BUGATTI TYPE 35B 100 YEARS OF A SUPERCHARGED GREAT

263
MAY 2025 / £6.50 / AUS $15.00
PORSCHE 911

Carrera RS 2.7 takes on 997 GT3 PLUS 993 tackles 996

MOON
BU G G IE S! ALFA GIULIA SS
On the road in a stunning example
Five decades of a of the ’60s Bertone beauty
,
NASA masterpiece EPIC MAZDA MX-5 DRIVE
the Lunar Rover
The length of Britain in four
generations of an icon
 Catalogue Now Online
Goodwood, Chichester | 13 April 2025

Circa 600 miles from new

2024 LAMBORGHINI REVUELTO
£330,000 - 400,000 *

Auction Highlight
The ex-Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello
2009 BRAWN GP BGP 001 FORMULA ONE
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Forthcoming auctions
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 Issue 263 May 2025

Contents
80
PAGE

‘THEIR INTRODUCTION
ENABLED APOLLO
ASTRONAUTS
TO COVER NEARLY
60 MILES OVER
THREE MISSIONS’
NASA’S LUNAR ROVERS

86 122

5
 YORKSHIRE ELEGANCE
2 2 ND - 24 TH J U LY 2 0 2 5

CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

SHOWCASES & CELEBRATIONS

140 Years of the Motor Car

The first production motorcar built by Karl Benz the in 1885 3 D AY S C E L E B R AT I N G
The Greatest Endurance Drive in History THE FINEST MARQUES
7o Years since Stirling Moss won the 1000 Miglia
AT G R A N T L E Y H A L L
50 Years of the Porsche 911 Turbo
A showcase of the 7 generations of the Iconic Model
The Rolls Royce Phantom
100 Years since the successor to the Ghost was launched
The Aston Martin DB Era (1947-1972)
To celebrate 60 years since the DB6 was launched

Exclusive VIP packages available including overnight stays at

Englands finest hotel, Grantley Hall. Or simply come for the day and
enjoy the spectacle of beautiful prestige & classic vehicles...

To enter the Concours or book a VIP package please visit:

YORKSHIREELEGANCE.COM

THE FAST LANE CLUB ALSO BRING YOU SOME OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE EVENTS IN THE WORLD

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AVA I L A B L E PA C K A G E S

Full details at thefastlaneclub.com OFFICIAL

for enquiries please call 01924 427836 RACE
SPONSOR
or [email protected]
 Contents Issue 263

70 96

Features
PORSCHE 911s 54 108
Air-cooled versus water-cooled:
911 RS 2.7 takes on 997 GT3, 993 tackles 996
PLUS we hear from Mr 911, August Achleitner

BUGATTI TYPE 35B 70

On the road to celebrate a century
of the legendary supercharged racer

LUNAR ROVERS 80
Light enough to take to the Moon, tough
enough for Apollo astronauts to explore it

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA SS 86

Driving this restored super-sleek, super-
lightweight 1960s Bertone-built coupé

THE OCTANE INTERVIEW 96

Aloisa Ruf, youngest in the Pfaffenhausen
high-performance family line 100
BRISTOL 408 100
In Australia’s wine country with chassis No.1
PLUS Bristol’s future revival plans

MAZDA MX-5 DRIVE 108

From Land’s End to John O’Groats in all
four generations – and powered by e-fuel

FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP 116

Invest in your dream car in affordable chunks

CAMPBELL’S WOODIE 122

Traces of ‘Bluebird Blue’ paint confirm this
1938 Ford V8 as the record-breaker’s own

7
Contents Issue 263

Regulars
18 EVENTS & NEWS 18
Eyes on the best classic car events around
the world; all the important dates for your
diary; Sunbeam 1000HP soon to run again

COLUMNS 43
Listen up as Jay Leno, Derek Bell, Stephen
Bayley and Robert Coucher have their say

LETTERS 51
Remembering the rarest Ferrari 348

OCTANE CARS 134

Ford Model T, Aston DB7, Saab 96 and more

OVERDRIVE 142
The 635bhp Land Rover Defender OCTA

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN 144

Last of the F1 privateers, Bob Anderson

GEARBOX 146
142 McLaren designer and artist Paul Howse

ICON 148
Guinness stout and flavourful advertising

CHRONO 150
Marie Antoinette never received this Breguet
144 BOOKS 152
Wedge-shaped cars take the lead this month

146 GEAR 154

Desirables including special pen and helmet

THE MARKET 160

Insider knowledge, auction news, stats,
cars for sale, Dodge Viper buying guide

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 194
Touring’s new head of design, Matteo Gentile

148 150

152
8
Issue 263 May 2025

WELCOME
FEATURING

FROM THE EDITOR

SAM CHICK
‘Sometimes photographers must sketch
and search for the “right” heights and
angles to best capture a car. Not so with
the flowing lines and forms of the Alfa
Giulia SS, which were a joy to capture.
Scaglione’s genius was never in doubt.’
Sam’s beautiful photographs illustrate
Peter Tomalin’s story on pages 86-94.

JORDAN BUTTERS

Porsche: the great debate

JAMES NICHOLLS
‘Bristols have always been very special
FORGET THE WAILING and gnashing of teeth over Ford to me due to the rarity and “Britishness”
resuscitating the Capri name in a way that many enthusiasts of the marque. When the opportunity
came to own such a special one, it was
feel is inappropriate: that is a mere skirmish compared to the
a project that was hard to turn down –
all-out war that greeted Porsche going water-cooled. Very
especially as I found it in Australia.’
little else was talked about for months and, while most of the
Bristol 408: driving the former press car.
new-car magazines bravely sat on the fence, for a long time
James Elliott, Turn to pages 100-104.
Editor in chief they didn’t have to worry about filling their Letters pages,
which spilled over with virulently expressed, largely negative
opinions. Hell, there hadn’t been as much collective fury among enthusiasts since
Porsche went front-engined. Yes, there is a theme there, which speaks volumes about
Porsche, purity and the petrolheads that are devoted to the marque. After all, if your
manufacturing schtick is creating a formula so perfect that it barely changes over
decades, then you have to expect that the shock of the new is going to be
substantially greater for you than when others, others who more frequently update
their platforms, take similar leaps of progress. Even today, you can spark an argument
about Porsche air-versus-water as easily as you can buy a dodgy mobile phone. And
it seems the poor old 996, a phenomenal bargain, still hasn’t been forgiven even after
25-plus years, though that is likely to be as related to Tiptronic as it is to cooling.
PAUL GRIFFIN
ANOTHER CAR whose evolution caused similar dismay was the Mazda MX-5. You
‘From the times of friends running
can understand why. The NA from 1989 was a masterpiece in retro-lightening and
cars together on a pint-and-a-pie basis
simplicity, the Mk2 introduced largely practical updates but unquestionably kept the
to today’s pure financial investment,
spirit. In comparison, the Mk3 was a bit of a bloater that had conspicuously strayed the fractional ownership of classic
from the original intent, even if it was in production longer than either of its cars has come a long way.’
predecessors. That Mazda acknowledged and addressed that in the Mk4 is Paul unravels the complexity of buying
something so out of kilter with what other manufacturers would do that it really a share in a classic or supercar
deserves to be applauded more than it is. But then, what would you expect from the on pages 116-120.
company that decided to bring the two-seat sports car back from the dead anyway?
Of course, Matthew Hayward got to try all four on his sustainable fuel testing trip
from Land’s End to John O’Groats; you can see what he thought from page 108. COVER PHOTOGRAPHY JORDAN BUTTERS

10
Issue 263 May 2025

NEXT MONTH ISSUE 264, ON SALE 23 APRIL

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-chief
James Elliott
[email protected]

Associate editor
Glen Waddington
[email protected]

Art editor
Robert Hefferon
[email protected]

Markets editor
Matthew Hayward
[email protected]

Founding editor
Robert Coucher

Contributing editor
Mark Dixon

Italian correspondent Massimo Delbò

Design assistance Ruth Haddock
Contributor Chris Bietzk

TIM ANDREW
Inquiries to [email protected]
MATT HOWELL

TOM SHAXSON

ADVERTISING

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Account director
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British muscle [email protected]

Lifestyle advertising
How Aston Martin redefined its appeal with Sophie Kochan
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12
 PRE V

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Issue 263 May 2025

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OCTANE WORLDWIDE
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This year the London Concours will host – among many others – celebrations
of Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz and a dedicated Supercar Day to showcase
the very latest performance innovations. Alongside these breathtaking displays,
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The Month in Pictures

Ignition
E V EN T S + NE WS + OPINION

18
 ModaMiami
1-2 March
Phillip Sarofim’s Aston Martin Bulldog (Octane
234 and 256) won the People’s Choice award at this
stunning event, already feeling so mature that it is
almost unbelievable that it is only in its second year at the
Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. As well as the
concours and RM Sotheby’s auction, which included more
lots from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (see
Markets, page 160), there was the Moda Classic scenic drive,
plus parties every evening. Yet the Sunday was the main
show, with hundreds of cars and thousands of visitors. A
huge highlight was the Mercedes-Benz Classic cars on
show and in action, including a 300 SLR (W196 S) and
a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren ‘Stirling Moss’
edition. The 2026 ModaMiami will take
place from 28 February to 1 March.
ModaMiami

19
Ignition The Month in Pictures

Sydney
Harbour
Concours
d’Elegance
28 February – 2 March
The seventh running of the southern
hemisphere’s premier concours, and its second
visit to Cockatoo Island, was a phenomenal
success. Overall winner was David and
Adele Cohen’s sensational 1933 Alfa
6C 1750 GS Figoni (below left).
Gareth Carr / Jackson Taylor

20
21
Ignition The Month in Pictures

The
ICE St Moritz
21-22 February
More than 20,000 people were
at this spectacular Alpine event,
a welcome record attendance
following its last-minute cancellation
in 2024. Winners from the 52 cars
ranged from 1934 Bugatti Type 59
(Open Wheels) to 1971 Porsche
908/03 (Racing Legends).
The I.C.E.

22
1973PORSCHE ONE OF THE FIRST 500
S P E C I A L O R D E R FA C T O RY B L A C K

CARRERA2.7

K I D S T O N S A 7 AV E N U E P I C T E T D E R O C H E M O N T, 1 2 0 7 G E N E VA , S W I T Z E R L A N D T E L + 4 1 2 2 7 4 0 1 9 3 9 W W W. K I D S T O N . C O M
 The Month in Pictures

CLOCKWISE,
FROM TOP LEFT

East Riding
Stages Rally
23 February
Andrew O’Hanlon and
Kevin Hogan’s Mini
Cooper ‘S’ during the
Beverley & District
Motor Club’s first
competitive event
of the year.
Matthew Pitts

Tour of Cheshire
1 March
The opening round of
the HRCR Clubman’s
Rally Championship
had a field of 75 cars.
Reigning champ Ian
Crammond had a bad
day in his Mercedes
280SL and finished
well down the order.
Ben Lawrence

Retro Classics
Stuttgart
27 Feb – 2 Mar
77,000 people
attended the 24th
running of the event
in Germany’s motor
city. Attractions
included 70 years of
the BMW 507 and
Citroën DS.
Retro Classics

Riponian Stages
9 February
After six fast but
slippery special
stages in the
Yorkshire forests,
Dan Mennell scored
a breakthrough first
BHRC victory at the
head of a gaggle of
Ford Escort Mk2s.
Ben Lawrence

Classic Sports
Car Club
8-9 March
Pippa Cow won her
class and finished
second overall at
Silverstone in the
Lackford Engineering
Midget & Sprite
Challenge. She also
won her class the
previous day when
she was third overall.
Peter McFadyen

24
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 The Month in Pictures

The
Amelia
6-9 March
Some 275 cars were spread
across 35 classes for the annual
concours on Amelia Island, Florida,
with the main day again moved to the
Saturday after weather warnings.
The twin concours winners were a
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 and
ex-Jim Clark ’67 Lotus 49.
Hagerty Events

26
 2025 PALM BEACH AUCTION | APRIL 24-26
Consign. Bid. Experience.

NO RESERVE // 2014 LAMBORGHINI

AVENTADOR LP700-4 ROADSTER
Powered by a 6.5-liter V12 producing
700hp and 509 ft/lbs of torque, with a
7-speed automated manual transmission
and all-wheel drive. Over $70,000 in
options, including full interior and exterior
carbon fiber and Dione forged wheels.
8,432 actual miles.

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Ignition The Month in Pictures

FROM TOP

VSCC Pomeroy
Trophy
22 February
For many, the best
event on the calendar
and without doubt
the most hilarious,
as a smörgåsbord of
classics do battle at
Silverstone not just
against each other
but also Laurence
Pomeroy’s
convoluted formula
to discern the ideal
touring car. As they
have done since 1952.
Familiarly, it was a
chain-gang Frazer
Nash that took the
spoils, on this
occasion Simon
Blakeney-Edwards’
Super Sports.
Jeff Bloxham

21 Gun Salute
21-23 February
Event mastermind
Madan Mohan poses
beside Dhanraj
Gidwaney’s 1922
Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP
Silver Ghost
Open-Tourer Hunting
Car by Windover,
winner of the 11th
edition of India’s
longest-running
concours. Second
place went to the
1955 Chrysler
Imperial Limousine
of Mr Viveck and
Mrs Zita Goenka.
Geoff Love

Race Retro
21-23 February
The exhibition halls
at Stoneleigh Park in
Warwickshire were
overflowing with
competition cars at
this superb event,
but as usual all the
thunder and drama
were outside with the
demonstration runs
on the show’s Live
Rally Stages.
Michael Holden

28
 BLENHEIM PALACE, OXFORDSHIRE
27–31 AUGUST 2025

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LI M ITE D PL AC E S AVA I L A B LE
Ignition Events

Dates for your diary

old. This year’s event begins with
scrutineering at Monza Circuit,
where crews will drive some
practice laps before they head
to the official start at Lake Iseo.
milano-sanremo.it

10-13 April
1000 Miglia Experience Italy
Crews in classic and modern
cars contest a rally that begins
in Sorrento and ends in Bari.
1000miglia.it

12-13 April
Goodwood Members’ Meeting
Highlights this year will include
the Win Percy Trophy, a new race
for sub-3.0-litre Group 1 Touring
Cars from the period 1970-1982.
goodwood.com

Grand Prix de France Historique, 25-27 April | Image: Morgan Mathurin

17-22 April
The Japan Driving Experience
Organised by the folks behind
28-30 March 5-9 April 6-14 April The Quail concours, this tour
Generations Rally Copperstate 1000 Goodwood Members’ begins in Tokyo and takes crews
Based in Harrogate and designed Crews in pre-’74 cars explore Meeting Tour out towards Mount Fuji before
to introduce youngsters to the Arizona. This year’s itinerary VIP access to the Members’ ending with a visit to the private
joys of endurance rallying, this includes an evening at the Meeting is the main attraction, racetrack at Magarigawa Club.
event is exclusively for multi- Lowell Observatory, where Clyde of course, but the programme peninsula.com
generation crews. Tombaugh was working when also features a track-day at
rallytheglobe.com he discovered Pluto in 1930. Goodwood and a visit to the 19 April
mensartscouncil.com McLaren Technology Centre. Brooklands Easter Gathering
1-5 April audrainmotorsport.com Pre-31 July 1995 cars are invited
P800 NorCal Rally 6 April to park at the Museum for this
Conceived by the folks from the Coffee & Classics 7-12 April year’s Easter Classic Gathering,
Petersen Museum, and this year Car enthusiasts roll up to the Tour Auto which will feature live music, a
running between Arroyo Grande Classic Motor Hub in Bibury One of the great driving events, barbecue, and a traders’ village.
and beautiful Lake Tahoe. to enjoy tasty breakfast grub starting in Paris, finishing this brooklandsmuseum.com
petersen.org and some live music. time in Nice, and featuring four
classicmotorhub.com track races in-between, at 19-20 April
3-6 April venues including Dijon-Prenois 6 Hours of Magny-Cours
The Flying Scotsman 6 April and Charade. V de V’s first historic endurance
Pre-’48 cars cross the North York Haynes Breakfast Club peterauto.fr race of 2025 will be run to the
Moors and the Pennines before April’s gathering at the Haynes same regulations as the 2 Tours
tackling the Scottish portion of Motor Museum will feature a 9-13 April d’Horloge, meaning the grid will
a route that finishes, in keeping special paddock for Volkswagens Techno-Classica Essen feature pre-1991 GTs and Touring
with tradition, at Gleneagles. and Fords. The daddy of indoor classic car cars plus a selection of pre-1987
hero-era.com haynesmuseum.org shows will again test the stamina sports prototypes, all pedalled
of visitors, who will find more by teams of up to four drivers.
5 April 6 April than 1250 exhibitors packed into vdev.fr
VSCC Spring Start Brooklands Veteran & the Messe Essen in Germany.
The VSCC kicks off its racing Vintage Motorcycle Day siha.de 19-26 April
season at Silverstone Circuit, Organised by Brooklands and the Rallye Dubrovnik – Venise
where there will be a guest grid Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club, and 10-13 April Crews in post-1950 cars drive up
for 1950s sports cars courtesy including a talk on the evolution Coppa Milano-Sanremo the Adriatic coast from southern
of FISCAR (fiscar.org). of early motorcycles. A regularity rally that pays tribute Croatia to north-eastern Italy.
vscc.co.uk brooklandsmuseum.com to the Milano-Sanremo races of rallystory.com

30
24-26 April the name suggests, Porsches
Manx Classic of all eras and types are welcome.
On the Isle of Man, roads are air-water.com
closed to allow competition
on three hillclimb courses, 26-27 April
each of them over a mile long. Classic Car Boot Sale
manxmotorracing.com Pre-1990 vehicles and sellers of
vintage goodies gather at King’s
24-27 April Cross in London.
Anantara Concorso Roma classiccarbootsale.co.uk
A new concours d’elegance for
2025, held in Rome’s historic 27 April
centre and open exclusively Drive It Day
to Italian cars (see page 38). Classic car owners take to the
anantaraconcorsoroma.com road to promote the historic
vehicle movement and to raise
25-27 April money for Childline. See the
La Jolla Concours d’Elegance website to find a Drive It Day
A picture-postcard venue on event in your area, and to buy BOOK NOW!
the seafront north of San Diego, a fundraising plate for your car.
and a good variety of classes, driveitday.co.uk Some of these events may seem a long
including one this year for
way off, but you need to secure your place
‘Iconic American Hot Rods’. 27 April
lajollaconcours.com Simply British and travel plans now to take part
Classic British vehicles of all types
25-27 April mass at Beaulieu. Look out for a South African 4x4 Adventure
Veterama Hockenheim special display celebrating the 4-15 March 2026
Germany’s Hockenheimring hosts 40th birthday of the Sinclair C5! Classic Grand Touring’s sixth South Africa 4x4 Adventure
a giant autojumble that attracts beaulieu.co.uk is a guided, self-drive tour. Limited to ten couples, it starts
upwards of 2500 traders. in Cape Town, traverses the Karoo desert, and takes in the
veterama.de 27 April Garden Route and the winelands of Paarl and Franschhoek
Bicester Motion April Scramble before heading back to Cape Town. CGT promises ‘rustic
25-27 April With a central display of ‘Record luxury’ in hotels, game reserves and safari lodges.
Grand Prix de France Cars’ – which in this case means classicgt.co.uk
Historique both record-breakers and cars
Top-notch racing and parades that appeared on album covers. Three Legs of Mann
at Circuit Paul Ricard, with a bicestermotion.com 13-15 March 2026
special appearance by the R25 The sixth edition of this gruelling event (at top), based at
that helped Renault win the F1 27 April the Palace Hotel and Casino in Douglas. It starts at the
Constructors’ title 20 years ago. VSCC Diffey Brothers iconic TT Grandstand and delivers a challenging mix of
grandprixdefrancehistorique.com Wessex Trial closed-road tests and punishing regularities. Organisers
In addition to the usual contingent say: ‘It’s Rally of the Tests – cranked to the extreme.’
26 April of pre-war cars, the final event hero-era.com
Air/Water of the VSCC’s trials season will
The Orange County Fairgrounds feature a number of trials specials Classic Route 66 100th anniversary tour
in California will again host this from the late 1940s and early ’50s. 20 June – 15 July 2026
sister event to Luftgekühlt. As vscc.co.uk An escorted tour along the most evocative road in the
world. You’ll pass through the heart of the USA for 2450
miles over 25 days enjoying all the neon signs, truck stops
and Americana en route. Packages with or without flights
start at £4299 per person including standard car hire.
sceniccartours.com

Nordic Challenge
June-July 2026
Rally the Globe’s third Challenge event explores the forests
and fjords of Scandinavia in a two-week, 4000km
competitive rally for pre-’77 cars. It is the company’s most
northerly adventure yet and focuses on some of the
less-explored parts of the Nordic countries. RTG promises:
‘Crews will finish tired but with countless stories to tell.’
rallytheglobe.com

Air/Water, 26 April | Image: Air/Water

31
Ignition News

Sunbeam roars
towards a return
to Daytona Beach
Land Speed Record car is halfway through
the huge project to relive its glory days
Words Nathan Chadwick Photography National Motor Museum

THE NATIONAL MOTOR Motor Museum – which has had Having not run for more than 1000HP back in 1918. When you
Museum’s Sunbeam 1000HP the Sunbeam on display since 80 years, internal corrosion had look at the materials they used,
restoration project has taken 1958 – launched an ambitious wreaked havoc in the engines. the machining was phenomenal
a huge step towards its dream plan to get it running again and Now, halfway through the project and the design was incredible.
return to Daytona on the then to ship The Slug back to and with the deadline just two They were able to come up with
centenary of its finest hour. Daytona Beach to thunder down years away, the rear-mounted some very good ideas.’
The twin-engined Sunbeam, the sands once more… though V12, which is date-marked 1918, The rebuild process has seen
affectionately known as The Slug, not at 200mph this time. is almost complete. This engine the crankshaft, conrods, pistons,
was the first non-American car to The museum revealed the bold will be started up before it is cylinder blocks and all four
take on Daytona Beach for a scheme two years ago, at the lowered back into the chassis camshafts cleaned, restored and
Land Speed Record in 1927. It same time launching a campaign and, although the Sunbeam could put back together. The only items
was designed by Captain Jack to raise £300,000 to fund the run with just one of the V12s, the that couldn’t be saved were the
Irving, employed the engineering project to bring the three-tonne team will then begin work on the piston rings, which were stuck
skills of former Automobiles monster back to life. front engine as soon as possible. with Castrol R oil that had
Talbot-Darracq engineer Louis Even before they started, the Beaulieu’s senior engineer, Ian become glue-like. ‘We tried
Coatalen, and was piloted by biggest obstacle was expected to Stanfield, says: ‘It’s one of the heating them, flexing them,
Henry Segrave to 203.79mph on be the Sunbeam’s two 22.5-litre most exciting parts of the project flushing the oil – in the end every
29 March 1927. In front of V12 Matabele aero engines, to put the engine back together. one of them broke.’
30,000 rapt spectators, it became placed fore and aft of the pilot We wanted to make sure that Crankcase cracks were laser
the first car to break 200mph and and each generating 435bhp. everything was turning and free welded and a complete set of
claimed the Land Speed Record. They are so heavy they had to be before bolting it up. replacement piston rings for both
With the 100th anniversary of lifted from the chassis by a ‘They were clever people who the Sunbeam’s engines has been
this feat looming, the National forklift truck. designed and built Sunbeam made from a pattern part.

