Octane 253

ROAD-LEGAL JAGUAR C-X75 • ASTON MARTIN DB4 • FERRARI 365 NART SPIDER

PLUS

ROWAN ATKINSON’S ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM Why the actor bought back and revived an old flame

PORSCHE

911s TO BUY NOW

We test the top four G-series + 50 years of the 911 Turbo

PONTIAC TEMPEST • JAY LENO’S V12 FIRE TRUCK • GLAM HOTCHKISS 686 • ROVER P6 RALLY WINNER £5.99 / AUS $14.99, ISSUE 253, JULY 2024

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THE TOM SCOTT COLLECTION of Benz, Mercedes, and Mercedes-Benz Motor Cars

High quality edition produced by John Bentley 1886 BENZ PATENT MOTORWAGEN THREE WHEELER REPLICA

Original Rudge wheel example 1955 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL GULLWING Late series, disc brake example 1962 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL ROADSTER

Ex-Rolf Meyer Collection 1924 MERCEDES 10/40/65 SPORT Ex-Robert Arbuthnot, Edward Mayer, CWP Hampton 1928 MERCEDES-BENZ 26/120/180 S-TYPE SPORTS TOURER Ex-Warner Brothers President John Calley 1955 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SC CABRIOLET

Channel Islands since new and just 13,215 miles recorded 1968 MERCEDES-BENZ 280 SL ROADSTER WITH HARD TOP Rare right-hand drive example 1971 MERCEDES-BENZ 280 SE 3.5 CABRIOLET 1937 MORGAN 4/4 ROADSTER

Important Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia Chichester, Sussex | 12 July 2024 | Entries Invited

Bonhams|Cars are delighted to announce this magnificent collection originally assembled by the late Tom Scott Senior to headline this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed sale.

ENQUIRIES +44 (0) 20 7468 5801 ukcars@bonhamscars.com bonhamscars.com/fos

Issue 253 / July 2024

CONTENTS ‘IT PULLS LIKE THERE IS A NEVER-ENDING SOURCE OF POWER’

120 YEARS OF HOTCHKISS, PAGE 110

116

102

5

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Issue 253 / July 2024

CONTENTS 92

70

FEATURES G-SERIES 911 Page 44 From 1974 Carrera 2.7 to 1989 911 SC: why these are the 911s to buy now

50 YEARS OF 911 TURBO Page 56 The evolution of a competition-bred icon

FERRARI 365 NART SPIDER Page 60 Exclusive! One of five and never seen before

JAY LENO’S FIRE TRUCK Page 70 The star’s V12-powered ’41 American LaFrance 60

44

84

THE OCTANE INTERVIEW Page 78 Rupert Keegan’s life in top-end motorsport

PONTIAC TEMPEST Page 84 Humble saloon that made DeLorean’s name

JAGUAR C-X75 Page 92 Star of Spectre, now a unique road car

FAR EAST RALLY Page 102 7000km epic from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi

120 YEARS OF HOTCHKISS Page 110 Driving the rare and glamorous 1936 Type 686

ASTON MARTIN DB4 Page 116 Robert Coucher on the connoisseur’s choice 7

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Issue 253 / July 2024

CONTENTS 18

REGULARS EVENTS & NEWS Page 18 The month in pictures; essential diary dates; remembering the late, great Sir Stirling Moss

GEARBOX Page 30 Michael Quinn, Sir William Lyons’ grandson

COLUMNS Page 33 136

Jay Leno, Derek Bell, Stephen Bayley and Robert Coucher rant and rave

142

LETTERS Page 41 Why the Alfa Romeo 4C is unfairly maligned

OCTANE CARS Page 128 Rowan Atkinson buys back his Rolls Phantom

OVERDRIVE Page 136

148

Porsche 911 by Theon Design; Aston Vantage

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Page 140 Italian design maestro Giovanni Savonuzzi

ICON Page 142 The English Electric Lightning fighter jet 152

CHRONO Page 144

144

Why it’s time for a pocketwatch renaissance 150

GEAR, BOOKS, MODELS Page 148 Pages of desirables for your perusal

THE MARKET Page 156 The most authoritative insider knowledge

AUTOBIOGRAPHY Page 194 Adventurer and Parkinson’s sufferer Guy Deacon 8

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Issue 253 / July 2024

FEATURING

DEAN SMITH

ROWAN ATKINSON ‘In the last 18 months, I’ve been buying back a number of cars that I’ve owned previously and one is an early Goodwood Rolls-Royce Phantom that I bought new in 2004. I did a lot of miles in it over five years, sold it and have now re-acquired it at 110,000 miles in a ropey but salvageable state.’

Find out more on pages 128-129.

EDITOR’S WELCOME

The 911s that make sense WHEN I WAS a pup – well, probably in my teens, which means my opinions were even more virulent yet even more unfounded – I didn’t much care for new Porsche 911s. You couldn’t blame me: I was born in 1968, so when I was most full of revolution and rebellion and looking for a system to smash, 911s were at their new-establishment peak, that thankfully brief window in the mid-80s when all the cliches were formed. Red-braces wearing yuppie a-holes going backwards into hedges in matching Guards Red impact-bumper 911s while swilling from a bottle of Pol was real (though perhaps rather less frequent than the tabloids made out). As was the 911’s guilt by association, sadly.

By the time I got into the classic car magazine game in the mid-90s, the big-bumper generation of Porsche was still unfashionable, all too often the cars were uncared for and poorly maintained daily drivers at the bottom of their value curve. They were what you bought if you couldn’t afford a ‘proper’ Porsche.

To those of us of a certain age, I guess they still are to a lesser degree, but to an only slightly younger generation of enthusiasts, the one that has also embraced all those 1970s shades of brown that still make my blood curdle – russet, sable, oatmeal et al – there seems to be no trace of that stigma. Of course, you suspect that they might change their minds the moment they have the wherewithal to test drive a 1968 S, but for now I am quite jealous that they can enjoy the later cars without all the social baggage that

used to come with them, used to spoil them.

That’s partially a comment on how quickly society and perceptions move on in the modern world, but mainly it’s testament to the longevity of a brilliant design. Heck, the cars we are rightly celebrating this issue were in production so long that they easily outlived their own negative stereotypes in period.

They emerged in 1974 and bowed out in 1989, they pretty much saw off their own succession plan when the front-engined cars came and went, and now they seem far more related to what came before than to what came after. After all, with all the world’s 964s being hoovered up for restomods and 993s being sufficiently evolved to be an entirely different car, these G- (and on) Series 911s are suddenly looking extremely appealing in their own right rather than merely as an alternative to something you can’t afford. In the words of the wise Glen Waddington: ‘It’s the only “purebred” 911 that still exists in reasonable quantities and for almost sane money.’

STEVEN BENNETT ‘All that beardie stuff you’ve ever read about classic 911s? It’s true, and the G-Series of classic 911s – spanning 1974 to 1989 – is the absolute sweet spot. You know the best bit? The one to choose isn’t necessarily the most expensive of them.’

It’s a 50th anniversary worth celebrating.

Turn to pages 44-54.

SAM GLOVER ‘Sportiness and driving pleasure are not always directly proportional. Sometimes, rudimentary swing-axle suspension, half a V8 engine and a two-speed Powerglide transmission are all you need to enjoy yourself.’

James Elliott, editor in chief

A little John Z DeLorean intrigue helps, too. Find out about the Pontiac Tempest on pages 84-90.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY DEAN SMITH

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Fuelling the passion

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Explore Salon Privé Week Tuesday 27

The Experience starts here...

Salon Privé Cotswolds Tours

Host Members’ Club Estelle Manor

Wednesday 28

Salon Privé Concours Judging presented by Aviva

Salon Privé Concours Judging

Celebration Dinner Blenheim Palace

Friday 30

Salon Privé Style Day presented by Boodles

Generations Concours & Boodles’ Best Hat

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Finale Evening The Sunset Party

The Kick-Off Salon Privé MotorAvia

Thursday 29

Salon Privé Concours Awards presented by Aviva

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Saturday 31

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IGNITION / Month in Pictures

IGNITION E V E N T S + N E W S + O PI N I O N

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81st Goodwood Members’ Meeting, 13-14 April The tenth running of the Members’ Meeting since its rebirth in 2014 was as spectacular as ever, especially if you like Can-Am, and even more so if the menacing Shadows are your favourite cars. There was a big tribute to Niki Lauda, too, while the GMA T.50 made its long-awaited dynamic debut with Dario Franchitti at the wheel, and there was frankly terrifying sidecar action around the circuit for the first time.

For us the star turn was the opening of the famous Tyrrell Shed, saved from its Surrey location and transplanted to its new forever home at Goodwood.

Image: Peter Summers / Goodwood

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IGNITION / Month in Pictures

SALON PRIVÉ LONDON, 18-20 APRIL

These were the class-winners – judged by Amanda Stretton, Edd China and James Elliott – as the spectacular Concours de Vente returned to the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Vintage Bentley’s 1930 Speed Six took the Prix d’Honneur.

VSCC SPRING START, 20-21 APRIL

A demo by the ex-James Hunt Hesketh 308 was a highlight at Silverstone.

20

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TERRE DI CANOSSA, 18-21 APRIL

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: SALON PRIVÉ; CANOSSA EVENTS; BICESTER HERITAGE; PETER McFADYEN; SIHA / TECHNO-CLASSICA ESSEN; DON HARRIS / VSCC

Ubaldo Bordi and Daniela Apetrei won in a 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint.

BICESTER SCRAMBLE, 21 APRIL

Huge turnout for second Scramble of the year, which fell on Drive-It Day.

TECHNO-CLASSICA ESSEN, 3-7 APRIL

More than 1100 exhibitors and 200 club displays were at the German mega-show.

VSCC LIGHT CAR & EDWARDIAN WELSH TOUR, 5-7 APRIL

John Godfrey’s Essex Phaeton Model A ascending.

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IGNITION / Month in Pictures

THE FLYING SCOTSMAN RALLY, 12-14 APRIL

The flying Frazer Nash-BMW 328 of Patrick Burke and Françoise Jourdan on the predominantly pre-war event, which was won by Paul Dyas and Mark Appleton (Derby Bentley) from Kurt Vanderspinnen and Iain Tullie (LeaFrancis Hyper) and Clint and Brad Smith (Bentley 3 Litre).

Challenging conditions for the 500 Owners’ Association Formula 3s.

THE CAPE 1000, 10-15 MARCH

The first running of the event dubbed ‘South Africa’s most beautiful drive’ had 40 exceptional entrants.

JAGUAR XK DAY, 16 APRIL

Excellent event at Bicester Heritage, masterminded by Philip Porter.

ALFA REVIVAL CUP, 19-21 APRIL

First round of the season was at Vallelunga, just north of Rome, and was won by Peter Praller in a Giulia Sprint GTA.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP: WILL BROADHEAD / HERO-ERA; THE CAPE 1000; CANOSSA EVENTS; CHLOE KNIGHT; MICHAEL STOKES

HOWARDS RACE DAY, CASTLE COMBE, 1 APRIL

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1978 McLAREN M26-5

■ James Hunt and Patrick Tambay for 1978 ■ Historic F1 championship winner ■ Winner of the 2010 Monaco Historic Grand Prix ■ Fresh total rebuild by Nine-W Race Engineering ■ Full history and new HTP papers valid to 2034

14 Queens Gate Place Mews London SW7 5BQ T: +44 (0)20 7584 3503 W: www.fiskens.com E: cars@fiskens.com

IGNITION / Events Diary

Dates for your diary 5-8 June Rallye de Durbuy Based in the tiny Belgian city of Durbuy, and open to cars built between 1920 and 1975.

zoutegrandprix.be

7-9 June Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or Pre-’66 GTs, Group C cars and more tackle Dijon-Prenois circuit.

peterauto.fr

9 June Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance At Ault Park in Cincinnati, the red carpet will be rolled out for examples of the Ford Mustang as the model marks its 60th birthday.

Kitzbühler Alpenrallye, 5-8 June | Image: Daniel Nikodem

ohioconcours.com

22-23 May

25-30 May

2 June

Concours on Savile Row

Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille

Valletta Concours

London’s famous Savile Row closes to traffic as ultra-stylish cars go on display.

11-15 June Mille Miglia Brescia to Rome and back in a hurry, in the company of some of the world’s finest classic cars.

The route for the 2024 edition of the ladies-only regularity rally runs from Paris to Andorra.

Classics assemble in Malta’s capital, under the sunniest sky in Europe and against a backdrop of impressive Baroque buildings.

peterauto.fr

vallettaconcours.com

Nürburgring Classic

31 May – 2 June

2 June

Wheel-to-wheel racing at the Nürburgring, where spectators are invited to walk the grid.

Greenwich Concours d’Elegance

Bibury Classic Motor Hub Coffee & Classics

Incuding a ‘concours de sport’ for racers, supercars and hot rods.

The Hub’s June meeting is especially for German classics.

greenwichconcours.com

classicmotorhub.com

15 June

Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

1 June

4-6 June

Haynes Motor Museum Autojumble

Jersey Concours d’Elegance

London Concours

The ultimate European glamour event on the shores of Lake Como. Classics compete in classes including ‘Time Capsules’ – reserved for ‘cars that the outside world forgot’.

Held in St Helier and coinciding with the Jersey International Motoring Festival (30 May – 2 June; see jimf.je), this concours organised with restorer and car dealer Le Riche is open to both classic and modern cars, and to motorcycles as well.

Classes at the Honourable Artillery Company in London will include one exclusively for post-1959 British racing cars, and another for Zagato-bodied cars.

leriche.com/concours

Kitzbühler Alpenrallye

concoursonsavilerow.com

24-26 May

nuerburgringclassic.de

24-26 May

concorsodeleganzavilladeste. com

25-26 May

londonconcours.co.uk

5-8 June

1000miglia.it

14-16 June Concours d’Elegance Suisse The Château de Coppet near Geneva welcomes a field of 100 classics from around the world.

concoursdelegancesuisse.com

Vendors fill some 200 stands with parts and automobilia.

haynesmuseum.org

15-16 June Brooklands Double 12 and Brooklands Relived A 1930s-themed weekend featuring displays, a concours, live music and speed trials.

brooklandsmuseum.com

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, and again featuring the popular Coventry Concours for vehicles built or designed in Coventry.

Run on some of the most picturesque roads in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps, and with touring classes for those who would prefer not to have to keep one eye on the stopwatch.

coventrymotofest.com

alpenrallye.at

beaulieu.co.uk

Masters Historic Festival

1-2 June

The Masters circus comes to Brands Hatch, with grids for pre-’66 GTs, F1 cars from the period 1966-1985, Touring Cars and Le Mans prototypes.

MotoFest Coventry

mastershistoricracing.com

16 June Custom and American Show Yank tanks, muscle cars and hot rods rumble into the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.

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16 June

22-23 June

Banbury Run

Pendine Sands Hot Rod Races

Five hundred pre-1931 motorbikes putter from the British Motor Museum to Banbury and back.

Members of the Vintage Hot Rod Association sprint across the vast beach at Pendine in Wales.

banbury-run.co.uk

16-26 June Carrera Bavaria Rallying fun in southern Germany and over the border in Austria, on roads formerly used in international hillclimbing events.

vhra.co.uk

22-23 June Thruxton Historic The fastest track in the UK hosts its signature historic racing event.

thruxtonracing.co.uk

22-30 June

rallytheglobe.com

The Great Race

21-23 June

A travelling circus of a rally, this time running from Owensboro in Kentucky to Gardiner in Maine.

Padre-Figlia Father-and-daughter crews in Ferraris take part in a laid-back rally based in Mane, Provence.

greatrace.com

happyfewracing.com

Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance

21-23 June Vernasca Silver Flag The renowned hillclimb in the Italian town of Castell’Arquato will honour Maserati this year.

vernascasilverflag.it

21-23 June Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort Three days of racing action at Zandvoort on the Dutch coast.

historicgrandprix.nl

22 June Lucas Classic British cars and motorcycles run the hill at Shelsley Walsh.

thelucasclassic.com

22 June VSCC Southern Rally

23 June The longest continually running concours in the world, held just outside San Francisco.

hillsboroughconcours.org

27-30 June La Leggenda di Bassano Regularity for classic open-top competition cars in northern Italy.

laleggendadibassano.com

29-30 June Heveningham Concours The field of cars at Heveningham Hall in Suffolk is complemented by a display of vintage aircraft.

heveninghamconcours.com

30 June – 13 July Arctic Midnight Sun Rally

The VSCC’s traditional summer rally, this time in the New Forest.

The route through Sweden and Norway pushes as far north as Narvik, inside the Arctic Circle.

vscc.co.uk

hero-era.com

BOOK NOW! Some of these events may seem a long way off, but you’ll need to secure your place now if you want to take part 24-27 September 2024 Amsterdam – Paris Great hotels, great roads, Champagne and lots of camaraderie! Enjoy all this this in your pre-war car on a four-day journey through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and France. Shortest day 200km, longest 330km. Entry €4900. classicevents.nl

30 September – 13 October 2024 Austria to Athens Challenge A two-week, 4000km competitive rally across Europe from the snow-capped Austrian Alps to the ancient city of Athens on the Aegean Sea. Asphalt and gravel roads, a variety of Tests and Regularities, and an adventure through some of the less-explored parts of the Balkans. Open to pre-1977 cars, with a separate classification for pre-1946 cars. rallytheglobe.com

25-31 January 2025 Winter Trial A Trial like no other for pre-1986 cars. Regularity rally averaging 350km a day, plus, for those not in the Challenge class, a couple of testing three-hour night loops. The 2025 edition will have a completely new route incoporating the Italian Dolomites, Slovenia and Austria. Entry €6690. classicevents.nl

1-19 June 2025 Trans-Africa Porsche Safari Experience 5500km covering five countries from Angola to Zambia in a Kalmar-prepped Safari-spec Porsche and promising ‘the culture, scenery and wildlife of the real Africa, while enjoying unparalleled luxury accommodation by night’.

Prices start at €66,900. jankalmar.com Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or, 7-9 June | Image: PhotoClassicRacing.com

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TOM SHAXSON

IGNITION / News

The Maestro remembered A huge memorial service for Sir Stirling Moss OBE brought central London to a standstill Words Robert Coucher

‘BY KIND PERMISSION of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, the Moss family invites you to celebrate the life of Sir Stirling Moss OBE; remembering the friend, the father, the racer, the gentleman, the joker, and the world-renowned hero who was admired by so many.’

Four years after his death on Easter Sunday 2020, at the age of 90, the motoring world gathered at the spectacular Westminster Abbey to celebrate the life of Stirling Moss. Delayed because of Covid restrictions, more than 2000 people joined his son Stirling Elliot Moss and daughter-in law Helen Jane Moss on 8 May. The huge service was attended by Prince Michael of Kent, the Duke of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Gordon as well as racing drivers Sir Jackie Stewart, Derek Bell, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, John Watson and Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony.

F1 team principles Christian Horner and Ross Brawn were sitting alongside actor Rowan Atkinson and musician Nick Mason, and the

Moss family had made 722 tickets available to the general public, in reference to the famous Mille Miglia-winning Mercedes-Benz SLR that took pride of place outside the Abbey.

At 11am precisely, amid the imposing stained glass windows and the gold and scarlet finery of Westminster Abbey, the magnificently attired clergy strode the length of the construct holding large gold crucifixes aloft, followed by Stirling Moss’s white helmet on a presentation cushion, a case containing ten British Racing Drivers’ Club Gold Stars, and Damon Hill bearing the silver Monaco GP trophy. The choristers and organist went for maximum revs and raised the ceiling with the first hymn as the enormity of the event began to ring home to those fortunate enough to be attending.

The Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, then gave the Bidding: ‘We recall his rare talent and courage; that compelling ability that made him excel on the race rack. “Movement is tranquillity”, he said, and lived out a long life with eager urgency.’

Next, Stirling Elliot Moss read out a letter from his father: ‘The stars, to me, symbolise all I ever wanted to achieve. Look at the stars, my son, and know you can do it, too.’

Journalist Simon Taylor took to the pulpit to deliver a moving tribute. ‘Stirling was very modest and I think he’d be astonished by so many people gathering here in this great place in his honour. He was one of the greatest racing drivers ever, as witnessed by his win at Monaco in 1961, keeping his underpowered Lotus on the limit and ahead of the much faster Ferraris.

‘His versatility was amazing, as demonstrated by winning the Mille Miglia in 1955 in some ten hours, the fastest time ever. He was a racer and never understood the idea of simply clocking up points – he wanted to win every time. Enzo Ferrari commented that if Moss had put reason before passion he’d have won championships. But Stirling saw himself as the green dragon fighting the red lions, and the terrible dangers the drivers faced in those days offered even more of a challenge.’

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MARTYN GODDARD DEAN AND CHAPTER OF WESTMINSTER

Charity track-day set to smash £1m

Clockwise, from far left ‘722’ outside the Abbey; Cooper T53; W196 and Gullwing on show in the Royal Automobile Club’s Rotunda; the Duke of Kent greets Sir Jackie Stewart; renowned chef Stirling Elliot Moss is a chip off the old block.

Sir Jackie Stewart was next to rise: ‘I am so honoured that Stirling Moss counted me as his friend, he even made me Elliot’s godfather.

Here I have with me today my autograph book, which he signed for me when I was a wee boy.

Stirling disagreed with me about safety in the sport but my friends were dying back then so something had to be done. He was a wonderful driver, so smooth and clean in all forms of motor racing. And, yes, I too had my “Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?” moment driving around Hyde Park in London. Having just won the World Championship I was pulled over and the policeman asked for my licence.

He looked at it and exclaimed, “Oh sh*t!”’

The Duke of Richmond took the second lesson, then a visibly moved Derek Bell read: ‘Let us pray for Stirling’s legacy; that others may be inspired by his example and achievement… to see hope when all seems lost, and to use their celebrity for good.’

After the service, Stirling Elliot Moss was joined by Juan Manuel Fangio’s son Oscar, who’d travelled from Argentina to attend. Amid the pealing of the Abbey bells, the pair admired the SLR and other key cars from Moss’s career: Lotus 18, Cooper T53, Ferrari 250GT SWB, Ferguson P99 and Osca FS372.

England’s greatest racing driver took 212 professional racing victories from 529 starts. In his honour, the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall has on special display Stirling Moss’s Mercedes-Benz W196 and Gullwing coupé.

This year’s star-studded Veloce charity track-day will return to Goodwood on Wednesday 24 July and is expected to take the total raised by the event since 2017 to over £1million. See Octane 186 to get the full flavour of the event, which combines a roll-call of great drivers with a fleet of legendary, often priceless cars and then gives the 80 guests a day packed with the passenger rides of their lives.

The 2024 car line-up is simply eye-watering: 1903 Mercedes, the Fiat S76 ‘Beast of Turin’, 1930 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans team car, a Grand Prix-winning Alfa 8C, Jaguar C-type and D-type, Ford GT40 MkIII, Ferrari 250GT SWB, LaFerrari and Aston Martin Valkyrie, to name a few.

The driver roster will be no less impressive. The day is hosted by Le Mans legend and Octane columnist Derek Bell and 1997 F1 World Champion Damon Hill, with

a supporting cast of racing heroes, Revival winners and luminaries of the automotive world. To give an idea of the calibre of driver guests can expect, past Veloce drivers have included Gerhard Berger, Richard Attwood, Dario and Marino Franchitti, Jonathan Palmer, Darren Turner, Andy Wallace, Ross Brawn and Nick Fry. The event supports a host of charities, prime among them Hope for Tomorrow, Halow Project and Hope House.

As Octane went to press there were still some guest spaces available. The price is £3000 – all of which goes straight to one of the charities – and, as well as the track-day, includes an overnight stay at The Goodwood Hotel and dinner the previous evening.

For details or to book, contact Georgie Currie at V Events (georgie@v-events.co.uk) or visit www.veloce-events.com.

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IGNITION / News

News feed Better Beaulieu A five-month, £920,000 programme of phased works to overhaul the Brabazon Restaurant & Coffee Shop at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu was completed in early April. The facilites cater for more than 300,000 visitors every year. More info at beaulieu.co.uk.

Alpine attraction THE 37TH EDITION Kitzbühel Alpenrallye in Austria is set to take place on 5-8 June. Held against a breathtaking Alpine backdrop, the event aims to build on the 2023 running, which had the theme Timeless Passion. There will be four competition classes: Sport Plus, Sport, Classic, and Youngtimers & Exotic Cars, of which the Sport Plus category is for real purists, requiring analogue timekeeping for all its tests. The Sport category permits digital timing, the Classic class allows a more relaxed touring experience, while Youngtimers & Exotics is all about leisure driving and has no timed tests at all.

Also building on the 2023 route, this year’s 600km event kicks off as last year’s did at Johann’s airfield, and will include Austria’s highest peak, the Grossglockner. The rally ends with a picturesque tour into the Salzburg region and the event itself culminates with a concours and awards ceremony in historic downtown Kitzbühel, which will be closed off for the rally cars. See alpenrallye.at.

Hesketh reunion The 50th anniversary of Hesketh’s first F1 victory was marked at Silverstone on 20 April during the VSCC’s Spring Start. Organised

by Valentine Lindsay, it reunited members of the team – including Lord Hesketh, Bubbles Horsley, draughtsman Graham Humphrys, mechanic Dave Sims, fabricator Nigel Rackett, engineer Nigel Stroud and designer Frank Dernie – with the Hesketh 308 in which James Hunt scored that win.

Red letter day for Bertha The German Federal Ministry of Finance has issued a special 70c stamp to mark the 175th anniversary of the birth of Bertha Benz. The stamp is available at all Deutsche Post AG points of sale and shows Frau Benz’s portrait beside the Benz Patent Motor Car in which she undertook the first long-distance journey in automobile history in 1888.

Veteran run is open Entries are now open for the UK’s Ellis Journey Veteran Car Run, which takes place on 6-7 July. Participants can take the entry-only option or buy a new, inclusive package that incorporates event entry, accommodation and meals at the Norton Park Hotel, including dinner with guest speaker Chris Haynes and host Tim Shaw from Car SOS. More at thebritishmotorshow.live/theellis-journey-2023-registration.

King visits Goodwood Richard ‘The King’ Petty is to be one of the star attractions at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 11-14 July. While the seven-time NASCAR champ – only Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson have as many titles – is waving to his subjects from Goodwood’s balcony, his legendary 1970 Plymouth Superbird will be driven up the hillclimb by son Kyle.

To the Manor born TV star and PR man Paul Cowland has been appointed a director of fast-growing auction house Manor Park Classics. The Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars star has previously been the public face of the Runcorn saleroom and previewed its sales online.

The Rolls-Royce of Landies Hans Wolf, production director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, collected his new personal car – a 1965 Land Rover Series IIA – directly from the Windsor Classics stand at the 81st Goodwood Members’ Meeting.

Chassis 25239025 left the factory in November 1965 destined for the Swiss Army, was dry-stored throughout its life and imported back to the UK in 2015. Since then it’s had a nut-and-bolt Windsor Classics restoration with the addition of disc brakes, power steering, PTO winch and a bespoke leather-trimmed interior.

Victory by designers To celebrate 50 years of the Coventry University Automotive and Transport Design course, the School of Art & Design will host an exhibition on 1-7 June covering the legacy of the course and its 3000 graduates, some of whom reached senior positions at Porsche, Mercedes, Volvo, Opel, Maserati, Lotus, Aston Martin, JLR, Bentley, Ford and Tesla.

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Dig the new breed Hagerty has launched a new 50-car RADwood Index, tracking values of modern performance classics of the 1980s and ’90s such as BMW E36 M3, Toyota Supra and Renault 5 GT Turbo. Hagerty says the ‘modern classics’ moniker is no longer appropriate because the cars are now bona fide classics with rising values. The launch comes as the date is announced for the annual RADwood UK meet, which takes place at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, on 7 September. Tickets from £15.

Octane’s Jag in The City If, after this month’s story on the road-legal Jaguar C-X75 masterminded by Ian Callum, you now need to see the car for yourself, you can do so at London Concours, where it will feature in a special hypercars display at the Honourable Artillery Company in The City of London on 4-6 June.

The Spectre star will be joined

by Bugatti, Pagani, McLaren, Koenigsegg and Zenvo, among others. Tickets from £35 at londonconcours.co.uk/tickets.

Audrain adventure A diverse range of pre-1910 motor cars lined up along historic Bellevue Ave in Newport, Rhode Island, during the Audrain Veteran Car Newport-BristolNewport Tour. They included the 12-horsepower four-cylinder Panhard et Levassor Type B1, which ran in the first-ever race held in Newport in 1901 and went on to win the New York to Buffalo endurance race.

Aussie sprint dates The 2024 Historic Leyburn Sprints, which attract 220 historic and classic entries, take place on 17-18 August and will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Australian Grand Prix being staged on a wartime airfield just outside the tiny outback town 200km west of Brisbane, Queensland. Organisers expect to attract several surviving 1949 cars, although not winner John Crouch’s 1936 Delahaye 135CS, which has lived at the now-closed Mullin Automotive Museum in California since 1999. See historicleyburnsprints.com.au.

A decade of MotoFest MotoFest, Coventry’s free celebration of British motoring history and in particular the Midlands city’s crucial role in that, is marking its tenth anniversary this year with new sponsor Eon. As is traditional, MotoFest will be taking over the Ring Road, cathedral ruins and city centre in this unique homage to the history of motoring. Special features it will host on 1-2 June include a prelude of the VSCC’s 90th anniversary celebrations and the Coventry Concours.

Spike Anderson b.1939 The man behind the Datsun Samuris, Spike Anderson, has died at his home in Spain. Also a renowned jazz trumpeter, ex-Broadspeed man Anderson was best known for ‘Big Sam’, the 240Z with which the great Win Percy won the 1974 Modsports championship.

A 5 - D AY D R I V I N G A D V E N T U R E FROM ASTURIAS TO PORTO S U N D AY 2 2 – F R I D AY 2 7 S E P T E M B E R

For our 2024 event we’re returning to Iberia where some of the greatest driving roads in Europe are to be found, taking in the Picos mountains, Castile y León and the incredible Douro Valley before we cross the finish line in Porto.

Our tours combine great driving with a relaxed and informal itinerary, meaning there’s plenty of time to enjoy the fabulous hotels along the way. There will be just 20 cars taking part, and you’re welcome to bring whatever you love to drive, whether that’s a classic or a modern supercar.

For further details and to receive the brochure please contact Georgie on 01635 867705 or email georgie@v-management.com v-events.co.uk

Derek Bell 2024 Half Page Vertical OCTANE 96x256mm v1.0.indd 1

028_IGNITION NEWS Summary.indd 29

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14/03/2024 09:10

09/05/2024 17:57

IGNITION / Gearbox

GEARBOX

1 I loved the Giles annuals and after grandad died I found in the attic two framed originals that Giles had signed and given to him, complete with corrections.

I like this 1961 image of the Aston DB4 holding up the transporter-load of E-types, destined for the US, while the lady in mink is getting stick because her husband works on night shift at Jaguar. The poster on the wall reads ‘$10,900,000 orders taken in first three days of New York show.’

Michael Quinn

Historic racer, son of Pat Appleyard and grandson of Sir Williams Lyons – unsurprisingly, he dabbles in Jaguars a bit 2

1

2 Someone must have given grandad this motorcycle constructed from watch parts.

I don’t know anything about it but it was found in a briefcase of odds and ends.

3 This signed copy of Stirling Moss’s autobiography thanks grandad for the ‘opportunity you gave me. I shall never forget it. Stirling’. He’s referring to the drive in Tommy Wisdom’s XK120 in the 1950 TT at Dundrod, and then being taken onto the Jaguar works team!

4 This Schuco ‘Mercedes’ GP car belonged to my uncle John, who sadly died aged just 25 while driving to Le Mans in 1955. I can imagine him being just as fascinated by the working steering and the removeable spinners as I was when I used to play with it at Wappenbury.

3 4 6

5

5 The cup awarded to mum for her win on the 1951 Tulip Rally, which she and Ian [Appleyard] won on their first attempt together in NUB 120. Mum was just 24.

6 This set of six tablemats feature Roy Nockolds paintings depicting various Jaguar competition successes of the 1950s. I remember eating my meals on them, ever conscious of grandad watching my table manners!

7 I’m not sure where this clay model of an Austin Swallow originates, but I recall seeing it in grandad’s bedroom. It shows his first car-styling attempt and the start of the enterprise that led to Jaguar.

7

8

10

9

8 A limited edition of Mike Hawthorn’s posthumously published Champion Year containing a letter from Hawthorn’s father Leslie, dated three months after Mike died. The last line reads ‘Michael had a very high regard for both you and his beloved Jaguars.’ I find that very poignant.

9 This charmingly rustic tankard from the Automobile Club Savoie was given to mum on the 1955 Monte Carlo rally in which she and Ian competed in their MkVII Jaguar. Sadly, they blew a core-plug and finished well down the rankings, but their best result was second in 1953.

10 In 1972 grandad was granted the first Award to Industry from the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers and this is his certificate.

He shared the honour with the creators of Concorde and was very proud of it. It’s probably the principal reason I joined the Coachmakers myself over 20 years ago.

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ICONIC AUCTIONEERS_222mm w x 285mm h.indd 1

10/05/2024 12:01

1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Villa d’Este 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso

Chassis # 915.888

Coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring

Chassis # 4389 Matching Number six-cylinder triple Weber 2,443cc engine Known ownership provenance from new

The 19th production example built 1 of circa 32 original Villa d’Este examples built Delivered new in April 1963 by

epitome of style and beautifully restored throughout CrepaldiThe Automobili, Milan Original colours Nero with Pelle Rossa interior

Classiche Red Book certified Twenty years in current ownership

1963 Shelby Cobra 260 Chassis # CSX 2052 Original black with black interior and soft top 50,153 miles from new 3 owners from new including same family 1971-2021 All images Sean Smith Photography Twin 4-barrel carbs plus Hurst shifter fitted in period Time-warp example with incredible supporting history files

CALIFORNIA

CONNECTICUT

Malcolm Welford

Miles Morris

malcolm@mmgarage.com o: 949.340.7100 c: 949.500.0585

I-344331.indd 1 MM Garage_222mm w x 285mm h.indd 1

miles@mmgarage.com mmgarage.com

o: 203.222.3862 c: 203.722.3333

12/07/2022 10:47 08/05/2024 09:50

IGNITION / Opinion

JAY LENO The Collector

A

s a kid, I recall, a guy told me how they came up with the speed limits for US highways. Back in the early 1950s they would take average folks out for a ride in a typical American car of the period, throw a towel over the speedometer, increase the speed and then say: ‘Tell me when you feel uncomfortable.’ At somewhere between 60 and 70mph, most people thought ‘Well, that feels fast enough’. I don’t know how true that story is, but it seems to make sense.

I thought of that the other day while I was driving my Corvette Stingray split-window with fuel injection. With the then-new and exotic fuel system and 360 horsepower, this was the one to have. My Stingray is just as it left the factory in ’63. As I approached 70mph the car felt as if we were going much faster. Thinking my speedometer was off, I checked the GPS on my phone, and we were going exactly 70, yet the car felt skittish. I felt like those people in the 1950s with the towel over the dashboard, thinking: yeah, 70mph feels fast enough.

Remember, downforce was yet to be an issue, and designers had to fight tooth and nail with marketing for any new kind of aerodynamics. I remember reading how Zora Arkus-Duntov tried to convince Bill Mitchell to replace the fake grille on the Stingray hood with real vents so the air could flow through, keeping the front from lifting. But to no avail. ‘Too expensive,’ he was told.

It’s amazing how far we’ve come. In 2005 we took a Porsche Carrera GT to Talladega with David Donohue to try to set some records. We even had Porsche engineering legend Norbert Singer set up the car for us.

With every 1mph over 190 mph, the car got twitchier and twitchier. As the tyres began to wear, I felt the back of the car moving around more and more in the corners.

I kept my input minimal. Coming down the back straight, I got a signal to slow down. I foolishly lifted my foot off the pedal too quickly and the front and rear of the car switched places. About eight times.

Somebody once told me ‘You’ll always hit what you’re looking at,’ so every time I saw the wall coming towards me, I jerked my head and the steering wheel the opposite way. I got lucky and kept the car in the centre of the track. No damage except four flat-spotted tyres.

My next encounter with aerodynamics was in 2019 at the 100-year-old GM Milford Proving Grounds outside Detroit. GM was introducing the last iteration of the

Corvette ZR1 – at the time the most powerful production Corvette in history. Since I own the first ZR1, serial number 00001, introduced in 2009, this was a good chance to see how different it was from mine.

My passenger was chief engineer Tadge Juechter, the goal to do a bunch of laps at over 200mph. Beforehand, I said to Tadge: ‘Tell me about the first time you went over 200 in a Corvette.’ He replied: ‘Oh, I never have.’

‘So, your first time going over 200 will be with a comedian you just met, driving a car he’s never been in, on a track he’s never been on. Is that correct?’

‘Apparently so,’ he replied. ‘Let’s do it,’ I said.

I was shooting for an average of 204mph and, with the banking at Milford, we’d have to hit 212mph on the straightaways. I was amazed at how stable the ZR1 was over 200mph. At Talladega I had been white-knuckling at 190mph. The rear end of the Carrera moved around as we entered the corners, but the ZR1 felt more stable and I have to attribute that to the Corvette being a generation newer than the Porsche. Technology advances so quickly; Formula 1 proves there’s nothing older than last year’s model.

The mere fact that Tadge and I were having a conversation at over 200mph was pretty amazing. The thing we were talking about at those speeds was the then to-be-unveiled mid-engined C8 Corvette. Tadge was being his usual evasive self whenever I asked him a question about it. A few years later I got the privilege of driving the new mid-engined Corvette and I was astounded at how much better it handled. The car appeared to pivot from the centre of the chassis and made the ZR1, at the time the most advanced Corvette possible, feel obsolete. Putting the engine where ArkusDuntov felt it should have been 30 years earlier made the base-model Corvette faster and better-handling than the top-of-the-range a few years earlier.

