out in force with a plethora of
desirable metal for sale: theres an autojumble,
concours delegance, Coys auction, and traders
stalls galore selling car parts, automobilia,
clothing, accessories, art, models, and much,
much more.
Each year the organisers also create special
exhibitions, and for 2017 they comprise Grand
Prix Monaco 1957 and, topically, 135 Years of
Electric Cars from 1882 to 2017. The 1957
Monaco GP was won by Fangio in a Maserati
250F, which will take pride of place in the
exhibition alongside the Vanwall of Tony
Brooks that placed a distant second. Also on
display will be Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 801,
a Cooper-Climax T43, and a Connaught Alta
Type B. Among the exhibits in the electric car
hall will be the worlds very first battery-electric
car, an 1882 Ayrton & Perry.
Techno-Classica isnt exclusively about cars:
vintage motorbikes, boats and aeroplanes also
feature. And to ensure that the event has some
relevance to younger generations, theres a
Young-timer and Tuning area.
If you can stand the crowds, Techno-Classica
is the worlds best motor show, with a broad
and eclectic blanket of exhibits spanning every
genre from the dawn of the motor car to its very
latest iterations. For many of us it isnt that far
to travel, and its very much worth the effort.
IGNITION / Event Promotion
Above
Mercedes-Benz always
creates a stellar display;
browse the club stands
or take your pick from
hundreds of cars for sale.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Where: Messe Essen, Germany
When: 5-9 April
How much: When booked in advance online,
adult tickets for the preview/Happy View Day
(5 April) are 40, while day passes for the
remaining three days are 22. Under-18s
receive reductions; under-eights get free entry.
Getting there: Dsseldorf International airport
is about half an hour from Messe Essen by road,
and Essen train station has pan-European links.
For UK drivers, the trip to north-west Germany
is long but comfortably achieved in a day.
Info: www.siha.de
47
IGNITION / New Cars
The making of a hero
Lamborghinis Aventador stunned at launch then fell behind. Now hail The S
Words Steve Sutcliffe
WHEN LAMBORGHINI unveiled the
Aventador back in 2011, the world of fast cars
gasped for a moment in disbelief. Because, at
the time, the Aventador, with its cartoonish
good looks, its thunderous V12 engine and
210mph top speed, was like no other supercar
on Earth. It was also near the technological
cutting edge back then, featuring a carbon
monocoque chassis with pushrod suspension
and four-wheel drive with which to deploy its
prodigious power.
But since then the atmosphere among the
upper echelons of fast cars has thickened
somewhat, and dynamically the Aventador has
struggled to keep up. Which is why Lamborghini
has come up with this car, a dramatically more
advanced Aventador known simply as The S.
It costs 277,000 and boasts four-wheel
steering and revised electronic suspension.
That famous 6.5-litre V12 has also been tickled
50
to produce 730bhp and 509lb ft, with more
torque available towards the top end this time.
Aerodynamic efficiency is up by an
impressive 50%, too, with 130% more
downforce than before and a lot less drag, says
Lamborghini. And, as you can see, the S also
looks quite different from its predecessor,
with an unashamed design nod towards the
Countach around its rear wheelarches.
The technical progress doesnt stop there,
however. Theres a bespoke new Pirelli tyre,
while the dynamic drive programme, which
featured three modes Strada, Sport and Corsa
has been re-written to include a fourth setting
called Ego. This allows a driver to alter the
dynamics of the steering, powertrain and
suspension separately from each other, which is
a minor eureka moment for the Aventador.
The other key technical change is the fitment
of one single ECU to control all the cars
dynamic functions. And this, Lamborghini
claims, has enabled its engineers to develop a
consistency in response that you cant achieve
with separate ECUs.
On the move the S has a new-found harmony
in the way it reacts to your inputs be that on
the throttle, via the steering wheel, on the brake
pedal, and most of all beneath your backside
and this alone means it represents a huge step
forwards dynamically over the old car. What
you notice first is how direct the front end now
feels; then how much cleaner the throttle
response is. You instantly feel much more in
control of the car as a result. And without
question the single biggest difference is the
four-wheel steering.
From behind the wheel this manifests itself
in much sharper front-end bite everywhere
and, because the car is so much better-balanced
under power, the engineers have been able

to send much more torque to the rear axle
at any given time. Which makes the S feel
more like a rear-wheel-drive car than a four-
wheel-drive one.
The more time I spent in it, the more the S
blew me away. And it wasnt only the new
handling set-up that impressed. The V12 engine
is also a rare gem that shines brighter than ever
here; the carbon-ceramic brakes have huge
power and a lot more feel than before; and,
although the gearbox remains fundamentally
unchanged (which means it works OK if not
brilliantly, when compared with the best of
the best), its automatic mode has been softened
to make it smoother.
But its the chassis thats the stand-out
feature, because its just so much sharper and so
much better-balanced than it used to be. At last,
it seems, the Aventador has the underpinnings
to do that heroic V12 engine justice.
Panamera for tax avoiders
Hybrid tech is a stepping-stone to the future
Words Kyle Fortune
EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE: the Porsche Panamera 4
E-Hybrid is like having your entire meal in one sitting. Starter,
main and pudding. Luxury, sports and economy car all in one.
As fusions go its an interesting prospect, and one that requires
the mating of a 2.9-litre V6 biturbo petrol engine to an electric
motor, some batteries and a plug.
The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is the Panamera your accountant
will like, its 56g/km of CO2 emissions offering sizeable tax
advantages, while the quoted 112.9mpg promises serious fuel
pump avoidance. The reality will be different, but the 4 E-Hybrid
at least offers a useful 31 miles of electric-only range, which will
easily cover the majority of commutes. It defaults to that
E-Power mode, and will drive at speeds in excess of whats
allowed in the UK on the motorway using batteries alone; just
dont expect them to last those 31 miles if you plan on doing so.
Beyond that youll need the 2.9-litre V6 biturbos assistance,
which can be accessed earlier if you turn the steering wheel-
mounted mode switch through Hybrid Auto, or, if its the
weekend, Sport or Sport Plus. Do that and the combined force
of both motors is accessed, giving you the full 456bhp and 516lb
ft, for 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. Quick then, with naughty noises
too; but clever as all that drivetrain management may be, theres
Above and top left the odd knock though the eight-speed PDK transmission and,
Latest Aventador looks for all the pace, theres a disconnect between car and driver.
wilder than the original
Thats particularly true of the brakes. Tasked not only with
and packs a power boost
to 730bhp, but the stopping but also to regenerate energy while doing so, they
improvements to its rob the pedal of anything approaching conventional feel. The
handling are what accelerator feels similarly strange. This, plus the greater mass
really count. that blunts the other-worldly agility of the conventionally
powered Panamera, sees the sports element of the mix somewhat
lost in the messy whole.
There are glimpses of brilliance. In E-Power mode its quick,
quiet and smooth, a real glimpse of a plug-in future, though its
hampered by the need to haul all that old tech along just in case
fully electric Porsches are on their way, but hybrids like this are
a necessary stepping stone. Forget the Porsche badge and its
among the best hybrids out there, but consider it as a Porsche
first, and hence a car for drivers, and its less convincing.
Some of the Panameras excellence is in there, but its mired in
a load of other flavours: ones that might combine, but ultimately
work better independently of each other. For now, that is the
breakthrough isnt far away.
51
IGNITION / New Cars
Potentially roofless, not so mean
Mazdas new MX-5 RF features a coup-style folding hardtop but keeps its spirit intact
Words John Simister
YOU HAVE TO AGREE. This is a great-
looking little coup, with its rear-set, fastback
profile which actually turns out to be not a
fastback at all when you realise the rear window
is near-vertical and bounded by buttresses.
Shades of a shorter-tailed Dino, maybe.
But its more than a coup. Its a targa-top,
done the modern way so you dont have to lift
the roof panel yourself and stash it somewhere.
You just press a toggle switch: up to open the
roof, down to close it, illogically. That whole
buttress assembly lifts up, the window within
and the panel below fold out of the way, the
roof panel vanishes (or reappears, as required),
52
the aforementioned bits reassemble themselves.
Job done, in 13 seconds. And you can be edging
along in traffic, at up to 6mph, while doing it.
This, then, is the Mazda MX-5 RF, for
Retractable Fastback. Unlike the previous
MX-5 generations Roadster Coup, which just
looked like a convertible with a hardtop when
the roof was closed, this has its own personality.
The windscreen has a slightly faster rake, and
the buttresses are made from composite
plastic linked by a steel beam. The roof panel
and the metal strip above the rear window
are aluminium, and the boot is no tinier than
the roadsters.
An RF weighs 45kg more, and costs around
2000 more, than a corresponding roadster.
Theres now an automatic option for the
160bhp 2.0-litre version, and a (manual)
Launch Edition with that engine plus Recaro
seats, extra bits painted in Piano Black and
options to take it up to 28,995.
We love the regular roadster. Its one of the
most amusing, most talkative new cars you can
buy, with all the spirit of the original but done
better, woeful lack of cabin storage space apart.
The RF gets slight chassis tweaks to address the
weight gain and the rise in the centre of gravity:
a stiffer front anti-roll bar and firmer rear
springs, a touch more assistance on turn-in for
the electric power steering but less thereafter.
Roof up, the RF feels like the cosy coup it is
while proving to be the first MX-5 ever to have
no body shake at all. That in itself is enough to
make this a terrific car. Roof down, a trace of
shake returns but more of a problem is the
noise of wind buffeting and roaring behind
your head in a way it doesnt in the roadster.
Power the side windows down and,
paradoxically, things get quieter, but they also
get chillier. If open-air driving is at the core of
your MX-5 love, then buy the roadster.
With the optional sport suspension, the RF
2.0s steering revisions make it unnaturally
darty, so youre better off with the standard
models delicious linearity and fluidity of
response enjoyed most with the lighter
1.5-litre, 131bhp engine at the cost of some
pep. That version starts at 22,195, and theres
absolutely no need to pay more.

Below

Youll have a ball

The changes go beyond merely a new folding
roof; they include a more steeply raked
windscreen and suspension tweaks.

Sportiest Golf is still a car for the serious player

Words Neil Briscoe

SOMEWHERE BACK IN the mists of would have Mark Zuckerberg weeping

time, Pete Sampras was winning Wimbledon
like a clockwork howitzer. He was
untouchably the best in his day, a bit like the
Volkswagen Golf GTI an endless parade of
adoration, unstoppably brilliant, the icon of
its age. Yet in Petes day, the Golf was in the
doldrums. The hefty MkIII GTI was dull
(who could have thought that the old
2.0-litre 16v engine would be enough to haul
around all that extra weight?) but the bland-
as-cold-porridge MkIV was, if anything,
worse. It didnt even try to be good.
That all changed with the 2005 MkV a
car whose golfball gear-shifter and tartan
seats may have been throwbacks to the glory
days of the 1970s and 1980s, but whose
turbocharged 2.0-litre engine and peachy
chassis were bang up-to-date. A dozen years
on, while Pete Sampras has been all but
forgotten and replaced in tenniss affections
by Roger Federer, the Golf has not faded.
The Marks VI and VII that followed were as
brilliant as ever, and anyone who traded up
to a Golf R with its all-wheel drive and
inflated power was missing the point entirely.
Has Volkswagen dropped the ball with
this one, then, the mid-life update of the
MkVII GTI? There is much talk of this being
the first digital generation Golf, with its
new (optional) 9.2in touchscreen that
combines Cray Supercomputer processing
power with internet connectivity that
into his gold-plated cornflakes, and digital
instruments (also optional) that make you
wonder why we stuck with analogue clocks
for so long.
Changes are actually minimal. The
226bhp engine that used to be an option is
now the entry-level unit, and you can
upgrade that to the Performance Pack
version, which has 241bhp and a trick
differential at the front. Outside, there are
new LED headlights with a red signature
strip and new all-LED rear lamps, plus
tweaks to bumpers, wheels and bodykit.
Elsewhere, mechanically, its as before.
Thank heaven for that. For all Volkswagens
talk of screens and cyberware being more
important to modern buyers, the joy of
this GTI is purely a mechanical one. Even
without the special diff , the steering is close
to being perfectly weighted and, if its not
bursting with Lotus-like feel, then its good
enough for most. The chassis balance is
also close to perfect theres no slack, but
neither is there unnecessary harshness. It
corners with a wonderful combination of
iron-fisted Germanic reassurance and a
litheness that is hard to engineer into any
car, never mind a practical family hatchback.
Its basically wonderful.
Sampras eventually came up against his
Federer, but the Golf GTI has yet to find
any rival with that kind of backhand.

53
IGNITION / New Cars
Range Rover goes dynamic
Special Vehicle Operations makes the fastest, most powerful Range Rover ever
Words David Lillywhite
PERSONALISATION. Its the new buzzword,
the achievable bespoke, the new, classier
version of customisation. Car manufacturers
are taking it very seriously, not least Jaguar
Land Rover, with its new 20,000m2 Special
Vehicle Operations HQ now open for business.
What is that business? Low-volume
personalisation, from fancy paint to armoured
vehicles and in the middle of this sit a handful
of special models, the latest of which is the
Range Rover SV Autobiography Dynamic.
Its a bit of a mouthful for what is simply a
more driver-orientated version of the existing
ultimate-luxury SV Autobiography, which is
now available in long-wheelbase form only.
The Dynamic utilises the standard wheelbase
and top-of-the-range supercharged 5.0-litre V8
together with suspension upgrades, 8mm lower
ride height and quicker steering, to sit between
the Autobiography and the fast but less
sophisticated Range Rover Sport.
Got that? Put simply, the Dynamic is the
fastest, most powerful Range Rover ever made.
And how does that translate on the road?
54
Thankfully, its lost little of the Range Rovers sense in a stock Range Rover but more
poise and sophistication. Effortless is the term
that always springs to mind. It wafts along with
barely a whisper from the big 542bhp, 502lb ft
V8, easing almost imperceptibly up and down
the eight-speed ZF transmission.
But give the accelerator a squeeze and (after
the faintest of pauses as engine and transmission
managements consult) the prow rises, and
two-and-a-half tonnes of high luxury takes off
like a sports car, with a muted roar from the
engine and a distant growl from the exhausts.
My goodness its quick (0-60mph in 5.1sec),
and highly entertaining and from outside, we
later realise, the soundtrack is fruity enough to
turn heads, though youd never suspect that
from within.
If theres a downside its the ride, which
inevitably suffers from the Dynamics uprated
suspension, 22in wheels (21s also available)
and low-profile rubber, though its a world away
from the harsh-riding hot rod that is the Range
Rover Sport. Its little shudders over ripply
services are more pronounced than youd
noticeable is the way those wide tyres attempt
to follow ruts in the road, tugging at the steering
wheel. It wont be quite as good off-road either,
yet it will still be remarkable in all but the most
extreme situations.
Of course, there are extra touches inside and
out too, most obviously the graphite finishing
on exterior trim and badging, the quilted
leather seats, the knurling on the controls and, a
little dubiously perhaps, the red anodised
gearshift paddles (to complement sirs red
Brembo brake calipers).
So as is often the case, the 132,800 SV
Autobiography Dynamic isnt necessarily the
best all-round Range Rover. For that, a sub-
100,000 standard production model wins. But
for something a bit special, that attracts a nod of
recognition from those who know, its certainly
the one to have.
Above
Special Operations team applies finishing touches
to the SV Autobiography, in-between bouts of
personalisation, from special paint to armour-plating.
 SINGAPORE TO VIETNAM

South East Asia 4 February to 2 March 2018

Following the success of its Road to Mandalay, the Endurance Rally Association returns to
South East Asia for the start of another 27-day adventure, this time taking the Road to Saigon.
From the start in Singapore we travel north through Malaysia and Thailand before heading east
into Cambodia and Vietnam and on to the nish in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.
Along the way competitors will experience fantastic roads, keen competition, great food,
ne hotels and fascinating culture. The event is open to both vintage and
pre-1976 classic cars, experienced and novice crews. Join us.

Supported by: T: +44(0) 1235 831221 E: admin@endurorally.com

www.endurorally.com
Girardo & Co. leading the way in 2017
Experience Girardo & Co.

Sold | 1964 Ferrari 250 LM

Tel: +44 (0)203 621 2923 info@girardo.com The Showroom, London, SW6 UK

Girardo.com

JAY LENO
The Collector
I
m always amazed at how little the average person
knows about the car they drive. A friend of mine
called me, all panicked; he had an important meeting
to go to and a light had lit on his dashboard. I asked
him what the symbol was but he didnt know. So he
emailed me the picture and I called him back and told
him it was a little gas pump.
I said Youre almost out of gas. And he said Ive got a
meeting to go to, I havent time to get gas. So I told him
that either he had to stop voluntarily or the car would
stop anyway. That light means youre out of gas! Then
he starts telling me what a piece of crap the car is! Youre
out of gas! What part of this dont you get? He asks if
theres anything he can do. YES! Put some gas in it!
One day I was driving my 1925 Doble Steam Car,
which looks like any car of the era
except its got a steam engine. I
pulled into a gas station because,
although you can run it on
IF THE SUN WAS
CAPABLE OF BOILING
kerosene, I prefer to run it on
gasoline. A woman there told me
there was smoke coming out of WATER, WE WOULDNT
the car, so I told her its not smoke,
its steam. She asked if it was BE HAVING THIS
overheating, and I told her no, its
a steam car. It runs on steam. CONVERSATION. WED
She didnt understand so I
explained that hot water converts BOTH BE DEAD
into steam and thats what powers
the car. So she asked why I was putting gas in it, and I
explained that the gasoline heats the water, like a kettle,
and steam moves the engine. She asked why I didnt just
park the car in the sun. I said, well if the sun was capable
of boiling water, we wouldnt be having this conversation.
Wed both be dead. She looked at me like I was crazy.
Something that really annoys me is that auto parts
stores dont carry parts like water pumps any more, just
accessories. As I walked through one store I noticed that
every item under $10 seemed to be sold as magic and
every item over $10 was science. For instance, muffler
repair gum. You put it over the hole and you spread it and
the heat seals it. The ones that were $8.95 had a magician
on the display case. Then the same item where you mix
two resins together to form the stuff, those were about
$15. And those were science basically the same thing
but there was a picture of a scientist in a lab coat.
The lack of car knowledge many people have leaves
them at risk of not knowing if they are getting good
advice. A girl I know had a Jaguar with about 60,000
IGNITION / Opinion
miles on it and it was shifting erratically. She went to a
dealer and, without even looking at the car, the dealer
said, yeah its going to be about $8500. She asked if they
could fix the transmission and he said no you cant, they
just replace it. So she told me about this, and I asked her
if shed ever cleaned the filter on the transmission. She
didnt know what I was talking about, as shed never had
the transmission serviced. So I said to go to a transmission
shop and have them clean the filter, drain the fluid and
put fresh fluid in it. So she did that and the car was like
brand new. And that saved her $8500.
I have always enjoyed owning a car with which I can
do more than just drive. When I was growing up, every
car I had broke down either on the way to school or on JAY LENO
the way home. I took great pride in the fact that I was Comedian and talk show
always able to get it back home. I legend Jay Leno is one of the
most famous entertainers in
wasnt a mechanical genius but, not
being an athlete or particularly
gifted with the girls, I felt like I had
the USA. He is also a true
petrolhead, with a massive
collection of cars and bikes
something the other guys didnt. (www.jaylenosgarage.com).
I leave my McLaren 12C on a
trickle-charge. Like all modern cars,
the computer is such that, if you
dont run them for two or three
weeks, it drains the battery. One day,
I noticed my charger was plugged
into the car but not the wall. So the
car had gone dead.
To find the battery in a McLaren
12C you open the front hood and take the trunk apart.
So I took the trunk apart, jumped the battery, drove
around for a couple of hours and put the trunk back
together. I had a real sense of accomplishment.
Before I did all this, I had phoned the dealer and asked
how much it would be to fix the battery. He said its
$3500 because they have to take the trunk apart. Really?
Theres only seven Phillips screws and two Allen screws
to take off the perimeter of the trunk and the seal. You lift
those off and the battery is underneath it. I took it apart
in 20 minutes. He suggested that very few customers
would want to try fixing it themselves.
So, of course, in my mind I felt a certain superiority
over other customers because I had chosen to do this.
And I really, really enjoyed it. And maybe theres some
inferiority complex of some kind: what did I do to
deserve this car?
Well, I got it back on the road and I got it working.
Thats what makes you respect an automobile, and bond
with it, when you truly understand how it works.
59
 M A X T E D -PAG E
HISTOR IC R ACI NG POR SCH E

The 1973 European GT Championship winning & 1974/75 Le Mans 24 hours

Porsche Carrera 2.8 RSR - M491 | Chassis #911 360 0885
We are thrilled to announce the sale of this world-famous, championship-winning 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.8 RSR.
The iconic Oldenkott Samson-liveried / Kremer Racing Porsche 2.8 RSR which, by the end of 1973 season, was immortalised forever,
when it was featured on the official Porsche celebration posters by Strenger: Porsche Cup 73 & Europe GT Championship 73.
One of only forty-nine genuine, factory production, M491 lightweight RSRs built by Porsche, chassis #0885 was supplied new on 28th March
to the Oldenkott Tobacco Company and then delivered to Kremer Racing to run Clemens Schickentanz in the 1973 European GT Championship.
At the World Manufacturers Championship race at Nrburgring 1000kms, Schickentanz was also partnered with Paul Keller and Gunter Steckkoenig and
at the Spa 1000kms race with John Fitzpatrick, where they split the qualifying times of the works Martini Racing RSRs (R6 and R5) driven by Gijs van
Lennep / Herbert Muller and George Follmer / Reinhold Joest and set an average lap speed of 132.966mph. This highly successfull RSR went onto race
also in the 1974 and 1975 Le Mans 24 hours, entered by Louis Meznarie and also competed in the 1975 Tour de France.
This truly iconic and highly desirable Porsche RSR, remains presented today in the most authentic and well-maintained condition possible.
The car is UK road-registered with V5 title and current MOT and can be easily driven on the road or alternatively could, at any time,
be entered for the most prestigious historic racing or show events anywhere in the world. #0885 has a continuously recorded ownership history and
comes complete with the most exceptionally well-documented history file.

P.O. Box 7039 Halstead Essex CO9 2WL United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1787 477749 Mob: +44 (0) 7771 922433 (7 Days) Email: enquiries@maxted-page.com

w w w. m a x t e d - p a g e . c o m

DEREK BELL
The Legend
I
must admit that it was a day I never thought would
happen. Bernie Ecclestone has finally relinquished
his iron grip on Formula 1. You can read more about
this on page 114, but its latest owner, Liberty Media,
has installed a new man to run the biggest show in
motor sport. It has also bestowed Bernie with the
symbolic title of Chairman Emeritus, whatever that
means. Ecclestone may be 86 years old, but he is about
as far removed from a doddery old man as you can
possibly imagine. Somehow, I expected him to outlive us
all and continue to mind the store regardless of who
owned the commercial rights. He is a remarkable man
and will be missed, if only by me.
This column is being written barely a week after the
announcement was made and its clear that many people
reporting the story dont know
Bernie. I reckon the majority
havent even met him. They
certainly know little about his
ECCLESTONE MAY
BE 86, BUT HE IS AS
achievements or the sport in
general. One word kept cropping
up in articles: dictator. It was FAR REMOVED FROM
bandied about like a slur, often
without referencing the fact that A DODDERY OLD
Bernie has described himself thus
for decades. He was a dictator, and MAN AS YOU CAN
Formula 1 for the most part has
flourished these past four decades POSSIBLY IMAGINE
precisely because of that.
I wont claim to be great mates with Bernie, but I enjoy
his company. I first encountered him in the late 1960s
when I was racing in Formula 2. Bernie competed in
single-seaters in the 50s before realising that his talents
lay elsewhere. I knew him as Jochen Rindts manager,
although he had other business interests. We got on well,
and it was clear even then that he was an extremely clever
man who saw the big picture. He subsequently acquired
the Brabham team and turned it into a World
Championship-winning force after harnessing the
brilliance of its young designer, Gordon Murray.
His real genius, however, was in persuading rival team
owners to let him negotiate with circuit owners and
promoters on their behalf. He did a lot of the heavy
lifting when it came to getting better start money and so
on, albeit for a fee. F1 team principals did very well out
of his deal-making skills, even if they wouldnt publicly
admit as much.
While I might not necessarily agree with some of
Bernies decisions over the years, I am not really in a
IGNITION / Opinion
position to pass judgement as I wasnt privy to what went
on behind closed doors. Some quarters of the specialist
media have long portrayed him as the villain of the piece,
claiming that he is only interested in money, but I dont
believe that to be the case.
What I do know is that, whenever I have had cause to
contact him, he has always responded inside 24 hours
and been very helpful. This could be something as simple
as asking for tickets to a Grand Prix to rather more
substantial requests. It never ceased to amaze me how he
managed to deal with my needs when he had such a full
plate. But he did, each and every time.
Whats more, he has helped keep more than one team
stay afloat by dipping into his coffers, and has done so DEREK BELL
without fanfare. You might argue that this could be Derek took up racing in 1964
because it was in his own best in a Lotus 7, won two World
Sportscar Championships
interests, but Im not so sure.
Bernie has also done a lot behind
the scenes to help further the careers
(1985 and 1986), the 24
Hours of Daytona three
times in 1986, 1987 and
of certain drivers, again without 1989, and Le Mans five
trace elements of publicity. He may times in 1975, 1981,
not be a saint, but he is an enthusiast. 1982, 1986 and 1987.
Is he a dictator? Yes, but largely a
benign one in my opinion. As to
what he does next, Bernie will no
doubt continue to do deals and run
rings around businessmen half his
age. Its what he does best.
Will Formula 1 gain traction
without Ecclestone? We will have to wait and see.
Liberty Media has promised to make eff one more fan-
friendly and improve the spectacle amid diminishing TV
ratings. The appointment of Ross Brawn as managing
director of F1 may prove to be an inspired one. Ross
knows the sport inside out, having worked his magic at
Williams, Ferrari and Honda as a designer and team
manager, before enjoying stellar success as a one-year-
only team owner. He is well-liked, well-respected,
unflappable and detail-driven.
The newly appointed CEO, Chase Carey, has talked
about making the season the equivalent of 21 Super
Bowls in a host nation; week-long affairs with rock
concerts and other attractions prior to the main event.
I can picture the oft-Aggrieved of Tunbridge Wells
getting sniffy about the sport moving further away from
its roots, but we will have to wait and see.
Should it all go pear-shaped, then it isnt hard to
imagine a certain Mr Bernard Ecclestone buying the
rights back. For a song, naturally.
61
 IGNITION / Opinion

STEPHEN BAYLEY
The Aesthete

I
have been specifying my next car. While still very
vigorous in the social, professional, athletic,
romantic, oenophiliac and gourmet senses, I am,
nonetheless, now so old that I can remember when a
heater was an extra. I can recall the excitement when
my father bought an after-market kit for his Mini that
would allow him to flash the headlamps with a wand.
So this is all a bit exciting. Anyway, my new car is
going to have laser-guidance, High Definition forward-
looking infra-red (HDFLI), helmet-mounted cueing
systems, and ruggedised datalinks as well as beyond-
line-of-sight communications. It will self-park, self-
wash, self-tax, self-refuel when the batteries lose charge
and self-destruct when the owner acquires 12 points.
And then we will have arrived at a Jerusalem of sorts.
This same father used to work
in the aircraft industry. Childhood
trips around the factories he
managed are profoundly rooted
HALF-BURNT
a car. And since we have discussed the evocative power
of olfactory sensation, half-burnt two-stroke compares,
for me, to a whiff of Chanel No5 on a cashmere scarf.
But the second thing you start thinking about is the
links between the aircraft and car industries. In 1945,
Swedish engineers found themselves sitting in the sauna
with nothing to do but gloomily chew smrrebrd and
dream of encounters with moose, so we soon got Saab. It
was the same in the West Country. The Bristol Aircraft
Company employed tens of thousands when demand for
military equipment was high, but after the War, when
demand was zero, or less, they decided to build a car.
Look at the rear of a Saab 92 or a Bristol 401 and there
is a clear similarity in their tapered tails. Aerodynamics, STEPHEN BAYLEY
lightweight materials and semi-monocoque structures Author, critic, consultant,
were part of the aerospace broadcaster, debater and
curator, Stephen co-created
inheritance. So were demandingly
accurate panel fits. True, the Bristols
aluminium panels did not carry
the Boilerhouse Project at
Londons V&A, was chief

memories, as is the aroma of hot
oil and swarf, since the part of
the brain that processes smell is
adjacent to the part that files our
recollections. Hed interrogate me
TWO-STROKE
paint well, but thats like saying you
cannot sensibly put Svres porcelain
COMPARES, FOR ME, in the hot cycle of the dishwasher.
TO A WHIFF OF Alas, I have not (yet) flown a 1916
Bristol F2 fighter bi-plane, but I
executive of The Design
Museum, and fell out with
Peter Mandelson when he
told him the Millennium
Dome could turn out
to be crap.

about how things were made;

hand me a bottle of pop and CHANEL N 5 ON A
demand my answer about whether
the bottle had been cast, moulded, CASHMERE SCARF
carved, milled, machined, turned,
sculpted or merely happened by accident.
These things stay with you and it remains a dominant
ambition of mine to ask the Prime Minister about how
a rivet works. Of course, she will not have a clue and is,
thus, in my definition, scarcely above illiteracy. I was
thinking all of this during a visit to Spencer Lane-Jones
in Warminster, a workshop specialising in Bristols.
Here I found myself engrossed and enchanted, talking
to machinists and toolmakers who explained a castle nut
(part of a secure fastening system), shims and machine-
rolled threads. Just writing shims, I can again hear my
fathers voice. Its not a word used much in the Number
10 Policy Unit. And we are all so much poorer for that.
Any contact with Bristol and you start thinking about
two things, besides the art of making. First, cars named
after places. Lincoln does not count because the Ford
children were referencing something else, but Wartburg
is a contender, even if it is a castle, not a town.
Personally, I like Wartburgs since the Ossis had to use
extraordinary ingenuity even to make a bucket, let alone
o
would not be surprised if a 1940s or
1950s Bristol replicated aspects of
the dynamic experience. These cars,
as reparations from war, acquired
the rights to BMW 328 engines, but
a turbine hum is not the sensation delivered. Instead, it is
more a symphony of loose-fitting parts, slightly out-of-
tune. Progress is by lurches and pauses, all accompanied
by an overwhelming smell of petrol, now as rare as the
evanescent scent of a Byzantine virgins myrrh.
And why, in 1951, when a Bristol 401 was perhaps the
most sophisticated car you could buy, Porsche included,
was ergonomics still as little respected as dowsing or
alien possession are today? You think about these things
when you travel in an old Bristol. There is the smell and
the thought of all those machine-rolled threads
separating you from oblivion on the A36.
Your journey is a bargain between several types of
forces, by no means all in synch, but it is not a journey
imagined by a product-planner or a marketeer. This
journey was made possible by people who understood
shims and rivets and made a car imbued with that
understanding. When I think of the moribund perfection
of my next car, I find this all ineluctably romantic.
Machines have life. Ask any Bristol owner.

63
 IGNITION / Opinion
ROBERT COUCHER
The Driver
I would rather own this Bentley than any other car
produced under that name, said Walter Owen
Bentley. Did WO mean one of his fast green lorries
of the vintage era that won at Le Mans five times
between 1924 and 1930? No, he was referring to
The Silent Sports Car, also known as the Derby Bentley
or even quelle horreur! the Rolls-Bentley.
As we know, vintage Bentleys built up until 1930 were
thunderous great machines that beat all Johnny
Foreigners, including Bugatti, Alfa Romeo and mighty
Mercedes-Benz, fair and square on the toughest road
race of all. Painted in the traditional British Racing
Green and emblazoned with the Union Flag, these tough
and tenacious motor cars were venerated by the British
press as much as the Bentley Boys who raced them.
Sadly, Bentley went bust and
the company was sneakily taken
over by Rolls-Royce in a nasty
boardroom coup in 1931. WO
A LIGHT-BODIED
DERBY BENTLEY
Bentley was moved swiftly
sideways and his great brand re-
emerged as a badge-engineering WOULD BE MY
job on the weedy Rolls-Royce
20/25 built at the Crewe factory. CHOICE ON ANY
The tweedy vintage Bentley
bunch snorted with derision at the LONG-DISTANCE
Derby Bentley, as it was based on
the mid-ranking Rolls enjoyed by HISTORIC RALLY
Home Counties solicitors and
owners of medium-sized businesses, while true blues
drove proper Rolls-Royce Phantoms. But, as it turns out,
Derbys were a whole lot better than just a radiator swap.
Rolls-Royce engineers of the day were at the top of their
game and here, for the first time since the Silver Ghost
competed in the Alpine Trial in Austria and on reliability
runs to Scotland, the backroom boys, ably led by chief
engineer (Lord) Ernest Hives, had the chance to create
another sports car a silent sports car.
The Rolls-Royce 20/25 chassis was beautifully over-
engineered, featuring servo-assisted brakes and a snappy
four-speed (later with overdrive) gearbox with synchro
on second, third and top. In Bentley guise, the straight-
six was tuned with twin SU carbs, a higher compression
ratio and flowed exhaust, so it mustered 110bhp from
the 3-litre engine and 125bhp from the later 4.
Eminent drivers took note and leading Bentley Boy
Woolf Barnato owned four Derbys, with Price Bira
owning the famous Bira Blue drophead. Raymond Mays
had a couple and even enjoyed driving one vast distances
64
through South Africa, as did Sir Ernest Oppenheimer,
who was busy digging diamonds out of the dry red earth.
Although it was never conceived as a racing car,
Winter Olympian and racing driver ER Hall entered a
Derby in the Ulster RAC TT three times in the 1930s, as
well as competing in one at Le Mans in 1950. The Derby
was obsolete by then, but it must have been effective
because Hall became the only person to drive the full
24 hours (2000 miles) solo. The beautiful Embiricos
Bentley set a high-speed record of 115mph at Brooklands
and then competed at Le Mans in 1949, 50 and 51, the
first car to finish the event three years in a row.
By the 1960s, moustachioed WO Bentley-driving
types were realising that the dastardly Rolls-Bentley was ROBERT COUCHER
rather effective on real roads. Enthusiasts began snapping Robert grew up with classic
up cheap Derbys as the old car cars, and has owned a
Lancia Aurelia B20GT,
movement gained traction in the
50s and 60s. As the Rt Hon Alan
Clark, MP, observed in his book
Alfa Romeo Giulietta and
Porsche 356C. He currently
uses his properly sorted
Back Fire, vintage cars provided 1955 Jaguar XK140 as his
status, with prices rising daily driver, and is a founding
commensurately, and WOs were at editor of this magazine.
the top of the pile. But the 1936 4
Derby was actually the fastest
Bentley built pre-war and he wrote
car for car, the 3 litre (Derby)
will run away and hide from most of
the WO models anyone doubting
this should turn to the issue of
Autocar for 30 March 1934, which ran a comparative test
with a 3 Litre Speed model; the 3 did 0-60mph in
thirteen seconds; the 3 Litre took twenty-three.
Clark then offered some advice on mild Stage 1
tuning: skim the head, substitute a single expansion
chamber for the existing exhaust system, remove the
mechanical fan and fit an electric unit, then add a full-
flow oil filter for safety. All easily exacted.
Am I being biased, with a 1937 4 Derby in the
family garage (see Octane Cars)? A good Rolls-Bentley,
of which only 2411 were produced, is one of the most
enjoyable pre-war drivers ever, as is evident by the
amount of use the cars receive from their owners. I have
driven a number of WO Bentleys and they are fantastic.
The rock-crushing gearboxes are a real challenge, the
brakes are virtual and fast progress requires real muscle
power thats why their macho owners love them. But,
given the opportunity, a light-bodied tweaked Derby
would be my choice on any tough, long-distance historic
rally, where breaking a sweat is not required.
IGNITION / Gearbox
JOHN WATSON
Former Formula 1 and Le Mans driver and TV commentator
Interview Richard Dredge Photography Ian Watson
1 2
3 4 5 6. A radio provides great company and,
6 7
9 9. In 1976 Heuer and Goodyear gave me
8 10
66
1. Ive always been a Porsche fan, so this
remote-controlled Distler 356 was the
ultimate toy for me. My parents bought it
in Germany when I was nine; its probably
the only one to reach Northern Ireland.
2. When I won the British Grand Prix
in 1981, my mother, father and sister
celebrated in the hospitality suite while
I was out signing autographs. My family
made a lot of sacrifices and they couldnt
have imagined Id achieve what I did.
3. My parents went to the US in 1964 and
I asked them to buy me a Bell helmet. They
brought me back this Magnum; nobody
was selling them in the UK at that time.
All my heroes wore Bell helmets.
4. Automobile Year wasnt easy to find;
I had to order it from Belfast. The greatest
compilation of each seasons F1 and sports
car events, this was a luxury for a teenager.
The quality of the print, paper, writing and
The
photos always gave pleasure.
5. Ive enjoyed angling all my life, just like
my father. I still use his Hardys tackle bag
along with the 8ft split-cane fly
fly rod and JW
Young 3.5-inch Condex flflyy reel that I was
given when I was about nine years old. I
love the excitement of a fifish
sh taking the bait
and I still get a buzz when that happens.
if you listen to the Today programme on
Radio 4, a set with valves is perfect as it
gives the human voice a much nicer tone.
This Pye Caprice is from the early 1960s
and was originally in my fathers office
its one of three valve radios that I own.
7. The last car raced by Team Penske
in F1 was the PC4, which won the 1976
Austrian Grand Prix the teams only F1
win. This was the PC4s development front
wing, signed by everyone in the team.
8. I love cooking and couldnt do without
the Big Green Egg barbecue a dear friend
bought me as a thank you for Porsche-
buying advice. Its the best barbecue.
a Heuer Autavia for winning the Austrian
GP; Rolex gave me a Submariner Perpetual
Oyster for pole position at Monaco in
1977. I wear a Heuer Carrera day-to-day;
its the first watch I ever bought, in 1972.
10. My fascination with cars started when
I was a child. In the 1950s I was given my
first Observers Automobiles book. They
were an Aladdins cave of information
and I sucked it up like a sponge.
 a d b o o k
RoSouth Africa
SPRING/SUMMER

watch out
 IGNITION / Letters

We had to build an intake

manifold for it, which we topped
with a Carter AFB 4-venturi carb.
Letter The car fired right up and showed
of the an ideal air:fuel ratio on our
chassis dyno. I have a photo of
month

EVAN KLEIN
Lola or Serenissima?
Great article on the Lola GT in
Octane 165, but now I must ask:
what the heck did I buy from Sig.
Ugolini at Serenissima with the
help of Pete Coltrin in the very
early 70s? Alf Francis, who was
still in Modena at that time, said
it was the chassis of the first Lola
Alf sitting in the car in our
showroom, taken in 72 or 73.
I later sold the car to Alf for
what I had in it, along with an
alloy-bodied Pegaso spider that a
gentleman brought by in the same
year and we bought for $2500
also and he lost them both due
to financial reasons within a year
or two. Years later I saw a photo
of it in an ad claiming it was
a prototype GT40.