‘It became the first car to break 200mph when Segrave piloted it to 203.79mph’

32
 PRICELESS BERNIE ECCLESTONE F1
COLLECTION BOUGHT AS A JOB LOT
F1 enthusiasts are set to gain access to the world’s greatest
collection of single-seaters following the lock, stock and barrel
acquisition of the Ecclestone collection by Red Bull heir Mark
Mateschitz. The unexpected upshot of the sale means a number
of the cars will have gone full circle, having been bought by ex-F1
supremo Ecclestone when Tom Wheatcroft’s Donington Grand
Prix Collection was dissolved.
Ecclestone, 94, put the collection up for sale via Tom Hartley
Jnr at the beginning of December, but was coy over whether it
was for sale only en masse or could be split up. It came with a
terrifying estimate of £300-500million, a figure that would put
a major dent in the £650m tax bill Ecclestone received in 2023.
The 32-year-old Mateschitz, whose father Dieter co-founded
Red Bull, has committed to preserving and expanding the
collection, with the intention of making it accessible to the
public, most likely in Austria. He said: ‘I am very pleased that
Bernie has placed his trust in me to take care of this historically
significant collection. It will be carefully preserved, expanded
over the years, and in the near future it will be made accessible
to the public at an appropriate location.’
Tom Hartley Jnr said that there had been interest from around
the world, including offers from two sovereign wealth funds, but
that Mateschitz was a clear favourite for seller Ecclestone.
The 69-strong car collection includes such important
machines as the Thin Wall Special – the first Ferrari to defeat Alfa
Romeo – as well as the 1951 Italian Grand Prix-winning 375 F1
driven by Alberto Ascari. Also featuring in the collection are Niki
Lauda and Michael Schumacher’s World Championship-winning
Ferraris, an array of Brabham F1 cars from Ecclestone’s tenure as
team owner, and his personal favourite, the Vanwall VW10 driven
by Stirling Moss. The cars embody 70 years of Formula 1 history,
in terms of both technical milestones and sporting achievement.
Other highly significant cars include the 1978 Brabham-Alfa
With no reference manual, From top Romeo BT46B ‘fan car’, which achieved victory in the 1978
the team has relied on a small Segrave with the Sunbeam in Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp, and the 1957 Vanwall F1 that
number of pictures and Florida; Ian Stanfield at work on the Stirling Moss drove to three victories in the 1958 season, securing
crank; prepping one of the pistons;
documents sourced from the Vanwall’s Constructors’ title.
reassembly of the engine.
original designers and the Further highlights include the 1957 Ferrari Dino 246, the 1975
factory. Another challenge has Brabham BT44B that helped Brabham to second place in the 1975
been dealing with unique The restoration of the gearbox Constructors’ Championship, and the 1983 Brabham BT52B in
problems, such as multiple revealed pronounced gear-tooth which Nelson Piquet won his second world title.
thread sizes and types, chipping where Segrave must
Frenchman Coatalen having an have struggled to get The Slug
affinity for metric, but with into second gear during his runs
Whitworth and BSF also used. on Daytona Beach, so when it
Progress has not solely been returns in 2027 the team has
confined to the engines, decided to use only first gear
however. The chassis has – which is still good for 72mph!
received attention and been It is estimated that the
Trimite coated, the front project, launched with
suspension and brakes stripped, Hampshire-based Brookspeed
cleaned and refitted, and Automotive, could yet require
cracked drums mended. another £300,000 to complete
The gearbox has been a major The Slug and run it at Daytona
project. The unique three- in 2027. Donations towards the
speeder sat beside the pilot and restoration can be made at
drove chains to turn the rear nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/
wheels because a conventional sunbeam-1000hp-restoration-
axle couldn’t take the power. campaign.

33
Ignition News

RM double boost for RAC City spectacular

RM Sotheby’s has signed a One of the star displays at the
five-year deal with the Royal ninth London Concours
Automobile Club to continue its (londonconcours.co.uk/tickets)
title sponsorship of the London – taking place at the Honourable
to Brighton Veteran Car Run and Artillery Company in the heart of
committed to its adjacent sale at The City on 3-5 June – will be a
the Peninsula Hotel. The auction collaboration with the Goodwood
house is also supporting The Road Racing Club to display a
club’s inaugural Woodcote Park mouthwatering selection of
Morgan reveals Supersport Concours at the RAC’s Epsom
estate on Wednesday 9 July.
Mercedes-Benz SLs, from
Gullwing to Pagoda and beyond.
BRITISH CAR MAKER Morgan has unveiled its new flagship model, Classes will include Grand Other highlights will be The
the Supersport. Although continuing to use the BMW B58 3.0-litre Tourers, Riviera, Coachbuilder’s Hypercars, presented by Apollo
six-cylinder engine – driving through a ZF eight-speed transmission and Art, Limousines, and the Mille Capital, including the UK’s only
BMW rear axle – from the current Plus Six, the Supersport is built on a Miglia, with a further category for Maserati MCXtrema alongside
new CXV-aluminium platform that is said to be 10% stiffer. The redesign pioneering London to Brighton LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and
of the CX chassis was extensive enough that the car had to go through veteran cars, and another Porsche 918 Spyder. Thursday
crash testing and homologation again. As well as a fresh chassis it has a celebrating 50 years of the Honda 5 June will be Need For Speed
new tyre size and manufacturer, new wheels, re-engineered suspension, Gold Wing motorcycle. No less – Supercar Day in association
a new steering rack and tweaked steering geometry. impressive will be the Members’ with Drivers’ Union. Event
Echoing the silhouette of last year’s Midsummer collaboration with Paddock of club members’ cars. partner Adrian Flux insurance
Pininfarina, another stand-out feature will be the lightweight carbon has also signed up for a further
composite hard-top, which not only adds another 10% of rigidity but, Race groups gathered three years and will present the
along with a fold-away soft-top and redesigned sidescreen system, will Motor Racing Legends owner Fast Fords class.
also make the car more weather-versatile than any previous Morgan. Aythorpe Promotions has
Jon Wells, chief design officer, said: ‘Visually, there is nothing on this acquired the HRDC. MRL
car that isn’t designed by Morgan except the gearshift. The Morgan name chairman Shaun Lynn and CEO
is spelled out on the car for the first time and it’s in a new HFS font, Pierre-Antoine Lecoutour will
which is tilted slightly so it reads better from behind. The overall take the helm of HRDC with
proportion has been really informed by aero.’ founder Julius Thurgood but vow
Morgan MD Matthew Hole added: ‘More than just a sports car, the its commitment to affordable,
Supersport is a testament to the dedication and passion of our small but community-led historic club
exceptional team of engineers, designers, and craftspeople. Their racing will not waver.
relentless pursuit of excellence has shaped a flagship that evolves our
legacy while staying deeply rooted in our heritage. Every Morgan carries Suffolk paradise
an inherent honesty and Supersport is no exception – crafted with care, The UK’s most picturesque
built to be bespoke, and designed to deliver something increasingly rare boutique concours takes place
in today’s world: pure, undiluted driving joy.’ on 27-29 June. Held at the Grade
It is available to order now and is priced from £85,000 plus taxes. I listed Palladian mansion
Heveningham Hall in Suffolk,
and with just 50 world-class
classic cars arranged on the
Event postponements Head judge anointed famous terraced lawn behind the
Two leading London events have John Carlson is the new chairman Sonoma summer nights house, Heveningham Concours
announced that they will not be of international concours judging Velocity Invitational takes place also boasts a huge fly-in, aircraft
taking place in 2025. Due to collective ICJAG, having been at Sonoma Raceway, California, concours and country fair on site
extensive ongoing building works elected by the ICJAG board of on 6-8 June. The event will feature during the event. There is live
at its venue, the Concours on directors. The British Columbia, 11 grids as well as the second motoring action on Horsepower
Savile Row (originally planned for Canada, expert is a founding Velocity Invitational Hill Climb. Hill, plus a tour, and all proceeds
21-22 May) will next be held in member of the International As ever, a star-studded roster of from the event support local
May 2026, while Salon Privé Chief Judge Advisory Group and drivers is promised, with past charities as well as a prestigious
London, scheduled for 10-12 is chief judge for several events events attracting the likes of automotive design scholarship at
April, is taking a year off due to that use ICJAG judging forms and Mario Andretti, Lando Norris the Royal College of Art. See
a lack of manufacturer support. judging guidelines. and Romain Grosjean. heveninghamconcours.com.

34
German concours return Gene Winfield RIP
The second edition of the Missouri-born custom car legend JERSEY CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
Concours of Elegance Germany Gene Winfield moved to
will return to Gut Kaltenbrunn on Modesto, California, aged just two
the edge of Lake Tegernsee on and grew up to be one of the SATURDAY JUNE 7th
25-26 July. Confirmed cars central pillars of the hot rod and
include the one-off 1967 custom scene. Notable for his film
Serenissima Agena and a 1976 and TV cars, including for Blade
Lamborghini Countach LP400, Runner, his most famous creations
plus a pair of Chapron-bodied include The Reactor, The Pacifica
beauties: a Citroën SM Mylord and even the car from Woody
and 1931 Delage D8 Roadster. Allen’s Sleeper. You can read
Octane’s full 2011 interview with
Gene, who died aged 97, at
octane-magazine.com.

Island life
The fourth Jersey Concours
d’Elegance will take place at
Weighbridge Place, St Helier, on Jack Vettriano RIP
the afternoon of Saturday 7 June The self-taught Scottish painter –
as a satellite event during the ferociously popular despite
wider Jersey International frequent and condescending
Motoring Festival Weekend. It dismissal from the art
promises to display some of the establishment – was a well-
Channel Islands’ finest and most known petrolhead who often
exotic cars and admission is free. featured Bluebird, Bonneville and
The event is organised by the Pendine in his artworks, as well as
famous Le Riche Automobile collaborating on the Tension,
Restorers in tandem with ROK Timing, Triumph – Monaco 1971
Construction and Barnes triptych with Sir Jackie Stewart.
Publishing & Events. He shared his favourite things
with Octane readers in issue 92.
Colin Crabbe RIP
A giant – literally, he was 6ft 5in They also served…
tall – of the classic car world, the Octane was saddened to hear of
former Scots Guards officer raced the recent passing of the following
a Maserati 250F in 1965 before and our thoughts are with their
tackling Aston Martin DP214 and friends and families. Former BMC
Ford GT40. He entered a Cooper Competitions manager Bill Price,
T81B in Grands Prix for Neil Autocar editor and originator of
Corner and Vic Elford and gave Thoroughbred & Classic Cars
Ronnie Peterson his big break Lionel Burrell, Morris Minor
in a March 701 before moving to Owners’ Club legend Rosie
historics. He became a car hunter Hamilton, and Nigel Allen who,
extraordinaire while also running with brother Michael, was
the Complete Automobilist, the instrumental in helping Colin and
business he set up in 1969. See Hazel Chapman get their fledgling
Octane 62 for a full interview. Lotus company off the ground.

35
Ignition News

Join the Hope

Classic Rally
A DATE HAS been set for the tenth
anniversary of the Hope Classic Rally, the
unique classic car run that has raised over
£2million for We See Hope (weseehope.
New Middle East concours org.uk), a charity that provides
community-led skills and education for

to take place in Bahrain children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Taking place on Friday 27 June, the rally
will again be hosted by Ledmore and
Thorough Events has royal patronage for a golf course-based supported by a host of blue-chip classic
companies including Tuthill, GTO
concours plus tours and cultural events in November this year Engineering, Hagerty and JLR Classic. It
will be based at Wotton House Country
A NEW EVENT from the team behind Ward said: ‘We’re delighted to launch this Estate Hotel in Dorking and the format
Concours of Elegance, the London Concours exciting new concours, which will bring the remains the same – meet for breakfast, then
and Concours of Elegance Germany is to run world’s finest cars to the Royal Kingdom of a one-day road rally through the Surrey
in Bahrain in November, with the patronage Bahrain later this year. It’s an area full of countryside for 50-60 cars with a lunch
of Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH passionate enthusiasts, vibrant culture and stop, followed by dinner and charity
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. natural beauty, making the perfect canvas for auction at the hotel, with many participants
Taking place on 7-8 November at the this Royal Concours. We are looking forward booking in for an overnight stay.
Royal Golf Club, the concours promises to to delivering a truly world-class concours What makes the Hope Classic Rally
display 60 hand-selected, world-class classics event, set at one of the Gulf ’s most stunning unique is that, although it is also open to
from across the region and beyond, as well as venues: the Royal Golf Club. owner-drivers, many of the cars taking part
showcasing the very best of Bahrain’s beauty ‘More than anything, I’ve been struck by are loaned to the event by collectors who
and culture, including a pre-event Tour for just how welcoming the Bahraini people have believe their cars should be ‘used for
participants with a track-day on the Bahrain been and we greatly look forward to working positive reasons rather than hoarded
International F1 circuit. In collaboration hand-in-hand with the Bahrain Tourism and as trinkets’. As a result, and based on
with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Exhibitions Authority to bring much of this last year’s fleet, participants could find
Authority, the event will also include cultural beautiful country’s magic to life for our themselves in anything from a Lynx
excursions to Bahrain’s souks and historic entrants from all over the world. We are Eventer to a Lamborghini Miura or
sites, as well as a Cars by Candlelight immensely privileged to have HRH Prince Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.
evening spectacular. Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince Also new for the special anniversary
Thorough Events CEO James Brooks- and Prime Minister of Bahrain as the Patron.’ event is a stop at Dunsfold Park, where Top
Gear was filmed, for lunch at Ledmore’s
state-of-the-art facility overlooking the
track followed by a processional lap before
heading back to Wotton House.
Prices start from £1000 plus VAT per
person to attend, plus a one-off charge of
£1500 to borrow one of the classic exotics
(subject to meeting insurance criteria).
Discounted rates for Wotton House have
also been secured. See hopeclassicrally.org
or contact event manager Marina Hamilton
on [email protected] or
+44 (0)7966 145494 to book a place.

36
 2017 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
70th Anniversary – 'The Scaglietti'
Estimate: £270,000 - £300,000

17th May 2025

THE ICONIC SALE AT SUPERCAR FEST

Sywell Aerodrome, Northampton, NN6 0BN

Classic & Collectors’ Cars

ENTRIES INVITED

+44 (0) 1926 691 141 iconicauctioneers.com [email protected]

23 & 24 Aug 8 & 9 Nov

The Iconic Sale The Iconic Sale
at Silverstone at Classic Motor
VIEW
Festival, Show, NEC ALL LOTS
Northants Birmingham
Ignition News

Left
The Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome
will be a focal point, but the
concours is at Casina Valadier.

an extremely early – in fact

pre-Romeo – Alfa. The 20-30 HP
Torpedo was actually the first
model to wear the Alfa Romeo
badge, but this 1914 example
predates that. It was bodied by
Falco after the Great War and is
set to make its concours debut.
According to Jackson-Sytner:
‘The car is fully matching in all
respects, beautifully restored on
the basis of a totally original car
and has never been shown
anywhere. It had been hiding in
a small collection in Austria. The
car is now in The Netherlands
and the Anantara Concorso
Roma will give it its world debut.’
The Alfa will not be the oldest
car in the concours, however,
with a 1911 Lancia Beta 15/20
HP from Museo Nicolis already
signed up. The youngest car
as Octane went to press was
Italian concours takes shape a 1979 Maserati Ghibli.
While the event carries the
Great cars and events are rapidly being added to the line-up name of the Anantara Palazzo
Naiadi Rome, where owners are
for the inaugural Anantara Concorso Roma this spring expected to stay, the concours
itself will take place at Rome’s
neoclassical Casina Valadier, with
WHEN 50 GLORIOUS Italian metres away from the setting for Laura Kukuk, Donald Osborne stunning views across the city.
cars take part in the inaugural the 2025 Anantara Concorso and Joanne Marshall. On the Friday morning
Anantara Concorso Roma on Roma, presented by UBS. New star cars are being participating cars will enjoy the
24-27 April they will be marking ‘That event was actually held revealed almost daily. As well Giro d’Anantara, a 20-mile drive
100 years since the first concours three years prior to the first as the sensational two-times from Piazza Della Republica
in the eternal city. Anantara Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este on Le Mans-winning 1963 Ferrari outside the Anantara Palazzo
Concorso Roma, presented by Lake Como, which was in 1929, 275 P and the 2023 Pebble Beach Naiadi Rome Hotel, through le
UBS and with supporters and period film footage of the Ferrari Competition class- strade di Roma and onward to
including Octane, RM Sotheby’s Pincio-based shows feature huge winning 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Frascati and Villa Aldobrandini.
and Technogym, will echo the crowds swarming around the Scaglietti Barchetta, there will be See anantaraconcorsoroma.com.
Concorso Romano delle many elegant coachbuilt cars
Carrozzerie, which took place of the day.
in April 1926. The new event is ‘One sequence from 1929
the brainchild of collector and includes the winner of the Placca
chairman of Anantara Hotels & d’Oro, Signora Assunta Bruchi
Resorts’ parent company Minor Ponzo, piloting her 1928 Isotta
International, Bill Heinecke Fraschini Tipo 8A seven-
(see Octane 262). passenger saloon by Cesare Sala,
Concours director Jeremy a monster of a car with
Jackson-Sytner explained: ‘We a 7.3-litre straight-eight that was
will be celebrating the 100th “guaranteed” to do 145km/h!’
anniversary of the first ever The concours cars – every one
Rome concours – the Concorso of them Italian! – will be judged
Romano delle Carrozzerie – by a team led by Dott. Adolfo
which was held in April 1926 at Orsi Jr and featuring Lorenzo
the Terrazza del Pincio in the Ramaciotti, Massimo Delbò,
gardens of Villa Borghese, just François Melcion, Stefano Pasini,