I don’t pretend to be either an engineer or a race car driver. I consider myself to be just like every Octane reader who, given the opportunity to drive some of the incredible vehicles I have, would jump at the chance.

In fact, I was thinking just the other day how much fun it would be to take an Octane reader out for a drive in the 330mph Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, throw a towel over the speedometer and say: ‘Tell me when you feel a little uncomfortable.’

‘THE MERE FACT THAT WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION AT OVER 200MPH WAS PRETTY AMAZING’

JAY LENO Comedian and talk show legend Jay Leno is one of the most famous entertainers in the USA. He is also a true petrolhead, with a huge collection of cars and bikes (jaylenosgarage.com).

Jay was speaking with Jeremy Hart.

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1998 RUF CTR II Estimate: $2,200,000 - $2,500,000

1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS Estimate: $450,000 - $550,000

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe Estimate: $1,500,000 - $1,800,000

MONTEREY JET CENTER AUCTION 15 - 16 AUGUST 2024

2006 Ford GT Estimate: $450,000 - $550,000

IGNITION / Opinion

DEREK BELL The Legend

I

am bouncing between airports again, the Goodwood Members’ Meeting having served as the jumping-off point for the European event calendar as far as I am concerned. I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s running, in particular because there was a little tribute to my 60 years in motorsport. By that, I am referring to me participating in my first race after years spent marshalling.

What was really special was meeting up with my eldest boy Justin and a few old mates for an evening at The Lamb Inn in Pagham, where we celebrated me reaching my milestone. It was a great laugh as we stumbled and flailed down memory lane.

Among the ‘dignitaries’ was John Penfold, with whom I acquired the Lotus Seven that I raced at Goodwood six decades ago. John has a remarkable memory, and we reminisced about buying the car – or rather the chassis – that had previously been used for hillclimbing rather than circuit racing. It had been campaigned by John Barnes and competitively so.

We got the engine from a Ford dealer in Chichester and screwed it all together. That’s what you did then. I won’t regale you with stories of how magnificent I was aboard that little car, other than to say I won first time out and that was all it took.

I received a little carriage clock for winning and it was like I had received The Crown Jewels. I knew then that I was going to be a racing driver. John, for his part, was an able wheelman but he got married and set about earning a crust instead. That was the eminently more sensible approach. Racing was put to one side but he later returned and enjoyed success in assorted Alfa Romeos.

He remains one of my dearest friends and I am forever grateful that he decided to go halves on that Lotus. From there it was F3, a few races in F2 and then Formula 1.

I made the leap from club outings in the Seven to the big leagues inside four seasons.

I cannot imagine that happening these days because even club racing is prohibitively expensive for most would-be competitors. You need deep pockets to compete in any category, let alone entry-level singleseaters. It is such a shame that this is the case, not that I had it easy. There were several bumps along the way, and seasons when I honestly wondered how I could possibly keep going once I had a family. Paid drives weren’t plentiful. But, if you want to do something badly enough,

you keep plugging away. You could argue that my career got a second wind as I entered my forties; an age when most drivers are thinking about retiring.

As for the Members’ Meeting, I have to say that it was utterly splendid, save for the number of red flags. It was all a bit unnecessary, but competing at Goodwood seems to bring out the worst in some drivers. Overall, though, the racing was wonderful and the Duke of Richmond’s team does such an amazing job. I really look forward to being at Goodwood. Wherever I have lived in the world, it has remained my ‘local’ track. It has been a part of my life since childhood, and I am sure it will remain so for the foreseeable future.

‘I MADE THE LEAP FROM CLUB OUTINGS IN THE LOTUS SEVEN TO THE BIG LEAGUES INSIDE FOUR SEASONS’

CHANGING TACK completely, Formula 1 continues to be newsworthy as much for what is going on off-track as on it. So much of it is unseemly so I won’t comment on that here. IndyCar is also going through a scandal of its own, too, but for different reasons. Josef Newgarden, who won the season-opener at St Petersburgh, plus his Penske teammate (and third-place finisher) Scott McLaughlin were excluded several weeks later when it emerged that they had used a push-to-pass function illegally. The team’s third driver, Will Power, didn’t use it but was docked points. It has rather kicked over a hornet’s nest.

The team’s principal Roger Penske also owns IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and heaven knows what else. As such, it’s rather embarrassing for the man who more than anyone has shaped American motor racing for decades, who set the bar for preparation in everything from single-seaters to NASCAR via sportsprototypes, to be embroiled in a cheating scandal. I find it highly unlikely that he knew anything about it, though. His empire is vast, spreading well beyond motorsport, so he cannot possibly be aware of everything that is going on. It’s just that his name is above the door.

What has always impressed me about Roger is his attention to detail. I would dearly have loved to drive for him while I was in my pomp. Instead, I raced against his team in sports cars in 1971 during my first full season in sports-prototypes. He is all about excellence so there is some reputational damage here, but I am sure it will blow over in time. His myriad achievements will be remembered long after this storm has passed.

DEREK BELL Derek took up racing in 1964 in a Lotus 7, won two World Sportscar Championships (1985 and 1986), the 24 Hours of Daytona three times (in 1986, ’87 and ’89), and Le Mans five times (in 1975, ’81, ’82, ’86 and ’87).

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IGNITION / Opinion

STEPHEN BAYLEY The Aesthete

H

as there ever been, in any of its versions, a more endearing car than the Fiat 500? In the history of aesthetics, there’s something called the ‘pathetic fallacy’. This describes the inclination of poets to attribute human, or, at least, animal, characteristics to inanimate things. Thus, the ‘angry’ sea and so on. A rough sea might be frightening, but it cannot be cross since it has no mind of its own.

Little Fiats defy the laws of aesthetics. Dante Giacosa’s original Cinquecento of 1936 became known as ‘Topolino’, the title of a magazine that in 1932 launched the Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse in Italy.

Thus the car was made a personification of something more than mere mechanical bits. Some years later I bought my first brandnew car, a Fiat 128. This was Giacosa’s last hurrah and I so fell in love with her that I called OAW 115M ‘Giuseppina’. This naming is not something I felt inclined ever to do either before or after. What would I have called my Bentley Continental? Brunhilde? Gertrud?

When the nuova Cinquecento appeared in 1957, the original charm remained. Although, as Lampedusa reckoned, if you want things to stay the same, they must change. And this was all change, design-wise. The engine went aft and the bodywork was altogether more sophisticated.

In Italy of the ricostruzione, steel was in short supply so the new Five Hundred had thinner-gauge metal than was usual. This meant sophisticated curves had to be bent into the panels to give strength, but they also gave ineffable charm. Just compare with slab-sided German Kleinwagen of the same period to understand how a culture deeply invested in sculpture could produce so wonderful, subtle and inimitable a shape.

Indeed, so wonderful that when a new Cinquecento was mooted in 2004, Roberto Giolito’s Trepiuno concept followed 1957 very closely, at least aesthetically.

It was the same, but different. And, of course, this was the moment of global nostalgia with the ‘new’ BMW Mini. Even the Porsche Boxster received a very weak signal from the mid-1950s 550 RSK. Maybe this repetition was millennial crisis. But this is how culture works. As Gustav Mahler noted, creativity is a matter of tending the flame, not of worshipping the ashes.

Which brings me to the electric 500e. In the solitude of Covid’s Great Isolation, my wife bought a battery-

powered Fiat as a remedy to the cabin fever brought about by WFH and LWM (Living With Me). This was our introduction to the full horrors of electric mobility, which, it seems now, is an oxymoron like ‘military intelligence’ and ‘road improvements’.

The 500e was a blast to drive on city routes, where you knew you could return to base for a transfusion of electrons. In the country, it reminded me in many ways of Graham Hill’s account of an unreliable Ferrari 250 GTO: you could use the lights or the wipers, but not both at once. With the 500e it was wipers and de-mist. The difference was Hill was doing 150mph down a wet Mulsanne straight, we were doing 30mph on a dark and dirty night on the M11, returning from Norfolk to London having not found a single accessible or working charger between Norwich and Cambridge. The rationale of the car is freedom achieved through practical technology; here freedom was restricted by impractical technology.

But still, we both loved the little car immoderately. And then it was T-boned by a bus. London Transport took full responsibility. Post-Covid and postBrexit, it took exactly 154 days to source and supply a new door while our dear electric languished in a repair shop favoured by Tf L (don’t ask me why) in Thurrock.

Eventually repaired, it was welcomed home. Again there was a lot to enjoy on trips to Waitrose and back.

And then, like a sick pet, ‘she’ had to go. You see, the pathetic fallacy remains, now unfashionably gendered.

Even if the fallacy was unknown to the Thames Motor Group driver who came to retrieve it. Sorry, I mean ‘her’.

I had to follow her in traffic and a tear actually came to my generally unsentimental eye as the driver wove in and out of traffic with a lot of sprezzatura, reducing, I imagined, his range by 50 miles within five minutes.

The car was my wife’s and reminded me on-sight of the pleasures of delight and security associated with the best of private life. Something had gone missing from my existence and that something was charm.

Meanwhile, Roberto Giolito, a great designer, has left Fiat’s Centro Stile and is at what used to be called the Centro Storico, now the less-glam FCA Heritage. Here he is the guardian of memory. This seems appropriate because I find it hard to imagine how anyone in future will ever create another endearing car.

‘WE BOTH LOVED THE LITTLE CAR IMMODERATELY. AND THEN IT WAS T-BONED

BY A BUS’

STEPHEN BAYLEY The individual for whom the term ‘design guru’ could have been coined, Bayley was the founding director of London’s Design Museum and his best-selling books include Sex, Drink and Fast Cars and Taste: the Secret Meaning of Things.

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IGNITION / Opinion

ROBERT COUCHER The Driver

O

ur 1982 Porsche 911 SC followed 75bhp Porsche 356s and my 100bhp Alfa Giulia, so its 204bhp felt off the charts… In the early 1980s Golf GTIs were fast cars, pushing out 110bhp, and the heavy and square family BMW 525 was knocking out around 145bhp on Solex carbs, so the 911’s monster power seemed otherworldly. Both my father and I were a little scared of it… with good reason.

With one previous owner and just 20,000 klicks on the clock, the 911 was totally immaculate. As this was in Cape Town in the mid-1980s it was somewhat curious that the SC was painted in solid black, which was a special order, but it had clear, untinted glass all round. It was a Comfort model not a Sports, so was sans wings and spoilers and sat on 15x7in cookie-cutter alloys with higher-profile tyres. The interior featured tombstone seats in cream leather and there was no airconditioning: a Plain Jane spec and a terrible colour for hot Cape Town. The upshot was that we rarely drove the SC in summer because it got too warm, and never in the winter rains because, as mentioned, we were nervous of its handling reputation.

So mileage remained low and it proved to be the perfect spring and autumn sports car around the twisting roads beneath Table Mountain.

The 911 SC was on a different level to the previous classic cars my father and I had owned up until then.

First it wasn’t a wreck, as most of the others were, and second it was beautifully built and finished. The black paint was deep and thick, the doors really did shut with that hard metallic clack, the leather trim was immaculate, while the air-cooled flat-six was absolutely glorious.

Unlike a wheezy old pushrod 356, the 911 mill was creamily smooth and just wanted to rev and rev. It was fuel-injected so the throttle response was immediate and totally fuss-free. The long gearshift action took some getting used to, as did the heavy and over-centred clutch pedal. The steering was unassisted but light and oh-so responsive, feeding info back to your fingertips via that fat, attractive three-spoke steering wheel.

The 911 was actually an understeerer and we never got brave enough to get the tail out on the tarmac, although I did have a lot of fun on deserted dirt roads.

And with tyre technology improving all the time, the semi-slick Yokohama 008 boots really improved the car’s

grip. The SC felt solid and strong even though it weighed a relatively light 1200kg and, with 200lb ft at middling revs, it was a cinch to drive fast, but not too fast.

When we got married in Constantia, the picturesque wine region in Cape Town, I took my new wife away ‘up the coast’ to the resort of Plettenberg Bay. My father kindly loaned us the gleaming 911 SC, which was great for blasting up the sinuous costal road. Along the way I realised I’d never mastered the complex heater controls and with the fan full-on we began to roast. It took me ages to figure out how to turn the thing off, by which time my accomplice had lost her sense of humour.

I have railed in the past against so-called unimpeachable Porsche reliability and, though beautifully hewn, the G-Series cars had their issues. The 911 engine came with a sub-par chain tensioner mechanism, so that had to be changed to prevent the lump grenading itself. Then there was the ‘exploding airbox’ issue: the engine could misfire and blow the air induction shroud to pieces. And let’s not forget the head studs. They can stretch and break, and ours did. So an expensive topend engine rebuild was undertaken, with better, nonPorsche, aftermarket head studs that actually held things in place.

Porsche began galvanising the 911 in 1975 and was an industry leader, which cemented its reputation for (supposed) durability. Certainly many miles better than the preceding 356 and F-Series 911s, yet British and European 911s of the 1970s and 1980s are now beginning to show signs of corrosion in the usual places.

Mentioning the F-Series Porsche 911s, I was fortunate enough to own a superb 1972 2.4S Targa half-a-dozen years ago. Again it was immaculate, finished in specialorder Ivory with its engine rebuilt to 2.7 RS spec. Where the 204bhp SC felt solid, muscular, unbreakable and a bit of a thug, the lighter S felt sharp, delicate and petite.

And, yes it was damn fast. It came to the UK from Rory at the Classic Throttle Shop in Sydney and was even better than described. One zinger was that the perfectlooking Pirelli Cinturato tyres turned out to be ten years old, so the handling was initially very ragged!

Fresh rubber soon sorted that out.

Which of these 911s would I choose? In a perfect world I’d keep the open 2.4S Targa in Cape Town for summer, and the tough SC in London as my daily driver.

‘THE 911’S POWER WAS OTHERWORLDLY. MY FATHER AND I WERE A LITTLE SCARED OF IT… WITH GOOD REASON’

ROBERT COUCHER Robert grew up with classic cars, and has owned a Lancia Aurelia B20 GT, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta and a Porsche 356C. He currently uses his properly sorted 1955 Jaguar XK140 as his daily driver, and is a founding editor of Octane.

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05/02/2024 09:56:25

IGNITION / Letters

Letter of the month

Ridiculous? No, sublime I was ambling around a recent Bicester Scramble with friends when a Kermit-green Aventador inched past, throttle blipping and exhaust popping in the usual willy-waving fashion.

My companions – both senior designers at one of Britain’s great luxury carmakers – looked up for the briefest of moments before resuming their enthusiastic discussion of the body swage line on an MG Maestro Turbo.

That’s what I like about the classic car community: we celebrate the quirky and the half-forgotten as well as the exotic. As a long-time subscriber, I think Octane gets the balance spot-on.

Nick Swallow, Buckinghamshire

4C or not 4C? YOUR COVER FEATURE in Octane 252 on the McLaren 12C was a great article about a game-changing supercar. I would, however, strongly disagree with author Ben Barry’s description of the Alfa Romeo 4C – which he admits is ‘[the only car that] offers carbonfibre construction for less’ – as ‘underwhelming’.

When it was launched ten years ago, the 4C [pictured in original concept form, above] was also a game-changing yet more affordable sports car, offering near supercar performance in the real world at a much more affordable price. Carbon tub, light weight, mid-mounted engine, gorgeous looks: what’s not to like?

LETTER OF THE MONTH WINS A MOUNTNEY STEERING WHEEL UP TO THE VALUE OF £300 The writer of Octane’s Letter of the Month can select from a range of Mountney Classic steering wheels

OK, so the steering geometry divided opinion and resulted in very mixed reviews at the car’s launch, due to nervous handling on the UK’s atrocious roads. The interior, too, came in for criticism for being low-rent, and the car is impractical as a daily driver. So it’s compromised, definitely… but, hey, those looks, and what true sports car isn’t impractical?

The steering geometry can soon be rectified by those clever people at The Alfa Workshop in Royston. A raft of aftermarket performance parts can also improve the car to be what Alfa surely intended it to be.

I’m the long-term owner of a 4C Spider, the car never fails to

put a smile on my face whenever I drive it, and it draws admiring comments from anyone who sees it. It has been totally fault-free, and economical to run and own.

You state that the McLaren 12C has depreciated in its 15 years from £168,500 at launch (before options) to £65,00095,000 today. The 4C cost around £50,000 at launch and still commands £40,000-55,000 depending on mileage and specification, and is arguably a much rarer car.

Perhaps now is the time to take another look at a properly sorted 4C, some ten years on, and give it the love it deserves.

Ian Mackenzie, Lincolnshire

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Right Royal Rolls I live in Australia, where we rarely get to see on our roads the amazing vehicles that feature in Octane. In 2009, however, I spent six weeks staying with a friend in the UK and travelled over much of the country.

Visiting the car park at Royal Ascot was one of the highlights, and reading your magazine brings back memories of that trip and beautiful cars such as the 1920s Rolls-Royce [below] that I saw at Royal Ascot.

Jeff Becker, Victoria, Australia

Joyce and John Paul Your ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’ article about US racing driver John Paul Jr in Octane 252 states that Paul Jr and his mother lived in near-poverty in a trailer park and survived on food stamps.

I don’t think that can be correct because his mother, Joyce, and he were customers of mine at my Jaguar shop in Muncie, Indiana, during 1977-78. John Jr went to a local high school in Muncie during that period while living in an upscale neighbourhood.

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IGNITION / Letters

ASTON PARROTT

transaction. But he honoured our deal and, when I went to pick them up, we had a good chat about his 1972-73 Aston Martin Vantage and my Honda S2000 – the cars of our respective youths.

James Baker, Gloucestershire

Although my shop specialised in Jaguar, we would occasionally work on other makes. Paul Jr’s mother Joyce had a new Mercedes 450 SEL that he would drive around our few curvy but rough roads. Apparently he would drive somewhat aggressively, as there would be the occasional damage to her car.

John Jr never said much when he brought the Mercedes in but I’ll never forget the 6ft-tall, statuesque, bejewelled Joyce.

Gary Bartlett, Indiana, USA Childhood influence I really enjoyed your fascinating articles on the Schuppan 962 [above] in Octane 251. I was born the year before Vern’s triumph at Le Mans in 1983, but grew up 200 yards away from where he lived near Maidenhead while he was working on the development of the Schuppan-Porsche road car. My father, being a petrolhead, got to know Vern during the period he lived near us.

It was around this time that Vern gave me and my brothers an Iseki 956 model car [above right], which I regularly played with. Little did I know the nightmare going on at the time behind the scenes in terms of the business Vern was trying to build.

Vern, if you are reading this, I wanted to let you know that I still

have the car, and my two sons Jack (4) and Sam (2) often play with it. While I inherited a love for cars from my father, the model Porsche may have impacted my brand affinity and I currently have a Porsche in my collection. Unfortunately it’s not a Schuppan-Porsche 962 or a full-size Iseki 956, but maybe one day! Thanks, Vern.

Peter Latham, Bristol

Let’s hear it for Honda I was taken aback by Derek Bell’s comments in Octane 249, slighting Honda and Renault for not fielding entire F1 teams over the decades but rather only supplying power units.

Most readers know of Honda’s F1 successes but Mr Bell should also consider Honda’s 65 world motorcycle titles over all classes, dozens of victories in America’s CART series, as well as dozens of world and US motocross and endurance racing titles. It has also built more than 30million cars and light trucks in the USA.

Take anything with an engine and it’s likely that Honda has been at the top of that field since the late 1950s. Its engineering prowess ranges from giant cargo ships to weed whackers, and business jets to personal humanoid robots.

With such diverse interests, perhaps Honda has taken the correct tack in F1.

Kevin Park, Oklahoma City, USA Bargain buy I’m a few issues behind on my reading, so I have only just come across the Alfa 8C 2300 Zagato Spider feature in Octane 250. It mentions that the Alfa appeared in the first issue of Octane, so I went to the bookshelf and pulled out my copy of issue 1 [below].

Having been a subscriber for only four years, a couple of years ago I won almost all the first 200 issues on eBay for just £40! The vendor told me he was inundated with messages after the auction ended, with people offering £200-plus if he’d cancel the

Rein in the restomods?

Have restomods gone too far?

Some are dangerously close to being caricatures – I’m thinking of the Alfa GTA-inspired Totem GT [below]. The prices can be eye-watering, too, although I can appreciate the work involved, having been a paint sprayer for over 40 years and knowing what goes into a full restoration.

I’d love to hear readers’ views and of course those of the Octane team. Perhaps Stephen Bayley would like to open the debate?

Tim Smart, Richmond, Surrey

Matra muddle Thank you for selecting my note about Yuri Gagarin and Jim Clark’s chance meeting as Letter of the Month in Octane 252.

Regarding Mr Geldard’s letter about the Matra Djet he spotted in Spain in 1967, surely the picture shows a Matra M530, the model that succeeded the Djet?

Joris V Teck, Namur, Belgium

Send your letters to letters@octane-magazine.com Please include your name, address and a daytime telephone number.

Letters may be edited for clarity.

Views expressed are not necessarily those of Octane.

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09/05/2024 22:34

THE 911S TO BUY NOW

G

FORCE From under-the-radar collector status to realistic daily-drive prospect, the G-Series is the air-cooled 911 of the moment. As it hits its 50th anniversary, Porsche authority Steve Bennett tells us why Photography Dean Smith

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THE 911s TO BUY NOW

Below and right From front: Carrera 2.7 MFI, 911 SC, Carrera 3.0 and Carrera 3.2; £160,000 separates the cream SC from the red 2.7, yet they’re surprisingly close in terms of appeal.

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T

he Porsche 911’s endurance in production is part of its continuing appeal. There always seems to be a significant date or anniversary to mark. Look away now if such things make you feel old, but this one definitely deserves recognition because 2024 is the 50th birthday of the G-Series. The 911 had already been 11 years in production, yet this ‘impact bumper’ generation was the first significant styling and engineering revamp since launch, albeit an enforced one.

The period 1973 to 1974 was a traumatic one for sports cars. American safety and pollution-busting legislation meant a hefty aesthetic blow from the ‘ugly stick’ combined with a double-whammy drop in performance. Previously elegant and svelte designs grew unattractive appendages front and rear. Think MGB, Fiat 124 Spider, X1/9. And, of course, the 911 didn’t escape either.

Predictably, perhaps, Porsche executed and integrated its response rather more sympathetically. So much so that the G-Series cars it ushered in lasted from ’74 to ’89 – fully 15 years with no significant styling changes. The similarly imposed drop in performance was also soon negated with the introduction of Bosch fuel injection systems, which wrung the absolute max from the fuel and air mix.

Perhaps fittingly, it’s fair to say that the US-market machines never truly caught up, hobbled by catalytic

converters and fuel as weak as Budweiser. Yet this sort of stuff was becoming ever-more important and Porsche saw it as a point of principle to improve fuel economy and efficiency. As the G-Series cars became faster, with each new model they became increasingly abstemious, too.

And that still matters, although it’s not really the point of this gathering. Today, the G-Series represents the classic 911 market in its broadest and most usable sense. It’s where the majority of 911 junkies congregate, to take advantage of a still-plentiful supply of cars, prices and mileages that encourage use, yet with a tangible connection to the purist pre-1974 cars, unlike the later air-cooled 964 and 993.

So, what have we got? Well, the full gamut of naturally aspirated 911s, from the rare-groove 1974 Carrera 2.7 MFI (Mechanical Fuel Injection) to the end of G-Series life: the Carrera 3.2. In-between come the 3.0-litre duo of Carrera 3.0 and 911 SC. That’s 15 years of development, and an accurate snapshot of G-Series values versus performance.

So, first up, the 1974 Carrera 2.7 MFI. A 2.7 RS in all but name? Not far off, and in Coupé form built in near-identical numbers (1508 versus 1534 for the MFI). Seems incredible now, but for years the 2.7 Carrera MFI was considered nothing special, with values pegging those of any other G-Series 911, whether Carrera 3.0, 911 SC or Carrera 3.2.

But then the real-deal ’73 RS took off, the coinage cascaded, and the Carrera 2.7 went tearing off in hot pursuit.

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THE 911s TO BUY NOW

We’ll get more into values later but, to put 2.7 RS and Carrera 2.7 MFI into perspective, the Hagerty Guide values a concours ’73 RS Touring at fully £786,000, and touts £222,000 for a matching ’74 Carrera. That’s £560,000 difference. And in terms of spec, the ’74 Carrera is much the same as the ’73 RS Touring. They even both weigh 1075kg, debunking the notion that the big bumpers added weight.

Today’s example is a leftie, which means the pedals are better-placed: LHD is barely a hindrance in a car this narrow. It’s also quite a rarity in Guards Red, which was introduced in 1974 but didn’t gain popularity until the Yuppie ’80s: definitive ’74 Carrera colours are the vibrant glam rock Lime Green and Signal Orange. Still, we really had to have a Guards Red 911, so here it is.

I have been lucky enough to drive a few RSs and there really is nothing in it in terms of the driving experience.

And why would there be, with the same 210bhp flat-six and Type 915 gearbox, plus largely identical suspension. Maybe the later car is slightly more refined, and there are detail changes to heating and ventilation and interior trim, but really all that’s lacking is the RS badge.

The driving experience is pure, undiluted air-cooled 911 and worth expanding on here, not least because it’s a little

while since I’ve driven one, and there’s always a bit of realignment involved when you get back in an old-school 911. Good ones help the readjustment process, and this example is exactly that: it’s been used but in no way abused.

Quite often a fresh, mega-bucks restoration or a lowmileage, little-used garage queen will feel reluctant to give, its engine tight, the gearbox unwilling to release one ratio for another and the brakes wooden and unused. There’s none of that here, and it ticks all the RS-alike boxes with factory-optioned ‘Ducktail’ rear spoiler, Carrera script and 15in Fuchs alloys on correct Pirelli CN36 tyres.

And what makes a good, classic air-cooled 911 so satisfying to drive? From the churn of the flat-six catching, to the physicality of the controls and the unique balance of the weighty, twisting rear and the floating front, it’s just an immersive experience that feels like nothing else. A real thrill. I’m rarely this effusive about any car, 911 or otherwise, but really, I could drive this one all day. The Type 915 ’box often gets a bad press and bad ones deserve it. Not this one.

Sure, it won’t pay to rush it, but it’s mechanical and methodical in feel and precision.

The steering chatters through the slender wheel-rim.

You guide with your fingertips, rather than wrestle, unless

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‘IT’S JUST AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE THAT FEELS LIKE NOTHING ELSE. A REAL THRILL’ Left and above Guards Red for this 1974 Carrera 2.7, which was far less common in the 1970s than the 1980s; this Carrera 3.0 wears Sport package wing with pride.

it’s a particularly tight turn, in which case the helm requires a full upper body heave. Excellent outward vision, compact size and a clear view of the front end bobbing around make placement on the road a doddle. Pedals sprouting from the floor demand that 911 thing of lifting your foot to operate them, bar the long-throw organ-pedal-style accelerator.

And then, of course, there’s the engine and its hardedged, turbine spin cycle. A 2.7 MFI is always special, it’s got soul, it’s got character. The mechanical injection adds to the living-breathing feel. It’s not linear smooth. There’s the occasional fluff and hesitation and explosion of gas and air in the exhaust, resulting in the odd pop, chuff and bang.

Powerful? Well, 210bhp is plenty powerful enough in a car that weighs 1075kg, and the flat-six is elastic and wide in its delivery and powerband. You can work it hard through the gears, or let it work for you, floating along in fourth and fifth as the road opens out through the upright windscreen.

OK, I’ve enthused enough about the 2.7. The point is, like the ’73 RS, it is kind of peak classic 911, just not quite as pretty. In terms of G-Series, it’s almost a case of the best coming first, but with prices where they are it’s a good thing that we’ve three other 200+bhp 911s that come within 95% of the MFI’s full 100%, and all for up to £160,000 less at the widest point of value disparity. So let’s carry on.

The Carrera 2.7 might have carried on the 2.7 RS legacy, but it was only ever going to be a stop-gap. Unable to sell

it in America, because of the emissions issue, Porsche had been working on a replacement: the Carrera 3.0, which arrived for the 1976 model year.

Its 200bhp flat-six was in essence a naturally aspirated version of the recently introduced 930 Turbo engine, with an increased compression ratio, plus the lighter flywheel and crank from the 2.7 MFI. Crucially, fuelling and ignition were taken care of by a newfangled Bosch K-Jetronic injection system. The Type 915 gearbox remained and performance was broadly similar to that of the Carrera 2.7.

Usefully, while peak torque of 188lb ft remained the same, it arrived at 4200rpm, rather than 5100rpm.

And this is another rarity. It’s as if Porsche was having trouble finding its feet in the mid-1970s: like the 2.7, the Carrera 3.0 had a production run of just two years. Only 3687 were built and only 2564 of those were Coupés; fewer than 40 were in UK RHD spec – of which this is one.

In 1970s-style Sienna metallic with an equally 1970s Cork leatherette interior and velour pinstripe inlays, it’s very much of its time. Typically for a UK car, it’s a Sport model with wings and 16in Fuchs wheels. Weighing in at 1120kg, it’s a slightly porkier Porsche than the Carrera 2.7, thanks largely to that plusher interior, but the extra is easily negated by the extra capacity and torque and so performance figures are pretty much identical. Both hit 60mph in 6.3sec and the Carrera 3.0 romps on to a similar 145mph.

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THE 911s TO BUY NOW

‘THE CARRERA 3.0 IS STILL VERY MUCH THE RAW, HARDCORE CLASSIC 911 EXPERIENCE’ And to drive? Well, it’s all relative, but the Carrera 3.0 offers a slightly more refined experience than the 2.7. There isn’t quite the same raw mechanical edge to the power delivery, nor the need to rev it right out. The extra capacity and the softer Bosch K-Jetronic injection see to that. A more relaxing drive, then, but as we’ve already established, it’s all about small degrees and in isolation the Carrera 3.0 is still very much the raw, hardcore classic 911 experience.

The immediate successor to the Carrera 3.0 was the 911 SC, offered from the 1978 to 1983 model years inclusive, during which nearly 61,000 were built at Porsche’s Stuttgart factory. It’s positively prolific compared to the Carrera 3.0, yet no-one today seems certain what those two letters stand for; Super Carrera seems to be the most likely explanation.

The early 180bhp cars saw a performance dip, conceived as they were to comply and run on low-octane US fuel, but soon European-spec cars began to benefit from uprated versions of the 3.0-litre engine, with 188bhp for the 1980 model year and finally a definitive 204bhp for 1981. US cars, however, were stuck with 180bhp throughout. The full-fat 204bhp gave the SC a top speed of very nearly 150mph and 0-60mph in 6.8sec.

At first glance it’s difficult to tell the Carrera 3.0 and the SC apart, but as ever the devil is in the detail. Mechanically the SC took the Carrera 3.0’s 930 Turbo-derived engine and added a new electronic ignition system, plus improvements to the timing chain tensioners. The SC was also the first normally aspirated 911 to receive servoassisted brakes, which came with bigger discs.

Inside there were subtle improvements in trim, soundproofing and finish, with vinyl, leather and Berber fabric.

1980 saw the arrival of the optional Pasha psychedelic trim, the ‘Marmite’ of all Porsche interior options. Basic non-Sport spec SCs were distinguished by a lack of front and rear wings, plus 15in Fuchs or ‘cookie cutter’ wheels, but we sporty Brits generally specified the well-known Sport pack, lowered on Bilstein dampers, 16in Fuchs wheels, with front and rear wings plus ‘Sports’ seats.

This 1980 example belongs to Porsche dealer Paul Stephens and it’s really rather special, being totally original and unrestored with only 40,000 miles on the clock.

Unusually, it has had just one previous lady owner, which might explain the tasteful Ivory paint and equally tasteful Berber/brown interior, in place of the more usual Guards Red, Basalt Black or Grand Prix White of the era. It’s a nonSport car, and looks just perfect without wings. It should really be wearing ‘cookies’ or 15in Fuchs and Paul plans to return it to standard.

To drive? Well, as close to a timewarp (or to a new 911 SC) as you’re ever going to get. First, the torque figure is up – 197lb ft at 4300rpm – which is what you notice on the road. It still likes to rev, though: peak 204bhp at 5900rpm is only 100rpm behind the Carrera 3.0.

Most cars that are 42 years old tend to feel it, but not this 911 SC. Normally we don’t hold with such parsimonious usage, but every now and again it is fascinating to drive something that is as original as this. It also serves to accentuate the further step forwards in refinement over the Carrera 3.0. This was a 911 that you could easily see as a daily driver, but again not at the expense of what makes an air-cooled 911 special. It still offers 95% of that Carrera 2.7’s 100% reference point.

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Clockwise, from top left Period Cork leatherette trim for Carrera 3.0; SC will delight purists who prefer an unadorned 911 silhouette; demure tweed within SC – and it’s the only car present without a rear wing.

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THE 911s TO BUY NOW

Clockwise, from above First and last: Carrera 3.2 (in white) is the final evolution of the naturally aspirated G-Series; only incremental progress inside, but the 3.2 packs the most power in its tail.

And then we come to the end of the G-Series line.

Porsche built a staggering 80,000 911 Carrera 3.2s between 1983 and 1989, not bad for a car that was supposed to have been killed off in favour of the front-engined cars. Cue customer outrage and an internal Porsche power struggle, all resolved in the 911’s favour.

Finally the 911 received a rather more generous horsepower hike: 231bhp at 5900rpm from its 3.2-litre flatsix, thanks to the Turbo’s crank and longer con-rods.

Torque increased to 209lb ft at 4800rpm and the 911 finally broke the 150mph barrier, making 152mph. The Carrera went digital, too, with computerised fuel injection and RAM chips that even today can be manipulated to alter the fuelling and ignition. A far cry from the 2.7’s MFI. Early Carrera 3.2s retained the Type 915 gearbox, but in 1987 the 911 got the gearbox that many would say it really deserved: the Getrag G50, which would go on to serve the 911 through the 964 and 993 ranges. It’s worth noting, though, that while the G50 gearbox had shorter ratios than the 915, its taller final drive rather negated any advantage and there are many that feel the 915-equipped Carrera 3.2 is the livelier iteration.

However, for most the ultimate normally aspirated G-Series 911 is a late G50-equipped Carrera 3.2. Which is handy, because that’s what we’ve got here, although not in

era-defining Guards Red but Grand Prix White, with wings and Turbo-style Fuchs alloys. Just don’t call me a banker.

The G50 may be the slicker shifter, compared with the 915, but it was heavier and that extra weight was in the back of the car, not necessarily where you want it in a 911.

Kerbweight increased from 1160kg to 1210kg, yet further from the Carrera 2.7’s 1075kg, but that’s progress and at least the Carrera 3.2 is dimensionally the same. The 3.2 also has a plusher interior, with improved ventilation (always an air-cooled 911 issue), sound insulation and electrically adjustable seats. The deep-bolstered ‘Sports’ version is still one of the best thrones Porsche has ever made.

And that’s where I’m perched for this final drive. If the Carrera 2.7, Carrera 3.0 and 911 SC were typically incremental in their development relative to each other, the Carrera 3.2 really does feel like a leap forwards. It’s the refinement that you notice first. The engine surges and whooshes, but without the hard-edged, saw-mill mechanical clatter. A heavier flywheel calms the gearbox chatter and yes, the shift is at least twice as quick as the 915’s and the clutch action super-light, thanks to hydraulic actuation rather than a cable. It’s a bit of character lost, but you’d have to be perverse to say that the 915 ’box is better.

Indeed it’s all better, that’s what progress is about, but its 911 soul is still very much all there, if a little cloaked: the

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1974 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 2.7 MFI Engine 2687cc air-cooled flat-six, OHC per bank, Bosch mechanical fuel injection, dry sump Power 210bhp @ 6300rpm Torque 188lb ft @ 5100rpm Transmission Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion Suspension Front: MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, torsion bars, anti-roll bar. Rear: trailing arms, torsion bars, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar Brakes Vented discs Weight 1075kg Top speed 149mph 0-60mph 6.3sec

1976 911 PORSCHE CARRERA 3.0

‘IT’S ALL BETTER, THAT’S WHAT PROGRESS IS ABOUT, BUT ITS 911 SOUL IS STILL VERY MUCH ALL THERE’

Engine 2993cc air-cooled flat-six, OHC per bank, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, dry sump Power 200bhp @ 6000rpm Torque 188lb ft @ 4200rpm Transmission Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion Suspension Front: MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, torsion bars, anti-roll bar. Rear: trailing arms, torsion bars, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar Brakes Vented discs Weight 1120kg Top speed 143mph 0-60mph 6.5sec

1980 PORSCHE 911 SC Engine 2993cc air-cooled flat-six, OHC per bank, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, dry sump Power 204bhp @ 5900rpm Torque 197lb ft @ 4200rpm Transmission Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion Suspension Front: MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, torsion bars, anti-roll bar. Rear: trailing arms, torsion bars, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar Brakes Vented discs Weight 1160kg Top speed 146mph 0-60mph 6.8sec

1988 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 3.2 Engine 3164cc air-cooled flat-six, OHC per bank, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, dry sump Power 231bhp @ 5900rpm Torque 209lb ft @ 4800rpm Transmission Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion Suspension Front: MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, torsion bars, anti-roll bar. Rear: trailing arms, torsion bars, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar Brakes Vented discs Weight 1210kg Top speed 152mph 0-60mph 6.1sec

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THE 911s TO BUY NOW

balance, the swagger, the rear digging in as the front goes light, the tactile steering. All that stuff that I got really quite enthused about while driving the Carrera 2.7. The Carrera 3.2 still has it, it’s just not quite so in-yer-face. Still 95% to the 2.7’s 100%? Pretty much, but you perhaps have to dig a bit deeper to expose it, which to modern 911 owners will probably sound familiar.