Supercars I have known GT that Eric Broadley had lying

in his back garden. Alf said Eric
gave it to him as Alf wanted to
So what exactly did I have? Was
it a Lola something-or-other? Or
was it a Serenissima? I remain
A FRIEND pointed out to me the two letters about the red XKSS, build a car for his own use. yours, curiously
chassis XKD 539 [pictured top left], in Octane 165, because I was I bought it for $2500, their first Toly Arutunoff, Oklahoma, USA
the young man driving it in your picture. I am also the chap referred offer, as I had never learned the
to by your first correspondent who worked at the big drop-forging first thing about bargaining, and American interloper
company, Garringtons, at the time the largest in Europe. I think they were a bit surprised. I have always admired the sleek
The Riley mentioned was the Riley MPH works prototype, not It was sharing a small garage with AMX/3 featured in Octane 164
the famous Raymond Mays White Riley. When I first had it, the the wedge-bodied Serenissima and I enjoyed your interview
engine was a rather feeble 1200cc straight-six on a pair of small SUs, that Alf said was his design and regarding Dick Teague.
which I had bored out to just under two litres and fitted with six inspired the similar-bodied Attached is a photo [below]
Amals. I started racing with it in VSCC events and, while I did drive Ferraris of the period. My car had of a casual Ferrari meet and an
it on the road, it was not my daily driver certainly not on methanol! unfinished upper rear bodywork, AMX/3 that convened in the
Father bought the XKSS, which was in standard 3.4 trim with no and according to Alf it had the grounds of Dick Teagues home
competition history, and I occasionally took it to work and parked in sole remaining Serenissima F1 on a Saturday in September 1978,
the factory car park. One of my first competition outings was the V8, and a gearbox that had gone the cars owned by fellows from
Hagley & District Car Club sprints at Chateau Impney, near to Indy with Jim Clark as a spare. the Big Three automakers.
Droitwich, where the photograph in Octane 165 was taken.
Not long after, father spun off the road in it and hit a lamp-post
near Wolverhampton (not on the M5, as recalled by your writer),
seriously damaging the rear end and subframe. We were lucky
enough to obtain the last D-type centre monocoque and tail section
from Jaguar and the engine was subsequently bored out to 3.8 litres.
Both father and I raced the rebuilt XKSS/D-type in numerous club
events and on one occasion had a very unofficial race at night down
the first leg of the then-yet-unopened M5, flat-out at 160+mph.
The D-type was again damaged at Silverstone in 1964, when
father hit a bank, and a month later he was killed in a Lotus Elite
while competing in Ireland. I had started to rebuild the D-type and
the car was eventually sold on to Nigel Moores, who completed it.
The Jaguar gave way to a 1957 250 TdF Ferrari [above left] that I
bought in Switzerland with a blown engine. Once rebuilt, I used it
extensively on the road, though it had a tendency to spit back and
catch fire on starting. It did this outside South Kensington station,
but an onlooker managed to beat the flames out with his coat!
The Ferrari was moved on for a Lamborghini Miura, also The Letter of the Month wins a beautiful Toccata
a non-runner, though it needed only new plug leads and a bit of TLC watch by Raymond Weil, worth 595
before embarking on a programme of racing and hillclimbs with the This elegant, classically styled mens timepiece features
HSCC in the 1970s. A lot of mods were made with the help of the a quartz movement inside a stainless steel 42mm case,
Lamborghini works and Bob Wallace, and the sound at 7000+rpm and a stunning blue galvanic dial with appliqu indexes
and date window, protected by a sapphire crystal.
was fantastic! It was a bit heavy, but great fun and different. It is water resistant to 5atm and supplied on a black
Other interesting cars included a Maserati Merak [above right], calf leather strap with an alligator grain nish.
and three Fiat Dinos (two coups and a spider). Im still at it: having Raymond Weil is one of a handful of Swiss
successfully rebuilt the engine of a ladyfriends Audi saloon recently, watchmakers that remain in family hands. The Toccata
name reects the Weil familys interest in music, which
Im on the look-out for a cheap, non-running R8. Any takers? has led to many of the watch collections bearing
Mark Riggs, Shropshire musically themed names. www.raymond-weil.com

69
IGNITION / Letters
From 1974 to 1991, I worked
for Monogram Models and
Revell-Monogram in design and
product development. Chuck
Jordan in GM Design was
fascinated with the scale model
world and a pretty good builder
in his own right, and I attended
this event at Chucks invitation.
Dick Teague had just taken
possession of the silver Ferrari
250 GT Competizione a few
weeks before this event. I believe
the AMX/3 was chassis no 3, but
I am not sure. Dicks son asked
me to ride along with him to a
local apple orchard and cider
mill to purchase fresh cider and
cinnamon apple doughnuts for
the fellows attending. It was
an unforgettable experience.
The 250 GTO was one of the
two 4.0-litre cars, chassis no
3765, and was owned by Ford
engineer Fred Leydorf. The 275
GTB I believe was owned by John
Clinard of Ford PR, and Chuck
drove a 308 GTB [below] to the
event, a glassfibre-bodied version
owned by GM.
John Clinard is in the blue
jacket, and the fellow with his
back to the camera is Chuck
that snazzy sports coat was about
as casual as I ever saw Chuck
before he retired.
Bob Johnson, Missouri, USA
70
Very early E-type
Can anyone shed any light on the
history of this very early Jaguar
E-type 3.8 [above], only the
eighth RHD Coup produced?
It was built in September 1961
and dispatched to a JL Schoeman
of London SE4, with a Coventry
registration number, 9979 DU.
Schoeman also had an address in
Cape Town, South Africa, and the
car was soon shipped there as a
personal export delivery. That is
where the story ends until it came
back to England 30 years later.
It was supposedly the first
E-type in South Africa, so one
would presume that it was
originally owned by someone
either well known or who had
influential contacts at Jaguar. The
waiting list for E-types was huge
in 1961 and the cars either side
went to HRH the Duke of Kent
(chassis no 860007) and Innes
Ireland (860009). Its not clear
whether JL Schoeman was the
first owner or merely an agent.
The Jaguar was re-imported to
the UK by a Trevor Wigginton in
1991. He had apparently bought
it from an Indian gentleman in
Durban who had owned it for 14
years; prior to that it is thought to
have been owned by a doctor.
I would be fascinated to learn
more of the cars history in South
Africa, and in particular who JL
Schoeman was.
Roger Sambrook, Aberdeen
California not in Belgium
There was a slight error in the
cover feature of Octane 164 about
the Ferrari California Spyder,
chassis 2277 GT.
This car definitely
wasnt displayed by Garage
Francorchamps at the January
1961 Brussels Motor Show. As
can clearly be seen in historic
photos, on the small Ferrari stand
there were only three cars
present: a 250 GT Pinin Farina
Cabriolet Series 2 with hardtop,
chassis 2275 GT; a 250 GT SWB
Berlinetta Scaglietti, chassis 2291
GT; and a 250 GT/E 2+2, chassis
2223 GT. This is confirmed by
personal notes written by Jacques
Swaters himself.
Alexis Callier, Belgium
At home with the Rangie
It has just gone midnight here in
northern Italy, on Lake Maggiore.
The fire is slowly dying, the lights
are low, and Im leafing through
Octane, looking at the beautiful
pictures of beautiful cars.
Then I notice a small photo of a
P38 Range Rover on the Contents
page. Happily, I turn to page 164,
bypassing Ferraris and Aston
Martins and so on while thinking
about our own P38 [below].
My father and I have a few
classic cars, mostly ones that our
family owned, and the P38 is for
us a special car. I remember when
we went to Land Rover to collect
it and how the air springs failed
two days later. In the P38 I made
my first off-road trips with
friends; I went to St Moritz and
Portofino, and to work at the
foremost architectural firm in
Milan. I bought a lot of little
pieces on eBay to repair and
maintain it but the most
important thing I did was to
keep it when someone told
me that it was an old crock.
Three years ago, a former
girlfriend wanted me to sell it, and
it was about to be put onto a truck
for the Lebanon when I suddenly
changed my mind and told the
guy not to load it. The Range
Rover stayed, the girlfriend didnt.
My father can no longer drive
the P38 for health reasons but it
will always be his car, even if it is
just an ordinary BMW 2.5 diesel.
Tomorrow Ill sit on the sofa next
to him and well read the story in
Octane, and Im sure it will make
him as happy as I am.
Matteo Ceretti, Italy
Reinventing the wheel
I enjoyed Giles Chapmans piece
on steering wheels in Octane 164.
When I was 17 years old I
couldnt save up quick enough
fora wooden wheel to put
on my 1963 MGB.
Attached is a photo of my last
wooden wheel, which I swapped
from car to car until the arrival
of airbags. I then made it into
a Lazy Susan with a glass top.
George Kooluris, New York, USA
Ghost in the machines
In his piece about Harry
Ferguson, Octane 163, Giles
Chapman reveals what must be
one of the motor industrys
best-kept secrets: that Edsel Ford
ran the Ford Motor Company
for his father in 1946.
Edsel Ford died of cancer in
1943, so I am sure that quite a
few people would like to know
how he did it.
Niels Jonassen, Denmark
Write to
Octane Letters,
Dennis Publishing,
Bedford Technology Park,
Thurleigh, MK44 2YA, UK
letters@octane-magazine.com
Please include your name, address
and a daytime telephone number.
Letters may be edited for clarity,
and views expressed are not
necessarily those of Octane.
 The Imperial War Museum Duxford Auction
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FEATURE TAGLINE
PORSCHE 959

THE FORCE
WAS STRONG
Its 30 years since the Porsche 959 landed like the twin-
turbocharged victor of a war in a galaxy far, far away.
Now its time for Octane to examine its impact
Words Richard Bremner Photography Paul Harmer

72
73
PORSCHE 959
I
t still looks extraordinary, three
decades on. The soap-smooth
contours, the distended tail and its
plank of a high wing, the swollen sills,
the massive (by the standards of their
day) wheels the Porsche 959 snares
as many eyeballs in the street now as it would
have in 1987. But if you do a bit of research
and dig out some statistics, the then-to-now
comparisons wouldnt look quite so good. A
top speed of 197mph. Todays 94,316 911
Carrera GTS is only 4mph short. 0-60mph in
3.6sec? The standard 911 Turbo will hit 62mph
in 3.0 seconds dead, and crack 198mph. And at
126,925, the Turbo costs a little less in
numerical terms massively so in real terms
than the 145,000 959 did in 1987.
But these comparisons are unfair, of course.
You need context, and against the class of
1987, the 959 rides high. Its nearest in-house
competition came from the 101,811 911
Turbo Sport, which could manage 171mph and
dispense 0-60mph dashes in 5.0 seconds.
The 89,700 Ferrari Testarossa got closer than
most with its 180mph top speed, but its
0-60mph sprint time was well adrift at 5.9sec,
74
while Lamborghinis by-then ageing 86,077
Countach (dont these supercars seem cheap?)
recorded 170mph and 0-60mph in 5.0sec.
The 959 rides high, but it doesnt ride alone.
This was the year of a billionaires bonanza,
Stuttgarts shoot for the moon countered by
another, equally ambitious missile from
Maranello. The Ferrari F40 took a very different
road to reach a slightly different set of goals, but
what they had in common, apart from fantasy
styling for the exhibitionist, was the same
capacity for propelling you to another place
before youd barely taken in the first, and for
achieving fat multiples of assorted national
speed limits.
The Ferrari was all about raw power. Its
478bhp, twin-turbo, 2.9-litre V8 out-muscled
the 959s 450bhp, twin-turbo, 2.85-litre flat-six,
and it could outsprint it to 125mph by 0.8
seconds in a spectacular 12.2 seconds. But it
did without four-wheel drive, without ABS
(amazingly), without the 959s height-
adjustable suspension and without air-con,
carpets or even wind-up windows, your
yearning for cool air completely unmet by
sliding hatches in the Perspex-glazed doors.
The 959 wasnt created specifically to take on
the F40. In fact, it was developed to tackle
forest tracks, desert dunes and the future. It was
the progeny of engineering chief Dr Helmuth
Bott, who was keen to explore the scope for
further developing the 911, and Porsche boss
Peter Schutz, who was newly installed in 1981
and agreed both to the technical exploration
and to the motor sport activities to trial them.
The 959 appeared in 1983 at the Frankfurt
motor show labelled Gruppe B Studie. Thats
about as a dull a term as you can devise for a
roadgoing beast featuring the 400bhp engine of
a track racer, but not if you knew about the
magic of the Group B rally cars storming their
way into the memories of WRC fans.
This category of ultimate rally cars allowed
their makers creative freedom, provided they
built 200 roadgoing versions. Audi produced a
600bhp Quattro on a shortened wheelbase,
surgery that rid the car of elegance yet it was
not nearly so ugly as the plastic-adorned MG
Metro 6R4, the stunted wedge that was the
Lancia Delta S4, or the Cyrano de Bergerac-
nosed Citron BX 4TC. That cars prettier
cousin was the Peugeot 205 T16.

Porsches mouth-watering Studie was
intended for launch in late 1985, and was on
offer for what was then an astronomical
133,000, this inflating to 145,000 in the UK.
Despite the price, the 200 on offer sold out,
some buyers flipping their firm orders to
disappointed buyers for as much as 335,000.
What either buyer got was a long wait, the first
production 959s not emerging until late 1987,
despite the roadgoing version appearing at the
1985 Frankfurt show. Such were the challenges
of exploring fresh technical terrain on so many
fronts. By the time deliveries of roadgoing 959s
began, the Group B rally category had been
scrapped because it had become too dangerous.
But the cars potential had already been
demonstrated to equally spectacular effect in
the Paris-Dakar rally, in those days actually
run between these cities rather than in South
America. A win here, coupled to years of
anticipation of what promised to be the most
complex supercar ever made, spared Porsche
much of the embarrassment of delivering the
finished thing so late. No doubt its colossal
appreciation before a single owner had clutched
a 959 key also helped.
Despite the familiar roofline and a still more
familiar interior, buyers were getting a lot more
than a stretched and fattened 911 with four-
wheel drive. The quest for strength, low weight,
lift-limiting low-drag aerodynamics and the
need to envelop much bulkier running gear
drove the rather startling metamorphosis of
911 into 959. When 959s were painted white,
as they often were, they resembled 911s that
had driven deep into snowdrifts.
The swollen lower bodywork was also about
that aerodynamic mission. The 911s drag
coefficient of just under 0.4 not great, even in
the early 80s was to be smoothed towards an
ambitiously low 0.32 target, high-speed lift was
to be minimised, and the ferociously powerful
twin-turbo engine would demand a lot of
chilling air, speedily served. New suspension
was needed well get to that and a new
floorpan to house the all-wheel drive hardware.
All of this, and much else, threatened major
weight gain, which is why body panels were to
be made from either aluminium or dent-
resistant Aramid composites. New body panels
also provided plenty of scope for reshaping,
starting with a nose in polyurethane that was
McKLEIN IMAGES
Facing page and above
Although the 959 was primarily built as a
road car, its development was intended for
competition. It scored a one-two on the
1986 Paris-Dakar (above) and even finished
seventh overall at Le Mans that same year.
a much more efficient slicer of air than the
standard 911 bumper. Part of the resculpting
process took place in Porsches own wind
tunnel, with scale models used ahead of full-
size cars. Although the 959s roof and
glasshouse looked much like a 911s, its
windscreens were flush-mounted, the gutters
were sliced off and the door mirrors reshaped.
More unmissable were the alterations to the
Porsches lower half, its wings smoothly
distended to accommodate bigger wheels and a
track 2.5in wider than the 911 Turbos, while
air-vents were let into the forward sections of
the rear wings. The unusual running board-like
sills linking the front and rear wings would have
been the most visually arresting feature of the
959 were it not for the almost ludicrous spread
of bodywork overhanging the rear axle, most of
it there to provide a pedestal for a rear wing
75
PORSCHE 959
Its based on a 911 so even the 959 features rear seats (and belts); centre console contains switchgear for ride height and damper
adjustment; aerodynamic considerations are most evident in the tail; 450bhp Group C-bred powerhouse is in the tail too.
worthy of a light aircraft. But it all worked. The
engineers beat their drag target to record
0.31Cd, and the 959 was rare among production
cars for generating slight downforce at speed.
The bodys construction would today be
described as hybrid, the steel core fitted with
doors and front boot lid in aluminium, much of
the rest of the exterior moulded from Aramid
composite. Only 42 percent of the body was
steel, compared with the 72 percent average for
European cars in 1985.
The 959s 450bhp were provided by familiar
means, but with a twist. The basis was the
935/76 engine that propelled the dramatic 956
and 962C Le Mans winners, a fine start in the
excitement stakes. The bottom end was near-
identical and the heads were not dissimilar,
but altered for refinement and maintenance.
So rather than six individual cylinder heads
being electron-beam-welded to the block a
race-engine precaution to deal with gasket-
rupturing combustion chamber pressures the
flat-six was capped with a pair of liquid-cooled
bolted heads, whose total of four camshafts and
24 valves were chain- rather than gear-driven.
If adapting this race flat-six to run on
95-octane lead-free sounds prosaic, its boosting
arrangements certainly werent. Twin-turbo
engines werent new think Maserati Biturbo
but plumbing them to pump sequentially was
76
Clockwise from above left
more pioneering. The exhaust gases of all six
cylinders were funnelled to a first, smaller
turbocharger, the second activated by the gases
from one row of three cylinders beyond
4000rpm. From 4200rpm on full throttle the
two turbos were fed by the bank of three
cylinders that each was most closely located to.
A balance pipe evened out the pressures
between banks, microprocessor-controlled
vacuum valves directing the exhaust gases and
the wastegate. The idea was to provide a much
broader and more consistent spread of torque
with less delay in its delivery vital
characteristics in rallying and the reason for
the Group B Lancia Delta S4 employing
a supercharger and a turbo.
Despite the sophisticated plumbing, the
959s 368lb ft torque peak still emerged at
5500rpm, but 295lb ft was available from
2500rpm. More telling was the throttle
response, a 2500rpm pedal-flooring in fourth
generating peak turbo pressure in 2 seconds
rather than the 6.5 needed for parallel turbos.
Intriguing evidence of how hard Porsche
expected this engine to work is found in the
dry-sump lubrication system, which featured
one pressure and five scavenge pumps, two of
these serving the turbos, and no fewer than
seven oil pick-ups to ensure reliable lubrication
during high g-force moments.
Those moments were generated by an
entirely new four-wheel-drive transmission,
new suspension architecture and innovative
tyres besides. The permanent all-wheel drive
system was novel for being able to vary the
torque delivery across the front and rear axles,
both automatically and manually, a stalk
control allowing the driver to choose between
Traction (transmission locked solid), Ice and
Snow (40% front, 60% rear), Rain or Dry (both
modes again at a basic 40:60 front to rear split,
but with more variation), all of this achieved via
a multi-plate clutch, a bevy of sensors and some
governing microprocessors.
For the multi-plate clutch to function it
needed a form of pre-loading, achieved by
designing the front wheels to run 1% faster than
the rears. That had the potential to cause clutch
wear, which is why the maximum torque
delivered to the front axle was limited to 40%,
and under full acceleration to 20%, reducing
wear to the minimum, reckoned Porsche.
This early intelligent four-wheel drive system
demanded a new suspension layout, Porsche
soon discovering that the wheels offset from
their hubs pivot point would need to be
minimised if the car wasnt to perform torque-
steering weaves worthy of a big night out. Small
offsets are not compatible with strut suspension
and wide wheels, which is why coil-sprung
PORSCHE 959

Right
This sub-10,000-mile car
belongs to a private
collector but was first
owned by British Porsche
dealer Dick Lovett.

double front wishbones were successfully

trialled on the 1984 Paris-Dakar cars.
Double wishbones replaced the geometrically
destabilising semi-trailing arms at the rear as
well, to prevent a shifting rear-wheel toe-in.
The 959s suspension highlight, however,
was its octet of dampers. Two per wheel,
because each performed a different function,
one containing the electric motor enabling the
driver to choose between three damper settings,
the second doubling as both conventional
damper and a means of altering the Porsches
ride height. An engine-driven pump supplied
120bar of pressure to this end, the cars height
automatically maintained, though without any
provision for body-roll control, which was
achieved conventionally.
Providing roadgoing tyres for 200mph
potential was another technical challenge,
because none existed. Porsche was keen to use
Dunlops Denloc system, which prevents a
tyre rolling off its rim desirable on a car this
fast although Dunlop was beaten to the
development of a suitable tyre by Bridgestone.
Because both companies were owned by the
Sumitomo Bank, allowing Bridgestone to use
the patented Denloc system was not an issue,
and in time both companies offered 200mph
run-flat tyres for the 959.
The wheels themselves were magnesium
17in rims (so small today) and housed discs
clamped by four-piston calipers overseen by a
Wabco anti-locking system. It featured sensors
on all four wheels not a given, back then
and required careful development to ensure
compatibility with all-wheel drive. The run-
flats allowed the spare wheel to be ditched,
which was very good news for the engineers
who had to accommodate a differential, a
clutch, driveshafts, a twin-fan radiator, an air-
conditioning condenser and a larger 90-litre
fuel tank in the front end of what had started
out as a 911. Not surprisingly, the 959s luggage
capacity shrank somewhat.
Porsche made a loss, and a substantial one
at that, on every one of the 292 roadgoing
959s it sold. But that isnt the way to look at
The 959 illuminated
this project, as Schutz and Bott no doubt told
the company accountants. Their vision
the 911s engineering
illuminated the 911s engineering future for the
next 30 years and beyond, a substantial future for the next
achievement. And it wasnt only the 911:
Porsches embrace of four-wheel drive led it 30 years and beyond
towards the Cayenne and Macan, models that
underpin the companys financial health, even
if knowledge of them would have shocked
Porsche customers in 1985.

78
79
PORSCHE 959
Metallic burgundy leather (with silver seat panels) is something of an acquired taste. Whats more remarkable is the civility
and comfort afforded by this monster of a sports car the antithesis of the lightweight and raucous Ferrari F40.
The 959 also demonstrated what was
dynamically possible. Corralling 450bhp and
368lb ft of torque and effectively transmitting it
to tarmac lay at the outer edges of the possible,
for road cars at least, back in 1987. What came
next was Porsches step-by-step advancement
towards providing 959 performance in
mainstream models pitched at more affordable
prices. Back in 1987, the 911 was still a tricky
car to handle on the limit (lift and you might
spin), or going down wet hills (limited front-
end grip), or entering very tight turns too fast
(terminal understeer) and, though much faster,
the 959 was vastly more able.
First up was the 964-generation 911 Carrera
4, which appeared just a year later in 1988.
Four-wheel-drive 911s have since been a given,
as has a perpetual rise in power, grip and
braking potential. Curiously, however, it was
not until 1995 and the emergence of the
993-generation 911 Turbo that permanent
four-wheel drive was combined with forced
induction again, this arrangement persisting
with every 911 Turbo since. This model easily
out-accelerates the 959 today, but owes much
of its development to a 1980s technical torch-
bearer that has become a legend.
80
Above
While Porsche made a loss on each 959 it
sold, you could have made yourself a whole lot
better off rich even by buying one. The first
opportunity came 34 years ago, when Porsche
showed the 959 concept at the 1983 Frankfurt
show. If youd ordered one then at around
133,000, youd have been able to more than
double your money over the next four to five
years, while Porsche battled it into production.
Prices fell away in subsequent years, the
market supplied with an increasingly wide array
of ever-more-able supercars, and a 911 range
whose abilities progressively closed in on those
of the 959, just as Porsche had intended.
Investing a spare 200,000 in a 959 would have
been a shrewd move back then.
But 959 values have gradually gathered
momentum over the past decade, and enjoyed
a huge boost triggered when it became a
quarter-of-a-century old. Why? Because it was
at this point that cars could be imported into
the USA without having to comply with the
federal regulations that applied when they new.
Thats significant for the 959 because this car
was never officially sold in the US, although
Bruce Canepas engineering operation modified
a few to comply.
As 2014 approached, notes HAGI Index
founder Dietrich Hatlapa, this really made a
difference. From a bit before 2014, prices
jumped from just under 500,000 to
significantly above that. Hatlapa points out
that there are big differences in price between
the various models.
The bulk of the 292-strong production run
are the well-equipped Komfort version an
unfortunate name, Hatlapa reckons, because it
seriously under-describes the cars potential
with only 29 of the total accounted for by the
much rarer 515bhp Sport. The best Sports are
worth almost $1.5m, as are any of the eight
959s Porsche built from spare parts in 1992/93.
The more common (but still rare) Komfort will
cost $1m to $1.1m, reckons Hatlapa. Most are
low-mileage, he says, but service history is a
big issue. If they are not serviced it can cost
100,000 in any currency to recommission one.
Besides the 292 plus eight, there are also
30-odd prototypes (Porsche made 37 in all)
that are generally worth less than the finished
thing, not least because some are not that close
to the final specification.
And that specification is really what this car
is about, after all
PORSCHE 959

UNDER THE SKIN

The 959 was the most technologically advanced
car of its day so lets take a closer look at it
Words Glen Waddington
4

2 3
 1. Tail spoiler is the result of extensive
aerodynamic development that also includes a
full undertray with NACA ducts for brake and
gearbox cooling. Drag factor is 0.31 and theres
even a degree of downforce at speed.

2. The 2.85-litre flat-six was racebred, dating

back to the 935 and developed via Group C,
its capacity defined by the handicap system
applied to turbocharged cars racing in the
4.0-litre class. Unlike any other 911-based road
car before the 996, it features water-cooled
cylinder heads, and is constructed from
magnesium alloy with titanium conrods and
crankshaft. The twin KKK turbochargers work
sequentially to reduce lag, the second spooling
up from around 4500rpm the same time
as a second set of injectors starts squirting
even more fuel into the combustion chambers.

6 3. Manual gearbox is based on the 911s G50,

except its housed in a magnesium alloy case
and features a sixth forward ratio.

4. Although the core structure is pure 911, the

outer body is a mix of ultra-strong, lightweight
5 composite panels plus aluminium-skinned
doors and front lid.

5. The 959 was the father of all the four-wheel-

7 drive 911s that followed. Torque is transferred
forward from the gearbox via a propshaft to
the front differential, where clutch packs
distribute the torque fed to the front wheels.
A dial on the centre console applies settings
for different road conditions, apportioning a
maximum of 40% torque forwards so the
959 is always predominantly rear-wheel drive.
The system was hugely advanced, employing
computer-controlled hydraulics. There are
several ECUs around the car, so their mass
isnt concentrated in one place.

6. There are twin coil springs up-front and

single coil springs at the rear, but twinned
dampers all-round. Each of the paired dampers
performs different functions, one being
adjustable to firm-up the ride as appropriate,
the other to raise and lower the ride-height,
so the 959 can surmount obstacles in town
yet be as stable as possible at high speed.

7. The 17in alloy wheels look tiny by todays

standards, but they feature hollow spokes to
save weight. That space within the spokes
shares the same air as the tyres, and there is a
pressure monitoring system. That means that
a drop in pressure can signify not only a tyre
problem but also a crack in the wheel. The
tyres are run-flats, specially developed for
the 959 by Bridgestone.

83
FEATURE TAGLINE
959 vs 911 GTS

PLUS A
CHA NGE
Three decades ago, the Porsche 959 redefined the
hypercar. Now all that tech and power is available
in the new 911 GTS. Glen Waddington compares
Photography Paul Harmer

84
85
959 vs 911 GTS

E
ven these days, 450bhp is a usable every day, in all weathers. Its yours for 959 stretching the technology envelope, cars
lot of power in a car. Three around 100,000 (the 959 was 145,000 three such as the GTS might not be with us. And yes,
decades ago, it was the decades ago, and the sub-10,000-miler you see we know that purists will mock all-paw 911s
preserve of the fastest cars here is insured for 1.25 million now). Want and forced induction. Well, you can go for
money could buy. The Porsche more power in your new 911? More like drivetrain purity with the GTS, but now
959, for one, as youll know if 150,000 gets you more like 580bhp with the the stratospherically high-revving GT3 and
youve just read the feature preceding this one. Turbo S, also with four-wheel drive and 911R are no longer available its turbos only
But now, access to hugely fast sports cars is a tellingly no rear-drive option. now for every 911, even the base Carrera. Two
little more democratic. And if that output of Hence the appearance here, together, of the of them, indeed. So thats something all 911s
450bhp is no longer the preserve of the very 959 and the latest 911. If it hadnt been for the now share with the 959.
fastest, it can still make you go quite fast
enough. As it always did.
Its not only the power thats filtered down
from the top echelons. So has the tech. In fact,
that started to drip through the rest of Porsches
range not long after the 959 was launched. Its
surely no coincidence that the July 1988 issue
of Car magazine carried not only the cover
story of 959 vs F40 (The fastest sports car in
the world versus the best) but also news of the
911s switch to four-wheel drive, with the
advent of the 964-generation Carrera 4. It will
feature hardware found on the 959, they said.
Air-cooled 911s are long-gone. But four-
wheel-drive 911s have been part of the
landscape ever since. And 450bhp? Well,
metrically speaking, thats all yours too, in the
latest 911 Carrera 4 GTS.
Think of it as a Carrera S honed and optioned
with a nod to the track-bred GT3: more driver-
focused but not so hardcore; uprated and
lowered with (in this case) the security of four-
wheel drive and the kind of user-friendly
comfort and equipment that make it perfectly

86
 Above, below and left
Separated by 30 years but
a match for power, performance
and technology, the new 911
GTS takes on the legendary 959.
959 vs 911 GTS
Above
959 was developed with
Group B racing in mind, but its
2.85-litre twin-turbo flat-six was
a portent of the downsizing
trend in todays engines.
88
The 959 also lent some of its aerodynamic
properties to subsequent 911s, though it was
the 993 (last of the air-cooled cars) that
capitalised on the aesthetics. Walk around the
959 and its difficult to reconcile the fact that it
was based on the impact-bumper generation.
But while the central tub is standard steel, and
the door shapes and interior are familiar to
anyone who knows the 1963 originals, what
you touch is all very much late 20th Century.
The roof, wings and tail are a mix of Kevlar
and Aramid composites (no carbon; this was
the 1980s) and, because the roof was a brand-
new skin, Porsche took the opportunity to go
without rain gutters, reducing drag and
modernising the look instantly. Who needs
rain gutters on a competition car?
Meanwhile, the doors, like the front bootlid,
are skinned in aluminium look for the tell-tale
rippling caused by the stresses transferred to
those lightweight surfaces by the door mirrors.
And while they clunk shut with the same
precision as those of any air-cooled 911, they
lack that heavyweight slam and often need two
attempts to close, thanks to their lack of weight.
Inside, the dash is that same old shape,
complete with the five-clock pod. The centre
console has been modernised and there are
proper air-con controls on the dash, yet, bar
the metallic burgundy-and-silver leather seats
(yes, metallic. And burgundy and silver), its all
as was. But look closely and youll spot changes
in the dials (a water-temp gauge for the cylinder
heads!) and new warning lights. Plus theres a

The 959s cleverness doesnt get
in the way of the experience. And
the same is true of the 911 GTS
third column stalk for switching between four-
wheel drive modes for dry or wet, or snow and
traction. Happily, were in the dry setting.
That centre console contains a ride-height
control that and the leather confirm that this
is a Komfort version, rather than a Sport and
a dial for the adaptable damping. And theres a
six-speed gearbox, though, where youd expect
to find first is a (relatively) low ratio for off-road
conditions, marked G for gelande, while first
itself is down to the left on a dog-leg.
Fire up and its instantly recognisable as a
911; that same chatter over a bass rumble,
though also a hint of piston slap, a tinkling
sound within the air-cooled cylinders that fools
me initially into thinking I can hear the coolant
sloshing around the cylinder-heads water
jackets. Theres power steering (like the
4WD, something no 911 before had been fitted
with), though youd scarcely know it as theres this is a car you enjoy rather than fear when
real heft at manoeuvring pace and proper
consistency in response as speed increases.
Ease into gear a familiar sensation too, as
is the over-centre feel of the floor-hinged clutch
pedal then pull away and theres nothing
other-worldly about the experience. Not yet.
Shift through the gears and youll discover a
pleasingly mechanical resistance through the
lever, though braking is somewhat alien. Its
a fully powered system, Citron-style, and the
pedal is rock-solid yet retardation is instant and
unrelenting. The pedal also sends a signal to the
transmission, uncoupling the front axle for a
keener turn-in, negating potential understeer
1988 Porsche 959
Engine 2847cc flat-six, air-cooled cylinders, water-
cooled heads, dry sump, DOHC per bank, 24-valve,
Bosch Motronic fuel injection and engine management,
sequential twin KKK turbochargers Power 450bhp
@ 6500rpm Torque 368lb ft @ 5500rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Steering Rack and pinion, power-assisted
Suspension Front and rear: double wishbones,
coil springs and electronically adjustable telescopic
dampers (twinned at front), anti-roll bars, Fictel
& Sachs hydropneumatic ride height adjustment
Brakes Vented, cross-drilled discs Weight 1450kg
Performance Top speed 197mph. 0-60mph 3.6sec
2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS
Engine 2981cc flat-six, DOHC per bank, 24-valve, twin-
turbo, electronic fuel injection and engine management
Power 444bhp @ 6500rpm Torque 406lb ft @
2150-5000rpm Transmission Seven-speed dual-
clutch, four-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion,
electrically assisted Suspension Front: MacPherson
struts, lower wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar. Rear:
multi-link, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar
Brakes Perforated and vented discs Weight 1590kg
Performance Top speed 193mph. 0-62mph 3.6sec
or steering corruption. Clever. But what you
really want to know about is the performance.
Its very strong, burgeoning above 3000rpm
or so, after which point the engine note starts
to lose its pure 911 nature and reveals the
racebred Group C beast within. Gone is the
howl of a 911, in its place a guttural roar,
hard-edged and insistent though never
deafening, mainly because it tends to fall away
behind you as it builds.
And then you hit 5000rpm, the second of
those sequential turbos comes on strong and
the acceleration pummels your kidneys.
Instantly its rocketship territory, the kind of
force that has you clinging on in bewilderment
as you adjust mentally. The fastest car in the
world? Yes, that claim suddenly resonates.
It still feels like a 911 more so than does
the new GTS, because youre always aware of
that weight in the tail, and its nose rises as
you accelerate. Yet even though theres a
pendulum threatening to swing behind you,
the 959 pulls you out of trouble.
One of the reasons Car rated it above the F40
(yes, the Ferrari was the fastest) back in 1988
was because of its great traction and nimbleness;
the going gets twisty. It is throttle-adjustable
yet it doesnt bite back if you dont quite get it
right. It even rides well, with a pliancy I dont
remember of any impact-bumper 911. The
959 is a fast and satisfying Porsche first, a
technological statement second. The cleverness
doesnt get in the way of the experience.
And the same is true of the 911 GTS. Its
lower and fatter than the 959 and its centre-
lock 20s make the 959s 17s look like castors,
hollow spokes or not. Inside, the iPad slick of
the centre screen and the track-inspired
Alcantara trim make the 959 look gauche. Yet
the sense of occasion is diminished. It gives
89
959 vs 911 GTS
you an appetite for driving, no mistake, but
theres no edge of trepidation here.
Fire up the flat-six and it blats encouragingly,
musically, but its less raw, less omnipresent. The
electric rack feels over-light as you move away,
and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission
makes things easy, less intimidating. But it all
comes together with speed, and you wont have
any trouble achieving more of that.
Good grief, this thing is quick, and effortlessly
so, too. Sure, its power figures and those for
acceleration and top speed are almost a perfect
match for the 959s, but that car made you work
harder for them. You had to find your way
around the gearbox and cling on when the
second turbo blustered in. With the GTS, its a
case of planting your right foot and whooping
with glee at the way you gather speed from the
off. Its addictive stuff, and all the more satisfying
in Sport mode (quicker throttle response, more
bite to the shift) and using the paddles.
The GTS is a touch heavier than the 959 yet
feels lighter on its feet, and its ability to change
direction is dizzying. Its enormously adjustable,
and will ease things back into neatness when
you get it wrong, always feeling more subtle
Power, acceleration and top speed of the GTS
are almost a perfect match for the 959s
90
and less mechanical than the older car. Even the
electric steering comes alive, its precision and
speed of reaction making up for the lack of sizzle
at the rim. And if that water-cooled twin-turbo
flat-six lacks the 959s aural presence, it more
than matches it for responsiveness.
Whats remarkable is not that its taken 30
years for a relatively mainstream car to reach the
envelope of late-1980s achievement, but that its
functions have been refined and integrated to
such an extent that 450bhp and a near-200mph
top speed feel normal. The 959 also heralded
the era of downsizing, its 2.85-litre engine
relatively tiny for the era, letting the turbos do
the work (a product of race regs the 935 raced
in the 4.0-litre class). How long before the base-
model 911 has this much power?
Its a brilliant car, the GTS, certainly the
most satisfying 911 currently on sale. Yet it is
a product of its era, rather than a seismic shift
in a way the 959 was. There is one landmark
Porsche here. In fact, the 959 was the landmark
car of its time. Full stop. End
THANKS TO Silverstone Circuit (www.silverstone.
co.uk), Mike Robins and John Manning.
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2016 PORSCHE CLASSIC

RESTORATION COMPETITION
SECOND PLACE OVERALL: PORSCHE 968 CLUB SPORT

SUCH WAS THE collective sense of pride in the

restoration of this 1993 Porsche 968 Club Sport that WINNER: PORSCHE FANS CHOICE
several members of the team from Porsche Centre
Leicester and its partner bodyshop Chartwell (Derby) WINNER: BODY AND PAINT RESTORATION
finished off the project for free in their spare time. Those
involved wanted the highest-quality job done on this RUNNER-UP: MECHANICAL RESTORATION
front-engined, rear-drive icon, so when budgetary
restraint loomed they carried on regardless.
Their diligence and dedication was rewarded with
second place overall in the 2016 Classic Porsche
Restoration Competition; first place in the Body and Paint
Restoration category; runner-up in the Mechanical
Restoration class; and they triumphed in the Porsche
Fans Choice, a public vote. Plus, of course, the team
enjoyed a sense of achievement for returning one of
Porsches finest drivers cars to showroom condition.
Porsche Centre Leicester and Chartwell have entered
the Classic Porsche Restoration Competition on the two
previous occasions that it has been held, in 2015 being
judged overall winner for the restoration of a 911 Targa.
But with the 2016 competition focusing on the front-
engined, rear-transaxle Porsches, the team faced a fresh
challenge, as Leicester Centre Principal Richard Grout
explains: The front-engine Porsches are nowhere near as
valuable as the air-cooled 911s, yet they cost just as much
to restore properly. So we had to pay very close attention
to the money we were spending on the project.
The car needed to be special, too. I found a 968 Club
Sport in generally excellent condition, but even so it
ended up being a complete nut-and-bolt restoration, with
a bare-shell respray and every component stripped to
its individual parts and rebuilt with either refurbished
parts or new ones. And I mean everything, right down to
the electrical connectors.
Chartwells CEO, Chris Brightmore, is equally
delighted with the Club Sport. Weve all spent about 500
hours on this car and the fit and finish is impeccable. We
even went as far as repainting the black edging around
the rear screen so that it looks factory-fresh. And the
paint on the bodywork has a glass finish parked in the
showroom it shines like a diamond.
This jewel of a 968 Club Sport already has a new owner,
who drove away from Porsche Centre Leicester in a car
that looked as though it had been made yesterday.
 Chartwell, Derby Porsche Centre Leicester
Tel: +44 (0)1332 340972 Tel: +44 (0)116 367 8871
Email: info@chartwells.net Email: info@porscheleicester.co.uk
www.chartwells.net www.porscheleicester.co.uk

www.porsche.co.uk/classic
BROOKLANDS REVIVAL

A CONCRETE PROPOSAL
94
The historic surface of the Brooklands Finishing Straight is revealed. Its a major
step in the 8.1m project to revitalise this epicentre of early racing and aviation
Words John Simister Photography Tim Andrew

95
BROOKLANDS REVIVAL
A
rchaeology, according to one
definition, is the study of buried
remains from an era before 1940. If
that is true, then I am standing on
a prime archaeological site, newly
uncovered and full of discoveries.
Its made of concrete, mainly. The
Romans invented concrete, but
they didnt deposit this particular layer. It was
poured about a millennium-and-a-half after
the Romans left, and visitors to the former
motoring amphitheatre in Weybridge saw it
first on 17 June 1907 and last, open to the
elements, in November 1940.
What Im standing on is a long-lost section of
the Brooklands Finishing Straight. Motor-
racing gladiators hurtled off the southern
banking at the end of their final lap and shot
back along this broad straight, passing the
Clubhouse and taking the flag to cheers from
the crowd the right crowd, of course, and no
crowding. And precisely 110 years to the day
from the first time it happened, in the most
symbolic milestone yet in this revival of
Brooklands, it will re-open at this summers
Double Twelve meeting (17-18 June) and roar
to the sounds of racing cars once again.
IT ALL STOPPED, of course, when Britain
had the Second World War to wage. Brooklands
other big role was as a centre for aircraft
pioneers, which grew into full-scale aircraft
manufacture. And that had to expand with the
demands of war; a new manufacturing hangar
was needed, and the Finishing Straight offered
an obvious site on which to build it.
Ever since then, up to 2016, the Wellington
Hangar (a Bellman hangar named after the
twin-engined, long-range bombers that were
initially made there) has covered a good part
Concrete, hi-vis and hard hats; hole for hangar support; Wellingtons in wartime production; Test Hill hides behind todays trees; some
of the original concrete is damaged and uncovering it is cold work; Concorde looms over memorial wall; original hangar lighting.
96
of the Straight, a great big obstruction
annihilating the old racetracks integrity. Now it
has gone, and the tracks course is clear once
again. Gone where? Ill come to that.
The hangar was a big reason, along with
other wartime incursions into the tracks fabric,
why Brooklands didnt regain its motor-racing
role after the war. Instead it grew further as an
aircraft manufacturing hub under owner
Vickers, through reincarnations as the British
Aircraft Corporation and, following the merger
with Hawker Siddeley, British Aerospace.
Over the years, various bits of the estate were
sold off. Cigarette company Gallaher, Tesco,
Mercedes-Benz World, a modern business park
called The Heights: all these and more occupy,
or have occupied, the area bounded by the
distorted-oval banked circuit through which
runs the River Wey. What were mainly open
spaces beyond the banking in 1907, when the
track was completed, are now built up; if your
Napier-Railton shot over the bankings edge
now, it might land in someones back garden.
Some of the banking has gone but the section
at the north-eastern end, stretching from before
the Finishing Straight and round to Mercedes-
Benz World, is still there apart from one gap
where the Wey bridge used to be. Another
section curves past Tesco on the opposite end
IF YOUR NAPIER-RAILTON
SHOT OVER THE BANKING
NOW, IT MIGHT LAND IN
SOMEONES BACK GARDEN
Below and facing page
of the old tracks distorted oval, a monument
reminding every shopper of what went on in
the years before barcodes and three-for-two
deals. The whole plan is very obvious on
Google Earth; the car park for The Heights,
for example, is built on the rest of the Straight,
the part not within the Brooklands Museums
piece of the estate.
THE BROOKLANDS Museum represents a
fantastic act of survival. On its site are the
Clubhouse, the paddock, period garages and
workshops, the London Bus Museum, and
various hangars containing historic aircraft,
with some larger aeroplanes a Concorde, a
Vanguard, a Trident and a VC10, for example
parked outside. Automotive and motorcycling
treasures abound, and the Test Hill, its gradient
increasing the further it climbs, is intact and in
regular use during the many classic car events.
For years the museum and these surroundings
managed to escape developers clutches thanks
to the efforts of enthusiasts and the local
Elmbridge Councils understanding of the
sites importance. In recent times the museum,
nowadays run by a trust, has benefited from the
financial help of Mercedes-Benz UK, which
acquired the former airfield part of the site on
which to build Mercedes-Benz World. It has
proved a fine partnership, symbiotic even:
historic car events can use the Mercedes test
track laid out on the old runway and browse
Mercs ancient and modern; petrol-blooded
Mercedes visitors can cross the Vickers
footbridge and see the museums treasures.
And for several years there has been a plan, a
pan-Brooklands plan that ultimately brings
together all with a stake in the site, its goal to
protect it for future generations, to improve the
museum and to make it a centre for knowledge,
97
BROOKLANDS REVIVAL

WE TOOK OUT 8000 CUBIC METRES OF SOIL FULL OF ASBESTOS, RUBBISH

AND BITS OF JIGS, PLUS 60,000 LITRES OF OIL-CONTAMINATED WATER

98
learning and skills. The museums director, and Clockwise from above
its most public face, is Allan Winn. Less visible Line of Finishing Straight
heads into the distance
is a team of trustees who organise, raise funds, the later concrete track
deal with the legalities, build bridges. Plus, of will be removed; Allan
course, the many volunteers who help run the Winn holds the final
museum and look after its treasures. The hangar nut and bolt to be
undone; new Flight Shed
bottom line is that the museums plan, as
is already full; 20s racers
currently detailed, still needs another 1m. join the Straight at what
Its an 8.1m project now, says Winn, as he is now The Heights
explains how costs keep creeping up despite business park.
everyones best initial estimates. For example,
the ground between the Finishing Straight and
the newly built, impressively cavernous Flight
Shed (with period-correct silhouette and
authentic-looking corrugations) should slope
at 45 down to the shed, because the Shed is on
the level and the Straight is on a hill. Currently
theres 0a chasm.
We had to take out 8000 cubic metres of
soil full of asbestos, industrial rubbish and bits
of jigs. At the bottom were 1000 cubic metres
of soil contaminated by hydrocarbons from
half-a-dozen oil drums, which had rusted, plus
60,000 litres of oil-contaminated water. That
added 275,000 to the project.

SO, WHERES THE Bellman hangar? Its a

Grade Two listed building, after all. It was
dismantled last year, every piece of its steel
framework coded to make sure it goes back
together in the right place, and sent to a firm in
South Wales for restoration. All the nuts and
bolts came undone with remarkable ease, and
will be re-used; I had the honour of undoing
the last one, says Allan Winn proudly. The
frame sections are now back at Brooklands, and
once reassembled will wear new cladding with
an original look but an extra layer of insulation.

99
BROOKLANDS REVIVAL

THE STEERING BECOMES

LIGHT AND SUPER-PRECISE,
THE GATEWAY TO AN EARLY
ESCORTS CAREFREE EUNT
SUM CHUCKABILITY

100
 Theres a convenient space bounded by the
new Flight Shed, the London Bus Museum
and the temporary Vimy inflatable hangar
(which contains, among others, a replica of the
Atlantic-traversing Vickers Vimy, which has
itself crossed the Atlantic and more). The
Bellman hangar will be rebuilt there, alongside
the Finishing Straight, and it will become the
Brooklands Aircraft Factory showing in
displays, live demonstrations and hands-on
participation, be it by adults or school-age
children, how aircraft have been built over the
last 80 years. Doped fabric to carbonfibre, it will
all be here; visitors will be able to dress in
authentic clothing, clock-on, stretch fabric or
rivet metal or spokeshave propeller wood, then
get their clocking-on card stamped when they
have done their apprenticeship.
In all, 18,600 aircraft were made here, Winn
reminds us, and today the aerospace industry is
worth over 20bn a year to the UK. But there
has been nowhere for the public to see this huge
industry, no front door. Thats what were doing.
The Flight Shed will house the complete
aircraft, some of them in running condition,
others at least with live cockpits. The Hawker
Hurricane was built on the Brooklands site,
too, and the Flight Shed has a suitably local
Hurricane which just needs a tail strut and a
critical propeller component and it will be
ready to taxi. Theres also a Hunter and a two-
seater Harrier jump jet.
Half a Wellington fuselage shows its intricate
skeleton; the fuselages were made elsewhere on
the Brooklands site, further round the banking Clockwise from
into which the factory cut. This and the facing page, bottom
complete Wellington, the latter currently stored Half a Wellington fuselage
in the Flight Shed, which
in another temporary hangar, will move to the takes centre stage in the
Aircraft Factory, with the Harriers prototype view (above) opposite
predecessor, the Hawker-Siddeley P1127, temporary Portakabins;
looming over the exhibits from its mezzanine. schematics of proposed
Flight Shed and Aircraft
So the new or repositioned buildings will Factory layouts; new
be aerospace-related. The automotive side is archive; original Vickers
already well housed in the existing historic workbench and vice.
garages and workshops on the far side of the
Clubhouse. Both strands will use the new
climate-controlled store, archive and training
room on the Flight Sheds lower ground floor
beneath the display level. In here are original
Vickers workbenches, pressure suits, flying
jackets and more, much of it unseen by the
public, and both the aerospace archive (mainly

VISITORS WILL BE ABLE

TO CLOCK-ON, THEN
STRETCH FABRIC, RIVET
METAL OR SPOKESHAVE
PROPELLER WOOD
101
BROOKLANDS REVIVAL

WE COULD USE ALL THE

BANKING AT THE NORTH
END AND THE RAILWAY
STRAIGHT BEYOND. THAT
IS THE HOLY GRAIL

Vickers) and any automotive archives needing a

home will be stored here. Courses will include
restoration and preservation skills.