38
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 Ignition Opinion

The Collector

Jay Leno
How to end up with three icons in your garage

O
ne of the more exciting aspects of you want it? I’m sorry to do this to you but it’s a very
my automotive life has been how short window.’ So I said yes. ‘Good as
many of the greats I’ve got to know. It is not just about buying the car, it is about
Men like Juan Manuel Fangio, who buying into the company. On a visit to England a few McLaren’s F1
gifted to my garage one of his many years ago, what I saw at Woking impressed me more
World Championship trophies.
Stirling Moss, who always wanted to know the latest
than any other automotive facility that I had ever
seen. Their racing credentials were impeccable, but
was, it was
jokes going around. John Fitch, the first American to
race successfully in post-war Europe, as well as Phil
they had yet to build any successful production
automobiles. Remember, as good as the F1 was, it
not a sales
Hill, America’s first Formula 1 World Champion.
Dan Gurney was another boyhood hero who
was not a sales success, at least in the beginning. Still,
the whole place was hospital clean. Ron Dennis was success, at
occasionally came by the garage. the most driven individual I’ve ever met.
There have been more recent icons as well. But I Buying the F1, I felt like Gabriele Besana who least in the
mention these 1950s and 1960s heroes for a specific bought the very first road-going Ferrari ever made.
reason. They were all there at the beginning of what Soon after that they announced the P1, designed by beginning’
would soon become automotive royalty. Marques another man I’ve come to know, Frank Stephenson,
such as Ferrari, Lotus, Jaguar, to name a few. Phil who also designed the Mini and said how its exhaust
Hill told me he would race just for gas and tyres. pipe diameter was based on a beer can he had in his
It seemed like a very romantic time to me, and I wish hand at the time. I never forgot that story.
I had been around in those days. Recently I had a When the P1 was announced, I sensed that
small taste of what that might have been like when McLaren was worried it might not be able to sell
I hosted McLaren at my garage for the reveal 375 of them. Once Chris Harris and a few other
of the new W1. respected journalists got hold of the car, they quickly
Over a decade and a half earlier I had heard sold out. No wonder the W1 sold out fast.
rumblings that McLaren was going to build a new I was deeply honoured when Roger Ormisher
road car. By this time, I’d had my F1 for a number contacted me about having a press event at my
of years and enjoyed hearing: ‘No car is worth that garage for the W1. I was stunned to see McLaren
much, so buy now before it goes up again!’ CEO Michael Leiters was coming in from England,
I recall the day 25 years ago when they had one as well as chief engineer Marcus Waite. Both did a
F1 for sale. They’d had it in their showroom for a few great job of explaining the car to the audience. The
weeks and were asking $800,000 for it. I was a bit car we unveiled was not a running example but it
miffed because that was what they cost new and this gave me, as well as the press, a good idea of what the
was a used car. A 1994 model being sold in 1999. finished car would be like.
I reluctantly told Harold Dermott: ‘I’ll tell you what, The part I enjoyed most was not a CEO talking
I will call you back in two weeks. If it hasn’t sold by about running a multi-million-dollar corporation but
then I will buy it.’ Secretly I hoped someone would talking about cars with the very people shaping its
save me from making a huge financial mistake. When future. I have had good luck with McLaren; all it
I called back he told me they had had a number of builds relies on science and engineering to get the
inquiries about the car and one customer was very job done, and combines classic British handling with
interested. I took the bait and bought the F1 on the emphasis on steering and rear-wheel drive.
spot. Not following my own advice, I bought it sight Someone at the event asked me what it was like
unseen. Not even knowing if it could be made to have the Holy Trinity of McLarens. I didn’t realise
US-legal. It’s a decision I have never regretted. that until they actually said it. So, Monday morning
What a difference this time around! When they I went down to the Department of Motor Vehicles,
announced the W1 I wondered how much better and secured the licence plate ‘F1 P1 W1’ for my new
than the P1 it could be. I called Roger Ormisher at McLaren – how cool is that?
McLaren in the US to inquire about it, and as soon as
he recognised my voice he said ‘We have one left! Do Jay was talking with Jeremy Hart.

43
 Ignition Opinion

The Legend

Derek Bell
A Miami event provokes some very British thoughts

M
y motoring year kicked off turbo runners. I have always believed that the noise a
when I attended the car makes is intrinsic to how I feel about it. When I ‘I am
ModaMiami concours first got involved in motor racing, first as a spectator
d’elegance along with my and then as a marshal, it was the sounds, the smells, delighted
youngest boy, Sebastian. It and the overall ambiance of just being at a circuit
was staged in the grounds of that grabbed me and I have never left its thrall. Talk that Aston
the Biltmore Hotel, which is something of a to those who are new to being at a track, and the first
landmark. I had preconceptions of what it was going
to be like, having been a judge at the wonderful
thing they mention – invariably – is the noise.
That is something that has been sadly lacking, if
Martin is
concours at Amelia Island in the past, when it was
run by Bill Warner. However, while it was dubbed a
only to my ears – or rather, the right kind of noise.
When I was in Formula 1, you had V8s, V12s,
back and
concours, it was really a gathering of beautiful cars
and attractive people in a nice setting, all having a
flat-12s; all sorts. The same was true of sports-
prototypes. You could identify a car without seeing it that sports
jolly time in the sun. just from the engine note. For obvious reasons, that
I was there as a guest of the Royal Automobile side of things has largely been removed from the car racing
Club. I am sure that will sound a bit odd, being at a equation. I didn’t really get much of a thrill from
profoundly American show with representatives of hearing the diesel-engined sports-racers from the is gaining
this most resolutely British of organisations, but bear start of this century, assuming I could hear them at
with me. They were in town to drum up support for
the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the hope
all, and I feel the same way about some of the
hybrids. The lure isn’t the same.
traction’
being to attract greater interest from owners in the Which is why I am glad that the Aston is packing a
New World. They had a superb display of cars, high-revving V12. As for how successful it will be,
including the 1902 Grand Prix Mors. It seemed to who knows? I know that legions of fans will root for
work, too. I hope so because it is a wonderful event, it and be hoping this storied marque will win the
and one that has been around for so long. 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time since 1959.
I really enjoyed being in Miami. I am a bit of a There have been quite a few attempts since then. I
social butterfly so it’s nice to catch up with old mentioned Robin Hamilton last month. I remember
friends while making new ones. It was relaxed and his Aston-engined Nimrod Group C cars, but they
peaceful, although perhaps not quite so much when weren’t particularly competitive, nor was the AMR-1
Magnus Walker fired up the TWR Supercat. I was thing that I raced against at the end of the 1980s.
never a big fan of the Jaguar XJ-S, at least of the Then there was the disastrous Prodrive AMR-One
styling, and I wasn’t altogether sure of what to make of 2011. It hasn’t been a particularly distinguished
of this beast, either, but anything packing a 6.0-litre run of cars or results. In fact, I am reliably informed
V12 and 600bhp will attract my attention, although that the last time Aston Martin made the podium at
demand is perhaps more accurate. Le Mans was back in 1960 when it was third, so it has
By way of an awkward segue, I was in conversation plenty of ground to make up. I wish them luck. I am
recently with someone about the opening round of delighted that this classic marque is back and that
the World Endurance Championship that was staged sports car racing seems to be gaining traction. There
in Qatar. Ferrari blanketed the podium positions, are eight manufacturers at the sharp end in the WEC.
which pleased me given that ‘The Reds’ hadn’t won a Genesis and Ford are also now committed to
round since the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June. programmes so the future appears bright. I hope so
Nevertheless, it was the Aston Martin Valkyrie that because sports car racing brought me so much
seemed to be all that anyone wanted to talk about. pleasure. I would love for it to be in the limelight
Why? Because of its choral 6.5-litre normally rather than being considered the poor relation to
aspirated V12 that was developed by Cosworth. Formula 1. It deserves more than that, and I predict
There is only one other non-turbo car in the WEC, the great race at Le Mans this year will be a corker.
the V8-engined Cadillac V-Series.R. Like the Aston, There are 21 cars in the Hypercar class, and that’s
it provides an antidote to the flatulent sound of the just for starters. Yummy!

45
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 Ignition Opinion

The Aesthete

Stephen Bayley
Can Fiat survive the mediocrity of Stellantis?

have been to meetings where the design of when the old Chrysler Corporation (born in 1925)
a new car is discussed. So I have an idea of became, successively Daimler-Chrysler, Chrysler ‘The
what’s involved. Scratching chins, nodding LLC, Chrysler Group LLC and ultimately FCA.
heads. But I have no idea what happened As if to confirm systemic problems in an old, Chrysler
in Turin the day they approved the 2015 corrupt dynasty, Manhattan’s superlative Chrysler
Fiat Tipo. Maybe they were impatient for
lunch. Or maybe the meeting occurred after a lunch
Building, an eponym for New York and a brilliant
advertisement of corporate swagger as conceived in
300 was the
where many Negronis were involved.
If this is the design they approved, just how dire
1928, is in dreadful disrepair. Read what you like into
that as symbolism. The Stellantis muddle comprises
sort of car
were the ones they rejected? The 2015 Tipo is a
metal demonstration of colossal cognitive
one of the greatest dilutions of brand value in the
history of business. Were it not so chillingly
you might
negligence. It is flamboyantly boring: a Charybdis dismaying, the story would be comic.
of ennui and an insult to the opencast mines and Every single decision in its history has been a have found
rubber plantations that supplied its raw materials. mistake: Vauxhall is involved because PSA bought it
It is not even bad. In this context, bad would have in 2017. Despite a history that goes back to Victorian with Joe
been good: at least it would be noteworthy. How the marine pumps, Vauxhall has forever resisted the
ghosts of great Italian designers must have squirmed gravitational pull of consumer desire. The Vauxhall Pesci in
on launch day, an occasion with so little emotional brand refuses gentrification. It cannot be saved.
energy it could not even tinkle a wind-chime.
Fiat is part of Stellantis, a maelstrom of mediocrity
Then there are the precious Italian brands. Anyone
who has seen Neptune with his lactating Nereids in
the trunk’
that makes sense to no one. Its boss stepped down the Piazza Maggiore holding the trident that they
having allegedly starved R&D to feed the bottom- put on the badge knows the romance of Bologna’s
line, then annoyed dealers, chiselled suppliers and Maserati. But anybody who has driven a recent one
disappointed consumers, before receiving what The knows that romantic associations are not enough
Financial Times called a ‘record’ compensation to compensate for material failures. Anyone who
package, apparently unrelated to real-world activity. bought a recent Maserati may still be in fiscal shock.
The very name has a ring of disaster: ‘Stellantis’ Ditto Alfa Romeo. You have to be quite elderly to
was surely a poor relation of the Titanic. A coinage remember when Alfa last made a good car. ‘Classic’
that was the work of overpaid corporate identity is all very well, but to retain any meaning it must
consultants preening with their own rare genius, it have a component of the superlative in its definition.
is as meaningless to the consumer as, say, Diageo. Then there is Peugeot. Last time I visited the
Stellantis was the 2021 merger of FCA with PSA. design centre, I was shown concepts and I thought
As a general rule, companies known only by initials schoolchildren had been asked to draw an Audi.
have severe psychological problems. Only IBM and And because they couldn’t replicate Citroën’s
3M are exceptions. PSA was coined in 1976, short traditional genius, PSA invented a new ‘luxury’
for Peugeot Société Anonyme, created when the brand called DS, sales of which are so modest they
dour men from Sochaux took-over the urbane are not statistically significant. You and I, if you know
Parisians at Citroën and sent that great company it at all, are not convinced by the DS proposition…
into a reputational death loop. and nor, more significantly, are the populations of
FCA was, of course, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. China and the United States.
Here was a marriage made in a Hades of Futility. Stellantis is hopeless. Less worthy than Maserati
Can two engineering philosophies have ever been or Alfa Romeo, Jeep might survive. Trumpists will
so different? Fiat with a tradition of ingenuity and still buy Rams. The rest? Who cares? I just like to
economical elegance, while the last real Chrysler think Fiat might emerge from the muddle. And I
was the dreadful 300, the sort of car you might have would forgive it the 2015 Tipo if it got back to the
found with Joe Pesci mummified in the trunk. excellence that was Giugiaro’s 1980 Panda. That’s
Chrysler’s own identity crisis can be explained when design mattered and, if there is a future,
simply by listing what it has called itself since 1998, perhaps one day it will matter again.

47
Ignition Opinion

The Driver

Robert Coucher
Why restomods are the greenest cars around

C
armageddon! The automotive with no lithium or cobalt in sight. I still contend that
industries in the UK and Europe are a 1983 Mercedes-Benz 230E saloon is the ideal city ‘Enthusiasts
in a state of turmoil. Net Zero is car: simple, bulletproof, able to deal with modern
killing the car industry by talking up traffic and camera-led speeding restrictions. Want have been
over-spec’d and overpriced electric more excitement? Go for a 450SEL 6.9.
vehicles that are not suitable for every
motorist’s needs. OK, so if you are on a substantial
Enthusiasts have been modifying cars since the
dawn of motoring, either reducing weight (specials)
modifying
salary sacrifice deal, and you have a private charging
point at home as well as at your underground
or increasing power (hot rods). And along the way,
as modern supercars, sports cars, saloons and EVs
cars since
parking spot at work, then an eye-wateringly costly
Porsche Taycan might be just the job. But to most
have morphed into highly complicated computer
games in which the driver has been reduced to an the dawn of
drivers an expensive EV is an extravagance, hence operator, we have seen the rise of the restomod:
their secondhand values are plunging like a stone. updated classic cars that are developed to the point motoring,
So Porsche, Audi, Merc and BMW are going back to of the ultimate analogue driving experience without
manufacturing ICE vehicles, leaving the EV market the need to be four-wheeled computer platforms. reducing
to the Chinese, who have it sewn up already. There are some superbly reworked examples of
The good news is that it is beginning to dawn on
British and European governments that their green
Porsche 911, Alfa 105-series Giulia, Lancia Integrale
and even a Bentley S2; restomods that offer the
weight and
goals are unsustainable (sorry) and will bankrupt our
countries PDQ. EVs have a place in the car market
classic car enthusiast a modern interpretation
of what these sporting cars can do.
increasing
but cannot be forced upon everyone, with the
current Zero Emission Mandate proposing 80% of
And who started all this? No, it wasn’t some cool
musicians in a California warehouse, it was stuff y
power’
cars manufactured in 2030 to be zero-emission. Bristol Cars Ltd, 23 years ago. As you will read in
Hybrid vehicles seem the sensible option: clean and this issue, after a long reign running Bristol from its
practicable for regular drivers. Meanwhile the French singular showroom in Kensington, Tony Crook sold
have whacked a massive tax – as much as €60,000! – out to vintage Bentley driving enthusiast Toby
on heavy and high-CO2 emitting cars. You can’t have Silverton. He had the great idea of developing the
failed to notice that the French car industry doesn’t eccentric V10-engined Bristol Fighter. A valiant
produce big, heavy cars; though, to be fair, its new piece of kit but it killed the company. Yet Silverton
small EVs look rather good. No sniggering: UK car also came up with a plan for the very capable Bristol
taxes are on the up as well. 411, the model produced from 1969 to 1975 in five
But the world suddenly has more pressing series. ‘We basically bought up old 411s to rebuild
problems than Ed Miliband’s self-indulgent preen brand-new at the Works with all the upgrades you’d
that Britain should be seen as the ‘world leader’ in expect in a modern car while retaining classic 411
Net Zero – not difficult as UK PLC doesn’t actually virtues,’ he said. Hey presto: restomod, a Bristol 411
manufacture much anymore, producing just 2% of ‘Series VI’, and a factory one at that (see Octane 64).
the world’s CO2. Question: why do UK energy costs With a socking great 5.7-litre American V8 under
remain the highest in the world? Answer: green the bonnet, the old dears are indecently fast. A
taxation. Let’s hope Miliband won’t be around for bespoke 411 Series VI would have set you back
long as pragmatic Prime Minister Starmer cuts Net £128,500 in 2008, with its efficient multi-port fuel
Zero to pay for defending the realm. injection, air-conditioning, power steering,
The good news is that we know the way around four-speed, long-legged lock-up automatic ’box
these environmental and car tax wheezes: classic and delicious leather and walnut interior.
cars. Any vehicle over (a rolling) 40 years old is To some, a Bristol looks like an Austin
viewed as an historic vehicle so no road tax or ULEZ Westminster, albeit with the full Kingsman treatment,
charges. And rightly so. Classic cars are in effect and that’s the point. In a world of gauche bling, a
recycled goods, constructed many years ago from discreet gentleman’s express is akin to wearing a hand
simple materials, usually steel, wood and leather, cut Savile Row suit. No one else knows but you.

48
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 Ignition Letters

Letter Difficult Dymaxion

I read your article in Octane
of the 259 about the gyroscopically
month stabilised Gyro-X, which is
currently in the Lane Motor
Museum, with great interest.
Several years ago I met Jeff
Lane at the Ault Park Concours
(now the Cincinnati Concours),
where he was showing several of
the museum’s vehicles. Among
them was its replica of the
Buckminster Fuller Dymaxion
[below]. One of only two replicas
known to exist [Sir Norman
Foster’s recreation was featured in
Octane 90], the Lane Museum’s
took eight years to build and was
finished in early 2015, in time for
it to be driven from Nashville to
the Amelia Island Concours.
Jeff also drove it on the

The really forgotten Ferrari

Countryside Tour the day before
the Ault Park concours. Noted for
its aerodynamic design and
terrible handling, the Dymaxion
REGARDING Kevin Jones’ letter in Octane 260 doors and seats (which were trimmed in red, like is anything but easy to drive – but
about the Ferrari 348 being overlooked today, this an F40’s). The door sills, passenger footrest and it’s another unique piece in the
is probably an example of the power of journalism. ECU covers were also made of the composite. museum’s diverse collection.
When it was launched, the 348 was criticised for Suspension was improved as well, and a special Mark Turner, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
the strange behaviour of its front suspension in exhaust manifold pushed the power to 330bhp.
certain circumstances. That criticism was probably The wheels are three-piece 18in rims made by OZ.
justified because Ferrari immediately issued a recall Altogether, the GT Competizione is a real
order to dealers to modify the front suspension collector’s item. Since so few cars were made, no
settings. It was an important improvement, but the sales literature was ever printed, and most Ferrari
damage had already been done. dealers knew nothing about this version.
The final modifications came with the launch of A road test comparing this car with a Porsche
the GTB, GTS and Spider. The rear subframe was 964RS easily restored the 348’s reputation.
reinforced and all the suspension arm brackets on Manuel de Miguel-Mornet, Lérida, Spain
the chassis were modified. Not many journalists
wrote articles saying that all was OK now. At the Show me the science
same time, engine power was increased to 320bhp. Why are so many of today’s
But the really forgotten 348 is the 348GT electric vehicles built like the
Competizione. Only 50 were built, of which 11 proverbial brick outhouse? Apart
were delivered to Michelotto for conversion into from a few, most appear to be
circuit racing cars, plus two more to be turned into most unstreamlined. Improved
348LMs, which leaves 37 road-legal cars (nine with design could probably improve
right-hand drive and 28 with left-hand drive). their range, which would reduce
These cars were each numbered on their steering charging ‘stress’ – especially here
wheel boss. They weighed about 140kg less than in New Zealand, where distances
the regular GTB because a carbon/Kevlar between chargers can be greater.
composite was used for the front and rear bumpers, Mike Elliot, Otago, New Zealand