SOUNDS OBVIOUS BUT, if you can afford it, the Carrera 2.7 is the car to have. To all intents and purpose it is a ’73 RS Touring in all but name, yet it’s equally rare and beyond the reach of most, at well over £200,000 for a good ’un. However, as already pointed out, that’s more than half-a-mill less than the market dictates for a concours ’73 RS Touring!

Still, for most people the 2.7 is out, which leaves the other three cars. And, again, the Carrera 3.0 is rare meat. If you really wanted one, and a good one at that, then you might have to hold out or even compromise. And that rarity means it’s pricey. The market reckons on over £100,000 for a concours example and an only slightly more palatable £80,000 for a merely excellent one. Worth it? Only if rarity is your thing, because the driving experience offers nothing over the others in this quartet.

Which means for most it comes down to a 911 SC versus Carrera 3.2 shoot-out, handy as both are plentiful on the market, both are easily separated in terms of character and driving experience, and prices are at near-parity.

For a (relatively) raw, lighter, revvier 911 experience, then go 911 SC. It’s been the starter-classic, air-cooled 911 of choice forever, and for good reason. For very good to the

very best put aside £40,000 to £60,000. Or to put it another way, at the top end that is close to £160,000 less than the Carrera 2.7. Crazy, huh? Even better, there’s plenty of margin in the SC market, which starts down at around £25,000, but, for reasons that we will come to, beware.

Go for the 911 Carrera 3.2 and the upper end spans £50,000 to £70,000. In other words, a £10k premium over the SC, and that for most is probably not enough to make separating the two a financial matter. That bit extra gets you the ultimate development of the original 911, albeit one that perhaps doesn’t wear its heart on its sleeve quite like the other three.

What about restorations? Continuing with the numbers, in the 911 market G-Series or otherwise, it really pays to get the best that you possibly can. Projects are beyond sane money now. That £25,000 SC or £30,000 Carrera 3.2 could very easily swallow more than £80,000 in labour and parts, which you will never recoup.

Me? Even in a fantasy world, I can’t rationalise the value of the Carrera 2.7, which for most would make it almost too valuable to use as intended. And it’s rarity over driving experience for the Carrera 3.0. Thank goodness, then, that Porsche built the 911 SC and Carrera 3.2 in sufficient numbers as to make them abundant and reasonably affordable. So, I’m down with ‘The people’s Porsches’ and I’ll have a 911 SC, thanks very much. End THANKS TO specialist Paul Stephens, who supplied his own 911 SC and the other three fine specimens – all to be driven as intended. See paul-stephens.com.

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29 September to 13 October 2024 A two week competitive rally across Europe from the snow-capped Austrian Alps to the ancient city of Athens on the Aegean Sea. Asphalt and gravel roads, a variety of Tests and Regularities, and an adventure through some of the lessexplored parts of the Balkans.

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RTG Octane Athens-Japan advert - May 24.indd 1

Images: shutterstock.com, gerardbrown.co.uk

29/04/2024 14:40

FORCE FED

50 YEARS OF THE 911 TURBO

The 911 Turbo also celebrates 50 years this year – and it all kicked off with the G-Series Words Glen Waddington Photography Porsche

THESE DAYS ALL mainstream 911s are turbocharged; only the hardcore GT3 models are naturally aspirated. Yet still the daddy is a Turbo with a capital T. And that began in 1974, when racing began to improve the breed in a whole new way.

I vividly recall my first drive of a 911 Turbo, actually a 1980s one, in Guards Red (of course) and with the 3.3-litre engine that replaced the original 3.0-litre, though still a G-Series – and still with a four-speed manual gearbox!

It arrived, codenamed 930, in 1974, transmogrified by the addition of a Kühnle,

Kopp and Kausch turbocharger, inspired by the racing RSR and the fire-breathing 917/30 Can-Am car. Bulging rear wheelarches housed a wider track, and that whale-tail spoiler (it started here, folks) helped keep the wider rubber stuck to the floor, by reducing rear-end aerodynamic lift from 397lb to less than a tenth of that. It was priced around £15,000 in the UK, money that could have bought a decent home in many parts. Or two Carrera 2.7 MFIs. Reading the feature before this will tell you what a sound investment that might have turned out to be!

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Capacity increased from 3.0 to 3.3 litres in 1977, which also saw an intercooler positioned under the rear wing (now a tea tray rather than a whale tail), resulting in a boost from 260bhp to 300bhp. Doesn’t sound so much these days, but back then it saw the 911 leave its nimble sports car roots to become a fully fledged supercar. The kind you’d see on bedroom walls along with the obligatory Countach (and maybe that female tennis player).

Here was the fastest-accelerating car of its era. Driving a 911 Turbo demanded a different mindset, even from the one you’d adopt

driving any air-cooled 911. Gone was the delicacy of the naturally aspirated cars, in its place brutal strength: you’d no longer sprint through the gears but lunge, pulling hard against each of those four long ratios, anticipating the rush from 3000rpm to the 6500rpm redline, cursing the lag that the 3.3 aimed to reduce (it was a partial success). And to stop it? From 1976, the self-same vented discs that hauled 917 drivers back to sanity at the end of the Mulsanne Straight.

The über-911 was an outlier, a mutant screeching six with a sting in its tail, let loose

into a world of multi-cylinder mid-engined monsters. Character and attitude were yours for the taking if you could tame it. And, more likely, afford it. Ownership of a 911 Turbo made you king of the work hard, play hard set.

Lunch is for wimps, etc.

It changed very little, beyond the addition of the straked and flat-nosed SE for those with even more money (and nothing useful to spend it on) and, come 1989, a five-speed gearbox. A year later the new-generation 964 arrived, with the same 3.3-litre engine but power increased to 320bhp. A 360bhp 3.6-litre 57

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50 YEARS OF THE 911 TURBO

version turned up for 1994 and has always been something of a rarity as the next-generation 993 Turbo arrived in 1995.

Of course, the 964 had been substantially revised beneath its largely familiar skin, reengineered to be capable of running with fourwheel drive. Not that the 964 Turbo ever put power through anything other than the rear wheels. But that structure lived on in the smoother-looking 993, and this time the Turbo became four-wheel-drive for the first time.

Its engine also gained a second turbocharger in this, its final air-cooled incarnation: suddenly here was a 911 that could rival the 959 of a decade before for power and tech. With output pegged at 408bhp, you got a 0-60mph sprint of 3.2sec and a top speed of 200mph. And if that wasn’t enough, the run-out Turbo S got an extra 24bhp (spot one of the 183 built by the

extra side air intake and vents on the wing).

A change of demeanour came with the water-cooled 996 in 2001. Sure, it was still monstrously powerful (up to 450bhp with the optional X50 package, later standardised on the Turbo S) and indecently rapid. But it was also more refined, more an executive express for storming the autobahn, or maybe a true GT for an era bored with softly sprung V8s. Much of its hardware lived on in the subsequent 997 from 2004 but, by the time that car had given way to the 991 Turbo in 2012, power had been wrung out to 523bhp.

Cue another step-change. In 2011, the 991 generation heralded only the third platform in the 911’s history, and a structure largely made of aluminium. This newfound lightness imbued even fairly standard 911s with wickedly fast acceleration (with PDF transmission, the

Carrera S could crack 60mph in less than four seconds). The Turbo and Turbo S reappeared in 2013, with 520 and 560bhp respectively – but, from 2015, turbocharging was introduced across the range, with a force-fed 3.0-litre flatsix becoming the entry-level engine.

That remains the case with the current 992, which peaks in Turbo S form at 641bhp. Oh, but we haven’t yet mentioned the GT2 models, built from 1993 to 2019. More powerful than the 911 Turbo in every case, and featuring rearwheel drive for lightness, this is a case of gamekeeper turning poacher: the GT2 is best enjoyed on the track. End Below There have so far been seven generations of 911 Turbo, but time is running out: hybrids are coming, and the electric 911 will soon be with us.

‘OWNERSHIP OF A 911 TURBO MADE YOU KING OF THE WORK HARD, PLAY HARD SET’ 58

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International Exhibition for Classic Motor Enthusiasts and Collectors

4 PATHS AT AUTO E MOTO D’EPOCA LET THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY BEGIN! CARS

SPARE PARTS

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THE WORLD OF CLASSICS

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autoemotodepoca.com

10/05/2024 14:47

FERRARI 365 GTB/4 NART SPIDER

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NART BEFORE TIME Unseen in public since 1988, this ultra-rare and forward-thinking Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider will soon be unleashed at The Quail, Monterey.

David Lillywhite got to see it first Photography Blair Bunting

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FERRARI 365 GTB/4 NART SPIDER

‘THAT’S THE THING ABOUT THE 365 GTB/4 NART SPIDER: IT PRE-EMPTED SO MANY STYLES OF LATER ERAS’

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Y Left This is the last of five NART Spiders built by Michelotti on a Daytona base, in a style that foreshadowed many cars that followed during subsequent years.

ou could squint and stare at this curious vision in black and red for as long as you like, but without prior knowledge would you ever come to the conclusion that it started life as a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona?

You surely wouldn’t.

And then would you come to the conclusion that it’s significantly more valuable than the iconic Daytona? Maybe don’t answer that at this stage… After all, there’s more than a touch of the lovechild of Triumph TR7 and Pontiac Fiero at first glance in this rare machine.

But that’s the thing about the 365 GTB/4 NART Spider: it pre-empted so many styles of later eras. This car, chassis 15003, hasn’t been seen in public since 1988 when it joined what is now the Lee Collection in Reno – but in August this year it will break cover at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering (a highlight of California’s Monterey Car Week). It’s one of only five 365 GTB/4 NART Spiders created between 1974 and 1981, each one a little different from the next. And its heritage is off-the-scale.

NART at the time was flying high. And NART, in case the evocative four-letter acronym has evaded you until now, was North American Racing Team, created by racing driver and original North American Ferrari distributor Luigi Chinetti.

To understand the car, first you need to understand its creator: Italian-born Chinetti had started young, qualifying as a mechanic aged 14. Two years later, in 1917, he joined Alfa Romeo, where he met a similarly junior Enzo Ferrari. Like Ferrari, Chinetti also began to race, specialising in sports cars and competing at Le Mans from 1932. When World War Two broke out he emigrated to the United States, but he returned to Europe at the end of the 1940s, where he was reunited with Enzo Ferrari.

With so much of his native Italy destroyed, including his own property, it wasn’t long before Chinetti went back to the US, and from there he started his East Coast-based Chinetti Motors – the first ever importer of Ferrari cars in North America. He soon built up a customer base of wealthy car buyers and racers, and in 1958 he formed NART to help promote Ferrari in the US. Chinetti’s connections with Enzo and the factory ensured that he was able to secure the best cars for his racing team, which soon notched up successes around the world, most notably at Le Mans and Sebring.

He was also able to influence the factory’s build choices to suit the American market.

When that didn’t work, he would commission his own variants to suit his clients; the most famous example of this was when 250GT 63

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FERRARI 365 GTB/4 NART SPIDER

California Spyder production ended, leaving Chinetti without a convertible to sell. With permission from Enzo, he commissioned a run of 275 GTS/4 NART Spyders, based on the 275 GTB/4 coupés.

By the mid-1970s, Chinetti was himself in his seventies but still highly influential. The 365 GTB/4 Daytona was only just out of production yet had been made to look distinctly old school compared with Lamborghini’s Miura and Countach, while its replacement, the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, hadn’t quite caught the imagination of potential buyers in the same way.

This, then, was the background that explains the car you see here. Chinetti wanted something more modern, eye-catching and – crucially –

open-top to sell to his most important American customers. For that, he went to one of the most talented and prolific designers of the time, Giovanni Michelotti. Then in his early fifties, Michelotti had worked for many of the great carrozzerie, including Stablimenti Farina, Bertone, Ghia and Vignale, before opening his own studio in 1959. Many of the great Alfas, Lancias, Maseratis, Ferraris and – the odd one out here – Triumphs of the 1950s and ’60s were designed by Michelotti. (Before you ask, the TR7 was one of the few Triumphs not designed by him during the 1960s and early ’70s.)

What Michelotti created for Chinetti was as far removed as it was possible to get from the Daytona, built in aluminium hand-formed over a wooden buck. Open-top and unashamedly

wedge-shaped, with a single, striking beltline from front to rear, cut-down doors and moulded bumpers, the first 365 GTB/4 NART Spider was very much of its time.

The first of the five started life as a 1971 Daytona coupé (chassis 14897) that had apparently been accident-damaged within the first few months of its life, and bought back by Chinetti Motors as a wreck – roof crushed and missing some panels. It was shipped from the US to Studio Tecnico Carrozzeria G Michelotti in Turin for conversion into the NART Spider and unveiled at the November 1974 Turin motor show on the Michelotti stand, resplendent in metallic pale blue with orange/ brown leather, cut-down doors, quad headlights, roll bar and a removable targa top.

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1978 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider Engine 4390cc V12, DOHC per bank, six Weber 40 DCN/20 downdraught carburettors Power 352bhp @ 7500rpm Torque 318lb ft @ 5500rpm Transmission Five-speed manual transaxle, rear-wheel drive, limited-slip differential Steering Worm and roller Suspension Front and rear: double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar Brakes Discs Weight 1200kg (est) Top speed 174mph 0-60mph 5.4sec

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FERRARI 365 GTB/4 NART SPIDER

The next of the five was very different: built to race specification with the intention of competing in the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Once again, it was based on a road-spec Daytona coupé (chassis 15965) and shipped to Michelotti for conversion. However, it then went to a specialist in Modena for race preparation, using a competition-spec Group IV engine that had powered another Daytona to sixth overall and second in class at the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours.

With a roll hoop, targa top and distinctive red, white and blue livery, this second NART Spider qualified for the ’75 Le Mans on a lap time of 4:31:08 with Jean-Pierre Malcher and co-driver Patrick Langlois. But then the ACO and Chinetti became involved in an argument over the qualification of one of the other

NART entries, causing a furious Chinetti to withdraw his entire team from the race just 88 minutes prior to the start. If it’s any comfort, the race car still exists and has since competed at Le Mans Classic as well as Monterey Historics and in Tour Auto.

In 1976, Chinetti commissioned three more 365 GTB/4 NART Spiders from Michelotti, one of which was our feature car here, in case you were wondering if we’d ever return to it.

However, the first of the three was chassis 14299, which returned to Chinetti in 1977 finished in dark blue over grey – and Chinetti immediately gave the car to his wife, complete with ‘Marion’ script added to the boot-lid in her honour.

The couple’s son, Luigi ‘Coco’ Chinetti Jr, remembers the car well. He’s currently delving

deep into his father’s archives, with help from wife Jacqueline, in preparation for a new book to be published by Porter Press on the Chinetti story, and has found plenty of old images of the cars. ‘I thought the 365 NART Spider was really nice to look at, especially the front, which was very, very clean. You know, for the year, it was pretty nice-looking, especially in the dark blue with the lighter bottom.’

And so we come to the final two: our feature car, chassis 15003, and its sister, chassis 16467 – the only one of the five to start as a genuine GTS/4 Daytona Spyder (Ferrari named its convertibles as ‘Spyders’ until the advent of the 348 but NART mostly used ‘Spider’ for its 365). This car had been crashed during the filming of The Gumball Rally and also appeared as the crashed Daytona in A Star Is

Right It’s claimed Michelotti found the height of the six-carb V12 made achieving a wedge shape difficult – difficult maybe, though clearly not impossible.

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Born before heading to Michelotti, emerging in red with a black and grey interior.

This was the car that Chinetti Jr spent the most time with, recalling that it drove well but pointing out that there wasn’t much chance ‘to really wring out a car in the States’ at the time.

‘That was the one that I had for a fair bit of time, a matter of months; that was the one I had the most experience with. And it was a really nice car to drive. It didn’t flex, it was well-built. It was very well-made. I really enjoyed that car.’

The Lee Collection’s NART Spider, meanwhile, was based on a Daytona coupé.

Although it’s still known as chassis 15003, it had been restamped as CT 29264 even before it was shipped to Michelotti in May 1978 for conversion into a NART Spider. That CT number is a Connecticut standard to identify

a ‘composite vehicle’. Some have speculated that this means that the donor Daytona had been crashed, but it’s just as likely that it was Chinetti Motors pre-empting the change of body panels – and Chinetti Jr thinks that only two of the four road-spec 365 NART Spiders – 14897 and 16467 – were built from wrecks.

Whatever the case, ‘our’ NART Spider returned to the States in 1981 – the last of the five to be delivered. It was sold to the largerthan-life oil tycoon, racer and team owner John Mecom in Texas. Some sources say that it was initially finished in a silver/blue but that’s still not clear; what we do know is that in 1988 it was offered for sale in its current black and red livery at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction – and sold for $370,000 to Robert M Lee, founder of the Lee Collection.

‘MANY OF THE GREAT ALFAS, LANCIAS, MASERATIS AND FERRARIS WERE DESIGNED BY MICHELOTTI’

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FERRARI 365 GTB/4 NART SPIDER

Up close, it’s a much bigger car than it looks in the pictures, as you’d expect from its Daytona roots. It sits on period-correct high-profile Englebert tyres and chrome wire Borrani wheels, its height cleverly disguised by the sloping front and narrow bumper. It’s been said that Michelotti struggled to achieve the wedge look that Chinetti desired due to the high positioning of the big front-mounted V12 and those six downdraught Webers, but the result was a resolved if surprising design.

Robert M Lee passed in January 2016 but his widow Anne Brockinton Lee has continued to nurture and build the Lee Collection with her trademark enthusiasm, working with collection manager James O’Brien and the Lee Collection team to show as many of the 200odd cars as possible, recommissioning and restoring them when necessary. The NART Spider needs a mechanical checkover and overall spruce-up before it ventures out, but it will otherwise be shown just as it was when Lee bought it in 1988.

The 365 GTB/4 NART Spider proved to be a swansong for both Michelotti and Chinetti.

The designer died aged just 58, in January 1980, before our feature car had been completed. As for Luigi Chinetti, he retired and sold Chinetti Motors in 1977, though NART continued to race Ferraris until 1982,

‘UP CLOSE, IT’S A MUCH BIGGER CAR THAN IT LOOKS IN THE PICTURES’

having entered more than 200 races with more than 100 different drivers, including Mario Andretti and Phil Hill. Chinetti died, aged 93, in August 1994.

Quizzed on who came up with the idea for the style of the 365 GTB/4 NART Spider, Chinetti Jr is convinced that it was his dad rather than Michelotti. ‘He [Michelotti] was just wonderful, I loved him, but I think it was dad’s idea because dad was the one that would furnish the cars and the finances to build it. I know he was very pleased with it.

‘Dad really enjoyed making special cars,’ he adds. ‘It wasn’t just Ferraris early on. It was other cars too. The racing, of course, was number one. Second was building special cars.

Probably a very distant third was his desire to be a collector. He just wanted to continue making and racing things. And I can’t say I blame him because I seem to have inherited that same malaise. It’s wonderful fun.’

If you’re lucky enough to make it to The Quail this year, then you can judge the Lee Collection’s 365 GTB/4 NART Spider for yourself – and remind yourself of the remarkable history behind it. End THANKS TO Anne Brockinton Lee, James O’Brien and the rest of the Lee Collection team.

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1964 -1982 STANLEYS BRICKYARD

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YEARS OF R.S.PANELS

1982-2024

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14/03/2024 10:41

JAY LENO’S 1941 FIRE TRUCK

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RED&GOLD What’s the best classic bang for your buck?

A fire truck, says Jay Leno, especially when it has a V12 Words Mark Dixon Photography Evan Klein

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JAY LENO’S 1941 FIRE TRUCK

Left and right Narrow-angle V12 could easily be mistaken for a straight-six – until you notice the carburettors on both sides; Jay has given this old fire truck a new lease of life as a motorcycle transporter.

S

‘

o the guy who’s doing the pin-striping shows up with his box of paints, and a bottle of whiskey. He takes one swig and does a whole stripe in a single pass. Then he goes around and does the other side. I come back a few hours later and he’s passed out. When he wakes up, he goes home and then he comes back the next day to carry on.

But just look at the job he did! It’s incredible!’

You can’t walk past a single vehicle in Jay Leno’s garage without the man himself telling you a story about it – he knows every one intimately – and a bright-red fire engine, beautifully decorated with gold-leaf and (perfect) pinstriping, is a natural candidate. As Jay recalls with a grin: ‘I pulled up next to a Ferrari at a stop light, and there was a small boy crossing with his mother, and she pointed out the Ferrari and he went “Wow, a fire truck!”’

The story of how Jay discovered this 1941 American LaFrance fire truck is pretty remarkable, too. ‘When the truck had outlived its usefulness maybe 30 years ago, it was parked at the end of the runway at Burbank Airport as a kind of windbreak, to stop dirt and trash blowing across the runway. But then 9/11 happened and you weren’t allowed to have anything near a runway that people could hide behind. I saw it about to be hitched to a tow truck and said, “Where are you going with that thing?” “I’m taking it to the scrapyard.” “I’ll pay you double whatever the scrap value is!” It was nothing, a couple of hundred bucks. And it only had 11,000 miles on it!’

That price seems even more of a bargain when you learn that this ’40s truck is home to a 754ci (12.3-litre) 265bhp V12 petrol engine, which Jay reckons was the most powerful engine made in America at the time.

Originally designed as a smaller 391ci unit by Augie Duesenberg for Auburn and built by Lycoming, it’s a

narrow-angle, overhead-cam V12 that in appearance could easily be mistaken for a six. The truck was complete with all its fittings, too – normally the first things to disappear – although it was looking very sad, heavily weathered from exposure, and leaning down on one side.

‘It was like a dying Mastodon,’ Jay recalls.

This particular truck was bought new by Warner Brothers for use on its studio lot, and then passed to the City of Burbank before it in turn donated it to the airport.

Jay reckons it might well appear in the background of old Warner Bros movies. As he discovered while researching his new purchase, the 1941 American LaFrance was quite a significant truck in its day.

‘It was the first fire engine to be tested in a wind tunnel,’ he says, ‘with all the hoses and ladders and so on concealed on the inside. The Empire State Building and all these skyscrapers going up meant that American LaFrance marketed the V12 on the basis that something extremely powerful was needed to pump water, but they kind of shot themselves in the foot because it was so expensive to produce that most municipalities couldn’t afford it and would just buy a six-cylinder diesel instead.’

American LaFrance had a convoluted history. It was one of the USA’s oldest vehicle producers, dating back to 1873, when a certain Truxton Slocum LaFrance and his partners founded the LaFrance Manufacturing Company in New York to make fire-fighting equipment. In 1900 it amalgamated with several rival businesses to form the International Fire Engine Company, which in turn was renamed American LaFrance in 1903. Jay’s truck, incidentally, is badged ‘American LaFrance Foamite’, following ALF’s takeover of another company in 1927 that made a special fire-fighting chemical called Foamite.

ALF dominated the US emergency vehicle market for much of the 20th Century and was a pioneer of the cab-

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‘IT’S THE MOST PRACTICAL VEHICLE I OWN – AND YOU CAN USE IT AS A PARTY BUS, TOO’ JAY LENO

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JAY LENO’S 1941 FIRE TRUCK

forward fire truck design with its 1947 700-series. Octane readers who had particularly indulgent parents may remember receiving for Christmas or a birthday the impressive 1968 Corgi Major toy of ALF’s articulated aerial rescue truck, with a turntable ladder that pivoted from the tractor unit as it drove around corners. ALF’s career from the mid-1980s onwards was particularly turbulent and it filed for bankruptcy in 2008, citing problems with a new computer system – sounds familiar?

– before limping on until 2014, when its remaining assets were finally auctioned off.

Today, the LaFrance name is usually associated in the classic car world with grotesquely oversized replica speedsters, the kind favoured by Paris-Peking wannabes, which trade on the massive engines, huge ladder-frame chassis, square-spoke wooden wheels and dramatic external chain drive of ALF’s early fire trucks. While it’s true that ALF itself built a handful of cars in period, these were much less lorry-like than the faux speedsters, having shaft drive and lighter chassis and wheels.

Of course, the reason why it’s cost-effective to convert old ALF fire truck chassis into ‘vintage’ speedsters is that there’s a limit to what you can actually do with an old fire

engine, other than impressing small boys at pedestrian crossings. Which is why Jay’s 1941 truck has been sensitively converted into a motorcycle transporter, with an electric tail-lift that folds out. From the outside, it looks totally stock, but the back of the truck has been stripped of its water tank – ‘it weighed about a ton-and-ahalf,’ says Jay – and floored with chequer plate, while there are padded bench seats running along each side, fire hoses forming the back-rests.

‘It’s the most practical vehicle I own!’ Jay exclaims. ‘If we take it out and see a motorcyclist stuck at the side of the road, we’ll put the bike on and give them a ride home.

It’s a real thrill. And with those bench seats, you can use it as a party bus, too!’

The fire truck has another couple of clever mods. One is conventional enough: an electric overdrive unit made by well-known specialist Gear Vendors. The other is less familiar and more radical. The LaFrance has drum brakes all round, which can struggle to rein in a vehicle of this size and mass. So, halfway along the propshaft, Jay has installed a Telma electromagnetic retarder. A what?

Essentially, this compact device uses electrically generated magnetic fields to brake the drivetrain, and is

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controlled by a variable-position selector on the steering column that gradually increases braking from zero to full retardation in 25% increments. So, for example, if the truck’s going downhill and you want to maintain a steady 45mph, you move the selector to, say, position two and you don’t need to touch the foot brake at all. This also massively extends the life of the drum-brake linings.

Climb up into the fire truck’s cab and it’s reminiscent of a World War Two DUKW ‘Duck’ amphibious vehicle in that you’re sitting in something very large, very tall and with a similar sharply raked flat screen and swept-down side windows. It’s a very open driving position, presumably to aid the crew in positioning their truck below burning buildings, which makes you feel as though you’re commanding an armoured vehicle – no-one is going to mess with this truck!

There’s a massive four-spoke steering wheel and a simple bare-alloy dashboard, housing speedo, multisector dial for oil, water, amps and fuel, and a rev-counter that reads up to 3500rpm. The latter features a duplicate mileometer that’s labelled ‘motor miles’, which records the mileage equivalent covered by the V12 when it’s driving the hose pump – like the ‘motor hours’ featured on aircraft instruments – so that servicing intervals can be monitored. A small circular casting on the floor, marked ‘Pump Drive Down – Road Drive Up’, contains a hole for a push-pull selector, but that’s been discarded because, of course, the truck can no longer pump water.

I’m pretty relieved that Jay’s at the wheel as we head out of his garage to our photo location, because it’s clear

This page and opposite Despite years of dereliction, this truck was complete with all its fittings when it was rescued by Jay; steering requires muscle, but the driving position is superbly dominant.

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JAY LENO’S 1941 FIRE TRUCK

Right and below Given enough straight, the truck is capable of 80mph; cockpit is very workmanlike but now has a few modern extras to make living with the truck easier.

that driving the LaFrance takes a lot of concentration and a fair bit of effort. No power steering, of course, and the synchro-free gearchange is on the crunchy side, even for someone of Jay’s vast experience. It’s a four-speed ’box, plus the modern overdrive, and Jay reckons he’s had the truck up to 80mph on the freeway. Sooner him than me.

There may be a petrol V12 up front, but the aural experience is ‘full truck’ – no thoroughbred snarls or screams here, just the usual cacophony of gear whine, tyre noise and wind rush mostly obscuring the mutter of the massive engine. Parts for this unit are very hard to find now, so it was a relief for Jay and his ’shop chief Bernard to find out that, when they first checked the engine over on acquiring the abandoned truck, it was in perfect shape apart from some oil sludge in the sump. ‘We put fresh oil and gas in it, and it fired right up,’ says Jay. ‘These things were built to aircraft standards of quality, with four distributors and a huge radiator so they could idle for long periods. We haven’t had to put an auxiliary fan on it and it never runs hot.’

While manoeuvring this huge vehicle around corners and making sure it stops in time at junctions can be nerve-wracking, its bright red paint and massive bullnosed grille means that other drivers can’t fail to notice it.

But, should you find yourself getting frustrated by LA traffic, just step on a button to activate the siren, which is housed in a chromed pod atop the bonnet and fronted by a big red light. It makes that classic 1950s lazy, nasal riseand-fall wail familiar from a hundred B-movies, which still stirs subconscious memories in Angelenos and parts lesser vehicles like Moses in the Red Sea. Aside from its slab windscreen, this 1940s truck has a remarkably futuristic feel to it, its high belt-line terminating in projecting hose couplings that could almost be jet nozzles, while its huge wheels and long, lofty bonnet give the impression of a ’40s child’s diecast toy scaled up to an impossible size. And that’s appropriate because, intimidating both to drive and to look at, it’s one of those mammoth pieces of machinery that appeals to the little boy in all of us – whether that little boy is grown up and behind the wheel or gazing in wonder from a pedestrian crossing. As Jay knows, if you want to hose down a Ferrari, a fire truck is what you need. End 76

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THE O C TA N E INTERVIEW

Rupert Keegan A life in motorsport, from Formula 3 to Formula 1, via frustration with Sir John Surtees to turning down an offer from Paul Newman Words James Page Portraits Barry Hayden

This page Keegan, photographed at Anderstorp Raceway in 1977, during the Swedish Grand Prix weekend.

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MOTOR RACING HAS always done a good line in nicknames, but few are better-suited to their subject than ‘Muttley’ is to Rupert Keegan. It’s now well over 40 years since he was christened as such by the Hesketh team, but the mischievous laugh that he shares with Dick Dastardly’s canine companion is still very much intact. Despite the fact that he’s only just flown into the UK when we meet, he’s on excellent form as he looks back over a career that took him from precocious Formula 3 champion to Formula 1, Le Mans and Indianapolis.

Keegan admits with a smile that, even as a youngster, he was ‘a bit of a bad boy’. He was educated at King’s Ely – one of the oldest schools in the world, with a list of alumni that includes Edward the Confessor – and he and his friends would regularly sneak out after dark. In fact, he almost missed one of his exams when his motorbike broke down on the way back from a night out in Cambridge.

After being ‘thrown out of school for the last time’, Keegan needed to decide upon a career and told his father that he wanted to become an actor. Mike Keegan was ‘a bit of toughie’ who had flown Liberators in the Far East during the war. Along with James Barnby and Cyril Stevens, he founded the BKS airline, and later owned Transmeridian Air Cargo and British Air Ferries. Mike was distinctly unimpressed with the thought of his son being an actor and told him to think again.

Rupert’s uncle had done some racing, and he’d always been fascinated with that world. After watching Emerson Fittipaldi win the 1972 British Grand Prix, he was hooked and decided that here was his Plan B. RADA’s loss would be motorsport’s gain.

His first taste of a single-seater came via a Motor Racing Stables course at Brands Hatch, and he took to it straight away. People were soon telling Keegan Sr that they needed to start thinking about doing this properly, and there followed a meteoric rise through the ranks for the quick but initially crash-prone youngster. By 1976, however, there was car control to go with the undoubted speed, and he fought a year-long battle against Bruno Giacomelli for the British Formula 3 Championship. Giacomelli was in the works March 763, while Keegan started the season with an older 743. He won the first four races, but then his Italian rival started to get the upper hand.

‘I had Adrian Reynard – a great friend of mine – working with me,’ says Keegan. ‘He was coming up with all sorts of stuff – different wing profiles, different noses – so we managed to be competitive. In the meantime, Adrian had been designing his own Formula 3 car for Hawke. I drove it once and it wasn’t going to be

a world-beater. I probably gave up on it a bit too quickly, but it would have cost me the championship so I switched to a Chevron and started winning again.’

By the time they arrived for the final round at Thruxton, Keegan had a narrow points lead over Giacomelli and knew that, if he could hold on and win the title, there was a Hesketh Formula 1 drive waiting for him.

Giacomelli’s car was quicker around the fast airfield circuit and he duly lined up on pole position, with Conny Andersson alongside him and Keegan completing the three-car front row. Keegan knew that if Giacomelli beat him away, the Italian would disappear into the distance and the championship would be lost.

Considering what was at stake, it didn’t take a genius to work out what might happen. ‘I went to Conny and said, “I’m going into that first corner first, so I suggest you don’t be there!”’ Sure enough, there was, let’s say, a coming-together that accounted for both title contenders – plus a few others.

‘I was standing on the bank with Bruno and the drivers of all the other cars that I’d taken out, and Bruno came up to me. He was really angry.

He said, “I’ll get you next year in Formula 2.” I said, “No you won’t, Bruno – I’ve got a Formula 1 contract!” When I got back to the paddock, the first person to come up and congratulate me was [March cofounder] Robin Herd. He said, “If it was me, I’d have done exactly the same thing.”’

So, at the age of 22, Keegan made his Formula 1 debut in 1977 with Hesketh Racing. The team was still based at Lord Hesketh’s Easton Neston estate, near Silverstone, but was no longer the charismatic front-running force it had once been. There was, however, no shortage of talent working in the old stable block, from team manager Bubbles Horsley to engineers Nigel Stroud and Frank Dernie, who between them developed the new Hesketh 308E. ‘It was so much fun,’ says Keegan of that year. ‘All the guys were brilliant. We didn’t have the best car – it showed potential here and there, but it also had a few fragile parts.

The front suspension used to break and we had a couple of big accidents.’

He came within an ace of scoring a point in Austria before a late spin under pressure from the McLaren of Jochen Mass demoted him to seventh place. It was still a good result considering that he’d started the weekend by getting arrested…

‘I left the hotel in plenty of time, but got down to the main road and it was solid traffic. We were ten miles from the track and I thought there was no way I’d get there in time, so I just overtook all the traffic on the wrong side of the road. Of course, we went over this bridge and there’d

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

‘HESKETH WAS SO MUCH FUN, THOUGH WE DIDN’T HAVE THE BEST CAR – IT HAD A FEW FRAGILE PARTS’

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RUPERT KEEGAN INTERVIEW

‘THE POLICE WERE THERE AND TRIED TO STOP ME; I CARRIED ON, THEY CAUGHT ME AND TOOK ME TO THE COP SHOP’ MOTORSPORT IMAGES

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MOTORSPORT IMAGES MOTORSPORT IMAGES

been an accident. The police were there and tried to stop me; I carried on, they caught me and took me to the cop shop. Bubbles had to come down and bail me out.’

That was also the weekend on which Keegan was first approached by Colin Chapman. Lotus sponsor John Player & Sons wanted a British driver alongside Mario Andretti in 1978, and Keegan got as far as signing a contract before Chapman did a deal with Ronnie Peterson instead. Young ‘Rupe’ lost out and found a seat with Surtees, and does not remember the experience with great fondness.

‘It was difficult. Every Tuesday morning, you’d have to go down to Goodwood to test. You’d be fined if you didn’t get there on time, which was 8am or whatever, but you wouldn’t drive the car until after midday because John [Surtees] would drive it. He’d get in, soften the springs, take all the wings off, do this, do that. Eventually, I’d get in and it would be a piece of s***. You’d come into the pits and say, “It’s understeering – I want a bit more front wing” and John would say, “No – I think a little less rear wing.’ Whatever you said, it’d be the opposite.

‘It was not like Hesketh, where everybody worked together – I loved driving for Hesketh. At Surtees, Peter Briggs was the team manager. He was great, but he had to kowtow to what John said. John was a brilliant motorcyclist and racing driver, but he couldn’t accept that that was his time and this was another time.’

Keegan’s 1978 season ended prematurely when he badly injured his hand during the race-day warm-up for the Dutch Grand Prix, but the following year he regained some momentum by winning the Aurora AFX British Formula 1 Championship. That led to more outings at World Championship level, but by the end of 1982 his Grand Prix career was over. He switched his attention to sports cars, having previously turned down an approach from a famous name.

‘I’m sitting at home in London and the telephone goes.

“Can I speak to Rupert Keegan?” Yeah. “Hi, this is Paul Newman.” I said, “F*** off.” He said, “No, I promise you this is Paul Newman.” Yeah, yeah, yeah. He says, “I’ll tell you what – this is my telephone number, call me back and speak to my assistant. Her name’s Maggie Smith.” I said, “Oh, come on…”

‘Anyway, I called the number back and it was Paul. He wanted me to drive for him in Can-Am. It was near the start of my Formula 1 career, so as much as it was an honour to chat with him and possibly be employed by him, I turned him down.’

Keegan went on to race a Lola T610 with Guy Edwards in 1982, and the following year they finished fifth at Le Mans in a John Fitzpatrick Porsche 956 – an altogether different proposition to the ungainly and unreliable Lola.

‘You’d leave the pits and get out onto the Mulsanne Straight. We’d get to the kink doing 230mph – you’d go up the hill, over the brow and turn-in. In the Lola, you’d be thinking, “Oooh”, but the Porsche just went straight through, even on my very first out-lap. It was terrific – the best racing car I ever drove.’

Clockwise, from top left Monaco, 1977, in the Hesketh 308E Ford; 1977 Belgian GP, Keegan on right with Hesketh team manager Bubbles Horsley, centre; Keegan in white overalls with the Surtees TS20, Surtees himself far left, at Anderstorp, Sweden, 1978; today, London, in conversational mood with James Page.

By the mid-1980s, Keegan’s friend Emerson Fittipaldi had started a new life in Indycar racing and encouraged him to give it a try. In 1986 he entered the Indianapolis 500 and went through the ‘month of May’ build-up, including the rookie tests, but didn’t start the race itself.

‘I was in a March-Buick and there was a rear suspension problem – it kept breaking. March did a fix for it, but the team I was driving for didn’t do the fix.

When you’re turning left at over 200mph, you want to be pretty sure that the rear suspension is going to hold up. It got to the point where Mario Andretti came up to me and said, “Rupe – if you get in that car one more time, you’re a bigger **** than I thought you were.” So I walked away from it.’