NOW WERE STANDING on the banking,

looking down on the Finishing Straight towards
The Heights. It was in the planning conditions
for The Heights that the Straight wasnt built
on, says Brooklands trustee and financial
expert Bryan Smart, who was instrumental in
getting Mercedes-Benz on board. The lines of
the lighting poles follow the edges of the
straight. Its wonderful to see the whole Straight
out in the open after all these years.
We walk down to where the Bellman hangar
stood, and where its dismantled skeleton is
stacked and labelled. The Finishing Straight
slopes laterally as the ground falls towards the
River Wey, which meant that the ground at the
front of the hangar had to be built up to
horizontality so the sliding doors would work
properly. Then, after the war, rubble was spread
over the straights surface inside the hangar to
level it, and a new, flat concrete floor poured.
That rubble has been a godsend, separating
the later and earlier concrete. We are staggered
by the condition, beams Winn. This original
concrete is six inches thick and unreinforced. It
became quite a patched surface and will be
again. Weve agreed the concrete specification
with Historic England. Thats the part of
English Heritage responsible for regulations.
Embedded in the concrete, from wartime
production of the Wellington, are steel rails
from the production line and iron covers over
ancient compressed-air lines. These will stay,
as part of the history, but are flush with the
surface. Well make them safe for the Bentleys
that will soon be rushing over them at over
100mph, Winn promises, but well have the
right sort of bumps. People forget that race
tracks werent smooth back then.
AFTER THE STRAIGHTs re-opening at the
Double Twelve with parades and demo runs on
the Saturday and timed sprints on the Sunday,
the Flight Shed and Bellman hangar will be
opened in the late summer. What will be next?
Some of the banking is subsiding, by up to
a foot in places, as water has leached the
underlying soil away, so that needs to be fixed.
Theres a 52-metre gap between the museums
section of the banking and that of Mercedes-
Benz world, where a Hennebique reinforced-
concrete bridge once spanned the Wey. In 1968
it was damaged in a big flood; Vickers viewed it
as a needless complication and took it down.
Mercedes-Benz would assist in raising funding
to rebuild it, says Bryan Smart, and then we
could use all the banking at the north end and
the Railway Straight beyond. Thats the Holy
Grail, and wed like to see it in our lifetimes.
The museum is the managing agent for all
the activities of the Brooklands Conservation
Management Plan, which brings together
everyone with an interest in the site, including
the Brooklands Heritage Partnership of local
authorities, Historic England and the museum
itself. Theyre all behind it now, says Winn, so
we wont have, for example, utility companies
digging up pieces of banking by Tesco because
they assume they have the right to do so.
Meanwhile theres still that final 1m to raise.
The Heritage Lottery Fund provided the initial
5m, helped by the museums emphasis on
Above and left
Site is made ready for
relocated Bellman hangar
and the Brooklands
Aircraft factory within;
hangar structural
elements have been
blasted, refinished
and marked for
their reassembly.
education, interpretation, participation and
immersion rather than simply being a
collection of dead things in sheds. The Libor
fund, generated from fines levied on
misbehaving banks, provided 1m through the
efforts of local MP (and now Chancellor of the
Exchequer) Philip Hammond. Legacies have
contributed another 1m, although estranged
relatives sometimes try to scupper the wishes of
deceased Brooklands enthusiasts considered
not of sound mind by those relatives for having
placed such value on the place they loved.
The restoration of the banking and the
bridge are beyond the current projects remit,
so more funds will be needed. It will never
be completely done, declares Allan Winn, but
he and the tireless Brooklands team are thrilled
with what they have already achieved.
The re-opening of the Finishing Straight will
be a potent symbol of Brooklands regeneration.
It will be, Winn says with a glint in the eye,
the fastest event weve ever run. End
VISIT www.brooklandsmuseum.com.

102
 1960 ALFA ROMEO SUPERFLOW
by Pinninfarina

Steve Tillack: +1 310 406 1162 or st@tillackco.com

630 Mary Ann Dr Redondo Beach, California, USA
15 minutes from Los Angeles Intl. Airport (LAX)
www.TillackCo.com
FEATURE
AMEX TAGLINE
DELOREAN

GOL D
RU SH e a ll
ht ? Wro n g. Americ
silver, rig series of gold-pla
an
ted
ns a r l n
DeLorea issioned a specia racked one dow well
comm ctane t Ho
Express ersions and O s Chapman Photography
Matthew
v ords Gile
W

104
105
AMEX DELOREAN
A
36-year-old car with only nine
miles on its odometer will always
be a freakshow. Sure, they pop up
occasionally. Sometimes its a
Vauxhall Chevette, perhaps, thats
been cosseted in the back of a
family-owned showroom, the kind
of place where sentimentality has got completely out of
hand. More likely its the first or last example off a
production line, such as Jaguar Heritages own treasured,
nine-mile XJ220 prototype.
This DeLorean DMC-12 has itself a little over nine
miles displayed within its brittle black facia. Its a wonder
it covered even that distance, really, because not one drop
of water, petrol or oil ever coursed through its mechanical
veins. Nine miles is quite a lot of pushing.
Admittedly, the instruments arent the first thing that
gives this DeLorean a special aura. I think youd notice the
all-over gold-plating first, what with the way shafts of
reflected sunlight would sear their trajectory onto your
retinas should you catch it from the wrong angle.
The delivery mileage and the gold are interlinked.
When DeLorean embarked upon this most audacious,
opulent and (some will say) tasteless exercise in limited
editions, one thing was assumed from the start: the last
thing on any owners mind would be driving the car. No
fluids were ever poured into this one; they might have
triggered eventual corrosion.
In 1979, credit card giant American Express started
casting around for ideas. Its Gold Card had inhabited
the wallets of high-net-worth customers for 15 years at
that point, and was overdue for a marketing push.
Concurrently, the first shipments of John Z DeLoreans
new luxury sports cars were arriving at 300 showrooms
106
Customers were
obliged to put down a
$10,000 deposit using
their American Express
Gold accounts
across the States. There was only one colour option, the
dull silver-grey that was unavoidable because of those
unpainted panels worn by the gullwing two-seater with
such pride. As soon as someone suggested that sprinkling
a little gold dust over them would make a great rolling ad
for Amex using the most talked-about car around the
idea was unstoppable. When the DeLorean team were
consulted, they were just as keen.
The promotion was launched in a blaze of glory in
December 1979, as only Americans knew how. The gold-
plated DeLorean was the star of the American Express
Christmas Catalogue, even though the car shown, with a
green credit card instead of a number plate, was still
a mock-up illustration.
As befits its extraordinary character, purred the blurb,
the entire corrosion-free stainless-steel outer body panels
of this limited-edition Delorean will be electro-plated
with pure 24-karat gold.
A sportscar so spectacular that it surpasses the
imagination, it went on before unwittingly alluding
to the thing that did eventually make the car a true
pop culture icon. The DeLorean glides into the future
with a grace and authority that is seldom seen. The
luxury is unbelievable. Specially commissioned by you
alone your 24-karat gold Delorean will move you
like youve never been moved before 0 to 60mph
in under 8 seconds.
The price was truly astronomical. At $85,000, it was
more than three times the price of a regular DMC-12, and
customers were obliged to put down a $10,000 deposit
using their American Express Gold accounts.
The DeLorean Motor Company had plenty of problems
already. Heaped upon them was an extra one having
promised the worlds first gold-plated production car,
now came the chewy issue of actually creating it. This one
landed with a heavy thud on the desk of the companys
senior buyer Stewart Craven in May 1981. Delivery had
been quoted as June 1981 from the start, but DeLorean
had understandably waited to see how quickly all the
limited edition of 100 cars would be snapped up.
Left and right
A mock-up starred on the
cover of the Amex Christmas
Catalogue; this car is one of
three that escaped into the wild.
AMEX DELOREAN

Each of the cars

panels would have
been immersed in
200,000-worth of
precious metal, in
todays money
AMEX DELOREAN

The final tally was an unmitigated disaster. There were

just two firm orders. On top of that, every British specialist
plater fought shy of getting involved, perhaps aware of the
considerable risks involved in electrically attaching gold
Not a single scratch plate to brushed stainless steel.
Finally, German company Degussa agreed to construct
could be afforded the special tank needed to handle the huge bonnet and
door panels. This would hold 2500 litres of hyper-valuable
because, unlike with Auruna 311 gold-plating solution. Leading British gold-
and silversmith Richard Fox, whose handcrafted work
the standard stainless today features on several bespoke Rolls-Royces, puts that
into startling perspective.
steel finish, thered be I have a 100-litre tank that can hold approximately
8000-worth of gold in molecular form, he says. So each
no way to remove it of the cars panels would have been immersed in
200,000-worth of precious metal, in todays money.
Having hung on until 28 August 1981, there was still
no last-minute rush, and so, a week later, three sets of plain
DeLorean panels, wheels and trim parts were delivered to
Degussa two for the ordered cars, another for a set of
spares and, on 15 September, Craven and two colleagues
flew overnight to Germany to oversee the work.

110
 It took three heavy days to complete the plating.
Once the parts had been carefully crated and loaded for
the long road trip back to Belfast, the DeLorean staff bade
the Germans goodbye, only to receive bemused looks. It
was late on Saturday; did they not realise it was illegal to
drive a lorry on German roads on a Sunday? But Craven
had thought of that. The only wagons allowed to flout the
rule were refrigerated food trucks, and that was just
what theyd organised. With two drivers, it sped non-stop
to reach Dunmurry by Monday morning.
Waiting for them was a specially cordoned-off part of
the factory, spotlessly clean and with burly security guards
already on duty. A crack team of senior assembly staff and
supervisors were ready to start attaching the dazzling
metal panels said to be worth up to $10,000 apiece to
the Deloreans plastic base unit. Rings and watches were
banned and everyone wore protective gloves. Tools were
kept to a minimum and at a distance because any kind
of spanner in this particular works would have been
a catastrophe during the two-week process.
Not a single scratch could be afforded because, unlike
with the standard stainless steel finish, thered be no way
to remove it. It is possible to plate directly on to stainless
steel, says Richard Fox. But the surface finish would be
just as susceptible to greasy finger marks afterwards,
so you would need to keep your mitts off.
This would be the dominant handling issue for the
gold DeLoreans forever afterwards. And remember, they
werent going to be driven and so needed to be wheeled
everywhere, constantly at the mercy of careless fingers
and thumbs.
The first car the one in our pictures, with VIN number
4301 and automatic transmission was delivered to its
new owner on 12 October 1981. He was Roger Mize,
president of Snyder National Bank in Snyder, Texas, USA.
He paid for it in one, vulgar $85,000 transaction on his
Gold Card. True to the precious ethos of these weird
vehicles, actually driving it was never considered. The
doors to the banks head office were removed and the
DeLorean was slowly and carefully rolled into its lobby,
where it was immediately encased in an armoured, airtight
glass box. Three days later, the Bank threw a slap-up party
to celebrate, and for the next 20 years the car was
a gleaming local landmark.
111
AMEX DELOREAN
The second one went to Sherwood Marshall, Canadian
naval officer turned entrepreneur. With VIN 4300 and
manual gearbox, it was unusual in featuring a tan leather
interior (regular DeLoreans were black or grey inside)
that was a try-out for a proposed factory option. Sherwood
clearly could not resist the temptation to play King Midas
on the highways, as it covered 1442 miles in his ownership.
Eventually, both ended up in museums. The Marshall
car was donated to the National Automobile Museum in
Reno, Nevada, while the car on these pages is housed at
the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Roger
112
Mize died in 2003 and in 2009 his family gifted it to the Below left and above
museum. When not on display, it is housed with the rest Unworn cabin is testament to
20 years as a centrepiece in a
of the reserve collection in the vault.
Texas bank; the rear-mounted
That would have seemed to be the end of the entire, 2.8-litre V6 has never fired.
ridiculous episode. Yet there was one more official gold-
plated DMC-12. That spare set of panels mothballed at
Dunmurry was never called upon and, as the marque and
its factory were in their death throes in 1983, it was
decided to fit them onto another car, VIN 20105. This was
duly completed in Columbus, Ohio, by Consolidated
International. They were just one gullwing door short
(wonder which disgruntled ex-employee filched that?),
so another was quickly plated, and consequently it was
very slightly different in its final tone.
Consolidated had bought the entire bankrupt stock of 1981 Amex
unsold Deloreans, and offered its gold-plated one in a DeLorean DMC-12
raffle through a department store it owned called Big Engine 2849cc V6,
SOHC per bank, Bosch
Lots. The winner clearly had no misgivings about showing
K-Jetronic fuel injection
it off, as it covered 636 miles before rocking up finally Power 130bhp @ 5500rpm
in a private collection in Maryland. Torque 153lb ft @ 2750rpm
Gold-plated cars have since gone relatively mainstream, Transmission Three-speed
some of them air-freighted to London each summer by automatic, rear-wheel drive
Steering Rack and pinion
Middle Eastern owners to dazzle the doormen and Suspension Front and rear:
tourists outside Harrods, and blaze up and down Park double wishbones, coil springs,
Lane. But the authentic, 24-carat look is one more added telescopic dampers. Anti-roll
to the list of bizarre firsts for which the notorious bar at front Brakes Discs,
vented at front Weight 1244kg
DeLorean DMC-12 can be thanked. Or blamed. End (standard car) Performance
Top speed 125mph. 0-60mph
THANKS TO Petersen Automotive Museum, www.petersen.org. 10.5sec (est)
1927 3 LITRE
DROPHEAD COUP BENTLEY
Original coachwork by Freestone and Webb
One of only fteen built on a Speed Weymann specication chassis

www.themedcalfcollection.com
more@themedcalfcollection.com +44 (0)1730 893992

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Saturday mornings 9am to 1pm
 BERNIE ECCLESTONE

So, what exactly did

Bernie Ecclestone
do for Formula 1?
Hes no longer in charge of motor racings
most notorious gravy train. Time for David
Tremayne to chart Ecclestones rise and fall
REUTERS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

114
DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE ARCHIVE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
THE NEWS, WHEN it broke late on
Monday, 23 January, was hardly unexpected.
Nevertheless, when it was revealed that
Liberty Medias acquisition of the second
tranche of CVC Capital Partners shares in the
Formula 1 business had been successful and
that Bernie Ecclestone was effectively out the
door, it still took some believing. This is,
after all, the man who was F1. The ringmaster.
A sharp, dry-witted and indomitable racer-
cum-businessman who was as tough in life
as he was in negotiations. Who lived by the
maxim: First you get on, then you get rich,
then you get honest.
Who else would have been back at work
within weeks of triple-bypass heart surgery in
1996? Who else, at the age of 80, could not
only shrug off a vicious beating by four six-
footers and be at his desk by nine oclock the
next morning, but also suggest that official F1
watch sponsor Hublot use his battered visage
in its advertising?
Love him or loathe him, the little fellow with
the shock of white Beatles hair had steered
F1 since the late 1970s. But now he was gone,
patted on the head with the Chairman Emeritus
title as he left.
Bernard Charles Ecclestones story is one of
shrewdness allied to ruthlessness, and a love of
the deal. Without him, F1 would never have
been something of interest to the likes of
CVCs Donald Mackenzie or Liberty boss
John Malone. Here are some of his greatest
successes and worst moments.
BUYING BRABHAM
According to legend though Ron Tauranac
might dispute it Ecclestone agreed terms to
buy Brabham with Jack Brabhams designer
and former partner late in 1971. Then, at the
last moment, he changed his mind, forcing
Tauranac to sell for a lower figure
$125,000. Its said that the small matter of
the $35,000 that Brabham held in its bank
account was overlooked by one of the parties
in the negotiations.
Far left and left
Ecclestone at court in Munich,
2014, for the Gribkowsky bribery
trial; Balestre, Mosley and
Ecclestone at Germanys
Hockenheimring in 1981.
Brabham was not the first team Ecclestone
had owned; hed bought cars from the defunct
Connaught in 1957 and unsuccessfully tried to
qualify one in Monaco. He also managed
driver Stuart Lewis-Evans, and later Jochen
Rindt, but admitted that their violent deaths
prompted him to deal with things rather than
people thereafter.
Brabham, however, gave him his entre into
the society of team ownership, and led to his
next big step.
FOCA: ECCLESTONES GENIUS PART 1
As fellow Formula One Constructors
Association entrants such as Colin Chapman,
Frank Williams and Ken Tyrrell focused on
racing, Ecclestone left that aspect of running
his team to his lieutenants: designer Gordon
Murray, team manager Herbie Blash and chief
mechanic Charlie Whiting. Instead, the former
secondhand car dealer relished doing deals
on the others behalf with recalcitrant race
promoters. The united front was irresistible: no
agreement, no teams, no race.
By 1978 he was FOCA chairman, but there
was a bump in the road ahead in the form
of new F1 ruler Jean-Marie Balestre.
THE FISA/FOCA WAR:
ECCLESTONES GENIUS PART 2
Ecclestones commercial talents threatened
Balestre, the bombastic president of FISA
(Fdration Internationale du Sport
Automobile, now Fdration Internationale de
lAutomobile). The Frenchman believed FISA
should run everything; Ecclestone and cohort
Max Mosley, boss of March Racing and FOCAs
lawyer, believed otherwise and saw Balestre
as a roadblock on FOCAs path to riches.
The confrontation became bloody over the
winter of 1980, as Ecclestone and Mosley
threatened to start their own breakaway F1
Championship if Balestre did not acquiesce to
their demands to take control of the sports
commercial rights. This, Ecclestone knew, was
where the real wealth lay.
He and Mosley were about to fold as the fight
dragged on but, in the style that was to become
their hallmark, the two conspirators kept their
nerve and out-bluffed Balestre. He remained
the power behind the FIA throne in an uneasy
truce but, while the FIA retained ownership of
the commercial rights, Ecclestone could exploit
them. That was what he had wanted all along.
GLOBAL TELEVISION:
ECCLESTONES GENIUS PART 3
In the decade that followed, Ecclestone built an
empire on the back of the deal to sell the
commercial rights. And that was where the
trawlermans son from Bungay made his
fortune, and those of Williams, Tyrrell and
newcomer Ron Dennis at McLaren. While they
raced, he did the legwork they had no time for,
but from which they benefited hugely.
This time, he sold broadcast rights on an
annual basis to networks that had to agree to
televise every race, where previously one-off
deals had restricted exposure. Suddenly, F1 was
a global phenomenon; everyone wanted a slice.
Sponsorship revenue rocketed yet Ecclestone
shrewdly fostered the sports elitist air.
By juggling companies and contracts, he
eventually took full control of FOCA, incensing
its members so much that Tyrrell purportedly
had to be restrained from attacking him. He had
made many of his fellow team owners richer
than they could ever have believed, but they no
longer looked upon him benignly as their
fairy godmother; instead he had become the
godfather, a fearsome businessman with barely
a shred of sentimentality, who thrived on
confrontation and liked nothing better than to
set rivals at each others throats, or to toss a
firecracker into a circle of them and see who
had the balls to throw it back. In 1991 the final
step came with the accession of Mosley to
Balestres position as FISA president.
THE SAFETY EMPOWERMENT
As Ecclestones self-enrichment drew criticism,
other things went unnoticed. The most
115
BERNIE ECCLESTONE
He was that rare combination in F1: a racer at heart
with the case-hardened soul of the thrusting businessman
important was the continuation of the safety
crusade initiated by Jackie Stewart in the 1960s.
In 1978 he invited Sid Watkins to become
F1s official doctor, moving the sport out of its
medical dark ages. A watershed came at Imola
in 1987 when Watkins refused Nelson Piquet
permission to race after a heavy practice
accident at Tamburello. Despite huge pressure
from Piquet and the Brazilian champions old
friend Ecclestone, Watkins held firm and told
Ecclestone that, if Piquet drove, he would leave
F1 for good. Wisely, Ecclestone backed him
and, from that race onwards, Watkins word was
undisputed law in all medical matters.
EMBARRASSING BLAIR:
THE 1997 TOBACCO BAN BUNG
It seemed that Ecclestone could do no wrong.
F1 grew in popularity despite the deaths of
Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at
Imola in 1994, exploiting the rise of Michael
Schumacher. There was a threat on the horizon,
however, as the anti-tobacco lobby continually
gained traction in its fight against the weed, the
source of the sports most significant funding.
But Ecclestone stymied that by donating
1m to the Labour Party, which subsequently
announced that F1 was exempt from the
tobacco advertising ban. Thereafter, cynics
referred to 1m as a Bernie.
THE 100-YEAR DEAL:
ECCLESTONES GENIUS PART 4
If anything epitomised Ecclestones
buccaneering approach to management of
the sport, it was the deal he forged with
Mosley to lease the commercial rights from the
FIA for 100 years. It happened in 2001 and, on
the face of it, $313.6m seemed like a huge
sum until you figured that it bought
Ecclestones Formula One Management around
1800 races, for the estimated income value
from only 1 of them
Critics accused him and Mosley of stealing
the sport from beneath the noses of all of its
competitors, but they remained unrepentant.
GERMANY: THE BEGINNING
OF THE END
The world was changing when Ecclestone hit
big bumps in 2014.
He had been able to cash in by selling shares
and raising loans. In 2001 he had sold EM.TV
founder Thomas Haffa an option to buy control
116
of the sport but, when Haffa stumbled, media
entrepreneur Leo Kirch stepped in, until his
Kirch Group also went bust and its shares
devolved to various banks.
By sleight of hand involving the Ecclestone
familys Bambino Trust in 2002, Ecclestone
was able to maintain management control. But
three years later the banks took successful legal
action. Ecclestone and Gerhard Gribkowsky of
BayernLB successfully sought a new owner
to buy out the troublesome banks venture
capitalist CVC Capital Partners. CVC was
content to let Ecclestone stay in charge, as it
went on to accrue $4 billion of debt and paid
out billions more to shareholders.
Gribkowsky was eventually jailed after
admitting he had taken a $44-million bribe to
favour CVC, but in 2014 Ecclestone avoided a
similar fate when he went on trial in Germany,
as a provision in German law allowed him to
make a $100-million payment instead.
WEAKENING POWER BASE
In 2009 Ecclestone had successfully killed a
union of F1 teams FOTA (Formula One
Teams Association) by offering financial
incentives to Red Bull and Ferrari, which fatally
undermined its solidarity. But his power base
was weakened when Mosley left office at the
FIA in the fall-out from his much-publicised
2008 sex scandal. In 2014 Ecclestone rashly
made extraordinary comments about the poor
state of F1 that drew comparisons with Gerald
Ratners comments that his products were
crap, and long-term ally Luca di Montezemolo
was ousted by Ferrari.
With each renegotiation of the Concorde
Agreement, the teams had fought hard for a
greater share and that brought about the
situation in Texas that year where new teams
Caterham and Marussia were on the ropes, and
he was forced to admit to being between a rock
and a hard place, with no financial flexibility to
help them. Assuredly, times were different.
Ecclestone had finally found himself in a
position in which there was no wriggle room.
Business had changed so much in the 21st
Century. Transparency was crucial and
everywhere you looked there were clampdowns
on the old practices. A successful entrepreneur
could no longer throw a bit of money around
to get things done on the QT.
And the hunt for places sufficiently wealthy
to stage races at what most deemed to be
thoroughly exorbitant rates thanks to CVCs
rapacious borrowing was forcing him to go
ever further afield and to do business with
some increasingly dubious characters.
The sports popularity was waning; its global
expansion alienated some, as did the quieter
cars, the degradable tyres, and the sheer cost.
And since he himself had done so, it was now
the cool thing down the pub to be the informed
guy who tapped the side of his nose knowingly
and rubbished it.
Then there were his off-the-cuff comments,
often deemed offensive, such as saying in
reference to Indycar sensation Danica Patrick
that he preferred his household appliances in
white; about Hitler being a man who got things
done. If you knew him well, you understood
that many of his comments were deliberately
provocative throwaways guaranteed to generate
quick headlines.
But in the new era of the internet and social
media which he professed neither to like nor
to understand such things hung around far
longer than they ever did in the old days of
printing presses and paper, and often came back
to bite him. The bromance with Putin, when F1
went to Russia in 2014, didnt help, either.
There was more open talk in the paddock of
how his outdated way of doing things was out
of step in a changing world of social and digital
media, and holding the sport back.
He was that rarest combination in F1: a racer
at heart but with the case-hardened soul of the
thrusting businessman who never lost the
secondhand car salesmans thrill for a deal.
Denying rumours of a breakaway
championship, he said: I have built the
Championship over the last near-50 years,
which is something I am proud of, and the last
thing I want is to see it damaged.
I would have loved the luxury of what Chase
Carey is able to do. I hope the F1 supporters
appreciate this, as Chase intends to put money
back into the sport.
That, some would say, is precisely what he
had no longer been able to do himself,
hamstrung as he was in doing the sort of fix-it
deals that had once been his trademark by
CVC Capital Partners ceaseless philosophy of
squeezing F1 until its pips burst.
Perhaps the greatest buccaneer of them all
had ultimately suffered as Hamlet had once
suggested: For tis the sport to have the enginer
hoist with his own petar. End
WILLIAM LYONS JAGUAR Mk10

PRIDE OF LYONS
This Jaguar Mk10 was the personal car of
Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons. John Simister
drives it from the mansion he called home
Words John Simister Photography Amy Shore

118
119
WILLIAM LYONS JAGUAR Mk10
JAGUAR HEITAGE
T
Above and right his is the biggest standard-issue Jaguar
Sir William Lyons pictured
at Browns Lane with a whole
saloon there has ever been. Those of us
fleet of Mk10s; lusty 3.8-litre of a certain age sometimes rail against
straight-six is essentially the the enormity of modern cars, especially
same as the E-types. sybaritic ones, but this one is The
Daddy. Launched 55 years ago, the
Jaguar Mk10 you see here is wider than current versions
of the XJ, the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz
S-class. Longer, too, than all those cars in their standard
length. Only their LWB versions out-extend the Mk10,
and not by much.
Which means that when it was launched back in 1961,
the Mk10 seemed absolutely enormous. It also seemed
bold, optimistic and fabulously modern with its fully
outboard headlights, yet still very clearly a Jaguar. On a
seven-year-old me, and all my car-mad friends, the Mk10
made an enormous impression. It was the coolest, most
sophisticated luxury saloon on the planet.
We all wanted the models of it that the toy companies
were falling over themselves to produce. Corgi was first,
its metallic blue offering previewed in the Corgi Model
Clubs magazine, and I drove Mr and Mrs Lambert, who
ran my local toyshop, mad with endless requests for news
on the delivery date. Eventually the models arrived,
featuring not only an opening bonnet and boot (a first)
but also an opening suitcase and a smaller attach case.
Dinky followed, its offering in a similar blue, but only
the boot opened. The luggage was more realistic, though:
a proper, boarding-school-style trunk and two sports
bags. Then Tri-angs Belfast-based Spot-On company
launched a bronze Mk10, its first model to have properly
rendered shutlines rather than ridges. Again, an opening
boot contained luggage, rather poor white suitcases this
time, but this models USP was its properly steerable
front wheels.
120
When it was launched,
the Mk10 seemed
absolutely enormous.
It also seemed bold,
optimistic and
fabulously modern
I still have all three miniature Mk10s, albeit far from
mint and no longer boxed. And Im telling you this
because it was part of the impact the Mk10 made on
young minds. Of the three models, the Corgi
interpretation best portrayed the essence of the real thing,
the long, flowing curves with their exquisite blend of
voluptuousness and tension, the stance and the cohesion.
Corgis modellers almost always did it best back then.
What the model captured was the forward-leaning nose
with its shrunken interpretation of the preceding MkIXs
grille (curiously, Jaguar switched from Roman to Arabic
numerals for the new car), the subtle double curves of
the front and rear screens, the shapes of the wheelarches:
flat-topped at the front, the top low and gently curved at
the back. But looking afresh at the Mk10 today, I see that
all the models missed a trick.
They show all the doors front and central shutlines to
be vertical, but in reality that applies to the front one
alone. The centre one leans slightly forward, the rear one
significantly more so. Combined with the lean-forward
nose, and tail-lights that do the same thing at the
extremities of the tapering rear wings, which terminate
the convex waistline, they heighten the impression of a car
poised to pounce, powerfully, as a Jaguar might.
WHEN THIS PARTICULAR car took to the road,
surprise and awe must have been at their maximum. Thats
partly because it was one of the first to be built, departing
the Browns Lane assembly line on 17 December 1961,
and partly because its usual occupant was none other than
Sir William Lyons himself, whose company car 7868 RW
was. That means it spent a lot of downtime at Sir Williams
splendid pile, Wappenbury Hall near Leamington Spa,
to which it has returned for this encounter.
Here, on the gravel forecourt, Sir Williams intuitive eye
would take in full-size mock-ups of proposed new Jaguar
models, the open-air viewing representing better than a
studio how a new car would look on the road. From here,
too, Sir William and Lady Lyons would descend into the
Mk10s impossibly broad back seat, ready for a chauffeur
to take them to a glittering industry function. Other
times, Sir William would drive the grandest Jaguar
himself, perhaps to Browns Lane, perhaps arriving at
dawn at the MIRA test track where the XJ13 endurance
racer was undergoing secret tests (he kept the Mk10 for
several years). It is said that on one occasion, in 1962, he
even asked his chauffeur to use its ample length to block
 WILLIAM LYONS JAGUAR Mk10

122
Left
When you own the car
company, you want its top limo
as your daily wheels. The house
is currently on the market for
a cool 3.5 million

the factory gate. The workers were planning a walk-out,

and you cant walk out if theres no exit.
Given its special status as the bosss wheels, 7868 RW
wasnt entirely standard. It had the automatic transmission
option, plus power-assisted steering. That much you
would expect. It also wore six coats of opalescent dark
green paint (normally two sufficed), and had electric rear
windows to add to those normally fitted at the front. The
shiny walnut-veneered picnic tables on the backs of the
front seats were standard Mk10 fare, easing life for peckish
rear passengers, but in this car they incorporate flip-up
mirrors for last-minute sartorial checks pre-dinner,
pre-theatre, pre-party.
No doubt this Mk10 was an early user of the exciting
new M1, which then finished south-east of Coventry
having followed the route of todays M45. A luxury express
for the new motorway age, in the brief years of unfettered
pace before the experimental 70mph limit arrived at the
end of 1965. Its 3.8-litre, triple-SU straight-six was in
much the same tune as that of the E-type, launched in the
same momentous year, both claiming an optimistic
265bhp. The big saloon weighed half as much again as the
sports car, but it still moved more swiftly than any rival.

AFTER LIFE AT THE TOP, 7868 RW found itself at

Cheltenhams main Jaguar agent. The man who purchased
it in 1966 kept it until he died in 2011, latterly in a barn
with the tail sticking out. A man from Whitstable bought
it, got it home, assessed the restoration costs and took
fright. Thats when Ian Berg, rescuer of the Gucci Lynx
Eventer featured in Octane 157, came on the scene.
I bought it in 2014, says Ian, and it was in a bit of a
sorry state. The paint was off the bonnet after a dose of
Nitromors, and it looked like a flock of chickens had
lived inside. But was it actually rusty? It was well-
preserved in places, perhaps because of those extra layers
of paint, and the underside was good. But the boot, wings,
inner and outer sills, doors, they were all rusty. Much
of the whole car, then.
Huddersfield-based Jaguar specialist Miles Classic was
entrusted with the bodys renovation and the fabulous
new finish of opalescent green, while XJK in Newcastle-
under-Lyme refreshed all the mechanical parts and
reassembled the Jaguar complete with the retrimmed
interior and the acreage of renovated walnut veneer. Ian

123
WILLIAM LYONS JAGUAR Mk10

managed to find new-old-stock rear light units and the
numberplate plinth, the weather-exposed originals having
suffered beyond salvation. The other brightwork was
rechromed as necessary, notably the bumpers whose
overriders hidden sides are enclosed, as they tended to be
on a quality car.
Then I took it to Jaguar Heritage for a health check,
says Ian. It was fun taking it back to Browns Lane. He
wouldnt have been able to go through the original
entrance in the Lane itself, though, the one that the strike-
breaking Mk10 blocked. Thats long out of use.
As well as making adjustments and gaining the Jaguar
an MoT, Jaguar Heritage fitted the bright trims around the
windscreen and rear window, a torturously fiddly job that
can take days if the planets are misaligned. The Mk10 was
finally declared finished at the end of last summer.
AND NOW, 55 YEARS after I first lusted after this most
prestigious of all Jaguars, Im going to drive this most
favoured Mk10 of all. The bosss car. And my drive starts,
as did so many of his, from outside the front door of
Wappenbury Hall. I try to imagine I am Sir William, and
fail (too short and I dont own a glamorous car company).
Nor do I have Lady Lyons in the adjacent seat.
The doors lean curiously inwards, emphasising the bulk
that exists between their extravagantly curved outer skins
and their flat inner panels. The steering wheel is offset to
the left; behind it is the slender column stalk that selects
the required function in the Borg-Warner DG automatic
transmission. By devious means I have some manual Clockwise from bottom left
control over the lower two of its three forward ratios, L Plush interior is still welcoming;
where Sir William would have
(for Low) in the stalks indicator panel, or Intermediate parked it; picnic tables feature
Speed Hold via a toggle switch to the right of the 140mph custom mirrors; model is
speedometer. A fine bank of further toggle switches is authors own; electric rear
arrayed below the smaller dials to my left, in usual 1960s windows for the Lyons car only.
Jaguar fashion, and three push buttons below the radio
trigger the vacuum-powered heater flaps.
The engine all polished aluminium twin-cam raciness
starts on the first compression stroke, the starter barely
heard. Off we crunch over the gravel and out onto the
road, the Jaguar insulating us from the outside assaults of
coarse-grained tarmacadam and maintenance-starved
infrastructure as Jaguar saloons with all-independent
suspension, of which this was the first, do.
It wafts, but theres an XK-flavoured edge to its smooth
exertions if you look for it, both aurally and physically.
The engine isnt overwhelmed by the 1.8 tonnes of mass,
and neither are the ample Avon radial tyres (it wore
massive 7.50-14 Dunlop Road Speed RS5 crossplies
when new). Of course the Mk10 feels big, but not actually
gargantuan; the suspension controls the body too well for
that, and the panoramic view that comes with the slim
roof pillars makes it easy to place. Its soft, yes, but nicely
damped, and the E-type-like independent rear end keeps
the tyres firmly in contact with the road.
If the steering would only tell me something of what is
occurring at the front wheels I would almost think the
Jaguar agile, but it doesnt. Theres no springiness or
looseness, but the response is slow and the weighting
It wafts, but theres an
XK-flavoured edge to its
smooth exertions if you
look for it, both aurally
and physically
125
WILLIAM LYONS JAGUAR Mk10

Jaguar Mk10 never varies from a constant, finger-directed, light driving seat a while longer, while I place that first Corgi
Engine 3781cc viscosity. Thats early power steering for you. model on top of the mirror-gloss walnut dashboard. I
straight-six, DOHC, three
SU HD8 carburettors
Drive over, I take in those sweeping, imposing lines know the models metallic blue is too dark; I repainted it
Power again. That low, falling tail suggests a shallow boot but its to cover the scars of too much play. But at least the
265bhp (gross) @ 5500rpm actually huge, its sunken floor made possible by mounting jewelled headlights still sparkle. End
Torque fuel tanks vertically in each rear wing and giving each its
260lb ft @ 4000rpm
own filler. No wonder the toy cars made so much of the THANKS TO Knight Frank (www.knightfrank.com),
Transmission
Three-speed Borg-Warner DG luggage-stashing ability. the estate agent for Wappenbury Hall, which is for sale.
automatic gearbox, Cars usually look their best in the form in which they Sir Williams Jaguar will be offered at the Historics At
rear-wheel drive are originally designed, before facelifts and marketing-led Brooklands auction on 4 March, www.historics.co.uk.
Suspension Front: double tweaks sully the purity. The Mk10 gained a 4.2-litre
wishbones, coil springs,
telescopic dampers, anti-roll engine in 1964, but nothing changed visually until 1966
bar. Rear: double-wishbone when it was renamed 420G, gaining a thick central grille
geometry with driveshaft as bar, front indicator repeaters and a chrome strip along the
upper link, trailing arms, four flanks to slice the visual whole in half.
co-axial coil springs
and dampers
At a stroke the purity was lost. Instead of looking
Steering Recirculating ball, younger, the giant Jaguar looked oddly older if not at
power-assisted the time, then retrospectively, as seen through todays
Brakes Discs Weight 1789kg eyes. It faded out of production in 1970, but the genes
Performance
Top speed 120mph
didnt disappear entirely. In 1968 a Daimler-badged,
0-60mph 11.4sec 420G-derived limousine appeared, tall and stately and
useful for officialdom and the carriage trade alike. So
useful, indeed, that the Daimler DS420 stayed in
production until 1992, sporting the recognisable low-
profile rear wheelarch to the end.

I HADNT REALISED that I had been nurturing a dream

to drive a Mk10 for so many years, but the dream is now
made real. Its a lovely device and very rare now, with too
many having been plundered for desirable parts and their
rusting bodies binned. So let me sit in the deep, luxuriant

Above and below

The Mk10 is still Jaguars
biggest-ever saloon; its lines
emphasise perceived speed,
almost to caricature effect.

126
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THE 1968 JAGUAR XJ is one of the finest-looking
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GOODBYE LONGBRIDGE

130
 TROUBLE
AT THE
MILL
Britains biggest car factory
finally fell silent in 2016. Former
employee Richard Bremner tells
the woeful tale of The Austin

SHORT OF WAR and wide-scale rioting, there are few

circumstances that can trigger the same level of
destruction as the business failure of a large industrial
complex. All of a sudden a huge enterprise that seemed as
permanent as the next row of hills becomes a scene of
windswept desolation and, for those that worked there,
an unwelcome life-changing event. But because the
Longbridge factory died by a thousand cuts, the demise of
what was once the largest car plant in Europe has passed
almost unnoticed. This, then, is a modest homage to a car
factory that for decades was this countrys most important.
Longbridge itself is a suburb of Birmingham, and the
Austin Motor Company was the employer of a huge
workforce that did everything from casting engine blocks
to machining gearboxes, stamping panels, welding,
painting and assembling entire cars. At its peak, it
breathlessly produced 7000 cars a week.
The Austin, as it was locally known, was also where
dozens of cars were designed and developed, most
famously the Mini. Rather unexpectedly the designing
and developing continues today, the site housing a
300-strong engineering centre for the Shanghai
Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). SAIC is the
owner of the storied MG marque, and of the Roewe brand
that grew out of the remnants of Rover, and is one of
Chinas major vehicle industry players, assembling vast
numbers of GM and VW models for its home market.
Although MG Rover went bust in 2005, its Longbridge
base produced its last car last year, 111 years after Herbert
Austins newly established company manufactured its first
car in 1905. That last car was an MG3 supermini, one of
KEYSTONE PICTURES USA/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

many shipped largely complete from China for little more

than the marrying of powertrain to painted and trimmed
body. That MG Motor owners SAIC even attempted to
keep the plant active was admirable, given the limited
economic sense it must have made. While the reborn
MG Motor is slowly developing as a maker of budget
hatchbacks and crossovers, it hasnt grown fast enough
to sustain local assembly.
Of course this plant, its management, workforce, shop
stewards and products have so often been a sad, bad and

131
GOODBYE LONGBRIDGE
Pilfering was rife, and the spares
department of one local dealer
was rumoured to be stocked
with parts lifted from the line
frustrating news story over the past 50 years that the
reasons for it becoming so big in the first place have long
been forgotten. Among some 15 million vehicles that
Longbridge has produced, its the small cars that generated
fame, big sales and, occasionally, salvation. It was also a
decision around another major small car project that
sealed the factorys fate.
Before that, it gained impetus and scale not only
through cars but conflict too, Government-funded
expansion producing aircraft, shells, trucks and substantial
new facilities during both World Wars. The small car
thread begins between the wars, with the 1922 Austin
Seven. Largely the creation of Herbert Austin himself and
18-year-old draughtsman Stanley Edge, it was designed in
secret in the billiard room of Austins home, its partial
inspiration the Rover Eight. The result was a car so tiny
that it was often the object of mirth, but it scored by being
a proper car in miniature rather than a crude cyclecar.
Though Austin oversaw Edges work and contributed
much of the chassis and steering design, it was the young
draughtsman who ensured that the Seven had a four-
cylinder engine rather than a twin, and he who drew the
whole car up. Its keen price and dependable functionality
soon won it thousands of customers. Just over 300,000
were produced between 1922 and 1939, and it was
assembled in the US, France, Germany and Japan. The
Seven did much to put Britain on wheels, and turned its
maker into a major automotive force.
But mobilising the country was abruptly halted by
World War Two, while a Government-initiated post-war
export drive favoured cars much larger than any Seven
replacement. So it took until 1951 for the A30 to appear.
Advertised as the New Austin Seven in an effort to
capitalise on the companys pre-war success, it was
nevertheless a forward-looking car despite its chubby
demeanour. This was Austins first properly monocoque
model and among the first in the world, preceded only by
the 1913 Lagonda 11hp, the 1921 Lancia Lambda and, by
a matter of months, the Saab 92. It fundamentally changed
the way Longbridge made cars.
And the A30s replacement would alter the way all small
cars were made. Transverse engine, gears-in-the-sump,
ten feet long, rubber-cone suspension we all know the
ingredients that made the Mini magical. Its verve,
handling, steering, economy and charm endeared it to
more than five million buyers, including royalty, racers
and celebs. It was built from Chile to New Zealand to
Oxford. But the only factory manufacturing it throughout
its 41-year life strikes permitting was Longbridge.
132
Longbridge was where the Minis creation was ordered
by boss Leonard Lord, and where the Mini was realised by
Alec Issigonis and his team. Lord was immensely
ambitious for BMC, his vision to make Longbridge the
most modern car plant in Europe fully realised by the
mid-50s. During the next decade the Mini and its
big-selling 1100/1300 brother poured from the plant,
production reaching its zenith in 1963/4 at 371,979.
Minis were everywhere. And if youll allow some
nostalgic indulgence, they were in the head of your
reporter, who as a teenager decided that he wanted to
work for the company that made them. In 1976 that took
me to Longbridge and an Austin apprenticeship, to train
in sales and marketing.
I didnt get to work on the factory floor the place was
too strike-prone to risk apprentices making Minis and
Allegros but I got tantalisingly close. Apart from the
sheer scale of the car assembly buildings (CAB 1 and
CAB 2), you could smell the process of mass industrial
GETTY
toil, the air laced with the vapours of molten metal, oily
machine tools, hot weld and wet paint.
The sales block was less industrially perfumed. Training
occurred in the order-processing department in the days
of paper and carbon copies, and in a production-
scheduling area which employed a gentleman improbably
named Austen Austin who worked at The Austin. The
first challenge for any trainee entering this department
was not to snigger when the introductions were made.
If this seemed a bit distant from the creation of cars, a
lunchtime walk to the canteens for curry, rice and chips
would give you a fix. Sometimes the design studio
entrance might provide a peek of something new,
although I never spotted anything more exciting than a
facelifted Morris Marina. Cars could be seen streaming
from the car assembly buildings and, come a shift change,
workers too. That was an impressive spectacle, though not
as memorable as the sight of one particular man, walking
oddly in a black donkey jacket.
The reason for his shuffling gait was the hefty driveshaft
clutched to his chest beneath his coat, which slipped from
his grasp just as he approached the security gate. Whether
he was sacked is debatable pilfering from the plant was
rife, and the spares department of one local franchised
dealer was rumoured to be stocked almost entirely with
parts lifted from the production line.
Pilferage was the least of Longbridge troubles by the
mid-70s, the unions disruptive grip on the place turning
shop steward Derek Red Robbo Robinson into a major
GETTY
industrial power broker; while strikes, scant profits and
Clockwise from left
Austin A40s being built for export in
1947; workers down tools for lunch in
the canteen, 1955; spilling out of the
factory gates at shifts end, 1948; Austin
10s on the final inspection and finishing
tracks, 1936; the height of British
Leylands 1970s picket-line infamy.