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51
Ignition Letters

‘“Cars of the 1950s have had their Rover. It’s beautifully made and
day,” says consultant Paul Jolly. I like to think that it adds a
“Fewer folk can remember them further 10mph to my Landy’s
now. Plus they were technically top speed…
very basic, heavy, unsafe and dull. Jonathan Davies, Surrey
Cars of the 1960s are starting to
fall away for the same reason.”’ Welcome aboard!
What the actual ****?! I was very happy to see Nathan
In a quality magazine that Chadwick in Octane 261 with a
caters for the entire spectrum of proper test of the Alpina B6, and
automotive enthusiasts, this kind John-Joe Vollans’ feature on hot
of ‘clickbait’ is unwelcome and hatches in Octane 262, having
unexpected. Cars from the 1950s been sad when the magazine
and ’60s may be more susceptible Modern Classics came to an end.
to rust and be less reliable – and When it appeared, it was just as
perhaps lazy modern humans fresh and exciting as Octane,
can’t be bothered with that – but albeit coming at cars from a very
I would much rather own a 1950s different angle – usually chronic
or ’60s car thanks to the soul and understeer if it was one of
PAUL HARMER engagement they offer that Nathan’s beloved Alfas!
modern classics simply don’t. And Nathan’s and JJ’s enthusiasm
that’s without mentioning their certainly got me and several
delicacy and purity of design. others through the dark early
Trends do shift, and more days of Covid, and I’m happy to
recent cars become classics, but see them under Octane’s wing.
Timely tribute Beaty, John Lewis and Iain not at the expense of the past. The Harry Peterson, Portugal
Your interview in Octane 258 with Exeter) Lister venture – and pool of cars to enjoy just grows.
the now-late Dave Brodie [above] ended up buying two early Lister I hope never to see this sort of
couldn’t have been more timely XJ-S prototypes in succession sensationalist journalism in
and left me saddened, for I from Iain Exeter. Having bought Octane again. On the other hand,
understand the racing world lost an E-type in the late 1970s as usual I really enjoyed the rest of
Dave between the time of his (which I still have), I became the magazine – so keep up the

MIKE JOHNSTON
interview and issue 258 arriving friends with the splendid Ron good work!
here in Australia. Beaty of Forward Engineering, Paul Howse, Surrey
I never knew much about Dave who looked after that car and a
and his racing career until he Mk1 that I raced in the early years Distressing though it may be to
featured in the Williams doco of classic saloon car racing. accept, we have to concur with Paul Properly used
on Netflix. He came across as a Those early Lister XJ-Ss had Jolly’s comments about the current Mike Johnston’s account and
knockabout bloke and as a true two particular virtues. First, the market for 1950s cars. The passion photographs of his epic E-type
friend to Frank Williams and his steering, ride and handling were for them remains intense, as you hike from Kuala Lumpur to
family. I also noticed that he transformed – they went around demonstrate, but sadly among Yorkshire in Octane 262 [above]
started out in an Austin A30, corners like a Jaguar should, conspicuously fewer people – JE shows that used classics are so
much like Australia’s late tin-top rather than like a motorboat. much more inspiring than
hero, Peter Brock. Second, the looks were spot-on cosseted vehicles, and is what
I enjoyed the interview Gary’s low-level picture of the car makes me buy a copy of Octane.
immensely and I am sure that all doesn’t show it off to its best but As the owner of a 1973 Land
who knew Dave will mourn him BLE’s restrained bodykit [left] Rover Series III, I’m proud of the
as one of the greats of motorsport. helped the XJ-S appear longer, scrapes I get into. Land Rover
Andrew Hall, Brisbane, Australia lower and sleeker, whereas later restorer and conserver Julian
attempts by the likes of TWR or Shoolheifer once noted that ‘the
even Jaguar itself made it look best Land Rovers are the hardest
swollen or weighty. driven’ and this is equally
It’s a shame Gary was unable to Go-faster badge? applicable to Jaguar E-types.
find a way of making money from Back in the 1960s, various main Well done, Mike.
the project. dealers would turn your Jaguar James Anthony, Lancashire
Chris Wood, London Mk2, S-type or E-type into a
serious road/race car.
Disgusted of Surrey One of these dealers was Send your letters to
For the first time in Octane, I’ve Coombs of Guildford, run by the [email protected]
Lithe Lister read something that actually made legendary John Coombs, which Please include your name,
Following Gary Bartlett’s letter in me angry! Brace yourselves… also sold many other brands – address and a daytime telephone
Octane 262 about his setting up of The ‘Best Buys for 2025’ in including Land Rover. number. Letters may be edited for
Lister of North America, I was issue 261 was utter nonsense. Many years ago, I was given a clarity. Views expressed are not
very aware of the BLE (Ron To quote from your introduction: grille badge [above] for my Land necessarily those of Octane.

52
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Porsche 911s Air vs water

Never has a method

of engine cooling
been so divisive as
in the world of the
Porsche 911. But is
there any contest?
Octane pits one type
against the other
Words Glen Waddington
Photography Jordan Butters

54
55
Porsche 911s Air vs water

ome would argue that we’re not comparing of styling. Sure, there are several generations between them
like with like. Well, perhaps deliberately, in (three air-cooled: G-series, 964 and 993, plus the water-
many ways we are not. The 911 Carrera RS cooled 996) but the proportions that define one also define
2.7 and 997-generation GT3 are 34 years the other. A quick outline sketch could be of either. Yet
apart. There is a discrepancy of 205bhp that evolution there has been, and none of it insignificant.
means the newer car is almost twice as Although the 997 is compact by modern standards, it’s still
powerful as the older one. And then there’s a good foot longer than the RS, it’s 6in wider and at 1395kg
the difference in values: one is worth about it weighs fully 320kg more.
nine times as much as the other. You don’t That’s the price of progress, of course, as the GT3 is
need me to tell you which way round that is, equipped with modern safety equipment from airbags to
but it’s something we’ll come back to. ABS and traction control, as well as a few more creature
Yet, while the owner of a GT3 might not comforts, such as air-con and power-assisted steering. Its
stretch to a ’73 RS, it’s highly likely that performance figures are also far removed: a top speed of
someone lucky enough to keep a 2.7 in the garage would 193mph and 0-60mph in 4.1sec play 152mph and 5.7sec.
fancy a 997 GT3 as well. It’s that kind of car: honed, Again, that’s three decades or more of advancement, not
lightened, focused, a bit special – not only among sports to mention the difference between 2.7 litres and 3.6.
cars but among Porsche 911s. Rather like the RS. But how do they feel? We’ll take the older car first, owned
And then there’s the big difference: the RS is air-cooled, by enthusiast Alex Ham for six years. There’s that familiar
pretty much the ultimate evolution of the original 911 click to the door latch and the metallic clunk as the door
generation in roadgoing terms. The 997, of course, has a slams shut. It’s compact in here, yet airy, the bucket seat is
water-cooled engine. It’s still a flat-six (read more about its enveloping yet doesn’t impede your view out. The dash is
development from 911 engineer August Achleitner on page simple, little other than that five-gauge cluster – with
66), and still slung out the back. In a car that, in effect, characteristic central revs – to hold your attention.
homologated its type for competition, and the development Until you start the engine. It was developed by Hans
of which included unusual attention to aerodynamic Mezger and Valentin Schäffer, with then-newfangled fuel
downforce. Maybe they’re not so far apart after all. injection and a Nikasil cylinder coating to permit an
To look at the pair together is to recognise a clear familial overbore yet the same valves and compression ratio as the
relationship. No other car has evolved like the 911 in terms standard 2.4 to guarantee usability. As it erupts into life

56
 ‘A discrepancy of 205bhp means the
newer car is almost twice as powerful’

57
Porsche 911s Air vs water

(less hefty sound deadening) you hear it as though it’s in Clockwise, from above
the cabin with you, chuntering and whining like a leashed Separated by more than three decades and 205bhp
husky ready to mush. yet equally focused on the driver; highbacks and a cage
This was the first Porsche road car developed for racing, in the GT3; RS lighter on its feet, GT3 has higher limits;
water-cooled yet closely related to what went before.
hence the RS (Rennsport) label and, for the first time, the
Carrera script appeared along the 911’s body. Thinner metal
and glass kept weight down, suspension was reinforced and
stiffened, rear wings were broadened to accommodate
wider tyres, and there’s the famous ducktail spoiler,
developed by engineer Tilman Brodbeck to reduce lift in
conjunction with the re-profiled front bumper and valance.
The gearlever click-clacks into first like any early 911’s,
you lift the clutch (with its characteristic over-centre action
from the floor) and tickle the throttle for instantaneous
revs. Wow, this car is alive! Few others respond to the
accelerator with this kind of alacrity, all thanks to a simple
cable (the GT3 relies on electronics). Pull away on the
straight and the RS sits on its haunches, raises its nose and
tears towards the horizon. Its power figures are far from
brutal (many a modern family car could outstrip them) yet
the rev-happy nature of its engine and the lack of weight
mean it more than lives up to that Rennsport notion, while
that hacking, soaring, ripping engine note entertains like
little else. It’s loud, but not painfully so.
The RS feels surprisingly soft in corners, rolling slightly,
but telling you exactly what is going on – which is important,
with that pendulum behind you capable of overtaking

58
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accidentally (or not). And as for the feedback through the of focus is present. Surprisingly, the engine idles louder
steering wheel, it’s sublime. This is a car that satisfies the than the air-cooled car’s, perhaps more to do with the
senses and edifies the soul. sporting exhaust than a noisier source: a water-jacket does
‘Part of the fun is that you can’t just walk into a showroom much to silence an engine, and engine management makes
and buy one,’ says Alex. ‘I tend to keep it off the road in the the idle smooth and free from pops and bangs. There’s less
winter months, but it’s never a massive compromise to granular detail in its voice, more an assertive growl than
drive, you can pop to the shops in it, it’s robust unlike certain an aggressive baring of teeth.
other race-bred cars. You hear and feel so much – all the best That pleasingly analogue nature is present in the manual
things of an older car. I’m as happy driving it to the office gearbox (a six-speeder) and, while the pedals are more
as I am on a track-day.’ conventional, you sit lower and straighter with legs
Only 1580 RS 2.7s were built in total, which goes some outstretched. It followed from the first water-cooled 996
way to explaining the value of the cars today (see what generation and was designed with the racing Cup GT3s in
markets expert John Mayhead has to say about it on page mind, built around the stiffer floorpan of the Carrera 4 but
68). Yet the basic package went on to underpin the standard with a lower fuel tank in place of the C4’s front differential.
version of the G-series generation that followed, truly an Perhaps most importantly, the 997 GT3 is the last 911 to
example of racing improving the breed. The GT3 isn’t employ the ‘Mezger’ flat-six. Of course it’s water-cooled but,
exactly common either, with 3329 of the first generation while the new generation featured those water-cooled
(like this one) and only 2256 of the updated 3.8 from 2009. blocks in unit with a vertically split crankcase, and one
Regular readers may recall John Mayhead’s market appraisal three-cylinder head per bank, in the case of the more
in Octane 259; suffice to say that values have been stable for powerful 996 and 997-era engines (read GT3, Turbo and
some time, comfortably around £75,000 for an excellent GT2 models) the blocks and heads were bolted to the
3.6 and £124,000 for the scarcer, further honed Gen 2. original type of separate crankcase.
We’re nearly 20 years on since it was introduced and time The given reason was that Porsche’s motorsport
suggests it could be the definitive drivers’ 911 of the modern department liked what it knew – the Mezger arrangement
era. Octane photographer Jordan Butters owns this one, had been thoroughly tested in racing, after all – but
which replaced a 997 Carrera S: ‘They have only the conveniently the arrangement avoided the modern engine’s
electronic aids to keep you safe without destroying the Achilles’ heel: potentially frangible sealed intermediate
analogue feel, and later generations of 911 are that bit shaft bearings. Naturally, the GT3 also has an intermediate
bigger and bulkier. It’s small by today’s standards and has shaft to drive the camshaft chains and it’s actuated by gears,
just enough refinement and comfort that you can drive it in common with the 2.7’s, and adds to the GT3’s aural
on the road without it feeling painful. The whole point of character in a similar way.
buying it was to drive as much as possible!’ And that aural character is still something special. Water-
Getting in is an occasion, if a rather different experience cooled it may be, but the 997 engine thrills purely with its
after the RS. The highback seat is bulky, you notice there voice. By 5000rpm it’s howling and there’s still 3400rpm to
are no rear seats but a half-cage instead, and, while the go, with a very insistent kick noticeable as high as 7000rpm.
atmosphere is modern-premium black, the same suggestion We’d have called this supercar performance not so long ago.

61
Porsche 911s Air vs water

Importantly, it still feels like a 911, with that characteristic Turner. ‘The 993 had the benefit of 30 years of evolution, it’s
tendency for the nose to bob over undulations and for the a brilliant car – but they’re not growing on trees.’
rear to be so utterly planted that it takes concentration and It’s the shortest-lived generation of 911, manufactured
effort to quell initial understeer without overcooking things. during four years from early 1994, retaining the bodyshell
The big difference is that those things tend to happen at architecture of the preceding 964 (and all prior air-cooled
higher speeds. With the RS, you learn its secrets quite iterations). However, heavily revised styling by Tony Hatter
quickly; it always feels extremely light on its feet. The GT3 included new panels with much more flared wheelarches
really comes alive the harder you push it. And it has limits and smoother front and rear bumpers, though the doors
way beyond those of the 2.7 RS. survived intact from 1964. In short, the more modern, still
James Turner is the founder of 911 specialist Sports pretty styling clad a platform that had been rejuvenated for
Purpose and curated the cars for this feature. ‘The GT3 is in the 964 generation in 1989, claimed to be 85% new, and the
balance and harmony. There’s not too much power, grip or 993 brought a new multi-link rear axle (from the still-born
weight – in later 911s you have to manage the weight much 989 saloon) and a six-speed gearbox to the mix, too.
more,’ he says. ‘It’s relatively accessible and I’d happily drive This 993 is a standard Carrera 2, rear-drive and featuring
one for the next 30 years.’ a 3.6-litre air-cooled flat-six with variable valve timing. It
As for the 2.7 RS? ‘It will always lay claim to Greatest Of pumps out 276bhp. Read that again and remember that our
All Time status. And it’s the perfect mixture: 52 years old iconic 1973 RS sports 210bhp. My, how far we had come.
yet it feels youthful. It takes only a little familiarity to realise The click/clunk of that ‘air-cooled’ door remains the
how good it is to drive – in so many different circumstances. same, but it’s plusher in here, there’s an airbag, lots of pale
It’s the pinnacle of that mix, and still so quick.’ leather, though the dashboard looks familiar. Still the click-
Remember the market value of the GT3 as we move to clack of the gearshift but so much torque from the off and
consider the sharp end of the air-versus-water debate: when the flat-six is more muted, though still so tuneful. The
one method gave way to the other. That happened in 1997 steering is power-assisted, so it’s quite high-geared, there’s
as the 996 generation arrived, marking – for the first time in more hush in the suspension and the ride feels rounded yet
the 911’s career – a wholesale change over what had gone well-damped. Even so, there’s no mistaking the old character
before. And what went immediately before was the 993. when you press on; it’s every inch a 911 in the way it feels
Such is the rarity of unspoilt 993-generation 911s – the during spirited driving. Purists love this car and it’s so easy
last of the air-cooled line – that they are becoming to understand why.
increasingly valuable. The one you see here was insured for Jonathan Ackerley bought this 993 in 2019, having been
a value not far short of the 997 GT3’s. ‘It’s now harder to brought up on a diet of air-cooled Porsches. ‘I went for a late
find a good standard car than a specialist version,’ says model as it’s the easiest to use every day, though I tend

62
to keep it off the road between October and April. Short of Clockwise,
air-conditioning, it’s perfect. It’s my first older car and I love from opposite
the sound of the doors closing, the slim rim of the steering Clever styling of 993 (behind)
wheel, the way it looks. It’s really special.’ did much to hide the car’s age
– there’s less character in
What’s perhaps surprising is how close the 996 feels. the 996’s; last-of-line air-
It’s bigger, easier to get into, you sit straighter, the dash is a cooled interior combines
stylised update of the original (still five clocks, still a central ancient and modern; air-cooled
rev-counter) and the passage of time means its interior now flat-six sounds the business.
looks a little quaint – in the same way you got used to your
grandparents’ swirly carpets. It’s a massive ergonomic
improvement, however.
Start the engine and it sounds quite similar. Twirl the
wheel and the sensation is likewise. Select first gear and you
notice the cable shift is a little lighter but it’s not a million
miles away in feel, and initial acceleration is similarly strong.
There’s an all-new body and an all-new engine, yet it’s not
so different as you might have expected. There are shared
elements: the gearbox and suspension front and rear are
carry-overs, though neither dated back very far. And while
the new engine is smaller in capacity (it’s a 3.4 in base
Carrera form), power is up to 296bhp.
Once under way, dare we say it’s an improvement? Sure,
the RS’s unassisted helm chatters more, but the 993’s
doesn’t, and designing in power-assistance from the off
makes this a paragon of its genre: sharp, linear, consistent,
enjoyable. The ride has a slightly sharper edge to it, but
there’s a little less body movement and the overall feeling
is of slightly greater stability: incremental but there
nonetheless, and hardcore road-testers instantly reported
far more predictable on-limit behaviour. There’s also real
strength in the power delivery and great character in the

63
Porsche 911s Air vs water

Clockwise, from below

993 looks closer to its successor than its predecessor; water-cooled flat-six sounds the
business; five-clock layout modernised; swirly 996 interior beginning to mellow.

64
multi-layered soundtrack. Worth mentioning are a 50kg
weight-saving (despite the more generous dimensions), a
45% increase in torsional stiffness and a thoroughly modern
drag factor of 0.30. Well, the old version was getting on a
bit, though, to be fair, the 993 managed a very decent 0.33.
‘The 996 is surely
one of the great
What price this great car? Think £20,000. Surely one of
the great performance bargains of the era, and that despite
a small surge in recent years. ‘It’s always been a good car,’
says Turner, ‘a car you can drive every day and that’s within
reach of many people.’
Jon Miller bought this one recently, following a 986
Boxster, a 996 GT3, a Cayman and ‘so much air-cooled stuff
I can’t even count’!
‘I alternate between this and an Audi as my daily driver,’
he says. ‘All weathers, it just depends how many passengers
performance
I have. It’s 20 years old but completely usable and most stuff
I can service or fix myself. It’s not an ownership experience
that frightens me, yet it’s still a Porsche sports car.’
Fair to say that, in terms of enjoyment per pound spent,
the 996 surely wins any comparison. But in the air-versus-
bargains of the era’
water debate, there can be no losers as there has never been
a 911 that doesn’t live up to the reputation. Instead, what
this closely related yet objectively disparate grouping
proves is that there is a 911 for every kind of driver. And
every occasion for driving.

THANKS TO Sports Purpose, sports-purpose.com, and owners

Alex Ham, Jordan Butters, Jonathan Ackerley and Jon Miller.

65
Porsche 911s Air vs water

AUGUST
ACHLEITNER
The evolution of an icon:
Mr 911 reveals all

‘WE HAD MORE concerns from the public with the move keep that aspect intact.’ And for Achleitner, the configuration
from air- to water-cooling than we did with going from was more important than the cooling method.
natural aspiration to turbos, yet there is far more impact on ‘It’s all about the layout. I love the flat-six, that very
throttle response and noise with turbos,’ says August specific sound, its characteristic vibrations at low revs and
Achleitner, reflecting on the evolution of expectations as the absolute smoothness from 1000 to 8000rpm. In the air-
much as the evolution of the 911 over its extraordinary 61- cooled car, there was so much torque in the mid-range. But
year (and counting) career. As his swansong was to launch with the water-cooled car, with four valves, we worked on
the 992 generation, he speaks with the utmost authority: the induction, timing and camshafts and it developed even
Achleitner retired at the end of 2018, having started at more from a smaller capacity.’
Porsche in 1983, working on chassis development. He then Naturally, Achleitner was keenly aware of the heritage of
led technical development from 1989, before taking over his charge. ‘We managed to transport the history of the 911
full responsibility for the 911 in 2001. into the future with barely a single part carried over,’ he says.
The move to water-cooling was a straightforward ‘It’s an icon. No other company has a brand like this. With
engineering decision. ‘We had to establish a four-valve the 996, our confidence was back after some difficult years,
cylinder head, purely on the basis of emissions regulations,’ thanks to a combination of aspects. We had 300PS from the
he deadpans. ‘We made attempts with the air-cooled engines start, proper climate control at last, better fuel consumption.
but they simply can’t be kept cool enough. Even looking at It was a little bit bigger, too – people had got taller but the
motorcycle technology, it was too difficult to get the heat 911 hadn’t grown since 1963. We had to consider how
out of the cylinder heads. So we had to move to water- people would fit, there was space for an automatic
cooling.’ The decision had been made. transmission, and because the convertible version was
Yet it wasn’t an easy one: this was at a time of considerable designed alongside the coupé we had space for rear seats
economic stress at Porsche. There was a late move to develop and to stow the roof. We had a clean sheet of paper and a
the 964 into the 993 while laying the foundations for a new new start, with a goal to sell 30,000 sports cars per year.
911 that would share common parts and the same engine We were at 60,000 within a few years, and that allowed
family with a new entry-level car: hence the introduction of us to develop a third product line.’
the 996 and Boxster. The 996 Carrera was only the start, of course. ‘With the
‘Our biggest challenge was to install the water-cooling 996 we could sell to new customers from Mercedes and
system in a car that had a front luggage compartment. The BMW; that was not possible with the more hardcore air-
result was two cooling elements, with a radiator in each cooled car. But then came the Turbo and GT3. The
front corner. Our rivals were less practical; we wanted to discussion ended. We had silenced the critics.’