That pretty much spelled the end of Keegan’s full-time racing career, although he did a few GT races in 1995 and 81

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RUPERT KEEGAN INTERVIEW

Above, left and right Lord Hesketh (far left), Keegan in the Penthouse Rizla Racing Hesketh 308E, and assorted Penthouse Pets, in March 1977; post-interview in London.

returned to Le Mans that year in a Lister Storm. Maybe his talent deserved more in the way of results but, by the standards of the time, he was very young when he got into Formula 1 and had the added pressure of being one of the first drivers to be labelled the ‘next James Hunt’.

What’s not in doubt is that he had a lot of fun along the way. Ask him a question about any part of his career and there’s a very good chance he’ll start his reply with, ‘Actually, that’s a funny story…’

Take, for example, the winter he spent in South Africa after winning the Formula 3 Championship, racing in the Springbok series alongside the likes of Gilles Villeneuve and Ian Scheckter. Their adventures included getting asked for autographs while stark naked on a nudist beach, being banned by Avis for destroying hire cars, and spinning their road car ‘into the boondocks’ when Villeneuve yanked on the handbrake as Keegan turned into a corner at 80mph.

Or consider the fact that, when he made his Formula 1 debut, Keegan was 22 years old, very good-looking, and

driving for a team that was sponsored by Penthouse magazine. It’s little wonder that he made the most of the opportunities that came his way – Frank Dernie has said that, until Keegan had found some female company for the weekend, it was difficult to get him to concentrate on discussions about gear ratios and the like.

‘I don’t know much about him,’ said a straight-faced Jackie Stewart at the time, ‘but I’ve been hearing tremendous reports about some of his performances.

Of course, he does also go motor racing.’

The man himself admits that he was ‘the luckiest guy in the world – I was paid to go out on the town and be seen with beautiful women. And I must say that I did enjoy myself ’.

So, while it may not have been his first choice of career – and losing out on the Lotus seat remains a tantalising ‘what if ’ – life as a racing driver turned out pretty well for this affable, entertaining character. As he heads back out onto the bustling London streets, there is much for ‘Muttley’ to smile about. End

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PONTIAC TEMPEST

Back to a different future Pontiac’s Tempest was packed with improbable engineering and ingenious bodgery from a young John DeLorean. Sam Glover drives an early survivor Photography Richard Dredge

THE PONTIAC TEMPEST was a product of General Motors’ post-war ‘anything goes’ period. These halcyon years of designer-led innovation and iconoclastic engineering brought us the plasticbodied 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, the fuel-injected 1957 Pontiac Bonneville, the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham with Citroën DSinspired pneumatic suspension, and the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair with its unitary construction and air-cooled rear-mounted flat-six engine.

It gave birth to the world’s first two turbocharged production cars – the 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire and Corvair Monza Spyder – and climaxed with the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, which had a 7.0-litre V8 driving its front wheels via a Hy-Vo chain. The 1961 Pontiac Tempest was the dark horse of this bunch. Its unassuming Eisenhower-cool body cloaked what was possibly GM’s weirdest ever drivetrain: a 3.2-litre slant-four engine at the front, a transaxle at the rear, and a curved torsion bar ‘rope drive’ connecting the two.

Pontiac enjoyed a renaissance in the late 1950s. The marque occupied a narrow ledge in GM’s hierarchy, above Chevrolet but below Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac. It’d ticked over post-war by building competent but unstimulating cars for the elderly and unadventurous. A step-change came in 1956 when 43-year-old Semon ‘Bunkie’ Knudsen was appointed division manager. He recruited Oldsmobile’s 40-year-old Elliot ‘Pete’ Estes as chief engineer and Packard’s 31-year-old John Zachary DeLorean as head of a new 84

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department titled ‘Advanced Engineering’. Estes went on to become president of GM; DeLorean would make it as far as vice president before stomping off to establish the DeLorean Motor Company.

As DeLorean suggested in a 1979 biography, Knudsen’s turnaround was swift and effective. ‘The Pontiac was a solid, reliable and sturdy car that evoked no discernible emotion one way or the other.

Knudsen told us that this was a good situation because we would not have to combat a negative image before building a new one. We could choose where we wanted to be in the market by being daring, innovative and by taking chances. The image he would build for Pontiac was that of a youthful, exciting and fast-moving car.’ Pontiac was soon dominating stock car racing and producing some of GM’s most dynamic and desirable models, epitomised by the dashing ‘wide track’ range of 1959.

Meanwhile, the US market was evolving. The nuclear family wanted two cars on its suburban driveway. Changing fashions and the Eisenhower Recession of 1958 caused many to shun the excesses of the gas-guzzling land-yachts dubbed ‘Detroit dinosaurs’ by AMC chairman George Romney. Almost all manufacturers launched programmes to develop all-American ‘compacts’ to compete with European imports and, of course, with each other. GM’s solution, the

Chevrolet Corvair, was the most radical – and led to a managerial stand-off. GM’s top brass wanted to recoup costs by rolling out the platform to Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick, even building prototypes badged Pontiac Polaris and Oldsmobile Sixty-Six. Yet those divisions were proudly autonomous, and they baulked at being handed a leftfield design with minimal development potential. Knudsen explained in 1994: ‘The Corvair is a rear-engined, air-cooled car. How do I make it different? There’s no grille to be restyled and the engine can’t be exchanged for a Pontiac powerplant – so how do I justify the extra $500 to $1000 to sell it with a Pontiac nameplate?’

A compromise was reached with Oldsmobile and Buick. They would get their own version of the Corvair’s unitary body, produced

by GM’s in-house coachbuilder, Fisher. This new ‘Y-body’ gained 102mm in wheelbase and was adapted to accept a water-cooled engine at the front, a traditional propshaft and a live rear axle. Pontiac, though, would remain lumbered with the Corvair body and drivetrain. A rear-engined design progressed as far as a full-size clay model. Though its Space Age styling was not unattractive, it illustrated Knudsen’s point that the car’s fundamental Corvairness was impossible to hide. GM was not unsympathetic to the problem, but made clear that no corporate money would be made available for

‘DeLorean’s powerplant was an inspired piece of bodgery that gave unexpectedly adequate performance’

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an alternative solution. Happily, Pontiac had a limited development budget of its own. Enter John DeLorean and Advanced Engineering.

DeLorean ditched the Corvair platform and set to work on ‘Pontiac-ising’ the Y-body. The first problem was that Pontiac didn’t have a suitable engine for a compact, nor enough money to produce one from scratch. The cost of the 3.5-litre all-aluminium ‘Rover’ V8 that would power the Oldsmobile and Buick was too high for a car that needed to undercut its glitzier brethren, though Pontiac would end up begrudgingly offering it as an option.

DeLorean’s solution was an inspired piece of bodgery. Powertrain engineer Malcolm ‘Mac’ McKellar adapted Pontiac’s proven 6.4-litre cast iron V8 with large holes in its left bank of pistons and the corresponding valvegear disabled. It gave unexpectedly adequate performance when installed in a standard Pontiac. Prototype engines followed with their left banks hacked off and new camshafts and crankshafts. These exhibited increased levels of adequacy.

The production engine shared a remarkable number of components with the V8, including its cylinder head, exhaust manifold, valvegear, pistons, con-rods, main bearings, timing chain and sprockets, oil pump, sump, spark-plugs, dipstick and a smattering of minor parts.

The water pump, fuel pump, distributor, dynamo, starter motor and crank pulley had only minor differences. The only significant all-new components were the crankshaft, camshaft, inlet manifold, timing chain tensioner and cooling fan. The block was a different casting, but

Clockwise, from opposite Clean lines for Pontiac’s 1961 compact despite tortured design development; simplicity rules inside; slant-four is quite literally half a 90º V8.

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GM HERITAGE CENTER

PONTIAC TEMPEST

1961 Pontiac Tempest Engine 3186cc OHV slant-four, Rochester carburettor Power 132bhp @ 4400rpm Torque 195lb ft @ 2200rpm Transmission Two-speed automatic transaxle, rear-wheel drive Steering Recirculating ball Suspension Front: double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers.

Rear: swing axles, coil springs, telescopic dampers Brakes Drums Weight 1320kg Top speed 99mph 0-60mph 14.3sec

Above and right Period cutaway illustrates the Tempest’s unconventional engineering approach; styling model displays obvious Corvair origins – which the production version moved away from.

it was similar enough to be machined on the V8 production line. The resulting ‘Trophy 4’ engine was gutsy but heavy and gyratory, with horizontal and vertical motion caused by the 45º angle of its pistons.

DeLorean had experimented with transaxles and torsion-bar driveshafts on senior Pontiacs, and the Corvair offered a choice of manual and automatic transaxles, with coil-sprung swing-axle suspension that could be transferred to the Y-body. Connecting the transaxle and engine was DeLorean’s magnum opus: the ‘rope drive’.

This was a 2.2-metre long forged steel shaft running inside a pressed steel tube, with rigid connections at each end and two rubber-isolated ball-bearings along its length. The shaft could be surprisingly slender – 16.5mm on automatics, 19.1mm on manuals – as it ran at engine speed, with torque multiplication occurring further down the line in the transaxle. It was able to twist up to 30º under torque. This helped to dampen the engine’s lumpiness, but could lead to unwelcome ‘snatch’ in manual cars if they were driven clumsily.

The engine and transaxle were tilted towards each other at 11º and the shaft’s casing formed a gentle arc, its centre 75mm lower than its ends. The uniform stress the curvature placed on the shaft eliminated harmonic vibrations, which DeLorean had found to be a problem in earlier tests. As a bonus, it reduced the shaft’s infringement on interior space. This, and the fact that the leaping around of an exposed propshaft and live axle didn’t need to be accommodated, meant that the Tempest’s floor could be flatter than that of the other Y-body cars.

The ‘rope drive’ was intensively tested and proved to be extremely reliable. ‘Because we realised it was critical, it probably received more attention in manufacturing and quality than any other part of the car,’ recalled development engineer William Collins in 1979.

The TempesTorque two-speed automatic transaxle was a clever redevelopment of the Corvair’s Powerglide. It featured three concentric shafts running one inside the other, all turning in the same direction but at different speeds. The innermost shaft ran front-torear, connecting the driveshaft to the impeller of the torque converter, which protruded from the back of the transaxle. The next shaft out ran rear-to-front, connecting the turbine of the torque converter to the planetary gear set. The outer shaft ran front-to-middle, connecting the gear set to the crownwheel of the final drive. There was also a mechanical link between the input shaft and the gear set in top gear, allowing around 40% of torque to bypass the torque converter for more economical cruising.

The optional three-speed manual transaxle was also an adaptation of the Corvair’s, with closer gear ratios and the input relocated from

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‘As a car designed for easy motoring in the USA’s expanding suburbia, it’s impossible to fault’ the rear to the front. The gearchange was floor-mounted and the clutch was conventionally located in a bellhousing behind the engine, both of which impinged on front legroom.

Steel subframes carried the swing-axle suspension at the rear and an unequal-length double-wishbone set-up borrowed from senior Pontiacs at the front. The drivetrain was supported on two very soft rubber mounts at each end, allowing the imbalanced engine to rock around to its heart’s content with minimal shock transmission to the body. All this formed a pseudo-chassis when bolted together, which allowed the Tempest to be assembled on the same ‘body drop’ production line as its larger body-on-frame siblings. The wheels were 15in and shod with crossplies; steering was by a Saginaw recirculatingball box, with a slow 5.5 turns lock-to-lock and optional powerassistance. Weight distribution was 52.3:47.7% front:rear with the Trophy 4 engine, or 49.4:50.6% with the lighter V8.

Being late to the Y-body party, Pontiac’s styling input was limited.

The body and doors were shared with the Oldsmobile F-85 and the

Buick Special. Luckily, the body was sharp, modern and attractively proportioned, particularly in the four- and five-door forms that’d initially be the sole Tempest configurations. Styling director Jack Humbert made a fine job of extending the doors’ contours fore-andaft and grafting on the split-grille face that Pontiac had then recently adopted as its trademark. The result was the prettiest of the three Y-body cars, its unfussy lines and tasteful lack of adornment imbuing some poise and elegance that its gaudier stablemates lacked. The theme continued inside the minimalist, glassy and spacious cabin, its twin bench seats clad in colour-matched combinations of funky synthetic fabrics and metallic ‘Morrokide’ vinyl.

Pontiac dealerships took their first deliveries in October 1960, the Tempest replacing the Vauxhall Victor – an unpopular compact stopgap – on their forecourts. The Trophy 4 engine launched with a confusing combination of optional compression ratios, camshafts and carburettors, with power ranging from 110hp to 155hp. The Buick V8 also produced 155hp. Ticking the top-spec Trophy 4 box, 89

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PONTIAC TEMPEST

however, would cost the buyer an extra $39, while ticking the V8 box would set them back $261. Inevitably, therefore, the V8 accounted for less than 2% of sales.

The automatic 130hp Trophy 4 sedan in our photographs is owned

by Corvair specialist Larry Claypool. While it has a few ergonomic departures from its original specification – its front bucket seats are borrowed from a Cadillac Eldorado – it’s mechanically original and probably one of the best-fettled examples around. From the driver’s seat, its ease of operation is striking. The controls consist of two pedals, a steering wheel, a handbrake, an ignition switch and a tiny lever on the dashboard that puts the TempesTorque into R, N, D or L. The engine has enough grunt and punch to pull smoothly across a wide rev-range, so you rarely feel short-changed with only two gears.

The supple mountings give little indication of the engine’s intrinsic imbalance or of there being anything weird about the drivetrain, although occasional combinations of road speed and throttle position can set up tell-tale resonant vibrations. The ride is soft, vision out is excellent and the steering, though unassisted, is light. It drives like a grown-up Chevrolet Corvair, cruising comfortably at speeds up to – and probably beyond – 80mph. As a car designed for easy motoring in the USA’s expanding suburbia, it’s impossible to fault.

The Corvair comparison similarity extends to the handling, which is unsurprising as it features the same rear suspension that got Ralph Nader so excited in Unsafe at Any Speed. The rear is certainly on the

loose side, but the car is stable, grippy and pointy. Like the Corvair, it’s possible to get the rear wheels to some really weird angles when cornering hard, but there’s no feeling of anything untoward happening from behind the steering wheel. I think it’s brilliant, even if the slowness of the steering calls for a frantic flailing of elbows when the rear starts to break away.

I do concede, however, that my own predilections do not necessarily represent those of the 1960s American proletariat, who were accustomed to cars that exhibited galloping understeer under duress. Period reviews of the handling varied from glowing to damning, but Motor Trend hit the nail on the head with: ‘The average American driver will notice as much difference in driving the Tempest as he would in driving a radically engineered import.’

The Tempest sold in solid but unspectacular numbers, totalling 375,466 over three years. Like the Corvair, it rapidly gained power and sportiness as its concept veered towards the burgeoning ‘pony car’ market. A coupé came in late 1961; a cabriolet in 1962; revised rear suspension and a 5.3-litre cast-iron V8 in 1963. The second generation that arrived in 1964 was bigger, uglier and completely conventional, with a Système Panhard drivetrain and body-on-frame construction. The rope drive, slant-four engine and rear transaxle ultimately proved to be design cul-de-sacs. As an audacious piece of alternative engineering that also happens to be good fun to drive, however, the Tempest deserves to be remembered fondly. End

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JAGUAR C-X75 ROAD CAR

NINTH LIFE This Jaguar C-X75 began life as a stunt car for a James Bond movie. And now, uniquely, it’s escaped into the real world Words Nathan Chadwick Photography Digital Speed

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JAGUAR C-X75 ROAD CAR

JAGUAR

‘THE LAST TIME I saw the car in motion was in Burbank, California, with Jay Leno driving it,’ remembers Ian Callum, designer of the Jaguar C-X75. ‘So for the next time to see one driving, moving around an industrial estate in Warwick, was quite surreal.’

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the C-X75: what began as a prospective technical showcase ended up being another unfulfilled hypercar prototype footnote, before finding immortality as a villain’s car in a James Bond film. After celluloid infamy, the remaining stunt cars were sold off on the proviso they couldn’t be driven on the road – yet here we are, watching the sunlight glint off not only an extensively freshened-up C-X75 (Chassis 7) but also the public road it’s legally allowed to drive on.

Perhaps fittingly, it returned to the care of its designer, through the design and engineering consultancy he co-founded, CALLUM. ‘It all began around a year ago,’ says Ian. ‘We were delighted a customer of ours managed to find it and wanted to bring it to life – it was never meant to be anything other than a concept car.’

CALLUM has form for converting lowvolume, supposedly ‘track only’ continuation cars into roadgoing vehicles, but those have largely been road-ready cars in all but name.

This project was very different. For starters, when the C-X75 broke cover at Geneva in

2011 it employed two Bladon Jets gas turbines as range extenders to YASA electric motors at each wheel, for a range of 559 miles, 780hp and a tectonic plate-shifting 1180lb ft of torque in return for just 28g/km of carbon dioxide.

‘It was all theoretical, but it did drive via an electric motor – that was as far as it went,’ Ian admits. ‘That set-up gave us designers the opportunity to shape it any way we wanted, rather than be driven by other elements, such as internal combustion engines or motors. It was an indulgence of shape and style.’

Sadly, it was an indulgence too far for Jaguar’s management, still feeling the bruises of the worldwide recession stemming from the 2008 credit crunch. That’s a bitter disappointment because, although the project began as a one-off, the reaction from the public at Geneva had galvanised Jaguar’s suits. ‘The powers that be, especially at the Tata end, said “We gotta build this,”’ remembers Ian. ‘We were going to build 200 cars, so I thought I was at least going to see one in my lifetime. Then the market died before the car was finished.

Somebody described it as potentially another Jaguar XJ220 moment, 20 years on.’

Ian was understandably disappointed, but he says he’s grown to live with it. ‘Your heart gets broken occasionally and you just move on, don’t you? There are so many things that you

‘Here we are, watching the sunlight glint off not only the C-X75 but also the public road it’s legally allowed to drive on’

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ALAMY

create that end up changing hugely or don’t happen – but in this case I understood why it didn’t happen; the timing was all wrong.’

The project was officially cancelled in 2013, though work continued on four prototypes to develop ideas for the I-Pace, with a hybrid/ four-cylinder turbocharged and supercharged drivetrain. All four were retained by Jaguar.

However, when James Bond knocks on the door, for manufacturers the answer is generally yes. As was the case with Jaguar, which commissioned Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) to build six C-X75s for Spectre, the 24th James Bond film, with Jaguar’s fully developed hybrid concept used for static shots. Built around a steel spaceframe with an aluminium floor and a carbonfibre body, the new stunt cars’ power came from a dry-sumped supercharged V8 from the F-type.

‘Hats off to the engineers that worked on it, both the original prototype and the film cars.

They made it work,’ Ian says. ‘For the film, the structure was redesigned for a V8 with a transaxle. Because it was designed as a film car, it had fairly massive dynamics to go through.’

Adam Donfrancesco, CALLUM’s cofounder and director of engineering, was the man charged with bringing Chassis 7 to the road, and illustrates that point even further.

Though aware of the C-X75 project during

SONY/EON PRODUCTIONS

Clockwise, from far left C-X75’s Geneva launch, 2011; Ian Callum with the original concept car; six stunt cars were built to appear in Spectre; each stunt car fulfilled a specific filming task.

ALAMY

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JAGUAR C-X75 ROAD CAR

a previous time at Jaguar Land Rover, he was taken aback by just how strong the car was. ‘It’s got a 70mm-diameter tubular frame and a 6mm aluminium plate floor. To put that in perspective, a normal supercar has a 2mm aluminium plate floor,’ he laughs, in total admiration for the work WAE did on the car in a very short period. The decision to go ahead with the Bond project was fairly last-minute.

Four of the five V8 cars survived filming and, after Spectre’s production was wrapped up, were sold off. Fast-forward to 2022 and British dealer Kaaimans International, based near Nottingham, acquired stunt car Chassis 7 for sale. It soon found a new owner, who brought a fresh mission: to get the car registered for the road. The new owner briefed CALLUM to keep the car as close to the stunt car specification as possible, but improve usability.

‘We were all delighted to do it; it was saving a piece of history,’ Ian says. ‘It was great to see it again, rolling into our studio – it reminded me just how good it was. After working hard during the filming, it was a bit untidy, though…’

While the C-X75 had survived filming fairly intact, the stresses and strains had taken their

toll on a car already built only for short, sharp action shots; the stunt cars were a long way from being manicured and showroom-ready.

‘They were never meant to be beautiful in terms of detailing,’ Ian says. ‘Film cars tend to be rough and ready – they go past the camera at 60mph; the “beauty” car [for static and interior shots] was an original prototype from Jaguar.’

Adam elaborates: ‘This was a film prop so a lot of the vehicle had been cut and shut, with harnesses chopped around here and there, plus lots of plugs not going anywhere – however, these are all part of the car’s provenance and expected of a working film vehicle. For road use, it needed some finessing and tidying – the body panels didn’t line up, and you could see daylight through some areas.’

Among the stranger features were mounting holes on the roof for camera gimbals, which were bolted on. ‘In some cases the drivers sat on the roof,’ Adam says. ‘So there were elements inside the car where you wouldn’t want your head swinging around, catching yourself on nuts and bolts welded to the frame.’

Several carbon body parts were replaced, some due to wear and tear, others for more

detail and a higher quality of weave and fitment.

However, though tidying up the body was a relatively simple process, getting it to a stage where it could be used regularly by someone other than a stunt driver at seemingly physicsdefying yaw angles would be less easy.

During initial shakedowns at Turweston Airfield, near Silverstone, the dynamics were deemed to be good, perhaps unsurprisingly for a car designed to be flung around Rome at high speed. ‘It handles much better than you might expect from a prototype. From a damping perspective it’s fairly supple,’ Adam says.

However, the Ricardo-built GT3 racespecification centre-mounted clutch made for early headaches. ‘It was difficult to master the clutch; we’d go through a clutch plate in about half-an-hour of gentle driving.’

Adam explains that the clutch stack height was incorrect, which meant the clutch pack wasn’t able to wear properly. With help from AP Racing, plus dimensional analysis of the flywheel, modifications were made to provide more clutch load. ‘It’s a little bit more progressive,’ Adam smiles. ‘You can do 6000km with it now.’

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‘While the C-X75 had survived filming intact, the stresses had taken their toll on a car built only for short, sharp action shots’ Below C-X75 certainly possesses an arresting shape – but, as Ian Callum says, a car needs to be seen in its natural environment in order for the design to work as intended.

An even bigger challenge came via the fuel tank, which on the original stunt car was made up of two separate ten-litre rotary-moulded FIA-specification tanks, usually found in single-seater racing cars. ‘Obviously you’re not going to get very far with those, from a road car perspective,’ laughs Adam.

Using a process of reverse engineering, the single fuel tank now measures 55 litres, and is positioned between the cabin and the engine. ‘We had to steal some “packaging” from various areas to get the tank in, such as moving the pneumatic pump for the transmission, the intake runs from the filters, and we nibbled into the cabin a little to create some more volume.’

In essence, the fuel tank is two main volumes joined together, which required careful thought with regard to surge protection and level readings, but also weight packaging. ‘We changed the fuel tank fundamentally, from an easily surge-proof small box with foam inserts inside, to a bigger-volume tank, in effect two units with a link pipe. We had to understand and manage the fuel supply, pressure and flow,’ Adam explains.

‘We needed to work out the effect of the changes dynamically, so we took the car out and tested it in figure-of-eight for sustained cornering, to see what the fuel flow is like from one side to the other. Then we looked to see if the calibration for the fuel system is correct, whether it’s over-fuelling and what the reserve is like when it’s empty, and what happens when you over-fill.’

A rigorous test programme followed on track to validate the work, trying to wrap up several areas of the car’s build into as few sessions as possible. ‘A lot of the static stuff we can do inhouse, such as the headlights – and the emissions, which were the hardest part of this project,’ Adam says. ‘We had fundamental targets to hit, which is a combination of calibration and catalyst technology. We spoke to our supplier and it specced us up some three-way catalysts, engineered them into the exhaust system and we developed it from there.

It’s a balancing act; you obviously want to reduce carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, but not run it too lean.

‘Then you have to combine all that with the noise targets, and while fitting catalysts helps

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JAGUAR C-X75 ROAD CAR

This page and opposite Much work went into making the doors function, though the owner stipulated that he wanted the car’s prototype nature within to remain intact.

with that, too, we had to redesign the muffler and the exhaust system’s internals,’ says Adam, though he admits it’s certainly not quiet. ‘It’s basically still a very early prototype in terms of NVH [noise, vibration and harshness] attributes – it’s like driving a race car on the road. You really feel the performance [around 500bhp], and it’s got a lovely supercharger whine.’

The process of IVA registration didn’t alter the overall looks of the car, something Adam believes is testament to Ian’s original concept.

‘The visibility angles, and certainly some of the lighting positions, definitely benefited from going through studio engineering, and a greater depth of engineering overall,’ Adam says.

‘They’re the fundamentals of form, and the bits that are very difficult to change – if you can’t get the headlamps or mirrors in the right position, it’s a struggle to work around those things.’

Ian adds: ‘When you’re designing cars, you have a subconscious notion of what is going to be legal and what isn’t. When the car went into the next level of pre-production with intent to build, the engineering teams at Jaguar and WAE were briefed not to change the shape. For the first time in my life, we created something that had no reference to reality whatsoever, yet the demand of the engineers was not to change anything – a totally unique situation.’

Nevertheless, while the overall package was ready to go, the details required plenty of work. ‘Wing mirrors were driven by the IVA requirements, but we went further in terms of making them electrically adjustable,’ Adam says. ‘On the stunt cars they were a high-density foam, which was then painted and stuck on.’

Even getting in and out of the car needed careful thought. ‘No discredit to the person who made the hinges, because he or she did it in a ridiculous timeframe, but you could literally pick up the door and waggle it around,’ Adam laughs. ‘The amount of compliance in the door meant that you would be bouncing off bits above and below the striker, because the stiffnesses in the door hinge and the door itself were never intended for use in a road car.’

Just strengthening the hinge wasn’t the answer, however. ‘The door then started to flex, so we needed to reinforce it – that involved making carbon laminate inside the door, pinning the doorframe to the door bar, and so on,’ Adam adds. ‘I wouldn’t have liked to try to close the original door in any event – you’d have needed someone to help you from the outside.’

The windscreen was also a major source of pain: the stunt cars were fitted with Perspex or a type of glass more for show than road safety.

‘We had to tool up for a windscreen – we needed only two, but the minimum order was 30, so we’ve got plenty of spares,’ Adam says. ‘We also fitted a de-mist system, and a programmable one-blade Bosch wiper.’

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JAGUAR C-X75 ROAD CAR

The owner didn’t want to stray too far from the prototype nature of the car’s interior, but there were plenty of bungs, lamps, fog lights and instrumentation and myriad small bits that added up to a whole pile of engineering tasks, as well as items such as numberplates, a horn and all the small but essential items to get a car on the road. Along the way, Adam got to witness interesting and innovative use of the Jaguar parts bin, and, in the case of the electric power steering system, from outside it.

‘It’s from a Citroën C1, which is impressive given that the C-X75 is not the lightest car and it’s got some big tyres on it – the steering is lovely,’ Adam says. The dampers, meanwhile, were sourced from a 997-era Porsche 911 rally car. ‘They have an enormous amount of droop travel – if you jack the car up, the tyres aren’t leaving the ground.’

That level of rugged build brings us back to the car’s construction, and a somewhat porky kerbweight. ‘It was set up to be super-safe in the event of someone doing a ridiculous stunt with it, and that comes with weight – I think it’s about 1600kg, and we took 50kg out of it,’ Adam says, indicating that there is further lightweighting to be done. ‘A lot of that lies in the core of the chassis; a chassis of that type should weigh around 150kg, but the C-X75 is

probably twice that. It is lovely, though; WAE did a great job – the underpinnings are so solid you could probably do the Dakar Rally in it.’

Though further developments in the project have been hinted at, for now it’s a case of driving it. ‘It’s got the bones of a really good car, and that’s down to the chassis set-up,’ Adam says. ‘It changes direction really nicely. But from a true road car perspective, it’s lacking a few conveniences – you can’t run down the side windows, they’re bonded in a frame like a GT3 racing car’s…’

We’re promised more details on what phase two of the project could entail at a later date, with the owner keen to develop the car further.

However, the process so far has given its creator a chance to reflect on a design that’s now more than a decade old yet seemingly hasn’t dated.

‘The most important thing about any car is the silhouette,’ Ian says. ‘The window graphic is very important to me, it always is, and so is the stance; but all these things were in a world of freedom that we’d made ourselves – individual parts were not difficult to do. The proportions are, because you have to get them right – and I think we truly made a car of beautiful proportions. If you asked me to design the car again, I doubt the proportions would change very much, if at all.’

Since the project has come to light, CALLUM has had tentative enquiries from other C-X75 prototype owners, and it all leads to the big question: would CALLUM be willing to produce a limited production run?

‘That’s not really occurred to me, but why not?’

Ian muses. ‘If it was exactly as the car is today, probably yes – but that would be very much down to Jaguar, all we could do is put in a request. We know the car intimately, and CALLUM could engineer it beyond the requirements that were set for the film, resulting in a thrilling road car.’

However the project develops from here, Ian’s simply delighted it was undertaken.

‘It deserved to happen – I really believe that cars don’t have any value until you see them outside, in their natural environment, so to see it coming down the road towards me was an astonishing sight,’ Ian says. ‘It just brings back so many memories of a great time. I hope to take it out myself some time, drive down the A46 and maybe past the JLR HQ in Whitley with a satisfying wave.’ End THANKS TO the owner and to Kaaimans International (kaaimans.com), plus CALLUM (callumdesigns.com).

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ROAD TO HANOI MARATHON

Rally newcomers Peter and Louise Morton won an epic South-East Asian adventure in a hitherto unsung historic rally car, a 1972 Rover P6 3500 Words James Elliott Photography Gerard Brown / Rally the Globe

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am a terrible driver!’ says Peter ‘Morty’ Morton, before a wince of regret flashes across his face. Not regret for his assessment of his abilities as a wheelman, but the remorse of a man who has spoken to the press enough to know that such a lighthearted comment will definitely be the opening to this story. He was right!

Morty cannot be a terrible driver, though, having recently secured his maiden longdistance rally victory on Rally the Globe’s Road to Hanoi Marathon, a four-week dash around the spectacular Indochina Peninsula from 27 January to 23 February. Though you could perhaps McRae your way through a couple of special stages and get away with it in a fortes fortuna adiuvat manner, over that sort of distance destiny will overcome providence every time. Besides, Morty is already known to be pretty useful behind the wheel, albeit a rather larger-diameter one. His sailing CV is as long as an anchor chain, but a handful of the highlights are six times World Champion in different classes, part of the Admiral’s Cup British team seven times, winning the Admiral’s Cup in 1989, 12 Fastnet Races, two wins.

His rally co-pilot is wife Louise, barely less accomplished on water, having campaigned a Quarter Tonner with an all-girl crew and won the Quarter Ton Cup three times, raced offshore in two transatlantic races, three Fastnets and the China Sea Race. She’s also run the J Class Association for ten years. Sounds like perfect co-driver material. Of course, none of this guarantees success. Are such skills even transferable; how well would the pair work together when on water they compete against each other internationally in the 5.5m Class?

Morty explains: ‘We’d seen a series on TV with Noel Edmonds and Martin Kemp [Eight Go Rallying – The Road to Saigon], and not long after we were in New York for the America’s Cup and met someone who had just done the East African Safari Classic Rally and we were so intrugued that we signed up for the HEROERA Silver Fern rally in New Zealand in 2020.

‘We had a Porsche 912 built for New Zealand, but I didn’t quite realise the difference between getting a car restored and getting it rally-prepared so it just wasn’t suitable. We rented a BMW 2002 that served us so well we bought one. It’s perfect for short rallies, but less so for longer events, so we needed another car.’

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‘The Rover is relatively light, comfortable, with four-wheel discs and a tunable engine – but I look like a solicitor heading for his office’ Clockwise, from above left The Mortons at work in their Rover 3500, encountering local traffic, and at rest on a day off; Tony Rowe and Mark Delling’s Ford V8; new tyre for Richard Everingham and Judy Becker’s Bentley; Nigel and Sally Woof hustle their Volvo PV544.

Indeed, another thing that interested Octane – apart from how patient their dog-sitter must be, what with the Mortons being away from their Cowes home eight months of the year either sailing or rallying – was their choice of car. After all, despite the model’s suitability on paper, the Rover P6 never made that big a splash in rallying. It is not as if P6s were competition-averse in period, it’s just that they were more inconspicuous than you would have expected, especially those equipped with the Buick-derived 3528cc V8 available from 1968.

The first winner of the European Car of the Year award should have been light-years ahead of its chief rival from Triumph, thanks to discs all round, de Dion rear axle and DS-style construction, wing-tip pointers and safety measures, yet the latter left the bigger mark.

‘I like to be a bit different and am very patriotic and my father was a great Rover man who had a 3500 that I adored,’ says Morty. ‘So I suggested it to Owen Turner of Complete Rally Services in Suffolk, who I had got to know rather too well in New Zealand because of all the Porsche problems, and he said “Not in a 105

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million years, forget it!” But then he researched them and decided it wasn’t such a bad idea: it’s relatively light for its size, comfortable, fourwheel disc brakes and a very tunable engine.’

A car was found, stripped to the bare chassis, potential weak spots strengthened, the engine rebuilt and heavily modified and the gearbox and rear axle upgraded. It’s got a roll-cage and the other safety equipment, too, but, as Morty says: ‘Wherever I am in the world, I still look like the local solicitor heading to his office.’

Would it be any good? Well, the fact that Owen Turner was involved kind of renders the question redundant – his is an outfit that could turn a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe into a credible endurance rally contender. The first rally at which the Mortons turned up with the Rover was the 2023 Scottish Thistle and the car caused a few raised eyebrows but was an instant

hit – quick, agile, comfortable, dependable.

The couple were learning fast, too, not just their roles but how to work as a team. Louise says: ‘A car is easier to navigate than a boat because the principles are the same but there aren’t rocks under the water and you don’t have tides to deal with. Also, I orienteered at school so I can map-read and, as simplistic as it sounds, going the right way is the most important thing in rallying and the easiest to get wrong.’

The sailing experience came up trumps for teamwork. Louise: ‘If you’re helming a yacht and there is a voice behind you telling you what to do, you don’t question it or speak, you just do it.’ Morty agrees: ‘The days of a skipper barking orders from the helm are long gone.

The concentration required to steer a big or fast boat means you can’t be doing other things; that’s why you need a navigator and a tactician.

In the car I rely totally on Louise’s navigation and have total confidence in it. If I didn’t and I couldn’t focus 100% on the road, when driving in somewhere like Vietnam, where there are a million Honda 90s coming at you at 100mph from all directions, it wouldn’t end well.’

So, the Road to Hanoi Marathon. Some 26 crews in pre-1977 cars gathered in the ancient city of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, for Rally the Globe’s first event of 2024 and its second long-distance epic in a row. Those crews had ahead of them almost 7000km of jungle, mountain and coastal roads, 15 tests and a whopping 40 regularities as they battled through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand to the finishline in Vietnam’s northern capital Hanoi. They ranged from David and Jo Roberts’ 1929 Chrysler 75 to Swiss team Hans-Martin and Mahnaz Schneeberger in

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Clockwise, from far left Rover P6 mastered all conditions; the problem-plagued Fiat 124; trouble for the Nigel Dowding and Mary Antcliff Aston; Graham and Marina Goodwin’s Porsche 911 Targa; Keith and Norah Ashworth’s Bentley 4½ Le Mans; ceremonial welcome.

their 1974 Mercedes 350SL. Plentiful Volvos and Porsches help you to understand the reason for the Mortons’ ‘different’ choice.

It is a huge operation to run an event like this. Sweltering in 34ºC heat and 48% humidity at the start was a phalanx of the Rally the Globe team, from Gill Cotton and Sarah Ormerod sorting out the extensive documentation a cross-border event requires, to John Cotton and Dr John Llewellyn dispensing the stickers and rally plates. All the cars are scrutineered before the off by Andy Inskip, Charlie Neale, Jamie Turner and Russ Smith. Everyone is very nice to them because they will also be the ‘sweep team’, which is often a participant’s lifeline, sometimes literally.

A route such as this is two years in the planning and all its masterminds are on hand: rally director Fred Gallagher, route co-

ordinator Kim Bannister, clerk of the course Mark Appleton and Loren Price. Long gone is the advance car crew of Dick Appleton and Chris Mills, who run two days ahead of the rally looking for last-minute changes or anything untoward. Overall it takes a full-time team of 25 to keep this event on the road.

Despite avoiding pitching straight into the scooter swarms and traffic chaos of central Ho Chi Minh city, it was a steep learning curve for the crews and a relief to get into the spectacular Vietnamese hills and then head for the coast.

An early casualty was the 1932 Rockne Six 75 of Manuel and Irene Dubs, winners of the Alaska to Mexico Marathon vintage category in a Ford Coupe, but they would rejoin after fixing a gearbox. Make no mistake, regardless of the preparation, a number of entrants will suffer mechanical issues – often major – almost every

single day on an event like this, but what is impressive is how few of them are forced to retire for good. Day four at Da Nang was the first rest day, a blessing for those who have been running flat out and need a spa day, those who most need a spanner day and those who have fallen behind and need a catch-up day.

After that, with everything nicely bedded-in and the entrants having had a chance to sort any running issues, the route gets far wilder and more challenging. Which, almost perversely, is exactly what this masochistic lot are paying for – where’s the challenge in a stately tour, where would be the adrenaline rush that comes with real adventure?