GETTY
GETTY
TRINITY MIRROR / MIRRORPIX / ALAMY

133
GOODBYE LONGBRIDGE

134
 Clockwise from left
A Rover 45 bodyshell is left hanging, abandoned
on the production line; these (once state-of-the-
art) spray booths were used to paint MG Rovers;
MG ZS handles that will never open a door;
empty assembly halls once thronged with activity.

poor product planning drove Longbridge owners British

Leyland into the arms of the Government that created
this morass of ill-fitting companies in the first place.
Nationalisation paid for new models in fits and starts,
the Triumph TR7 and Rover SD1 among them, but no
model was more keenly anticipated than the new Mini.
It was codenamed ADO88 until a pre-launch facelift
triggered by dire customer clinic results turned it into
LC8, finally launched in 1980 as the Mini Metro. By that
time BL had concluded that the original Mini should live
alongside it, allowing the market to decide its lifespan it
would outlive its potential nemesis.
Whether the Mini Metro would succeed was the issue
occupying almost every Longbridge mind in 1980, the
fate of this model unquestionably determining the fate of
BL. One day there were dozens to see, parked in neat rows
in front of a grand office block known as the Kremlin. It
looked woefully under-wheeled on a track too narrow for
its neat body. The rims originally chosen, whose offset
widened the track, had developed cracks in testing. These
were the only available substitutes so close to launch
Yet the media frothed and the Metro conquered. It
never quite unseated Fords Fiesta, but it took BL back
into export markets and fanned the companys prospects
with unfamiliar promise. At least until the Maestro
landed. More vital than this lightly troubled Allegro
replacement was BL boss Michael Edwardes canny deal
with Honda, which led to a largely productive relationship
and cars vastly better engineered than it was used to.
The Roverisation of Hondas was successful enough
that BMW tempted itself into buying Rover Group in
1994. It intensified the companys efforts to develop a new
Mini, to be produced at Longbridge. Had that occurred,
Birminghams most famous car factory would have been
revived and flourishing today. Instead, BMWs 2000
decision to offload Rover sealed its unpalatable fate. MG
Rover slowly declined over the five years that it battled to
find a partner, the infamous Phoenix Four bosses earning
handsomely despite the 2005 bankruptcy.
But it wasnt over yet for car production at Longbridge.
The assets were bought by Chinas Nanjing Automobile
Corporation, and the intellectual rights to the models by
SAIC. Small numbers of MG TFs once again emerged
from the doors of CAB 1 and, after SAIC took over
Nanjing, MG Motor built the MG6 family hatchback and
a budget supermini. Ironically it was once again a small
car that made Longbridge history, the MG3 being the last
vehicle to be produced at the plant.
ALL IMAGES: CATERS NEWS AGENCY

The real end came in 2005, when MG Rovers collapse

made headlines, when thousands lost their jobs and
when the demolition balls moved in. Its demise caused
heartache for thousands, your reporter included.
Longbridge has left a legacy, the Mini brand living on with
BMW, but for many its as much of a loss as the shuttered
mines and shipyards of decades past.

135
GOODBYE LONGBRIDGE
ANGELS & DEMONS
Great things came out of Longbridge,
at the height of BMCs success
1922 AUSTIN SEVEN
A masterpiece of big-car miniaturisation, but not so miniature that it
didnt suit a family of four. Tens of thousands of them thought so too.
The Seven did much to make new cars affordable for the middle
classes, besides putting Austin on the map as a major car producer.
Unlike the cheap cyclecars of the era, the Baby Austin was properly
engineered and propelled by a four-cylinder engine specifically
designed for it. It made a doughty racer, too.
1952 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100
The product of Donald Healey and opportunistic Austin boss
Leonard Lord, the Healey 100 appeared at the 1952 Earls Court
show. It used plenty of Austin parts, and Healey was already talking to
Longbridge about engine supply. The car was such a hit that dealers,
including BMCs own, were clamouring for it. So Lord suggested
to Healey and his lieutenants: Well make the bloody thing at
Longbridge. But well have to change the name to Austin-Healey 100.
1959 MINI
The Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor were built in both
Birmingham and Oxford, but it was a Longbridge design and easily
the most influential car the plant would produce. Like its pre-war
ancestor it did much to motorise Britain, besides contributing a word
to the language. It became a brand in its own right in the late 1960s
and, despite going unreplaced for 41 years although the Metro
came close it continues as a flourishing brand today, under BMW.
136
but some bad things happened too.
And we all know where that led
1949 AUSTIN A90 ATLANTIC
Austin boss Leonard Lords idea for combining sports car
performance with saloon car comfort proved that his judgement was
fallible (though he would later sanction the Mini), and many thought
the baroque result was best consigned to the ocean it was named
after. American sales were the aim but, despite the Atlantic smashing
multiple endurance records at Indianapolis, US buyers couldnt get
past its meagre four cylinders, and pudgy Cyclopian weirdness.
1967 AUSTIN 3-LITRE
Another misguided brainchild of a big boss, the 3-Litre was the idea
of Leonard Lord successor George Harriman. Its top-of-the-range
credentials were undermined by doors shared with the cheaper Austin
1800 and, not long after that, the even cheaper Maxi. Troubled
development eventually produced a superb self-levelling Hydrolastic-
suspended rear-drive chassis, but the engine was a stolid thing and the
cabin offered no more room than the lesser 1800s.
1973 AUSTIN ALLEGRO
Replacement for the best-selling 1962-74 1100/1300 started with
a promising sketch by Harris Mann, soon spoiled by the need to
accommodate an oversized heater and taller engines. A late decision
to save money by removing the subframes vital to refined operation
of Alex Moultons interconnected Hydragas suspension further
troubled it from the off. More than any other car, the Allegro doomed
British Leylands chances of fighting off Ford and fast-rising imports. End


 FEATURE TAGLINE
FERRARI 166

138
 THE KING
OF STYLE
Ferrari, Touring and Gianni Agnelli were
trendsetters. Combine them and the results
border on magic, as this unique 166 proves
Words Dale Drinnon Photography Martyn Goddard

139
MUNARIS STRATOS
FERRARI 166
S
o far Ive been lucky. Passers-by are few in
Turins Piazza San Carlo early on a Sunday
morning and, as I field questions slowly,
my feeble Italian gets the basics across:
very important Ferrari, here from Britain,
Italian National Automobile Museum. The
descent of an entire jogging club, however, is too much for
my limited skills. Fortunately, Clive steps up, pats me on
the shoulder, smiles, and points towards the gorgeous
Touring-bodied 166MM. la prima Ferrari di Gianni
Agnelli, he announces. The joggers are ecstatic. Ah, si, si,
the first Ferrari of Gianni Agnelli!
Clive and I dash off like heroes, V12 music dancing
along elegant Baroque facades. Aside from the odd couple
of phrases, thats the only complete sentence I know, he
says. But when youre driving this car in this country, its
the only one you really need.
Clive Beecham isnt kidding, either. Driving any Ferrari
in Italy is special; driving around Turin in his Touring
166, a true landmark model for both manufacturer and
coachbuilder and the very car that Touring selected to
headline its 90th birthday exhibition in Italys Museum
of the Automobile, is something else again.
That its also Gianni Agnellis first Ferrari, in Agnellis
home city, and going to the museum dedicated to his
memory, makes the experience like hanging out with
royalty. Cops will fight among themselves for the honour
of overlooking your sins, locals want to put you on their
Facebook page, and translators are never a problem;
somebody always steps up, overjoyed to help. More than
a decade after his 2003 death, the Fiat empires famous
140
boss of the glory years still captures the imagination Above and above right
of his countrymen. At speed; beautifully
proportioned Barchetta
In fact, that royalty simile is more than just a throwaway is at home in upmarket
line. Gianni Agnelli favoured his popular nickname surroundings; Fiat CEO
lAvvocato (the Lawyer), reflecting his law degree; many Agnelli at Miraori, Turin,
pundits, though, labelled him the Uncrowned King of in March 1969.
Italy, and anyone more realistic might have omitted the
qualifier Uncrowned. At his peak, Agnelli controlled
more than a quarter of Italys stock exchange, nearly 5% of
the nations GDP, and 3% of its workforce, in holdings
from transportation to newspapers to department stores.
No politician held as much real power and, when it came
to Papal audiences, he would have likely been on the
granting end of the process, not the receiving.
Of doubtless greater interest to the population, and
even before he took the rudder in 1966 of the company
co-founded by his grandfather, the dude had charisma to
burn. Devilishly handsome and impeccably dressed, he
was constantly in the right places with the right people, a
natural trendsetter. Admirers wore their wristwatches
atop their shirt cuffs and unbuttoned their Brooks
Brothers button-down collars because thats what Agnelli
did. Some likely still do.
It was natural, then, that young, fashionable Gianni
should covet the Ferrari 166MM Barchetta unveiled by
Touring at the 1948 Turin motor show. The few previous
Ferraris had tended towards the bland. With that aptly
named little boat, however, Touring chief Carlo
Anderloni and stylist Federico Formenti brought forth
one of historys all-time automotive breathtakers, and the
model was more road-friendly than its predecessors, too.
GAROFALO JACK / CONTRIBUTOR
Perfect for a staggeringly rich 20-something playboy,
biding time before assuming the throne.
Getting his hands on one took some doing; Fiat
management werent keen on the heir driving a different
and blatantly flamboyant marque and Gianni made the
initial arrangements through intermediaries, even wearing
disguise on trips to the Touring workshops. (Clive says
there are also no known pics of Agnelli with the car, and
hes searched for ages.) In July 1950, he took delivery of
chassis number 0064M, the 24th of 25 Ferrari 166MM
Touring Barchettas, finished in his colours of dark blue
metallic over dark green metallic, with teardrop rear
lamps and special dash, all unique to this example.
Perhaps he chose not to drive it much in central Turin.
While traffic was admittedly thin post-war, the slab-paved
streets that appear determined to loosen every nut, bolt
and rivet were far more prevalent, and the car would have
lacked the electric radiator fan thats working virtually
non-stop now. Nor would the gearbox have offered any
consolation; the top three ratios have synchromesh, or
the insinuation thereof, but each shift up or down through
the five slots nonetheless requires double-declutching,
and frequently results in grinding anyway.
Long, straight stretches of narrow urban canyon lead
us across the city, and the wail of the little 2.0-litre V12
The wail of the little 2.0-litre V12 would put a
grin on the face of a tax auditor with heartburn
reverberating between storefronts would put a grin on the
face of a tax auditor with heartburn. And city motoring
brings home exactly how small this car genuinely is: about
the length of a Fiat 850 Spider, and the cockpit sides seem
to end roughly at your navel.
We ease our way from Piazza San Carlo to panoramic
Piazza Vittorio Vento, home of official parades and
festivities for some two centuries, followed by a visit to
Agnellis grand former townhouse (in respect of the
current owners privacy, lets just list the address as
surprise barely walking distance from the historic Royal
Palace), then leave the city in search of the Agnelli family
estate in rural Villar Perosa, south-west of Torino. Finding
it is unexpectedly easy; brief inquiries using Clives
obvious charm with the locals, and, of course, the magic
words la prima Ferrari di, and bang, were there.
Sadly, the magic words dont get us invited to the
wedding ceremony occurring inside, but the surrounding
area is ideal for gaining quality seat time. The Agnellis
have been resident since 1811, and Giannis grandfather,
also christened Giovanni Agnelli (hence the diminutive
Gianni given to the younger Agnelli), is said to have
funded his original Fiat investment from silk farming on
the property; the region still has a semi-remote, semi-
agricultural feel today, rolling hills leading into mountains,
141
 FERRARI 166

142
dotted with neat villages and the odd stately manor,
interlaced by winding and largely smooth country lanes.
The Ferrari loves it. Once youre moving you can forget
those two crotchety lower gears, and as the miles tick by
Im making peace with the others. If the brakes are no
better than the build period would predict, and the
shifting stiff regardless of technique, the steering and
chassis are stable and reassuring, and the engine totally
captivates. Prod the throttle and revs flow like warm
honey; yes, the average modern hatchback delivers more
horses, but who cares? Agnelli commented ages later Of
the cars I have driven, I cannot forget my first Ferrari and,
as wry as that sounds to mere mortals, his fondness for
this 166 is eminently understandable.
Those sentiments notwithstanding, Agnellis tenure
with 0064M was short. In 1952 he sold it, ironically
around the time of a severe crash near his Rivera party
villa, which left him with a permanently impaired right
leg, and ultimately inspired his taste for machinery with
only two pedals. Rumours that the accident happened
in a Ferrari, by the way, much less this Ferrari, merit
copious salt grains; acclaimed investigative reporter Judy
Bachrach, with extensive family access, stated in a Vanity
Fair profile that it was a Fiat estate and Agnellis
penchant for estate cars was indeed legendary.
Meanwhile, the 166 went safely to second owner
Viscomte Gery dHendecourt of Belgium, who
occasionally raced it and, more successfully, encouraged
famed countryman and future four-time Le Mans winner
Olivier Gendebien to do the same. Gendebien took his
first Ferrari win with the car, at Spa in 1953, plus some
other respectable placings before the Viscomte sold it in Clockwise from top right
56. Thereafter 0064M followed the familiar pattern: Heading for Italys National
Automobile Museum; teardrop
several short-term owners, amateur racing up to 1957,
tail-lights and dash layout are
some road use, and eventually it was parked in slightly unique to this car; whether
dishevelled retirement. in town or country, the 166
Until it came under the wing of Jacques Swaters. Barchetta looks exquisite.
Swaters, a Belgian racing driver turned founding principal
of renowned team Ecurie Francorchamps and one of
Europes leading Ferrari dealers (he brokered 0064M a
half-dozen times himself, he reckoned), acquired the
Agnelli Barchetta in 1967 and treated it like family for
the ensuing 46 years. During his guardianship, the tired
masterpiece underwent a loving restoration in the 80s,
returning from the apparently inevitable red to Agnellis
blue and green, and enjoyed a stellar Historic career,
appearing in the Mille Miglia, lIdea Ferrari and a host
of other venues, including the New York Museum
of Modern Art and the Berlin National Gallery.
It also acquired the honorific by which much of the
cognoscenti now know it: Nonna, Italian for grandmother.
Before his death in 2010, Swaters even provided for
Nonnas future; when Im gone, he told his daughter, you
should sell the car to Clive, and in 2012, Clive Beecham, a
committed admirer of 0064 since he first saw her in 1989,
brought Agnellis Barchetta home to London.
I never met Jacques Swaters, but I think hed be pleased
with his successor. Clive couldnt accord the 166 more
care and respect if it really was his grandmother, but he
also drives it most weekends, has road-tripped it across
the Continent, and ran the Mille again in 2013. While not
a serious concours participant, per se (aside from recent
143
 FERRARI 166

Right, from top

The 166 makes its way onto
centre-stage, ready to celebrate
90 years of Touring; triple carbs
were tted for racing; a double
win at Villa dEste in 2015.

nose repairs by Touring to 50s track damage,

nothings been touched since the Swaters
restoration), Nonna still makes regular show
appearances, and in 2015 at lofty Villa dEste
was awarded a Holy Grail of the discipline: Best
of Show trophies from votes of both the
participants and the viewing public.
Finally, the afternoon is drawing on, and we
head back towards Turin so Nonna can go on
her display plinth, Clive and I swapping the
driving between us and waving at the startled
civilians we scream past on the autostrada,
laughing at the stories we imagine theyll tell at
work tomorrow morning.
We should probably be having a deep,
insightful discussion about the importance of
the 166MM to the fortunes of Touring as well
as Ferrari, in the desperate post-war days when
neither could be that sure of survival. Or of
Agnellis part in maybe giving both of them,
in addition to the museum, a precious leg-up.
But the engine is too loud and our mood
too mellow, so we mostly debate whether the
car is beautiful, lovely, or pretty. Pretty wins
out, by a wide margin: not exotic, not sexy,
but pretty. Classically, enchantingly, heart-
breakingly pretty, like the one youll never
forget, and when we arrive at the museum and
Im sitting at the controls, my final stint finished,
I find myself feeling a little sad.
Then we get the word to bring her on in
and I open the drivers door, but Clive, standing
beside the car, simply smiles, gives me a nod
and motions me forwards, and I drive up to the
entrance of the Italian National Automobile
Museum, in Gianni Agnellis first Ferrari,
feeling as stylish and nonchalant as the great
man himself.
You know, Im not sure I could pull off that
wristwatch outside the cuff thing. But I do have
some Brooks Brothers shirts, and those collars
are hard to button, let me tell you. End

THANKS TO Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera,

www.touringsuperleggera.eu, and to the Italian
National Museum of the Automobile,
www.museoauto.it.

1950 Ferrari 166MM Touring Barchetta

Engine 1995cc V12, SOHC per bank,
three Weber 32 DCF carburettors (originally one)
Power 240bhp @ 6600rpm Torque 117lb ft
@ 5000rpm Transmission Five-speed manual,
rear-wheel drive Steering Worm and peg
Suspension Front: double wishbones, transverse leaf
spring, hydraulic dampers. Rear: live axle, semi-elliptic
leaf springs, hydraulic dampers, anti-roll bar
Brakes Drums Performance Top speed 120mph.
0-60mph 10sec (est)

144
CHURCHILL TANK

146
 TANK
TALES
The ultimate restoration project? Retired lawyer
Nigel Montgomery rebuilds WW2 Churchill tanks
then uses them as a school teaching aid
Words Mark Dixon Photography Matthew Howell

147
CHURCHILL TANK

W
hen you were ten years old, did you have school To me, the Churchill was the Spitfire of the ground war, because it
outings that involved a working WW2 tank? No, me served in every theatre from Dieppe to North Africa to Italy, he explains.
neither. But think how thrilled we would have been This one was built in 1941 the date is stamped on the hull doors and
to get up-close and personal with something like the was one of the very last to go out of service, which means it was an
Churchill pictured here; to see it move and hear the important tank to restore.
growl of its 21-litre engine and the clank of its tracks. Who knows what Perhaps unsurprisingly, Nigels father served with tanks in WW2, and
seeds might have been sown by such a formative experience? Nigel himself had a brief spell in Chieftains, as a young 2nd Lieutenant
And thats exactly the thinking behind The Churchill Trust, a charitable posted to Berlin with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. But,
body founded by retired City lawyer Nigel Montgomery. As a boy in the he says, he still doesnt really know where his life-long fascination with
late 1960s, he helped his father restore a vintage Bentley which is still tanks came from.
in the family and it was his life-long love of engineering and British I bought my first tank, a Chieftain, about 20 years ago, he continues.
ingenuity that made him want to get todays generation of children It cost about 12,000. Tanks are relatively easy to buy but theyre
enthused in the same way. difficult to run unless you have a lot of space. Then I decided I wanted to
The idea is to get kids interested in science and technology while go further back to the iconic tanks of WW2 but I couldnt find a running
theyre still open to new ideas, explains Nigel. Teachers love it, because Churchill, and that seemed a shame, given its importance.
it also brings in the study of history and even English through, for As so often in British military history, the Churchill was a rush job
example, the poetry of war. And while boys and girls react slightly created at the last minute and impelled by the German invasion of France
differently, both the genders seem equally fascinated by the machinery. and the Low Countries in May 1940. A hastily formed Tank Board was
The machinery in question is a Churchill MkIV, built in 1941 and in given three days to come up with a specification for a new tank, and it
service until the 1960s. The reason it survived so long is that it was seems very likely that newly elected Prime Minister Winston Churchill
converted into a mobile bridge layer, known as a Twin ARK (Armoured who succeeded Neville Chamberlain on 10 May 1940 was the driving
Ramp Carrier), which would form temporary bridges so force. The clue is in the name
that the Armys main battle tanks of the 1950s and 60s, Above Starting with a couple of prototype hulls that had already
the Centurion and Chieftain, could span wide gaps. It was Drivers vision is severely been completed, Vauxhall Motors took over the project at
restricted by the hull sides,
the Churchills adaptability and ubiquity over such a long so restorer Nigel always has
its headquarters in Luton. Its engineers rose to the challenge
period that made Nigel determined to find and preserve a spotter to help guide him magnificently, designing and building an all-new petrol
as many examples as he could. usually his daughter! engine in just three months. Unusually, it was a flat-12

148
Clockwise from top left
MkIV before and after removal of its
bridge-laying equipment; turret in primer;
rotary junction box (from a Scorpion) that
transmits power and signals from turret to
hull; at-12 engine and (below) close-up of
block; gearbox with air compressor on top;
removing appliqu side armour; instrument
panel during rebuild; shell damage to
commanders cupola on MkIII turret; tting
camshafts to restored engine blocks.

149
CHURCHILL TANK

150
 The petrol-fuelled Vauxhall flat-12 makes a surprisingly
harmonious noise. Who needs a Ferrari Boxer?
configuration, because that allowed the Churchill to have a Above and facing page reckons he got in at just the right time, because he was able
lower profile that would make it less visible to the enemy Nigel has managed to to track down the last few remaining spare parts before they
restore this Churchill with
in comparison, a radial-engined Sherman looks like mostly original components;
disappeared for good. If I were trying to do the same thing
a house, says Nigel. the gun still works but trying now, it just wouldnt be possible, he says. Nearly all the
The first production Churchills entered service in the to fire live ammunition could spares were scrapped when the tanks went out of service.
summer of 1941 and, not surprisingly, there were plenty of blow the barrel apart. However, there used to be a big scrapyard in Portsmouth
teething troubles; so much so that Vauxhall issued an that had all kinds of armoured vehicles, and I managed to
apology in the tanks instruction manual for defects that it had not had buy two unused, rebuilt gearboxes they had been overhauled by the
time to sort out! But improvements were rapidly made, not least to guns Army just before they were disposed of. And I found two engines at
and armour (early Churchills were equipped with a puny two-pounder another scrap dealers. Trouble is, Churchill engines are invariably seized
main gun), and, by the time the war ended, the Churchill had progressed because the exhaust sits above the cylinders and, when the tinwork above
through no fewer than eight Marks. the manifold corrodes, water leaks down past the open exhaust valves
The Churchill Trust has examples of Mks III, IV and VII, and the first and into the cylinders. The blocks then have to be separated from the
two of those are in running condition; in fact, they are the only two crankcase by spreading them apart with huge hydraulic jacks.
running Churchills of this type in the world. The one pictured here is a Fortunately, the bores carry liners and we were able to find some
MkIV but, having been built in 1941, it started life as a MkI, which was commercially available liners that were a perfect fit, so we now have a
upgraded to later spec as the war progressed. And this highlights one of total of five running engines, including two as spares.
the difficulties for the budding tank restorer: uncovering a tanks history, For a machine that was developed in such a short space of time, the
and choosing which era to use as a datum point for restoration. Churchill is remarkably sophisticated. The controls are all quite light,
Unfortunately, we have no idea about where or with which units this explains Nigel, and the steering, which is by drum brakes either side of
tank served, sighs Nigel, because the records have all been lost. It was the gearbox, is hydraulically operated with the assistance of compressed
registered as T31579 and Ive been scouring old photos to try and spot it, air provided by a compressor on the gearbox. But that means its also a
but with no luck. If anyone can help, Ive love to hear from them. complex system. We once had an air leak that was traced to a tiny spring
This Churchill was obtained through an exchange with Bovington that had corroded and wasnt allowing a valve to close, and which
Tank Museum in Dorset, the former HQ of the old Tank Corps. Nigel consequently made steering impossible!

151
CHURCHILL TANK

1941 Churchill tank

Engine 21,238cc flat-12,
L-head cam-in-block, four
Solex 46 FNHE carburettors
Power 350bhp @ 2200rpm
Torque 960lb ft @ 800-
1600rpm Transmission
Four-speed manual, rear
drive sprockets and tracks
Steering Drum brakes
on either side of gearbox,
controlling output shafts
Suspension 11 bogie units
per side, each with triple
coil springs Brakes One
hydraulically operated drum
on each hull side
Weight c40,000kg
Performance Top speed
12-15mph

Left
Nigel with one of the three
tanks in The Churchill Trusts
collection, this one a MkIII
that is still undergoing
restoration. It and the MkIV
pictured on the previous
pages are the only running
Mks III and IV in the world.

Despite the difficulties with obtaining spares, Nigel can proudly claim
that T31579 has been restored with mostly original parts. The track
guards and what he describes as other fragile tinwork fragile being a
relative term, here were remanufactured, but the heavier steel panels
and castings had survived quite well. Interestingly, the steel on the
outside seems to develop a thin patina of rust, which then stabilises on
the appliqu armour on the MkIIIs turret you can still see the Brinell
hardness test mark and the stamped date, says Nigel, but inside its a
different story. Condensation causes the rust to bite much more deeply.
A lot of the smaller componentry has been found by diligent searching,
not least on eBay. One prize find has eluded him, however. I know that a
batch of Churchill engines was sold to someone in the tractor-pulling
fraternity, he says wistfully, but so far Ive drawn a complete blank.
Theyll be out there somewhere, sitting in a shed.
Among the more important parts unique to this Churchill are the
tracks, which are made not in steel but in a manganese alloy. The tracks
had to be redesigned in this alloy after early experience with the Dieppe
landings, explains Nigel. The large stones on the beach got caught up
between the drive sprockets and the tracks, and broke the links.
Talking of tracks, when Nigel shows off his tanks to schoolchildren,
does he take them to the school, or bring the school to the tank?
Definitely the latter! he grins. Theyre not road-registered, and schools
tend to get a bit upset about the damage caused by driving a tank up to
their front door. For the same reason, we had to be particularly careful
about putting a Churchill on display outside Sir Winstons former
home at Chartwell.
Theres also the question of the weaponry. The main gun on this MkIV
is actually live, so it could in theory be fired although youd have to be
both brave and insane to try it, due to its age and the enormous pressures
that build up in the barrel when a round is fired. Even so, when the tank
is being transported, the law requires the firing mechanism to be carried
separately. We can fire blanks, but the trouble with those is that they
sound nothing like live ammunition because the charge ignites quite
slowly near the breech end and it makes a completely different noise to
the sharp crack of a projectile leaving the barrel at high velocity.
As you can see, tank restoration brings its own unique set of problems.
The biggest is, literally, the biggest: a Churchill is a huge machine and it
needs heavy lifting gear to maintain it and plenty of space in which to
operate. While manoeuvring T31579 for our photography session
outside his workshop, Nigel relies on his daughter Alexandra to act as a
spotter and never accelerates beyond a crawl, because his position as
driver within the hull means that his view is severely restricted. That
petrol-fuelled Vauxhall flat-12 does make a lovely and surprisingly
harmonious noise, however. Who needs a Ferrari Boxer?
The practicalities of moving a Churchill mean that Nigel is looking
for a more portable means of taking his engineering message to the youth
of today. Id like to find a Merlin V12 engine that could be mounted on
a trailer and run up for demonstrations, he explains. You could walk
around a Merlin and tell so many stories of the clever people who were
involved with it. And the Merlin was developed into the Meteor tank
engine; its a fascinating story of engineering ingenuity.
I was lucky, as a boy, to grow up in a house with a shed that was full
of tools, and a father who was always using them, which inspired me to
be creative. If I can stir that passion in someone else, to help them realise
that they have the potential to invent something rather than just accept
whats there, Ill be a happy man. End
FIND OUT MORE about The Churchill Trust at www.thechurchilltrust.co.uk.
Nigel is also the author of Churchill Tank: Owners Workshop Manual,
published by Haynes at 21.99, ISBN 978 0 85733 232 5.

152
BRISTOL ARCHIVES
GOING UNDERGROUND
Beneath the famous Bristol Cars Kensington
showroom is a remarkable unseen archive
Words David Lillywhite Photography Tim Andrew
THIS WAS TONY CROOKS domain. Beneath the
famous showroom that later became Bristol Cars head
office, away from Kensington High Streets hustle and
bustle, this dusty cellar holds the records, memories and
ghosts of the famously, fabulously eccentric carmaker.
Not for long though. The showroom is temporarily
closed for refurbishment, due to re-open any day now.
Bristols website reassures visitors that The works will
bring the space up to date and will bring it in line with the
companys technological future, whilst keeping as much
as possible of the traditional charm and old-school
glamour that the space enjoys. Considerable time has
been spent with designers to ensure that the facelift
will produce a space for buyers and owners alike to enjoy
and that will stay true to the principles of a brand that
is focused on quality, yet shuns ostentation.
No other car brand would put it quite like that.
And amid all that, this neglected subterranean space, so
simultaneously uninviting and yet intriguing in unrestored
form, will become part of the big plan, a central archive of
Bristol history, open (by appointment) to historians and
club researchers. With the lights low, its atmospheric and
eerie, lined with ancient filing cabinets and plan chests,
styling models randomly decorating their ancient tops,
photographs and paintings hung skew-whiff on the damp-
streaked exposed brick of the cellar walls.
Inside those cabinets is pure Bristol gold, the like of
which is just never seen in the modern automotive world.
154
Even the labelling is eccentric. On one set of wooden
drawers are stapled the hand-written labels 407 large and
408 large; below them are 407 smaller and 408 smaller.
They make me smile.
We ease open one of the plan chest drawers, cough,
and gingerly tempt out one of the brittle, cloth-edged
drawings. Its marked hinge attachment nut (exciting
stuff), apparently for the 405. There are hundreds, maybe
thousands of these drawings, going right back to the
earliest days of Bristol, showing panels, brackets, fasteners
perhaps every part for every model, though the Bristol
Cars team, headed by marketing manager Ian Wallace, are
still painstakingly working through what they have.
Tony Crook was known for locking-in employees down
here, and Ian perhaps channelled this spirit in committing
temporary assistant Tom Wiggett to a solid three months
sorting through the records; stage one of a huge archiving
operation that may last some time.
While the engineering drawings are fascinating, theyre
also delicate and dusty, and the older ones have a habit of
depositing a green dust onto the fingers of anyone who
handles them. Fortunately theres even better to be found
in the filing cabinets: the customer records.
Clearly the more recent records have to be kept
confidential, and are stored elsewhere under lock and key.
But under the supervision of Ian and Tom, were able to
rifle through the records from the earliest days of Bristol
Cars. Its wonderful stuff.
Above and left
Hours y by in the Bristol cellar
the drawers are packed with
sketches, many of models that
never saw the light of day. Note
too the famous 100 MPH
registration plate, used on
Bristol Cars demonstrators.
Dashboard, left, is from a 401.

155
BRISTOL ARCHIVES
WERE ABLE TO RIFLE THROUGH
THE RECORDS FROM THE EARLIEST
DAYS OF BRISTOL CARS. ITS
WONDERFUL STUFF
This page
Many of the files are filled with sales
orders, struck through with red once
a car had been delivered, but there
are also engineering reports, design
sketches and several styling models.
156
On the face of it, these are simply sales orders but its
the names and the language used that intrigue and delight.
Heres one to SH Arnolt Inc of Chicago, better known to
us as importer Wacky Arnolt, whose collaborations with
Bertone led to 174 special-bodied Bristol 404s produced
between 1954 and 57. This order, from late 1956, is for
a 405 saloon, so not intended to become an Arnolt Bristol.
Another, also from 1956, is to the flagship MG dealer
of the period, University Motors of London, on behalf of
baronet and HRG racer Sir Clive Edwards for a 405 in
Hungarian Green; another 405 for the superbly named
Miss Betty Box; and heres one heading to Switzerland, for
which a ferry charge of 8.10.0 is added to the bill. An
American customer writes to confirm his recent
telephonic communication that his 403 should be
waxed polished 3 times on the outside and upholstery
polished up also prior to delivery.
More gold dust The order for the first car ever sold
by Bristol, from St Helier Garage, Jersey, on 27 October
1947, for one 2 Litre Bristol Saloon, black with red
upholstery preferred. Later communications between
Tony Crook and would-be owners are often more
combative over colour schemes, for Crook would object
vehemently to certain combinations.
Will this room of curiosities be made-over? Apparently
not, other than a clean and tidy. Anyway, for once its the
contents of the room that are more important than the
current lingering sense of Tony Crook (and dust). Those
drawings and files need looking after, just as much as does
Bristol Cars itself. End
4 Newopaul Way, Warminster Business Park, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 8RY
Telephone: 01985 847133 Email: Office@Spencer-LJ.com www.Spencer-LJ.com
www.facebook.com/SpencerLaneJonesLtd

Retailers of 2008 Bristol Blenheim Series 3

60,000
1984 Bristol Britannia
35,000
1959 Bristol 406 Zagato
150,000
The Finest Historic
Thoroughbred Cars

Viewings by appointment.
Visit us at 1953 Bristol 401 1949 Bristol Farina 401 1956 Bristol 405 DHC
www.sljhackett.co.uk 65,000 185,000 140,000
for more information

or contact us on
01985 219551
email: info@sljhackett.co.uk

4 Newopaul Way, Warminster Business Park, 1968 Bristol 410 1973 Bristol 411 Series 3 1949 Bristol 400
Warminster BA12 8RY 89,950 59,950 89,950
BUYING A CORVETTE

158
 THE PRICE
OF A DREAM
Logic can lead to you owning your perfect
classic car at the right price. Hence Winston
Goodfellow bought the perfect Corvette
Photography Winston Goodfellow

159
BUYING A CORVETTE
P rice is what you pay, value is what
you get. Those ten words were at the
forefront of my mind when I went
hunting for my first collector car in
some time. When a Mercedes 190SL can cost $200,000-
300,000, a Porsche 914/6 is closer to $100,000 than
$50,000, and a Fiat Trasformabile runs you $80,000 or
more, its hard to discern what constitutes good value
these days. I had no interest in a something fashionable;
I wanted a car with desirable characteristics at a price
less than those same attributes would cost elsewhere.
The parameters included landmark design, history,
performance, rarity, potential capital preservation/
appreciation, among others. Most importantly, it had to
be involving to drive a memorable, lingering experience
that couldnt be found anywhere else.
I set the budget at $50,000-100,000 and let my mind
run without restriction to marque, period of manufacture,
or country of origin. The resultant eclectic mix started
with a 1964 Pontiac GTO (see Octane 112) and went via
a 1966 Shelby GT350, 1973-74 Pontiac Super Duty Trans
Am, BMW 2002tii five-speed, Ferrari 360 Modena and
1974 Porsche Carrera to a Lamborghini Silhouette. I had
conversations with friends in the business, and spent
hours online. Among others, Hagerty.com helped refine
my search, for the classic car insurer has a marvellous site
with valuation pricing charts and more.
After weeks of weighing choices, Corvettes started to
look the most intriguing. In all my decades of playing with
fast stuff Id never driven a C2, even during the late 1970s
and 80s when prices for so many sports and GT cars were
quite affordable. Back then Iso Grifos cost the same, and
thats where my European-focused heart lay. Today Grifos
run to several hundred thousand dollars, while a similar-
performing second-generation Corvette can be bought
for 10-20% of that, so value seemed to be there. Hagertys
site then highlighted how much more affordable C2s
were than their direct competitors Jaguar E-type,
Porsche 911 and (considerably slower and less involving
than either) Mercedess Pagoda SL.
I had a working knowledge of Corvettes but, when
research began in earnest, perhaps the most surprising
revelation was the depth of their racing pedigree. What
started out in 1953 with a six-cylinder engine and
rudimentary chassis became a force in the second half of
the 1950s when a V8, four-speed gearbox and continual
modifications and options were thrown into the mix of
which one was fuel injection.
Most of those advancements can be traced back to Zora
Arkus Duntov, a brilliant engineer and test driver of
Russian heritage, born in Belgium in 1910. He joined
General Motors in 1953, having designed cylinder heads,
cams, suspensions and more, and consulted for Porsche
and Pegaso. He raced for Allard and Porsche, scored class
160
wins for Porsche at Le Mans in 1954 and 1955, and set
a hillclimb record at Pikes Peak for Chevrolet.
By the late 1950s his innovations paid off as Corvettes
beat Mercedes, Jaguars and Porsches for SCCA
championships, class wins at Sebring and elsewhere, and
top ten finishes at Le Mans. Lessons learned from
competition filtered down to the road cars.
Not surprisingly, the C2 was favourably received at
Right and below right
Plush leather interior and deep
green metallic paint make this an
especially attractive Corvette
but it was the technical spec
that attracted Winston.
home and abroad. In most respects, the UKs Motor
noted in December 1963, the Chevrolet Corvette Sting
Ray is the equal of any GT car found on either side of
the Atlantic. The often snarky Car & Driver compared a
350-horsepower Corvette to high-dollar GTs such as
Ferraris 250 Berlinetta Lusso and Aston Martins DB5 in
its March 1965 roadtest. You arent suggesting [the
Corvette Sting Ray] is one of the best GT cars in the
world, they queried. Or are you?
C2s came with numerous engine variations and all
sorts of options, so I needed to narrow down my choices.
Ive long been fascinated by investment market behaviour,
and Hagertys pricing charts were informative in
discerning valuation trends. When I asked McKeel
Hagerty about his firms collation of data, he listed a
number of variables and punctuated everything by noting
that they insured over 100,000 Corvettes of all types.
That size of data pool meant they were as close to real-
time pricing as its possible to get, and one thing stood out
from examining their charts: of the most desirable C2
models (fuel-injected Split Window and Z06 from 1963,
1965 fuel-injected cars, and 1967s 427/435 horsepower
L71) and their direct competitors (the rarer and more
desirable versions of the aforementioned Jags, Porsches
and so on), the only car for which prices hadnt seen a
strong upward move was a 1965 Fuelie.
Hmm Had I found a gem, hiding in plain sight? With
a variety of final-drive ratios, a properly ordered Fuelie
could easily run with Europes best, and the production
numbers (771 total) were far lower than any direct
competitor or other benchmark C2, except a Z06
(competition Split Window). I also found Duntov, the
acknowledged father of the Corvette, saying in the
hardbound periodical Corvette The Sensuous American and
elsewhere that his personal favourite and the best
Corvette ever was a 1965 Fuelie like Enzo Ferrari,
William Lyons, or Ferry Porsche picking their favourite.
The most important question now remained: how
would a good C2 drive? I tried a 1963 and 1966 coupe at
Brighton Motorsports in Scottsdale, Arizona, that friend
and proprietor Shane Mustoe said needed work and thus
werent representative of a tight car, but at least I fit
reasonably well, and I sensed the Vettes potential. I then
called Corvette Mike Vietro in southern California. Hes
been enthusiastically selling Corvettes since the 1970s,
and always has a large stock on hand. Im not trying to sell
BUYING A CORVETTE

you anything, he replied when I told him of my desire to

try a good C2, but if you want to drive one that will spoil
you for any other, its my 1965 Fuelie.
Unknown to Mike, Id already perused his website
several times and was seriously smitten with the car. It was
Glen Green (think BRG with a hint of metallic), natural
leather interior, 45,000 original miles, three previous
owners, and had an NCRS (National Corvette Restorers
Society) Top Flight award (the equivalent of Platinum
in the Ferrari world). The listed price of $150,000 was
beyond my pain threshold, but at least Id now know what
a proper C2 was like.
Two weeks later I was in Anaheim, and Mike had the
Fuelie ready to go. Almost immediately I was amazed.
One period road test commented how a fuel-injected
Corvette engine revved like there was no flywheel, and
that was the case here. The ride was supple, the seats
comfortable, the disc brakes pedal giving reasonable feel.
I also tried an all-original one-owner 67 300-horsepower
that was tempting, and poked around a few other cars,
but I kept coming back to the Fuelie.
I cant believe Im going to ask this, I said at the end of
the day, but what will it take to buy the Fuelie? Mike
then went to a cabinet and pulled out the cars file, and
stunned himself while showing me the original owners
manual. Stapled inside the front cover was the shipping
invoice, which confirmed exactly how the car was
delivered. This is amazing, he exclaimed, and then gave
an overview on why such paperwork is essential:
The term matching numbers started in the Corvette
world, and nearly everyone assumes it means the cars
engine and transmission are what was there at the time
the car was made. Thats not correct; what it actually
means is certain components were made at approximately
the same time as when the car was built, not that they were
the ones in there when it was manufactured. Thats why
paperwork such as this shipping invoice, or the original
sales invoice, are so critical. They confirm what was there
when it rolled off the line.
He then mentioned that hed reduced the price to
$135,000, told me what his cost was, and I offered what I
thought was a reasonable profit. He thought for a moment,
said Yes, and we shook hands. On my birthday several
days later, I was back with Shane Mustoe for a final
inspection and drive, which the car passed with flflying ying

162
When a Fuelie is running
right, its an electrifying
experience that starts
with that jewel of
a powerplant
BUYING A CORVETTE
Above
The Corvettes fuel-injected
V8 helped make up Winston
Goodfellows mind when
looking for an investment
thats also fun to drive.
164
colours. As I wrote the cheque for the balance, Mike said:
I can almost always repurchase big-blocks, but real 1965
Fuelies rarely come back. They stay with their owners.
Which just makes sense, for they possess that something
extra to those in the know, somewhat like an alloy-bodied
Ferrari 275 GTB it may look the same as its brethren but
theres more there than immediately meets the eye. When
a Fuelie is running right its an electrifying experience
that starts with that jewel of a powerplant. Called the L84
in Corvette-speak, the 327ci (5.3-litre) V8 has mechanical
lifters, Rochester fuel injection, hot cam, a 6500rpm
redline, 375 horsepower, and a throttle response and
soundtrack to die for.
Remember the chase scene in Bullitt, when Steve
McQueens badass Mustang is dicing with the Dodge
Charger? This soundtrack is like that Mustangs menacing
and purposeful growl, only more mellifluous. The
thousand-sewing-machine musicality of the solid-lifter
valvetrain is reminiscent of a number of Ferraris, so when
winding it out the tappets are a soft whirr that melds into
an intricate, graceful metallic symphony. Its an incredible
contrast to the exhausts angry but beautiful snarl, where
everything seems to be screaming Go faster! And when
you let off the gas, youll wake up the neighbourhood with
the exhausts reverberation.
1965 Chevrolet Corvette L84 Fuelie
Engine 5356cc V8, OHV, Rochester fuel injection
Power 375 bhp @ 6200rpm
Torque 360lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive,
limited-slip differential
Steering Recirculating ball
Suspension Front: unequal-length wishbones, coil springs,
telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: fixed-length driveshafts,
transverse leaf spring, telescopic dampers
Brakes Discs
Weight 1386kg
Performance Top speed 140mph. 0-60mph 6.3sec
All this would mean nothing if the engine didnt back
up the soundtracks punch. Chevys solid-lifter V8 is as
good as anything Italy made at the time, something Giotto
Bizzarrini, father of Ferraris 250 GTO, told me decades
ago when speaking about his development work at Iso
and he didnt test a 327 with fuel injection. That slingshot
sensation is utterly addictive.
Thankfully the rest of the car matches the motor. The
single dry-plate clutch is wonderfully weighted, has a
seamless fluidity to its travel and engages at the right spot.
That large metallic ball sitting atop the four-speed gearbox
fills your hand with a reassuring solidity, which makes
running it hard through the gears a pleasure, for it feels
indestructible. The throw is short, the weighting ideal,
and everything meshes beautifully as it slots into the next
gear with a reassuring snick.
I was surprised by the ride quality, when I first tried the
car. The ladder-type frame and independent suspension
were all-new in 1963, and whether youre going 10 or
110mph the ride is comfortable and compliant, and,
while the chassis ultimately isnt as lithe as a Cal Sypders
or 250 SWBs, its more rigid and robust than those of
Ferrari or Maserati spyders, and theres less cowl shake
than in most other open cars of the period. In many ways
the suspension is the perfect trade-off between comfort
and communication, where you are attached to the tarmac
but just a bit above it for an unruffled yet involving ride.
If I could change something, its the steering. The
recirculating-ball unit doesnt have the initial bite on turn-
in that a good rack-and-pinion system does, but theres
proper progressiveness once youre committed, and
decent communication. As you blast through fast
sweepers to a bit of body roll, the weighting and resistance
start pushing back against your hands equal to how fast
you are going, and the front end grips securely.
Corvettes received disc brakes in 1965, and those
binders were one reason a 65 Fuelie was Duntovs
favourite. The unassisted pedal of my car requires some
effort but has a nice firmness when you stand on it, the
discs reacting with proportionally greater bite.
After more than a year of ownership, I still feel a Fuelie
offers tremendous value. Not only is it rare and
surprisingly refined, but all the subtle vibrations that are
forms of communication, from what you feel through the
floor and seats, to the way the tranny fits in your hand
with incredible solidity, what information the pedals are
telling you, the thrust and soundtrack of that incredible
engine, and so much more, theyre like stepping onto the
dancefloor with the most perfect partner.
Thats what you should pay dearly for and, fortunately
for me, it was within reach when I went looking. End
The 1935 ex Works Fane TWin supercharged