66
Porsche 911s Air vs water

WHAT PRICE THE

LEGENDARY RS 2.7?
John Mayhead on the ups, downs and
ups of Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 values

WHEN THE FIRST UK Hagerty Price Guide was published in January

2012, there were a few models included that, in retrospect, were
available for bargain prices. Hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing,
but a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring in ‘excellent’ condition for
sale at £182,000 was a very real prospect. Today, the same car
is listed at £617,000.
That’s not to say the trajectory of RS 2.7 Touring values has been a
steady climb. Prices first rose rapidly, more than doubling between
January 2012 and the start of 2015. They then corrected, falling back by
a quarter and bottoming during lockdown at £355,700. In 2022, along
with many other collectable cars, the RS 2.7 experienced a post-Covid
boom and ‘excellent’ prices rose to £605,000. But, unlike other models
that have slipped downhill again, values of this very special Porsche
have remained strong. Values of Lightweight-spec cars have followed
the same trajectory, although these ultra-desirable cars are typically
80-100% more valuable, the delta increasing since Covid.
Although RS 2.7 values look relatively similar to where they were
back in 2015, there are huge differences between values of superb ones
and the also-rans: Hagerty’s lowest ‘fair’ price is currently 37% of its top
FORCED AIR
As for the 911 Turbos…
‘concours’ value, down from 2015, when the lesser cars were worth
67% of the best. This is a trend Hagerty has seen elsewhere: during
a tricky market, the very best demand top prices; those with any sort WE CAN’T DEBATE Air vs Water without mentioning the Big
of ‘stories’ tend to struggle. Brother 911s. Yes, we know, GT3 apart they’re all turbos now and
Porsche collectors are known to be a very particular bunch when it have been since 2015. But five decades ago the race-bred 930 arrived,
comes to specification, history and provenance. A great example was Ernst Fuhrmann having adapted the turbo technology originally
the RS 2.7 Lightweight offered by RM Sotheby’s at this year’s Paris developed for the 917/30 Can-Am racer and applied it to the
auction in February. It was offered with a €1-1.4m pre-sale estimate: Carrera RS’s 3.0-litre flat-six. Thanks to a single KKK turbocharger
strong, but reflecting its significant period race/rally history and there was suddenly a whale-tailed monster to sit above the nimble
reported originality. It sold for €713,750 after a significant amount of sports car the enthusiast world knew and loved. It thumped out
‘chatter’ on specialist forums about its restoration history prior to the 256bhp at 5500rpm and 243lb ft at 4000rpm, transmitted to those
sale. Correct or not, it may have had an impact. all-too-easily-overwhelmed rear tyres by a four-speed gearbox. There
wasn’t a five-speed tough enough to take the job on.
Fast-forward to 1999 and the first water-cooled Turbo was
P O R S C H E 9 1 1 2 .7 R S VA L U E S O V E R T I M E launched at the Frankfurt show. Like the 997 GT3, it employs the
race-proven and bulletproof Mezger flat-six, this time with two turbos
for a peak 420bhp, 0-60mph in 4.2sec and 190mph flat-out. With
£1.2m four-wheel drive, it was far less the widow-maker of early Turbo
infamy and far more the businessman’s express. Thrillingly fast, of
£1m Lightweight course, though so much less visceral. The monster had not so much
£800k been tamed as transmogrified.
Rather as with the naturally aspirated cars, the market has its say:
£600k Hagerty quotes the 3.0 930 in Condition 1 at £239,000. An excellent
Touring
996 Turbo is yours for more like £40,000. It’s the bargain here, again
£400k – though we’re not quite comparing like with like. And there is a very
£200k
interesting middle ground in the 402bhp 993, partly tamed thanks to
four-wheel drive yet still with the old-school character of the earlier
0 cars. Not cheap (it mirrors the 930) but certainly an air-cooled car
2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 you could use for endless thrills.

68
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FELLOWES
FINE CARS
A century on Bugatti Type 35B

The pursuit
of perfection
Bugatti typified the car as artform, and never more
consummately than with the Type 35. Richard Heseltine
celebrates a milestone from a century ago
Photography Stéphane Abrantes

70
71
A century on Bugatti Type 35B

72
 he mist is slowly clearing from the
mountains, patch by patch. There is a tingle
of anticipation as the car is warmed up by
seasoned veterans moving in almost
performative synchronicity. It would appear
that a Bugatti Type 35B must be primed
from all angles, and it takes a while. The car
sounds angry, voicing a release of pent-up
fury and mechanical clamour, and finally
it’s ready, the moment has arrived. Everything car-related that you have
done over the past half-century has been building up to now, savouring
a Grand Prix ‘Bug’ on the road. And for that, no superlative is sufficient.
First there is the small matter of clambering aboard. The bodywork is
Rizla-thin so it’s a case of hand here, foot there, heave up and slide in, all
the while being careful not to accidentally switch off the fuel tap that is
sited by your right shin. The cockpit is ultra-narrow, the machine-turned
dash home to a fuel pressure pump, oil and fuel pressure gauges, a clock,
the vertically moving advance-and-retard lever, a magneto and a rev-
counter. However, you cannot help but notice something that is
conspicuously absent: space for your feet. The pedals are tiny to the point
that they are practically touching. Even size 8 race boots with the thinnest
of soles are too large.
Suddenly you are up the creek without a boat, let alone a paddle. How
the hell do you drive this thing? Simple – take your shoes off. Defeat isn’t
an option. Now all you have to do is remember the shift pattern: it’s back
to front, that is to say the largely exposed lever is moved to the left and
back for first, second is forward, third across the gate and back, and top
gear is a further throw in the direction of the uncovered front wheels.
The multi-plate clutch is like a switch. It is disarmingly light, and not
in keeping with something that is the better part of a century old.
It is at this juncture that the car’s custodian decides to jump in, just to
check that you are happy at the helm. You are millimetres yet also
worlds apart, the riding mechanic being someone for whom the Bugatti
is practically his mistress. The engine revs rise and fall instantly in
response to the throttle. They help drown out the self-doubt. Don’t let it
spiral. It’s just a car, after all. It is impossible not to crunch it into first
without familiarity, but then we are off with a slight chirrup from the rear
tyres. Just remember not to blip on upshifts. There is no need, the lever
snicking into place as fast as it can be pushed.
The Bugatti is nervily alive; the steering tremors and vibrations
through the chassis and driveline are in keeping with its vintage. Then
there’s the engine note. Snap open the throttle for the first time and it’s
as though a dam has been breached. From as low as 1500rpm, which
is roughly akin to tickover, the Type 35B just bolts. The deep ripping
noise – the ‘tearing calico’ cliché – is otherworldly, the surge forwards
immediate. The quivering rev-counter needle spins off its axis,
acceleration being of the visceral variety. The onslaught of fresh air
reconfigures your jowls and ensures that thoughts tumble out uncensored.
You cannot help but cuss a blue streak.
This may be the greatest thing ever. The Bugatti is as raw as you hoped
it would be, but also a model of precision engineering. You would be
amazed were it otherwise. So much has been written about the Type 35B,
Clockwise, from opposite
so much of it gushing, but it really is a work of genius. The mystique was A century old and absolutely radical
earned the hard way, this being the car that kicked off a period of in its day; characteristic radiator and
dominance for Bugatti in the Grand Prix arena, let’s not forget. It led to grille, plus a beautifully wrought crank
the visually similar Type 51 and the fearsome Type 59. It is remarkable handle; tiny yet exquisite pedals.

73
A century on Bugatti Type 35B

to think that the Type 35 first appeared in unblown 2.0-litre form as far
back as 1924.
Over the next two seasons, it raced in 1.5-litre form and then in its
classic 2.3-litre configuration (still normally aspirated) on the Targa
Florio in April 1926. Bugatti finished 1-2-3-5 in Sicily. That same year
saw the arrival of a supercharged variant as a catalogue model,
distinguishable by its larger radiator that was moved forwards to allow
space for the blower drive. A Bugatti-built ‘Roots-type’ supercharger
was sited low down on the offside of the crankshaft and driven via a
shaft and train of gears from the front of the crank. The engine, like the
rest of the car, was a work of architectural artistry, even if some of it was
fiendishly overcomplicated.
The heart of any Type 35 was an overhead-cam straight-eight that
carried forward principles already trialled: two fixed-head four-cylinder
blocks topped by an aluminium camshaft box that was crafted to
symmetrical perfection. It was the first Bugatti to wear the characteristic
cast aluminium wheels with integral brake drums, and also to feature a
chassis frame tapered to match the pointed tail and enclosing the reversed
quarter-elliptic springs (a marque constant). The Type 35 also ushered in
the elegant tubular front axle that was to become another marque
constant. Normally aspirated cars had two barrel-throated Solex carbs,
supercharged versions a large single Zenith unit.
It’s worth recalling that the Type 35’s motorsport debut, the French
Grand Prix of 1924, proved a disaster. Ten cars were ready for the race,
only for their charge to be blunted after the tyres threw their treads. A
year later, Bugattis placed sixth, seventh and eighth, beaten only by cars
equipped with superchargers. As a result, Ettore Bugatti overcame his
distaste for blowers and the result was the Types 35B and 35C. There
followed a near-hegemony on-track in Europe and beyond that lasted for
the remainder of the decade, albeit often against little effective opposition
and by dint of sheer numbers. By 1929, the single-cam engines were
deemed passé, but Type 35s continued to chalk up wins.
The car pictured here was originally owned by Henrique Lehrfeld, a
Portuguese privateer of German and Swiss stock who competed
exclusively in Bugattis save for a couple of outings in an Opel and a single
race in a Gardner. He used the family wealth (his father owned a chemical
works near Lisbon) to acquire a Type 35C from Philippe de Rothschild
after the San Sebastian Grand Prix in July 1929, only to sell the car to
Adalberto Marques the following year. Lehrfeld apparently bought the
Type 35B direct from the Molsheim factory, the car being delivered in
July 1930, although some sources insist it was ordered via the Bugatti
showroom on the Champs-Élysées.
Lehrfeld didn’t waste any time enjoying his new mount, winning first
time out two months later in the Caldas da Rainha speed trials. In
November of that year, he won another sprint staged at Mindelo, near
Porto. Chassis 4952 was clocked at an average speed of 120.5mph
(194km/h) over the flying kilometre course, becoming the fastest car in
Portugal in the process (he held the record until 1937). A year later, he
was third in the Rampa de la Rabassada and finished fifth in the October
1931 Grand Prix de la Baule that was staged near Brittany. He continued
to accrue solid results thereafter, but one of the car’s career highlights was
racked up by a guest driver.
In 1934, António Guedes de Herédia convinced Lehrfeld to let him
Clockwise, from opposite
hire the Bugatti and race it at Vila Real, the carrot being that Lehrfeld
Electrifying both to drive and to listen to;
gorgeous engine-turned dash and delicate would also receive the prize money should he triumph. De Herédia
instruments; engine is a work of art – emerged victorious and kept his word (although he retained the trophy).
supercharging a reluctant response to rivals. In 1935, Lehrfeld campaigned the car at the Gavea circuit in Brazil,

74
‘Snap open the throttle
for the first time and it’s
as though a dam has
been breached’

75
A century on Bugatti Type 35B

claiming a celebrated second place in the 1935 Gran Premio do Rio de Today the Type 35B wears its years well despite being in its tenth
Janeiro, only for his repeat bid a year later to end in retirement. Sixth decade. Everything about this car screams delicacy and exactitude. As the
place at Vila Real in July 1936 was the last result of any significance for the car’s custodian, Tiago Patrício Gouveia, is keen to point out, virtually
car, Lehrfeld retiring from a race at Estoril in 1937. He apparently hung every component was machined, fabricated or forged from solid materials
up his helmet before the season was out. yet they were invariably radiused, tapered, or curved smooth. Accordingly,
Nonetheless, Lehrfeld retained the Bugatti until 1956, when it was there are no machining marks. His enthusiasm for the car is infectious,
sold to João Lacerda, the founder of the Museu do Caramulo. It remains whether he’s extolling the wheel design (the outer spokes are angled to
in the same family ownership and in remarkably well-preserved deflect air onto the brakes, if only in theory), or outlining the chassis
condition. The car’s original front axle and wheels were damaged in an design: there are six crossmembers, the engine block contributing
accident, mind, although there is a degree of uncertainty over when. The towards torsional rigidity.
injuries were either incurred at the Caldas da Rainha speed trials in Watching its keeper and friends start and fettle the car is a thing of
August 1932 or during a meeting at the Parque Eduardo VII circuit two wonder. It’s simple enough once you know how. Lean in and turn on the
years later. Lehrfeld broke an arm in the latter event, which may explain fuel tap. Crank the hand throttle open a touch, work the hand pump on
why he was happy to let de Herédia race the car at Vila Real. Either way, the left-hand side of the dash to get the fuel pressure gauge needle moving
it was repaired in period. from its stop, move the vertically sliding advance/retard lever up its

76
1930 Bugatti Type 35B
Engine 2261cc OHC straight-eight, three
valves per cylinder, Zenith carburettor,
Roots-type supercharger Power 130bhp
@ 5000rpm (approx) Torque 186lb ft @
5300rpm Transmission Four-speed
manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Worm
and nut Suspension Front: rigid axle,
semi-elliptic leaf springs, friction dampers.
Rear: live axle, in-swept reversed
quarter-elliptic leaf springs, friction
dampers Brakes Drums Weight 762kg
Top Speed 128mph (est)

77
A century on Bugatti Type 35B

‘With greater familiarity of

road and car, you soon appreciate
what all the fuss is about’

serrated slot to full retard, prime the carb, and… Well, you get the idea. The cable-operated brakes, meanwhile, were deemed fabulous way
It’s a time-consuming process and you cannot help but stare in disbelief back when. All these years later, you press the middle pedal hard before
as the engine fires. It isn’t happy idling, at least not to begin with, and there’s any retardation from high-ish speed, at least until the brakes have
each blip of the throttle induces furrowed brows from its carers. warmed up. You must then release the pedal so as not to lock the rears.
That, and a sharp, sky-tearing crackle. It’s giddying stuff, a sense that is It’s all a bit trial-and-error, but again that is to be expected. Not even a
heightened further on being let loose on your own against a seemingly sudden rain shower can dampen the sunshine mood. The takeaway from
never-ending yet everchanging backdrop. It’s like another world up here an afternoon spent in the company of a Type 35B is that it is every inch
in the mountains, the jagged edges of the rockfaces softened only in the the copper-bottomed, blue-chip classic that posterity has painted. There
shadows. With greater familiarity of road and car, your shoulders relax aren’t enough adjectival phrases to describe how immersive the
and your jaw unclenches to the point that you soon appreciate what all experience is, and it really does tickle all of your senses.
the fuss is about. The Type 35B is unbelievably quick for its vintage, but You emerge feeling elated. That, and a bit oily. The Bug does like to
it reacts instantly to the slightest surface defect. It doesn’t hop, skip or mark its territory. Driving one makes you appreciate the Grand Prix
jump, it’s more that your contact points are working overtime. The drivers of yore who raced between trees, through towns, perhaps across a
steering is light and ultra-direct. Disarmingly so. viaduct or two, and for hours on end. There was no safety net. Exceeding
You don’t so much drive a Type 35B as think your way along. In theory, track limits meant you often connected with something immovable. They
you can top 60mph in second gear easily enough, and exceed 90mph in were heroes one and all, but even a relatively brief dalliance with a Type
third. This seems eminently plausible, but sitting exposed against the 35B is sufficient to leave you feeling as though you could have been
elements ensures that it seems much faster. Once you have mastered the among their number. It has that effect, as does the locale. Cue a cinematic
shift pattern, it’s a doddle to move up and down the ’box so long as you end to the journey. Soaring score. Fade to black.
are disciplined. Rushed, noiseless gearchanges are not an option. You also
learn not to overcorrect; let the car wander a little. It doesn’t dart left or THANKS TO Tiago Patrício Gouveia and Salvador Patrício Gouveia
right but the front wheels shimmy a wee bit. That goes with the territory. at Museu do Caramulo (museudocaramulo.pt), and Adelino Dinis.

78
Cars in space NASA’s Lunar Rover

› IN SPACE
› NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU
› LAUGH .

Of course, we realise exploring another world was no

mere giggle. But the Lunar Rovers were nonetheless an
entertaining invention, as Elliott Hughes discovers
Photography NASA

80
ASTRONAUTS DAVE SCOTT and James B Irwin were
packed like sardines inside the cramped confines of the
Apollo 15 Lunar Module, Falcon. In July 1971, they
crossed the lethal 250,000-mile void of space to inscribe
near-eternal footprints on another world. Not only
footprints but tyre-tracks, too.
As with all previous Apollo missions, every inch of the
Lunar Module was crammed with tools, equipment and
supplies essential for scientific discovery – and survival.
Velcroed checklists, stashed food packets and myriad
life-support systems competed for space within the
cabin. But Falcon also carried something unprecedented:
the Lunar Roving Vehicle 1 (LRV-1), folded beneath it
like intricate origami, ready to transform forever the
scope of human exploration.
As Falcon began its descent toward the Moon’s
mountainous Hadley-Apennine region, Scott and Irwin
peered through triangular windows at the crater-scarred
surface below. Their perilous lunar landing was a
masterclass in precision, requiring staccato bursts of
thrust to control their descent safely to the surface. When
the module’s landing struts pressed into the fine regolith,
Scott’s voice crackled through the radio: ‘Houston, the
Falcon is on the plain at Hadley.’
After hours of checks and preparation, they turned
their attention to the rover, a machine as vital to this
mission’s success as the module itself. Packed into a
narrow triangular recess in the descent stage, the LRV
was a triumph of engineering, ingeniously designed to
unfold like a life-sized puzzle. On the lunar surface, Scott
and Irwin released latches and pins, carefully deploying
the skeletal aluminium-framed vehicle.
‘It’s beautiful,’ Scott murmured, as the final components
unfolded and then snapped into place. Once he’d been
ratcheted into the driver’s seat, he palmed the simple
T-shaped tiller and inched the rover forward. Crisp tyre-
tracks appeared in the virgin regolith, destined to endure
for epochs. And all this in fewer than 100 years since the
first commercially available motor car – the Benz Patent-
Motorwagen – had made its first tentative tyre-tracks
back on Earth.
Scott and Irwin’s extraterrestrial automobile was the
first of three to be driven on the Moon’s surface. While
some might dismiss it as a bold propaganda tool – or
evidence of America’s unrestrained love affair with the
motor car – the reality is far more profound. Not only
were these rovers essential to some of Apollo’s most
significant scientific breakthroughs, they also laid the
Opposite and above
groundwork for the future of extraplanetary exploration.
Irwin next to the Lunar Roving Vehicle on
‘The Lunar Rover completely transformed everything the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 15 mission;
about the Apollo programme,’ asserts Earl Swift, who Apollo 15 lifts off from the Kennedy Space
chronicles the lunar vehicle story in his meticulously Center, Florida, on 26 July 1971.
researched 2021 book Across the Airless Wilds. ‘Especially
when you consider that on Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong
and Buzz Aldrin ventured no more than 65 yards from

81
Cars in space NASA’s Lunar Rover

‘UNCERTAINTY weighed only 12 pounds [5.4kg], including their spun

aluminium hubs.’
ABOUT THE LUNAR These wheels had a unique advantage: ‘They were stiff
yet provided a good contact patch. They deformed just