Crossing into Cambodia followed on Day 6, a 500km day on Day 7 (400km-plus days would be frequent from then on) and then the next rest day at the World Heritage Site Angkor Wat 107

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Clockwise, from near right Spirit of the Rally winners Hopkins and Gooch; Pre-war best Sauter and Senn; Morty being ‘fairly conservative’ on the Chang special stage.

temple. Thailand, and 40-degree temperatures, was next on the agenda, including an opportunity to massacre cones at the Chang International drift circuit. Apparently, no-one managed to squash more than the Mortons.

You get the idea. This isn’t a travel guide, but so it continued for another two weeks, the cars getting more reliable as the event wore on, via Laos and back to northern Vietnam, so much beauty flashing past, properly enjoyed on those rest days at Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Sa Pa, Ha Long Bay. There were daily tweaks to the route as the 48-hour crew fed back, road days that varied from barely 170km to 576km, elevation that switched from mountain tops to below sea level, temperatures that ranged from near-freezing to what felt like boiling.

At the finish, a delighted Fred Gallagher said: ‘The Road to Hanoi has been rescheduled twice, thanks to Covid and unrest in Myanmar, but after the last four weeks on the road, I think we can say it was worth the wait.’ Mark Appleton agreed: ‘There have been long days and some rough roads but I think that South-East Asia was a great place to stage a Marathon event.’

The finish-line means awards, of course. The Mortons accrued a remarkably low 1min 17sec in penalties, a mere half-minute ahead of under3.0-litre Class 3 winners Graham and Marina Goodwin’s 1973 Porsche 911 and a further 14sec ahead of the 1961 Volvo PV544 of Nigel and Sally Woof, which came out top in Class 2 for pre-1968 classics. Suffice to say our star couple were overjoyed. Louise: ‘It was a particularly good rally because the driving was

fabulous but every day off there were loads of interesting places to visit that we’d always wanted to go to. And the balance of driving days to rest days was absolutely right.’ The car probably enjoyed those rest days, too. ‘The suspension took a bit of a hammering,’ admits Morty. ‘But we only had some minor issues with the car. Mechanically it was absolutely perfect.

If it hadn’t been, the support you get from the sweeps is extraordinary. They are magicians!’

In the pre-war group, Daniel Sauter’s 1938 Chevy Fangio was top dog, the co-driving shared by Severin Senn and Martin Ruebel. Of the discretionary awards, Spirit of the Rally went to endurance newcomers Clive Hopkins and Charles Gooch for throwing themselves and their Ford Mustang into the event, while the Against All Odds winners were Enrico Paggi and Federica Mascetti, whose Fiat 124 Spider suffered three blown head gaskets and a damaged cylinder yet made it to the end. The most telling aspect of the awards, however, was that the Mortons picked up only one individual gong, for best navigator on those 40 lengthy regularities. That and their Rover’s reliability are what you most need to take note of if you want to succeed in endurance rallying.

‘Winning a rally is not dissimilar to winning a regatta,’ says Morty. ‘Consistency is what we’ve learned from sailing. A regatta might be nine races and it’s usually the boat that has the best average that wins. You could win seven races, but if you didn’t finish two you wouldn’t win the regatta. So you avoid all unnecessary risks. First you’ve got to finish and then you have to not

‘Consistency is what we have learned from sailing… It’s more important to have no bad results than to get a few amazing ones’ have any bad results. It’s more important to have no bad results than to get a few amazing ones.

‘That’s why we were fairly conservative on the special sections and were content to give away a couple of seconds rather than risk 30 by coming off, or spinning. I’m a terrible driver. I’ve got miles under my belt but I am not a natural, or a great driver compared to some of the people I am up against. So we have to win in other ways.’

When Octane spoke to the Mortons, their faithful Rover was still on the high seas on its way back to the UK, but it clearly proved itself emphatically. In the words of Morty: ‘As soon as it lands, we’ll kick the tyres and pack it off to Scandinavia for the next event.’ Louise explains: ‘We like to do rallies in places that we haven’t been before and especially ones that we wouldn’t necessarily travel to otherwise.’ Morty is more succinct: ‘I don’t like beach holidays or organised tours, I’m not following some guide with an umbrella.’ Well, quite. End

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120 YEARS OF HOTCHKISS

More than meets the eye As this long-forgotten marque celebrates its 120th anniversary, Massimo Delbò experiences the subtle charms of the 1936 Hotchkiss Type 686 Paris/Nice Côte d’Azur Photography Max Serra

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AUTOMOBILE HISTORY IS made up of thousands of marques, so many lost in time and remembered only by very few, some undeservedly so. ‘To see Hotchkiss so forgotten is surprising and very sad indeed,’ says collector Nicola Bulgari. ‘I can’t understand why, except to say that the Americans forgot their history and Hotchkiss’s place in car history. After all, although Hotchkiss is formally considered as a French car manufacturer, it was founded and managed for many decades by Americans.’

Hotchkiss cars were made between 1903 and 1955 by the French company Hotchkiss et Cie, based in Saint-Denis, Paris. The marque badge featured a pair of crossed cannons, evoking the company’s history as an arms manufacturer.

Founder Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss was born in Watertown, Connecticut, USA, in October 1826. A perfect example of a selfmade man, he had established his gunmaking company before focusing on cannons at the age of just 29. His technology was widely appreciated and sales flourished during the 1861-65 American Civil War. Always hoping to expand his market, Hotchkiss looked to Europe and, supported by the French Government, opened an ammunition factory in 1870 in the village of Viviez, in the Occitane region. Five years later he moved the operation north to Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris. Hotchkiss died in 1885, leaving behind a well-established leading business in automatic machine guns.

The company entered the car world in 1901, with orders from Panhard et Levassor, De Dion-Bouton and other pioneering marques for precisely machined engine components such as crankshafts. That offshoot took a different turn on 31 July 1902, when the automobile department was formally opened with the aim of manufacturing military vehicles and plans were put in place for a complete car.

Behind this decision were JJ Mann and Henri Fournier. Mann was the founder of embryonic car dealership Mann & Overton of London, and in 1902 had become the Daimler distributor for Paris; Fournier was a Parisian racer, the most successful driver of the 1901 season, having won the Paris-Bordeaux and Paris-Berlin races in a Mors. While Mann took care of selling the rolling chassis, Fournier became the first Hotchkiss Automobile 111

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This page and opposite Founded in France but with origins in America, Hotchkiss built subtle-looking cars of great quality, capable of winning races and rallies, but it foundered after World War Two.

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distributor. Georges Terasse, previously of Mors, was taken on as designer, and at the helm of the business was Laurence Vincent Benet, hired in 1884 by Benjamin Hotchkiss himself on his graduation in engineering at Yale University. He led the firm until 1935.

Immediately Hotchkiss purchased a Mercedes Simplex for inspiration, and the first Hotchkiss cars – a 17CV four-cylinder in 1903, followed shortly by the 20CV type C – were heavily based on the pioneering German.

Chassis were manufactured using nickel-coated steel to increase corrosion resistance, and established a standard of quality that would last throughout Hotchkiss’s career as a car manufacturer. The company set a target of 150 units to be manufactured in 1904, and decided to promote its cars in racing.

Mann’s nephew, HM Ainsworth, soon joined the firm and from 1907 Hotchkiss was producing the types L and O six-cylinder models. With the outbreak of World War One, the factory produced Hotchkiss machine guns, famously tested from the factory roof and which acquired a place in French history thanks to their success in combat.

‘This upmarket family tourer scored victories in the Paris-Nice race and on the Monte Carlo Rally’ Car production resumed in France in 1919, and a subsidiary plant was opened in Coventry, England, though that was sold to Morris in 1923. Ainsworth was put in charge of the automobile department, remaining until 1950.

Maurice Sainturat, an engineer fresh from graduation at Paris’s Arts et Métiers school, joined the company in 1922 and redesigned the Hotchkiss chassis. He was joined in 1924 by designer Alexis Kow, of Russian origin, who stayed until the 1950s. A new factory opened in

1926 on Boulevard Ornano, covering 25,000m2 and with a production line 180m long, and in 1929 Hotchkiss procured a steel press, which permitted in-house manufacture of bodies.

That same year a new range of six-cylinder AM73 and AM80 models appeared, with overhead-valve engines, and a new, lower chassis was launched in 1932, designed by Italian engineer Vincenzo Bertarione, who had been hired the year before. It was available in four lengths, including a special 2800mm short-wheelbase version reserved for the Grand Sport.

With so many components and ranges at its disposal, Hotchkiss rationalised its offering in 1933 and adopted a new naming system: the four-cylinder 400 series with a capacity of 2.02.4 litres, and the six-cylinder 600s, of 2.5 to 3.5 litres. The range-topping 620 (a 20CV six) was an upmarket family tourer yet it proved itself in racing and rallying, not least counting victories in the Paris-Nice race in 1934 and 1935, and on the Monte Carlo Rally in 193234. More wins came in 1939, ’49 and 1950.

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number of cylinders followed by the bore of the engine (in millimetres), and the new range-topping saloon was the 3.5-litre 686 Paris/Nice, with twin carburettors. Above that was the rather more exclusive Grand Sport, a P/N on the shorter chassis and with more sporting bodywork. Eight versions were available in total, from touring saloons via coupés to a limousine, and three of them featured open coachwork.

‘Our car is a rare 686 P/N Côte d’Azur,’ says Nicola Bulgari of the two-door five-seat coupé you see here. ‘It’s chassis 62194, a car that was listed for 52,900 French Francs when new, equivalent to something like 2½ years’ of the average French income of the period. I went to France looking for a PierceArrow and found the Hotchkiss in the same place. I bought and restored both but felt disappointed by the Pierce, a brand with mystical status yet which revealed itself to be very cheaply made, while I fell in love with the Hotchkiss, an amazingly well-built piece of machinery that is a pure joy to drive.’

The restoration was executed by a French specialist, which involved stripping the car

1936 Hotchkiss 686 P/N Cote d’Azur Engine 3485cc OHV straight-six, two Solex carburettors Power 125bhp @ 4000rpm Transmission Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Worm and sector Suspension Front: double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic dampers. Rear: live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, hydraulic dampers Brakes Drums Weight 1555kg Top speed 97mph

down to its frame. ‘We left no work unattended, returning the car to its original condition. It was not an easy process as original spare parts are completely unavailable. You have to hunt around to find everything, and usually what you get is in need of total restoration, too,’ he continues with a shrug, although the result was clearly worth the effort involved.

‘To me the 686 could easily be considered among the most important sports cars of the 1930s. You will read in some places that it can do 100mph, faster than the contemporary Bugatti Type 57, V12 Lagondas and Bentleys, but it is only when you sit behind the wheel and you begin pushing the 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine that you realise what the car’s soul is. It

pulls like there is a never-ending source of power, it sounds good, and drives amazingly well considering it is nearly 90 years old.’

Very little of this car’s particular history has come to light, despite Bulgari’s efforts to investigate: ‘We know that it was sold new in France and always remained there. Having taken off some layers of paint, it seems likely that it was wearing, when new, the same Bordeaux on Bordeaux colours we restored it to. But that is all we could find out.’

After the outbreak of the Second World War, Hotchkiss found itself focusing again on its original core business, manufacturing military vehicles and light tanks. When hostilities ceased, a further 100 cars were manufactured, but the world had changed, and such solid, expensive yet subtle cars were suddenly of limited appeal. The production line closed in 1952, and the marque’s history as a car manufacturer began to fade. To experience the 686 Paris/Nice today is to realise what a great shame that is. End THANKS TO Patrik Ullman and Paolo Ciminiello of Fondazione Nicola Bulgari.

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ASTON MARTIN DB4 SERIES V

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CRUCIBLE OF CIVILISATION Robert Coucher finds Aston Martin’s origins are surprisingly close to home in London – and prowls the city in an exquisite DB4 Series V Photography Paul Harmer

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L

London was shabby in those days and the few restaurants down the ondon never ceases to intrigue me. No Fulham Road were without any Michelin stars, therefore cheap. A spag longer regarded as one of the world’s largest bol’, a bottle or two of Bulgarian red, even a couple of packs of Marly reds: cities, still it sprawls out either side of the all was eminently affordable, even for cheapskates. And old cars were mighty Thames, made up of a patchwork of everywhere: MGBs, TR6s, Alfa Giulias, 911s, E-types and Bentleys what are in essence many villages with their being used and abused as intended. Initially I had an Alfa Giulietta and low-level housing, parks, high streets and then a Porsche 356, and used to drive them everywhere, even home from pubs. Grand townhouses in the affluent nightclubs at three in the morning. enclaves are immaculately maintained and, There’s one short section of the Fulham Road that’s even in less salubrious areas, forever been known as ‘The Beach’. No-one is quite sure where the London Blitz Left and above Delectable styling wraps why, but it could be to do with the first tanning salon ravaged the terraces that in around the evolutionary being located there decades ago. Whatever, it’s flanked by many instances have been replaced with modern ugly improvements that gradually restaurants, book shops, poster shops, pubs, even a functionality, enough proud old Georgian and Victorian morphed DB4 into DB5; it’s hardware store. Local, bohemian and full of young people, constructs remain, imbuing this city with its genteel mien. just as beautiful inside, and superb to drive. it’s also the previous location of an outfit called Bamford Having been fortunate enough to call ‘The Smoke’ & Martin, founded in 1912, which sold Singer cars from home for some 35 years, I’ve lived in every compass its Callow Street premises. A year later it moved into Henniker Mews, direction, from Cockney London’s heart, Bow Bells in Cheapside, via a just around the corner, and Aston Martin was formed, producing its first minuscule bedsit in Islington and the V-berth cabin in the bow of a 100ft motor car in 1915. So, having lived in the city for decades, I was pleasantly 1916 vintage steam yacht moored on the Thames in Richmond. I always surprised to find one of the most famous automotive marques began its aspired to becoming a Sloane Ranger (it was a long time ago; I got The illustrious if roller-coaster career from two unassuming side-streets off Official Sloane Ranger Handbook, but I failed) and soon learned that posh the Fulham Road, less than a mile from where I now reside. girls are jolly good fun. My world revolved around the Royal Borough of The company went through a series of bankruptcies and hospital Kensington & Chelsea, from Sloane Square to World’s End, where passes before David Brown, the gear manufacturer from Huddersfield, Malcolm McLaren had his punk shop with Vivienne Westwood.

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bought it in 1947 and moved the operation to Newport Pagnell, where While the previous DB MkIII did well with the WO Bentley-designed the DB-series was built. In 1958 the DB4 was launched, following on Lagonda engine, the DB4 arrived with the new Tadek Marek-designed from the rather old-fashioned-looking DB MkIII that preceded it. It 3670cc, double-overhead-camshaft straight-six, crafted in alloy and featured Superleggera (‘super-lightweight’) coachwork by Italian styling producing 240bhp when fitted with twin SU carburettors. This house Touring, and was one of the most beautiful motor cars ever created. powerplant was developed directly from the racing DBR2/370 unit that In total, 1183 were built, including 70 convertibles. made its Le Mans debut in 1957.

The DB4 was superseded by the more famous – thanks to the James As well as the advanced engine and chassis construction, the front Bond franchise – DB5 in 1963, but to my eyes the lither and lighter DB4 suspension is independent with wishbones and coil springs. The solid is the better-resolved design. There were five iterations of rear axle is suspended on coil springs and effectively DB4 and this magnificent example is of the final Series V. located via a Watt’s linkage. In addition, rack-and-pinion Clockwise, from above 3670cc straight-six has given You know what they say about collecting: go for the first steering is present, as well as improved Girling disc brakes example, or the last, as they tend to be the most desirable. way to an RS Williams 4.7-litre (replacing the Dunlop jobs) front and rear, with servo on triple carbs; Touring And in the aluminium, this Series V DB4 looks superb, assistance. The four-speed synchromesh gearbox has a silhouette is the equal of helped along by the absolute best colour combination of final drive of 3.54:1 for the British market, promising a anything from Maranello; Coucher on home turf.

California Sage paintwork with Caramel leather interior, top speed of 139mph. The American-market cars are plus a Sundym glass front windscreen and sparkling wires fitted with a lower 3.77:1 ratio, and a long 3.31:1 was an and chromework. You could say it’s very much a DB5 in prettier skin. option for very high top-speed work. When it was launched, the bespoke Not only does the DB4 look beautiful, its lightweight bodywork DB4 was tagged at a punchy £3967, cheaper than a Ferrari but more than construction is advanced for the time. It involved integrating the twice the price of an equivalent Jaguar. superstructure of thin steel tubing with the stiff platform chassis, which It’s eminently arguable that the Series V DB4 is the most desirable of was then clothed in lightweight aluminium panels, clinched into place the lot, having received all the factory upgrades. This particular sports around angle plates with interposed graphite pads to prevent corrosion. saloon is a 1963 example, one of only 55 produced. The Series V included This method of construction ensures rigidity with weight-saving and improvements to enhance passenger comfort, its body stretched by 9cm forces no compromises on the almost perfect styling. to free-up legroom and boot space, with the roof height raised slightly 120

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‘You could say it’s very much a DB5 in prettier skin’

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bespoke and expensive craftsmanship. The proper man-sized ashtray is to allow more headroom. The wire wheels were changed to a more located behind the surprisingly dainty gear-lever; unfortunately, a modern 15in diameter and fitted with Avon Turbospeed or optional modern stereo is mounted in the centre of the dash and glows in a plastic Pirelli Cinturato radials, the upshot being that overall height remained blue. If it was my choice that would be removed forthwith! unchanged. The engine, prone to overheating in the early DB4s, received Popping the light alloy bonnet exposes what can only be described as a thermostatically controlled fan to keep things cool and quiet. an awe-inspiring sight: the Aston engine is absolutely huge! Nominally a So what of this Aston Martin DB4 Series V in its flawless California 3.7-litre, it looks much more sizable than that and, hang on, why is it fed Sage hue? It does look impossibly immaculate and you notice that it is by three 2in SU carbs instead of the usual two? Ah, well there’s the kicker: sitting on a fresh set of excellent Avon 205/70R15 radials on those not only did the world-renowned specialist RS Williams chrome wires with their three-lug spinners; good tyres subject this Series V to the full nut ’n’ bolt treatment, it’s are usually an indication that a car has been properly Clockwise, from left Elegant Chelsea is an also received an RSW 4.7-litre engine upgrade, promising sorted out. In such pristine condition, it’s obvious that appropriate backdrop; plaque 325bhp, a chunk more than the original 240. Is this Aston this example has been treated to a full, marque-specialist marks where the marque began restoration, but there’s more to learn as we examine all life; this Series V is unusual for going to turn out to be a red-blooded hot rod?

Turn the surprisingly dinky ignition key on the the rich details. As mentioned, I prefer the original DB4 not adopting the faired-in lights of the GT and later DB5. dashboard and that big engine starts instantly. It has a look with its more trad front grille sans the later DB5voice, certainly, but it’s deep, creamy and mellow at idle. esque faired-in headlamps. The neat bonnet scoop and The throttle response is instant and sharp, belying the trio of old-tech raffishly angled twin exhaust pipes indicate that this motor is capable SUs, my favourite carbs for long-stroke British engines. It feels fuelof some real speed. injected. The clutch goes down lightly and smoothly, and the small gearSlip into the well-upholstered leather chair, with lovely soft Wilton lever, with narrow lateral movement, snicks into first gear. carpeting underfoot (beneath which are layers of Dynamat insulation) Step-off is gently uneventful, helped by the beautifully weighted power and you are met with the most attractive three-spoke wooden steering steering. Change up through the gears and the ’box is light if a little wheel. This being a Superleggera Aston, the dashboard is not covered in snatchy, but it’s cold, so give it time. First impressions are of a quality car heavy burr walnut, rather being finished in painted aluminium. All the in which all the controls are balanced and equally weighted. The engine required Smiths instruments are on parade and the interior exudes 123

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ASTON MARTIN DB4 SERIES V

1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series V Engine 3670cc DOHC straight-six, uprated by RS Williams to 4700cc with triple SU carburettors Power 325bhp @ 5200rpm Transmission Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion Suspension Front: double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, trailing links, coil springs, Watt’s linkage, lever-arm dampers Brakes Girling discs Weight 1311kg Top speed 150mph 0-60mph 6.5sec

is super-crisp and all that torque endows a luxurious thrust of instant power. The Girling disc brakes are strong and the well-insulated cabin is quiet to the point of cosseting.

As we drive down the near-deserted Kings Road on this particularly early Sunday morning, the few pedestrians turn their heads when they hear the Aston growl. It’s not loud, just a deep grumble that bounces off the Chelsea terraces. We pull up to Callow Street and the discreet Henniker Mews, where the whole Aston Martin adventure began over a century ago and, in typical British fashion, there’s no inkling that this location is the starting point of one of the country’s most famous automotive marques. We wander quietly down the private mews and finally stumble across a small plaque almost hidden by a shrub.

With the photos in the can, snapper Harmer leaves us to it and I climb back into the DB4 with William the Younger from Graeme Hunt Ltd. Son of my old friend Graeme, William gave up his Sunday morning snooze to bring out the Aston, and, as Londoners start to wake up, we fire up that large mill and head for the motorway.

Until now the Series V has behaved like a total gentleman – it’s a masculine car – but give it a kick down the fast dual-carriageway out of town and, thump, the grunt comes in strongly and beauty morphs into

beast. Hunker down and things start to happen quickly in this powerful sports saloon. At the first roundabout, brake in a straight line, change down to third, choose the best line with fingertip accuracy on the slim wooden rim of the steering wheel, then ease the throttle down and allow that Watt’s linkage-controlled rear end to bite and get the Avon rubber to tuck into the tarmac. The relatively light 1300kg DB4 turns-in smartish without yaw, then ease-in full throttle and it charges down the road in full lunge mode.

The sensation is one of almost primeval muscularity. I will avoid the old ‘analogue’ cliché, but the Aston delivers the full blast of properly mechanical kinetic energy with aluminium-fist control. It then proceeds to romp down the fast lane of the motorway with more pace than the average modern car.

Fast? Absolutely. Ripped, indeed, but the Aston remains refined at all times, conducting itself with equanimity. This is no hot rod, but rather a far more sophisticated, poised, balanced and beautifully appointed ‘sport saloon’. One of the most desirable Aston Martins ever? Certainly. End THANKS TO William Hunt of Graeme Hunt Ltd, where this DB4 is for sale, graemehunt.com.

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Car-Iconics Ad V2 with trim marks.pdf

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

IN THE SPOTLIGHT, HCVA MEMBER :

WINSPEED OF GUILDFORD Beneath the svelte lines of the immortal Jaguar E-type lies its real strength: brilliant engineering from the man for whom life was all about form and function, Sir William Lyons.

In the leafy lanes of Guildford, WinSpeed preserves and enhances that philosophy. Fifteen years ago, dedicated to the E-type and XK in all their forms, Peter Hugo and Chris Window created their engineering-led business that caters almost exclusively for Jaguars.

Today, you may see a multitude of E-types and XKs undergoing myriad works in the WinSpeed works, from regular maintenance to full-blooded restoration from bolt to stitch. Alongside the E-types and XKs, various other classic sports and saloon Jaguars are also to be found, the common connector being the famous XK engine.

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WinSpeed also has a sales operation, which offers hand-picked Jaguars, again dominated by E-types. To these cars it can bring its expertise to bear, so any potential customer can enjoy the benefit of an honest appraisal of a car – vitally important when making a serious investment in a car that is at least half a century old.

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Hot topic A TEMPLATE FOR TRANSPARENCY The HCVA is the collective voice of hundreds of UK companies providing services across the sector, supported by the enthusiasts who rely on them.

Since its establishment in 2021, the HCVA has been instrumental in ensuring that regulators and legislators are aware of the industry’s importance – not just to enthusiasts, but economically to UK plc.

One of its core tasks is liaising with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) on the topic of vehicle identity: as Historic vehicles age, they are repeatedly repaired, perhaps modified and eventually restored, often several times.

Indeed, that ‘re-use, repair, recycle’ ethos is at the heart of the classic vehicle sector’s environmental credentials. Yet it is possible for a car to be so drastically modified that it loses its claim to the original vehicle’s Historic ID. The questions are: where is that point and how can it be defined so both professional and amateur restorers know the boundaries and can be sure official agencies will accept it as the same car?

To date, the DVLA approach has been unclear and highly variable, causing delay, dissatisfaction and stress for owners, and serious commercial implications for professional restorers. It is important that clarity prevails, and that is where the HCVA comes in: by working with the FBHVC and other stakeholders, we are moving towards a clearer, more defined, situation where we can help Government agencies to devise a system encompassing all Historic vehicles that provides certainty that every Historic vehicle in the UK is what it says it is.

Recent remarks from Transport Secretary Mark Harper show that the Government understands the importance of resolving this issue, and is determined to improve the experience of owners and restorers.

The HCVA will be there every step of the way, challenging, probing and proposing improvements, until we reach a situation that works for owners, restorers and the Government agencies.

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by Octane staff and contributors

OCTANE CARS OW N I N G + D R I V I N G + M A I N T A I N I N G

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SUPPORTED BY

OCTANE’S FLEET

Opera of the Phantom 2004 ROLLSROYCE PHANTOM ROWAN ATKINSON

I DON’T KNOW if it’s a symptom of advancing years and an increasingly reflective state of mind but in the last year or so I have taken the opportunities, when they’ve arisen, to buy back several cars that I have owned previously. The latest is this 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom, bought new as a 50th birthday present to myself and hence delivered on 6 January 2005.

You may recall that, around the turn of the millennium, BMW secured the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand and poured hundreds of millions into constructing a new factory at Goodwood, charged with the unenviable task of redefining Rolls-Royce motor cars for the 21st Century. Its first fruit was the Phantom of 2003 and, slightly to

my surprise, I ordered one. Most of my friends were aghast that I had bought such a plutocratic and unsporting vehicle but I just loved the Phantom and I love it still. It’s so beautifully made, handles wonderfully, has a good turn of speed, and overall is a delightful automotive companion.

I chose a standard leather colour (Moccasin) for the interior but for the exterior, in conjunction with the nascent RR Bespoke department, I mixed my own colour, a very particular mid-blue. RR asked if I wanted to give the colour a name to put on the chassis plate. I chose ‘Blackadder Blue’: not because the colour had any particular relevance to a 1980s BBC situation comedy in which I once featured but simply because I liked the name; it had a pleasing, alliterative quality.

I sold the car after six years and 60,000 miles (a high mileage for a Phantom), after which its history is obscure. I know that it was bought by someone from Eastern Europe and ‘wrapped’ in white.

I don’t know how long it was with him before it found a new owner in the North of England, where it was eventually ‘unwrapped’.

I bought the car at a Historics auction last November – the big photo is from the auction catalogue – at what I thought was the reasonable cost of £55,000 but, when I went to pick it up, it was in a slightly dispiriting state.

The driver’s door wouldn’t open

from either the inside or the outside. The paintwork looks okay in the photo but, in truth, it’s poor: it has been given a blow-over respray, probably to cover blemishes after its unwrapping, but unfortunately it has been done in slightly the wrong colour. In some door jambs, you can see two distinct blue stripes and remnants of white plastic wrap stuck in the door seals (pictured below left). The wheels are wrong: they’re from the facelifted version of 2009. The main sat-nav/media screen was defunct and, on the drive home, error messages lit up the dash like a pinball machine.

Since then, lots of problems have been addressed at RollsRoyce Heritage dealer P&A Wood: I think that this is their first (partial) restoration of a Goodwood Rolls-Royce. Luckily, there is good availability of parts for what is a 20-year-old car – what is sometimes truly shocking is their cost. Pleasingly, I managed to get a set of correct wheels on eBay, brand new and boxed, for £2300. RR official cost: £11,700.

The Phantom has now had a service and at 110,000 miles it drives wonderfully, so the big things are working okay; but I can see that the smaller, peripheral stuff is going to be the challenge.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

Opposite page and below Superficially smart, Rowan’s old Phantom needs work; chassis plate records ‘Blackadder Blue’.

These are the cars – and ’bikes – run by Octane’s staff and contributors

ROBERT COUCHER

International editor ● 1955 Jaguar XK140

ANDREW ENGLISH

Contributor ● 1962 Norton Dominator ● 1967 Triumph GT6 ● 1972 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport

GLEN WADDINGTON

Associate editor 1989 BMW 320i Convertible ● 1999 Porsche Boxster ●

SANJAY SEETANAH

Advertising director ● 1981 BMW 323i Top Cabrio ● 1998 Aston Martin DB7 Volante ● 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLK200

MARK DIXON

Deputy editor ● 1927 Alvis 12/50 ● 1927 Ford Model T pick-up ● 1942 Fordson Model N tractor ● 1955 Land Rover Series I 107in

JAMES ELLIOTT

Editor-in-chief ● 1965 Triumph 2.5 PI ● 1968 Jensen Interceptor ● 1969 Lotus Elan S4

ROBERT HEFFERON

Art editor ● 2004 BMW Z4 3.0i

DAVID LILLYWHITE

Editorial director ● 1971 Saab 96 ● 1996 Prodrive Subaru Impreza

MATTHEW HOWELL

Photographer ● 1962 VW Beetle 1600 ● 1969 VW/Subaru Beetle ● 1982 Morgan 4/4

MASSIMO DELBÒ

Contributor ● 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 ● 1972 Fiat 500L ● 1975 Alfa Romeo GT Junior ● 1979/80 Range Rovers ● 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL ● 1985 Mercedes-Benz 240TD

ROWAN ATKINSON

Contributor ● 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom 129

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OCTANE CARS / Running Reports

ANDREW RALSTON Contributor l 1955 Ford Prefect l 1968 Jaguar 240

SAM CHICK

Photographer l 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider

RICHARD HESELTINE

Contributor l 1966 Moretti 850 Sportiva l 1971 Honda Z600

PETER BAKER

Contributor l 1954 Daimler Conquest l 1955 Daimler Conquest Century

DAVID BURGESS-WISE Contributor l 1924 Sunbeam 14/40 l 1926 Delage DISS

MATTHEW HAYWARD

Markets editor l 1990 Citroën BX 16v l 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four l 1996 Saab 9000 Aero l 1997 Citroën Xantia Activa l 1997 Peugeot 306 GTI-6 l 2000 Honda Integra Type R l 2002 Audi A2

JESSE CROSSE

Contributor l 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 l 1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

MARTYN GODDARD

Photographer l 1963 Triumph TR6SS Trophy l 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII

DELWYN MALLETT

Contributor l 1936 Cord 810 Beverly l 1937 Studebaker Dictator l 1946 Tatra T87 l 1950 Ford Club Coupe l 1952 Porsche 356 l 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL l 1957 Porsche Speedster l 1957 Fiat Abarth Sperimentale l 1963 Abarth-Simca l 1963 Tatra T603 l 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 RS l 1992 Alfa Romeo SZ

Soupingup the Saab 1971 SAAB 96 V4 DAVID LILLYWHITE

HAVING BEEN away from Octane for nearly seven years, I was very happy to reintroduce myself and my remaining cars a couple of months ago. But now I’m wondering where the time went; and how is it that I haven’t achieved more on my cars?

Ah, well…

The most drawn-out saga of all has been the Saab 96 that my uncle kindly gave to me at least 15 years ago, having inherited it when my granddad passed away.

It’s been in the family since the early 1980s, replacing – I think – an olive-green Fiat 124. My memories of the Saab are mostly of being sat in the back with sister and brother, as my granddad made surprisingly swift but deeply

erratic progress through the lanes of North Wales.

It was scary even then, and more so now that I realise there are no seatbelts fitted for rear-seat passengers. So you’ll understand why I viewed the Saab with slightly sceptical eyes when it arrived; it took me a long time to bond with this strange Swede, not helped by having several other projects on the go.

Eventually I realised that the balance-shaft bearings of the Saab’s Ford V4 were worn and so, a little recklessly perhaps, I decided to remove the engine and send it off for a refresh – only for it to disappear when the company in question went out of business.

Imagine my surprise, then, when

EVAN KLEIN

Photographer l 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider l 2001 Audi TT

HARRY METCALFE

Contributor l 20 cars and 15 motorbikes To follow Harry’s adventures, search: Harry’s Garage on YouTube.

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‘The service and customer relations are first class and the value is excellent because they are able to understand their customers and provide me with a service that is hand-in-glove with my needs. Their newsletters, articles and events make it feel like being a member of an enthusiasts club.’

Saul, FJ Private Client

friend Neil Godwin-Stubbert turned up at the Octane office a few years later with said engine in the back of his car! He’d stumbled across it at the old premises, still labelled with my name, and rescued it for me.

At least a couple more years passed before I finally got round to sending the engine to another engine shop, this time B&E Randall near Diss, Norfolk, which has been building road and competition Ford V6 units for decades. Seeing as the Saab’s V4 is two-thirds of a Cologne V6, as fitted to the Capri 2.8i, this seemed like a logical move.

I’d already sourced metal timing gears to replace the quieter but weak(er) fibre originals, along

with a Piper 270 camshaft, 2.8i V6 valves, Ford Pinto pistons, a long-stroke crankshaft from a 1.7-litre version of the V4, and various other goodies. Brian Randall put it all together with the minimum of fuss, porting the heads to match the larger valves in the process. With a mild overbore for the Pinto pistons, its capacity is now just over 1800cc.

Why am I mentioning all this now? Because I’ve been tweaking the Saab ever since, and it seems like it’s finally coming together.

Initially it felt terrible, with horrible vibration around 3000rpm, but rehanging the Jetex performance exhaust with different mounts fixed that – though the car is still noisier than I’d hoped overall.

I’ll keep playing with it, and I’m debating whether to invest in a programmable 1-2-3 distributor, too. For now, however, I just want to enjoy it, because the modest power boost from that engine build has created a car that is more fun than I’d ever expected.

Clockwise, from above Great access for an engine rebuild, with upgrades sourced from far and wide; suitably uprated, the Saab joins photographer Matt Howell’s Morgan for an evening drive.

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OCTANE CARS / Running Reports

Joy machine 2000 HONDA INTEGRA TYPE R MATTHEW HAYWARD

IF YOU’VE EVER seen the damage that mice can do once they’ve infiltrated your beloved car, then you’ll understand why I was more than slightly panicked by the sight of something not quite right in the footwell of the Honda. With a glimmer of sunshine on the horizon, I was planning to pull the Type R out of hibernation in preparation for Drive-It Day, and my first Bicester Sunday Scramble of the year. I’ve kept the battery plugged into a conditioner, so naturally the car fired straight up, but after reversing it out of the garage I noticed a number of black specks down by my left foot.

Having dealt with a mouse problem in the garage at home last year, my mind immediately started to race. I had visions of rodents chomping their way through my delicious red Recaro seat material, and sharpening their teeth on the 24-year-old wiring loom. In fact, after a forensic inspection and clean of the whole interior, I concluded that what I was seeing was particles from the backing foam of the (somewhat ill-fitting aftermarket) floormat. It must have finally reached its expiration date and deposited crumbs of foam into the footwell.

With my mind at ease, and the car thoroughly mechanically checked over, I gave it a gentle drive to fill it with a fresh tank of Tesco 99 octane. I then spent Saturday morning ahead of the Scramble giving it a proper wash (including a deep clean of the wheels, one of my least favourite jobs), before taking it for a pre-Drive-It Day blast. Well, I had to make sure the car was running

well enough to get me to Bicester in the morning…

The drive to the Scramble was just fantastic, spotting many an enthusiast on their way to various meets. The event was as great as it always is and, although mine appeared to be the only DC2 Integra in attendance (my Peugeot 306 would have felt more at home with the countless 205s and 106s on show), I found an R32 Skyline GT-R to park next to.

As things died down – the day started out bright, but the wind and cloud coverage made it a little colder than many expected – I headed home via some of the quieter roads and managed to convoy for a short while with a fabulous-sounding Mk1 Ford Escort rally car.

Naturally, as soon as I arrived home, the sun came out! Several Sunday chores awaited me but, with several hours of daylight remaining and half a tank of petrol left, I decided instead to finish the day off with another blast, this time with no destination – just a drive for the sake of driving. It seems like such an indulgence, but

every now and then it’s just got to be done.

As the state of the front wheels by the end of the evening attested, I’d made the most of the weekend.

And, as much as I enjoyed the Scramble, I relished that lateevening cruise on deserted A-roads just as much. Maybe even a little more.

Right, from bottom Appropriate company at the Scramble; deep-cleaning the wheels was a fiddle – and they were soon dusty again.

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A SELECTION OF OUR CURRENT STOCK

1960 ASTON MARTIN DB4 SERIES II

£425,000

Built and delivered new in June 1960, finished in Sea Green with Black hide, this outstanding DB4 Series 2, is a great tribute to the care and attention, extended by its previous owners, in maintaining and preserving this exceptional example.

Body-off restored and engine overhauled in the late 1980’s by highly regarded specialists and continuously maintained thereafter. Recently bare metal re-painted in its original colour and the interior completely re trimmed with Connolly Vaumol Tan hides. Highly original and with matching numbers, this exceptional car has been regularly serviced and maintained by our ourselves for some years and when not being driven, stored in a climate-controlled environment.

A delight to drive in its original specifications and beautifully presented, this exceptional DB4 is available now for viewing and demonstration at our Hertfordshire showrooms.

1961 Aston Martin DB4GT £POA

1999 Aston Martin V8 Vantage V550 £199,950

1958 Aston Martin DBMKIII Drop Head Coupe £POA

2004 Aston Martin DB AR1 (LHD) £225,000

1988 Aston Martin V8 Efi £165,000

2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello £124,950

Nicholas Mee & Co Ltd, Essendonbury Farm, Hatfield Park Estate, Hertfordshire, AL9 6AF 0208 741 8822 info@nicholasmee.co.uk

nicholasmee.co.uk

CAR SALES & PURCHASES • SERVICING & MAINTENANCE • RESTORATION • PARTS & MERCHANDISE TRIM & UPHOLSTERY • TRANSPORTATION & STORAGE

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OCTANE CARS / Running Reports

SUPPORTED BY

OTHER NEWS ‘Spring weather has arrived at last, and with it the opportunity for driving topless. Thank heavens for the BMW, then, as the Boxster’s roof isn’t playing ball’ Glen Waddington

1968 JAGUAR 240 ANDREW RALSTON

LIFE, SAID SOMEONE, is like an elevator: a series of ups and downs. No-one knows that better than the classic car owner, and the euphoria of owning my recently purchased 1968 Jaguar 240, as reported in Octane 245, had started to wear off by Christmas.