Frazer Nash Shelsley CMH500

Offered for sale publicly for the first time For more information contact:
Highly successful period racing history with works driver A.F.P. Fane Patrick Blakeney-Edwards Blakeney Motorsport Ltd
Watermill Industrial Estate Buntingford
Fully sorted by Blakeney Motor Sport and on the button Hertfordshire SG9 9JS

Eligible and wanted for the most prestigious rally, race and concour events Tel: 01763 274 100
Mob: 07850 759135
Extremely original and wonderful as used patina patrick@blakeneymotorsport.com
The most significant and ultimate specification pre-war Frazer Nash. www.blakeneymotorsport.com
Octane Cars
BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS
Silent running
1937 BENTLEY 4
ROBERT COUCHER
THE ANNUAL Christmas
holiday was spent in Cape Town,
where the family Bentley became
the focus of attention. As reported
in past issues, my brother-in-law
Dieter Noli has been going through
the Bentleys mechanicals. He had
the rear axle rebuilt along with the
brakes, and sorted out the cooling
system as well as fitting new tyres
and inner tubes.
The old car was running well
but Dieter noticed that the SU
carbs were rich and there was an
imbalance in the mixtures across
the six cylinders. So he stripped
the carbs and took them off to the
166
local SU expert. Unfortunately,
the expert was a rather elderly
gentleman and he passed away
with the carbs still in bits on his
bench. Dieter managed to salvage
them and then had ex-aerospace
toolmaker Michael von Zelewski
undertake the rebuild.
The day before I was due to fly
to Cape Town, Dieter called to tell
me they needed a new throttle
spindle for the rear carb. So I
contacted Bentley specialist
Fiennes Restoration in Lechlade
and bought the required throttle
disc, spindle and screws for a
substantial 58.48. They arrived
promptly and made the flight.
We took the parts to Michael so
he could assemble them in his
workshop, and then he came back
to fit the carbs to the head. Like
all really good engineers, Michael
spent a lot of time thinking before
Above and right
A few decades
apart: the family
Bentley today,
and with a rather
more youthful
Robert Coucher.
starting to work carefully, gently
and methodically wonderful to
watch and learn from.
After a good degree of thought
and adjustment, the beautifully
made but complicated linkages
were all in place and fitted with
millimetric precision. Dieter
connected the battery and turned
on the ignition. The fuel pump
primed the carbs, then stopped.
Not a leak in sight. He then
retarded the ignition and pushed
the large silver starter button. The
engine spun once and fired.
Fantastic, and still no leaks.
With the Bentley warmed through,
Michael adjusted the idle speed
and the lovely engine settled to a
near-silent murmur. It now starts
with the merest dab of the button,
and a high-speed shutdown check
of the plugs revealed they are
a perfect mouse brown.
The Silent Sports Car now has
all its horses back.
Left and below

OCTANES FLEET
Former aerospace engineer
Michael von Zelewski shows
Robert Coucher exactly how to
rebuild SU carburettors.
These are the cars
and motorbikes
run by the magazines
staff and contributors

DAVID LILLYWHITE
Editor
1971 MGB GT
1971 Saab 96
1973 Citron SM
1976 Zip Shadow Kart
1995 Range Rover 4.6 HSE
1996 Subaru Prodrive Impreza

ROBERT COUCHER
International editor
1937 Bentley 4
1955 Jaguar XK140
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC

MARK DIXON
Deputy editor
1955 Land Rover Series I 107in
1963 Ford Galaxie Country Sedan
1964 Chevrolet Greenbrier
1989/91 Land Rover Discoverys
2001 Honda Insight

SANJAY SEETANAH
Advertising director
1981 BMW 323i Top Cabrio
1998 Aston Martin DB7 Volante

GLEN WADDINGTON
Associate editor
1983 Porsche 944
1989 BMW 320i Convertible

MARK SOMMER
Art Director
1968 Alfa Romeo Giulia
1300 Saloon

JOHN SIMISTER
Contributor
1934 Singer Nine Le Mans
1961 Saab 96
1968 Sunbeam Stiletto

TONY DRON
Test driver
1932 Austin Seven

ANDREW ENGLISH
Contributor
1960 Triumph TR3A
1965 Aston Martin DB5

167
Octane Cars
BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS

OCTANES FLEET
DAVID BURGESS-WISE
Contributor
1903 De Dion-Bouton
1911 Pilain 16/20
1926 Delage DISS

MARTYN GODDARD
Photographer
1963 Triumph TR6SS Trophy
1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII

DELWYN MALLETT
Contributor
1936 Cord 810 Beverly
1946 Tatra T87
1950 Ford Club Coupe
1952 Porsche 356
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
1957 Porsche Speedster
1957 Fiat Abarth
Sperimentale
1963 Abarth-Simca
1963 Tatra T603

SARAH BRADLEY

Contributor
1929 Ford Model A hot rod
1952 Studebaker Champion
1956 Chevrolet 3100 pick-up
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner
Various motorbikes
MASSIMO DELB
Contributor
1967 Mercedes-Benz 230
1972 Fiat 500L
1979/80 Range Rovers
1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL
1985 Mercedes-Benz 240TD
EVAN KLEIN
Photographer
1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super
JAMES LIPMAN
Photographer
1968 Porsche 912
KEEP UP TO DATE
Follow the progress of the Octane
fleet via Facebook and Twitter
www.facebook.com/octanemagazine
@octane_magazine
LA story
1967 ALFA ROMEO
GIULIA SUPER
EVAN KLEIN
IM A CAR photographer, based
in Los Angeles, and the Giulia is
my only car. That makes it my
daily driver. And yes, I know what
youre thinking, but Alfas are
actually quite reliable. Sometimes.
I found it on eBay in need of
a total restoration. It was to be
the fourth Alfa Ive owned, so I
thought: how hard can it be? Its
just an Alfa.
Of course, it didnt run, so I flat-
bedded it straight to my Alfa
mechanic guru Bennys shop for a
total teardown. Ive known Benny
for 25 years. Everything needed
fixing or replacing I mean
everything. I stripped it to a shell.
Motor, interior, suspension, glass,
you name it, it was meticulously
photographed and put into bags.
The body went to the body shop
two doors down, while Benny
started with the engine and
gearbox. In the evenings I scoured
the web for all the parts, carpets,
trim and badging that I needed
its amazing how proud you feel
when you locate that elusive piece
of trim at three in the morning.
And then you hear, Honey, come to
bed what are you doing?!
It really only took about
three months, although Bennys
appendix burst and that caused
some rescheduling. But hes an
Alfa mechanic, and anything Alfa
eventually needs repair.
I swore not to bring the car
home until it was finished. Youve
read every vintage road test and
seen all the period pictures:
nothing but glorious praise. She
was beautiful. Just stunning the
paint, the chrome, the exquisite
cabin. I turned the key and she
purred into life. Benny and I stood
there like proud fathers. It was
time to take her home.
I drove through Beverly Hills,
and could feel the world staring at
me. I proceeded down the twisty
parts of Sunset Boulevard, entered
the first turn and the back end
hopped around, even though I was
only doing 45. This couldnt be
right! I entered the next turn, and
there was more hopping is this
what they were praising in those
old road tests? This was miserable!
The blood rushed from my
smile. What had I done? I made a
U-turn and headed back to the
shop. We threw the car up on the
lift, and I soon spotted the
problem. Hey, Benny, do you see
it? No nuts on the shocks.
That was your job! he says. We
put the nuts on and then off I went
again, through Beverly Hills, onto
Sunset, the first twisty bit and no
hopping. Second turn still no
hopping. It was wonderful. I went
faster, I turned the radio on for the
first time, and the Beatles were
playing. Life was perfect.
I called the wife. Im coming
to pick you up were going out to
dinner. Italian, of course.

168
 Investment Quality Automobiles Restoration & Vintage Racing Service Motorsports Museum

1963 Porsche Carrera 2

This two-liter, 4-cam masterpiece
was fully mechanically and cosmeti-
cally restored in its original color
combination of slate grey over red.
Zuffenhausen Award winner. Com-
plete with tools, jack and spare.

1990 Chevrolet Beretta

This is the winner of the 1990
Trans-Am Championship, driven
by Tommy Kendall. This factory
race car, with unassailable prov-
enance, has been fully restored,
and is track ready.

1989 Porsche 930

Only 12,000 original miles on this
factory slantnose turbo cabriolet.
Fully mechanically serviced and
meticulously concours detailed
by Canepa. Complete with books,
tools, jack and spare.

1963 Mercedes 300 SL

The second to last 300SL ever built.
Rare all-alloy engine. Complete
with Mercedes-Benz Zertikat,
and Fahrzeug-Data card, original
hardtop, luggage, books,
tools, spare and jack.

Right, below and above 1971 Mercedes 280 SE

LA-based photographer Mechanically and cosmeti-
Evan bought the Alfa cally refreshed by Canepa, this 3.5
as a wreck, then had it Cabriolet is in perfect condition.
restored to perfection. California car. Comes with all
Its now his daily driver. service records, books, tools, spare,
jack and tonneau cover.

2006 Ford GT
Only 183 original miles on this
Heritage Edition of Fords 100th
anniversary, 550 hp, 212 mph
supercar. One of 343 made in the
iconic Le Mans winning Gulf-Wyer
livery. Concours detailed.

1964 Shelby 289 Cobra

CSX 2518 is an authentic street
Cobra, that was completely re-
stored.This late, rack and pinion
289 Cobra has been beautifully
nished by Canepa and is tuned,
serviced, and show ready.

canepa.com
00+1.831.430.9940
WANTED:
Canepa is interested in purchasing the highest quality
original and restored automobiles contact us.

169
Octane Cars
BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS
Breaking radio silence
1982 MERCEDES-
BENZ 500SL
MASSIMO DELB
WHEN I BOUGHT my
Mercedes 500SL in February
2000, it came with the original but
non-working Becker Mexico 610
radio-cassette in the boot, and a
hole in the middle of the
dashboard. I bought a temporary
Blaupunkt radio-CD player to fill
the hole, and vowed to fix the
Becker as soon as I could.
Well, in Italy we say there is
nothing more permanent than a
temporary solution, and I ended
up using the Blaupunkt for more
years than Id like to admit. But in
2011, during a get-together of
classic car friends, I had my leg
pulled by everyone for being the
guy obsessed with originality who
was driving around with the
wrong radio. That was enough to
get me motivated which is when
I discovered just how little I knew
about radios.
Having bought a German book
at a car show called Becker Radios
170
fr Mercedes 1975-1995, I realised until I heard myself saying: Lino, Above, below and bottom
that the picture of my Mexico leaving aside the question of Lino Carlini at work restoring the
610 on the front cover was no money, could you fix this one amd
Becker Mexico back to its rightful
place and out with the Blaupunkt
accident. It was top of the range in make it perfect? that had filled-in for 16 years.
1982 but it was also very complex His reply? I would love to,
to service and repair because these are really great
The first two specialists I tried radios. And so, just a month later I
were useless. The first one said Id was in his workshop, listening to a
be better off buying an iPod. The favourite song through a speaker
second took my money and then attached to my radio. Now the
did nothing with the radio, until Becker is back, complete with a
he eventually returned it to me concealed iPod cable, and I cant
at the Padua classic car show, still wait to go to the next classic car
not working and with some meet and ask my friends: So, is
pieces missing. Fortunately, I your radio matching-numbers?
then happened to run into also
at Padua a guy called Lino
Carlini of World Car Radio (email
autoradiodepoca@mail.com).
When he saw my Becker, he told
me: This model is a nightmare to
fix, but its one of the best radios
ever built. I have one in my old
Mercedes W123.
What better guarantee than
another Mercedes owner? He
took my radio away and called
me a couple of months later.
Unfortunately, not only were
some parts missing, others were
broken. It would be cheaper to buy
a good used unit than to repair
this one. We carried on talking
 Hamburg Berlin

Mercedes-Benz 7,1 ltr. SSK, 1929, ex "Dorothy Pagett Racing Team", Maserati Mistral 3,7 ltr. Spider, 1969, 1 of only 51 built, "matching-numbers",
fully restored by marque expert, FIVA & HTP, Le Mans 2016. ex Maserati Museum, a real collectors item.

Mercedes-Benz 630 K "La Baule Transformable", 1928, Bentley R-Type Continental Franay, 1955, "One-off", by Franay / Chapron!
Saoutchik coachwork by La Baule, first delivery New York, extensively restored. Last Continental Chassis and last Franay built!

Delage D6S II Etienne-Brandone Coupe, 1935, Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A, 1952, "matching- Mercedes-Benz 320 Cabriolet A, 1938, ex Blackhawk
"One-Off" with Etienne Brandone coachwork. numbers", compl. restored by best German specialists. Collection, a candidate for every Concours d'Elegance.

Lagonda M45 "Team Car Specification", 1936, Intermeccanica Italia Spyder, 1969, 1 one of only 222 Lagonda V12 DeVille, 1939, with V5 document, very
a ticket for high-class events for the Pre War Class. Convertibles, Italian design with American powertrain. original exemplar, 1 of only 10 remaining cars.

Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint "Supergioiello" by Ghia, 1953.
Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Pescara PF, 1937, "One-Off".
Aston Martin DB 4 Series III Coupe, 1961, RHD.
Bentley 4.5 ltr. Blower, 1930, "matching-numbers".
Bentley 4 1/4 ltr. VdP DHC, 1938, late "Overdrive" car.
BMW 319/1 Cabriolet by Wendler, 1936.
Bugatti Type 51 GP Race Car, 1933, FIA/FIVA papers.
Ferrari 250 GT/E 2+2 Coupe, 1961, 3 previous owners.
Jaguar XJ 13 by Proteus, 1972, Le Mans Prototype.
Lancia Aurelia B24 S Cabriolet, 1959, perfectly restored.
Lancia Stratos HF Stradale, 1975, well documented.
Lagonda LG6 DHC, 1938, restored to Concours.
Maserati 4.9 ltr. Ghibli SS Coupe, 1971, 1 of 425.
MB 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, 1971.
MB 300 Sc Coupe, 1957, rare sunroof, concours.
Porsche 356 B 1600 Super 90 Roadster, 1960, restored.
Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 ltr. lightweight, 1973, rare.
Porsche 911 2.0 ltr. Coupe, 1965, FIA HTP-papers.

Many more interesting cars in stock please ask or visit our website: www.thiesen-automobile.com
Thiesen Hamburg GmbH Griegstrae 73 D-22763 Hamburg-Othmarschen fon: +49-40/45 03 43-0 sales@thiesen-automobile.com
E. Thiesen Berlin GmbH Wiebestrae 29-38 D-10553 Berlin fon: +49-30/34 50 20 44 larkamp@thiesen-berlin.com
Octane Cars
BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS
Not quite a millstone
1911
PILAIN 16/20
DAVID BURGESS-WISE
IT WAS THE ROUND radiator,
I guess, that seduced me when a
friend offered me the remains of a
1911 Pilain that he had found
powering a generator in a flour
Meeting
a hero
1983 PORSCHE 944
GLEN WADDINGTON
YOU KNOW, people read
magazines in different ways. Some
start at the back, then flick forwards.
Some do a bit of window-shopping
in the ads before turning to a feature.
Some crazy fools even start with the
real-life drama of the Octane Cars
pages. If youre the conventional
type who enjoyed the prospect of
the Porsche 959 on the cover, and
who then read our 30th anniversary
172
mill in France. Round radiators
were a sign of class in Edwardian
days and, though the car was
incomplete, that radiator and
matching bonnet, plus the high
standard of finish of the bi-block
T-head engine of just over 3.0
litres, were irresistible.
Had I known how long it would
take to arrive at the finished item,
I might have changed my mind.
The scouring of small ads, the aid
feature package, I dont need to
introduce the metallic grey car in
the photo on the right. And as I was
heading over to the Porsche
Experience Centre at Silverstone to
spend the day with it, I thought it
only right and proper that I should
take my 944.
Fact is, it needed a run out
and I needed an excuse. The 944
had languished in the garage for
a couple of months (family
commitments getting in the way of
a car without rear seatbelts, rubbish
weather, that kind of thing). So I
was pleased that cranking it over
now and then in the meantime
meant it started easily on that
cold (-4C) Tuesday morning in
January. It ran faultlessly.
Unlike the traffic. Theres nothing
more frustrating than heading out
early, only for your travel plans to be
scuppered by some careless driver
who didnt take the cold conditions
into account. The resultant gridlock
of friends to locate missing parts
and the search for the correct
period accessories at the Beaulieu
Autojumble took several years, but
at last the rebuild by local restorer
James Gunn got under way.
Franois Pilain was a true father
of the French automobile industry
who had joined steam car pioneer
Lon Serpollet in Paris as head
tester in the late 1880s. He then
moved to La Buire as a designer,
but by the end of 1893 had formed
his own company and had a petrol
car of his own design running the
following year.
Left and above
A round radiator is your guarantee
of Edwardian automotive quality;
racy poster inspired DB-Ws
choice of paint colour.
meant the 944 had little option
other than to sit it out, but it
maintained its cool (while keeping
me warm) for the full 90-plus
minutes while we queued.
Finally, on the Silverstone side of
Northampton, the traffic thinned
out and I diverted via some twisty
B-roads for a slightly more spirited
His prolific inventing ran the
company dry and in 1898 he
joined the new car department
of viticultural machinery maker
Vermorel. But in 1902 Franois
Pilain set up the Socit des
Automobiles Pilain (SAP) and
serious manufacture began.
However, Pilains endless quest
for perfection brought about his
eventual dismissal. The company
lasted until the Great War, when
the factory was commandeered by
Hotchkiss to build Army trucks.
My car was built on 20 June
1911 a brass plaque on the back
of the radiator header tank bears
the date but its subsequent
history is unknown until it was
discovered in that French mill
house. We found the place in the
1980s, but it was deserted; contact
with the owners proved fruitless.
That long restoration is virtually
finished and the car runs well,
with only the upholstery and a few
minor details to finish. One
decision was easy: the colour of its
raceabout body. For years a period
poster for Pilain has hung on my
study wall, in which the car a
four-seater shooing a frightened
dog out of its way is painted fire-
engine red.
What other choice of colour for
a brassbound car could there be?
drive over those last few miles. I say
slightly as it was still very cold and
misty, but it was enough of a
reminder of what I enjoy most
about the 944 during the summer.
As for the 959, you might (or
might not) have read what I made of
that on pages 84 to 90. The headline
to the left is a major clue
PAUL HARMER
 HALL & HALL

2002 BMW Z8 Roadster, Silver with black/red leather interior. Supplied New in Germany.
13,000 kms (8000 miles) exceptional condition.

Jaguar D Type long nose 21 VRL. A recreation of 1969 Matra MS640 V12 Coupe.
XKD602 using mainly original D Type running gear.
Constructed in the 1970s and in the same ownership for
over 35 years.

Wouter Melissen

Alfa Romeo P3. Shown in 2 seater trim for touring, also 1975 Shadow DN3/5A Ex-Tom Pryce.
supplied with Monoposto body for competition. Prepared to a high standard.

Sales Rick Hall

Mobile: +44 (0)7973 338752 Tel no: 01778 392562
E-mail: historiccars@gmail.com Mobile: 07710 971277
www.hallandhall.net E-mail: info@hallandhall.net
Octane Cars
BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS
If you go to
San Francisco
1968
PORSCHE 912
JAMES LIPMAN
THE CAR ROLLED to a stop.
I was somewhere near King City,
California, on a service road just
off the 101 freeway. My Big
California Road Trip Adventure
driving my new 1968 Porsche 912
from a friends home near San
Francisco, down the coast, to a
shipping depot in LA wasnt
going quite as intended.
I turfed the contents of the car
onto the pavement, in search of a
toolkit. The rust-holes in the floor
had let a lot of spray in from the
road, and all my stuff was soaking
wet. The emerging sun warmed
the grubby interior into a
dripping, clammy mess. There was
no sign of any tools. What sort of
idiot attempts to drive a 44-year-
old nail 400 miles without even a
single spanner on board?
I am a (UK) car photographer
working mostly for car companies
and making images to help sell
their products, but my passion is
for the older stuff, which is why
you can sometimes see my photos
in Octane. In particular, I love
early Porsches. After selling my
first a lovely, clean 1972 911T
back in 2008 I had been on the
hunt for a replacement.
I also enjoy long, tense, journeys
in old vehicles and, for added
thrill, I regularly forget to bring a
toolkit This is how I found
myself temporarily stranded, 5000
miles from home, in a dirty,
broken 912, less than 72 hours
before Christmas Day in 2012.
I had never given the weirdo-
stepchild 912 much thought until
a friend let me drive his through
the Redwood-lined winding roads
south of San Francisco earlier that
174
year. I had only ever driven 911s,
yet the handling sold me, and a
chance encounter the following
day led me to a car that was so
cheap, I chose to overlook its very
obvious faults among others, a
dented roof, obligatory rust, and
an engine that chuffed and
spluttered like a dying dog and
bought it anyway. Now I would be
adding a snapped throttle linkage
to that list.
My fix, given the lack of
resources at the time, was to Above, right and below
Dont be fooled by its clean
unscrew the linkage, feed it up exterior: Lipmans 912 broke
through the floor tunnel and down repeatedly on the way
secure it to the top of the to the docks. Broken throttle
accelerator pedal with duct tape. linkage (below) was fixed with
duct tape and cable ties.
My greasy hands bled, but the
bodge held. A short time later, I
reached a hardware store on the
outskirts of Paso Robles, where
I refined it with some cable ties.
I arrived in LA many hours later
than planned, and the shippers
had closed for the holidays. A
friend-of-a-friend very kindly
offered to take the car and drive it
to the port after Christmas. Out of
options and with a flight home
looming, I guiltily deposited the
ghastly wreck on the driveway of
his beautiful house, and departed
for the UK.
The car made it to the port,
breaking down twice on the way.
When we were reunited several
months later, in a cold, grey yard
near London, it became very
apparent that this thing was never
going to pass an MoT test without
a lot of help. Unwittingly, I had
just started a different kind of
long, tense journey, and this time
I was going to need more than
just a toolkit.
G R E AT R E A S O N S T O S U B S C R I B E
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 Gone but not forgotten
WORDS GILES CHAPMAN
PETER LARSEN
ANTHONY LAGO
Motor entrepreneur who enlisted aid from the Pope
ANTHONY LAGO WAS the businessman
who acquired the French Talbot marque in
June 1935, and kept it going against all odds
and financial logic. In the late 1930s, the so-
called Lago Talbots were among the worlds
most desirable sports cars, especially the
1937 T150C SS Goutte dEau (Teardrop), a
period supercar with its 4.0-litre straight-six,
sensational shape and today 3m value.
One came third at Le Mans in 1938. After the
Second World War, Lago made a bold grab for
the dwindling market for sporting luxury cars
with his Grand Sport, and some glamorous
combinations of quality engineering and
arresting outer shapes followed.
Tenacious doesnt begin to describe Lago,
born in Venice in 1893 as Antonio Franco
Lago, although he had plenty of influential
connections from the outset, counting future
Pope John XXIII then plain Angelo Roncalli
as a childhood friend. The devout Catholic,
however, was also a pal of Benito Mussolini,
and was among the 50 founders of Italys
inglorious Fascist movement.
As an engineering undergraduate, this boded
well for a career in the Italian Air Force. Time at
178
the Austrian front saw Antonio become fluent
in French and English, and he returned to
peacetime as a Major, his outlook changed.
Having publicly criticised the more militant
regime, he was forced to make a swift exit from
his homeland after narrowly avoiding being
gunned down in a caf. He only returned to
Italy to be buried.
So Lago finished his electro-mechanical
degree in Paris, then worked for US aero engine
firm Pratt & Whitney before arriving in England
in 1923. Changing his name to Anthony Lago,
he found a job as a garage mechanic. Just two
years later, the innate wheeler-dealer emerged,
and the apparently penniless Italian immigrant
opened Isotta Fraschinis London showroom.
Next, Lago pulled a consortium together
and, with 20,000 of his partners cash,
acquired European production rights to the
Wilson pre-selector gearbox. He then heard of
the ailing state of the Talbot factory in Suresnes,
Paris, and recognising a fully functioning car
company, ready to make the new transmissions
he contrived a cunning plan to gain control.
The complex story of how he did this is told
by Peter Larsen in his superb recent book
Talbot Lago Grand Sport: The Car From Paris.
Peter calls it a graceful and manipulative
financial ballet to take over Talbot, worthy of a
Vaslav Nijinsky. The Anglo-French Sunbeam-
Talbot-Darracq (STD) conglomerate that
owned Talbot was bamboozled into letting him
assess the factory. He adjudged it a complete
basketcase, then persuaded STD to sponsor
him to turn it round, and inserted a clause in
the deal giving him an exclusive option to buy
the company at its 1933 value.
The Suresnes plant was indeed decrepit, but
Lago realised it had simply been mismanaged.
He managed to buy Talbot for 63,000, mostly
with cotton mill heir Adam Leighs money, and
his clever deal with STD meant even industry
sharks such as William Rootes couldnt outwit
him, hard though they tried. Lago personally
assumed the factorys 570,000 debt to become
Talbots biggest creditor, thus ensuring it was
madness for others to pursue liquidation,
as theyd end up with next to nothing.
Lago decamped to Paris with his wife in
1933, taking a lavish apartment near the
Trocadero, and set to work on Talbot, cutting
staff, non-sporting models and capacity, and
ramping up quality. Prospects immediately
looked up. In 1936, though, the French
economy stalled, and Talbot was put into
receivership for two years. Motor sport, Lagos
new passion, kept the patient nourished, and
solid performances meant Talbot boosted
national honour.
To reward his commitment, the Automobile
Club de France gave him FF600,000 to develop
a V16 engine for Grand Prix racing something
to stick it to Auto Union. Instead, Lago used the
money to re-equip his plant to make Pratt &
Whitney aero engines under contract. It caused
a scandal. But Lago brazened it out, it was soon
forgotten, and Talbot gained lucrative contracts
from the Allied Forces in 1944.
Any prosperity was shortlived. Despite
admiration for the elegant Grand Sport, luxury
cars were heavily taxed in post-war France, and
in 1951 Talbot was again declared insolvent.
Meltdown was only avoided thanks to a cash
lifeline from the Vaticans internal bank with a
beneficent nod from Pope John XXIII. The
costly racing activities had to be sacrificed.
Anthony Lago, devious and stubborn, clung
on to his precious car company, but had neither
the will nor the way to innovate or expand.
The factory machinery was half a century old,
but mainly Lago had gone from thriving on
change to resisting it. Production henceforth
was a mere few-dozen cars.
In 1958 Lago sold the shrivelled remains of
a once rather sexy grand routier marque to
Simca. He died in 1960, looking aged beyond
his 67 years, childless, and with precious little
to show for his decades of corporate street-
fighting to keep Talbot alive.
Photography: Rmi Dargegen

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Y e s t e r d ay s P o r s c h e s . P r e s e r v e d f o r T o m o r r o w. E n j o y e d T o d ay.
F I NE C A RS / / r es to r ati on // r ac e prepa r ati on // R A RE pa rts
 Icon
WORDS DELWYN MALLETT
EVERETT COLLECTION INC / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
THE T-SHIRT
From military to mainstream via James Dean
ITS JUST A SIMPLE tube of cotton with two
smaller tubes poking out at right angles to make
a T shape, but in its 100-year history it has
progressed from a utilitarian undergarment to
become the most common item of casual wear
on the planet, worn equally by the rich, the
famous, the poor and the anonymous, the
fashion-conscious and the unconscious, with
an estimated two billion produced each year.
For much of the 19th Century and well into
the 20th, mens underwear was long in arm and
leg, usually in the form of a onesie and made
from flannel or wool. As so often in the history
of mens clothing it was the military, in this case
the British and American navies, that spurred
the creation of a T-like vest. Seeking a more
180
practical undergarment for its ratings, the US
Navy in 1913 specified a cropped sleeve, crew toting hunk wearing an Air Corps Gunnery
neck flannelette undershirt.
During the First World War, US troops
noticed that the cotton undershirts worn by the
French were lighter and, crucially, dried much
more quickly. Back in the land of King Cotton,
the lightweight cotton T-shaped vest soon took
on its definitive form. Nobody knows who
coined the term T-shirt but its first appearance
in print is credited to F Scott Fitzgerald in his
1920 debut novel This Side of Paradise.
It took another World War to popularise
the T-shirt as an acceptable outer garment.
By the end of WW2 more than 12 million
Americans were in the armed forces and
Left
James Dean in a T-shirt, both immortalised in
Rebel Without a Cause after hed already died.
wearing a Government Issue T-shirt. The US
Quartermasters Mill Spec summarised its
essentials thus: Lightweight flat knit white
cotton undershirt, high neckline, 5in sleeve
with in hem, in band of self material
stitched around neck opening, 7/8in hem at
bottom. Back in civilian life many ex-
servicemen found the relaxed military combo
of chinos and T-shirt too good to abandon
particularly in the clement climes of California
setting an enduring menswear style.
The defining moment for the T-shirt as an
essential and desirable item of clothing came in
1951, when it leapt onto the world stage
clinging to the muscular torso of the rough,
tough, tortured, anguished, mumbling, macho
and violent Stanley Kowalski, as portrayed
in an electrifying performance by Marlon
Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. Brandos
smouldering physical presence gave the T-shirt
sex appeal and sales soared.
Two years later he did it again: in black
leather biker jacket over a T and jeans, he
revved into town as The Wild One, creating the
bad-boy look and template for countless rock
n rollers that followed.
If Brando was a little on the mature side, in
1955 Rebel Without a Cause James Dean
exploded onto the screen. Dean was already
dead at the wheel of his Porsche before the
films release, yet his angst-ridden performance,
in windcheater and T-shirt, as a disaffected,
troubled, and misunderstood teenager, struck a
chord with kids everywhere. And the T-shirt
gained that indefinable yet essential quality to
guarantee longevity: it was cool.
It is thought that the first use of graphics on a
T-shirt was the word OZ in a scene in the 1939
film The Wizard of Oz, closely followed onto
cotton by Mickey Mouse. But the true potential
of T-shirt as mobile billboard was demonstrated
in July 1942 when a muscular machine-gun-
School T filled the cover of Life magazine. Its
impossible to calculate how many different
graphics-embellished shirts have followed.
Women were not excluded from the T-shirt
phenomenon and none has looked better than
Jean Seberg, Jean-Paul Belmondos impossibly
chic cropped-haired girlfriend in the 1960
Nouvelle Vague movie A Bout de Souffle
(Breathless) irresistible and timeless in a
New York Herald Tribune T.
Finally, with women in mind, one shouldnt
overlook the Ts somewhat dubious
contribution to Western culture in the form
of the ever popular wet T-shirt contest.
YOUR PASSION. OUR PROFESSION.
TM

Top row: 1933 Duesenberg by Franay, 1930 Pierce Arrow, 1934 Packard Super Eight Coupe, 1932 Cadillac V-16
Second row:1967 Fiat Dino Spider, 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4, 1994 Jaguar XJ220, 1969 Iso Rivolta IR 340 Coupe,
Third Row: 1916 Pierce Arrow Model 66, 1933 Cadillac V-16, 1938 Buick Brewster Town Car, 1968 Stutz Bearcat by Barris

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, USA +1.314.524.6000

HYMANLTD.COM
Chrono
WORDS NICK FOULKES

BEAUTY AND THE BEST

The latest releases from Cartier show a renewed focus on design and tradition

I HAVE A FEELING that Cartier watches

might be coming back. Of course, they never
went away; Cartier makes hundreds of
thousands of the things. What I mean is that I CARTIERS PRICES IN
have a feeling that the right kind of Cartier
watches might be coming back.
THE VINTAGE SEGMENT
At this years Salon International de la Haute
Horlogerie in Geneva, Cartier reintroduced the
ARE A FRACTION OF
Panther. Being of the age I am, I associate this WHAT THEY COULD BE
watch with the early 1980s, a sort of disco-
meets-yuppie wristwatch primarily aimed at
women, and would suggest that most Octane
readers will prefer the newly launched Drive
(pictured). But I am happy to see that the
Panther was the focus of their efforts because it
means that the brand is putting design and
heritage first.
For much of the last 20 years, manufacture
has been the industry buzzword, an horological
euphemism for vertical integration. It has
spawned a culture of in-house movements. This
is no bad thing, but movements became ever-
more complicated and multifunctional as rival
brands vied to show who could do the fanciest
and cleverest mechanics. Often this has been at
the expense of aesthetics, and case and dial
design has sometimes appeared to be an
afterthought: at worst, little more than an
inconvenient necessity; at best, a showcase for
mechanical ingenuity that crudely directs the
eye to the spotlighted complication.
There are some brands for which this is
appropriate. For instance, Messrs Greubel and
Forsey, men for whom I have an immense Philippe from the past but, as in the case of regarded of contemporary producers who link
respect and whose watches are among the most King Hassan II of Moroccos moonphase past, present and future with continuity.
mechanically interesting and academic of triple-calendar Cartier of 1964, the movement By contrast, Cartiers prices in the vintage
todays world, are such boffins obsessed by came from someone else, such as Audemars market are a fraction of what they could be,
micromechanics that their watch cases often Piguet. Indeed, Cartiers movements came given the low production numbers and the
feature a bulbous contusion to accommodate from all sorts of places, LeCoultre and Piaget individuality of earlier models. It is astonishing
some mechanical refinement, or a spyglass in among them, because the movement was not to note that, in the first 50 years of its
the case wall. It gives the watches an what you went to Cartier for. One visited production, Cartier Paris sold only 5829 Tank
undeniable character much in the way Einsteins Cartier in London, Paris or New York for a watches. The Tank, 100 years old this year, is
hairdo was a personal signifier I imagine his piece of exquisite design that told the time. one of the most famous watches ever made, a
afro was a product of being too busy thinking And if you think that is trivial, consider true design classic, yet an industrially produced
great thoughts to go to the barber, rather than whether the Bentley R-Type Continental or the steel Rolex can command tens if not hundreds
a calculated look. Jaguar E-type would be as desirable had they of times more, not least because, looking at
But Cartier is not, in my opinion, such a not been so beautiful. todays output from Rolex, the collector can see
brand. Happily, its CEO Cyrille Vigneron Brands such as Cartier have an identity that that current models respect their ancestors. If a
would appear to share my opinion and has is strongly bound up in their history, and they brand does not appear to respect the production
announced that on his watch (excuse the pun) have a duty to offer their customers continuity. of its past, why should the collector?
Cartier will be doing less in the way of flashily Things change over time, but they should The other day I picked up a Cartier of which
complicated horlogerie and more in the way change in ways consistent with the established only two examples were made, and I paid less
of beautiful watches. character. A rule of thumb is to look at the than the cost of a modern Cartier folding
Historically, Cartier watches were seldom desirability of vintage models. It is no buckle. It will be fascinating to see if Monsieur
about their movements. Sometimes you will coincidence that the two most collected brands, Vigneron can turn that around in this, the
come across a complicated watch by Patek Rolex and Patek, are also two of the most highly 100th anniversary of the Tank.

182
 THE HISTORIC HOME OF ASTON MARTIN
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not only used to build icons but meticulously maintain them. From scheduled servicing to authentic restorations, accident repairs to our
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1964 Aston Martin DB5 Coupe
Iconic DB5 with exquisite specification. Silver Birch
metallic, grey hide. 84,723 miles. 5-speed ZF
Gearbox, ready to be enjoyed by new owner,
superb history file. Aston Martin Heritage warranty.
795,000
1995 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
British Racing Green, Tan hide with piped spruce.
36,954 miles. 550 BHP twin supercharged with 6-speed
manual gearbox, beautifully original car with Aston Martin
Works service history. One of 239 cars built.
345,000
1960 DB4 Coupe (Series 1)
Original Left Hand Drive. Only 149 Series 1 cars
were produced, 73 were LHD. Great history and
a truly outstanding example. Supplied with an
Aston Martin Heritage warranty.
695,950

1990 Aston Martin V8 Volante
4,310 miles. Formed part of the Hunter Green
collection with Tan hide. One of the very last EFI V8
Volante cars built. Great opportunity.
375,000
2003 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
One of 1,503 units built. Two owner car. Satellite
navigation, 2+2 seating option, 50,211 miles, Ferrari
Grigio Titanio with Parchment and Navy leather.
69,950
1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1
109,100 miles. Aston Green, Beige hide. Complete
with a phenomenal history file. Owned by Aston Martin
Lagonda Ltd for many years. One of 451 cars built.
325,000

2007 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S
One of 1,088 units built and one of the last modern
Newport Pagnell cars. 32,001 km/19,885 miles.
Tungsten Silver with Iron Ore leather.
158,875
1974 Lagonda V8 Saloon
Motorshow car. One of only seven built. Endowed
with engine upgrade and Oscar India style bodywork.
Incredible condition and specification.
435,000
1992 Aston Martin Virage Volante LHD
Outstanding condition. 25,000 km. One of only 27 Virage
Volantes with manual transmission. Buckingham Green,
Tan hide with piped spruce, for the discerning collector.
125,000

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Places to go
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BARRY WISEMAN
MAHYMOBILES
MUSE DE LAUTO
The 1000-car collection of a motoring-mad Belgian
PROBABLY EUROPES LARGEST private
collection, Mahymobiles isnt well known
outside Belgium. Yet housed in an anonymous
old mill near Lille is an astonishing collection
of classic cars. Most are unrestored and there
are reckoned to be around a thousand of them,
though many are tucked away from view in the
12 halls of the reserve collection.
The original owner, Ghislain Mahy, was born
in 1907, a time when the automobile had
captured the imagination of the industrial
world. He built his first car when he was 17
and then sold it to begin his lifelong career in
the motoring industry. He opened the first car
rental agency in Belgium and also began selling
new cars.
Mahy developed his knowledge of mechanics
during World War Two, mainly by hands-on
experience. He already owned a Ford Model T
and at the end of the war bought another couple
of cars, starting a collection, which he kept in
an old winter circus building in Ghent. By the
1950s, he had accumulated around 35 cars.
During the Korean War, scrap metal values
rose and Mahy could buy interesting cars for
their scrap value. He decided to start a Belgian
car museum and set up in Limburg with around
250 vehicles. He drove all over Europe, visiting
auctions and autojumbles, searching for more
interesting stock.
As the collection grew and became
recognised as being worthy and of future
184
Clockwise from left
The Mahymobiles collection is huge and diverse,
and includes such oddities as a Schneider-Sita
rubbish truck, Dodge-engined Rolls-Royce
Phantom III, and tiny Volugrafo Bimbo.
importance, people began donating cars.
Restorations were sometimes undertaken, but
only by volunteers, so the process could be
lengthy and laborious.
In 1986, Autoworld, in central Brussels,
opened to accommodate a significant chunk of
the Mahy collection, and it has since developed
into a fine museum. But there were around 750
cars left over, so Mahys son, Ivan, found the
empty textile factory that now houses
Mahymobiles. The main hall is worth the trip
alone and the vehicles there mostly bear multi-
language information cards. Further exhibits
are viewed from walkways and balconies keen
enthusiasts might like to take binoculars. In the six halls open to the public, there are
The diversity is phenomenal. For instance, also bicycles, motorcycles, models, a childrens
dominating the main floor is a 1921 CGO pedal-car track, an educational room, and
Schneider, originally built as a Paris bus. It was galleries dedicated to aspects of car and
converted to a dustcart in 1938 and worked for commercial vehicle development. This is a rare
another 30 years. It is entrancing in its Heath chance to see examples of Belgian cars such as
Robinson styling. There is what Mahymobiles Minerva, Nagant, FN, Germaine, Imperia,
describes as its mystery car, a 1914 AVA single- Vivinus, Fondu, Miesse and Belga Rise and
seater. It has a single-cylinder De Dion Bouton the reference library is measured in tons!
engine and belt drive and is nicknamed The
Egoist. There are microcars, including a 1946 Mahymobiles, Rue Erna 3, 7900 Leuze-en-Hainaut,
Volugrafo Bimbo voiturette, made in Turin Belgium. Open from mid-March to late October,
with aluminium from scrapped WW2 aircraft. Thursdays and Saturdays from 1pm to 5pm,
English visitors attention might be drawn to Sundays and Bank Holidays from 10am to 5pm.
a 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III, described as Admission 8.
the factory prototype, with a Park Lane body. Groups of 25 or more can visit at other times
The V12 engine has been replaced by a six- by appointment. Car parking is plentiful. Further
cylinder Dodge motor information is available at www.mahymobiles.be.
Books
REVIEWED BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS

McQueens
Motorcycles
MATT STONE, Motorbooks,
24.99, ISBN 978 0 7603 5175 8

Yes, its another McQueen

A Life in Car Design
OLIVER WINTERBOTTOM, Veloce, 37.50, ISBN 978 1 787110 35 9
Readers who are as old as this reviewer may recall
the Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge, in which
the fictional prep-school boy got involved in endless
well-intentioned but unfortunate scrapes. In one
book, Jennings nearly comes unstuck when a car
manufacturer telephones the school, offering to
bring round its latest model for a test drive not
realising that Jennings has been sending off for car
brochures and accidentally forgetting to mention
that Linbury Court is a prep school.
Oliver Winterbottom had his real-life Jennings
moment when Armstrong Siddeley fell for the same
trick and sent its latest demonstrator down to
Smallwood Manor (boarding school) The
demonstration driver was not pleased to learn he
had driven all the way from Coventry to sell to a
ten-year-old, he recalls, in the opening pages of this
entertaining autobiography. Jaguar, however, was
more encouraging of the nascent car enthusiast,
sending him brochures, photographs and a silver
lapel badge and it was to Jaguar that Winterbottom
was duly apprenticed as an automobile engineer.
While more usually associated with Lotus and
TVR, where he was the king of the wedges,
designing the Lotus M50 Elite and the TVR Tasmin,
Winterbottom spent the first ten years of his career
at Jaguar. However, he struggled to make his mark
there, and it was after his (surprisingly conservative)
concept for an E-type replacement was brushed
aside that he decided to decamp to Norfolk.
At Hethel, Winterbottom faced the unique
challenge of coping day-to-day with Colin
Chapmans whims, and he seems remarkably
Book
of the
month
forgiving of the Lotus bosss often irrational
decisions. Along the way, Winterbottom worked
extensively on Lotuss marine projects as well as the
cars which led to Chapman sacking him in 1977
due to a cock-up in the design of a sports boat for
which Chapman was legitimately to blame.
Nevertheless, Winterbottom returned to Lotus
in 1980, where he was tasked with creating an Elan
replacement. Neither his M90 or X100 concepts
made it to production and its the stories of these
forgotten prototypes, and many other unloved
children such as all car designers lament, that are
particularly fascinating.
While theres much more to Winterbottoms
career than mentioned above, not least a spell with
GM in Detroit, its his tales of Lotus he returned
for a third stint in the 80s and 90s that intrigue
the most. Even if they were often, as Jennings would
have put it, rather ozard. Go on, google it. MD
book. But its a good un, put
together by McQueen expert/
fanatic Matt Stone, and
featuring a huge number of
photographs of McQueens
many motorcycles. And the
text is detailed and entertaining
as well, documenting not just
the obvious The Great Escape,
The International Six Days
Trial, the Indians etc but also
some of the more obscure bikes
and adventures. Many of the
current owners of McQueens
bikes have been interviewed,
as have wives Barbara Minty
McQueen and Neile Adams. DL
How to
Photograph Cars
JAMES MANN, 19.99 from
www.howtophotographcars.com
ISBN 978 0 9956246 0 3
Theres no shortage of how to
photography publications but
precious little information
within them on how to
photograph cars specifically.
Fortunately this book does
exactly what it says on the
cover, in clear, simple terms
but going into enough depth
that even those whove done
a bit of car photography will
extract useful information.
So, from simple static shots
to action and motor sport
photography, well-known car
snapper James Mann covers
it all within the 144 pages. DL