SURFACE INSPIRED
enough to absorb impacts when encountering an
obstacle.’ Perfect for a different world.
Titanium chevron tread was then added for traction,
SOMETIMES BIZARRE but the challenges didn’t stop with the wheels. Engineers
also had to account for the Moon’s extreme temperature
VEHICLE CONCEPTS’ fluctuations, which ranged between a blistering 121°C
during the day and a frigid -173°C at night. As if that
wasn’t enough, the lack of atmosphere made combustion
engines useless and also prevented air-cooling for the
rover’s vital components. The lunar dust, while fine and
the lunar module. Their entire exploration could fit dry, was also remarkably abrasive and could damage the
within a football field – with plenty of yardage to spare.’ vehicle’s moving parts.
The introduction of the rover vastly expanded the range With all of this taken into consideration, the design
of lunar exploration, enabling the Apollo astronauts team, which was led by US aerospace company Boeing,
to cover nearly 60 miles over three missions. turned to electric propulsion, incorporating a small
The LRV’s impact on the scope of the Apollo quarter-horsepower motor into each wheel that delivered
programme was profound and the story behind its its drive via a harmonic reduction gear – similar to what’s
creation is fascinating. ‘Its origins go back to the 1950s, used to turn heavy machinery. Both axles were steered,
both conceptually and in early prototypes,’ says Swift. and the aluminium chassis was hinged so that it could fit
‘The idea emerged from the fascination of two General within the lunar module.
Motors employees: [Mieczysław Gregory] “Greg” While a mere 1bhp total might not sound like much,
Bekker, a Polish-born engineer, and his Hungarian the rover’s remarkably lightweight design made it highly
protégé, Ferenc Pavlics. They became fascinated with the efficient. Weighing just 210kg on Earth, the LRV tipped
prospect of extraterrestrial mobility after Sputnik I, and the scales at only 34kg under the Moon’s reduced gravity
immediately began working on it. They saw it as an – just 16% of Earth’s. Despite its minimal weight, it
interesting, abstract problem because no one knew boasted an impressive payload capacity of 490kg,
what the lunar surface was like at the time.’ essential for transporting astronauts, cameras, scientific
The uncertainty surrounding the lunar surface inspired instruments and geological samples.
a range of truly innovative – and sometimes bizarre – Predictably, the controls were entirely different from
vehicle concepts. Austrian-born British astrophysicist those of a typical vehicle. Acceleration, braking and
Thomas Gold, for example, hypothesised that the steering were all managed using a simple T-shaped tiller,
Moon’s surface was covered in seas of fine, loose dust, positioned in the middle of the cockpit for ease of access.
accumulated over millions of years from relentless This design was chosen so that the LRV could be
asteroid bombardment. Gold’s prediction led some to controlled by both passengers and because gripping a
speculate that any spacecraft landing on this lunar ‘sea’ joystick while wearing a pressurised space suit required
might simply sink into the dust. an enormous amount of physical effort.
To test these theories, GM’s engineering team in Santa ‘When we watch footage of astronauts bunny-hopping
Barbara, California, built a large soil bin – 5ft wide, 3ft around on the lunar surface, it looks like they were
deep, 50ft long – and filled it with baking flour to simulate having a ball, but it was hard work,’ Swift explains.
the lunar surface. They used the bin to experiment with ‘Imagine wearing a space suit that’s 18 to 21 layers thick.
various extraterrestrial vehicle designs, including a novel The best way to picture it is like putting on 18 raincoats,
Archimedes screw that would drill its way across the one after the other, sealing the cuffs, and then inflating
surface. Ultimately, however, it was the third and most them until they’re as stiff as an all-season radial tyre.
conventional four-wheeled design that gained the most Now, try bending your arm. You’ll quickly see how much
traction (pun intended). effort it takes.’
‘Eventually, and after a lot of experimentation, GM Despite its unconventional design, the LRV had an
concluded that, when factoring in weight and complexity, undeniable charm. The only feature it shared with a
the wheel made the most sense. Wheels handle dry regular car was, perhaps, the lawn-furniture-style seats –
surfaces pretty easily, and since the Moon’s surface was
waterless, they made the most sense,’ Swift explains.
‘So then it became a question of what arrangement and
type of wheels would do best in an airless, waterless
Opposite, clockwise, from top left
environment with extreme temperatures. This led them
LRV during a deployment simulation; Scott and Irwin on the
to come up with wheels that incorporated 800 strands of LRV at Kennedy Space Center; Apollo 15 in lunar orbit; LRV
stainless-steel piano wire coated in zinc and wound into a was foldable for transport; Apollo 15 crew with their new
fine, tight mesh. These wheels were very stiff and about wheels; LRV in geology training at the Cinder Lake crater
the same size as automotive tyres of the day, but they field in Arizona; compact enough to fit in the Lunar Module.

82
83
Cars in space NASA’s Lunar Rover

which, humorously, resembled those of an early Citroën

2CV. Yet these lightweight, utilitarian perches – much
‘1BHP MIGHT
like the rest of the design – were perfectly suited to the
lunar environment. NOT SOUND MUCH,
BUT THE ROVER’S
While both Boeing and GM collaborated on the
project, the involvement of Pavlics and Bekker was
crucial, with Pavlics, in particular, playing an important
role in bringing the intrepid vehicle to life. The team’s LIGHTNESS MADE IT
work came to a head when, in a moment of mischief,
Pavlics allegedly drove a scale model of the LRV into the
office of Wernher von Braun, the former Nazi rocket
HIGHLY EFFICIENT’
scientist who pioneered the design of Apollo’s Saturn V
rocket. His response? ‘We must do this!’
And so, by March 1971 – and after just 17 months – the
first of the three LRVs was successfully loaded into Apollo Motors creation, and drive it far beyond the reach of your
15’s Falcon module and deployed and driven by Irwin and only way back. It’s mind-blowing – a level of courage
Scott on the Moon. Despite the short build time, the that’s almost unimaginable.’
project was beset with difficulties and ran well over It seems apt, therefore, that all three of the Lunar
budget from $19m to $38m – or $300m in today’s money. Roving Vehicles are destined to remain as monuments
However, putting the steep engineering challenges and in the heavens to mankind’s greatest achievement.
the US Government’s vast financial commitment to one Regardless of what the future holds for humanity –
side, what makes the LRV and Apollo so evocative is the whether it ends through our own stupidity, pestilence, or
historic bravery of the men who piloted them, as Earl some unforeseen cataclysm – a sliver of solace can be
poignantly points out: ‘It takes a rare kind of courage to found in the knowledge that these automotive creations
journey a quarter of a million miles to the Moon, step out will endure in the bleak eeriness of the Moon’s landscape
of your one-way ride home, climb into a 1969 General for millennia.

84
Coachbuilt Alfa Bertone Giulia SS

In the name of beauty

For the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale, coachbuilder

Bertone sacrificed practicality on the altar of style – yet the
resulting pain is worth it, says Peter Tomalin
Photography Sam Chick

86
87
Coachbuilt Alfa Bertone Giulia SS

‘Isn’t it just lovely?’

Photographer Sam Chick is in rhapsodies, one minute at the time. Scaglione produced a number of landmark designs
crouching for a close-up of a badge, the next teetering atop a for Alfa Romeo, most famously the trio of extraordinary
stepladder to capture the little Alfa’s form in all its streamlined Alfa-based BAT concept cars, BAT standing for Berlina
glory from above. Sam has written in these very pages about his Aerodinamica Tecnica. Those early-1950s aerodynamic studies
adventures with his own boat-tail 1750 Spider, so he’s a man also informed Scaglione’s production car designs of the period,
who knows his Alfas. He has also photographed everything and you can glimpse ghosts of them in certain aspects of the
from Bugattis to Bizzarrinis, so he’s no stranger to beautiful Sprint Speciale. The way the wings wrap around the wheels, for
forms. ‘I could shoot this all week,’ he purrs. example, the deeply dished front and rear windscreens, the
‘This’ is an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale to give it its tiny frontal area, the tapering tail… You can almost sense the
full name, or Giulia SS for short. For those not fully up to wind rushing over it.
speed on their post-war Alfas, a bit of context would probably The Giulietta SS had a 1.3-litre version of the classic Alfa
be handy here. And the first thing to know is that the model twin-cam four. It produced a modest-sounding 99bhp and
started life not as a Giulia but a Giulietta. 83lb ft of torque, but its free-revving nature and the fact that
In the mid-1950s, Alfa Romeo offered a number of saloons, the SS weighed just 765kg meant spirited acceleration, while
coupés and spiders, all badged Giulietta but each quite different the wind tunnel-honed aerodynamics (a drag coefficient of
from the next. The most exotic member of the family was the just 0.28 was claimed) helped it to a top speed of over 120mph.
Giulietta Sprint Speciale, first glimpsed as a In Giulietta form the SS was in production
show-car in 1957, using a shortened Sprint from 1959 to 1962; 1366 were sold.
Above and right
coupé platform and clothed in particularly Then, in 1962, the whole Alfa range was
Franco Scaglione’s
striking Bertone bodywork, in essence the given a major update. The 101 series of cars was
characteristic styling
shape you see here. survived the transition from largely replaced by the 105 series, and the
The lines were the work of Franco Scaglione, 101 Giulietta to 105 Giulia; Giuliettas became Giulias. There were a
the supremely gifted chief designer at Bertone interior is just as exquisite. number of new body styles – most notably the

88
89
Coachbuilt Alfa Bertone Giulia SS

now-iconic Giulia Sprint GT/GTA – but the Above and opposite When it emerged again, at Bonhams’
Sprint Speciale continued in its sublime Beautifully detailed by Goodwood Speed Week auction in 2020, it
Bertone form, albeit with some minor Bertone in the 1960s, and caught the eye of a British couple who fell in
cosmetic changes (chiefly, more chrome). beautifully finished today – love with its Scaglione lines. When it didn’t
though the cockpit
The more significant changes took place remains a tight fit.
meet its reserve, conversations were had, a
under that skin, with the introduction of the deal was done for around £80,000, and shortly
torquier 1.6-litre version of the twin-cam in afterwards the SS was dispatched to Kent-
place of the 1.3, for peak outputs of 110bhp and 98lb ft. The based restoration specialist Barkaways for assessment.
new car was heavier, though, which blunted any performance Barkaways, which is hosting us today, is best-known for its
advantage. Other changes included the adoption of discs for Ferrari work. ‘It’s probably 80 or 90% of what we do,’ says boss
the front brakes, while inside there was a redesigned dash and Ian Barkaway, ‘but often the owners will have other cars and
a slightly plusher GT vibe. ask us to work on them, too, which is what happened here.’
Yet still the Giulia SS still wasn’t a particularly big seller. The steel body was superficially tidy but when it was stripped
Only 1399 were made in a production run that lasted from it was found that floorpan, inner and outer sills, inner ’arches,
1962 until 1965, and of those a mere 25 were converted to all were riddled with rust. A full bare-metal restoration was
right-hand drive (by Worthing-based Ruddspeed) for the UK. agreed, even though at a cost of several hundred thousand
This car, chassis number AR 380785, is one of those 25. pounds it would make no commercial sense whatsoever.
Built in the Bertone works (as were all SSs) in early 1964 Which is rather refreshing. As Ian says: ‘These things are
and delivered to Alfa Romeo UK in May of that year, it was first usually decided with a calculator, but this was lovely because
registered to one Ian Pelling, of Farnham, Surrey, in January the owners just appreciated the car and they knew exactly what
1965, carrying the registration plate it still wears to this day. they wanted to do with it.’ Basically, a restoration to the same
In more recent times its owners have included Nick Nicholas level as their Ferrari 250 Lusso.
of Alfa specialist Lombarda Sport, who had it from 2000 until So the Giuseppe Busso-designed all-aluminium twin-cam
2015, at which point it was acquired by a collector and was rebuilt with new internals, as were the five-speed gearbox
henceforth kept mostly in storage. and rear diff. There were a few challenges along the way. ‘The

90
 ‘The freshly completed SS made its first public
appearance at the 2022 Salon Privé concours’
conversion to right-hand drive hadn’t been done with much somewhere to throw your bags and coats. Fair enough; lots of
finesse,’ laughs Ian. ‘For the pedals they literally just cut a hole coupés are like that. Of rather more concern is that there
in the floor. And the clutch operation has the most doesn’t seem to be very much more room in the front.
extraordinary mechanism with all these bars and linkages…’ I very quickly realise that getting in isn’t going to be the work
Perforated metalwork was cut away and new sections of a moment. I try bum-first, but now there’s no way I can get
fabricated before the Alfa could go into paint. Over the years it my legs in. Or my head and shoulders, which remain,
had undergone a number of colour changes, from the original unhelpfully, outside the car. I momentarily consider legs-first
Bluette to traditional Alfa red to the black it wore when it but the size and lowness of the steering wheel make that
arrived at Barkaways. Something close to the original blue impossible without having knees that bend the opposite way
seemed appropriate and the owners selected Azzurro to the accepted norm.
Vincennes, used by Maserati and Ferrari in the 1960s. After several attempts I enter head-first on my side and lie
The restoration took two years and the freshly completed SS across both seats, facing the dash (as if I were placing my
made its first public appearance at the 2022 Salon Privé head in my passenger’s lap). Now, with my knees together, I
concours. ‘To get a car like the Alfa into an invitation-only can pull my legs in before threading them either side of the
event like that was recognition of what a very special little car wheel. All very dignified. And only now do I sit up straight –
it is,’ says Ian. ‘Everyone thought it was great that someone at which point I find the top of my head pressed firmly into
had done this much work on a car like this.’ the headlining…
Today we’re far from Salon Privé’s lawns, but even on the But at least I’m in. My knees are bent and splayed either side
concrete apron outside the Barkaways workshop the Sprint of the wheel in the classic Italian driving position. Not ideal,
Speciale looks heavenly. I bend down to peer inside. It’s all as but not unexpected. However, when I close the door I discover
perfect as outside, though space is tight. There are tiny seats in that my right knee is now pretty much trapped between the
the rear where originally there was just a shelf, but since there’s wheel and the doorframe. Interesting. And when I give the
no room for anyone’s legs, not even a toddler’s, they remain gearshift a practice run through the gate, all’s well until I go for

91
Coachbuilt Alfa Bertone Giulia SS

‘As speed builds, the engine is thrummily busy, and the

SS adds its chuntering transmission into the sound mix’
fifth, at which point the long, raked-back shifter pushes up A touch of choke and a couple of pumps of the accelerator to
against my left leg. prime the Webers if it’s cold; a tickle of throttle is enough if it’s
MoT certificates dating back to 1990 reveal that the car has warm, and the twin-cam bursts lustily to life: noisy, exuberant,
covered only some 9000 miles in the last 30-odd years. I can the thrash of valvegear above the chuntering of the clutch,
kind of see why. ‘You wouldn’t want to drive to Italy in it,’ while merely brushing the throttle sends the revs flying. Ian
smiles photographer Sam. I’m not even sure I can drive to the Barkaway says it sounds a lot better without all the air ducting
other side of Barkaways’ car park. over the top of the engine. Maybe another time…
It’s not that I’m exceptionally tall. Pretty much bang-on 6ft, The clutch pedal is stiffly sprung and the take-up quite
carrying a few extra pounds these days perhaps, but then who abrupt, but we’re underway and heading out onto the roads of
isn’t? Still, there’s much to enjoy. The fixtures and fittings are Kent. As speed builds, the engine is thrummily busy, and the
beautifully executed; a neat binnacle groups the attractive SS adds its chuntering transmission and a little gear-whine into
Veglia instruments directly ahead. The view through that the sound mix. The gearchange itself won’t be rushed, and the
deeply dished windscreen is wonderful: just ahead there’s a steering’s pretty heavy, too. Beats going to a gym though. The
smaller, shallow Perspex screen to prevent the wipers lifting off wheel is canted slightly to the right (a consequence of the
at speed, and beyond that the curves of the raised wings and conversion perhaps), but of more concern is that my right
the long bonnet with its rows of vents. hand can’t get past 3 o’clock, nor my left past 9 without

92
 This page and opposite
It’s not often that a Ferrari specialist tackles a 250 Lusso owner’s Alfa Romeo, but Barkaways took
on the SS, changing its colour from black to blue and rebuilding its engine; the result is glorious.

93
Coachbuilt Alfa Bertone Giulia SS

1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale

Engine 1570cc DOHC four-cylinder, two Weber 40DCOE carburettors Power 110bhp @ 6500rpm
Torque 98lb ft @ 4200rpm Transmission Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Worm and sector
Suspension Front: double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers. Rear: live axle, trailing arms,
coil springs, telescopic dampers Brakes Discs front, drums rear Weight 950kg Top speed 124mph

becoming jammed, so I do all the work between 10 and 2. And it with the Lusso, there are certain lines that are quite similar,
because the driving position is so short in the leg, my right particularly the back ends. I often call it a baby Lusso.’
ankle is cocked in order to modulate the throttle. Meanwhile, Next job for Barkaways is to fit a smaller (though still period-
depressing the clutch introduces my left shin to the umbrella- correct) steering wheel. If it frees up an extra inch all-round it
style handbrake tucked under the dash. Ergonomics? Pffft. will make such a difference. Some of the ergonomic flaws are
On the positive side, it rides pretty well. The view out is possibly due to the rather crude period conversion to right-
genuinely lovely. The shift from second to third – and back hand drive, though the tight confines of the interior might be
again – is pleasing, and the engine is willing, if unmusical: how an issue anyway. One can only conclude that Bertone and Alfa
much better might it be with the induction sounds unfettered. were prepared to sacrifice a degree of practicality to create that
And winding both side-windows down provides a pleasant wonderfully aerodynamic – and downright gorgeous – body.
breeze on a warm day without too much bluster – thank those Where does it sit in the hierarchy of post-war Alfas?
astonishing aerodynamics for that. Overshadowed perhaps by the lighter, racier, Zagato-bodied
If you could have only one classic, clearly a Giulia SS is not Giulietta SZ, the Sprint Speciale nevertheless remains one of
the car you would choose. This one’s part of a large private the prettiest and most covetable of all. Trying to squeeze inside
collection of mostly 1950s and ’60s machinery, including a brings with it a sharp jolt of reality, but, when it comes time to
number of Ferraris and Astons. The couple who own it prefer leave, a single glance back is all it takes for the SS to start
to stay anonymous, so we’ll call them M and S, and M tells me weaving its magic all over again. Photographer Sam finally
that he can’t fit in it either, which makes me feel slightly better. manages to tear himself away. He has a family engagement to
But it’s very much his wife’s baby and she loves it to bits: ‘She attend, otherwise he’d probably still be there now.
just fell in love with the curves and the chrome; it really is the
most stunning car from that era. Interestingly, when you put THANKS TO the owners and to Barkaways, barkaways.com.