In spite of much investigation

Classic Engineering, another respected name in the world of classic car restoration, so there was no shortage of expertise on hand. Jamie completely stripped down the carbs, then vapourblasted and reassembled them with new jet assemblies and needles, throttle spindles, bushes, float needles and seats.

The later SU HS6 carbs have plastic floats with metal fulcrums, which are preferable to the modern all-plastic replacements, but setting up the float heights is a delicate operation. The carburettor overhaul cured the over-rich running but the spindle and body of the distributor also turned out to be worn, so a custom-built electronic one was fitted, with vacuum and mechanical advance matched to the car’s engine specification.

The Jag is now a pleasure to drive: the engine is much more responsive throughout the whole rev range, from low-speed pick-up in higher gears to more spirited driving using overdrive – and the fuel economy has dramatically improved, too. Even the lack of power steering no longer seems an issue: it’s heavy when turning out of the driveway but once the car gets going you don’t notice it.

As Jamie said when he returned the 240: ‘It’s a completely different car.’ I’ve just done an 80-mile round trip on country roads and can confirm that my euphoria seems to be coming back. Happy days indeed.

‘The Triumph resto is tantalisingly close to done. When all your latest bills are for Furflex door seals, you should probably be booking a train so you can go and collect it’ James Elliott

‘After such a great start on the Alfa Spider restoration, rain and cold weather here in Los Angeles (!) have slowed down work in the paint shop’ Evan Klein

‘My mystery 4x4 – which I promised to reveal this month – is laid-up because of a shortage of new tyres in the size I want. Keep watching this space…’

Mark Dixon

E ST . 19 6 2

Happy ending

and adjustment, the engine was still running too rich, and most outings ended all too soon in a return home accompanied by backfiring noises.

I managed to contact the previous owner, who had not used the car much in the past couple of years, and he said that, yes, the problem had occurred before and he had been advised that sooner or later the carburettors would need to be rebuilt.

There was no better man for that job than Jamie Gibbon, who has a lifetime’s experience of working on Jaguars. Now semi-retired, he remains much in demand but was willing to take on the challenge. The car was duly trailered to his workshop near Loch Lomond, which happens to be beside the premises of Brayon

Contact Vintage Tyres on

+44 (0)1590 612261 vintagetyres.com

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The Ex-Works, Eddie Hall, 1934 Mille Miglia, 1934 MG K3 Magnette

1933 Talbot AV105 ‘Ulster Coupe’ by Vanden Plas

1925 Vauxhall 30-98 OE Velox Tourer Please see website for more details.

Landline: +44 (0) 1440 841 447 Mobile: +44 (0) 7493 897 975

POLSON_222wx285mmh.indd 1

www.polsonmotorco.com

john@polsonmotorco.com

fv @polsonmotorco 08/05/2024 10:12

by Octane staff and contributors

OVERDRIVE

Other interesting cars we’ve been driving

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Opposite and right Looks that hark back inside and out, yet modern levels of performance and convenience, all with a distinctive designer twist.

As you like it 1993 PORSCHE 911 TARGA BY THEON DESIGN

ALEX PENFOLD

GLEN WADDINGTON

HIDDEN IN A deliberately anonymous barn in rural Oxfordshire, several Porsche 911s are undergoing restoration, conversion and enhancement.

Already finished is this, Theon Design’s first take on a Targa, and the third 911 it has so far transformed for the UK market.

Theon was co-founded by car designer Adam Hawley, a man with 15 years’ experience working for the likes of BMW and JLR. As a hobby, he built his own vision of a 911. The overwhelmingly positive response to that was the foundation for Theon Design, which builds bespoke 964-based cars to order. In the case of this example, coded GBR-003, we’re talking of a carbon-bodied 911 with a six-speed manual gearbox and a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated air-cooled flat-six that pumps out 403bhp at 7100rpm. It weighs a lissome 1228kg, distributed 48:52 front:rear – closer to ideal than the 964 Carrera 2 that was its donor. 993 RS brakes rein it in.

Those are the basics, but the detail is far more involving. Adam shows me around the workshop to a shell undergoing conversion: roof, bonnet, wings, engine cover, they’re all carbon. The structural elements are bonded into the steel substructure at exactly the same points as the equivalent steel panels. In the case of this Targa, tub-like inserts, formed using a laminate ‘sandwich’ of toughened epoxy pre-pregnated carbonfibre and aerospace-grade Nomex honeycomb, strengthen the chassis to such an extent that it exhibits coupé-like stiffness.

The 964’s flat-six has been developed from its standard 240bhp to broach the 100bhpper-litre barrier, by dint of enlargement from 3.6 to 4.0 litres, all the componentry being machined specifically to Theon’s own specifications. It’s fuelled via independent throttle bodies and breathes through open trumpets.

The six-speed manual gearbox is also custom-made to 993 RS spec.

Unlike a standard 964 Targa, the removable roof panel can in this case be stowed in the front luggage compartment. Also within that bay you’ll find a new, lighter power steering pump and a modern air-conditioning unit, as well as the battery, all relocated and lighter than the originals in pursuit of that beneficial weight distribution. The ride height is lower, and damping is provided by a switchable, five-stage TracTive Active Controlled Electronics (ACE) system.

Rather as the early-style bonnet evokes the first generation of 911s (and requires the only chassis modification, in this case to the front crossmember), within there’s a retro theme, with Pepita cloth centre panels on seats that are regular Recaro-made 964 tombstone frames with separate head restraints and resculpted foams. Instrumentation harks back to earlier cars’; the door panels are redesigned and feature new releases inspired by early 911s but recast in alloy. Likewise the gear-lever has received the designer treatment. The effect is subtle, aesthetically satisfying and beautifully wrought.

A switchable exhaust means you can choose to start-up in show-off mode or not, but you will surely relish the engagingly threshy soundtrack. As speed builds, the 4.0-litre motor really makes its presence felt, thanks not

‘It’s just the right side of raw, and it’s superbly tractable’ only to the shove in your back but also its voice, a saw-like crescendo that descends on the cabin in the upper rev reaches. It’s just the right side of raw, and it’s superbly tractable: you can pull away from 1000rpm in any gear, and the gearshift is loose and easy.

There’s plenty of grip and perhaps less of the pendulous feel inherent in most 964s, thanks to the altered weight distribution.

Instead, GBR-003 feels grippy and dependable. One thing that hasn’t changed is the chatty nature of the steering, and the slim rim of this car’s gorgeous wheel is a thrill to hold. The appeal is that of modern levels of performance,

handling and braking, enhanced character thanks to the lightweight nature of the structure, the niftiness of old-school proportions and styling that adds a distinctive and discerning twist.

Every Theon project is a collaboration, so this particular car was spec’d to exacting personal requirements. To do so yourself takes patience (each build takes 18 months to complete) plus financial commitment: there’s a starting price of £415,000 for a Targa, plus the cost of a donor. The result in every case is something unique and extraordinarily seductive.

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OVERDRIVE / Other Cars

Junior grows up 2024 ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE DAVID LILLYWHITE

ASTON MARTIN IS on a roll.

Last year it replaced the good but flawed DB11 with the excellent DB12. Now it’s the time of the 2018-on Vantage, which received mostly positive reviews when it was launched, though its exterior styling wasn’t universally popular and the interior never looked as resolved as you might hope. The big glass gear selection buttons seemed dated, the transmission could get caught out and the steering was a little lacking in feel.

One thing it never lacked, as the sportier, lighter stablemate to the V12 DB11/12, was power from its 4.0-litre, twin-turbo

AMG V8. So what’s the headline news here? More power! Yikes!

655bhp and 590lb ft translate to a 30% power hike, a 202mph top speed and 0-60mph in 3.4sec.

What else is new? The aluminium structure is stiffer, especially at the rear under cornering. The electric powerassisted steering has been tuned for greater feel and precision, and the final drive ratio has been lowered for punchier acceleration through the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, which itself has been made fastershifting. The electronics controlling ride, handling and steering now take advantage of new, faster processors.

What you’ll see immediately is the more characterful exterior styling and the much, much slicker interior (the dashboard, centre console and new DB12style infotainment are transformed). Overall, the new car looks tauter and more muscular, with more styling features – such as the side strake on the front wings and the more sculptured rear bumper – along

with frameless door windows and mirrors. The biggest difference, though, is the front end, which features a 38% larger front grille and extra intakes under the new Matrix LED headlights.

Turns out that the bigger grille was needed to cool the more powerful engine. To allow the increase in size while keeping the styling balance correct, the car has been widened by 30mm. Now, no-one wants a wider car these days, do they? So was it worth the increase?

Well, let’s just say that no-one will really need more power than this. On the tight, twisty Circuito Monteblanco in Spain, the power was almost a liability and acceleration between corners, especially down the 1km straight, was ballistic. On the Sports+ drive setting it coped well with the bumps and ripples of the track, while in Track mode it was sharper but more likely to be thrown off line. There was never, ever a point at which more power or stronger braking were needed, which is unusual on a circuit – but then much of the GT3 race car

development has been fed into the new Vantage.

The fun bit was playing with the excellent new traction control setting, which can be dialled in between one and eight to increase or reduce intervention. I got brave/stupid enough to try ‘8’, was rewarded with a few heroic-looking slides followed by a near-spin, and quickly turned it back to ‘5’.

On the road, anyone who asks for more power or performance should probably be arrested.

In Sport setting the ride is firm; in Sport+ it’s very firm but never uncomfortable. There’s a lot of tyre noise over rough surfaces but the grip from the customdesigned Michelins is outstanding. Most of all, the immense torque and the slicker, quicker-shifting transmission make for an even better drive, and the transformed interior is the finishing touch. The seats are excellent, the proper switchgear and haptic buttons in place of touchscreen controls a huge relief.

Aston Martin seems to be on the up again, and we like it.

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Main image and below Most obvious change to teased and tweaked styling is the 38% larger grille; interior is transformed, handling improved, power more than ample.

Time is running out 2024 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO MATTHEW HAYWARD

‘On the road, anyone who asks for more power or performance should probably be arrested’

WITHOUT GETTING INTO a philosophical debate about the future of motoring, it’s clear that the days of the high-performance saloon – and not just those powered by fabulous petrol engines – are numbered. Much like estate cars, they’ve been killed off by the huge-selling SUVs on one front, and an incoming EV tide on the other. Cars like this Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio will not be around much longer.

Thankfully, though, the Quadrifoglio is still very much alive today, and it has just been treated to a 2024 model refresh.

Admittedly it’s a light revision, consisting of a few visual tweaks – most obviously the ‘three plus three’ LED matrix headlights – while the interior gets an updated digital instrument cluster and matt carbonfibre trim. The engine boasts an extra 10bhp, now at 513bhp, and torque remains at the same 442lb ft figure.

The latest suspension tuning is taken directly from the 100th anniversary special edition that was launched in 2023, meaning different settings for the adaptive dampers (similar to those developed for the GTA) as well as a slightly girthier rear anti-roll bar.

The single biggest upgrade comes in the form of a new mechanical limited-slip differential. On the face of it Alfa seems to have fundamentally left it alone, which, as it’s one of the best performance cars launched in the last ten years, is no bad thing at all.

It’s been a number of years since I first drove the Quadrifoglio (it was launched in 2017!), but I soon remember why this car gained so much praise.

Immediately its lightning-quick steering makes an impression; it even feels a little too keen until you adjust. The chassis has three modes, with the softest perfectly suited to the most broken of the UK’s roads. The 2.9-litre turbo V6 is a real fire-cracker, intensifying as the revs rise above 4000rpm, transforming into a fire-breathing Group C monster as you approach peak power at a heady 6500rpm. It feels supercar quick, and I suppose a 0-62mph of 3.9sec and 191mph top speed mean it is. Yet even with all that power channelled to the rear wheels, it feels exhilarating but never intimidating. Thank the new mechanical LSD for that.

This will be the last iteration of the petrol-engined Giulia. Its EV-only replacement is expected in 2026. Not only is the Quadrifoglio one of the best front-engined, rear-wheel-drive performance saloons still in production, it’s one of the greatest full-stop. Get one while you can.

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Gone but not forgotten WORDS DELWYN MALLETT

ALAMY

Left Cisitalia founder, businessman and Juventus footballer-turned-racer Piero Dusio (centre), ace Piero Taruffi (left), and Giovanni Savonuzzi. Written on the photo is Tempi felici, 1946 – ‘Good times’.

Giovanni Savonuzzi A design great rarely credited for his masterworks, which include the Cisitalia 202, arguably the first modern GT ON 21 JUNE 1947, 151 cars departed Brescia for the start of the first post-war Mille Miglia.

Among them was a five-car team from the fledgling Cisitalia company: three 202MM roadsters and two MM coupés, one of which was an extravagantly finned, aerodynamically advanced streamliner unlike anything yet seen in a motor race. It was the work of a relative newcomer, Giovanni Savonuzzi, who had joined Cisitalia as technical director from Fiat’s aviation division in August 1945.

Savonuzzi was born in Ferrara in 1911. His father died in the First World War, but Giovanni was able to complete an engineering degree at the prestigious Turin Polytechnic. Graduating in 1939, he was soon employed by Fiat in aerodynamic and turbine research.

During WW2 and Italy’s realignment with the Allies, Giovanni’s younger brother, an antifascist lawyer, was murdered by the SS in the so-called Caffé del Doro Massacre. Along with other Fiat employees, Giovanni was contacted by the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) intelligence agency to gather information useful to the Allies. He was given a pistol to protect himself. A few years later, it became useful in an unexpected and non-ballistic way.

With the end of the war in sight, industrialist and amateur racer Piero Dusio persuaded Fiat’s Dante Giacosa to design a simple and affordable Fiat-based monoposto for the post-war resumption of competition. Dubbed ‘Cisitalia’, the project was well under way by the summer of 1945 and Giacosa returned to his job at Fiat, proposing Savonuzzi to replace him. With his eye set on volume production, Dusio tasked Savonuzzi with designing a sports car and a road car derivative based on the tubular frame and mechanicals of the single-seater D46 (Dusio 1946). The result was the Cisitalia 202.

The three racing coupés eventually completed were uncompromising competition cars with narrow pared-down cabins developed in the Turin Polytechnic wind tunnel, but Savonuzzi also drew a more civilised and practical road version. As with all Cisitalias, the bodywork was subcontracted and, in the case of the 202 road car, it was assigned to Pinin Farina. The result was a sublime interpretation of Savonuzzi’s rendering and proved a sensation on its unveiling at the 1947 Italian Grand Prix in Milan and subsequent motor show in Paris.

The seminal 202 was famously chosen by the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1951 for

its ‘8 Automobiles’ exhibition, the first time cars were displayed as art, or, as curator Arthur Drexler put it, ‘hollow rolling sculpture’. The Museum bought a 202 in 1972 to display in its permanent collection.

As Savonuzzi was developing the 202, Dusio was also in conversation with Ferry Porsche to design a very advanced Grand Prix car… and several mid-engined road cars! By 1947 costs were spiralling out of control and, in a heated exchange, Savonuzzi, who had earlier tried to talk Dusio out of the project, resigned.

Before he left, Savonuzzi designed a lighter, more efficient exhaust system for the 202 after dissecting the silencer on his OSS pistol. The idea was picked up by Carlo Abarth, then also at Cisitalia, and formed the cornerstone of his future automotive endeavours.

There were then far too many irons in the Dusio fire and, on the brink of bankruptcy, he moved to Argentina. Retaining great respect for Savonuzzi, he later tried to lure him there to mastermind an Argentine car, but to no avail.

Savonuzzi was involved in an underfunded project to introduce Midget racing to Europe, powered by his own supercharged 820cc engine, before joining Ghia in 1952 as technical director. At Ghia he designed the stunning ‘Supersonic’ series of cars built on Alfa Romeo, Fiat 8V, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Ferrari chassis. His most extreme application of aerodynamic streamlining arrived in 1955 in the shape of ‘Gilda’, a show car named after the movie role played by Rita Hayworth (and featured back in 2010 in Octane 82). An arrowslim tapered wedge bristling with fins and intended to be powered by a gas turbine engine, its basic shape was adapted by him into Nibbio 2, a Moto Guzzi-powered record-breaker for Count ‘Johnny’ Lurani.

Much of Ghia’s work was for Chrysler and in 1957 the US giant enticed Savonuzzi to Detroit, where he headed up the secretive turbine research department. He returned to Fiat in 1969 at Giacosa’s behest, retiring in 1977 but still lecturing at Turin Polytechnic.

Savonuzzi was that rarity, an engineer who possessed not only the sculptural skill to model his ideas in plasticine but also the driving skill that allowed him to evaluate his designs at speed. He was slim and elegant, with hawk-like features emphasised by his slicked-back hair and an affection for black suits and black leather gloves. Self-effacing to a fault, Savonuzzi died in Ferrara in February 1988, his name and exceptional talent as an engineer and designer largely unknown to the general public.

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Icon

WORDS DELWYN MALLETT

ALAMY

Left An English Electric Lightning being tested over Farnborough airfield on 17 July 1957.

English Electric Lightning Fearsomely fast jet that served for nearly 30 years DESPITE CLEMENT ATTLEE’S post-war Labour Government’s preoccupation with creating the National Health Service, and having already canned the 1000mph Miles M.52 project, in 1947 the Ministry of Supply issued Experimental Requirement 103 for an aircraft to explore transonic and supersonic flight. English Electric and Fairy Aviation submitted proposals, and both were pursued.

The basic design of what would be named the Lightning was laid out by English Electric’s chief engineer WE ‘Teddy’ Petter, fresh from designing the twin-engined Canberra jet bomber. It was intended as a high-altitude interceptor; given that aeronautical drag increases by the square of speed, to reduce frontal area he proposed the novel idea of stacking two staggered engines inside the fuselage rather than in the wings, a 25% saving.

Its almost straight-edged geometry – in

effect a delta wing with sections cut out – gave the Lightning the most idiosyncratic silhouette of any jet of the day. A distinctive conical ‘shock cone’ containing the plane’s radar protruded from the air intake in the nose, adding to its aggressive look.

On 25 November 1958, a month after the Lightning was officially named, test pilot Roland Beamont flew it at Mach 2 (around 1534mph or 2470km/h) – making it the first British aircraft to achieve that speed. Yet the French had pipped the Brits to the Mach 2 post a month earlier with their Dassault Mirage III, which ironically resembled Fairy’s proposal, the Delta 2 (which itself had set a World Air Speed Record in 1956!).

Dubbed the ‘Frightening’ by some, it could stand on its tail and, with afterburners ignited and unleashing up to 35,000lb ft of force from its two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines,

break the sound barrier in a vertical climb. It was also the first fighter able to ‘super cruise’: fly at supersonic speed without afterburners.

On the ground with engines idling, the pilot had to keep the brakes applied as there was enough thrust from the jets to get the plane rolling and taxiing without touching the throttle. Unchecked, the plane could reach 80mph on tickover alone.

All this power came at the expense of fuel consumption, barely giving it time to get to the height of an incoming bomber and make a single pass – not good for an interceptor. The stacked engines meant no fuel could be carried in the fuselage, and the original ‘slimline’ flatsided fuselage grew a less elegant pot belly to accommodate extra fuel. The ‘ventral pack’ on some later variants became so large that it gave the craft a distinctly pregnant look.

In 1957 the Government, at odds with the chaps who did the flying, decided that groundto-air missiles were the future of air defence and guns on fighters were a thing of the past. So the F3 Lightning logged another headline: the first RAF fighter not to carry guns. That decision was eventually reversed when the F6 again sported a brace of 30mm ADEN cannons.

The Lightning’s active service spanned the Cold War years and it was never called on to go ‘hot’ and shoot down an enemy aircraft; most of its action was intercepting Russian longrange bombers probing Britain’s and NATO’s air defences, and flashing the odd gesture in the Russians’ direction. A Lightning was said to have been called upon to shoot down a ‘friendly’, however, after a pilot had bailed out of a Hawker Harrier and the pilotless jet continued flying towards East Germany.

Lightnings were renowned for their earthshaking air displays; particularly impressive was No74 Squadron’s ‘diamond nine’ close-formation routine. Lightnings also overflew the funeral barge at Sir Winston Churchill’s state funeral in January 1965.

Of the 337 Lightnings built, more than 50 were lost for mechanical reasons and 14 pilots died as a result (116 German pilots died flying the contemporary Lockheed Starfighter).

More than 70 survive and are on display in museums or as gate guardians on air bases.

Until 2009 the now-defunct Cape Townbased Thunder City offered trips to ‘the edge of space’ in a Lightning. Science presenter Professor Brian Cox featured one such trip in his TV programme, filmed only one month before the Lightning crashed in an air display and brought a premature end to the enterprise.

The first Lightning entered service with the RAF on 23 December 1959 and the last flew with the RAF in June 1988. It exceeded its planned ten-year service life by two decades.

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TA L A C R E S T

the world’s number one classic ferrari dealer

1989 FERRARI f40

NON CATALYST | NON ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION | FERRARI CLASSICHE CERTIFIED EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION | USED SPARINGLY | 6,000 MILES

two other selected ferraris currently in stock

1966 FERRARI 330 GTC

1968 FERRARI 365 GTC

W W W. TA L A C R E S T. C O M +44 (0)1344 308178 | +44 (0)7860 589855 | john@talacrest.com

Chrono

WORDS MARK McARTHUR-CHRISTIE

‘YOU COULD BUY A 246 GTS DINO WITH THE DIFFERENCE AND STILL HAVE CHANGE FOR A BRAND NEW ROLEX’

Pocket the difference Unlike horse-drawn carriages, these vestiges of the past work just as well in the modern world, and are a bargain THERE ARE ALL sorts of vestigial things around us. Radiator grilles on electric cars, pelvic bones in snakes, public telephone kiosks – and that little pocket on the front of your jeans. What do you do with it? Fill it with change? Keys (never works, they always snag)?

Your AirPods? It may be vestigial today but that pocket used to have a very deliberate function: it was designed to hold your watch.

Wristwatches are a distinctly modern innovation, particularly for men. Women wore wristlet watches as jewellery, so it simply wasn’t done for a chap to sport a watch on his wrist.

Men carried their watch in their waistcoat pocket or, if they were agricultural workers in the US, the watch pocket on their jeans. Ideally positioned close to a belt loop, should one want to fasten it with a chain or a piece of cord, your watch pocket kept your watch safe from scratches and knocks.

The First World War changed all that and much else besides. The last thing you needed to do in a muddy trench or lying in a shell crater was fish about for a pocketwatch. Not only that, but unless you were fortunate enough to

have a hunter or half hunter, the chances of your watch keeping its crystal intact were slim.

Then there was the winding crown and pendant to snag, too. From sheer utility, wristlet – then ‘wrist’ – watches became a thing.

After the war, the association of wristwatches with heroism and military victory made sure they were the very thing for a chap to have.

Pocketwatches were out. In just a few years, the pocketwatch that had been the time-telling mode of choice since watches were invented was relegated to grandfather’s sock drawer.

Since this spectacular fall from grace, pocketwatches have been a bit of a niche.

While the price of almost any half-decent wristwatch has gone up in the same way the SpaceX Starship didn’t, pocketwatches have remained earthbound. This is patently silly; pocketwatches are a way to pick up some proper horological beauties for a fraction of their wristborne relatives’ prices. In fact, you can have a whole selection of pocketwatches from some of the best makers out there for the cost of one wristwatch.

Acquiring a Patek Philippe minute repeater,

with its chimes for hours, quarters and minutes, usually requires the signing away of your immortal soul just to get on the waiting list.

You will then be required to hand over the sort of money that would make even a council chief executive blush to get your watch. The ‘cheapest’ Patek Philippe minute repeater wristwatch you’ll find at the moment would be a model 5079J in bargain-basement, so-lastyear-dahling 18ct yellow gold. If you get lucky, you might find one for under £350,000.

Decide you’re a proper Edwardian at heart and choose a minute repeater pocketwatch from the same firm and Sotheby’s will sell you a 1916 (pace historians, allow us two years’ grace) yellow gold minute repeater pocketwatch that is so beautiful you’ll want to take it home to meet your mother. The price? Just over £8000. You could buy a 246 GTS Dino with the difference and still have change for a Rolex.

Even at the less stratospheric level of the market, the differential is still there. An IWC three-hander like the Ingenieur 666 wristwatch from the 1960s will be around £5000-6000 in good shape. These early Ingenieurs are beauties – dagger hands, a no-fuss, simple-to-read dial and a movement that’s protected from magnetism with a soft iron cage inside the case, hence the name. But it’s hard to explain the difference in price between an early Ingenieur like this and one of the firm’s 1960s Bauhausstyle stainless steel pocketwatches running a serious cal. 97 movement. Buy wisely and you could be popping one in the pocket of your 501s for less than £1000.

Eschew established brand names for sheer watchmaking quality and have a look at US maker Waltham. Find a pocketwatch with a Cronometro Victoria movement and you’ll get screwed-in chatons (a jewelled bearing holder – haute horlogerie stuff that you’d usually see on watches costing five figures), proper bevelling on the movement plates and a level of decoration that would get you a knowing nod anywhere in La Chaux de Fonds. The cost? You could have to shell out a whole £1000.

Still too much? How about a Waltham Railroad with all its history and a porcelain dial, the sort of detail that is usually the preserve of far more expensive watches?

Incredibly, they’re still charity shop territory or you’ll find them on auction sites for £100.

Surely it’s time for a pocketwatch renaissance? We think so.

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EXHIBITION: THE PURSUIT OF ACCURACY, ELECTRICITY AND TIME DISTRIBUTION. A SELLING EXHIBITION OF PRECISION CLOCKS FROM THE 18C TO THE MODERN DAY, SHOWING THE POSITIVE EFFECT ELECTRICITY HAD ON ACCURACY AND HOW IT FULFILLED THE NEED FOR EFFICIENT TIME DISTRIBUTION IN THE INDUSTRIAL AGE RUNNING FROM MAY 30th until JULY 30th

STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT Email: regulatorclockcompany@aol.com Tel: 01952 770805 Catalogue available by request

JONATHAN FLOWER MARCH 2024 AM2.indd 1 JONATHAN FLOWERS_222mm w x 285mm h.indd 1

28/01/2024 14:47 09/05/2024 11:16

Chrono

WORDS MARK McARTHUR-CHRISTIE

ONE TO WATCH

Zenith El Primero One of the greatest movements, not yet priced as such

‘ONE TO WATCH’ has never been about investment tips: it’s a (reasonably) eclectic take on what’s interesting, different or just a bit of a bargain. Into that last category with a resounding thud falls the Zenith El Primero. There’ll be a proper look at the El Primero and why it should have a place on your wrist in a future article, but for now this is all you need to know: the cheapest Rolex Daytona 16520 in the UK at the time of writing is £20,000. The cheapest El Primero? £2100. For those unfamiliar with either, the 16520 runs an El Primero movement. Now, before Jean-Frederic Dufour sends the boys round, yes, Rolex dropped the beat rate and ditched the date, changed the escapement and balance and made it pretty… but £18,000 is a lot for pretty. OK, that’s a bit flippant. The slower beat rate increases the power reserve and decreases wear and the Breguet overcoil and microstella balance will tighten up the accuracy, but the Zenith is still a daft bargain. At least for now. Sooner or later, Watchworld is going to wake up to what a superb thing it is.

Although the El Primero watches are all about the movement, there are enough case designs to keep almost anyone happy. The classic Rainbow (named after a 1930 racing yacht rather than the coloured dial from one of the variants) will please those who like clear, simple and black & white. The ‘Big Blue’ TV dial (the ref. 01-0200-415) is the one for you if you’re running a 1972 Ford Mustang and wear Ray-Ban aviators – they don’t come more paisley wallpaper and flares than a Big Blue.

El Primeros start at £1800… for now.

NEW WATCHES

CITIZEN 100TH ANNIVERSARY POCKETWATCH (NC2990-94A)

NOMOS TANGENTE 38 DATE

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT CLASSIC DATE MANUFACTURE

We’re tipping a pocketwatch comeback and it looks like Citizen agrees. Here’s its £7995 100th Anniversary Special Edition. Look what you get for the money: a unique, in-house, high-accuracy, Geneva-striped, bevelled bridge movement (cal. 0270) developed specially for the watch. Nothing as mundane as a regulator – this one has a free sprung balance (adjusted by moving tiny weights), usually a feature on high-end kit. The case is titanium alloy, so it’s lighter than a trad pocketwatch, too. And there’s a display back so you can enjoy it all. £7995. citizenwatch-global.com

Looking at the superconcentrated design of Nomos’s Tangente, it’s hard to imagine how the firm could make even the smallest change without lousing everything up. Nomos knows this, so it has left well alone for more than 30 years. Now, in typical style, it’s blown the whole thing out of the water by making 31 different coloured versions of the watch, each limited to 175 pieces. If any other maker had tried this it would be a bin fire. Instead, every single colour variation works. Not just pretty faces either – each one runs a chronometer-spec movement. ¤1925. nomos-glashuette.com

Usually, if you want a manufacture movement with high-level finishing, you’ll wince a bit at the cost. Not so with Frédérique Constant. It has a habit of making interesting watches at prices that would normally get you a base ETA or Sellita calibre. Now, it has not only made its Classic Date smaller (40mm rather than 42mm), but it’s put its new FC-706 in-house movement in the case. The finishing is way above what you’d expect for the price and the larger mainspring barrel means a heavierweight 72-hour power reserve, too. ¤3295. frederiqueconstant.com

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1991 BRUN C91 3.5-litre Judd engine, carbon-fiber monocoque

A unique car in the world

Entirely restored

2005 COURAGE C65 AER LMP2

GULF livery at the 24 h of Le Mans in 2006

AER 2 litre Turbo engine

Entirely restored

www.ascottcollection.com Email: cars@ascottcollection.com Paris - France Xavier Micheron Phone: + 33 (0) 9 67 33 48 43 Mobile: + 33 (0) 6 17 49 42 50

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COLLECTION

07/05/2024 16:19

Gear

COMPILED BY CHRIS BIETZK

MERCEDES-BENZ W196 TETHER CAR Mercedes shortened its W196 racer for the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix, certain that the standard chassis was not ideally suited to the Principality’s tight street circuit. The team wasn’t sure, though, of the optimal weight distribution in the short-chassis W196, so it prepared one car for Stirling Moss with the engine in the usual place, and shifted the straight-eight forward in the car allocated to Juan Manuel Fangio. During practice, Moss tried his teammate’s car and was irritated to realise it was superior, but on race day Fangio’s mount expired at half-distance, leaving Moss to inherit the win – or so it seemed. After 30 more laps, poor old Stirling was engulfed in smoke as his car’s engine blew up without warning.

Maybe it’s for the best, then, that this charming vintage tether car, fashioned after Moss’s explosive number 6 Mercedes, has never even been fuelled, let alone run. It was apparently once owned by Henri Chemin, who led the race department of Chrysler France in the early 1970s, and it spent many years in the museum of car collector Adrien Maeght, and both men preserved the scratch-built wooden body, the metal chassis and the little compression-ignition engine in perfect condition. £15,000. bentleyslondon.com

VINTAGE RENAULT ÉTOILE FILANTE POSTER It was 70 years ago this year that Joseph Szydlowski, founder of French gas turbine manufacturer Turbomeca, contacted Renault to propose a joint venture. That was the first step of a journey that ended in Bonneville two years later, when the striking Étoile Filante, or ‘Shooting Star’, whistled across the Salt Flats at 191.9mph, setting a Land Speed Record for a gas-turbine-powered car weighing under 1000kg – an achievement celebrated by this period poster. £972. chicagovintageposters.com 148

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TRIUMPH TIGER 110 T-SHIRT Seven decades after the Tiger 110 went on sale, that logo, featuring the number 110 disguised as stripes, still delights. There was some debate, of course, about whether the T110 quite lived up to its name – meant to indicate the bike’s top speed.

Triumph apparently wound a T110 up to 117mph during testing, but no matter how they tried, the staff of The Motor Cycle couldn’t exceed a measured 109mph. ‘One-ten’, we suspect, suited Triumph’s sales department better! £50. triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

SCALEXTRIC LAND ROVER SERIES I The Series I Land Rover wouldn’t be anyone’s track weapon of choice in real life, but slot car racers rushed in droves to buy the Scalextric model of the ur-Landie. It was popular enough that Scalextric has now released a second version, based on a Poppy Red vehicle that served with the Derbyshire Fire Service. £53.99. scalextric.com

F1 24 VIDEO GAME

POSITANO PANAMA HAT

BY MISTER MILLER

The folks at publisher EA say this will be the most realistic F1 game yet.

What they mean, thankfully, is that major changes have been made to the way the cars behave – and not that the game consists of watching Max Verstappen win race after race. £69.99. game.co.uk

Woven by hand in Ecuador (where the Panama hat was in fact born) and essential kit during concours season; we’ll wager that plenty of you have attended a summer car show hatless and returned home with a face glowing Ferrari red. £175. mistermiller.co.uk

MCLAREN M8D PRINT BY PAUL HOWSE Paul Howse captures Denny Hulme at the wheel of the M8D during the 1970 Can-Am season. At the end of the first race of the campaign Hulme could barely open his hands – badly burned a month earlier at the Indy 500 – to remove them from the steering wheel. He’d felt compelled to drive in memory of Bruce McLaren, who had died while testing the M8D, and Hulme continued to ‘do it for Bruce’ throughout 1970, winning six out of ten Can-Am races and the drivers’ title.

From £40. paulhowseart.co.uk

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Books

REVIEWED BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS

Faces of Formula 1 The Sixties HARTMUT LEHBRINK & JÖRG-THOMAS FÖDISCH, Prova Edition, € 125, ISBN 978 3 000742 72 9

Book of theh mont

BMW Behind the Scenes STEVE SAXTY, stevesaxty.com, £235 for three-volume set, £79.95 for BMW by Design only

‘It never really leaves you – even though I left BMW years ago, I still feel oddly vested in its future and quietly root for its newest car. I know I shouldn’t care so much about BMW but I still do, and I always will.’ Not a quote from author Steve Saxty (he was better known as a Ford man, in his industry days) but of a senior ex-BMW designer who remains anonymous. It’s hidden at the end of a short piece about the character of (and characters among) BMW’s design team, past and present, in one of the three books making up this impressive slipcased set. And it is tellingly candid.

Regular readers may recall that we ran an abridged version of a chapter from BMW’s Hidden Gems in Octane 248. Here you’ll see more of the same fabulous design sketches, but they’re still a mere fraction of what’s on offer. This chapter is preceded by the full story of BMW’s own re-creation of the Bertone-designed Garmisch concept, which was based on the structure of an ’02-series and involved much detective work within BMW to source such obscure elements as the correct (Fiat 130 Coupé!) headlamps and (Fiat X1/9, Dino GT4, Lancia Stratos) doorhandles. Fascinating stuff, and plenty of design sketches accompany the luxe photography.

The rest of this volume features the ‘secret life of the Z1’, a never-before-seen repacement (called ‘2K2’) for the 2002 that clearly inspired the later 1-series coupé; a chapter on detailing from badges to wheels, and another devoted to a host of concept sketches that made it no further than ink on paper.

As Saxty himself writes: ‘The sparkle behind each of them deserves to be hidden no longer.’

The quote at the beginning of this review comes from the BMW Art by Design volume, a collection of artworks from several eras of BMW design, each accompanied by a quote from the artist responsible and reproduced separately in an enveloped set of art prints, all presented within a box that itself sits within the slipcase alongside the other two volumes!

Presentation is important here; paper quality is high, as are production and design values. The whole thing is a reflection of the character of the subject matter. You don’t have to go the whole hog: BMW

by Design is available on its own, and is the most conventional volume of the set, being a chronological exploration of BMW’s design history (there’s even a section about BMW’s early Mini designs, and for the Range Rover that made production under Ford).

If there is a criticism it is that, while BMW has granted access to its archive, much of what we see here is from the last 30 years or so. Perhaps, Steve, there’s scope in future for a volume that looks a little further back? GW

Immaculately produced on high-quality art paper, this slipcased photo book contains 78 full-page portraits of 1960s F1 drivers, all taken by rural doctor-turned-photographer Dr Benno Müller. Facing each portrait is a condensed one-page biography of the driver portrayed, a democratic layout that gives equal space to lesser-known talents such as Giulio Cabianca, fatally injured while testing a Cooper T51Ferrari hybrid in 1961. With text in German and English, it’s MD a handsome work.

Ford Bronco The Original SUV PETE EVANOW, Motorbooks, £30, ISBN 978 0 7603 8333 9

Model histories are not always an enjoyable read but this enthusiastically written overview is an object lesson in how to produce one: lively style, plentiful images, lots of digressions about, for example, Bronco concepts, and excellent, colourful layout with easy-toread type. Thankfully, it’s not just a PR promotion for the latest model (the Bronco lapsed from 1996 to 2021) but covers the whole story from 1965 in depth, including cultural references – such as OJ Simpson’s infamous police ‘chase’ in a white Bronco. MD

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Design & Desire KEITH HELFET, Porter Press International, £39, ISBN 978 1 913089 01 6

If last month’s Octane interview with Keith Helfet left you wanting to know more about the XJ220’s designer, then this beautifully produced autobiography from Porter Press promises the story.

Helfet’s career was born out of a life-long interest in cars: even before studying design at college, or putting pencil to paper, he designed his first sports car, constructed over the chassis of an old Triumph Spitfire using a wooden frame and polyurethane insulation. A few years later he moved from his native South Africa to the UK to attend the Royal College of Art in London. After graduating, he secured a job at Jaguar, where he was mentored by company founder Sir William Lyons.