186
 w w w.hortonsbooks.co.uk

Collectors
Carrera book

Panamericana
Anatomy of the Toyota MR2
Mexico
ADRIANO CIMAROSTI, Automobilia
Classic Mini Coups & Spyders 1987, value today 350

MARK HUTHERT, Veloce, 35
ISBN 978 1 84584 223 9
One for the hardcore restorer,
this: detailing body panels, trim
and mechanical components,
its essentially a parts book in
which every individual piece
is photographed in colour,
revealing how and when
they changed, with a concise
description and (where known)
the part number. The chapter
on exhaust and inlet manifolds
alone shows literally dozens of
variants For anyone trawling
boxes of parts at autojumbles,
it will be a godsend although,
rather curiously, theres no
information about soft trim and
its many permutations. MD
BRIAN LONG, Veloce, 35
ISBN 978 1 787110 62 5
Id defy anyone to read this
reprint and not hanker after an
early MR2. It arrived during a
high-point for Toyota (Celica
GT and front- and rear-drive
Corolla GT were stablemates)
thats difficult to imagine in the
era of the Auris. Development
of the first-gen MR2 forms the
most interesting third of this
book, particularly its styling
journey from gawky initial
sketches to the iconic end
result. The same thorough
approach is afforded the later
generations. For the price, its
reproduced rather cheaply;
youre paying for the info. GW
Sadly, the publisher
Automobilia no longer exists,
but this Italian company took
a brave step when it produced
the first full history of a
Mexican road-race the
Carrera Panamericana 30
years ago. It would have been
considered a very niche
subject at the time, and they
made an amazing job of it.
Founded by Bruno Alfieri
in Milan, Automobilia
released a number of
outstanding books in this era
and they found a great author
in Cimarosti, himself a Lancia
expert. Cleverly, they
increased its sales appeal
by running the text in three
languages Italian, French
and English alongside a
fantastic archive of images.
Originally the book was
released with a separate
pamphlet tucked into the
back giving full race results,
so its worth checking to see
that this has not gone astray;
particularly when paying the
350 that this volume now
commands. Ben Horton

Pit & Paddock

PETER DARLEY, Coterie Press, 75 from www.coteriepress.com, ISBN 978 1 902351 60 5

Classic Car Auction
Yearbook 2015-2016
ORSI & GAZZI
Historica Selecta, 70
ISBN 978 88 96232 08 8
Adolfo Orsi and Raffaele Gazzi
have produced 21 of these data-
packed volumes now, and the
latest does not stray from the
successful formula established
many years ago. Its 416 pages
feature analysis from auction
insiders, and details of every
noteworthy car sold at a major
auction in the year to 31 August
all 5644 of them. Most useful
and interesting, though, are the
portions of the book that put
recent prices into historical
context. For trend-watchers
and those in the old car trade,
this is a valuable resource. CB
The title is significant. This his Minolta. Encouraged by friends, he sent some
is not a book of racing images photographs to Lotus who promptly ordered
per se, so dont go looking
for loads of track action. You
more before commissioning him in 1965.
Following a foreword by none other than Lord
wont want to, anyway. Packed March, the book is divided into ten chapters: one
into 255 large-format pages each per circuit, including Brands, Goodwood,
are more than 200 often- Jarama and Monaco. Im pleased that the
candid shots of so many well-known drivers (and backgrounds, like the white picket fencing
their retinues), taken around Europe during the we use today, remain the same, says March.
1960s and 1970s. All of them are compelling. Its a quality publication, on decent satin paper,
And none of them has been published before. and finished in a slipcase. But this isnt a wordy
Candid? Well, consider the image of a pensive- book: text is limited to descriptive captions and
looking Jean-Pierre Beltoise being given a haircut, is prone to typos and the odd glitch in grammar.
on a picnic chair in a sunny Monza courtyard, next No matter. According to the saying, these pictures
to the Tyrrell Racing Organization truck. Hard to are worth more than 200,000 words. And theyre
imagine Lewis and co in similar circumstances. certainly worth the asking price. GW
A more poignant shot is that of Nina Rindt, sitting
on the pitwall during the 1970 Italian Grand Prix,
recording lap times for husband (and potential
World Champion) Jochen. Within five minutes
of the shutter closing, Jochen Rindt was dead.
The pictures were taken by Peter Darley, an
enthusiastic amateur racing driver and photographer
who snapped his first motor sport image in 1961 and
then spent season after season wandering the
paddocks of race circuits all over Europe with

187
Gear
COMPILED BY BRETT FRASER

STEVE McQUEENS BELL RACING HELMET

It once protected one of the most famous of Hollywood heads, and now
this Bell racing helmet is for sale no price is quoted, merely a promise
that it is very expensive. Specially painted for Steve McQueen by Von
Dutch, the helmet was used by the blue-eyed heart-throb during the
lming of Le Mans, and also in 1970 when, driving a Porsche 908/02,
he placed second at Sebring and then won at Holtville Raceway.
POA. collectorstudio.com

MORGAN EV3 JUNIOR

A brand-new Morgan 3 Wheeler, with a carbonbre
body and hand-stitched leather trim, for less than
eight grand? As youll have guessed, there is a
downside you have to be a small child, and youre
limited to a top speed of 10mph in this scaled-down
electric replica of the adult-sized EV3. On the
upside, it can manage up to 10 miles on a single
charge, meaning that range anxiety is unlikely to be
a problem in anything but the largest of gardens.
From 7995. morgan-motor.co.uk

HESKETH BEER GRANDPRIX ORIGINALS

AND BEER GLASS RACE JACKET
If ever there was going to be Race circuits are notoriously windswept so, if
Hesketh ofcial merchandising, you want to keep warm in the paddock while
it would have to involve alcohol also retaining your cool, Grandprix Originals
somewhere along the line. has just launched this retro-styled Racing
Hesketh 308 Gold is a CAMRA Jacket. With its Gulf and Heuer patches, twin
award-winner, brewed by the stripes down the arms and baby-blue
Silverstone Real Ale Co. And if colouring, the Racing Jacket evokes an era of
you have Hesketh beer, youll motor sport when the racing was earthier and
need a Hesketh glass to put it in. the glamour was genuine.
6 glass; 4 bottle. retrogp.com 1500. grandprix-originals.com

188
 PIRELLI CINTURATO
CN36 (185/70 VR14)
Modern tyres often dont suit classic cars
either dynamically or aesthetically. So owners
of MGBs and certain older Alfas will be
pleased Pirelli has re-introduced its famous
Cinturato CN36 tyre in 185/70 VR14 size.
Its designed to complement the handling
characteristics of rear-drive lightweight sports
cars from the 1960s and 1970s and it has
a tread pattern that looks superb.
118.80 each. longstonetyres.co.uk

FANGIO COLLECTORS
EDITION PRINT
Fangio truly deserves his hero
status. At the 1957 German GP
a disastrous pit stop dropped him
down the field. Yet in the last 10
laps he broke the lap record nine
times to win the race ahead of
Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn.
HAMILTON PIONEER AUTO CHRONO This 100-only collectors edition
print by Unique & Limited the
With its design inspired by Hamiltons marine chronometers company uses modern technology
of the 1940s, the Pioneer Auto Chrono continues the theme to create super-realist images
with water resistance to 100m. Its modern automatic celebrates Fangios genius in his
movement graces it with a 60-hour power reserve. Maserati 250F.
1470. hamiltonwatches.com $100. unique-limited.com

BRIAN JAMES LE MANS

PORSCHE 956 PAINTING
Le Mans 1982 was a great outing for
Porsche the company entered three
Group C 956s and not only did all
three finish, they filled the top three
spots on the podium. Brian James
graphic and colourful gouache-on-
board painting depicts the winning
no1 Rothmans-sponsored 956 of
Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx as it rushes
past the grandstand.
1250 original; 70 print.
brianjames.biz

189
Models
REVIEWS AND PHOTOGRAPHY MARK DIXON

1:43 scale

1:18 scale 1970 Triumph TR6

2. 1977 Monteverdi 375/4

1. By Kess Price 79.95

By LS Collectibles Price 126.95 Material Resincast
Its always nice to see a large-scale model of a
relatively humble sports car, and UK readers will be
particularly pleased that Chinese maker LS Collectibles
has chosen as its subject a right-hand-drive example
although, peculiarly, it seems to be tted with
US-spec orange front parking light and indicator
units. To judge from the black wheel centres, black
windscreen surround and lack of seat head restraints,
we reckon its a 1970 Model Year car.
Material Resincast
Fine windowframes and trim add greatly
to the impact of this excellent model.
Overall, the model presents very well. Its beautifully 3. 1981 VW Golf GTI 16S
nished in dark green and only when you start to Oettinger By Spark
scrutinise the interior closely do you start to see Price 48.50 Material Resincast
evidence of cost-cutting. The wooden dash and the Tuning rm Oettinger made its own
instruments are represented by a single rather garish 16-valve version of the 8-valve GTI;
decal, and the door trims and seat squabs look a little Spark has replicated it perfectly.
crude and ill-proportioned. That said, at this price you
can forgive a few imperfections, and any Triumph 4. 1959 Daimler Majestic Major
enthusiast would be happy to have this on their shelf. By Neo Price 66.95
Material Resin handbuilt
A really beautiful model of Daimlers V8
hot-rod limo, in a subtle metallic paint.

5. 2014 Ferrari F60 America

By BBR Price 158.50
Material Resin and metal handbuilt
1 2 LookSmart also makes an excellent
handbuilt F60 (Octane 164); BBRs
interior is slightly more nuanced.

6. 1930 Pierce-Arrow Model B

Roadster By Esval Price 94.70
Material Resincast
Super detail, plenty of it, and a great
4 5 nish add up to a stand-out model.

7. 1955 Lincoln Indianapolis Concept

3 By Matrix Price 113.95
Material Resincast
6 Its really hard to fault this eye-catching
replica of the Boano-styled Indianapolis,
which was sold for $1.2 million in 2015.

8. 1954 Gordini T20S Le Mans

By Renaissance Price 211.95
7 Material Resin handbuilt
Yes, its pricey, but this handbuilt of the
sixth-placed 54 Le Mans entry is nigh-on
perfect; its interior is exquisitely to scale.
8 9
10 9. 1899 Renault Voiturette Type A
By Norev Price 39.95
Material Diecast
Appealingly offbeat, but spoiled by its
thick-spoked plastic wheels. Shame.

10. 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite

Le Mans By Spark Price 50.95
Material Resincast
Ecurie Ecosses long-nose Sprite is
Models shown are available from Grand Prix Models, +44 (0)1295 278070, www.grandprixmodels.com
nally available to Le Mans collectors.

Classic Models The Wiking story starts with model

ships, which Friedrich Peltzer, the son
Wiking plastic cars of a naval ofcer, started making as a
white carousel for displaying these
in VW showrooms, now extremely
reecting the street life of German
towns in the 1960s.
sought-after by collectors. Wikings founder died in 1981 and
WORDS: ANDREW RALSTON PHOTO: WWW.WIKING.DE

hobby before registering a company
in Berlin in 1936. Metal vehicles with
xed, non-rotating wheels soon
followed, and these were used in
dioramas by the Wehrmacht for
military training purposes.
Toy production resumed after
WW2 and Peltzer produced some
extremely accurate plastic promotional
models in 1:40 scale for Volkswagen,
notably das Glserne Auto, a Beetle
with a transparent plastic body that
revealed interior ttings, engine and
driver. There was even a blue-and-
But Wikings most characteristic
product line was its small-scale
plastic cars. Initially one-piece
mouldings with solid windows, by the
1960s they had window glazing and
interior ttings and were scaled at a
consistent 1:87, making them ideal
for use as accessories on HO-gauge
railway layouts.
The range didnt just contain cars
and trucks: there was an entire trafc
system, with road signs, pedestrian
gures, street lights, garages, bicycle
racks and tramcars, accurately
three years later the business was
taken over by the Sieper Company,
which made plastic and diecast Siku
cars. This allowed Wiking to maintain
its own identity, though the focus has
inevitably changed from toys to more
sophisticated models aimed at adult
collectors. A museum, the Siku/
Wiking Modellwelt, was opened in
Ldenscheid in 2012.
While current products are widely
distributed, its the early solid-window
issues and the 1:40 VW promos that
German collectors pay big money for.

190
 Edited by Chris Bietzk

MARKET NEWS BU Y I N G + S E L L I N G + A N A LY S I S

TOP 10 PRICES
JANUARY 2017
5,983,000 ($7,370,000)
1963 Jaguar E-type
Lightweight
Bonhams, Scottsdale, USA
19 January
5,357,500 ($6,600,000)
1939 Mercedes-Benz
540K Special Roadster
by Sindelfingen
PATRICK@DESERT-MOTORS.COM

RM Sothebys, Phoenix, USA

19-20 January
5,179,000 ($6,380,000)
1952 Ferrari 340 America
Spider Competizione
Bonhams, Scottsdale, USA
19 January
3,906,500 ($4,812,500)
1928 Mercedes-Benz Typ S

Rising like Phoenix

Supercharged Sports Tourer
by Erdmann & Rossi
Bonhams, Scottsdale, USA
19 January
Arizona kicks off the 2017 sale season and signs are encouraging 2,924,500 ($3,602,500)
1969 Ferrari 365 GTS
RM Sothebys, Phoenix, USA
DAVE KINNEY raised their flag, many of them for multiple years.
19-20 January
This month its all about the USA. For Despite unseasonably cold, windy and wet weather,
2017 there was no auction duel Scottsdale bidders were an optimistic group. Of note, 2,676,500 ($3,300,000)
between the west and east coasts, as only a handful of European bidders could be found on 1925 Bugatti Type 35
Grand Prix
Mecums Kissimmee, Florida sale site; casual observation says that the number of overseas
Gooding & Co, Scottsdale,
started a week before the first cars crossed the block in visitors is down from the previous years. USA. 20-21 January
Scottsdale, Arizona. If you were up for two weeks of This years final total from all Scottsdale/Phoenix
non-stop marathon auction sales, it could have been auction companies was just above $260 million, for a 2,545,000 ($3,135,000)
1995 Ferrari F50
done with a simple flight from the Orlando area to combined 84% sale rate from just shy of 3500 cars
RM Sothebys, Phoenix, USA
Phoenix and a change of two time zones. offered which is a strong sign. The average sale price 19-20 January
Mecum again exceeded expectations by turning in was around $90,000 and the total was up $10 million
results in excess of $90 million plus $3 million in what from 2016, although thats far from the best year ever, 2,500,500 ($3,080,000)
1961 Ferrari 400
they refer to as road art. Automobilia to you and me. 2015, when total sales were recorded at $294 million.
Superamerica SWB Coup
Top seller was a 1969 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder One could argue that 2017s extra $10 million came Aerodinamico by Pininfarina
selling for $1.012 million, with the number three spot from the introduction of a new player, Worldwide RM Sothebys, Phoenix, USA
going to a stunning red-over-black 2005 Porsche Carrera Auctions, to the Scottsdale scene, but in the world of 19-20 January
GT, which traded garages at $687,500. Number two was auction scoring its the overall results that count.
2,364,000 ($2,915,000)
a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible at $852,500, Barrett-Jackson is always the largest in terms of 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast
said to be the only factory convertible in Tuxedo Black number of cars offered, and this year was no different. It Gooding & Co, Scottsdale,
with blue bonnet stinger and blue interior. With nearly has the strongest Arizona roots and this years 99.5% USA. 20-21 January
2700 vehicles offered and 1981 sold, this was one of the sale rate is in line with previous years as only a small
2,277,000 ($2,805,000)
largest events of its type. When it comes to January percentage of Barrett-Jackson cars have a reserve. It sold 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C
auctions in Florida, Mecum owns the stage. 1703 of 1719, offered according to Hagerty Insurance, 1750 Gran Sport
The territory is different in the far western state of which compiles the numbers from each auction house Bonhams, Scottsdale, USA
Arizona, where a number of auction companies have for the January sales. Total dollar volume came in at a 19 January

193
THE MARKET / Reports

whopping $101 million, making B-J not only the west

coasts winner but also the overall winner for January. THERE ARE NO STAID AND SOMBRE
Of that total, $1.485 million was down to the sale of a
1964 Aston Martin DB5. A 1960 Chevrolet CERV-1
SALES IN SCOTTSDALE OR PHOENIX; KINNEYS TOP
(Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle) is said to be
back with its original family, according to rumours that
THEY ARE CELEBRATIONS OF THREE CARS
GM bought it back for $1.32 million. Celebrities in CARS AND CAR PEOPLE
attendance included Justin Bieber, Aerosmiths Steven
Tyler and multiple Olympic gold medallist Michael
Phelps. To say the crowd was enthusiastic in the auction offered and 606 sold, for a 78% sale rate. The average
prime hours would be a bit of an understatement. sale price of just $35,720 makes this the fun place to go
Bonhams had its best year ever at Scottsdale, turning when your dreams cost less than six figures. Top seller
in a total of $36.3 million. It sold 86 of 105 lots offered was a 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300S Cabriolet that brought Barrett-Jackson
Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
for an 82% sale rate and an eye-popping average sale a healthy $423,500; a 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS was 14-22 January
price of $422,494. That last number was skewed a bit by runner-up at $379,500. Is this 2004 Maybach 57 a
its top two sellers, the first a headline-grabbing 1963 Worldwide Auctions was the rookie player and put on future collectable? You bet.
Jaguar E-type Lightweight that brought $7.37 million, a great presentation. With only 82 lots on offer, it sold 64 There is an argument here that
eclipsing a 1952 Ferrari 340 America Competizione and banked $11.5 million. Number one was a rare a running example wont get
Spider that sold for $6.38 million. Bonhams definitely 427/434hp 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible at much cheaper than $48,400.
had a bigger crowd than previous years, its appealing $1.98 million. Its other million-dollar-plus sale was a
line-up making for an infectious buzz throughout the 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America at $1.1 million.
tent. If there was an award for Most Improved Auction But Worldwides headline car was the 1962 Aston
in 2017, Bonhams would definitely be the recipient. Martin DB4, discovered in a caravan park. In glorious
Gooding & Company turned in a total of $33.4 decrepitude, it brought $374,000 and gives someone
million, down from last years result thanks to fewer the right to perform a very expensive restoration.
multi-million-dollar consignments. Two of Goodings A favourite place to spend the final day of auction Mecum, Kissimmee, Florida,
top sellers were pre-war European cars: a 1925 Bugatti week is at Silver Auctions, down the road at the Fort USA. 6-15 January
This 2003 Acura NSX-T (the
Type 35 GP Roadster brought $3.3 million, while the McDowell Casino and known for on-stage fun and rst production 2003), in show
number three car was an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Grand affordable cars. Its average price was just over $15,000. condition with 8600 miles, is
Sport Roadster that sold for $1.595 million. Number Of 526 lots, 220 found new homes for a 42% sale rate one of Januarys most savvy
two was a 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast at $2.915 million. and $3.3 million total. Top sale was a tie between a 2007 buys at $110,000. Check back
RM Sothebys returned to the Biltmore in Phoenix Ford Shelby GT and a 1952 Nash Healey at $70,200. in three years for the proof.
for the 18th year. Best seller was a 1939 Mercedes-Benz If you are planning a trip to Scottsdale next year, you
540K Special Roadster at $6.6 million. Numbers two might not find it possible to visit every auction company
through seven were all Ferraris, a 1969 365 GTS Spider at prime time, but it definitely would be fun to spend a
the runner-up for $3.6 million. One of the most few hours watching each house perform its magic. There
anticipated cars, a 2003 ex-Tommy Hilfiger Ferrari Enzo are no staid and sombre sales in Scottsdale or Phoenix;
with just 3620 miles, made nearly $2.7 million. Sale total they are celebrations of cars and car people, and they
was $53.7 million, down almost $9 million from last celebrate the most conspicuous of conspicuous Worldwide Auctions
years $62.8 million, with the average price down over consumption. Its quintessentially American. And, like Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
$100,000 per car. With 141 sellers among the 159 cars it or not, thats the thing we really do best. 18 January
Restored in 1984, this 1936
and trucks offered, the sale rate was just shy of 90%. Alvis Silver Eagle SG Sport
Russo and Steele was newly located on land owned DAVE KINNEY is an auction analyst, an expert on the US Tourer sold at $99,000, a
by the Talking Stick Casino, a venue that provides more classic car auction scene, and publishes the USAs classic bit under low-estimate but
space. Russo reports sales of $22.1 million from 780 lots market bible, the Hagerty Price Guide. appropriate for its condition.

HAGI MERCEDES-BENZ CLASSIC INDEX Although the HAGI MBCI made a small net
gain over the last quarter of 2016, peaking at
annual average growth gure of 9.3%.
In wider market terms the MBCI is charting
the end of November, one month into 2017 the a comfortable middle ground between marques
200 index is slightly shy of where it was at the end and segments that are in some cases more
of September. volatile and in other cases more prone to
190 The December decline of 0.96%, followed by rotational forces.
a further fall of 1.47% in January, have together In simple terms, the fundamentals of
180
adjusted the medium-term market view. At the MBCI are separate: the breadth of the
170 Novembers high of 187.70, the MBCI had Mercedes-Benz classic back-catalogue,
returned year-on-year growth of 12.02% with a which includes a large number of high-end
160 three-year accumulation of 38.31%. Now, with prestige models often produced in far higher
values back where they were ve months ago, volume than rival offerings, is one thing
150
year-on-year growth has been reined back to that sets the marque apart. Others are the
140 10.23%, while for the three-year scenario the marques enduring appeal, general engineering
gure has retreated to 30.78%. excellence and relative ease of ownership.
Jan - 14
Mar - 14
May - 14
Jul - 14
Sep - 14
Nov - 14
Jan - 15
Mar - 15
May - 15
Jul - 15
Sep - 15
Nov - 15
Jan - 16
Mar - 16
May - 16
Jul - 16
Sep - 16
Nov - 16
Jan - 17

Despite the recent more subdued growth,
the MBCI remains rmly within a trend-channel
MONTH/YEAR dating back to 2014, during which time it has
Vertical axis is based on a benchmark of 100 set at 31 December 2011.
The HAGI MBCI charts the prices of key collectable Mercedes-Benzes. consistently outperformed its historic long-term
The consequence of all these factors is
the depth of interest, which is a constant and
steadying inuence. For further analysis, see
historicautogroup.com. Dave Selby

194
 2003 ASTON MARTIN DB7 ZAGATO 325,000
Finished in Skye Silver with Blue Analine Hide, one of only 99 cars produced worldwide,
1 owner and just 2,000 miles on the clock and in immaculate condition

1966 DB6 Vantage manual, Cumberland Grey 1966 DB6 Short Chassis Volante LHD, 1995 Rolls-Royce Flying Spur Estate Car, Superb
with Red Hide, fresh restoration by DJ Smail Cumberland Grey, concours winning restoration condition with just 25,000 miles and full history
and comprehensive history 449,000 by DJ Smail, superb history POA POA

SALES SERVICE RESTORATION PARTS

Workshop Showroom View our full selection of cars at

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Bucks MK46 4AP Olney, Bucks MK46 4AA
T +44 (0)1234 713 083 T +44 (0)1234 240 636
E service@djsmail.co.uk E sales@djsmail.co.uk
 THE MARKET / Auction Previews
No normal 924
Gooding & Co, Amelia Island, USA 10 March
IN RECENT YEARS few cars have stirred
up auction rooms like race-spec classic 911s,
but we have a feeling that at Goodings Amelia
Island sale in March, it will be a competition
Porsche of a later vintage that sets hearts racing
and paddles waving.
No, the roadgoing 924, introduced in 1976,
did not offer the same purity of form as the 911.
No, it did not have the same cachet among
petrolheads. And, no, it never inspired the same
slack-jawed response among fellow road users.
But in racing form, with gaudy livery and
outsize BBS wheels and flared arches and a
roaring, turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, it was
quite something to behold and to drive.
Stuttgart made only 17 examples, nine of
which lined up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans,
and on seeing the potency of the 2000lb,
400bhp-plus machines, American Al Holbert
knew Porsche was on to a good thing.
As the man responsible for Porsche North
Americas motor sport activities, he undertook
to build and run several of his own GTRs,
MIKE MAEZ
196
buying bodies and components from the
factory and assembling them at home. Six were
constructed for an assault on the IMSA and
TransAm series, including chassis 924-004.
Its first outing was at Laguna Seca in October
1981, and with endurance racing specialist
Hurley Haywood (three times a victor at Le
Mans) at the wheel it finished sixth overall.
Haywood drove through the 81-82 season,
following which the car was sold. Under the
banner of Bayside Racing it scored several class
wins, and by 1985 it had done battle at pretty
much every major circuit in the USA Laguna
Seca, Daytona, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock,
Road America, Riverside, Sears Point and more.
Chassis 924-004 was retired after the 1986
season and restored in its fabulous Lwenbrau
colours, which date from the Bayside era when
the car was producing fully 600bhp. Today the
924 is thought to be worth as much as $300,000.
If youre in a position to buy but still need
convincing, think of it as $500 per bhp instead
goodingco.com
 Wacky racer
Bonhams, Amelia Island,
USA 9 March
Stanley Wacky Arnolt was an industrialist
not afraid to do things differently. In 1938,
in an attempt to prove the worth of his Sea
Mite marine engine, he crossed a choppy
Lake Michigan alone in a 13ft boat, spending
hours navigating his way through thick fog.
It was inevitable that he would plough his
own furrow as a racing car supplier, and his
rebodied Bristols were instantly recognisable
with their unusual proportions the result
of being designed around a tall straight-six.
This car, chassis 404/X/3000, is the most
recognisable of all to fans of Arnolts work.
Based on a 2.0-litre Bristol 404 and rebodied
by Bertone in 1953, it is the one and only

Every new beginning Arnolt-Bristol prototype.

Motostalgia, Amelia Island USA 11 March
comes from some other beginnings end,
observed Seneca the Younger (allegedly).
The words of the Roman philosopher came
to mind as we studied this Cisitalia-Abarth
204A, one of the very last cars produced by
Cisitalia before the Turin-based manufacturer
collapsed but the first car registered by the
Abarth company.
Chassis 04/08 pretty much closed the
book on the Tazio Nuvolari story, too, not
to mention that of the collaboration between
Ferdinand Porsche and Carlo Abarth. It was
produced by those two giants of automotive
engineering while they were employed by
Cisitalia boss Piero Dusio, who in the mid-
1950s invested bravely but unwisely in a
Formula 1 car, the 360 Grand Prix.
The project bankrupted his company, and
Carlo Abarths severance package included
factory machinery and three 204As chassis
04/08 among them. Constructed in 1948,
it was reworked in 1950 by Carlo to the
Meticulously restored over a period of
some 20 years by the current owner, who
acquired it as a wreck in 1992, it stands
today as a tribute to a singular character,
and any way you cut it is worth its estimate
specifications of Tazio Nuvolari, who drove of $400,000-500,000.
it in the final meeting of an extraordinary bonhams.com
career, winning his class at the 1950 Palermo-
Monte Pellegrino hillclimb. Just three years
later he was dead at the age of 60, having
raced until he could physically race no more.
His Cisitalia was a mechanically interesting
machine, powered by a tuned 1089cc Fiat
engine but showing Porsches influence.
The front suspension was a Beetle-like design
with paired trailing links and transverse
torsion bars. The 204A was lighter than its
predecessor, and although the frame-hugging
bodywork with separate wings looked to be
a backwards step after the full-width 202,
it gave lightness and reduced frontal area.
The car, certified by Abarth, survives in
wonderfully original condition, and made a
vast $4.62 million when it was last offered in
2014. Its valuable molecules are sure to be in
high demand again in March.
motostalgia.com

ALSO LOOK OUT FOR

Of all the unusual items we have
featured here, this might be
the strangest: a blob of mould,
preserved inside a glass disc
and expected by Bonhams to
bring as much as 6000 when it
is offered on 1 March in London.
Given that the auction house
is not in the business of selling
biological weapons, the blobs
value is puzzling, until you learn that
it was grown by a chap named Sir
Alexander Fleming
The quiet Scot was not a good
self-promoter and his discovery of
pencillin in 1928 was largely ignored
by the wider scientific community at
first. Its implications, of course, were
enormous, and gave rise to a whole
new class of medicines: antibiotics.
Fleming presented penicillin
medallions to a number of favoured
and important folk, including the
Queen Mother and Winston
Churchill. An early prototype
consisting of two pieces of glass
held together with Elastoplast was
presented to Pope Pius XII an
appropriate recipient of an item
described as a holy relic of science.

197
 THE MARKET / Reports

Modesty is the best policy AUCTION

CALENDAR
RM Sothebys, Amelia Island, USA 10-11 March
22-23 February
H&H, Castle Donington, UK
24-26 February
Leake Auction,
Oklahoma City, USA
24-26 February
Silverstone Auctions
Stoneleigh, UK
25 February
Coys, London, UK
27 February
Shannons, Melbourne, Australia
28 February
Barons, Esher, UK
2 March
DVCA, Dorchester, UK
4 March
Richard Edmonds
Allington, UK
TRACE TAYLOR

4 March
Historics at Brooklands
Weybridge, UK
4-5 March
Essex Classic Car Auctions
Nobody likes a show-off, a truth of which Alfred Vanderbilts stud farm in Maryland in 1941. Petrol Tolleshunt Knights, UK
Vanderbilt II seemed to be aware when he spurned rationing meant the V12-powered Packard initially
8 March
his 21st birthday present of a brand-new Rolls-Royce saw little use in his ownership, but he kept it until Brightwells, Leominster, UK
in 1933. Too ostentatious, apparently, and he swiftly his death in 2012. At that point it remained 9 March
acquired instead a brand-new Packard Twelve spectacularly original (period cigarette butts in the Bonhams, Amelia Island, USA
Convertible Victoria. When youre the heir to two ashtray!) but was nonetheless treated to a careful 10 March
fortunes (the Vanderbilt family was once the restoration by the next owner. Gooding & Co
wealthiest in America, and Alfreds mother was born Offered in prize-winning condition and expected Amelia Island, USA
to the inventor of the cure-all Bromo-Seltzer), you to bring $475,000-575,000 at RMs two-day Amelia 10-11 March
only stoop so low, evidently. Island event featuring the collection of Orin Smith, RM Sothebys
His car of choice was a beauty, and caught the it is everything the heir to a fortune could want. Amelia Island, USA
eye of Bradford Blake Jr, who bought it from the rmsothebys.com 10-11 March
Hollywood Wheels
Amelia Island, USA
11 March
Motostalgia, Amelia Island, USA
EAST MEETS WEST 12 March
DVCA, Dorset, UK Stanislas Machor, Monastruc-
2 March la-Conseillre, France
Rare, built largely by hand (by people
whose hands were worth paying for), 18 March
and styled by one Giorgetto Giugiaro. Mathewsons
Estimate: 6000-8000. If that sounds Thornton-le-Dale, UK
too good to be true, youll want to 19 March
meet the Isuzu 117 Coup, a pretty Bonhams, Goodwood, UK
and long-lived model rarely seen on 24-25 March
OLD-FASHIONED FUN these shores. This 1981 example with A SPORTS CAR, UP TO A POINT
Historics at Brooklands, Brightwells, Leominster, UK Mecum, Kansas City, USA
2.0-litre DOHC engine is an intriguing
Weybridge, UK. 4 March proposition for collectors of J-tin. 8 March 24-26 March
Sky-blue Bianchis tend to have two dvca.co.uk Austin A40 Sports might sound Dan Kruse Classics
wheels, skinny tyres and pedals, but oxymoronic, but Austin boss Leonard San Antonio, USA
the marque now known for its racing Lord was determined that a racier, 25 March
bicycles once produced cars, too. Jensen-bodied version of the little Stanislas Machor
With its minimal, two-seater body and saloon should be offered. With twin Huixquilucan, Mexico
1690cc four-cylinder engine making carbs it made a heady 46bhp from
a useful 25hp, this 1918 Tipo 16 1200cc This 1952 car, expected 29 March
offers breezy fun and at 21,000- to fetch 7500-9500, is the perfect H&H, Duxford, UK
26,000 represents good value for oily rag motor: spot-on mechanicals 31 March 2 April
an interesting pre-1920 machine. under major patination. Auctions America
historics.co.uk brightwells.com Fort Lauderdale, USA

198
THE MARKET / Showroom Stars
1965 Duesenberg J-365 Franay
$1.1 million. Hyman Ltd, Missouri, USA
ORIGINALLY OWNED BY Mabel Boll, who was
crowned Queen of Diamonds and Broadways most to Count Henri de Porceri; they wed in Paris but by
beautiful blonde by American gossip columnists, this
Duesenberg Model J has enjoyed a history almost as
colourful as that of its most notable custodian.
The Duesenbergs chassis was first delivered to
France, where apparently it was fitted with a Kellner
body; before it was sold, however, that body was
swapped for Franays Sunroof Berline coachwork and
the car was exhibited at the 1930 Paris motor show,
resplendent in two-tone paint. It was back in Paris again
in 1931, now in a single colour.
Meanwhile, Mabels progression towards impending
Duesenberg ownership was the stuff of Hollywood
fantasy. After selling cigars in a bar, she married
businessman Robert Scott in 1909, before moving on to
her second husband, Hernando Rocha, in 1922. Rocha
was a Colombian coffee magnate who showered her in
the jewels that she so liked to show off: hence the Queen
of Diamonds nickname. A decade later, after Rochas
200
1955 Abarth 207/A
$275,000
Beautifully restored and with
upgraded safety equipment, this
Michelotti-styled 1100cc Abarth
sports racer is ready for Historic
competition duty or to slip
beneath the judges noses at
Pebble Beach or Villa dEste.
fantasyjunction.com (USA)
1932 REAL-bodied MG J2
75,000
The sole surviving REAL-bodied
MG J2 (of just two), this rakish
sports car has been carefully
rebuilt to original specification
and is ready for onlookers to
play a frustrating game of
What on earth is that?
barrywalker.com
death in a car crash, Mabel was married again, this time
1933 the marriage was over. Perhaps to get over the
anguish, Mabel acquired the classy Duesenberg in 1934.
How she used the car is unclear; what we do know is
that a subsequent boyfriend shot himself on her lawn
and that she married for a fifth time in 1940.
Following Mabels death in 1949, the Duesenberg 1949 Bristol Farina 401
passed through three French owners before being 185,000
Only six of these Bristol Farina
shipped to the US in 1971. In 1975 its third American
401 convertibles were ever
owner, Chicago jeweller Marvin Cohen, commissioned made this is number three
a major restoration and modifications to the Franay so its highly unlikely that anyone
coachwork. The sloping roof-line was accentuated, the else will turn up at your local
rear trunk removed, the bonnet lengthened, the in the same car as you.
bonnets side louvres replaced by chromed screens, and sljhackett.co.uk
it was repainted in its current shade of Magenta.
The Duesenberg has had a further three owners since
none, wed wager, whose character was quite as in tune
with the cars flamboyant nature as the glittering Mabel.
hymanltd.com
1965 Mercedes O319
Fensterbus. 169,000
So much more stylishly left-field
than a stretch limo when you
want to travel with ten of your
friends, this sensitively restored
people-mover has two-tone
upholstery, curtains, lots of
chrome, and even the tour
guides microphone left over
from its days of public hire.
chromecars.de
 Ferrari 275 GTS (LHD)
Concours Condition

One of just 200 cars built by Ferrari, this example was completed in June 1965 and
originally supplied to Germany. When purchased by the current owner in 1975 the car
had covered just 25,870 kms from new and was placed into storage. The car remained
in storage with the same owner and was unused until 2014 when it was dispatched to
DK Engineering for a highest quality restoration. During the restoration the car was
taken back to a bare shell and every component was skilfully restored to original correct
specification. No nut or bolt was left untouched. The exterior was finished in the fitting
colour of Verde Medio and the interior finished in Dark Blue.

Today the car is available following only a handful of miles since the restoration was
completed meaning it remains in stunning concours condition. Coming from a forty year
ownership, with just 26,000 kms from new and presented in such breath-taking condition
this is surely an opportunity that cannot be matched and should not be missed. POA

Additional Motorcars Available for Acquisition

Porsche 993 GT2 (RHD)
One of just 57 road cars built to homologate the
legendary race cars. This example is especially rare
being RHD (1 of 13 supplied worldwide). Presented in
Guards Red and equipped with the desirable specification
of a non-airbag steering wheel and bucket seats. With
just 12,500 Miles from new this is the ultimate
Modern Classic Porsche. POA
Ferrari 365 GTC (RHD)
One of the 22 UK RHD supplied cars of only 150 built in
total. The first owner was none other than Rob Walker.
Following an extensive overhaul in 2013 by DK including
a full suspension rebuild, retrim, transaxle rebuild,
major service and a bare metal repaint the car is
presented in the fitting colour Indigo Blue of Robs
racing team. Classiche Certification in process. POA
Ford Mustang (Appendix K)
A genuine 1965 Ford Mustang with race history from
new being owned and raced in its early years by
David Tallaksen and Gene Felton.
A regular Goodwood Revival competitor and recently
prepared by WDK Motorsport which included a full en-
gine rebuild. 79,995

Acquisition Consultancy | Sales | Service | Restoration to Perfection | Engine Building | Race Preparation | Rolling Road | Storage

Telephone: +44 (0) 1923 287 687 Fax: +44 (0) 1923 286 274 Email: info@dkeng.co.uk
www.dke.co.uk
Little Green Street Farm, Green Street, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, WD3 6EA - ENGLAND A Cottingham Family Business.
THE MARKET / Buying Guide
Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser
Want to stand out from the classic 4x4 crowd? Heres how
WHILE TOYOTA had been building light
4x4s since 1951, it wasnt until 1954 that the
Land Cruiser brand arrived. Toyotas technical
director Hanji Umehara wanted a name that
would convey off-road ability but sound
dignified; important to a Japanese company.
The range of vehicles made under the Land
Cruiser name is bewildering. Toyota attempted
to cover all requirements of a light utility
vehicle by making a wide range of variants
rather than a few highly adaptable models,
which was Land Rovers approach.
The definitive classic Land Cruiser is the
short-wheelbase J40, otherwise known as the
40-Series. Built in Japan between 1960 and
1984, it lived on as a Brazilian-manufactured
model until 2001. While its predecessor, the
J20, looked quite similar externally, the J40 had
improvements in every area, with more power,
better performance and build refinements.
Engines were designated F for petrol
models, which were six-cylinder units and
initially of 3.9 litres capacity, then after 1975
4.2 litres. B designates the four-cylinder diesel
engines available only after 1974, and H was
used later for six-cylinder diesel units. The
earliest transmissions were three-speed; later,
four- and five-speed boxes were introduced,
each having a high- and low-ratio transfer box
and selectable two- and four-wheel drive.
Front disc brakes were added in 1976 and
202
1979 saw the introduction of power steering
and air conditioning as options.
During the J40s production run there were
few external changes and, inside, things were
kept fairly utilitarian. Later, LX trim gave the
lucky owner stripy seats, a dash panel pad,
carpeting, tachometer and a digital clock.
FJ40s are the ones to have, being petrol-
engined and compact. Powerful, flexible,
capable and seemingly unbreakable, their only
drawback is an inevitable thirst.
The FJ40 Land Cruisers and Series IIa and
III Land Rovers competed for the same world
markets at the same time. In damp climates at
least, a hard-worked Land Rover could hide
myriad mechanical and structural sins under its
rustproof alloy body, while a Land Cruiser
might wear a rusty body over healthy
components, leading to unfair comparisons.
By the 1980s there was a significant swing
away from utility 4x4s towards recreational off-
roaders. In 1985 Toyota released an all-new,
expanded range of vehicles that, although still
marketed as Land Cruisers, bore little
resemblance to the boxy original.
With prices for some FJ40s hitting substantial
six-figure sums in recent years, the market has
settled and prices now compare favourably with
classic Land Rover and Jeep models. Bought
carefully, an FJ40 is an intelligent, achingly cool
and functional choice. Julian Shoolheifer
PATRICK ERNZEN, COURTESY RM SOTHEBYS
THE LOWDOWN
PRICES
Anyone following auction results, particularly
in the US, will have seen stratospheric rises
after 2012, with some early Land Cruisers
making six-figure sums. This excitement
brought hundreds of them to market.
Saturation has a lot to do with it settling back
now and means its a better time to buy. With
over-exposure of early Land Rovers, theyre
also way cooler. Buying rules are simple: go
on condition and originality, and buy to use.
A really good FJ40 should be 25,000,
an excellent one 40,000.
LOOK OUT FOR
Like so many steel cars of the period, the FJ is
manufactured in such a way that there are
many seams: water gets in, with catastrophic
consequences. Vehicles driven on salted
roads or used for hauling boats are likely to
have suffered the most.
Running gear is pretty bomb-proof, as youd
expect of a utility product from Toyota.
Chassis, engines, gearboxes and axles are
simple and very strong, and, while the basic
leaf-spring suspension is antique, so is a Land
Rovers. Diesel-engined BJs are pedestrian.
Undeniably thirsty at around 18-20mpg, many
FJ40s have had modifications to try to
improve fuel economy: freewheeling hubs
fitted to the front axle were a common
addition. A rare option is an additional
overdrive unit made in the United Kingdom by
Fairey, which allows for more relaxed cruising.
Service items arent hard to come by and
Toyota can supply much, but at a price; other
parts including brakes and suspension are
catered for by aftermarket suppliers.
 1978 De Cadenet Lola LM-4
4-time Le Mans 1978-81, Can-Am 1978, Silverstone and Monza 1000km winner 1980, amazing history,
fresh stunning rebuild including Richardson DFV, highly original, ready to win CER and Le Mans Classic
POA

SO
LD

1986 Spice SE86C Hart
3-time Le Mans 1987-89, including class
pole in 88, race winner, very powerful
Hart Turbo engine, competitive package
for historic Group C 295,000
1976 Ferrari 308 GTB
1/91 RHD fibreglass dry sump. Only
16k miles 174,500
1966 Shelby Mustang GT350 FIA HTP
Full history, original car, UK road
registered, immaculate 225k
1987 Ferrari Mondial 3.2
One of 91 RHD 3.2 Mondials built.
40k miles, great history, immaculate,
in super rare TdF blue, just had belt
service 47,995

We are actively seeking good quality classics and race cars

If youre looking to invest in your passion or seek a new home for a significant motor car,
please call +44 (0) 1256 765000 or email sales@duncanhamilton.com

Duncan Hamilton & Co Ltd, PO Box 222, Hook, Nr Basingstoke, Hampshire RG27 9YZ, England | www.duncanhamilton.com
1983 Lynx Eventer - Just 5,027 Miles POA
Remarkably low milage example in time-warp condition - 1 previous owner - Number plate XJ V12 included.

New Stock Required 1963 Jaguar E-Type Low Drag POA

We are always looking for exceptional historic race and LHD with full FIA HTP Papers.
road cars for stock - Please contact us. A beautiful E-Type Low Drag with a unique detailed
build quality and a successful race history in Sweden and
Finland.

+ 44 (0) 1424 870 600

www.ckldevelopments.co.uk
sales@ckldevelopments.co.uk
CKL Developments Ltd,
Woodcote, Marley Lane Business Park,
Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0RE
Well help you to find
your perfect Aston Martin

Excellent restoration project... 149,950

This particular RHD 1955 DB2/4 is ideal for a sympathetic or full restoration and the
asking price is for this lovely old Aston "as is".Therefore it can be purchased and
restored by the new keeper or they can choose to treat it to the best restoration
possible here at Aston Workshop. .