94
 THE
O C TA N E
INTERVIEW

Aloisa
Ruf
The youngest
member of
Pfaffenhausen’s
first family of high
performance is
marrying her
artistic talent with
her restoration
skills – and has
exciting plans for
Ruf’s future
Words Elliott Hughes
Photography Ruf
HAGOP

96
R-U-F. IN THE world of Porsche, these three letters are Clockwise,
legendary. But they are also the surname of Aloisa Ruf, from opposite
the latest generation of a family that transformed a small Aloisa with the
Yellowbird at Villa
garage in Pfaffenhausen, Bavaria, into a globally renowned
d’Este, the first time
performance marque. Now, she is writing her own a Ruf has participated
chapter of the family’s storied legacy. in a concours; with
‘The factory has always felt like a second home,’ her mother on the
says Aloisa, smiling over a video call. Warm, friendly and first day of school
articulate, the 23-year-old has an innate passion for cars in the Bali Blue 901;
that is immediately obvious – perhaps unsurprisingly, working on the CTR
production line.
given her surname. ‘When I was a kid, I was basically the
company mascot without even knowing it. I was friends
with all the suppliers and customers.’
For any petrolhead, the idea of growing up at
Pfaffenhausen is intoxicating, and for good reason. The
company was founded in 1939 by Alois Ruf Sr as a service
garage that became a petrol station in 1949. By this point,
Ruf Sr had broadened his horizons into vehicle design
and created a tour bus in 1955 that developed into an
offshoot company. Alois Sr passed away in 1974 and the
company was taken over by his son, Alois Jr, whose
passion for sports cars – and Porsches in particular –
inspired him to create upgrade packages for 911s. The
first Ruf-enhanced 911 arrived in 1975 and by 1977 the
company was producing its first standalone model: a
Porsche 930 Turbo powered by a 3.3-litre flat-six.
By 1981, Ruf was officially recognised as a car
manufacturer by the German Government. The company
soon gained international acclaim with the CTR (‘Carrera
Turbo Ruf ’), better known as the Yellowbird. With a top
speed of 211mph, it became the world’s fastest road car
and was immortalised in legendary VHS footage of Stefan
Roser’s breathtaking lap in Faszination on the Nürburgring.
As with any great performance car company, Ruf built
its success on passion and innovation. For Aloisa,
however, that level of passion wasn’t just company culture
– it was part of her upbringing. ‘I can tell you plenty of
stories about my infatuation with cars from when I was
little. My first love was probably my dad’s Bali Blue
Porsche 901 – it’s such a beautiful car. He would bring it
out of his collection every spring and we would take it for
Sunday drives. I often used to fall asleep on the back seat.’
Still, it wasn’t until her early teens that she fully grasped
her father’s reputation in the car world. ‘I was about 12 or
13 and we were flying home from Pebble Beach when a
gentleman came up to my dad at the airport and asked,
“Are you Mr Ruf, the creator of the Yellowbird?” My
father replied, “Well, yes,” and the gentleman asked for a
photo. Then he opened his carry-on, pulled out a Ruf
T-shirt and put it on for the picture. That was when
something clicked.’
Yet a career at Ruf wasn’t inevitable. Aloisa explored
other passions, but the sound of a flat-six engine and the
smell of oil proved too intoxicating to resist. ‘I did try to
have a rebellious phase when I was in high school,’ she
smiles. ‘Perhaps not rebellious, but more experimental –
and that was what encouraged me to start exploring the
worlds of art and photography.’
Even then, Aloisa was far more hands-on with cars
than most people her age. ‘I restored my Porsche 912

97
The Octane Interview Aloisa Ruf

Clockwise, from left

when I was 17 years old,’ she says matter-of-factly. ‘It
Aloisa was the first
female judge at
started when I asked my dad, “What is my first car going
Passione Engadina; to be?” He told me that I can drive whatever I can fix. “If
in her Boxster while you can make it run, it’s yours,” he said.’
working at the That was all the encouragement Aloisa needed. She
Petersen Museum; soon set to work on a rusty ivory Porsche 912 (nicknamed
her art, fresh from ‘Bertha’ after Bertha Benz) in Pfaffenhausen’s restoration
the framer; a break
during her Bahrain
department. ‘I began working on the car with my cousin,
art show; and ahead who also works at the company. I was still wrenching on
of the opening of her other cars and helping to restore a few engines – it’s
LA exhibition. always good to get your hands dirty.’
At this point, however, cars were still more of a pastime
than a definitive career path. After high school, she began
seriously pursuing her passion for photography and art,
something that would pay dividends for her future at Ruf.
‘I remember seeing this beautiful Yves Klein sculpture in
a private collection. I thought, “Gosh, I want to make art
that is as impactful as this and I want to make people feel
the same way that this piece made me feel.” All of his
sculptures are blue – just like my 901.’
Inspired, she started photographing friends, a passion
that led to internships and a stint at Paris Fashion Week.
But fate had its say and the coronavirus pandemic meant
that it wasn’t long before Aloisa was drawn back into the
world of cars. ‘When I worked at Paris Fashion Week, I
was just infatuated with the glamour and beauty of the

‘My passion for art and cars

grew into each other. I wanted
to bring them together’
people. But when Covid came, I had no one to photograph
anymore, so I went back home and started working in
the restoration department again. That’s when I began
photographing cars. I realised they’re almost more
beautiful than people.
‘My passion for fashion, art and cars began to grow into
each other and I wanted to bring everything together. So,
in 2020, I began my own business, selling my art prints.
It started booming. Cars have always been a part of it; I’ve
had exhibitions in Los Angeles, Miami, Munich and
Bahrain, and I have another planned for later this year.’
Aloisa’s artistic flair has led to collaborations with
prestigious brands such as Ralph Lauren, Highsnobiety
and Period Correct, and recent Ruf models, such as the
Rodeo and CTR Anniversary, reflect her creative
influence, complementing her father’s engineering vision.
‘My father is the engineer and he has a very engineering-
focused perspective. When we work together, I give
creative feedback. I was very much part of the decision-
making process for the trim and paintwork colours of the
Ruf CTR Anniversary that we built two years ago and I
was involved in the Ruf Rodeo off-roader that we released
last year. The Rodeo was part-inspired by Ralph Lauren
and my mother Estonia’s time studying in the US.’
Aloisa is currently studying for a Master’s in Art
Business. ‘It’s great that my parents have that trust in me,’
she explains. ‘I have plenty of ideas in my head at the

98
moment, too, and I can’t tell you about them yet – but
you’ll see them at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
during Monterey Car Week later this year.’
Monterey Car Week delivered a special moment for
Aloisa and her parents in 2024, when the Ruf-restored
1963 Porsche 901 prototype claimed Best in Class and
the Art Center Award at the Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance. As the sixth 911 built, this 901 is not only
the oldest example in existence, it was also once owned
by the late Ferdinand Piëch.
‘It was my brother’s first car. Bringing it to Pebble
Beach marked a significant milestone for him. The chassis
had been damaged, and for years my brother had this
burning desire to finish the restoration. Pebble Beach was
the first time the car had been seen in the US, and being
honoured there, surrounded by such iconic, beautiful
cars, was an incredibly special moment.’
Pebble Beach and Monterey Car Week have exposed
Aloisa to a different side of car culture, further enriched
by her time with the marketing team at California’s
Petersen Automotive Museum. ‘It’s been amazing to
discover all the other facets of car culture,’ she reflects.
‘I’ve always found concept cars artistically fascinating,
especially those that try to predict the future of the
industry. But living in Los Angeles also sparked my
interest in Lowriders – I love how creative they are, the
artistry that goes into them is incredible. Culturally, they
represent so much of California, too. But it’s hard to stay
away from Porsche once you’re part of it.’ It will be
intriguing to see if any of these US influences make their
way into the car Ruf is set to unveil at The Quail.
Much like her father’s was, Aloisa’s love for Porsche is
rooted in the driving experience. ‘I don’t own a Ruf yet,
I’m still a little bit young, but that’s what I’m working
towards in five to ten years. It’s very difficult to pick a
favourite; I like them all and it depends on my mood.

@BOULGATES
Today I would say it’s the CTR Anniversary because of
the power-to-weight ratio. It develops 710bhp and weighs
only 1200kg so it makes you feel like you’re flying,’ she
laughs. ‘It’s a car that you really have to drive because
there are no electronic aids. It has the charm of a 911 but
with all the performance and modernity, too.’
In the meantime, Aloisa is concentrating on how she
can help Ruf continue to develop in the foreseeable
future. ‘We have a lot more projects in the pipeline and we
might expand production a little over 30 cars per year. I
have ideas about how we can develop the customer
relationship side of the business and become more a part
of pop culture. The next generation needs to be involved
with Ruf just as yours was with the Gran Turismo games,’
she tells me. ‘I want to inspire those people that usually
say, “I don’t know much about cars but I think they’re
quite nice.” One example has been the collaboration I did
with Highsnobiety. It was really exciting to see people at
Fashion Week wearing Ruf clothes. Nobody knew what
Ruf was, but they loved the clothes.’
As the youngest member of the Ruf family to represent
the business, Aloisa upholds its legacy while infusing her
own creative vision for the future. Ruf ’s appeal remains
grounded in performance and engineering excellence,
and her influence is shaping the brand for a new
generation. With her involvement, Ruf ’s future looks set
to be as bold and distinctive as its past.

99
Bristol 408 Past master

T H E A RT O F U N D ER STAT EM EN T
100
Bristol custodian Tony Crook himself ran this first-of-the-line 408. Now Octane
drives it in Australia’s Hunter Valley wine region Words James Nicholls Photography Gareth Carr

101
Bristol 408 Past master

o understand how radical motorsport fraternity. The 400 and subsequent cars from the likes of Facel Vega, Jaguar and
Bristol’s V8-engined GTs 401 saw success in the 1948 Mille Miglia, and Aston Martin. Chrysler had offered its V8
of the 1960s were in the Tulip and Alpine Rallies, and the straight-six engine as a package with Torqueflite automatic
context of this seemingly engine was employed by many of the racing transmission, which would save Bristol
ultra-conservative, archly manufacturers of the 1950s, including Cooper, development costs on its own engine.
British manufacturer, a AC, ERA and Frazer Nash. Bristol’s own 450 The V8 was an older design of 4.2 litres, built
history lesson is necessary. took all three class podium spots at Le Mans in for the Plymouth brand, and its bore was
It took its name from the 1954 and ’55, and one of the cars recorded increased for a capacity of 5130cc while the
Bristol Aeroplane Company, which formed a 150.34mph on the Mulsanne straight. cylinder heads were modified, in both cases
car division in 1945 and established a small Bristol blossomed during that decade. Many to suit Bristol’s requirements. Furthermore,
factory at Filton Aerodrome, near Bristol, consider its apotheosis to be the 404, of which the engines were sourced from Canada rather
where the company had its headquarters. Cars Autosport magazine’s John Bolster said in his than the USA, saving on import duties as they
would be built there in small numbers and to October 1953 road test: ‘The Bristol is an came from a Commonwealth country.
the very highest standards, capitalising on the expensive car, but it gives that indefinable While the 407 looked like its predecessor, it
experience and technical expertise that had feeling of quality that only big money can buy. was capable of 122mph, a significant increase
been garnered by Bristol’s workforce during The upholstery and interior trim, the walnut on the 406’s 102mph, and was 2.6sec quicker
wartime, and thereby keeping that workforce dashboard with its array of accurate from rest to 60mph, sneaking under the 10sec
employed beyond the military contracts. instruments, the excellent finish of every little barrier. The rack-and-pinion steering of the
Bristol had acquired the rights to BMW’s detail – all these things make this vehicle six-cylinder cars had to make way for a steering
327 chassis and 328 engine through wartime worth its price to the man who must have the box to leave space for the new engine.
reparation, and the 400 was launched in 1947. best… For a long fast journey à deux, the 404 The 407 evolved to become the mechanically
It was only a 2.0-litre yet its highly aerodynamic is a magic carpet indeed.’ similar Bristol 408 in 1963, which introduced
aluminium coachwork and aircraft build The big change came in 1961, when the Armstrong Selectaride damping, a wider,
quality meant it was reliable and capable of 407 arrived with a US-designed V8, better to rectangular grille opening and headlights
104mph, which made it popular among the compete with the top speeds of other luxury mounted on flat panels, plus a slightly flatter

102
 roof and bonnet. It was the second Bristol to despite the undulations. As with many of its
feature the Chrysler V8, and capacity increased ilk, this car now runs on conventional dampers,
to 5205cc towards the end of its three-year run. as the original cockpit-adjustable Armstrong
The 408 you see here is chassis no.1, the first Selectaride set-up was prone to sticking.
of only 83 built by hand. Its wide-opening The 408 is quickly up to speed – back in the
doors provide easy access into the unfussy yet day, it was capable of holding a Ferrari 250GT
luxurious leather and burr walnut interior, and 2+2 over a standing half-mile – the eucalyptus
the firm, upright seats provide an excellent trees and livestock flashing by on both sides,
driving position. The distinctive two-spoke but it is a feeling of rapidity under calm control.
Bluemels steering wheel was introduced on the This car was not built for the racetrack, where
401 in 1948, hinting at a pilot’s yoke, and a its handling becomes untidy (I know, as I have
modern EZ electric power steering kit with tried it!) but here a series of bends is dealt with
speed-sensitive assistance has been fitted. adroitly, the narrow, aerodynamically designed
Push-buttons for the three-speed automatic body not throwing the driver from side to side
Torqueflite transmission are positioned to the but sitting steady on the tarmac.
right of the wheel. Vision out is superb. It rides on period-correct Avon Turbospeed
The Bristol pulls away as serenely as one tyres as per its original specification, and
would expect, rather like an ocean liner, more features Lockheed vacuum servo-assisted
RMS Queen Mary than Ferrari 365GT 2+2, Dunlop disc brakes. For fast driving in all
and it’s a genuine four-seater. It’s a joy to drive
on the almost deserted open roads of Pokolbin
Clockwise, from opposite
in the Hunter Valley wine region of New South
Characteristic styling evolved from
Wales in Australia, handling well and providing the 406 of 1958; the Bristol corners with
excellent feedback on unevenly surfaced purpose and poise despite its considerable
country roads; there is no flex or chassis shake length; interior is luxurious yet unfussy.

‘The 408 you

see here is
chassis no.1,
the first of
only 83 built
by hand’

103
Bristol 408 Past master

conditions it is civilised, understated and Motor and Autocar, then Cars Illustrated in
‘For fast driving controlled, its characteristics on the road December 1964 and the 1964 World Car
mirroring its looks. Catalogue. It also featured in the sales brochure
in all conditions Those characteristics were surely enjoyed by
the first keeper, one Tony Crook. Crook was a
of October 1963, which cited its ‘Supreme
Performance Plus Individuality’ as ‘…one of the
racing driver who had competed in the 1952 world’s few cars of obvious distinction’.
it is civilised, Monaco Grand Prix and 1954 and ’55 British At £4459 the Bristol was outstripped in price
Grands Prix. In 1960, when the Bristol only by the likes of the Bentley S3, Facel Vega II,
understated and Aeroplane Company sold its car-making
subsidiary, Crook purchased 40% and Sir
the Maserati 3500, the Lagonda Rapide and
cars from Ferrari and Rolls-Royce. Despite a
George White II (grandson of the founder) raid on Hillman’s parts bin for lamps, the 408
controlled’ 60%. White retired in 1973, following a terrible
car accident, and thereafter Crook owned the
won the Society of Motor Manufacturers &
Traders coachbuilder’s prize at the 1963 Earls
company outright. Although born in Court Motor Show, where it was represented
Manchester, he had, by coincidence, attended by chassis no.2.
school at Clifton College in Bristol. The 408’s Chassis no.1 has a Bristol factory Car Service
cabin gets quite hot on a 35ºC Australian Record Card, beginning with its first inspection
summer day; Crook was not an admirer of air in October 1963 at 1642 miles and running to
conditioning, preferring pastoral smells through early 1966 and 31,921 miles, for which it reads:
an open window as he drove. ‘30,000 mile service, fit 8 new spark plugs,
His car was employed as a press demonstrator change engine oil to Visco Static, fit two new
and appeared in September 1963 issues of The tyres and tubes, Avons. Repair r.h. rear snubber
strap. Fit new wiper blade to o.s. Reconvert
headlamps to standard, remove fire extinguisher,
remove Marchal horn, fit new exhaust mounting
bracket r.h. clean engine bay, clean inside of car,
wash.’ While owned by Bristol Cars Ltd it was
likely used as a mule and in competition.
In January 1994 the 408 arrived in Fremantle,
Western Australia, having been shipped by its
emigrating English owner, who had bought it in
December 1987. The car had been repainted to
non-metallic mid-blue and re-upholstered from
its original Warm Stone to Red. It has recently
been the subject of a world class restoration, its
body returned to the original two-tone colours
of gunmetal and silver-grey it wore for those
magazine road tests. The work was carried out
by the multiple award-winning restorer and
artisan craftsman Justin Hills, a recipient of The
World’s Most Beautiful Custom prize. The 408
has since been a class winner at Salon Privé and
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.
Chassis number 4087001 has been prepared
for modern motoring but retains its original
engine (no.949-23439C) and the vast majority
of its original features, including the radio and
its English numberplates! When not winning
concours awards, it continues to eat up the
miles in comfort and style and with class and
distinction – exactly as it was designed and built
to do, all those years ago.

1963 Bristol 408

Engine 5130cc OHV V8, Carter AFB3131S
four-barrel carburettor Power 253bhp @
4400rpm Torque 339lb ft @ 2800rpm
Transmission Three-speed automatic,
rear-wheel drive Steering Worm and roller
Suspension Front: double wishbones, coil
springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear:
live axle, torsion bars, Watt linkage, telescopic
dampers Brakes Discs Weight 1670kg
Top speed 122mph 0-60mph 9.9sec

104
 Magneto Tours: Château Edition
Your chance to take part in an exclusive drive to the Dordogne, with Magneto magazine and Club Des Autos

June 26-30, 2025

Itinerary
DAY 1
A warm welcome as we gather for lunch at
Beaverbrook Country House, setting the perfect tone
for the journey ahead. Departure at 15:00, led by
Octane magazine founding editor Robert Coucher.
• Destination: St Malo (via Portsmouth ferry)
• Distance: 60 miles / 96km
Enjoy a relaxing supper at sea before retiring to your
private cabin for a restful night, waking up refreshed
in St Malo.

DAY 2
• Destination: Château Alexandra Palace, a
17th-century castle renovated into a luxury hotel
• Distance: 200 miles / 325km
A coffee break before a scenic journey to a charming
lunch spot by the Loire River. In the evening, indulge
at Le Daniel’s restaurant before unwinding in the
luxury of Château Alexandra Palace.

DAY 3
• Destination: Château de Sermet
• Distance: 235 miles / 375km
Start your day with breakfast at Le Daniel’s, lunch in
the town of Périgueux, then unwind with dinner and
an overnight stay at the historic Château de Sermet.

DAY 4
• Destination: Les Jardins de Marqueyssac (loop)
• Distance: 90 miles / 140km
Enjoy a scenic drive to the stunning village of La
Roque-Gageac, followed by a stroll through the
breathtaking Les Jardins de Marqueyssac. Savour
lunch by the Dordogne river, before returning to
Château de Sermet for a delightful supper.

DAY 5
Join us for an unforgettable driving tour from the UK to the Dordogne, France, through • Destination: French market town (loop)
picturesque French countryside on a stunning château trail. Enjoy exquisite food, fine • Distance: 60 miles / 90km
wines and breathtaking roads in your classic car. This event is designed for motoring Drive through scenic countryside to a French market,
enjoy lunch at La Récréation, then return to Château
enthusiasts to relax, socialise and experience wonderful French roads. The tour de Sermet for wine tasting and supper.
concludes at the historic Château de Sermet, where you can unwind with fellow
owners in an exceptional 14th-century setting. Full support and return routes or DAY 6
transport available. A final departure breakfast, followed by farewells and
airport concierge.

For full details go to: www.magnetomagazine.com/events Additional notes: Car storage is available for
participants flying home. Return driving routes, hotel
recommendations and private aeroplane bookings are
Or contact us: [email protected] available on request.
Bristol The future

Left
Styling proposals suggest how
Bristol’s own restomod will look
when it’s revealed this summer.

FEW CAR COMPANIES have had as publicly torrid a

demise as Bristol, its agonising death relatively recent but
played out over decades. It has been especially painful
because few other marques can boast a cadre of devotees
quite as passionate (or pugnacious) and emotionally
involved. Bristol enthusiasts are, by their own admission, a
very tough audience to please.
After the underappreciated Toby Silverton era, which at
great cost managed to keep Tony Crook’s company afloat
from 1997 until it went into administration in 2011, came
Kamcorp, and a decade of false dawns that ended when
it, too, was dramatically wound up in March 2020.
Next batter up is Jason Wharton, a chartered surveyor
originally from Hertfordshire whose late father got him
into luxury cars and who was previously involved in the
Allard revival, as well as owning several V8 Bristols himself.
He says: ‘I was attracted to the company by the whole
package – the handbuilt and bespoke nature of the cars,
their luxurious appointment, the connection with the
Bristol Aeroplane Company.
‘I tried to buy the IP [intellectual property] off Kamkorp
in 2019 even before they went bust and then again from the
liquidator in 2020 [there was quite a public spat between
Wharton and Frost Group over it], but they just didn’t want
to know. It became clear that I could either just abandon the
whole thing or start from scratch by registering my own IPs,
so I did the latter and it was a total minefield.’
With Wharton’s intellectual property ultimately
unchallenged and Kamkorp’s lapsing, the upshot is that
Wharton found himself with five years to make something
of the company, ‘but that doesn’t mean we had to build a
brand-new car!’ he stresses. In fact, he describes Bristol
Manufacturing as ‘just starting out’ commercially, but with
immediate plans to raise its presence and profile, an atelier
to open near Filton later this year, plans for an emporium
in London, and eventually a factory in Bristol.

B R I STO L I S More excitingly, there are two cars in the pipeline,

initially a limited-run restomod based on one of the
classic-era V8s and to be revealed this summer, with the
first cars being delivered in 2026. Even more tantalisingly,

D E A D – LO N G however, and also coinciding with the 80th anniversary of

the Bristol 400 in 2026, Wharton is planning ‘several
hundred units a year’ of a ‘reimagining’ of another classic
Bristol on an all-new platform.

L I V E B R I STO L! He adds: ‘Given how difficult it has been to get even this
far, that might all sound very ambitious, but for us it has just
become critical to get the marque up and running again as
soon as possible, to raise public awareness and to build
Jason Wharton has dedicated the some beautiful British luxury cars.’
past five years to bringing back One thing about Bristol, embodying the spirit of a self-
proclaimed founder who became the majority shareholder
the great British marque only in the 1970s, is that its history has never been easy but
has always been colourful; eccentric, even. You sense that
Words James Elliott
Wharton has already experienced enough of all of that to
understand the very essence of Bristol. He certainly has the
tenacity to make a go of it.