This 128-page hardback is brilliantly illustrated with

over 160 images – many of which have been taken from Helfet’s own archive. His working life is detailed from those earliest days all the way through to some of his most recent projects – including the intriguing Helfet Bike, stillborn Joule EV and a selection of medical MRI scanners.

With the majority of the autobiography dedicated to the Jaguar years – with insight into the XJ41, XK180 and, of course, a large chapter on the creation of the XJ220 – it’s great to learn about these projects from Helfet’s perspective. A fantastic read. MH

The Spectre Arises

Collector’s book

STEVE SUCKEY, Nubes Argentea, 2015, value £275

Nubes Argentea – which is Latin for ‘Silver Cloud’ – produces very high-quality books that, as the name suggests, are mostly about Rolls-Royce cars, plus some on Bentley. It’s a passion project by uber-enthusiast Davide Bassoli, an Italian leading light in the RollsRoyce world, and all his books are distinguished by superb design and production.

The Spectre Arises focuses on the Phantom III, the largest and most innovative pre-war Rolls-Royce, and is an incredibly comprehensive piece of work by Australian author Steve Suckey. Most of the 727 cars that were built are illustrated, the histories of many of them are described,

and there’s also an appendix about the cars that have been lost or scrapped – of which there are relatively few.

Besides all this individual chassis detail, there’s info about mechanical spec, the many coachbuilders who clothed Phantom chassis, and much more, all presented in a handy size and slip-cased.

Until recently, the book was still available from Nubes Argentea itself, but now stocks have dried up and its value will climb.

Ben Horton

Benetton: Rebels of Formula 1 DAMIEN SMITH, Evro Publishing, £60, ISBN 978 1 910505 58 8

Oiling the Cogs JIM & GUY LOVERIDGE, Douglas Loveridge Publications, £30, ISBN 978 1 900113 22 9

A chance discovery of a suitcase full of papers, photos and cuttings led to this previously unpublished autobiography of British motor industry PR supremo, Reg Bishop. Starting at lorry maker Guy Motors in 1923, he rose to become BMC’s PR manager and was in charge of the ad campaigns for the launch of the Mini in 1959.

Drafted by him during the 1970s, his story is very much a traditional industry insider’s account: very little personal info, lots of stats, but with some flashes of humour, too. It’s a great insight into the business of selling cars, back in the day. MD

The big question in addressing this book is: how rebellious was Benetton, really? Did it usurp F1’s established order in the way that Brawn GP or Hesketh came out of nowhere and kicked over the apple cart, or was all that gaudy beauty and attitude a carefully cultivated extension of the clothing brand with its controversy-seeking billboards? A bit like one of those faux indy movies that the big studios used to put out in the early 2000s.

I find it hard to think of a better person to delve into this than Damien ‘Damo’ Smith, long-serving motorsport journalist (most notably with Autosport and Motor Sport but for Octane, too), briefly a teacher and even more briefly a PR man. Now he has teamed up with motorsports publishing specialist Evro to deliver this 344-page medium-format (272x228mm) hardback that packs almost 300 nicely used photos.

There’s a foreword and a hefty contribution by current F1 chief technical officer Pat Symonds, who had been at Toleman when it was taken over by cash-rich Benetton and, after a brief sojourn at Reynard, stayed beyond Benetton itself morphing into Renault. Symonds’ high point was being Michael Schumacher’s race engineer. Due to the later redwash, it’s easy to forget (unless you are Damon

Hill) that Schumacher’s first two titles were for the mid-90s’ most dominant team in a decade ruled by just three: Benetton, McLaren and Williams. And Symonds is far from the only person from, or witness to, Benetton’s 1986-2001 history that Smith has interviewed. There’s input from Flavio Briatore, Rory Byrne, Martin Brundle, Jenson Button, Damon Hill, David Richards, Riccardo Patrese and more. Plus, there’s a full set of results in which to lose yourself.

Conclusion: for me, Benetton was more flamboyant and mischievous than hardcore F1 insurrectionist, just a particularly boisterous chapter in a story that is still unfolding as Alpine, but it’s a bloody good story well told in an extremely easy read. Highly recommended.

JE

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Models

REVIEWS AND PHOTOGRAPHY MARK DIXON

Classic model WORDS: ANDREW RALSTON IMAGE: VECTIS AUCTIONS

JAGUAR XK120

by Doepke

1:18 scale

1990 LANCIA DELTA INTEGRALE

By Ixo Price £83.95 Material Diecast

The 1990 Marlboro Safari Rally was a particularly tough event, the wettest since 1977, and only ten cars finished from a field of 59 starters. The Lancia Delta Integrale of Juha Kankkunen and Juha Piironen came second, 38.12sec behind the winning Toyota Celica GT-4 of veterans Björn Waldegård – the oldest driver to win a WRC event, until the 2022 Monte – and his co-driver Fred Gallagher.

Inconveniently, the mirror-tinted side and rear windows of Ixo’s model are authentic, so you can’t see much of the interior – but that hardly matters when the exterior is such a riot of colours, graphics and sponsors’ decals. The white plastic wheels are a minor disappointment but overall it’s a stunning model that you’ll spend ages poring over, and it’s very reasonably priced for a complex subject in this scale.

2016 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Schuco Pro.R £85.95 Shown at Pebble Beach in 2016, this concept had translucent blue interior elements – and so does the model.

2023 Ferrari 499P Looksmart £104.95 Fantastic model of a highly significant car, the first Ferrari to win Le Mans since 1995. Utterly faultless.

1975 Lola T294 DSN 43 £87.95 Another superb Le Mans model, of the Lola that came 28th in a race hindered by stringent fuel economy regulations.

1969 Lola T70 Mk3B Spark £69.95 It’s not poorly painted: this Haas T70 model depicts the extended tail that was hastily grafted on before Le Mans.

1967 CD SP66 Spark £69.95 Sadly, a broken con-rod put this 1150cc streamliner out of Le Mans in ’67, but the model is compelling.

2022 Bugatti T73 Project 3D Evrat £172.95 Exclusive and therefore pricey ‘what if?’ handbuilt of a 1943 design that never progressed beyond a sketch.

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Given that the majority of Jaguar XK120s were exported to the USA, it’s hardly surprising that many toy and model versions of the car were made there, too. By far the most impressive was made by an Ohio-based machine tool company called Doepke (pronounced ‘Dep-key’) which, even today, compares favourably with current products in terms of detail and accuracy.

The two Doepke brothers, Charles and Frederick (aka Charlie and Fritz), used their industrial experience to branch into toy manufacture with pressed-steel roadbuilding and construction vehicles, such as a Caterpillar Crawler, an Earth Hauler and a hefty 26in-long Adams Diesel Road Grader. Though sturdily constructed, most of these ended up having a hard life as outdoor playthings.

However, the most sought-after Doepke products are its two British sports cars: an MG TD from 1954 and a Jaguar from 1955. Made of diecast metal, these kits were promoted by Doepke not as children’s toys but as an ‘absorbing educational father-and-son project’.

Each model was assembled with a screwdriver and included steerable front wheels, working leaf springs and a metal chassis, features that were possible because the models were so large: the MG was 15in long and the Jaguar measured 17in.

Helpfully, the bodyshells came pre-painted, the MG being undercoated and the XK fully glossed, light blue being the most usual colour.

Obviously, the fathers and sons who bought the Doepke kits did so to build them, so an unmade example with all the components still neatly packed in their box is now worth hundreds of pounds.

Models shown above are to 1:43 scale and are available from Grand Prix Models, +44 (0)1295 278070, www.grandprixmodels.com

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Ferrari 288 GTO

Even better on the right rubber

Described by Ferrari as its “first ever supercar”, the 288 GTO is forty years old this year, a milestone the factory is celebrating. Loosely based on the Ferrari 308 and 328 styling, the two hundred and seventy two GTOs produced are now of cult status.

This very nicely detailed 1:18 kerbside diecast scale model of the “other” GTO is made by German brand KK Scale and is cracking value. Whilst not original, the model is also available in yellow and black with tan interior.

The best classic car experience is just a new set of tyres away. We stock new tyres in period-correct patterns for cars from the 1890s through to the 1990s. On road, off-road, rallying or racing – itʼs even better on the right rubber and thatʼs all we sell at Vintage Tyres.

Only £87.25* + £6.50 p&p** *RRP £96.95 **UK only, rest of world at cost.

01590 612261 sales@vintagetyres.com vintagetyres.com

Tel: 01295 278070 mail@grandprixmodels.com

www.grandprixmodels.com

better by design

Designer t-shirts and sweatshirts for car fans, cycling fans, vintage tech fans - you name it.

From T-lab - an independent British brand inspired by art, design and popular culture.

WWW.T-LAB.CO.UK

See the full range at www.t-lab.co.uk

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3 I SSU E S FO R J UST £5 Fuelling the passion

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J U N E 2 0 2 4 COLLECTORS’ EDITION

M A Y 2 0 2 4 COLLECTORS’ EDITION

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Fuelling the passion

Fuelling the passion

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GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE NOW Pay £1.66 an issue for your first 3 issues (usual shop price £5.99) Never miss an issue – FREE delivery direct to your door Money-back guarantee – cancel and we’ll refund your remaining issues Unique subscriber-only covers

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Edited by Matthew Hayward

The Market B U Y I N G + S E L L I N G + A N A LY S I S

TOP 10 PRICES APRIL 2024 £5,289,086 ($6,605,000) 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis Special Cabriolet Gooding & Company, Oxnard, California, USA. 26 April

BROAD ARROW / ROBIN ADAMS

£2,435,668 ($3,082,500) 2018 Bugatti Chiron Bring a Trailer, online, USA. 8 April £2,294,292 ($2,865,000) 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach Broad Arrow Auctions, Orange County, California, USA. 27 April

Porsches strong in California Broad Arrow’s Porsche-only Air|Water event sale raises a respectable $15.6m FORGIVE THE PORSCHE overload this month, but Broad Arrow Auctions’ $15.6m Porscheexclusive sale at the Luftgekühlt Air|Water event has proved an interesting barometer on the current auction market for the Stuttgart brand. Being located on-site at a Porsche event ensured a busy saleroom, which translated into a decent 80% sell-through rate.

Top sale of the day went to the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach – just under its lower estimate at $2,865,000 – closely followed by a Canepa-modified 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort at $1,930,000. One particularly strong performer at just over its estimate was a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT at $1,792,500.

Less successful was the glorious 1969 Porsche 908/02 Langheck ‘Flunder’ Spyder, which failed to sell on the day with a high bid of $4.2m. It’s currently offered post-sale for $4.7m. Another particularly special car that failed to attract enough bids was a 1997 RUF BTR Twin – one of just ten 993-based cars produced, and recently upgraded and restored

by RUF in 2023 – but this one did find a new home post-sale for $1,150,000.

Bargain of the day had to be the 1986 Porsche 962 IMSA GTP Dyson Racing, which sold for $775,000.

Not only was this car well-campaigned in period, it’s

also since proven itself to be a formidable contender in historic racing.

April also saw a selection of 114 cars from the collection of late enthusiast Peter Mullin head to auction. Taking place at Mullin’s former museum in Oxnard, California, Gooding & Company offered everything at no reserve, with sales topping $19,016,295. Many cars exceeded expectations, but it was the 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis Special Cabriolet that doubled its estimate with a final price of $6,605,000. The first of two Bugatti auction benchmarks, the second was the 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupé at $1,105,000, the most valuable Type 46 ever sold at auction.

Many cars from the Schlumpf Reserve Collection were also offered, with many of them performing incredibly well. Yet more Bugattis – a 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Break de Chasse ($445,000), 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Faux Cabriolet ($246,400), 1931 Bugatti Type 40A Roadster ($302,000) and a pair of Type 57 Ventoux ($472,500 and $511,000) – found new homes. Perhaps most interesting were the countless less exotic French curios, although the less said about the 2009 Citroën C3 Pluriel Charleston edition the better…

£1,853,783 ($2,315,000) 1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Gooding & Company, Oxnard, California, USA. 26 April £1,545,544 ($1,930,000) 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort Broad Arrow Auctions, Orange County, California, USA. 27 April £1,435,434 ($1,792,500) 2005 Porsche Carrera GT Broad Arrow Auctions, Orange County, California, USA. 27 April £1,107,500 (€1,378,738) 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder Collecting Cars, online, Austria. 23 April £1,044,947 ($1,292,500) 2022 Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition Barrett-Jackson, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. 20 April £986,338 ($1,228,500) 2022 Ford GT 64 Heritage Edition Bring a Trailer, online, USA. 17 April £920,920 ($1,150,000) 1997 RUF BTR Twin Broad Arrow Auctions, Orange County, California, USA. 27 April The top ten data is supplied courtesy of HAGERTY

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Three-body problem UK, US and EU Porsche 930 values are now aligning ACCORDING TO Transport for London, the average speed in our nation’s capital is a heady 9.5mph in the centre of town, a rapid 20.4mph on the outskirts. Drive a little further and, according to the Department for Transport, you’ll hit 17.4mph on urban A-roads and 34.4mph in rural areas, picking your way between the potholes as you go. Speeds on Britain’s roads have almost never been slower since the man waving a red flag was consigned to history.

British roads have never been especially quick.

Narrow roads that evolved from Saxon horse tracks, flanked by ditches and blackthorn hedges and populated by horses, Sunday drivers and Lycra-clad cyclist packs, may be fun, but they’re not fast. Now, increased traffic, crumbling Tarmac and the sheer size of modern cars means that driving for pleasure in an old car, especially a performance model, can result in a rise in blood pressure.

This could be the reason behind one of the most unexpected trends that Hagerty has identified over the past year: that UK values of the Porsche 911 (930) Turbo are falling. It’s strange because, on the other side of the Atlantic, the exact opposite is happening, and in Europe prices are fairly static. The changes are reflected in all body styles (except the ultra-rare Flachbau coupé) and in both 3.0- and 3.3-litre engine sizes.

The Porsche Turbo was always an iconic car with the British Gen X demographic who had the Athena poster on their wall and, as kids, stared in disbelief at the enormous whaletail and flared arches when they were fortunate enough to see one on the road. Years later, as they emerged blinking from the Covid lockdown, they set about buying their hero cars and prices soared. Then, last year, things started to slow, and stall, then drop. Hagerty’s UK ‘excellent’ condition values for the early 3.0-litre 930 Coupé are down 16% in a year. In the same period, for the same car, Hagerty’s US Guide shows a 31% increase.

It’s quite possible that prices rose too quickly and are now correcting, but another reason may be the rise of the 930’s little brother, the 3.2 Carrera coupé.

With most of the looks and at a third of the price of the Turbo, it is attracting buyers, with UK prices up 9% in the past 12 months. Maybe the Carrera’s performance is the Goldilocks level: just enough for the road conditions. According to Andy Brookes, founder of the lively Porsche enthusiast group, the 9WERKS Driven Not Hidden Collective (DNHC), all non-turbo 911s of the era are rising in popularity.

‘The WhatsApp groups are buzzing with chat about the want for G-Series cars,’ he says, ‘particularly the normally aspirated versions. Demand is high and prices seem to be rising towards 930 prices at an ever quicker pace. It’s great that everyone

is keen on getting them out for road trips.’

Compare that to the other side of the pond, where Turbo values are soaring and the top cars reaching nearly half-a-million dollars. There, the roads are long, straight and wide and everyone loves forced induction, as Rob Dickinson of Singer Vehicle Design told me.

‘When the 930 Turbo was launched in the mid-70s it changed the path of the 911 forever, creating Porsche’s first “supercar” and establishing the road-going 911’s turbocharged DNA,’ he said.

‘The 930 Turbo was iconic the moment it arrived, and the [US] values of the car today reflect the impact that it had on both the automotive world as a whole, and the evolution of the 911. When the time came for Singer to reimagine a turbocharged 911 for the first time it was the 930 Turbo that we paid homage to. This is the car, in its original “whaletail” incarnation, that we celebrate through our collaboration with clients.’ Singer’s reimagination of the 911 led to the Turbo Study, a car that drew even more attention to the 930 that inspired it.

Despite all these movements in value, it’s fascinating to see that the result is an alignment: last year, US Hagerty values were 62% lower than the corresponding UK price for the 930 3.0 coupé, with EU values in the middle. Now, that gap is just 6%.

Maybe US buyers are just finally catching up with what we in the UK have known all along: the 930 is an awesome car.

John Mayhead Hagerty Price Guide editor, market commentator and concours judge

P O R S C H E 9 1 1 ( 9 3 0 ) T U R B O : G L O B A L VA L U E S C O N V E R G E Hagerty ‘Excellent’ values of 911 (930) 3.0 coupé converted to GBP. 190k 180k 170k

UK EU US

160k 150k 140k 130k

Sept 2023

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The Market Auctions

Sweet dreams are made of this RM Sotheby’s, Toronto, Canada 31 May – 1 June AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION of cars, motorcycles, automobilia – not to mention a world-class sneaker collection (see last month’s Also Look Out For) – will be offered

by RM Sotheby’s from the Dare to Dream collection, put together over many decades

by Miles Nadal, a Canadian entrepreneur.

It’s a particularly eclectic collection, which at one end features fairly humble Japanese classics such as a Honda S800 and Nissan Figaro, right through to modern hypercars and all-time classics Nadal acquired a taste for after a private tour of Ralph Lauren’s collection.

There’s a strong contingent of Ferraris, with a full set of the ‘halo’ models from 288 GTO and F40 right through to Enzo and LaFerrari hypercars – not forgetting the pictured F50, estimated at $3.8-4.5m.

The cars in this collection are all of great quality, especially the fully matching numbers 300SL Gullwing (pictured top) that, complete with its Rudge knock-off wheels and fitted luggage, is expected to fetch $1.6-2m. Sitting alongside it is a 300SL Roadster, in rare Light Blue. Authentically restored, and equally correct as the Gullwing, this matching numbers example is estimated at $1.5-1.8m.

Nadal’s collection will be offered via three auctions: one two-day sale at the 17,000sq ft exhibition space where the collection resides in the heart of Toronto, followed by two online sales. rmsothebys.com

RUF and ready Broad Arrow Auctions 15-16 August AFTER THE YELLOWBIRD, German manufacturer RUF continued to push boundaries, offering performance far in excess of the Porsches on which they were based.

This 1998 CTR II is one of approximately 30 ‘Body in White’ cars built by RUF, as opposed to the many converted cars.

It was ordered from the factory with an uprated 580bhp engine, wide body and four-wheel drive. Other options include a short-ratio gearbox and carbon brakes.

Showing 28,700km from new, and coming from its original owner with a comprehensive history, it’s estimated to make $2.2-2.5million when it heads to the Monterey Jet Centre broadarrowauctions.com in August.

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1960 Renault Floride Gordini Convertible

AUC T ION DI A RY

H&H Classics, Duxford, UK 19 June, handh.co.uk

Please confirm details with auction houses before travelling

Originally a resident of the Channel Islands, this convertible Floride was optioned with an uprated 40bhp Gordini engine from the factory, making it a true top-of-the-range car. Extremely rare to find in right-hand-drive UK spec, this restored example is said to be in fully working order, with just 22,000 miles. It’s estimated to make £14,000-18,000.

1991 Honda VFR750R Type RC30

1936 Austin 10 Clifton Tourer

1995 Aston Martin DB7 coupé

Iconic Auctioneers, London, UK 5 June, iconicauctioneers.com

Charterhouse, Somerset, UK 27 June, charterhouse-cars.com

CCA, Cheshire, UK 1 June, classiccarauctions.co.uk

One of the most desirable (and expensive) superbikes of the late 1980s, this stunning-looking RC30 is offered in fully restored condition. The Italian-market example was rebuilt by Anson Classic Restorations at a cost of over £14k, and has covered just 271km since. Offered with an estimate of £25,000-30,000.

There’s a lot of character and charm ingrained in the bodywork and interior of this little Austin, which has been in the same family since 1951. It has a great history, with some substantial expenditure in 2013 and 2017. It’s thought that there are around 40 of these Cliftons left , and this one could be yours for as little as £6500-7500.

Aston Martin Racing Green is arguably the best colour for an early DB7, and this ‘pre-airbag’ example looks eminently usable, too. The description boasts of a detailed history file to back up the 73,000-mile odometer reading. Not as accomplished as a DB9, but at £16,000-18,000 this could be an absolute bargain GT.

Also Look Out For… In 1955, Martin Schøyen travelled from his native Norway to Italy, and in Florence he bought an old book. Inside, the 15-year-old found a fragment of a French manuscript dating from the late Middle Ages, and his inner Indiana Jones was awakened.

He has since hoovered up thousands of historically important manuscripts. Christie’s, which will auction some of them in London on 11 June, notes ‘it should not have been possible to build a collection of such quality in the second half of the 20th Century’. Many cultural commentators and academics would say the same, in less admiring tones… But build it Schøyen did, and you’re looking at one of his most significant acquisitions, the so-called Crosby-Schøyen Codex.

More precisely, you’re looking at a couple of leaves from the Codex – a Biblical text, in Coptic, written on papyrus in 3rd or 4th Century Egypt. The Codex was produced not as a scroll but as a bound volume,

and today it is the oldest known book still in private hands. Between the 7th Century and around 1952, it lay buried in the sand inside a jar, and thanks to Egypt’s arid climate it was well-preserved: of the original 68 leaves, 51 are complete or ‘substantially complete’ and, for the privilege of being able to study them up close, somebody is expected to pay £2-3m.

25 May Manor Park Classics, Runcorn, UK 30 May Iconic Auctioneers, online 31 May-1 June RM Sotheby’s, Toronto, Canada 1 June Classic Car Auctions, Knutsford, UK Oldtimer Galerie, Lucerne, Switzerland 1-2 June Lucky Collector Car Auctions, Tacoma, USA 5 June Iconic Auctioneers, London, UK 6 June Charterhouse, Sparkford, UK (motorcycles) 7-8 June Mecum, Tulsa, USA 8 June Barons, Southampton, UK Monaco Car Auctions, Monaco Osenat, Sausheim, France WB & Sons, Killingworth, UK 11-18 June Bonhams, online 12 June RM Sotheby’s, Taplow, UK 12-13 June Mathewsons, online 14-24 June Bonhams, online (motorcycles) 15 June Silver Auctions, Coeur d’Alene, USA 19 June Brightwells, online H&H, Duxford, UK 20 June Brightwells, online DVCA, Bridport, UK 22 June Dore & Rees, Frome, UK 22-23 June ACA, King’s Lynn, UK 23 June Aguttes, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France 27 June Charterhouse, Sparkford, UK 28 June Ewbank’s, Send, UK 29 June Artcurial, Gassin, France IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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The Market Data mining

The 25-year itch

IN NUMBERS

NISSAN SKYLINE R32 GT-R

America is a global magnet for JDM cars

THE CLASSIC CAR MOST SHIPPED INTO THE US

EYE-WATERING PRICES paid for Japanese performance cars at online auction, the popularity of the modified car scene and the demand for anything connected with The Fast and The Furious franchise: America is obsessed by JDM cars. Now, thanks to shipping data analysis, the scale of that passion can be quantified.

Hagerty tracked all cars over three years old (to avoid new car delivery) shipped in and out of the United States, going back to 2010. The result is fascinating: of the top ten models currently being shipped into America, eight are Japanese cars and one – the Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R – is being shipped in monthly quantities nearly double that of the car in second place – the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80.

Until December 2020, the most shipped model was the R33’s predecessor, the Skyline R32 GT-R, and over the whole

14-year period this was the most numerous model imported to the US, including being the mostimported car from Japan (3408), Germany (70), the UK (67) and Australia (165).

Further down the top ten monthly imports are the standard versions of the R32 and R33, plus the Toyota Supra A80. Other than being cool, Japanese and high-performance, these cars also have another key characteristic: the models are all over 25 years old. That means they can be imported and used in the US without being modified to current safety and emission standards, something almost impossible to backdate. Plus, like many recent trends in the motoring world, Covid seemed to spark this flurry of imports: until July 2020, Germany had been dominant as the country of origin of older vehicle imports into the US. Since then, Japan has taken

over and, in October 2023 (the most recent month Hagerty has figures for), 1131 cars were imported from there – five times the number from Germany.

Australia also has a 25-year import rule and, like Japan, drives on the left-hand side of the road.

Plus, there may be exemptions for rare or high-performance cars listed in the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles (SEVs) register. That’s where we’ll look next.

44,000 276 95:5% 15

TOP 10 US IMPORTS 1989-1994 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 1991-2016 Land Rover Defender 1991-1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80 2006-2011 Honda Civic 2003-2007 Honda Accord 1995-1998 Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R 2005-2014 Ford Mustang 1994-1997 Nissan Skyline R33 1993-1998 Toyota Supra 1997-2006 Jeep Wrangler (TJ)

HAGERTY GLOBAL QUOTE DEMOGRAPHICS

Auction Tracker

in February 2015 was a pivotal moment for Barchettas; its Italian-registered example with 3500km that fetched €274,160 (£234,750) marked the point when the best collector-grade cars began to consistently make in excess of £200,000 at auction. Six months later the Pebble Beach sales indicated the market had moved on significantly, RM Sotheby’s selling a 3000-miler (pictured) for $462,000 (£370,000) before Gooding & Company set a new record the following day when its car with only

150 miles brought $726,000 (£581,250). Gooding subsequently resold its record-holder in 2022 with negligible additional miles for $665,000 (£532,500).

Max Girardo comments: ‘The 550 Barchetta has all the attributes Ferrari collectors desire. It’s a beautiful limited-edition open-top front-engined V12 with a manual ’box. Demand has increased, but I think they deserve to be more valuable still.

‘Mileage, service history and low owner numbers are key when it

comes to value, though colour plays a role, too. Most were red, which makes them less sought-after.

Ferrari also delivered special-edition cars with a wealth of paraphernalia, and these cars can be considerably more desirable to buyers.

‘Because of its limited-production status, the 550 Barchetta can be Ferrari Classiche certified and I’d have one in my garage in a heartbeat. One day collectors might well look back to when they were €400,000 and rue not buying one.’

Rod Laws

Ferrari 550 Barchetta Ferrari unveiled the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina in 2000 to commemorate the coachbuilder’s 70th anniversary. Production was limited to 448 examples, all pre-sold to its most loyal customers.

Artcurial’s Rétromobile sale

BUILT WORLDWIDE

BHP

STANDARD SPEC 2.6L

SOLD ONLINE vs LIVE

CARS SOLD VIA COLLECTING CARS OVER 12 MONTHS

3.8%

BABY BOOMER 1946-1964 19.1%

GEN X 1965-1980 54.6%

MILLENNIAL 1981-1996 22.4%

GEN Z 1997-2012

£600,000

£400,000

£200,000 Line charts the top prices for comparable cars at auction.

£0 2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

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Glenmarch is the largest free-to-access online resource for classic and collector car auction markets.

Visit glenmarch.com to keep up to date.

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PETER BRADFIELD BRADFIELD LTD LTD PETER PETER BRADFIELD LTD PETER BRADFIELD PETER BRADFIELD LTD LTD PETER BRADFIELD BRADFIELD LTD LTD PETER PETER BRADFIELD LTD PETER BRADFIELD PETER BRADFIELD LTD LTD

1964 Works Healey 3000 Lightweight

1952 car.

Frazer Targa Florio 9” “767 KNX” is an important historic racing It was Nash hand built by the Healey “KYN Motor Company Competition Department with a The Targa Florio was designed as a sports car with competition potential.

“KYN 9” is unique being12 theHour” only Frazer builtHopkirk with a lightweight chassis and an all-aluminium body. It was the only ‘Works’ entry for the 1964 “Sebring driven Nash

by Paddy 2.6 litre Austin engine and was show-cased at the 1952 London Motorshow.

It sold to an American and competed in the 1954 Golden and then campaigned by Ted Worswick in the 1966 Targa Florio with Alan Minshaw and in 1968 with Richard Bond. The current owner Gate Park Race in San Francisco. In 1986 it was bought by the famous British actor, John Rhys-Davies and he brought it back to the acquired it in 2015 and Jeremy Welch thoroughly race prepared it. KNX is very fast and handles well. The high performance 3 litre UK. KYN 9 has been race prepared by Blakeney Motorsport and is in beautiful ‘race ready’ condition in perfect BRG paint and black engine with threeIt45DCOE Webers alltonneau round disc brakes give it a screen very nice It perspex has a fuel cell, fire system safety and Borrani wheels. is complete withand hood, cover and original andedge. a sexy number that can beand fitted for cage racing. over four years has filled a trophy cabinet.

Comes with sets of wheels, spares etc, buy your own cabinet.

FIA and FIVA papers, genuine roadable race car. Drive to the track and take part. Weighty history file etc.

1964 Works Healey 3000 Lightweight

“767 KNX” is an important historic racing car. It was hand built by the Healey Motor Company Competition Department with a lightweight chassis and an all-aluminium body. It was the only ‘Works’ entry for the 1964 “Sebring 12 Hour” driven by Paddy Hopkirk and then campaigned by Ted Worswick in the 1966 Targa Florio with Alan Minshaw and in 1968 with Richard Bond. The current owner acquired it in 2015 and Jeremy Welch thoroughly race prepared it. KNX is very fast and handles well. The high performance 3 litre engine with three 45DCOE Webers and all round disc brakes give it a very nice edge. It has a fuel cell, fire system and safety cage and over four years has filled a trophy cabinet. Comes with sets of wheels, spares etc, buy your own cabinet.

1925 Bentley LitreSpeed Speed Model 1925 Bentley3-4½ 3-4½ Litre Model

Chassis 1066 was delivered with the desirable Vanden Plas coachwork and both chassis and body numbers are stamped in the right Chassis 1066 was delivered with the desirable Vanden Plas coachwork and both chassis and body numbers are stamped in the right Bentley 3-4½ Litre Model places. It was uprated to 4½ litres in 2010 1925 with new crank and rods giving itSpeed a good turn of speed and reliability. That Mr. Getley has been places. ItChassis was uprated to 4½ litres inthe 2010 with Vanden new crank and rods and giving itchassis a good turn of speed and reliability.

That Mr. Getley 1066 was delivered withof desirable owners Plas coachwork both delight and body numbers are stamped and in theit right looking after it but clearly a number previous have taken a dogged in ignoring paintwork has accordingly has beenplaces. looking after it but clearly a number previous have a dogged inthe ignoring paintwork It was uprated to 4½ litres in 2010 withof new crank andowners rods giving it a taken good turn of speeddelight and reliability.

That Mr.the Getley has been and it has developed a depth of patina you could drown in.

It bears its battle-scars as badges of honour and has appeared onhas at least threeon Flying accordingly developed a depth of patina you could drown in.

It bears its battle-scars as badges of honour and appeared at looking after it but clearly a number of previous owners have taken a dogged delight in ignoring the paintwork and it has accordingly Scotsman Rallies and raced at Goodwood.

Concours types, ‘try-hards; and matching number zealots need not enquire but will suit any least three Flying aScotsman Rallies Goodwood beating a as Blower an SSK. Rally spec includes developed depth of patina you and couldraced drownatin.

It bears its battle-scars badges and of honour and has appeared on at leastoverdrive three Flyingand Monit. blaggard, bounder or but cad.will ConcoursScotsman types, ‘try-hards; and at matching number zealots need not enquire suit zealots any blaggard, bounder cad.

Rallies and raced Goodwood.

Concours types, ‘try-hards; and matching number need not enquire butor will suit any

Alsobounder available blaggard, or cad.

Also available Also available Alsoavailable available: See Website for more details Also Also available See Website for more details AlsoInvicta available 1925 Bentley 3/4½See Litre 1933 S Type 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ1 Website for more details Also available See Website for more details 1931 Invicta S Type | 1931 Bentley 4½ Litre Blower 1961 Jaguar E Type OTS (Flat Floor-OBL) 1925 BentleySee 3/4½ Website Litre 1933 Invicta Smore Type 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ1 . See Website for more details for details | Also available Also available See Website for more details Also available See Website for more details See Website for more details Also available Also available 8 REECE REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE 3HE Also available See Website for more details 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE 3HE Also available 8 MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 See Website for details 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE See formore more details 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE SeeWebsite Website for more details 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON SW7 8787 3HE peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: LONDON 020 7589 8787 www.bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 www.bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787 www.bradfieldcars.com 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787 www.bradfieldcars.com 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787 www.bradfieldcars.com 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787 www.bradfieldcars.com 8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 8787 3HE peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 www.bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787 www.bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com www.bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787 www.bradfieldcars.com peter@bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787

peter@bradfieldcars.com

OCTANE_MAR24_PETER BRADFIELD_222wx285mmh.indd 1 00135515_CSC_010224_D_PeterBradfiled.indd 22 00135515_CSC_010224_D_PeterBradfiled.indd OCTANE_MAR24_PETER BRADFIELD_222wx285mmh.indd 1 00135515_CSC_010224_D_PeterBradfiled.indd 2

00135515_CSC_010224_D_PeterBradfiled.indd PETER BRADFIELD_v2_222mm w x 285mm h.indd 00135515_CSC_010224_D_PeterBradfiled.indd 22 1 00135515_CSC_010224_D_PeterBradfiled.indd 2 00135515_CSC_010224_D_PeterBradfiled.indd 2

www.bradfieldcars.com

Tel: 020 7589 8787 10/01/2024 15/12/2023 15/12/2023 15/12/2023

18:21 14:15 14:15 14:15

10/01/2024 18:21

15/12/2023 14:15 10/05/2024 14:15 16:33 15/12/2023 14:15 15/12/2023 15/12/2023 14:15

The Market Dealer News

SHOWROOM BRIEFS

ALEX BABINGTON

2001 Jaguar XKR Convertible £9995 This XKR has one particularly interesting bit of history: it was bought new by Gerry Rafferty in 2001. Now with 106k miles, it makes for an eminently usable V8 classic with a great story. jamesagger.com (UK)

1971 Dino 246 GT £289,990 from Rardley Motors Ltd, Kent, UK OVER THE YEARS, the taste for Rosso Corsa Ferraris (or Dinos) has certainly shifted. For a long time, red was the only colour that the market demanded, but today other colours are now deemed more desirable. It’s nice to stand out from the crowd.

This matching numbers 246, currently offered by Rardley Motors, was one of those not originally ordered in red when it was sold to its first owner in Jersey. Presented in this fine shade of Grigio Ferro Metallizzato today, it was actually originally ordered in Oro Chiaro (pale gold) in 1971.

It first came to the UK in 1976, imported by Duncan Hamilton & Co. After a couple of years with its second owner, it was once again sold, this time

by Hendon Way Motors to its third owner. It had

undergone its first colour change to blue in 1978, but was soon repainted in its current hue when it went to GTC Engineering of Northamptonshire for a full body restoration in 1982. The interior was retrimmed in the current black in August 1990.

With its current owner – a former director of the Aston Martin Owners Club – since 2006, it has continued to be regularly maintained by well-known engineer Vince Mezullo. Just as importantly, it has been used regularly, as shown by the car’s excellent and continuous history.

One of only 488 right-hand-drive cars built, this 82,000-mile example presents very well today, and is even fitted with the rare, optional but original air conditioning system. rardleymotors.com

1967 Fiat 124 Spider €23,500 A relatively early example of this very prett y car. Powered by the 1.4-litre Fiat twin-cam, this Italian-market car has recently been painted, and looks to be ready for the summer. dgclassiccars.com (IT)

1963 Chevrolet Corvair Coupé Speciale concept, POA This is the Corvair that might have been. Tweaked and restyled by Tom Tjaarda for Pininfarina, it was unveiled at the Geneva show in 1963. A true ‘one-of-one’ show car. canepa.com (US)

The Insider AFTER A SLOW start to the year, we’ve had an incredible three months in which we’ve sold nearly $150,000,000 of cars, though that does include a Ferrari 250 GTO! We’ve seen a surge of interest in most sectors and we’re very optimistic for 2024.

Safe first buy Ferrari Dino 246 GTS. Very pretty, highly desirable and extremely cash-liquid should you wish to sell at any point. Prices range from £350,000 to £750,000, depending on the condition and original specification.

Undervalued McLaren P1: this is a fantastic supercar and is currently undervalued, especially when you compare it to the other duo of the holy trinity set. A good example for just over £1,000,000 is a great buy.

What’s hot? Anything that’s unrepeatable, especially very original cars.

Be careful Don’t buy mediocre examples of cars, the values of which have been dragged up by sales of the very best examples of the same model.

Tom Hartley Jnr Specialist in classic GTs and sports racers, plus modern supercars. tomhartleyjnr.com

1981 Mazda RX-7 R315,950 A beautifully preserved example of Mazda’s rotary sports car, with 65,664km. This series 2 version has the desirable 13-inch diamond cut alloy wheels and a gloriously brown interior. motovillage.co.za (SA)

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1962

JAGUAR E-TYPE FIXED HEAD COUPE METICULOUS FULL RESTORATION

MANUAL 100 MI

2008 PORSCHE

997 GT2 COUPE

GUARDS RED MANUAL

15,000 MI

1970

MERCEDES BENZ

280 SL PAGODA

METICULOUS RESTORATION

For Collectors of Modern Art, experts in Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar and AC Cobra W: hendonwaymotors.com

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T: +44(0)20 8202 8011

15/03/2024 13:51

The Market Buying Guide

THE LOWDOWN

WHAT TO PAY

Renaultsport Megane 225/230 France once knew how to build the best hot hatches; this one’s still a bargain DURING THE ERA when Renault and Fernando Alonso were ruling the racetracks in Formula 1, the Renaultsport team building hot hatchbacks in Dieppe was every bit as untouchable. Sure, the Golf GTI was always going to be a better all-rounder than a Megane, but the extra dynamic sparkle positioned the French hatches at the top of the pack for all-out thrills and engagement. Sadly, Renaultsport no longer builds any cars, but enthusiasts have really started to covet most things with an RS badge. Twenty years on from its launch, the first-generation RS Megane is a particularly appealing drivers’ car, and one that is (potentially) a shrewd purchase at the moment.