We also cater for

For more info about this car please call +44 (0) 1207 233 525 all classic marques

To see all our cars for sale visit aston.co.uk ASTON WORKSHOP

CAR BARN
CL AS SICS & E XOTICS
Restoration Parts Servicing Global delivery Storage | Beamish DH9 ORW England
 T H E L E A D I N G S P E C I A L I S T I N S O U R C I N G T H E R A R E A N D U N O B TA I N A B L E

19 6 6 A S T O N M A R T I N D B 6
SHORT CHASSIS VOL ANTE
Original interior and exterior colours
Matching Numbers Car
Full Body Off restoration and LHD Conversion by Aston Engineering
Very Rare car, 1 of 37
Service file included POA

WILLIAM LOUGHR AN ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING LUXURY, CL ASSIC

AND SUPERCARS. CONTACT ONE OF OUR SPECIALISTS.
+44 (0) 1772 613 114 // sales@williamloughran.co.uk // www.williamloughran.co.uk
TALACREST TALACREST

1960 Ferrari 250 Gt SWB

Berlinetta Competizione
The original engine 2209 GT has recently been reunited with this car - which means this
historic car with its Factory supervised restoration and Classiche certification represents
one of the best Ferrari 250 SWB available anywhere in the world.

o t h e r c l a s s i c f e r r a r i av a i l a b l e

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB 2 Cam Alloy 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

W W W. TA L A C R E S T. C O M
TALACREST ARE THE BIGGEST AND MOST EXPERIENCED BUYERS OF CLASSIC FERRARI IN THE WORLD AND HAVE
SOLD OVER $1 BILLION WORTH OF THOROUGHBRED CLASSIC CARS INCLUDING EIGHT FERRARI 250 GTOS,
MANY PROTOTYPES AND NUMEROUS OTHER DESIRABLE ROAD AND RACE CARS. IF YOURE LOOKING TO BUY
OR SELL BLUE-CHIP, COLLECTOR FERRARI CLASSICS THEN MAKE TALACREST YOUR NUMBER ONE CHOICE.

+ 44 (0)1344 308178 | +44 (0)7860 589855 | JOHN@TALACREST.COM

THE NUMBER ONE IN THE CLASSIC FERRARI MARKET
Suppliers of the finest, hand-selected, Classic & Sports Cars prepared to the highest standard

Ferrari 365 GT
2+2 (1969)
Vehicle background
Supplied new by Maranello Concessionaires
on the 24th February 1969, this stunning
365 GT 2+2 is one of just 52 Right Hand
Drive UK supplied cars, out of a total
production of 800.
Finished in Blu Chiaro paintwork with a new
chestnut tan leather interior. This full 4 seat
V12 Ferrari is not only practical, but was the
first of its type to feature independent rear
suspension and power steering, making it a
pleasure to drive in modern traffic.
This must surely be the most cost effective
way of owning a 1960s V12 Ferrari?
Vehicle specification
Year: 1969 / G
Colour: Blu Chiaro
Interior Colour: Chestnut Leather
Transmission: Manual
Mileage: 94,275 miles

Available now

265,000
Call Graypaul Classic Cars
on 0115 837 8028 or visit
graypaulclassiccars.com
to view the full
collection today.

G R AY PA U L C L A S S I C C A R S L E N TO N L A N E N OT T I N G H A M N G 7 2 N R T E L : 0 1 1 5 8 3 7 8 0 2 8
FERRARI 365 GTB/4 FERRARI DINO GT FERRARI 575 M MARANELLO FERRARI 599 GTO
DAYTONA FULL BODY OFF RESTORATION VERY RARE FACTORY SPECIFICATION STUNNING RARE FACTORY SPECIFICATION
THREE CARS IN STOCK

ASTON MARTIN DB2/4 MKII ASTON MARTIN DB6 MKI FORD GT40 RANGE ROVER B SUFFIX
1 OF ONLY 6 LHD CARS BUILT VANTAGE VOLANTE COMPETITION AND ROAD CARS IN STOCK UNIQUE HISTORY
TOTAL PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION
1 OF 29 EXAMPLES.
TOTAL JD CLASSICS RESTORATION

AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 MKIII MERCEDES 300 SL PORSCHE 911 964 JAGUAR SS100
PHASE 2 VERY RARE FACTORY COLOUR SPECIFICATION.
MATCHING NUMBERS
TURBO 3.6 S 3.5 & 2.5 LITRE AVAILABLE
FULL BODY OFF RESTORATION 1 OF 13 TURBO 3.6S FACTORY X88 PACK
CARS PRODUCED

JAGUAR XK120, XK140 & JAGUAR E-TYPE S1 JAGUAR XJR-15 JAGUAR MKII
XK150 SIX CARS IN STOCK 1 OF ONLY 16 TO ACTUALLY COMPETE IN THE THREE CARS IN STOCK
OVER 20 CARS IN STOCK INTERCONTINENTAL CHALLENGE RACE SERIES
INCLUDING PERIOD COMPETITION CARS FULLY RESTORED

SELECTION OF OUR CURRENT STOCK

OVER 100 CLASSIC ROAD & OVER 40 RACE CARS IN STOCK
8 SHOWROOMS, IN-HOUSE WORKSHOPS, RACE SHOP, ENGINE SHOP, MACHINE SHOP, PAINT SHOP, TRIM SHOP
Monaco Le Mans Mille Pebble Salon Goodwood Goodwood
Historique Classic Miglia The Quail - Beach Priv Dehli
A Motorsport Concours Revival Revival Concours
Grand Prix Winners Finishers Concours Freddie March RAC TT
Winners 2010, 2012 11 Cars Gathering d'Elegance d'Elegance Celebration 1st in class
Winners Winners Trophy Winners 2nd Overall
2012, 2014, 2014 2014, 2015, Best In Show 2012, 2013, Winners
2016 2016 2016 2013, 2014 2009 to 2015, 2016 2016
2014 2015 2015
 ASTON MARTIN DB6 MKII
SUBJECT OF A TOTAL PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION
TWO OWNERS SINCE NEW AND LIMITED USE SINCE COMPLETION
MATCHING NUMBERS

@jd_classics
jdclassics@jdclassics.com www.jdclassics.com
WYCKE HILL BUSINESS PARK, WYCKE HILL, MALDON, ESSEX, CM9 6UZ, U.K. +44 (0)1621 879579
MAYFAIR SHOWROOM, 26-28 MOUNT ROW, MAYFAIR, LONDON, W1K 3SQ, U.K. +44 (0) 207 125 1400
Year 2016(16) Year 2015(65) Year 2016(16) Year 2015(65)
Mileage 1,000 miles Mileage 1,500 miles Mileage 2,700 miles Mileage 4,000 miles
Transmission Semi-Auto Transmission Automatic Transmission Manual Transmission Semi-Auto
229,950 119,950 91,950 92,950
01903 254800 sales@premiergt.com
1978 Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer RHD. Rare carburettor engine. Only 22,000
miles. Only 1 01 carburettor-engined 51 2s supplied to the UK. Comes with the Classiche
Certificazione Di Autenticit (Nov 201 5) & original bill of sale from Maranello Egham in
1 978. Finished in Rosso with Pelle Nera Interior. Also comes with a full book pack, tool kit
& extensive document folder full with invoices, MOTs & photos......................... 299,995.
2010 (60) Ferrari California 4.3 V8 2+2 Convertible. Only 11,000 Miles.
20,000 of options. RHD UK Car. Special order Rosso Mugello with Crema Leather,
Bordeaux Stitching & Nero Carpets. Full Ferrari Service History. Spec includes Carbon
Ceramic Brakes, Daytona Seating, Carbon Fibre Steering Wheel with LED Shift Lights, AFS,
Navigation, Magneride, Rear Parking Camera & much more............................ 104,995.
2011 Porsche 997 3.8 GT3 RS. Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). Only 9,000
Miles Finished in Carrera White with Contrast White Gold Metallic Decals, Wheels and
. Miles. Finished in Polar Silver Metallic with Natural Leather Sports Seats and Factory Roll
Spoiler End Blades. The interior has Extended Black Leather with the Cloth Carbon
Folding Bucket Seats, 6-Point Seat Belts for the Driver and Passenger, Extended Carbon
Interior Package, Carbon Rear Centre Console and Alcantara Headlining..... 199,995.
2005 (05) Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 5.7 V12 F1 2+2. RHD UK Car. Only 25,00 Miles.
A fast-appreciating, fantastic Investment Opportunity. Finished in Argento Nurburgring
Metallic with Nero Leather Interior & Carpets and Grigio Chiaro Stitching. It has a fantastic
& comprehensive Service History having been serviced at Ferrari every year since it was
new - the last being a major at 25,079 Miles....................................................... 84,995.
Premier GT have over 45 years of experience buying, selling and sourcing luxury and
performance cars. This is just a small selection of our current stock. Please visit our
website to view our full inventory or call/email to make an appointment to visit our
showroom at rock business park, the hollow, washington, west sussex, rh20 3da.
www.premiergt.com
2014 (64) Lamborghini Huracan 5.2 V10 LP 610-4 LDF Coupe UK RHD Car. Only
2,000 miles. One Former Keeper. Finished in Giallo Midas Pearlescent with Bicolor
Sportivo Giallo Taurus Alcantara & Nero Ade Leather Interior. Comes with a fresh service
from Lamborghini. Lifting system - Magneto-Theologic Suspension, Carbon Ceramic
Brakes, LDS, Navigation, Rear View Camera........................................................ 172,995.
2012 Ferrari California 4.3 V8 2+2 Convertible. Huge list of factory-fitted
options. Only 24,000 Miles. Finished in Nero Daytona & Nero Leather, Rosso Stitching
& Nero Carpets. 7-yr Ferrari Service Pack & Ext. Warranty. Huge Spec: Handling Package,
AFS System, Electric Daytona Seats, Carbon Driving Zone, Carbon Steering Wheel with
LEDs, 20 Diamond Finish Wheels, Sat-Nav, Parking Sensors............................. 109,995.
2002 Porsche 996 GT2 3.6 Twin-Turbo 462 BHP Coupe C16 UK Car. Only 47,000
Cage. Fast-appreciating with a Fully Comprehensive Porsche Dealer and Specialist Service
History. Carbon Ceramic Brakes, Moton Adjustable Dampers, Carbon Fibre Rear Aerofoil &
Interior Pack....................................................................................................... 119,995.
2007 (56) Ferrari F430 Coupe 4.3 V8 F1. Only 28,000 Miles. Finished in Nero
Daytona Metallic with Tan Leather Daytona Seating & Nero Carpets. Full Ferrari Main
Dealer and Specialist Service History. Carbon Fibre Driving Zone, Satellite Navigation,
Electric-Heated Seats, Scuderia Wing Shields, Rear Parking Sensors, Brake Calipers in
Yellow, Bluetooth, Navtrak.................................................................................... 89,995 .
 Matthew Beard +44 (0) 7860 911 959 Louis Leven +44 (0) 7977 488 488
sell@dicklovett.co.uk

+44 (0) 1793 615 000 | The Copse, Frankland Road, Blagrove, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 8YW | www.dicklovett.co.uk |
 1929 Le Mans

STANLEY MANN RACING

THE WORLD'S LEADING VINTAGE BENTLEY SPECIALIST

THE ABSOLUTE DRIVING MACHINE

Photo: Colin Murrell

www.stanleymann.com
The Fruit Farm, Common Lane, Radlett, Herts, WD7 8PW
Telephone: +44 (0) 1923 852505 sales@stanleymann.com
2004 Porsche Carrera GT

Solid Black with Natural Dark Grey leather interior.

Less than 1,800 miles from new. A stunning supercar in
concours condition.

Price: 599,995
 EXTENSIVE NEW/USED STOCK CONTACT US FOR DETAILS ON
CURRENT FINANCE OFFERS:
BESPOKE CUSTOMER ORDERS TAKEN
Call: 01483 286467
50/50 0%APR OFFER V6 ROADSTER. Find us: Epsom Road, West Horsley,
Surrey KT24 6DG
Email: enquiries@bellandcolvill.com

BellandColvill www.bellandcolvill.com
CARS FOR SALE
OCTANE MARKETPLACE
Browse classic cars for sale or reach a huge international
classic car market to sell yours with a free advertisement in
Octane go to subscribe.octane-magazine.com/classieds
Visit www.classicandperformancecar.com for more cars and to advertise your car on the website. Octane cannot endorse any cars for
sale in classied advertisements and recommends that you meet the vendor and are satised with the car before parting with any money.
1993 AC Cobra Lightweight
RHD. One of the last of the 26 genuine, original
Lightweights with short-nose bodywork, rollcage,
bonnet scoop, 15in Halibrands, at dash (no heater),
no headrests, wing-mounted Monza fuel ller,
blueprinted and handbuilt SVO 5.0-litre engine. Full
suspension mods with front/rear anti-roll bars, AP
brakes, 3.31 di, 370bhp, Hurst shi , and 1960s
period cosmetic features. Just serviced by Thunder
Road with fresh MoT. 10,500 miles, superlative
condition. Rod Leachs Nostalgia. Tel:
+44 (0) 1992 500007. Email: info@rodleach.com (T).
1964 AC Cobra 289 Mk2
Right-hand drive, 11,900 miles from new. One of just
48 RHD examples built by AC Cars Ltd at Thames
Ditton, Surrey, between 1963 and 1965. Second owner
from 1966 for 45 years, stored in Monaco from the
1980s till 2010. Rod Leachs Nostalgia. Tel:
+44 (0) 1992 500007. Email: info@rodleach.com (T).
Tel: +44 (0)20 8688 4443
Allard 1948 M 2 door 4 seat
Convertible
48,500
For more information please contact me
FRANK KENNIS +31 622 420 766
info@KennisCars.nl www.kenniscars.nl
250
ADVERTISE
IN-MAG FOR FREE!
PRIVATE SELLERS ONLY,
LIMITED SPACES
AVAILABLE
Earley Engineering Limited www.classic-spares.com
Alvis Specialists Austin Healey Specialist
+44 (0)1981 250 244 www.murrayscott-nelson.com
earleyeng@aol.com
Visit our new website tel. 01723 361227
www.earleyeng.com
| Servicing | Chassis engineering
| Restoratons | Engine builds
| Upgrades | Coachbuilding
RESTORATIONS BODYWORK PAINTWORK SERVICING
| Sales | Bodyshop NATIONWIDE COLLECTION & DELIVERY SERVICE STORAGE
CONCOURS PREPARATION MAIL ORDER PARTS
PRESENTS
Race Proven Parts QUALITY AUSTIN-HEALEY PARTS!
Aston Martin Lagonda Tel: +44 (0)1543 472244
50,000
www.classicandperformancecar.com/233189
www.bighealey.co.uk
www.ahspares.co.uk
Tel: 0044 (0)1926 817181
2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Great condition. Metallic black with Oxblood interior.
25,000 miles with full service history. Sat-nav, electric
heated seats, parking sensors. Very high spec, great
value for money. 35,950. Email aaron@bellclassics.
co.uk, tel: +44 (0)1582 488370 (T).
Austin-Healey 3000 MkII
A most immaculate upgraded Austin-Healey for the
owner that wants the best from Rawles Motorsport.
One of 20 available. 91,000. Tel: +44 (0)1420 23212,
www.rawlesmotorsport.co.uk (T).
Auburn 1935 851 Convertible Sedan
135,000
For more information please contact me
FRANK KENNIS +31 622 420 766
info@KennisCars.nl www.kenniscars.nl
1967 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII Ph2
Finished in the ever popular Ice Blue paint colour with
Navy interior. Very nice car, one of 20 Austin-Healeys
available for sale from us. 65,500. Tel: +44 (0)1420
23212, www.rawlesmotorsport.co.uk (T).
2008 Audi R8 4.2 V8 Quattro
26,000 miles with full service history. Metallic black 1934 Bentley 3 Litre
with silver side blades and black leather interior. Thrupp & Maberly sports saloon, long-term
Mag sports ride, manual. Nav, heated electric 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII Ph2 ownership, extensive history. Exceptional
seats, leather driving zone. 46,950. Email aaron@ Only 16,000 miles from new. 75,000. Tel: +44 (0)1420 throughout. 75,000. Tel: +44 (0)7717 834262, email
bellclassics.co.uk, tel: +44 (0)1582 488370 (T). 23212, www.rawlesmotorsport.co.uk (T). junkyardcollectables@aol.com (T).
1972 BMW 3.0CS
$58,500
www.classicandperformancecar.com/198294
2010 Ferrari 599 GTB HGTE
Nero Daytona with matching Nero interior and
Daytona seats. Specification includes full carbon
interior package, carbon ceramic brakes, side shields,
red calipers, yellow revcounter, reversing camera,
carbon steering wheel with LED display and F12
alloy wheels in titanium. Only 5000 miles, desirable
to the collector and enthusiast alike. 169,990. Email
danielparker1@me.com, tel: +44 (0)1580) 714597,
www.vvsuk.co.uk (T).
2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia 16M LHD
Only 499 of these lightweight convertible 430s
were built, making them appeal to the collector and
enthusiast. Classic Rosso Corsa with the Tricolore
stripe and black interior, this car looks stunning.
Specification includes Nero alcantara and 3D technical
fabric sport/race seats, JBL hi-fi upgrade, iPod
dash unit, yellow revcounter, scuderia shields, red
brake calipers and a full carbon engine bay. With
just 7000 miles covered by one careful owner, this
car represents an excellent investment opportunity.
269,990. Email danielparker1@me.com, tel: +44
(0)1580) 714597, www.vvsuk.co.uk (T).
1972 Dino Ferrari 246 GTS
Original UK-delivered car. History from new,
Ferrari Classiche eligible. One of only 235 still
in its original colour combination. POA. Email
mike@rardleymotors.com, tel: (0)1428 606616,
www.rardleymotors.com (T).
1988 Ferrari GTB Turbo
Red with black hide and carpet. Air conditioning,
ABS. Intercooled/254bhp. History from new. One
of only 308 Italian-market cars. Exciting! 69,990.
Email mike@rardleymotors.com, tel: (0)1428 606616,
www.rardleymotors.com (T).
2002 Ferrari 575 F1
Metallic blue (Tour de France) with cream hide stitched
in blue. 18in alloy wheels with aluminium grey brake
callipers. One of only 182 cars officially imported into
the UK. 99,990. Email mike@rardleymotors.com,
tel: (0)1428 606616, www.rardleymotors.com (T).
1994 Ferrari 348 Spider
One of only 68 RHD cars made. 37,000 miles
with full service history. Red with cream interior.
Recent cambelt service. Beautiful condition.
69,500. Email aaron@bellclassics.co.uk, tel: +44
(0)1582 488370 (T).
Ferrari 550
79,993
www.classicandperformancecar.com/195604
Ford Escort
28,750
www.classicandperformancecar.com/231698
Ford Mustang
21,995
www.classicandperformancecar.com/226450
1995 Jaguar XJS
Celebration Convertible 4.0
Turquoise with cream leather trim, contrasting Coffee
piping, black hood, cream tonneau. Electric seats,
electric mirrors, trip computer, air conditioning,
heated rear window and only featured on the
Celebration models it has a half-wood wheel,
wood gear selector, embossed seats and stunning
diamond-turned polished Celebration wheels.
This vehicle has covered 58,000 miles and has
11 stamps in the service book to confirm. A real
head-turner. 34,950. Tel: +44 (0)1435 863800,
email: ctpdwc@aol.com (T).
251
CARS FOR SALE
For all things Mercedes-Benz sl 107.
sales | service | hire | Parts | cars Bought
www.theslshop.com 0844 414 2116
1971 Land Rover 109 Series IIA -
recently restored, aluminium
bodywork clear coated, cool
1988 Jaguar XJ-S Convertible
27,950
www.classicandperformancecar.com/223704
1978 Lamborghini Espada S3
Rosso Chiaro, Sabbia leather, auto. Last RHD car,
44,000 miles, stainless exhaust, last owner 30 years,
sublime condition, POA. Email sporticus911@
hotmail.com, tel: +44 (0)7463 081007.
2015 Lotus Elise S Touring
Metallic Yellow with black leather, black stripes, black
alloys, black hood. One owner and only 1400 miles
from new with full Lotus service history. Excellent
spec includes leather, cruise control, Bilstein
dampers, forged alloys, sports seats. In virtually as
new condition and sold with the balance of Lotus
warranty until 10/18. 32,950. Tel: (0)1428 608255,
www.adrianblyth.com (T).
252
Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 VERY
RARE
We are truly delighted to offer this stunning Mercedes-
Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet for sale. Presented in Dark
Green metallic with contrasting and highly desirable
Bamboo leather interior. This original European car
has been beautifully restored, the extremely rare
air conditioning is ice cold, it has the correct tool
roll, it has been fitted with a Becker Classic stereo
and navigation system which looks original and
the original 70s stereo is with the car. It has just
completed a summer long tour of Europe and is ready
for use. Please call for full details. 369990 sales@
vvsuk.co.uk (01580) 714597 www.vvsuk.co.uk Trade
MGB
14,000
www.classicandperformancecar.com/226959
1965 Pontiac Bonneville Tripower
29,000 miles, immaculate unmolested dry-state
South Dakota car. Always garaged. Perfect interior.
Four-door hardtop, 389 three-carb engine, 8-lug
aluminium wheels, LSD. Factory window sticker.
A few minor touched up paint chips, fresh Waxoyl
undercoat. New belts, tune-up, shocks, ready to
drive. Lafayette, Indiana, USA. $29,389. Email
twalgamuth@comcast.net, tel: +1 (765) 490 0275.
Porsche wanted
01440 714 884
Classic Porsches Wanted
Paul Stephens has been specialising in classic 911s
for over two decades. If you have an air-cooled 911
to sell, please give us a call for a professional honest
valuation. We can either purchase with prompt and
secure payment or offer consignment sales. With
a worldwide customer base we will secure the best
sale price for your 911. Email@paul-stephens.com,
tel: +44 (0)1440 714884, www.paul-stephens.com (T).
1965 Porsche 356SC 1970 Renault R8 Gordini replica
$37,000 22,000
www.classicandperformancecar.com/227451 www.classicandperformancecar.com/221229

Fine selection of classic Porsches 1972 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

15,000
Including this 1972 911 2.4S finished in Sepia Brown
www.classicandperformancecar.com/225369
with an extensive history file. For more information
on this car or any other example in stock, please
visit www.paul-stephens.com, call +44 (0)1440
714884 or email@paul-stephens.com (T).

1964 Sunbeam Tiger

$97,499.99
www.classicandperformancecar.com/225629

1989 Porsche 928 S4 SE -

very original car, one of 42 SE
models in 1988

1954 Swallow Doretti -

extremely rare and beautifully
restored

1963 Porsche 356 B/C Carrera 2

49,000
www.classicandperformancecar.com/226502

1965 Triumph 2000 Mk1

Manual overdrive. 18,650 miles, original paint and
very good upholstery. Engine rebuilt and tuned.
In Cornwall, can deliver. 4000 ono. Email pat@
freeflow69.com, tel: +44 (0)7734 757595.
1977 Puma GTE
15,700
www.classicandperformancecar.com/226695

2003 Porsche 996 Turbo Tiptronic S

Lapis Blue metallic with Ocean Blue leather. Only
two previous owners from new, 75,000 miles with
substantial Porsche main dealer and independent
specialist service history. Tiptronic S auto, 18in
Turbo alloys, red calipers, climate control, electric
heated seats with drivers memory, sat-nav,
Bose sound system. Major service by Porsche
main dealer less than 1500 miles ago, first class
condition for year. 37,950. Tel: (0)1428 608255,
www.adrianblyth.com (T).

253
Day in the life
INTERVIEW SIMON DE BURTON PORTRAIT RED BULL KTM
SAM SUNDERLAND
The British winner of the bike category in this years Dakar
Rally recalls his final days ride in the gruelling marathon
THE STARTING ORDER was reversed on the
final day so, being in the lead, I was scheduled
to be the last bike away which meant I got to
lie in until about 4.30am. Its obviously essential
to get as much sleep as possible during the rally,
so competitors tend to take a sleeping tablet to
ensure a full six hours. It means youre usually a
bit woozy when you wake up, but theres so
much going through your head at the end of
each day that, without that tablet, you can lie
there for an hour before drifting off so, over
the course of the event, you could lose two
entire nights sleep.
After forcing down a plateful of cold pasta
for breakfast and following it up with a can of
Red Bull to wake me up, I went through the
usual ritual of preparing my kit. Dressing is a
job in itself, as we wear base layers of clothing
and lots of additional gear such as knee braces
and a back protector. The jacket is important
and has to be properly prepared, because thats
where you carry essentials for the day, and
274
finally theres a CamelBak [liquid pack] filled
with electrolytes to help prevent dehydration
and muscle cramps.
The last thing to do before setting off is to roll
the road book into the carrier mounted on the
handlebars. The KTM team mechanics do an
amazing job of repairing and preparing the
bikes for us overnight, and theyre as good as
new at the start of the day.
It felt a bit strange setting off, because in
essence I had won already but I still had to
cross the finish line to do so officially. With a
37-mile special stage ahead of me and more
than 435 miles of road to ride to the end of the
rally in Buenos Aires, I really had to focus on
not making mistakes or having any accidents.
The special stage was a simple loop and the
organisers based the timing on an average speed
of around 60mph. But it took place on a
mountain with dozens of switchbacks, which
meant a more realistic average was 45-50mph.
As a result, I arrived at the end of the stage
ROAD RIDING WITHIN THE
LEGAL LIMIT IS ALMOST MORE
OF A WORRY THAN DAYS SPENT
GOING FAST IN THE DESERT
with only 20 seconds to spare before I had to
leave again. That meant no time to stretch my
legs, have some food or take a pee most of the
time on the Dakar, however, we just do that in
our trousers because stopping for even a minute
or two just isnt an option.
Surprisingly, the 435 miles of road-riding
within the legal limit is almost more of a worry
than the days spent really going for it in the
desert. There is traffic all around you, so you
need to be certain to stay well clear of other
vehicles to reduce the chances of having an
accident. Also, instead of the official refuelling
areas set up in the remote places by the race
organisers, we rely on regular filling stations
when riding on the road.
With so many people following the Dakar,
these tend to be really chaotic. The idea is to get
in and out as quickly as possible, but youre
always worried that other vehicles might be in
the way or, for example, that youll lose an
essential piece of kit to a souvenir hunter while
the bikes parked up.
Anyway, everything went well and, after an
easy seven-hour ride, I arrived in Buenos Aires
at about 5pm. My teammate Matthias Walkner
came second, so the podium ceremony was
really special. Then it was a matter of dashing
back to the hotel for ten minutes to shower and
change before going straight out again for a
celebration organised by Red Bull KTM.
There are around 30 people in the team, and
every single person contributed hugely to the
win, so it was brilliant to be able to share the
elation with them all. Finally to come first in
the Dakar is a massive achievement for me,
especially after so many broken bones and lots
of disappointment in the past. I celebrated with
a massive Argentinian steak.
I stayed in a nice hotel, which was luxurious
after two weeks in the team motorhome but I
couldnt really enjoy it because I had to catch a
flight home to Dubai seven hours later, and the
morning was spent answering media enquiries
and giving interviews.
But its great that the press is so interested in
the Dakar I think the fact that it requires such
physical and mental effort, determination and
guts to take part sends out a cool message.
I really hope people find it inspiring.
1963 LANCIA FLAMINIA 3C CONVERTIBLE 1960 AUSTIN HEALEY MK1 FROGEYE SPRITE
A great Flaminia with a near-perfect balance of original and renovated condition. A UK supplied RHD example to original specification in very good order. Fully
Maintained and restored over the years by respected Lancia specialists. refurbished some years ago and well maintained since. Good history.

1973 PORSCHE 911 2.4S 2016 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 HERITAGE EDITION
UK RHD. Recaros, electric windows/roof. A great matching numbers example One of 400 Heritage editions produced. Unused by its sole owner with just 18 miles
fully restored by the right people and perfectly maintained. Extensive history. recorded. It comes with all books, keys, model and the commemorative book.

1984 DE TOMASO PANTERA GT5 1965 PONTIAC GTO

One of only six RHD GT5s supplied to the UK market. Fully documented Superb and desirable First Series. Great original colours and spec with ST300
restoration to an amazing standard by acknowledged De Tomaso specialist. auto, PAS and tacho. In superb order and fully sorted by the UK Pontiac specialist.

2015 PORSCHE CAYMAN GT4 2000 CATERHAM SUPERLIGHT R500

UK RHD. 1,300 dry miles. Great spec: ceramic brakes, Sport Chrono, PCM with Rare and original numbered example to full carbon specification including
nav and tel, 918 bucket seats, Sound Package Plus and extended leather. factory windscreen/weather equipment. Only 17k miles and in superb order.

THE
T EL : 0124 9 76 0 6 8 6 W W W.T HEH A IRPIN C O MPA N Y.C O.UK HAIRPIN
T H E H A I RPI N C O M PA N Y C O M P T O N B A S S E T T W I LT S H I RE S N11 8 RH COMPANY
G R E AT
E S C A P E S
Your guide to motoring adventure
Inside
W HE R E T O GO & W H AT T O DO IN 20 17
HIRING A CL A S SIC V W C A MPER IN C A L IFORNI A
GOODWOOD T O MONGOL I A , T HE H A R D WAY
 Coming up in 2018/19
The Endurance Rally Open for entries
Association (ERA) specialises in
Road to Saigon
long-distance rallies for vintage 4 February - 2 March 2018
and classic cars. We welcome
newcomers and experienced Trans America
27 May - 17 June 2018
crews. Our events are real
challenges, but we strive to Himalayan Challenge
make them hugely enjoyable and 21 September -
13 October 2018
sociable - the camaraderie is
second to none. Our routes are Peking to Paris
June - July 2019
well researched with mechanical
and medical support is provided A limited number of
throughout. Our team has entries are available
organised over 70 major rallies, for 2017 events.
through more than 50 countries.

Contact the rally office for entry details...

Supported by:
T: +44(0) 1235 831221 E: admin@endurorally.com

www.endurorally.com
 BLUE
DEAUVILLE TO CANNES
TRAIN
CHALLENGE

www.gerardbrown.co.uk
 CONTENTS

12 INSIDE
NEWS
7 The latest on 2017 events

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

9 Details of some of this years
best events, tours and rallies

ANSEL ADAMS COUNTRY

12 To Yosemite on the trail of the
great landscape photographer

MONGOL RALLY
22 Halfway around the world in
a Micra, with no support

CALIFORNIA SURFARI
28 Exploring the Golden State
in a classic VW camper

GERARD BROWN
40 The man behind the lens on

28 18 the Peking to Paris Challenge

PLUS
Under-the-radar events
to seek out in 2017

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22
CONTRIBUTORS Jane Box
Gerard Brown
Martyn Goddard
Drew Gurian
Paul Hardiman
Tara and Eric Hilliard
Nick Kurczewski
DESIGN Ruth Haddock
Robert Hefferon
SUB-EDITING Brett Fraser

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sanjay Seetanah

ADVERTISING SALES Sam Snow
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Sophie Valentine

MD, AUTOMOTIVE DIVISION James Burnay

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Brett Reynolds
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER James Tye
COMPANY FOUNDER Felix Dennis

Great Escapes is published under licence from Octane

Media Ltd, a subsidiary company of Dennis Publishing
Limited, UK. All rights in the licensed material belong
to Felix Dennis, Octane Media or Dennis Publishing and
may not be reproduced, whether in whole or in part,
without their prior written consent. Great Escapes is a
registered trademark. This supplement is
given away free with issue 166 of Octane.

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 5
 EVENT NEWS
JULIAN HUNT
Hot rods head to Santa Pod
MEMBERS OF THE Vintage Hot Rod
Association will descend on Santa Pod
Raceway on 28-30 April for a brand
new event: the VHRA National Finals.
The famous Northamptonshire strip, the
home of British drag racing since 1966, will
welcome hot rods and customs from across
the UK for a weekend of friendly competition
and live music.
There will be plenty of run what you
brung action, but the club has confirmed that
it is also organising a series of race ladders,
Winter Trial won by father-and-daughter crew
RACING DRIVER Shirley van der Lof and
her father Alexander took top honours in the
2017 Winter Trial, which finished on 27 January
in the Austrian town of St Wolfgang.
The son and granddaughter of the Dutch
racer Dries van der Lof were flagged away
from Chteau St Gerlach in the Netherlands
five days earlier, and diced with a strong field
on a route that crossed Germany and the
Czech Republic. Their 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL
with classes to include flatheads and
dragsters. A show-and-shine is planned,
too, for pre-1964 vehicles.
Only VHRA members will have the
opportunity to tear (or trundle) down the
venues iconic quarter-mile, but happily the
event is open to all. Racing tickets cost 45
per person when booked in advance, while
weekend spectator passes are available from
only 25 including camping and under-16s
go free with a paying adult.
vhra.co.uk
Alpina, like all the other entries, was tested
by temperatures that dropped to -15C. The
cold did at least keep the snow crisp, but there
were numerous pirouettes nonetheless
In the Club class, the 2CV of Joost Bolwidt
and Niko Bloemendal, entered only days
before the event after the pair won a
competition to join the Trial, performed
heroically to finish in fifth place.
thewintertrial.nl
IN BRIEF
CHATEAU IMPNEY LOOKS BACK
The 2017 Chateau Impney Hill Climb will
mark 50 years since the 1967 Speed Trial,
the last motor sport meeting held at the
venue until 2015, when cars returned to
the Worcestershire course in some style.
The revival is set to continue on 8-9 July,
and organisers have revealed that the field
will include a host of historic Maserati racers
in honour of Juan Manuel Fangios 1967
Formula 1 World Championship triumph
with the marque.
chateauimpneyhillclimb.com
SILVERSTONE READY TO ROCK
The Silverstone Classic, held this year on
28-30 July, has become nearly as well known
for live music as for historic racing. The 2017
line-up will look familiar to those who can
recall 1967s Summer of Love: the Bootleg
Beatles will appear alongside tribute acts
playing the hits of Jimi Hendrix and The Who.
fantasticroads.com
BUGATTIS GATHER IN SARDINIA
The Bugatti Club Italia has organised an
international meeting for owners, to take
place in Sardinia beginning on 5 June. During
the week-long event, a convoy of Bugattis
will cover between 80km and 265km per day,
in leisurely fashion and leaving plenty of time
for drivers to enjoy the excellent food and
hospitality as well as the roads.
bugatticlubitalia.it
GR E AT E S C A PE S | 7
 E

PRE
R A L LY

FILLE THE MODERN AUTOMOBILE EPIC

VERSAILLES-GENEVA . 1-4 JUNE 2017

UGHTERS
ERS & DA
ONLY FATH . 12-14 MAY 2017
PROVENCE

PRE
R A L LY E

FILS

ONLY FATHERS, SONS & FERRARIS

ONLY FATHERS & SONS
TUSCANY . 6-9 JULY 2017
LUBERON . 8-10 SEPTEMBER 2017

4 MUST ATTEND EVENTS IN 2017 +INFORMATION > www.HappyFewRacing.com

D AT E S F O R YO U R D I A R Y

Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille

9-10 September

EVENT DATES
Ever bigger, ever better and ever more
numerous: classic events continue
to go from strength to strength

MATHIEU BONNEVIE
AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS DELEGANCE CALIFORNIA MILLE SUPERDEPORTIVOS CANTABRIA
10-12 March. Amelia Island, USA 23-27 April. San Francisco to Calistoga, USA 17-23 May. Santander, Spain
ameliaconcours.org californiamille.com driveespana.com

BRITISH CARS & LIFESTYLE TOUR AUTO OPTIC 2000 MILLE MIGLIA
18-19 March. Rosmalen, the Netherlands 24-30 April. Paris to Biarritz, France 18-21 May. Starts and finishes in Brescia, Italy
britishbest.nl peterauto.peter.fr 1000miglia.eu

GOODWOOD MEMBERS MEETING CLASSIC DAYS MAGNY-COURS SPA CLASSIC

18-19 March. Goodwood, UK 27 April 2 May. Magny-Cours, France 19-21 May. Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
goodwood.com classicgt.co.uk peterauto.peter.fr

GREAT OCEAN ROAD TOUR DONINGTON HISTORIC FESTIVAL CONCORSO DELEGANZA VILLA DESTE
27 March 1 April (other dates available) 28-30 April. Castle Donington, UK 26-28 May. Cernobbio, Italy
Starts and finishes in Melbourne, Australia doningtonhistoric.com concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com
classiccartour.com.au
ST MAWES CLASSIC CAR FESTIVAL BALTIC CLASSIC RALLY
THE FLYING SCOTSMAN 1-5 May. St Mawes, UK 28 May 10 June. Copenhagen, Denmark
31 March 2 April. Hexham to Auchterarder, UK nearwaterevents.co.uk to Berlin, Germany
endurorally.com endurorally.com
LA COPPA DELLA PERUGINA
COPPERSTATE 1000 5-7 May. Perugia, Italy LONDON TO BRIGHTON CLASSIC CAR RUN
1-5 April. Scottsdale, USA coppadellaperugina.com 4 June. London to Brighton, UK
mensartscouncil.com classicmotorevents.co.uk
VINTAGE REVIVAL MONTLHRY
TECHNO CLASSICA ESSEN 6-7 May. Montlhry, France MODENA CENTO ORE CLASSIC
5-9 April. Essen, Germany vintage-revival.fr 6-10 June. Rimini to Modena, Italy
siha.de modenacentooreclassic.it
IRELANDS CAUSEWAY COAST
GRAN PREMIO TERRE DI CANOSSA 7-11 May (other dates available) TRANS-ALPINE ADVENTURE
20-23 April. Parma to Reggio Emilia, Italy Carrickfergus to Belfast, UK, via Giants Causeway 8-22 June. Starts and finishes in Laon, France
granpremioterredicanossa.it sceniccartours.com classictravelling.com

VALLETTA CONCOURS DELEGANCE ROUTE 66 SCOTTISH BORDERS TOUR

23 April. Valletta, Malta 12-21 May. Albuquerque to Santa Monica, USA 11-18 June. Rossington to Matfen, UK
vallettaconcoursdelegance.com fantasticroads.com merlinevents.com

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 9
 D AT E S F O R YO U R D I A R Y

Goodwood Members Meeting

18-19 March

RALLYE PRE-FILS
8-10 September. Aix-en-Provence, France
happyfewracing.com

CHANTILLY ARTS & ELEGANCE

RICHARD MILLE
9-10 September. Chantilly, France
chantillyartsetelegance.com

COLORADO GRAND
11-16 September. Starts and finishes in Vail, USA
GOODWOOD

co1000.com

ANGOULME CIRCUIT DES REMPARTS TOUR

13-18 September. Portsmouth, UK, to
PARIS-PRAGUE RALLY ENNSTAL-CLASSIC Angoulme, France
11-17 June. Paris, France, to Prague, 19-22 July. Grbming, Austria ccti.co.uk
Czech Republic ennstal-classic.at
rallyround.co.uk BLUE TRAIN CHALLENGE
CLASSIC NOSTALGIA 18-22 September. Deauville to Cannes, France
VERNASCA SILVER FLAG 22-23 July. Shelsley Walsh, UK endurorally.com
16-18 June. Vernasca, Italy shelsley-walsh.co.uk
vernascasilverflag.it CHILE TO ARGENTINA ROAD CLASSIC
THE SILVERSTONE CLASSIC 28 September 13 October. Antofagasta to
BROOKLANDS DOUBLE TWELVE 28-30 July. Silverstone, UK Valparaiso, Chile, via Argentina
17-18 June. Weybridge, UK silverstoneclassic.com destination-rally.com
brooklandsmuseum.com
CLASSIC DAYS SCHLOSS DYCK MALTA CLASSIC
PASSIONE CARACCIOLA 4-6 August. Jchen, Germany 5-8 October. Mdina, Malta
21-25 June. Milan, Italy to Lugano, Switzerland classic-days.de maltaclassic.com
passione-caracciola.com
VINTAGE PRESCOTT CLASSIC SAFARI CHALLENGE
CIRCUITO DI AVEZZANO 5-6 August. Gotherington, UK 9 October 5 November. Starts and finishes in
23-25 June. Avezzano, Italy vscc.co.uk Cape Town, South Africa
circuitodiavezzano.it endurorally.com
COPENHAGEN HISTORIC
FLYWHEEL FESTIVAL GRAND PRIX BEACH TO BRIDGE LIBERATION RALLY
24-25 June. Bicester, UK 5-6 August. Copenhagen, Denmark 17-21 October. Angoulme, France, to
flywheelfestival.com chgp.dk Urspelt, Luxembourg
thetrial.nl
THE GREAT RACE MONTEREY CAR WEEK
24 June 2 July. Jacksonville to 15-20 August. Monterey, California LONDON TO BRIGHTON VETERAN CAR RUN
Traverse City, USA monterey.com 5 November. London to Brighton, UK
greatrace.com veterancarrun.com
ROLEX MONTEREY
CARDIGAN TO CORK TOUR MOTORSPORTS REUNION RAC RALLY OF THE TESTS
26 June 2 July. Cardigan, UK to Cork, Ireland 17-20 August. Monterey, California 9-12 November. Chester to Harrogate, UK
cctmk.co.uk mazdaraceway.com heroevents.eu

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED LIME ROCK HISTORIC FESTIVAL LE JOG

29 June 2 July. Goodwood, UK 31 August 4 September. Lakeville, USA 8-12 December. Lands End to John oGroats, UK
goodwood.com limerockhistorics.com heroevents.eu

CHATEAU IMPNEY HILLCLIMB THE CONCOURS OF ELEGANCE RALLYE MONTE CARLO HISTORIQUE
8-9 July. Droitwich Spa, UK 1-3 September. Windsor, UK January 2018. Monaco
chateauimpneyhillclimb.com concoursofelegance.co.uk acm.mc

RAC 1000 MILE TRIAL GOODWOOD REVIVAL RTROMOBILE

10-15 July. Windsor to Epsom, UK 8-10 September. Goodwood, UK February 2018. Paris, France
heroevents.eu goodwood.com retromobile.com

10 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
IN THE TRACKS OF ANSEL ADAMS

PALMS TO PINES

12 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
 Martyn Goddard heads for the spectacular national parks of California,
on the trail of the greatest landscape photographer of all: Ansel Adams
ON A PREVIOUS VISIT to California, I came
across a faded postcard of famed landscape
photographer Ansel Adams taking a picture
from the custom roof platform on his Pontiac
woody. Im not placing myself in the masters
league, but for this assignment I was heading
towards the same locations where Adams
made so many great photographs during the
20th Century.
In 1946 Adams had been commissioned to
produce a photomural for the US Department
of the Interior, for which he set off on a road
trip around the national parks of the south-
western USA. His new station wagon was
loaded with photo equipment and provisions
for camping in the wilderness.
Our journey to mark the 70th anniversary of
his required a vehicle capable of covering up
to 1000 tough miles, including gravel desert
roads and rocky mountain tracks. The obvious
candidate was a large 4x4 that could swallow
all my camera gear and luggage, and consume
long distances on all surfaces in comfort.
It manifested itself in the form of a rental
Ford Expedition, a vast and very capable SUV.
Adams often slept under the stars on the
roof rack of the woody, but there are some
elements of his travels that I dont need to
emulate However, I did want to drive part
of the route in a classic woody to see what
Adams must have endured in the days before
air-conditioning, cruise control and four-wheel
drive. With help from an American friend,
journalist Michael Jordan, I sourced a 1947
Buick Super woody station wagon, similar to
Adams Pontiac. It belongs to Bob Bresford of
Palm Springs, California, only a short drive
from the Joshua Tree National Park.
Setting off from Los Angeles in our monster
SUV, we cruised along Interstate 10 once part
of the historic Route 66, which celebrated its
90th anniversary in 2016. By the time we
reached the town of Banning, dominated and
illuminated by its huge casino, we had only
just escaped 100 miles of suburban sprawl and
the sun was setting. But we had to press on,
eventually pulling into the Riviera Hotel in the
desert town of Palm Springs a little the worse
for wear, our drive having been preceded
immediately by a 10-hour flight from London.
Before setting off on our road trip we
decided that no visit to Palm Springs, the
home of desert modernism architecture,
would be complete without an expert guided
tour. Kurt Cyr of Mod Squad brought the
town to life as he escorted us on a 90-minute
cruise around neighbourhoods awash with
celebrity residents and iconic temples to
modernism. I also spotted several interesting
classics parked in driveways, such as a Facel
Vega and a Citron SM.
The following day we opted for an early
start to beat the heat in the Joshua Tree National
Park but not at the expense of breakfast. We
allowed ourselves a stack of pancakes, using
the excuse that we would be in the desert all
day. Having collected the classic Buick from
Bob, we headed straight for a local shop to
stock up on bottles of water and energy bars.
We turned south off Highway 62 and as we
approached the Joshua Tree Parks entrance
we got our first sight of the prehistoric
trees that are such a distinctive feature of the
otherwise rocky area, which Adams described
as a wonderland back in 1947.
Park Boulevard wound past giant jumbled
boulders named after their fantastic forms
Jumbo Rocks and Skull Rock and on to
Hidden Valley, a climbing hotspot with
colourfully named ascents such as the Sexy
Grandma. Look carefully and most of the
smooth faces have groups of helmeted
daredevils inching their way to the summit.
We hiked the Boy Scout trail that touches the
Mojave Desert and then took the 13-mile drive
up the sinuous Keys View road, to be rewarded
by a howling gale at the 5185ft (1851m) summit
but also by a wonderful view to the Chiriaco
Mountains and Salton Sea.
Over the course of the trip we grew used
to driving on empty roads. When we headed
north on the Amboy Road from Twentynine
Palms, across the Mojave Desert, we passed
through through the aptly named community
of Grimm, where half the cabins and shacks
lay abandoned.
We continued over the Sheep Pass and on to
Amboy, which sits on the original Route 66.
The once thriving mining community has
gone, but we stopped at the restored 1950s
Roys Motel and gas station to fill the Fords
tank. The lonely highways of this part of the Clockwise from bottom left
world require the driver to keep a careful eye An Ansel Adams-style landscape, by Martyn Goddard;
a 1947 Buick Super woody wagon not unlike the car
on his fuel gauge. The long stretches brought Adams drove; the postcard that inspired Martyns
back memories of my first experience on Route pilgrimage; interior of the Buick; Palm Springs boasts
66, in a Datsun 210 rental car in 1977. wonderful architecture and some cool cars.
GR E AT E S C A PE S | 13
IN THE TRACKS OF ANSEL ADAMS

Clockwise from bottom left

Celebrating 100 years of BMW in a 1602
in Mariposa; Route 66 still possesses
a little of its old magic and remains
a joy to drive; Martyns shots from the
trip emulate Adams famously dramatic
use of light and texture.