Strangely, the early reviews of the Megane 225 were a little lacklustre. After the brilliance of the Renaultsport Clio, it was lacking some of that car’s genius, but at its heart it had the makings of a hot hatch. Powered by a 222bhp turbocharged fourcylinder engine, the front-wheel-drive Megane was particularly punchy in the mid-range thanks to its 221lb ft of torque, while the six-speed manual gearbox helped it get to 60mph in 6.3sec and on to a top speed of 147mph. Like most Renaults of this era, the interior was found a bit wanting in the buildquality department. The chassis was good, however, it just lacked a little finesse…

For 2005, Renault had a plan to address the minor criticism with the introduction of the Trophy, limited to 150 examples in the UK, featuring a significantly revised suspension and steering set-up and larger 18-inch wheels. This also preceded the introduction of the similarly improved 225 Cup – in effect lower-spec but not a limited-production

version. To muddy the waters even more, Renault also introduced a Cup Chassis Pack, which was available on all 225s. Regardless of which one you picked, the RS magic was back!

Making the most of the Alonso connection, the 225 F1 Team Edition (pictured) was launched in 2006 in conjunction with the mildly facelifted Megane. Recaro seats, black wheels and further refined suspension settings made this the best hot Megane yet, with just 149 offered to UK buyers.

As was the fashion at the time, Renault also introduced a diesel hot hatch DCi 175 version in 2006. Although it looked almost identical, the 170bhp power unit failed to inspire, and the extra weight over the front end did little to help.

In December of that same year, though, things got even better with the Megane 230 F1 R26. As the name suggested, power was up slightly to 227bhp, but the real game-changer was the introduction of a limited-slip differential. This single mechanical change catapulted the Megane to the top of the hot hatch league tables, adding a new dimension to the dynamic package. Over 1200 of these were sold to the UK, by far the best of the road-focused Meganes.

The swansong was, of course, the now-legendary R26.R. At the time it was the most extreme hot hatch ever built, likened to a Porsche 911 GT3 RS in terms of ethos, thanks to its Perspex windows, half roll-cage, bucket seats and carbonfibre bonnet.

Although it’s been seen as a cheap and easily tweaked track-day car, prices for well-cared-for Megane 225s and 230s have been on the rise for the last few years. Buy well, and this might just be one of the best hatches under £6000. Matthew Hayward

Early, standard 225s offer an entry point to the range, with average cars starting from about £2500-3500. The best examples are probably £5000-6500. Condition is key, and there’s not too much variation between Cup, Cup Pack and standard cars.

As you would expect, the limited-edition models such as the Trophy and R26 can carry a fairly stiff premium, but great examples can still be found from £5k. Expect to pay closer to £8k for a tidy car, and potentially more for a real low-mileage minter.

The ultra-rare and hardcore R26.R is in a different league.

Just 159 came to the UK, and prices now tend to start at about £40,000.

LOOK OUT FOR It can be difficult to work out what chassis option is actually fitted, and in reality fresh springs, dampers and bushes might be needed if they haven’t been changed in the last 15-20 years. There were many revisions, but generally the later the car, the better it will ride and handle.

One big expense is the front swivel hubs. These help to eliminate torque steer but are surprisingly expensive to replace, so evidence of them being changed is a bonus.

Although there’s nothing particularly special about the turbocharged F4Rt engine, it is a pretty reliable motor, especially if left in standard trim. Many have been remapped, though, which can release about 250bhp without too many issues. Tread with caution, however. Timing belt changes are due every 72k miles or five years, and it’s a reasonably big job, so make sure any car you’re looking at is up to date.

Gear linkages are fragile if abused, so go easy on them.

Coil packs fail regularly and cause misfires, and there are a few quirks of the ‘clever’ key card to be wary of.

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ASTON SERVICE DORSET LTD, EST. 1934, Sole Aston Martin Heritage Dealer in the South West EQUI PPED TO DEA L WITH ALL YOU R ASTON MARTIN REQU IR E M E N TS .

We remain proud of our factory appointed Heritage dealer TON MARTI N AS status and respected worldwide reputation.

ASTON SERVICE DORSET_222mm w x 285mm h.indd 1

EST 1913

S

H

Meticulously caring for ER RT I TA G E PA the post war models right through to the very latest and current models, our full on-site AMDS 2.0 Aston Martin Diagnostic System helps us identify problems quickly and efficiently.

A family run business spanning over three generations, every car is treated as if it were one of our own – from minor services and health checks through to major full restorations of the classics.

Forever at your disposal, our services are designed with you in mind as well as your Aston Martin.

73 Ringwood Road, Longham, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9AA 01202 574727 antony.forshaw@astonservicedorset.com www.astonservicedorset.com

10/05/2024 11:25

Restoration

|

Sales

|

Upgrades

|

Storage

Bentley Continental La Sarthe by Bensport A Limited Edition build, exclusively distributed by JD Classics The Bentley La Sarthe is a remarkable automobile that pays homage to the rich heritage of the Bentley brand while embracing the cutting-edge technology and design of the modern era.

Inspired by Bentley’s racing success and named after the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe, where the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race takes place, this exceptional car embodies the spirit of speed, luxury, and British engineering excellence.

For further details and enquiries, simply scan the QR code or call our Sales Team on: 01621 879579 Visit our website at jdclassics.com

2023 FERR ARI 812 COMPETIZIONE

£POA

Limited to 999 in the world, this stunning delivery mileage 812 Competizione is finished in Grigio Competizione with Alcantara Bera interior and Giallo fly stitching. This amazing car has a very high specification including carbon fibre alloy wheels, large carbon fibre racing seats with driver’s seat lifter, passenger display, front and rear parking cameras, airbrushed Scuderia shields, extensive carbon fibre in the engine bay and throughout the interior and exterior of the car plus many more extras, 63 miles

The leading specialist in sourcing the rare and unobtainable. We are always looking to buy interesting cars.

+44 (0) 1772 613 114

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sales@williamloughran.co.uk

www.williamloughran.co.uk

01/05/2024 14:12

C HARLES P RINCE

Le Mans

Worldwide Collector Car Sales

1959 Porsche 356A Convertible D

An absolutely beautiful example of the rare 356A Convertible D. Matching numbers throughout and restored to the very highest standards. Tools, handbook, Kardex & history file all included.

1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible

An outstanding matching numbers example with a full history from new. Totally restored to the highest standards with a fully documented photographic record. 5 speed ZF Transmission.

We are always eager to buy important collectors cars.

Valuations and advice always available.

Int T 0044 (0) 79 85 98 80 70 sales@charlesprinceclassiccars.com charlesprinceclassiccars.com

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AC HERITAGE

1990 AC Cobra MKIV Lightweight Ordered by Drambuie Liqueur Company in corporate colours, 16,300 miles from new. Retains full factory specification. POA

1970 AC / Allard J2X Thames Ditton 428 rolling chassis with factory fitted 7 litre engine and gearbox. The prototype Allard J2X was fitted by Paul Emery of ‘Emery Cars’ fame. POA

1957 AC Ace Bristol 3 owners. SCCA race history. Matching numbers. Goodwood and Mille Miglia eligible. Current FIVA and FIA papers. £315,000

1953-1963 AC Ace project 1956 AC Aceca Bristol RHD Thames Ditton unnumbered chassis, built to original specification, with AC engine and gearbox for rebuild. £69,995 1956/57 Tulip Rally. NOW SOLD

For more information about any of these vehicles, please contact our sales team.

AC Heritage · International Broker of Historic & Classic Motorcars · Brooklands Motor Circuit, Surrey, UK Telephone +44(0)1932 828545 · Mobile +44(0)7557 878123 · www.acheritage.com

1966 Aston Martin DB 6 Volante This car, chassis DBVC3625R, is one of only 140 DB6 Volante produced between 1966 and 1969 and therefore very rare. The car was sold in 1967 to its first owner in Surrey by HW Motors in Walton on Thames. In the late eighties the car was nut and bolt restored by a serious Aston Martin collector who wanted this car to be absolutely perfect. The current owner, a well known Swiss collector, has had various modifications made in Switzerland to enjoy better driving characteristics. The car was converted from right- to left-hand drive and a 4-speed ZF Automatic gearbox was fitted (the original right-hand drive dashboard as well as the 3-speed Borg-Warner gearbox comes with the car).This numbers-matching car is stunning, and surely one the finest example on the market. CHF 695‘000

1970 Ferrari Daytona GR-IV A very rare Ferrari Daytona GR-IV entered in the 1972 24H of Le Mans. Converted into a Daytona GR-IV Competition by Sport Auto Diena & Silingardi (Modena) in 1972 for the official US Ferrari importer Chinetti (N.A.R.T.) under the supervision of the Ferrari Factory Assistenza Sportiva and engineer Gaetano Florini. The car was entered in 1972 24H of le Mans by Chinetti’s N.A.R.T. with racers Jean-Pierre Jarier and Claude Buchet under the number #38 and finished a very successful 9th OA and 5th in Class.

The car is road registered and tax paid in Switzerland. It comes with a detailed Massini report, a FIVA pass, many pictures and documents as well as his Ferrari Classiche Certificate. POA

1952 Lancia B52 Vignale

1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster Serie III

Chassis #B52-1026 is one of only 98 B52 chassis produced by Lancia. This car has a special coachwork by Michelotti-Vignale of Turin, and there where only a handfull Vignale‘s built. It is powered by the 2.0 Litre V-6 engine and has the correct Nardi dual carburator conversion. CHF 365‘000

Beautiful V12 E-Type Roadster (RHD) in perfect condition.

The car is in perfect and almost as new condition, having been driven a mere 3400 miles since 1989.

CHF 69‘000

Graber Sportgarage AG 20240424_OCTANE_FP.indd 1 GRABER_222mm w x 285mm h.indd 1

3125 Toffen / Switzerland

ch.traber@grabersportgarage.ch 29.04.24 19:41 07/05/2024 14:37

2017 Aston Martin Vanquish V12 Zagato

2016 Lamborghini Aventador V12 LP 750-4 Superveloce

2022 Lamborghini Huracan V10 LP 640-2 STO

Nero noctis contrast package, Sports seats, Multifunctional steering wheel,Titanium rollcage, Lamborghini telemetry, Lifting system, Full body PPF, 20” Hek forged alloys. 590 Miles. £309,990

Full Pure Black leather interior. 1 owner example, just 69 Miles from new and comes optioned with Villa D’este package. Aston Martin main dealer service history from new. 69 Miles. £389,990

1 owner, Gloss carbon exterior, Carbon fibre interior package, Sports exhaust system, 20/21” Dianthus centre lock alloy wheels. 6,800 Miles. £354,990

Mclaren 765 LT Coupe

2023 Lamborghini Urus V8 BiTurbo Performante Full ADAS package, Ambient lighting, Interior Carbon fibre package, B&O Surround sound system, Panoramic roof, Rear privacy glass, 23” Pelope alloys finished in gloss black. 250 Miles. £289,890

Black leather interior, Carbon fibre bucket seats, Carbon fibre interior package, Automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors with rain sensor, Cruise control. 1,500 Miles. £279,990

2020 Ferrari 812 Superfast V12

Lamborghini Aventador LP740-4 S Roadster

2018 Lamborghini Huracan V10 LP 640-4

2019 Porsche 911 991 GT3 RS

2016 Lamborghini Aventador V12 LP 700-4 Pirelli Edition

MSO Clubsport package, Super lightweight Carbon fi bre racing seats, Bowers and Wilkins sound system, Lightweight alloys with Diamond finish. 4,500 Miles. £292,990

Suspension lifter, Adaptive headlights with SBL function, Scuderia shields, Rear privacy glass, Titanium exhaust pipes, 20” forged diamond alloys, Ferrari main dealer history. 2,400 Miles. £279,990

Gloss black over a full Black interior, Front lifting system, Sports exhaust, Light design package, Bose sound system, Magnesium wheels finished in Satin black. 5000 Miles. £209,980

2015 Lamborghini Aventador V12 LP 700-4

Verde Ithaca pearl, Nero leather interior, contrast Verde stitching. Sensonum sound system, Transparent engine cover, Sports exhaust system, Black painted brake callipers. 17,000 Miles. £174,990

Fully electric seats, Branding package, Transparent engine cover, Lifting system, 20/21” Dionne alloy wheels finished in Gloss black with Diamond face. 12,500 Miles. £239,990

Transparent engine cover, Sports exhaust system, Full body PPF, Rosso brake callipers, 20/21”.

6000 Miles £194,990

2021 Ferrari Roma T V8

Rosso Mugello, Apple carplay, Passenger display, Aluminium drivers and passenger footrests, Carbon fibre steering wheel with LED’s, Scuderia shields. 5,900 Miles. £149,990

2019 Porsche 911 Speedster

Magneto-rheologic suspension lifting system, Brooke Race Exhaust system, 20” Loge centre lock alloys, Full body PPF, Full main dealer service history from new. 15,000 Miles. £212,990

2023 Porsche 911 992 GT3

Carbon bucket seats, Traffic sign recognition, Tinted LED headlights, Exclusive design tail-lights, Pedals in aluminium, 20/21” GT3 alloys finished in Satin black. 1350 Miles £188,990

2017 Aston Martin Vantage GT8

Halo Magnetic Silver with Flugplatz blue accents, Apple CarPlay, Carbon door cards, High level rear wing, Black brake callipers, 19” 7 spoke alloys finished in satin black. 5,800 Miles. £134,990

BUYING OR SELLING LAMBORGHINI MOTORCARS T +44 01580 714 597 E sales@vvsuk.co.uk W www.vvsuk.co.uk (Viewing by appointment only) Address: VVS UK LTD PARK FARM, GOUDHURST ROAD, CRANBROOK, KENT, TN17 2LJ www.lamborghinibuyer.com Additional Websites: www.justlamborghini.com VVS_222mm w x 285mm h.indd 1

08/05/2024 14:23

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THE UK’S OLDEST INDEPENDENT FERRARI SPECIALIST | EST. 1968 1993 Ferrari 348 Spider

1997 Ferrari F355 GTB

1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer

1990 Ferrari Testarossa

2008 Ferrari 599 GTB

1978 Ferrari 308 GTS

POA

£POA

£134,995

£POA

£POA

£POA

D ELIVERING U NRIVALLED F ERR ARI S ALES , S ER VICE & R ESTOR ATION FOR OVER 50 YEARS

FOSKERS.COM E M A I L : i n fo @fo s ke r s.co m | S A L E S :+4 +4 4 (0 )1 4 7 4 8 7 4 5 5 5 B R A N D S H AT C H P A R K , K E N T , DA 3 8 P U

1954 Ferrari 250 GT Europa

2010 Ferrari 599 GTO

Car consultancy since 1992. Call us at +31 252 218980 or visit www.vsoc.nl 176

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SPEEDMASTER SPECIALIST IN HISTORIC AUTOMOBILES Tel: +44 (0)1937 220 360 or +44 (0)7768 800 773 info@speedmastercars.com www.speedmastercars.com

1972 Ford Capri RS2600 Weslake Built with a new Weslake 2600 engine producing approx. 330bhp, and mated to a new ZF 5 speed gearbox, this car is ideal for the best Historic Touring Car racing in the UK and Europe. This car has completed only limited running since build – it has completed 2 race events and a handful of test days. Recently refreshed engine and rebuilt differential . Also complete with current FIA HTP papers.

Price £145,000

SM HMRN MAY 24.indd 1

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MILESTONE MOTORCARS

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB4 “Daytona” SN#12995

561 509 7251

For our current inventory please visit our website

www.MilestoneMotorcarsLLC.com

A fine example of an early European delivery “Plexinose” Ferrari Daytona. Original colors of Argento & Nero leather to interior. Only four documented owners from new. Sympathetically restored by Marque experts.

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Ferrari California 30/30 2 Plus 2

Ferrari F430 Spider F1

Bianco Avus 17,539 Miles

Rosso Corsa 33,617 Miles

£73,995

Stock Number - 22526

Ferrari 355 Spider Manual

Ferrari 599 GTB F1

Giallo Modena 24,838 Miles

Blu Tour de France 29,771 Miles

£89,995

Stock Number - 22179

Ferrari 458 Italia DCT Rosso Corsa 36,883 Miles

£119,995

Stock Number - 22446

£79,995

Stock Number - 22000

£94,995

Stock Number - 22566

Ferrari 512 BB Carburettor Giallo Fly 13,867 Miles

£214,995

Stock Number - 20945

www.tfcgb.com True Ferrari Connoisseurs Cavallino Building, ME15 9YG

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Mr Blue Sky

1959 Aston Martin DB MKIII DHC Subject to a full nut and bolt rebuild to the very highest standard over a two year period and completed in 2015. Steel crank and rods, alloy head etc. Fitted with overdrive from new and finished in Aston Martin elusive blue with white gold Connolly Vaumol hides.

It is possibly the very best Aston Martin DB MKIII DHC in existence today.

POA

+44(0)113 284 3666 | +44(0)7973 472 595 | enquiries@adrian-johnson.co.uk | www.adrian-johnson.co.uk

EXPERIENCE THE JAGUAR E-TYPE

1965 JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES 1 4.2L OTS CHASSIS No. 10155

1966 JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES 1 4.2L FHC CHASSIS No. 1E32211

1962 Abarth Simca 1300

Highly original and historically signi�icant Abarth Simca.

Known as “Giant killer” major victories were scored by Simca 1300 GTs in 1962.

Excellent maintained by marque specialist.

1968JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES 1.5 4.2L OTS CHASSIS No. 1E16622

62 Winspeed Octane and Classic & Sportscar Ad 09.05.2024.indd 1

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ASMotorsport Motorsport ltd AS ltd Poplar Farm, Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 2AP Tel: 01379688356 Mob: 07909531816 Web: www.asmotorsport.co.uk Email: info@asmotorsport.co.uk

ASM hand build bespoke versions of the R1 roadster, inspired by the Aston Martin race cars that won Le Mans and the world Sportscar championship in 1959.

Contact us for details of commission builds and stock.

Poplar Farm, Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 2AP

Tel: 01379688356 • Mob: 07909531816 Web: www.asmotorsport.co.uk Email: info@asmotorsport.co.uk I-307295.indd 1

12/11/2019 12:30

ASM R1 Stirling Moss tribute car enjoying track time at Goodwood. £89,990

ASM hand £59,990 build bespoke versions of the R1 roadster, inspired by the Aston Martin race cars that won Le Mans and the world Sportscar championship in 1959.

Contact us for details of commission builds and stock.

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1950 Jaguar XK120 1970 TR6 One Triumph of the earliest

UKcars RHD 175bhp, made with period £20k of upgrades by competition history Racetorations.

Never and a senior executive bodily restored. of Jaguar as the most Quite unique and a recent owner.

Great lovely carSuperb. to drive.£124995 history. £24995

1970 JAGUAR E TYPE SERIES II

1959 JAGUAR XK150S

Correct 3.41959 260bhp car from long term Jaguar Xk150 S XK150S JAGUAR 3.4ownership and present 1970 Jaguar E Type series II. A restored UK Matching numbers with PAS Jaguar Xk150 Occasionally inSthis Correct 3.41959 260bhp car from long term ownership and presented in first class condition w JAGUAR XK150S 3.4 RHD matching numbers car with WEBASTO Occasionally in thisofwith PAS upgrade £149,995 Matching world numbers wonderful Correct 3.4 260bhp from long term ownership and presented inworld first class condition with a warranty. sunroof. Perfect for the summer. £59995 wonderful of 1959 car JAGUAR XK150S 3.4 £149,995 1959 JAGUAR classic cars you come MatchingXK150S numbers3.4 with PAS upgrade cars you come Correct 3.4 260bhp carJAGUAR from longXK150S term ownership and presented inpresented first£149,995 classclassic condition with a warranty.

Correct 3.4 260bhp car from long term ownership and in first class 1959 3.4 across acondition ‘jewel’ with of aa warranty.

Matching numbers with PAS upgrade Matching numbers with PAS upgrade across a ‘jewel’ of a Correct 3.4 260bhp car from long term ownership and presented in fi£149,995 rst class condition with a warranty. car.

Incredibly rare to £149,995 1959 JAGUAR XK150S 3.4 car. Incredibly rare to Matching numbers with PAS upgrade start with and virtually Correct 3.4 260bhp car from long term ownership and presented in first class condition with a warranty.£149,995 start with and virtually Matching numbers with PAS upgrade unrepeatabletotofind findinin unrepeatable £149,995

this originalcondition. condition. this original £139995 £139995

1970 Triumph TR6 1970 Jaguar E Type series II

UK RHD 175bhp, 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC

1970 Triumph TR6

We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP m £20k of upgrades by uprated and ready to go Racetorations.

Never On the button UK registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars series II. A restored UK 1950 JAGUAR XK120 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC long term ownership 1970 Triumph TR6 Ferrari 400iA uprated and ready to go bodily restored.

RHD matching numbersFerrari 400iA On the button UK registered We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars 1965history Rolls Royce Silver III DHC from 1970 Triumph TR6 FOC concours winner, £49,99 One of the earliest cars made with period competition and aCloud senior SALES 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC 1970 Triumph TR6 Ferrari 400iA term ownership uprated ready to go unique On the button UKlong registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CPand model cars Quite aFOC concours £49,995 car with WEBASTO From our and Bath location we winner, have over 20 collector car the button UK registered from CP model carsto go executive of Jaguar as the most recent owner.On Great history.

Superb, really superb. We have 2 outstanding UK RHD long term ownership uprated and ready FOC concours winner, £49,995 SALES to be Viewing is by appointment only. All the lovely car todriven. drive.

1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC 1970 Triumph TR6 Ferrari 400iA sunroof.

Perfect for the long term ownership uprated and ready to go SERVICE £124995 From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us and On the button UK registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars FOC concours winner, £49,995 £24995 summer. £59995 only. All the cars are detailed on our we STORAGE SALES Ferrari to be driven. Viewing is by appointment 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC 1970long Triumph TR6 term ownership uprated400iA and readySERVICE to go SALES FOC concours From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us and ready On the button UK registered from We have 2 outstanding UK RHD CP model cars winner, £49,995 From our Bath location we have over 20appointment collector carsonly. serviced, tested by us and ready STORAGE TRANSPORT SALES SERVICE to be driven.

Viewing is by All the cars are detailed on our477 website T: +44 (0)7794 785 / E: NEIL@ long term ownership uprated and ready to go SERVICEFrom our Bath location to be driven.

Viewing bycollector appointment All the cars are on our website we have overis20 cars only. serviced, tested by detailed us and ready TRANSPORT SERVICE STORAGE STORAGE SALES to be driven. Viewing is by appointment only. All T: theFINANCE cars are detailed on our website WWW.FENDERBROA +44 (0)7794 477 785 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD. From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us and ready FINANCE STORAGE TRANSPORT SERVICE SALES to be driven.

Viewing is by appointment only.

All the cars are detailed on our website WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM +44 (0)7794 477 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM TRANSPORT T: +44T: (0)7794 477 785 / E:785 NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM From our Bath location we have over 20 collector cars serviced, tested by us and ready TRANSPORT FINANCE STORAGE SERVICE to be driven. Viewing is by appointment only. All the cars are detailedFINANCE on our T: website WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM +44 (0)7794 477 785 WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM On the button UK registered from

1970 Jaguar E1970 Type 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III DHC long term ownership Triumph TR6

17:29 FINANCE TRANSPORT STORAGE WWW.FENDERBROAD.COM T: +44 (0)7794 477 785 / E: NEIL@FENDERBROAD.COM

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R AW L E S M O T O R S P O R T LT D

Austin Healey Restoration - Upgrades - Sales - Service - Upholstery - Concours Prep - Engine Build & Rolling Road

Austin Healey 3000 MkIII | Immaculate Rawles Paint Healey Blue with Ivory Duotone, Phase II model. Rawles Motorsport paint and much restoration work by us.

Stunning to look at and drives exactly how a late MkIII should. Very much recommended. £95,000.

1967 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII, Healey Gold, Black Interior. A real nd-another-one type car. All original panels with no ller in, never welded, all original just with a repaint by us in the mid 00s. Kept in a heated garage. If you’re a collector or just fastidious well worth it. £79,000.

1965 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII, Fast Road, Bilstein Dampers Fantastic looking BRG late car. Restored very well in Australia, dry climate car. Beautiful tan interior.

Well developed, great to drive with nice reenements to a good original car . £75,000.

1954 Austin Healey 100, 28,000 miles from New, UK RHD, Mille Miglia Entrant! Super rare non-metallic Ice Blue car, two piece dash, perspex sidescreens, factory aluminium boot and bonnet, works delivered, 100S type rear axle stunning early body no. car. £64,500.

1955 Austin Healey 100, 180BHP Engine and 5 Speed!

Gun Metal, Black wheels, uprated suspension, leather bucket seats. Absolutely ys and looks the business. A very cool car for the enthusiast who wants to dust other classics. £62,500.

Austin Healey 3000 MkIII BJ8 Phase II, Very clean British Racing Green example in original right hand drive configuration. 4,000 miles since a very nice restoration, well presented, well looked after and very very pleasant to drive . £62,500.

1961 Austin Healey 3000 MKII UK RHD Centre Change in Stunning Primrose Yellow. John Chatham built engine with great performance, extremely smooth gearbox, brightwork refurbishment works by us. Very original with some great history. £47,500.

Restore a Healey to your Speciication We have a variety of Healeys of various models to be built to your exacting speciication, original, upgraded or even one of our Revival Special Restomods. This example ‘67 RHD 3000 MkIII Phase II to be Blue/White. £POA.

Rawles Motorsport Ltd, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4JR

01420 23212

Enquiries@RawlesMotorsport.com

www.RawlesMotorsport.com

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1974 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33-3/Flat 12: Rare, fantastic race record, Ickx, Stommelen, Reutemann, Monza, Nurburgring, Imola.

All orig., fresh rebuild, race ready.

WE WILL BUY AND CONSIGN ALL FERRARI AND ALL VINTAGE SPORTS RACING & GT CARS PARTIAL TRADES CONSIDERED - FINANCING AVAILABLE

1966 Porsche 910-001: First of 29 910 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter: Vignale / Drogo, racers built. Full frame-up restoration.

Mille Miglia 1952, 1954. Ground up restoHistorical, FIA and title papers. Driven by ration. Race and Rally ready.

Niki Lauda, Hans Hermann.

1968 Fiat Dino Spider: Rare. Frame-up resto; bare metal repaint. Driveline & suspension rebuild; new interior top & chrome. With photo docs. Stunning!

1974 Jaguar XKE V12 Roadster: One of a kind, uniquely built. Bare metal repaint, new interior, 5-sp, Webers, SS headers, Alloy radiator, Two tops.

1982 March 82G: Quintessential GTP car, chassis serial No. 82G/001, raced

by Rahal, powered by 358 cid, 650 HP Chevy engine. Ready for the track or show circuit.

1958 MGA Twin Cam: Rare, disc brakes, Dunlop competition wheels, frame-up, show quality restoration on an iconic sports car.

1962 Lotus Super 7: 22 year ownership.

Super well developed; quick and easy to drive. Known for its winning provenance.

Everything has been rebuilt or replaced.

1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 Spider: Excellent, orig. condition. Rust & accident free, matching #s, 26k miles, fully vetted, new shocks, brakes, chrome.

www.MotorClassiCCorp.CoM 350 ADAMS STREET, BEDFORD HILLS NEW YORK 10507 914-997-9133 • SALES@MOTORCLASSICCORP.COM

MtrClassicMay24octaneHalf.indd 1

1970 Porsche 917:5 liter, flat 12.

Total comprehensive rebuild by ex-factory 917 specialist. Driven

by Derek Bell, Vic Elford, Jo Siffert; used in the making of Steve McQueen’s movie “Le Mans”.

3/12/24 2:35 PM

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speedsport gallery Manfred von Brauchitsch Mercedes Benz W154 1938, pit stop Dexter Brown Original gouache and paper collage on board

­ ­ ­ ­

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An extensive variety of original motor racing paintings, photographs and autographed items for sale.

T: 01327 858 167 E: info@speedsport.co.uk www.speedsport-gallery.com Key Repairs & Personalisation for all Marques Worldwide

New Signature Range Maserati Key ‘Blue Key’ Upgrades

Aston Martin Valet Key Button Upgrades

Bentley Arnage Key Upgrades

www.phoenixbespokekeys.com | +44 (0) 7500 831761

Derby Plating PlatingServices ServicesLtd LtdEst. Est.1979 1979 Derby Derby Plating Services Ltd Est. 1979

Specialist electroplaters, polishers and Specialist electroplaters, polishers Specialist electroplaters, polishers and metal finishers. and metal finishers. metal finishers.

Re-chroming to Re-chroming to theconcours highest and Re-chroming to the the highest highest concours and show standards show concours andstandards show standards 148 148 Abbey Abbey Street, Street, Derby Derby DE22 DE22 3SS 3SS Tel: 1332 382408 148 Abbey Street, Derby DE22 3SS Tel: +44(0) +44(0) 1332 382408 Email: Email: info@derbyplating.co.uk Tel: info@derbyplating.co.uk +44(0) 1332 382408 www.derbyplating.co.uk www.derbyplating.co.uk Email: info@derbyplating.co.uk

LEADERS IN DRIVER SAFETY SINCE 1967

www.derbyplating.co.uk 184

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you know classics we know insurance With class-leading cover, exceptional service levels and a host of other specialist benefits, find out how our know-how can help you.

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Lockton Performance is a division of Lockton Private Clients, both trading styles of Lockton Companies LLP. Lockton Companies LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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1,840 pages

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From the Jaguar XK120 early “C4946CONV” 531710 £334 334 …to the Jaguar Mark II in the ultra-light aluminium version “C15694A” 513157 £166 166 …to the Jaguar E V12 early “GWP409” 504808 £480

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Leather gloves

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MG T-type New MGA Roadster and Coupé MGB MGF and MGTF BN1 - BJ8 Sprite and MG Midget Classic TR2 - TR4A TR5, TR250 and TR6 Spitfire MK3, MK4, 1500 Mark II 'E' type series I, II 'E' type V12 series III XK120, 140 and 150 XJ6 / Daimler Sovereign XJ12 / Daimler Double Six X300 X308 XK8/XKR

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13549

TR Exhaust systems TR2-4 TR4A early TR4A late TR250, TR6 Carburetor to 72 TR5, TR6 PI, TR6 Carburetor from 72 TR6 Competition (dual flow) TR Fan manifold TR5/250 and TR6 - 6-in-3-in-1 “Big Bore” 57 mm TR5/250 and TR6 Sports exhaust for fan manifold Adapter for manifold to standard exhaust Spitfire Exhaust systems Spitfire Mk3 (1967-70) Spitfire Mk4 1300 (1970-74) Spitfire 1500 (Europe) with 2 SU carburetors (1974-80)

928 1916 1917 2782 20162 2070

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304871 13549 3771

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13043 13044 13045

£255 £255 £255

LC07052024

MG

Model

553182

Brand

304871

WWW.SCPARTS.CO.UK • +44 (0) 12 93 - 84 72 00 • enquiries@scparts.co.uk 187

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35070

65

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CHOOSE FROM OVER 21,000 PRODUCTS ONLINE AT machinemart.co.uk Calls to the catalogue request number above (0844 880 1265) cost 7p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. For security reasons, calls may be monitored. All prices correct at time of going to press. We reserve the right to change products and prices at any time. All offers subject to availability, E&OE. Terms & conditions apply see machinemart.co.uk/finance for more details

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188 MM1 Octane 285x222.indd 1

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07/03/2024 16:25

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09/09/2022 09:03

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PROTECT & PRESERVE WITH A TAILORED INDOOR & OUTDOOR COVER SA EXC VI LU

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190

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LOCKHEED & GIRLING

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192

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Autobiography

INTERVIEW MARK DIXON

Guy Deacon CBE

Ex-Army officer with Parkinson’s Disease who drove across Africa to raise awareness of this incurable illness

I’M NOT AN OFF-ROAD enthusiast, but I’m always wanting to see what’s on the other side of the hill; to go places that other people can’t or won’t go to. I used to be very gregarious but having Parkinson’s has made me more solitary, because I don’t want to keep having to explain myself. And I like to be self-sufficient.

I was serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2010 as a Colonel in the British Army when the first signs of the disease appeared. I was tripping and stumbling more than usual, and my right hand seemed to have a mind of its own – while I was brushing my teeth with my left hand, the right would float upwards independently. Shortly after I returned home in December 2010, my nephew Charles visited, who happened to be an Army doctor in training. He insisted I see a consultant.

The examination took less than ten minutes and then the neurologist said: ‘The good news is you have Parkinson’s. There are pills to control it and it won’t kill you. The bad news is there’s no cure and it’s going to get worse.’

Fortunately, the British Army is a fabulous employer and kept confidence in me, even though they were aware the disease was stalking me. But by 2019 it was time to go.

I decided my last great adventure would be an odyssey: to drive from home in England through Africa to Sierra Leone and beyond.

But to give it some meaning, I wanted to raise awareness of Parkinson’s in Africa, where an estimated 2.2million people suffer from it, often without access to affordable medicine.

Helen Matthews, CEO of the charity Cure Parkinson’s, appointed me as an ambassador, and four weeks later the adventure began.

I’d bought my VW T5.1 California camper two years earlier, to replace my old T2.5 Syncro.

The T5.1 has four-wheel drive but is actually less capable than the Syncro because it has no crawler gear, less-effective diff locks, and lower ground clearance. But a brilliant bloke called Rob Willis of Volkstrek in Aberystwyth prepped it with a Seikel two-inch suspension lift, bash plates and rock sliders and much else, and I set off through Europe.

I’d only got as far as Andorra when the rear diff broke. Jimmy, an ex-pat Brit at my campsite, and his friend Mohammed helped me order a new one; they then fitted it for a pittance before Mohammed took me round some shops owned by friends and relatives, who loaded me up with provisions and refused to take any money.

I had never encountered such extraordinary generosity from strangers.

My route initially took me from Morocco through Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia.

Occasionally I’d stay with people I’d met in my Army days, or a friend would come out to join me for a few days, but mostly I travelled alone and at my own pace. Having Parkinson’s means that simple chores that would take most people seconds can take me minutes; fitting a spanner onto a bolt-head can be a major achievement.

What I hadn’t been able to predict was the outbreak of Covid-19. As I arrived in Sierra Leone, Europe was going into lockdown and borders were closing across Africa. I had no option but to catch the last flight home, expecting I would return in three months at the most. It would actually be two years.

In the spring of 2022, I arrived back in Sierra Leone, with a new focus: I had a film to make, with help from a professional called Rob Haywood who would fly out and join me for certain sections of the trip; and I wanted to stir up more interest in Parkinson’s in the countries I was travelling through by giving media interviews. From Liberia I drove into Ivory Coast, then Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon…

Nearing the Ghanaian border, I had one of my worst experiences, when I went into a shop to buy a drink, collapsed in a heap and out of control, and was on the point of being whisked away to hospital, which would have been a complete disaster. A wonderful lady called Chloe, whom I’d met a few days earlier, rescued me and took me to her house.

I never felt scared or threatened on the road.

In part that’s because I was careful, and because I believe in treating people as you’d wish to be treated yourself. Even difficult policemen ceased to be difficult when I’d talk with them and bore them to death, which I could do because I was not in a rush.

Eventually I reached South Africa, where I drove to Cape Agulhas, stopped on the beach and, for a brief moment, was the most southerly person on the Continent. I’m now wondering whether I could drive back up the east side of Africa, crossing from Ethiopia into Saudi Arabia and up into Jordan, Israel, then ferries to Cyprus and Greece and an easy drive home. The distance is not that great: it’s only about 10,000km, which is chickenfeed. People think I’m barking mad and roll their eyes – but I’m not, and it is possible.

RUNNING ON EMPTY, Guy’s book about his African journey, is published by Ad Lib at £9.99, ISBN 978 1 802471 88 5, and a Channel 4 documentary will be broadcast later this year.

Find out more about Cure Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s Africa at cureparkinsons.org.uk and parkinsonsafrica.org.

Octane (ISSN 1740-0023, USPS 024-187) is published monthly by Hothouse Publishing Ltd, UK. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container INC 150-15, 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256.

US Postmaster: send address changes to Octane, WORLD CONTAINER INC 150-15, 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA.

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1989 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 3.2 CLUB SPORT One of 53 UK RHD examples. Original and immaculate. Three owners, 22,700 miles and full service history. Sold by us to the last owner in 2011.

2019 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110 V8 WORKS 70TH ANNIVERSARY One of 150 of which few were the 110 Station Wagon versions. All options including seven seats and stability control. 5,500 miles. As new throughout.

1992 PORSCHE 964 RS An immaculate two-owner LHD Italian-delivered example that has been in the UK with its current owner since 2000. 45,000 miles, full history. Recent major service.

2009 ASTON MARTIN DBS V12 MANUAL Great spec. 9,500 miles in the hands of three owners from new. FAMSH. Completely original and unmarked. Aston Installations Apple CarPlay upgrade plus rear camera.

1967 MERCEDES 250SL ‘PAGODA’ A UK supplied RHD matching numbers example. Complete two-year restoration to the highest standards by Kienle Engineering. The best Pagoda we have seen.

T E L : 0124 9 76 0 6 8 6 • T H E H A I R P I N C O M PA N Y. C O . U K T H E H A I R P I N C O M PA N Y C O M P T O N B A S S E T T W I LT S H I R E S N11 8 R H

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08/05/2024 18:14

OCTANE-RM 65-01 GRAY FRONT SIDE:Mise en page 1

RM 65-01 Skeletonised automatic winding calibre 60-hour power reserve (± 10%) Baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium Split-seconds chronograph Function selector and rapid winding mechanism Variable-geometry rotor Case in grey Quartz TPT®

24/11/23

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