The freeway was still being constructed

back then, so Route 66 was in its neon-lit
prime, the road lined with the glamorous gas
stations and motels that local chambers of
commerce are now promoting along what is
left of the original road.
Past Barstow we joined Highway 58 west.
I set the cruise control and settled in for the
long haul, enjoying the view of Mojave with its
airliner boneyard of DC10s and 747s. This road
trip showcased wildly differing ecosystems
and environments within just a days drive.
From Bakersfield we continued on Route 99
along the rift valley floor with its giant fields of
vegetables and cash crops. It was a relief to
return to the two-lane Highway 140 towards
the Sierra Nevada, the mountains rising to
the east.
Its a long drive in even a modern car, so
you can imagine how tiring it must have been
for Ansel Adams in his Pontiac. However, he
did have the luxury (if thats the right word) of
being able to pull over, park up and sleep on
the roof platform. It was almost dark on our
arrival at the Mariposa Lodge Hotel after 400
hard miles.
In Mariposa we decided to celebrate another
100th anniversary, that of BMW, and persuaded
a friend of Octane, Dick McClure, to meet us in
his very early blue-and-white 1967 BMW 1602;
it would make an interesting contrast to the
woody we used in Palm Springs. Dick and I
spent the morning driving around the Gold
Rush frontier town that once was the county
seat of a vast tract of land stretching south to
San Diego.
The 1602 lacks real sporty performance and
Dick commented that it was the American
importer that pressed BMW for more power,
resulting in the conception of the legendary
2002. But we were there for the epic scenery,
not a scorching driving experience, and the
1602s slender A- and B-pillars afforded
panoramic views of the river gorge on the
approach to Yosemite National Park. In 2016
the National Parks were marking their 100th
birthday, too, so our timing was spot-on.
Yosemite is considered by many people to
be the most precious of the National Parks,
and Adams images of its majestic landscapes
are world-renowned. There is a photo gallery
that sells his prints in Yosemite Village and
when we visited, one photograph, Muir Pass,
the Black Giant, was marked at $84,900.

14 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
 We enjoyed spectacular temples, exotic gardens and
fabulous coastal roads, and muddled our way into, through
and out of some of Japans truly vast cities

Its a long drive in even a modern automobile, so you can imagine how
tiring it must have been for Adams with no air-conditioning or freeways

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 15
IN THE TRACKS OF ANSEL ADAMS
Top and above
The sort of awe-inspiring view that Adams
found so inspirational; the low-powered
BMW 1602 was just fine for sightseeing;
The Ansel Adams Gallery is packed with
the great photographers work.
16 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
But there was also an abundance of more
wallet-friendly books and postcards showing
his talents.
The 40-mile drive to the Arch Rock entrance
is along the El Portal road running next to the
Merced River. The road was built in 1926 to
provide all-seasons access to Yosemite, which
was first granted a measure of protection back
in 1864 when President Abraham Lincoln
signed the Yosemite Grant in response to a
campaign led by the likes of Senator John
Conness. Today the park is a World Heritage
Site that hosted a staggering 4.2-million
visitors in 2015 most of whom congregated
on the three square miles of the valley floor.
We started our visit by taking the Mist Trail
to photograph the Illilouette Falls, but if that
doesnt take your fancy then there are 800
miles of trails to choose from that penetrate the
vast wilderness. By the time we returned to
the valley floor many of the day visitors had
departed, unaware of the delights of the sunset
hours as light catches various mountain
formations. This is when true landscape
photographers hike off with cameras and
tripods in search of the definitive shot.
The second days objective was to take the
trail to the Mariposa grove of sequoia trees,
but it was closed for improvements. So, after
hiking in the morning, we clambered into our
SUV to make the 16-mile drive to Glacier
Point, which at sunset didnt disappoint,
giving us an epic panoramic view of the great
scraped rock domes. You could imagine Ansel
Adams Pontiac parked up, a giant field plate
camera on a tripod waiting for that moment
when landscape and light harmonised before
he clicked the shutter. During our visit large
numbers of visitors were shooting selfies;
what would Adams have made of the circus?
Our Ford Expedition racked up 1000 miles
during our trek to the wilderness and back
to LA. We travelled in comfort over desert
terrain, mountain switchbacks and freeways.
It was huge yet remarkably appropriate for a
lengthy American road trip. Id like to think
that if Adams were around today, hed head
for the hills in something similar. End
For more information on Martyns stops, see
US National Parks: nps.gov
Riviera Hotel Palm Springs: starwoodhotels.com
Palm Springs Mod Squad architecture tour:
psmodsquad.com
Yosemite Mariposa County Tourist Bureau:
yosemiteexperience.com
Mariposa Lodge Hotel: mariposalodge.com
Tenaya Lodge: tenayalodge.com
O C TA NE RE C O M M E ND S
SMELL THE ROSES
LA LEGGENDA DI BASSANO, ITALY 22-25 June
THE MILLE MIGLIA is a bucket-list event,
but theres no doubt that it retains a certain
romance in part because crews are never quite
allowed to forget the challenges faced by those
who took part between 1927 and 1957. By the
standards of the original and deadly 1000-mile
race, todays regularity is a cakewalk, but the
press-on programme doesnt suit everybody.
Those in search of a rst-class but more laid-
back Italian rally experience have found it in
increasing numbers in recent years in the form
of La Leggenda di Bassano, known until 2016 as
Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano.
Held over three days (22-25 June this year), it
boasts a eld the equal of any in the world: a
maximum of 100 open-top pre-1960 competition
18 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
cars. The organisers allow road cars that look the
part, too, but the dress code is strictly enforced.
The list of entries typically includes everything from
Blower Bentleys and Alfa 8Cs to Jaguar C- and
D-types and Ferraris of the 1950s.
Like the Mille Miglia, La Leggenda di Bassano
is, nominally, at least, a competitive event.
A regularity, if you can be bothered, as one long-
time fan puts it, amusingly and with the 600km
route through the Dolomites taking in some of
the most spectacular mountain scenery youll
ever see, wed not fault anybody for tossing aside
the stopwatch and simply drinking in the views.
Theres plenty of time to enjoy both the
surroundings and the ne hospitality, thanks to a
most civilised schedule. The rst car departs from
LA LEGGENDA DI BASSANO
Bassano del Grappa (about 60km north of Padua)
at 1:30pm on the Friday for a 5:30pm arrival at the
days overnight halt. (No sense staying in a nice
hotel if you dont arrive in time to appreciate it.)
On Saturday and Sunday, crews are agged away
at 8:30am and the driving broken is up into
manageable two-hour stints.
The whole thing, somewhat unbelievably in
this day and age, is organised as a not-for-prot
enterprise by volunteers, and their passion for
historic cars and pride in the region they call
home shine through. Moreover, their generosity
of spirit is reected in the attitude of the crews,
so newcomers to the event can expect to be
welcomed warmly.
laleggendadibassano.com
O C TA NE RE C O M M E ND S

UP IN
THE AIR
SHUTTLEWORTH RACE DAY, UK 1 October

RURAL BEDFORDSHIRE is probably not at the

top of many must-visit lists, but the pretty village of
Old Warden is home to an event as spectacular as
any mentioned in these pages.
The hangars at Old Warden Aerodrome house
the Shuttleworth Collection, a world-renowned
stash of historic aircra that includes more than a
few noteworthy vintage and veteran cars, too. All of
the planes are maintained in working order, and on
various dates between May and October they take
to the skies, joined by many visiting aircra .
The very last of those dates, 1 October, should
be circled in your diary. The season nale is known
as Shuttleworth Race Day and features mock air
races between all manner of ying machines and,

PAUL SMITH
as of last year, a gathering of pre-war sports cars
called the Shuttleworth Sprint.
The eld for the 2016 Sprint was impressively
varied and included everything from the ex-
Malcolm Campbell 1912 Lorraine-Dietrich Vieux
Charles III to little Austin Seven specials. Fittingly,
there was a strong contingent of aero-engined
monsters, our favourite the Oliver Way-built 1907
Mors-Curtiss. The cars charged up and down the
runway with many drivers letting it all hang out,
the Sprint presenting a rare opportunity to go fast
without needing to worry about trac or having
enough space to slow down again.
The action high above the runway was something
to behold, too; there are few places youll see
Mustangs and Pitts Specials sharing the air with
contraptions as ancient and rare as the Collections
1910 Avro Triplane or its 1912 Blackburn
IMAGES BY NICK BLACOW

Monoplane. Weather permitting, those aircra

will y again this year, and as usual the hangars will
be open so that visitors can explore the entire
Shuttleworth Collection.
shuttleworth.org

20 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
M O N G O L R A L LY

NO SMALL FEAT
The Mongol Rally sees tiny cars take on the biggest motoring challenge of all
Words Brett Fraser and Jane Box Photography Drew Gurian

EVENT ORGANISERS ARE are given to hyperbole, but when the
folks behind the Mongol Rally describe it as the greatest motoring
adventure in the world, theyre not exaggerating. No backup. No
support. No set route. And as if an overland journey from the UK to
Mongolia needed to be made any more difficult, The Adventurists insist
that crews take part in a car with an engine of 1.0-litre or less.
The punk approach to long-distance rallying extends to advice about
pre-planning your route: Find out whats there when you arrive. An
interesting suggestion when the trip to Ulaanbaatar and on to Ulan Ude
in Siberia is likely to involve at least a month on the road, crossing some
seriously inhospitable terrain.
Rather anarchic it might all sound, but the Mongol Rally has altruism
at its heart. Its a charity fundraiser and crews are expected to generate
at least 1000 in sponsorship, 500 of which goes to The Adventurists
favoured charity, Cool Earth, the rest to other good causes chosen by the
entrants themselves.
The Stroke Association, Assistance Dogs Australia and Rainbows (a
childrens hospice) were the beneficiaries of the efforts of Jane Box and

22 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
 Clockwise from top left
Jane Box (left) and Rosi Moore-Fiander left Goodwood
in their Nissan Micra to begin an 11,000-mile journey to
Mongolia one fraught with challenges but packed with
moments of sublime beauty; the temperamental red
Micra of Drew and Scott Gurian travelled in convoy with
Jane and Rosi. For more on Jane and Rosis charity
fundraising efforts, see sugarspice2016.weebly.com.

Rosi Moore-Fiander, lifelong friends who took part in last years Mongol
Rally: 11,000 miles, 19 countries, eight time zones, five mountain ranges
and seven weeks in a 14-year old Nissan Micra that cost 400.
The rally is intended to challenge crews If nothing goes wrong,
everything has gone wrong, say the organisers and Jane and Rosi,
who had never done anything like this before, spent the majority of their
epic journey far outside their comfort zone, encountering a coup in
Turkey, being forced to cross into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan illegally,
and picking up a stomach bug that only antibiotics could cure.

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 23
M O N G O L R A L LY

Clockwise from top left

By the standards of the route, this qualifies
as a good road; mod-cons have made it to
the Mongol Steppe; locals were unfailingly
friendly and helpful; by the finish the little
Micra had been through high water and fire.

With each setback they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps

and often pulled their fellow rallyists out of trouble, too. Drew Gurian,
the man responsible for these photographs, drove the event with his
brother, Scott, in a Micra that proved much less reliable than Jane and
Rosis car. The two little Nissans were frequently connected by a rope.
We endured 12 to 15-hour driving days, says Jane, some spent
entirely in first and second gear because of road conditions: huge
potholes, washboard tracks, marshland, even a dry river bed.
Crossing borders was often a nerve-racking experience with the
driver and navigator being separated, the driver remaining with the car
while customs examined the contents. Local police could be intimidating,
too, when pay-offs were expected.
Conversely, the people we came across from Iran onwards were the
friendliest weve ever met. There were constant offers of food and
accommodation; in Kazakhstan somebody wanted to take us out on a
speedboat while we were waiting for one of the cars to be fixed.
So would she recommend it? Absolutely. It was a proper adventure,
and a wonderful way of visiting some incredible places. Yes, it was
exhausting and occasionally scary, but it was never less than exhilarating,
either. And any hardship was worth it: Rosi and I have raised over
20,000 for our charities.
This years Mongol Rally begins on 15 July, and we suspect that
youve either already signed up or wouldnt dream of doing so.
Its certainly not for everyone. Its gruelling and often chaotic. But
theres also a strong sense of camaraderie, as many entrants choose to
travel in small convoys to share the good bits and the difficult ones.
Oh, and in case youre wondering, Jane and Rosis 400 Micra was
driven all the way home again and is still going strong.
theadventurists.com

24 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
 20 - 23 April 2017
TERRE di CANOSSA Parma, Lucca, Pisa, Reggio Emilia
International Classic Car Challenge
Forte dei Marmi, le Cinque Terre

Wir laden Sie auf eine auergewhnliche Fahrt durch das Gebiet Terre di Canossa ein.
Genieen Sie vier intensive Tage auf den historischen Straen von Mathilde von Canossa, Knigin Italiens whrend des XII. Jahrhunderts.
Freuen Sie sich auf die perfekte Verbindung wunderschner Autos mit fahrerischer Herausforderung, touristischen Highlights, gastronomischen Genssen und stilvoller Entspannung.

www.gpcanossa.it
CARRERA INDONESIA 2018
THE JEWELS OF INDONESIA, A 15 DAY TRIP THROUGH INDONESIA

W
hether its a total fix for the mind, body and spirit, or simply the desire
for a bit of serenity, visitors to Bali spend many happy hours (sometimes
days) beng massaged, scrubbed, perfumed, pampered, bathed and blissed out.
Sometimes all this attention to your wellbeing happens on the beach or in a
garden; other times its in stylish, even lavish surroundings. Is this a rally or a
tour? Well it is a bit of rallying and a lot of a tour.
On an island that honours art and
serenity, is it any wonder youll nd
some of the worlds nest hotels
and resorts? From blissful retreats
on south Balis beautiful beach in
Canggu or Seminyak to perches on
cliff s above the dazzling white sands
that dot the Bukit Peninsula, these
stylish hotels are our overnight halts
whilst we travel in style.
Enormous fresh prawns marinated
in lime and garlic and grilled over
coconut husks. Tick. A hint of
post-sunset pink on the horizon.
Tick. Stars twinkling overhead. Tick. inviting rally roads and the right
A comfy teak chair settling into touristic spots, in order to combine
the beach while your toes play in all the great things of life.
the sand. Tick. An ice-cold beer.
Tick. A strolling band playing the And the best of all, you can be there
macarena. OK, maybe not a tick. too.
But the beachside seafood grills in
Jimbaran are a dont-miss evening
out, with platters of seafood that
came in fresh that morning to the
market just up the beach.
The organisers Visit our website to nd out about our
We are well known for nding the events: www.thetrial.nl
best hotels great, adventurous roads, or call the Rally Office: +31(0)578 561 115
V IN TAGE S U RFA RI WAG O N S

28 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
 THE GOOD LIFE
Theres only one way to explore Southern California as far as
Bill Staggs is concerned: in a classic VW camper van
Words Nick Kurczewski Photography Tara and Eric Hilliard

SUN, SEA, SAND and a classic air-cooled
Volkswagen van. Sometimes the recipe for
success can be so simple.
Since 2005, Vintage Surfari Wagons has
been dropping tourists in at the deep end of
SoCal surf culture, sending happy campers
off to enjoy the Golden State in one of
its rentable VWs and the man behind the
business remains every bit as enthusiastic as
he was a decade ago.
This is the best job Ive ever had, smiles Bill
Staggs, who founded Surfari Wagons with the
help of his wife, Diane. I love the vibe, I love
the vehicles and I love keeping them alive.
At the companys HQ in Costa Mesa,
Bill recalls his previous careers: in his 60-
odd years hes been a handyman and a car
salesman, and owned a pottery studio and a
surf shop. The idea for Surfari Wagons finally
came to him in 2003.
Diane and I were dating and decided to
take a trip to Hawaii, Bill explains. I had a
really vivid dream, of stopping at beaches
and surfing at all the places I knew in Oahu.
The crux of the dream was that the trip must
be done from behind the wheel of a VW van.
By this point he well understood the charms
of classic VWs. Hed bought his first in 1972,
at a petrol station in Mammoth, California,
where it had sat abandoned for months
after its owner skipped town. Bill paid $300
for it and says he has owned VWs almost
continually since then. We thought that this is the way everybody
Sourcing a set of wheels for his vacation
was no simple matter, however. The expense
of shipping one of his own VWs to Hawaii was
prohibitive and the process would have been
time-consuming. With the help of friends,
Bill and Diane eventually tracked down a
suitable van on Maui, and the dream holiday
could begin.
Bills refusal simply to hire a modern
alternative to the VW might sound like a
triumph of heart over head, but there were
practical reasons for avoiding the Hertz/Avis/
Enterprise/Alamo gang at the airport.
The locals know who the tourists are in
Hawaii, he explains. They can spot the Jeep
Wranglers and Ford Mustang convertibles a
mile away. We looked like we were driving a
local car because, well, thats exactly what it
was. Travelling in the VW helped us to get
past the Im a local and youre a tourist
thing. The van did the introductions for us.
should travel
Predictably, Bills transition from VW fan
and owner to business operator was not
entirely smooth. When he and Diane returned
home and told friends of their plans, the news
was met with either total enthusiasm, or a
look of horror.
The situation only got worse once their first
van, an eBay purchase, arrived in a much
sorrier state than expected. Diane started
crying over the condition of the van. It needed

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 29
V IN TAGE S U RFA RI WAG O N S
The freedom is wonderful: you can get in it, go somewhere, and live in it.
It has everything you need though maybe not everything you want!
paint, it needed bodywork, it needed an
interior. But it had good bones. Bills relentless
optimism and energy, and of course his many
years of experience with old VWs, were
invaluable in those early days.
That less-than-perfect first van, nicknamed
Eddie, was fixed up and is still going strong,
but the company now boasts a fleet of
nearly two-dozen vehicles, split pretty evenly
between first-generation Type 2s and T3s.
(The T3, known in the USA as the Vanagon,
replaced the Type 2 in 1979.) For those seeking
a little more comfort and prepared to sacrifice
a great deal of charm, a couple of 1990s
Eurovans are also available.
These, needless to say, are not concours
queens. Certain variants of the Type 2, such as
the 23 Window, now routinely change hands
for six-figure sums, but Surfari Wagons is far
more interested in sturdy workhorses ones
that have plenty of gallop left in them.
In regards to the first-generation models,
The 1977 to 79 bay windows had the biggest
30 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
engine and best quality. Near the end of the
model run, they really got it right, reckons
Bill. With their fuel-injected 2.0-litre engines,
these vans do a decent job of keeping up with
modern traffic.
For longer trips, especially those that involve
driving east into desert locations, Bill usually
recommends a Vanagon. Again, its the later
models, built between 1986 and 1991, that he
rates most highly.
Surfari Wagons is still able to track down
usable vans along the West Coast for a couple
of thousand dollars each, though they have
become much harder to find. The camper van
conversions are either the work of German
specialist Westfalia, which received vans direct
from the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg and
was one of the best-known names in the
business, or the lesser-known Riviera, based in
Beaverton, Oregon.
The vans can be rented out for just a few
days, or for more than a month, and customers
can roam as they please or sign up for one of
the companys popular organised tours. The
next of these takes place on 23-27 March and
will see a convoy of campers head as far east as
Slab City before driving around the Salton Sea
and home to Costa Mesa via the scenic Palms
to Pines Highway a round trip of some 500
miles. Just about everything apart from fuel is
covered by the price of $1200 per person
(based on double occupancy), including your
very own bus whisperer, Vintage Bill. No
need to worry about the implications of a
failure to proceed, then.
Most things are included inside each of
Surfari Wagons vehicles, too. Features include
a sink, a refrigerator, a propane stove, and
electrical outlets to keep your electronic
gadgets fully charged. Helpfully for neophytes,
the company provides some directions for
use at the point that the keys are handed over,
so theres no fear of arriving at a campsite for
the night in darkness with no idea of how
to pop the top or fold down the bed or get
dinner cooking.
Clockwise from far left
Eric Hilliard and wife Tara,
California natives who are five
months into a round-the-world
surf trip, hired a 1979 Bay Window
nicknamed Eddie for a portion
of their own Endless Summer;
their route along the Pacific Coast
Highway took them from Costa
Mesa 400 miles north-west to
Big Sur; Eddie was the very first
van in the Surfari Wagons fleet,
an eBay project that needed a
complete restoration; Surfari
Wagons was conceived on a trip
to Hawaii, and owner Bill Staggs
fondness for the islands of the
Pacific is evident on the dashboard
of Eddie and several of the
companys other vans. For more
images of Eric and Taras trip, see
lushpalm.com.

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 31
V IN TAGE S U RFA RI WAG O N S
Essentials such as dishes, towels and a cafetire are also included
and yes, a cafetire does indeed qualify as essential camping gear
Camping essentials such as dishes, towels,
napkins and a cafetire are also included. And
yes, for those diehard survivalists out there,
a cafetire does indeed qualify as essential
camping gear.
The freedom is wonderful: you can get in it,
go somewhere, and live in it. It has everything
you need though maybe not quite everything
you want, grins Bill. With the pop-up camper
tops and sleeping capacity for four (well-
acquainted) adults, the only two major things
the vans lack are a toilet and a shower. When it
comes to freshening up, many people rely on
facilities along the beach, or those located in
state parks.
Its also common for customers to simply
park their chosen VW close to the beach, just
a few miles from Surfaris office, and kick back
without the hassle of maps or any set
destination or itinerary.
Rental rates vary depending on the season,
naturally, and a week-long rental at the height
of summer can cost about $1500 per week.
32 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
But this is Southern California, remember, so
less expensive winter months are still mild
and inviting, and hardly wet or cold enough
to require the packing of wellington boots or
woolly gloves.
Parking along the oceanfront is permitted
in some places, although Bill recommends
staying in state parks to avoid any potential
hassles. Prices range from $65 per night in the
posh beachside confines of Laguna Beach to
about half that amount in more off-the-beaten-
path destinations, such as Grover City, roughly
200 miles north-west of Costa Mesa, between
Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo allegedly
Americas happiest city, if youre looking for a
reason to visit.
Hiding in plain sight, is also an option,
claims Bill. For one night, you can get away
with sleeping in many city areas, usually a
block or two away from the beach.
Asked why he loves VW vans, Bill laughs
and leans back in his chair for a moment.
Come to think of it, I dont know, he says,
amused with his own lack of a clear-cut answer.
The seating position, the sound I just like the
feel; driving an old van seems like second
nature by now. I think the thing that comes
through the most with these cars is the
simplicity of them, their small footprint on the
Earth, and that sense of self-sufficiency.
You might also surmise that the Volkswagen
bug no pun intended is in his blood.
Bill picks up a framed photo of a family on a
beach: on the left of the image is an Austin-
Healey Frogeye Sprite; on the right, a longboard
attached to its roof, is a VW camper. Taken in
the late 1950s, the photograph is of Bill and his
family enjoying a day out with a 1958 van that
his father specially converted to accommodate
two adults and four small children.
The real icing on the cake is when people
come back from a trip, Bill smiles. They send
emails two or three years later they took all
these photos and say this was the best vacation
they ever had. End
vwsurfari.com
KNOKKE-LE-ZOUTE,
A LUXURIOUS HOLIDAY RESORT AT
THE EPICENTRE OF LIFESTYLE AND ART
ON THE BELGIAN SEASIDE.
Knokke-Heist with Le Zoute, Belgiums most prestigious
seaside resort and home to the international jet-set, is
hosting the Zoute Grand Prix for the 8th year in a row.
From the 5th to 8th October 2017, a crowd of more than
150,000 people is expected to enjoy a weekend full of
nostalgia of classic cars, a classic rally, a spectacular
GT tour, a sale by Bonhams, a Concours dElgance and
numerous other events involving the most stylish classics
and breath-taking modern cars.
Knokke-Heist is particularly renowned for its laid-back
lifestyle. Many of its luxurious mansions and picturesque
villas are occupied by prominent members of social,
corporate and artistic life. The most exclusive part of
town - Le Zoute - is renowned for its classy shops, stylish
brand flagship stores, comfy hotels, cosy restaurants and
art galleries. Due to its unique situation, the resort enjoys
a year-round mild microclimate. Knokke-Heist is easily
accessible from all major European cities.
Check the program, save the date and make sure to be a
part of it!
More info : www.zoutegrandprix.be
PROGRAM ZOUTE GRAND PRIX
5-8 OCTOBER 2017
ZOUTE RALLY by Chubb 5-7 October 2017
A regularity rally limited to 195 classic cars with first registration
between 1920 and 1965, starting and finishing in Knokkele-
Zoute. Register your car online.
ZOUTE TOP MARQUES 5-8 October 2017
Podiums with the latest and most exclusive modern cars, which
will be displayed along the Kustlaan and Albertplein in Le Zoute.
ZOUTE SALE by Bonhams 5-6 October 2017
A prestigious international auction of fine and rare collectors
motor cars to be held on the Beach in front of the central
Albertplein in Le Zoute. Preview on Thursday 5th and sale on
Friday 6th October.
ZOUTE CONCOURS DELEGANCE by
Bank Degroof - Petercam 7-8 October 2017
The seventh edition of the Concours dElegance will take
place on Saturday at the Approach Golf and on Sunday at the
Fairway 1 of the prestigious Royal Zoute Golf Club, where a
limited number of quality entries in pre- and post-war classics
will be selected by the organising committee and judged by an
international jury. Register your car online.
ZOUTE GT TOUR by EY 8 October 2017
A tour for 150 of the most exclusive modern GT cars newer than
20 years, with start and finish in Knokke-Le-Zoute. Register
your car online.
O C TA NE RE C O M M E ND S

BLACK
FOREST
DELIGHT
INTERNATIONAL OLDTIMER MEETING
BADEN-BADEN, GERMANY 7-9 July

SET TO MARK its 41st birthday on 7-9 July,

the International Oldtimer Meeting Baden-Baden
is billed by the organisers as an open-air car
museum an apt description, given that last years
event featured 82 marques and machinery ranging
from an 1898 De Dietrich Spider Couvert to a 1963
Ford GT40.
As museums go, Baden-Baden is a most
attractive one, nestled on the edge of the Black
Forest in south-western Germany. The action
takes place among the towns beautifully kept
public gardens, including the grounds of the
Kurhaus spa complex and casino.
The concours is open to pre-1971 cars of all
types and, while the Best of Show gong is coveted,
its very much an event where the taking part
matters most; with 120 trophies to distribute
among the 350-odd entries, there are plenty of
prizes to go around in any case.
Baden-Baden is sufficiently well regarded to
have attracted sponsorship from major car
manufacturers, with Volkswagen putting its
considerable weight behind last years gathering,
which saw more than 20,000 visitors stream into
town to enjoy the classics as well as live music,
a fashion show and a hot-air balloon display.
If youre interested in entering a car, youll no
doubt be pleased to know that owners are looked
after. Last year each was treated to a picnic table
(set up next to their car) complete with candelabra
IMAGES BY MARTYN GODDARD

and champagne bucket. And before the event,

enthusiastic drivers were able to join a tour of the
towering hills and lush forests of the area well
worth exploring, we should say, even from behind
the wheel of a rental car.
oldtimer-meeting.de

36 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
 TH JUNE 2017
TH & SUN 25
S AT 2 4
AT
BICESTER HERITAGE

www. flywheelfestival .com Flywheel Festival @ywheelfest

Advance discounted tickets on sale now ywheelfestival

BICESTER
O C TA NE RE C O M M E ND S
BLAST FROM THE PAST
OLLON-VILLARS HISTORIC HILLCLIMB, SWITZERLAND 26-27 August
FROM 1953 TO 1971, the eight-kilometre Ollon-
Villars hillclimb course in Switzerland was
considered a highlight of the European Hillclimb
Championship, attracting famous drivers as
talented as Jim Clark, Franois Cevert, Jo Siffert,
Innes Ireland, Hans Herrmann and Jack Brabham.
Regrettably, it then fell into disuse as a competition
venue for almost three decades until in 1998 it
hosted a revival event.
Despite its success, the local authorities were
not particularly helpful when it came to permitting
subsequent events, with the result that the Ollon-
Villars Historic Hillclimb has been held only
sporadically since in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010 and
2013. You should go this year, while you still can.
38 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
Its an easy journey from the UK, with Geneva
airport just a 90-minute rental car drive from
Ollon-Villars, and, because the surrounding area
is popular with skiers in the winter, hotel rooms
are in good supply.
The picture-postcard course is surrounded by
sunkissed vineyards and Alpine meadows, and the
horizon is framed by the snow-capped Dents du
Midi and Mont Blanc mountain ranges; there is no
more idyllic motor sport venue in the world.
Part of the course has recently been resurfaced
and widened (the work was the principal reason
for the hillclimbs absence from the calendar in
2016), but Ollon-Villars remains an entertaining
handful for drivers.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: BRIAN KING, BRIAN KING, ARC3, ARC3
None of the runs are officially timed, but that
seems not to prevent the many cars, motorbikes,
and sidecars being driven in most spirited fashion
up the hill. That said, speed limits are enforced
inside the villages that dot the route, ensuring that
nobody will ever beat the course record of 3:47.05
set by Cevert in the original events heyday.
The field of pre-1971 competition machines is
split into categories including prototypes, saloon
cars, CanAm and GP cars, bikes and sidecars.
The line-up in 2013 included Abarth racers and
the four-wheel-drive Ferguson P99 F1 car. Expect
the paddock in 2017 to feature some similarly
fascinating stuff.
ollon-villars.com
ADVENTURES OF GERARD BROWN
GERARD BROWN
The veteran endurance rally photographer reflects on an extraordinary working life
ID ALWAYS WANTED to be a photographer,
says Gerard Brown. Id been brought up on a
diet of picture-led Sunday supplements, and
then my father gave me his old camera, a
Fujica ST605. Cycling was a passion then still
is and when I moved to London to study,
I got a job in a bike shop and then met a man
who had a friend on a cycling mag
Its a long way from there to the work for
which Gerard is known now: fabulous images
of long-distance rallies from around the world.
He paid his dues with many years of car
shoots, studio work and sports photography
before a chance encounter with the late Philip
Young, the godfather of historic rallying,
changed the course of his life.
I was in a forest in Wales photographing the
2005 Lombard Rally for Mini World [rally
navigator] Willy Cave had told me the best
places to go and there was this figure in a
duffel coat with a video camera. I introduced
myself and Philip said: Come and see me
40 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
Words Paul Hardiman and Gerard Brown
tomorrow. I got up at 5am and arrived early
in my camper van, and got the coffee on.
When Philip rolled in he said: Hes so keen to
get the job that hes camped!
I asked what job, and Philip explained
he needed someone to photograph the 2007
Peking to Paris Motor Challenge. Id expected
to be asked about the next Lombard, but he
inspired such confidence in me that I agreed.
That dawn meeting was the beginning of a
close relationship. Gerard has photographed
every Endurance Rally Association (ERA)
event since, travelling in a dedicated 4x4 and
with his own driver, so that he can concentrate
on taking the images.
Well leapfrog the field, shoot a few
cars, maybe go 5km ahead, sometimes by
shortcutting. You get a feel for the likely terrain
from the maps and sometimes you want to
show the whole vista; the car may be tiny but
its in there. Then Ill take some time out and
do some background stuff local culture. And
MOGENS BICHEL LAURITSEN
I keep an eye out for obstacles where I know
stuff will happen. We always have a reliable,
fast car, and you need a good driver.
I start early and finish late. On the 2016
Peking to Paris it was 18 hours a day for six
weeks that includes time spent logging
images at night. On Philips record run [2013,
Cape Town to London in a Fiat Panda, with
Paul Brace] I shadowed him by helicopter,
aeroplane and Jeep.
As far as kit goes, you cant take everything
but Brown carries enough to cover every
eventuality. I take at least three camera bodies
[Nikon D5s currently] and a dozen lenses,
from 17mm to 300mm, plus three separate
hard drives. And weve just bought a drone.
Ive been doing this for 25 years now
and have never wanted to be a celebrity
photographer; Id rather be known for the
quality of my work. Though Im not much
into cars, I really appreciate good engineering
and I love travelling.
 Below
Mongolia has changed a great deal in the last decade
(there are fuel stations and tarmac roads for a start), but
luckily you still come across this sort of thing. This guy was
collecting water and rounding up his stray camels. Quite
what he made of our eclectic cavalcade I can only imagine.

Right
Mark Pickering and Dave Boddy
were very worthy winners of the
2016 Peking to Paris Classics
Category. They and their 1973
Datsun 240Z never really put a
foot wrong. Here they are seen
sliding through Slovenia on their
way to the night halt in Maribor.
With so many vintage cars to
shoot, its refreshing to see the
moderns strutting their stuff.

Above
Buddhist nuns in Mandalay queuing for a handout of rice,
as they do every morning. Overland travel is the best way
to really get in touch with new countries, their people and
their cultures. Scenes such as this often unfold within
metres of your car and sometimes its a simple case of
stepping outside and taking the picture. More often than
not the locals are as interested in us as we are in them.

Left
Bill Cleyndert has taken part in two Peking to Paris
Challenges and many more long-distance events. This
picture is from 2013 and was taken in Russia. His spirited
driving was a joy to shoot, although the car didnt enjoy
it so much and the Model A broke many things including
a crankshaft. Bills press-on attitude kept him in the rally,
though, and he finished in Paris just as he did in 2016.

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 41
ADVENTURES OF GERARD BROWN
Above
Long-distance events are a great
leveller and they breed great
camaraderie; most crews will stop
to help another if they possibly can.
After taking a few big hits in the Gobi
Desert, Joe Robillard and friends set
to replacing some damaged wheels
while navigator Albeta Katukov Castelein are seen here blasting through
strikes a pose alongside their 1939
Chevrolet Coupe. The ability to see
the funny side of a situation like this
can often be a big help.
42 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
Right
The last World Cup Rally in 2012 saw
the ERA head from London to Cape
Town with 44 crews and a total distance
in excess of 14,400km. The London to
Cape Town may have been the last of
the great intercontinental marathons.
Joost Van Cauwenberge and Jacques
Namibia in a 1973 Porsche 911; they put
up a great fight and tried every trick in the
book, even adding go-faster MG decals in
their bid for the top step of the podium.
Left
The Pacey Hassan, at the Benjafields 24-hour event in
Portugal in 2014, was one of several very special cars
brought out to recreate the Le Mans races which helped
to make the Bentley legend. This was an endurance
event in all but name: the cars lapped the track at
Portimo all day and all night, stopping only for a crew
change and a pit stop service.
 Left
Between Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod there are
many tributaries of the River Volga, and in the height
of the Siberian summer they afford an excellent way
for the locals to cool down. Luckily for these rally
fans we put on as much of a show for them with
around 100 cars crossing the pontoon bridge in the
background as they did for us.

Below
In eight editions, the Flying Scotsman has cemented
itself as the toughest rally for pre-war cars in the
UK. Three days see over 100 very old cars steam
up through the best of England to reach the finest
Scottish scenery. The weather often plays a hand
as well, and here a 2007 Peking to Paris veteran,
Michel Laarman, along with Maryan Greif in a
1911 Knox Type R, ploughs on through a blizzard.
Notice Laarmans not wearing any gloves.

Above
The big American LaFrance has two Peking to Paris
events under its wheels now and this is another
shot that sums up the appeal of storming through
Mongolia. Where else can such a machine be
tested like this? The timeless landscape, devoid
of all modern references, is as raw and visceral
as the driving experience. In 2013 the crew arrived
in Paris with bleeding hands and the soles of their
shoes had melted.

Right
Philip Young hatched a plan to beat the record for
driving from Cape Town to London in January 2013.
Never one to take a conventional approach, Philip
opted to do it in a little Fiat Panda rather than a
heavyweight 4x4. Along with his old friend, long-
distance specialist Paul Brace, he managed to clock
in after ten days, 13 hours and 28 minutes on the
road, setting a new record. This shot is from the
infamous Marsabit road in Northern Kenya.

GR E AT E S C A PE S | 43
ADVENTURES OF GERARD BROWN

Below
David and Karen Ayre, aboard their Itala, epitomise
the Peking to Paris for me. This is pretty much the
same as the car that Borghese drove [in the original
Peking to Paris race] in 1907 and is as basic as you
could possibly imagine, although with this crew it was
also reliable and competitive. Seen here on the way to
the Russian border in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia
in 2007, on a bitterly cold and exceptionally windy day.

Le
Mario and Catherine Illien are ying high here at
4600m. Their 1955 Citron 11B is on the road to
San Pedro de Atacama, via the stunning landscape
of the Argentinean and Chilean Altiplano. The thin
air up on this vast plateau proved challenging for
both the cars and their crews, with some needing
bottled oxygen to get them through the day. End

Driving the Impossible,

a chronicle of the 2016
Peking to Paris Motor
Challenge, features over
650 of Gerards images
and is available now for
80 from the Endurance
Rally Association.
endurorally.com

44 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
 O C TA NE RE C O M M E ND S
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
FJ COMPANY
YOU HAVE PROBABLY heard of the Copperstate
1000, the Arizona-based classic car rally held each
April. But you might not know that the event
was created to raise funds for the Phoenix Art
Museum or that for the past two years the
Mens Arts Council, a non-profit organisation that
supports the Museum, has been running a gnarlier
sister event
The Copperstate Overland is a four-day off-road
adventure for just 20 pre-1979 4x4s. (Significant
vehicles made after that date are admitted at the
discretion of the organisers.) This years edition will
be held on 14-18 October and, while the precise
route is yet to be confirmed, last years gives the
curious a good indication of what to expect.
48 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
COPPERSTATE OVERLAND, USA 14-18 October
The assembled convoy of classic 4x4s travelled
between 120 and 140 miles each day, straying
from the tarmac to tackle desert sand and rocky
mountain tracks. Waypoints included Coconino
National Forest, Flagstaff, Grand Falls and the
Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona.
Mindful that not everybody is a practised off-road
driver, the brains behind the event ensured safe
passage for those new to the dirt, while laying
on some challenging sections for old hands.
Novices and experts alike appreciate the scale
and beauty of Arizonas landscape, and there is
plenty of opportunity to marvel at the surroundings:
crews are not shoved into a hotel each night but
instead sleep out in the wilderness.
FJ COMPANY
The conditions are hardly rough, however, with
each roomy safari tent equipped with rugs, beds,
heaters and lights. Oh, and theres a well-stocked
bar, too, to stoke campfire camaraderie.
Best of all, crews can enjoy the Overland without
needing to fret about the possibility of a breakdown,
with mechanics on hand the whole way.
To date, apparently, their services havent been
much in demand, which says a great deal about
the toughness of the old Toyota FJs, Ford Broncos
and Jeep Wranglers that make up most of the
field. Theres room for some oddball entries,
too, though: the most surprising participant in last
years Overland was a high-riding Triumph TR3A.
mensartscouncil.com
O C TA NE RE C O M M E ND S
HOT ROD HEAVEN
THE CRUISIN THE COAST FESTIVAL, held
along a 40-mile stretch of the Mississippi Gulf
coast near to New Orleans, is the hot rodders
version of Monterey Week in California.
Dont assume that means youll be charged an
arm and a leg to attend, though; registration for
2017 costs just $60. This is a by the people, for the
people gathering and, in 2016, the year of the
events 20th anniversary, almost 8000 hot rods
showed up to enjoy displays, swap-meets, an
auction, live music, parties, street food and, of
course, cruisin in the sunshine of the Deep South.
Because the Cruisin the Coast festival has no
formal structure, participants can attend as many
or as few events as they fancy and, with practically
50 | GR E AT E S C A PE S
CRUISIN THE COAST, USA 1-8 October
every community along the route hosting some
form of entertainment, theres no lack of choice.
White sandy beaches and a clear blue sea make the
drive along Highway 90 an event in itself, and the
area is dotted with pretty historic towns. And while
burn-outs are discouraged, many streets are lined
with spectators demanding a V8 chorus.
Some of the festivals car parks can
accommodate as many as 850 vehicles, but the
sheer number of events taking place at any one
time means the crowds are never so large as to
prevent you from getting up close to the cars of
which there is always a mind-boggling array. Most
are proper hot rods, Americana from the 1950s
and 1960s, being driven by proper hot rodders.
IMAGES BY MARTYN GODDARD
Those enthusiasts arrive from far and wide. Last
years festival featured cars from right across the
USA and as far afield as Australia. When Octane
joined the party there were few Brits to be found
but, with New Orleans relatively easy to get to from
this little island, wed wager that many will make
the trip in the coming years.
Speaking of which: the Big Easy is one of
Americas great cities, and wed advise any would-
be coast-cruiser to spend a few days exploring the
place before or after the festival. It has recovered as
well as could be expected from Hurricane Katrina
(in the centre, at least), and offers musical and
culinary experiences to treasure.
cruisinthecoast.com
 Be part of the
worlds biggest classic
motor racing festival

All-inclusive
tickets are fabulous
value, providing:
A packed schedule of the best
classic & historic motor racing on the
famous GP circuit
Full access to the paddocks get
close to the cars & talk to the drivers
Great viewing from the grandstands
& on the big screens
Live music concerts on Friday &
Saturday evenings
A vintage funfair & much more!

... all included in the ticket price!

The Silverstone Classic is

without doubt the best motor
racing event on the planet

2016 visitor

Take advantage of
Early Bird savings until
the end of March
www.silverstoneclassic.com

/silverstoneclassic @silverclassic @silverstoneclassic /silverstoneclassictv

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 GREECE

Photo: F&R Rastrelli

THE CLASSIC MARATHON

GREECE, 9TH - 16TH JUNE 2018
The 27th Classic Marathon takes place in the birthplace of western civilisation Greece. Limited to 50 crews the event will provide
crews with the best scenery and driving roads the ancient republic of Hellas can offer. As always with the Classic Marathon, there
will be straightforward navigation via tulip style road book only, couple this with Hellenic hospitality and we have a very special
event to look forward to. Open to cars built before 1986

HERO
I NSU R A N CE SO LU TI O NS

+ 44 (0)1656 740 275 . enquiries @ heroevents.eu . www.heroevents.eu . @hero_cra . herorally