106
PHOTO CREDIT: @J.COLEPHOTOGRAPHY

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107
Mazda MX-5 Land’s End to John O’Groats

ANNIVERSARY WALTZ

108
To mark the 35th anniversary of the sports car’s second
coming, Matthew Hayward drives four generations of
Mazda’s MX-5 the length of Britain… on sustainable fuel
Photography Mazda UK

109
Mazda MX-5 Land’s End to John O’Groats

110
 ingularity of purpose is one of the most and, once you start exploiting the chassis a little more, the
endearing qualities of Mazda’s MX-5, and MX-5’s universal balance comes to the fore.
through four generations and 35 years it As the (thankfully quiet) dual-carriageway A-road turns
has largely remained true to what the to motorway, it’s time to make the most of this MX-5s
original engineers set out to achieve. Pure modern creature comforts, namely cruise control. We’re
unadulterated fun – or, more precisely, warned that this will be the longest stint without opportunity
high driver engagement at modest speeds to refill (although a back-up vehicle is following with a
– is the name of the game, and no other car supply of Sustain, just in case), so we drive economically for
has hit the mark quite so perfectly for quite so long. the rest of the leg. Turns out there’s no need to worry; we
When it was launched in 1989, Mazda effectively re- arrive at the familiar former World War Two airbase with
invented the two-seat British sports car, which is why it almost a quarter of a tank of fuel left.
was such a huge success in both the US and the UK. Thanks Currently, the Sustain pump at Motor Spirit at Bicester
to its compact dimensions, it’s a car suited particularly well Heritage is the only place you can fill-up with this fuel in the
to narrow UK roads, something I’m suddenly very grateful UK, unless you can house a barrel and manual pump at
for as I mentally prepare for the journey we’re about to home. Sustain Classic 80 is a direct drop-in replacement for
embark on. We’ve joined Mazda UK at Land’s End for the petrol, which means that no modifications are required. It’s
beginning of a 1000-mile trek to John O’Groats. Not only to manufactured with 80% sustainable content – processed
celebrate 35 years of the MX-5, but also to complete the and refined currently from agricultural waste and by-
journey using 100% synthetic fuel – a feat never previously products from crops. The last 20% is still derived from fossil
accomplished. fuels – that’s still a potential 80% reduction in CO2 – but of
If you regularly ponder the long-term future for the real importance to classic owners is the fact that it contains
historic car industry and our beloved petrol-powered cars, zero ethanol, unlike pump fuels. That means it will not eat
the prospect of commercially available synthetic fuels away at perishable seals and is also extremely stable, so is
promises something of a silver bullet and we’re about to find perfect if you’re leaving a vehicle in storage over winter,
out if that’s true. Mazda has been running its heritage fleet, eliminating the risk of moisture getting into the fuel system.
including the four MX-5s you see here, on Coryton’s Sustain The high price – upwards of £3 per litre – means it’s not
Classic Super 80 fuels since June 2023. That’s a classic- likely to appeal to anyone filling up a daily driver, but it is a
friendly ethanol-free mix that’s made up from 80% viable option for classic cars that have more limited use. I’ve
sustainable content, but for this trip Coryton has supplied a spoken with Octane readers who regularly use this pump,
100% synthetic blend. We’re planning to find out more one of whom runs an Abarth hillclimb car exclusively on the
about the fuel at various points along the route, including a fuel and swears by it.
few stop-off points with a connection to synthetic fuel. After grabbing lunch and some bottles of water, I switch
I set off from the tip of Cornwall in the MX-5 Mk3. There into an orange Mk4. Launched in 2015, this revelatory car
is a good reason for this. For me, getting inside the Mk3 is hugely disrupted industry trends. It exemplified Mazda’s
like greeting a familiar friend, albeit one I’ve not seen for a quest to rediscover the pure essence of a sports car, being
while. Early in my career, this was one of the first new cars I smaller and lighter than its predecessor, and held off the
tested and just sitting behind the relatively chunky wheel shift to turbocharged power in favour of a new high-
brings back memories of some fabulous drives. Although compression 2.0-litre four-cylinder with around 180bhp.
the NC-generation roadster had a slightly lukewarm On our 122-mile drive to the Translational Energy
reception when it was launched in 2005, due to being Research Centre at Sheffield University, the cabin feels less
bigger, heavier and a little soggy-feeling after the Mk2, it roomy after the comparatively luxurious Mk3. That
wasn’t long before Mazda sharpened up the handling shouldn’t be a surprise, given that the Mk4’s footprint is so
significantly. By the time this 20th Anniversary model was much smaller (105mm shorter and around 100kg lighter)
launched in 2009, it had gone through a facelift and was than the Mk3’s. Despite that, safety is much improved, too.
Clockwise, a seriously well-sorted car. This example is a 30th Anniversary special edition from
from top Roof down, we head out in convoy towards the A30, 2019. Lower springs and Bilstein dampers, lightweight Rays
The journey gets enjoying the bright sunshine with a stiff Atlantic breeze forged alloy wheels and uprated Brembo brakes have
underway at Land’s
End; Cornish beach
taking off the edge. Our first stop is Bicester Heritage, which tightened up the standard 2.0-litre’s handling considerably.
gleams in the at around 280 miles will be our first fill-up location. It still rolls a bit, but is a definite step up from the Mk3.
glorious sunshine, Immediately, I’m into sports car mode, and revel in the light, The steering wheel features a slender leather-wrapped rim,
which didn’t last precise steering, beautifully set-up pedal box allowing for with nicely weighted albeit slightly dead-feeling steering.
long; the Mk3 MX-5’s easy heel-and-toe, and a slick six-speed manual ’box. The difference between the Mk3’s hydraulic set-up and the
modern features With 158bhp from the restrained-sounding 2.0-litre EPAS here is noticeable.
help to make the
first leg a breeze;
naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, it feels nippy rather That’s about the only criticism I can actually level at the
our man Hayward than properly quick, with fairly long gear ratios taking the Mk4. The engine is surprisingly muscular, if slightly
ponders the future edge off performance. This is especially noticeable on some artificial-sounding, but there’s a pleasing rasp towards the
of synthetic fuels. of the steep hills on this leg of the journey, but it’s good fun top end of the rev range. The gearing feels even longer than

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Mazda MX-5 Land’s End to John O’Groats

Clockwise, the Mk3’s, but the extra punch and lower weight mean it’s converter, when you follow closely you notice an
from top left not an issue – this is by far the most efficient car here, unexpectedly distinct smell coming out of the exhaust. It’s
Mk2 MX-5 settles in potentially capable of up to 50mpg. The gearbox is a odd: sweeter and even cleaner – which makes a lot of sense,
for a long stretch of highlight, with a superbly tight and mechanical-feeling as the synthetic fuel contains fewer of the nasty hydrocarbons
roadworks, a reality
of driving in the UK;
action. Shifting is a real delight. that cause secondary exhaust emissions. This is the first
Sustain fuel pump at Thanks to traffic problems on the M1, and mile upon mile (and only) time on the trip that I notice any difference
Bicester Heritage is of tedious 50mph roadworks, we arrive too late to tour the between a car running on pump fuel and the synthetic brew.
the first of its kind; research facility and head for our hotel instead. We arrive at Windermere Boat Club (WMBRC) for our
storm clouds gather We’re up and off early the next day and immediately head first stop of the day. An interesting location, as it is the oldest
on the way North; for the Lake District, confronted by rather more familiar powerboat racing club in the world, with Sir Henry Segrave
Mk1’s short gearing
is slightly wearing
British weather – grey skies, biting wind and intermittent and Donald Campbell CBE among its former members.
on a long journey. showers… but not enough to make us put the hood up. Today, it runs its powerboats exclusively on Sustain fuels.
Back onto the M1 for a short spell before joining the A1 and Very cool, yet I’m struggling to focus on anything but
then onto the fabulous A66, where it really opens up. The getting behind the wheel of the Mk1.
country suddenly feels a lot less claustrophobic and the There’s more room in the cabin of the Mk1 than the Mk4
scenery begins to look a whole lot more interesting. and the simplicity and clarity of the dashboard are
As we head into the Lakes, I’m following the Mk1, which refreshing. After starting the engine, my first instinct is to
is being hustled along at a decent pace by PR manager Owen press an unfamiliar button in the centre console – to see the
Mildenhall. While the Mk1 looked like a scale model in headlights pop-up. Adorable! This example is an early UK-
modern traffic on main roads, it is far more at home here, spec, low-mileage 1.6-litre car with power-assisted steering,
and I’m beginning to get excited about switching into it at something Octane contributor and Mk1 MX-5 owner/
the next stop. As it’s the only car here without a catalytic enthusiast John Simister insists is the perfect combination.

112
 While it’s by far the least powerful car here, it’s the keenest
feeling. Five close ratios, combined with the willing and
beautifully crisp and responsive 1.6, instantly deliver
everything you expect from a two-seater sports car.
Our final stop of the day is the Celtic Renewables refinery
‘It feels so well-balanced
in Grangemouth, roughly equidistant from Glasgow and
Edinburgh. With the drudgery of a long slog up the A74(M)
towards Glasgow starting to wear a little thin, someone
within our convoy suggests a more interesting route, so we
and engaging that it
entertains at extremely
follow. This turns out to be an extremely wise decision.
By sheer luck I find myself experiencing the Mk1 MX-5
on the best roads we’ve encountered: fast, sweeping, well-
sighted and with epic mountain views to top it all off. The
Mk1 laps it up and relishes the opportunity to exploit all of
its 114bhp. That might sound modest, even in this company,
but combined with the lowest weight and modest grip levels
it feels so well-balanced, engaging and confidence-inspiring
that it entertains at extremely sensible and legal speeds.
We’re now heading vaguely in the direction of Edinburgh,
sensible, legal speeds’
and well off the ‘official’ route. As the rain starts to get
heavier, we finally relent and put the roof up, then head back
towards civilisation. Best detour ever.

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Mazda MX-5 Land’s End to John O’Groats

At Celtic Renewables, a young company with big are heading onto the stunning North Coast 500 road, the Clockwise,
ambitions, we fill the cars and take a quick tour of the extra performance makes a big difference, especially on from top left
impressive-looking site. It’s developing new ways to produce smoother sections. This Highlands stint is faster and easier All four generations
line up for a coffee
vital chemical components – required for many industries, than anywhere else along the route and before we know it
stop; another fill-up
not just synthetic fuels – from the bio-waste put out by we are passing the ‘Welcome to John O’Groats’ sign. during the tour of
whisky manufacturers and other sources, instead of the As we pull into the car park, the tripmeter has just ticked Celtic Renewables’
traditional fossil fuel sources. Once refilled, it’s a short 50- over 1078 miles, and what fun it has been. The Land’s End refinery; John
mile hop up to Dunkeld for an overnight stop. to John O’Groats run is an essential pilgrimage, and the O’Groats sign
For the final leg of our journey, 217 miles up to John fact that all of the cars – plus the transporter and CX-80 marks the end of
the journey; the
O’Groats, it’s my turn in the Mk2. Visually, the Mk2 lost its support vehicle – were running on sustainable fuels
NC500 presents
signature pop-up headlights and gained a slightly larger, hopefully proves the potential of them to a broader dramatic scenery.
stiffer and more curvaceous body, but much of the NA’s audience. Of course, their future depends not only on their
basic formula remained. This 10th Anniversary special acceptance by enthusiasts, but also on support from
edition boasted an improved standard spec, including government in order to build scale and bring down prices.
chrome-finish 15-inch alloy wheels, black leather and blue Driving four generations of MX-5 back-to-back has been
Alcantara seats, a matching Nardi steering wheel and a six- a real eye-opener. Here’s a manufacturer that hit the bullseye
speed gearbox. Bilstein dampers were standard, too, and it in 1989 with the original, and each generation has (more or
was powered by the top-spec 140bhp 1.8-litre engine. less) stuck to the principles that made it such a great car to
Many of these elements make for a more modern-feeling begin with. As motor manufacturers have moved inexorably
and ultimately more capable machine. The extra stiffness in towards larger, more complicated and considerably faster
the suspension and larger wheels offer considerably more cars, we should applaud Mazda for its dedication to catering
grip, but rob the car of a little of the Mk1’s magic. Still, as we for real driving enthusiasts. Long live the MX-5.

114
Sharing the love Fractional ownership

DREAM
S Y N D I C AT E S
Fractional ownership is all the rage in the classic car world – and
other alternative investment markets – but what is it and
how does it work? Paul Griffin investigates
Photography Sam Chick

116
WE’VE ALL IMAGINED it: part-owning a Ferrari GTO outlay. It’s fair to say that fractional ownership won’t suit
and blasting down to the coast on our allocated weekend everybody, and for good reason you will see warnings that
with the car (when it will be street-parked outside our the value of investments can go down as well as up.
house, naturally). While that can happen to a lesser degree However, the motivating factors are usually simple: returns
– and we’ll explore your options later – at the hard end of from the classic car market have been very strong over the
fractional investment in classic cars the benefits are usually past decades, against gold, the FTSE, the housing market
a little less tangible. Of course, you will get to casually drop and especially against the banks. So if you are going to invest
your part-ownership into conversation at every opportunity, in anything, why not make it something you love? This way
and you may even get to gaze at your investment – some of thinking has in some cases nurtured the growth of
groups hold special gatherings for investors, or take them to communities around the investments, elevating the
events – but it’s unlikely that you’ll be driving it down to the experience way above that of a mere financial transaction.
local pub any more than the kids of someone with a share in Fractional ownership is not a new phenomenon; it has
a racehorse will be riding Dobbin at the local gymkhana. been associated particularly with private jet and property
Think of it more as a market-smart investment in a great ownership for many years, but it is more recently that classic
work of art, with the benefit of a potential return on your cars have seen interest in part-ownership develop. Rally first

117
Sharing the love Fractional ownership

appropriate for several asset classes, PistonDAO

concentrates on performance and classic cars in the range of
$1-3million, with acquisitions and disposals through
various auction houses, dealers and trading platforms. The
FCA-regulated investment platform illustrates its position
in the market via the examples of potential investment cars
it shares on its website: Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Countach
and the Bugatti EB110. Say no more.
While PistonDAO is primarily about investment, it is
formatted around an international ‘club’ model, offering
membership as your passport to the top table at elite events,
‘Classic car capital the opportunity to mix with like-minded individuals, a
podcast, and more. Furthermore, its tiered membership
gains are not ordinarily is accessible whether you have invested in a car or not.
MCQ Markets is a name that may be familiar to many.
subject to capital gains Curt Hopkins and Lachlan DeFrancesco’s Miami-based
business has access to public markets with operations in the
tax in the UK’ US and the UK and plans to expand into other asset classes.
It prices shares from $20 and offers a minimum investment
of $500, which has democratised fractional ownership by
making affordable a stake in anything from a Lamborghini
Countach 5000QV or Ferrari 512 BBi to a Lexus LFA.
MCQ, which has an interest only in cars worth over
$500,000, has also made it easy to sign up and invest and is
developing a secondary market for people who want to pull
their money out before an investment has gone full-term. It
quotes excellent returns from previous investments, such as
a Porsche Carrera GT bought for $375,000 in 2009 and sold
five years later for $860,000, giving an ROI (Return On
Investment) of 126.67% and CAGR (Compound Annual
Growth Rate) of 23.06%. A Ferrari 488 Pista Spider bought
for $599,999 in 2021 and sold one year later for $760,000
offered ROI and CAGR of 26.67%.
These investments do not afford the use of cars that are
accessible in showrooms and at events in the company of
high-profile brand ambassadors. Road cars are at the centre
of MCQ’s dealings, with expectations of expansion towards
fractional ownership of related assets including race cars
and race helmets. Club membership matters, as does an
affinity for cars and a familiarity with alternative investments.
Currently live with MCQ are a 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi and
Lamborghini Countach 5000QV, each at $20 a share.
While none of this includes the physical involvement of
other forms of shared ownership, if you are in this for
optimum returns (not to mention bragging rights), this
form of fractional ownership can be seen as the pure play,
and a way of benefitting from classic car capital gains not
ordinarily being subject to capital gains tax in the UK.
Founded by Christopher Bruno and Rob Petrozzo in
offered a car for fractional ownership in the USA in 2016 New York in 2016, Rally is a long-time participant in
and the largest community in the UK is currently fractional investing. It began with classic cars and is now an
TheCarCrowd, which first offered a Peugeot 205 GTI on its investment platform for assets including art, watches, sports
platform in 2021. More recently, many new ventures, each collectibles, artefacts and books. Cars live in corporate
with a slightly different business model, have entered the entities registered as US securities and listed in a process
market, creating a surge in interest and options. similar to an initial public offering, inviting subscription for
From a background of financial markets and trading, shares. These shares can be traded on a digital marketplace.
Emanuel Georgouras of PistonDAO tells of a VIP group For the period of ownership, cars are stored and not road-
with community-owned cars and celebrity association. For registered or capable of use. Rally’s catalogue includes a
many the attraction is a straightforward financial investment Saleen S7, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Oscar India and a
and returns over three to ten years, whereas for others it is Ford Mustang Fastback. Coming soon to Rally is a $590,000
car-based community association and events. 1994 Lamborghini Diablo VTTT at $20 a share or, at $10 a
The business uses data analytics supported by market share apiece, a $315,000 Arsham RWB Porsche 964 or
knowledge in its selections. Although this technology is $295,000 1996 Ferrari F355 GTB. If they don’t float your

118
Sharing the love Fractional ownership

boat, how about the $13.75m BCQ 24 Stegosaurus fossil (yes, tenth, including 30 days and 2000km. Your share of the annual
you read that right) at $68.75 a share, or Joe DiMaggio’s operation costs would be another £10,000 on top.
$17,900 Rolex at $8.95 a share. David Spickett of TheCarCrowd describes steps to bring
There are myriad alternatives for a more active involvement the benefits of classic cars to the investor market with an
in the actual cars, other stages between pure investment and ownership model that crucially can boast capital gains tax free
pure ownership that structurally could be compared to returns as well as sharing experiences and creating memories,
everything from straightforward rentals to motoring based on a technology platform informed by research and
timeshares. In its more diluted forms, there could be the observation of the classic car market. The result might be a
possibility of purchasing fractions in two or three different Ferrari F355 in the ownership of 20 people and residing in a
cars, providing greater variety than the outright ownership of bespoke facility, or a Caterham in shared ownership for
a single car – and at less cost! individual track-day use. The cars tend to be classics from
At Supercar Sharing, Deivis Valdes speaks of a business 1980 to 2005, which show appreciation potential through
tending towards use, and modern, factory-warranted pedigree, motorsport connection or celebrity. Recent strong
supercars typically divided into 10% shares. Clients gain investment performances have come via the Renault Megane
access to club events and gatherings and can engage in car R26.R and Jodie Kidd’s Lancia Delta Integrale.
rentals as well as trading. Current favourites are the marquee TheCarCrowd has 4000 investors and over 100 blue-chip
models of Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini, with a distinct classic cars on its books, with a total portfolio valued at about
preference for manual transmission and petrol engines. £6million, packed with accessible exotica rather than
Cars are typically acquired after initial new-car depreciation unobtainable rarities. TheCarCrowd is a fine example of a
and then remain subject to shared ownership until they have shared ownership scheme, eliminating the relationship-
covered 60,000km or so. Sharing owners are often business destroying risks of a similar but informal set-up with friends.
travellers or tourists seeking short-term, local use. And among They source the cars, set each up as a Bare Trust with a formal
Supercar Sharing’s next steps? The extension of this blueprint syndication agreement, then store, insure and maintain the
to the hypercars of Koenigsegg, Bugatti and Pagani. cars (with the costs included in the share price) for a maximum
Supercar Sharing currently has almost 50 cars available for of five years or until the shareholders vote to sell. Next to go
co-ownership investment, ranging from a 1959 Mercedes- live with TheCarCrowd is a Porsche 996 GT3 RS.
Benz 190SL to a Bugatti Chiron W16. A tenth of the 190SL Of course, you could do all this for yourself, couldn’t you?
will set you back CHF 14,289 (approx £12,000) and that Plenty have, but the market has evolved for companies to look
includes an allowance of 30 days and 1500km a year, but you after people’s car investments for good reason. Most individual
can expect additional bills of about £1000 a year. The business schemes are dreamed up between friends, realising that
anticipates it will sell on the car after five or six years or when joining forces would allow them to own a car unattainable for
it hits 100,000km (it’s currently on 31,900km). Given a value each individually, something that might gain them access to
of roughly £3.35m, the 2018 Chiron is about £380,000 for a the best grids, tours or concours lawns. Great, but you have to
consider how the arrangement ends if one party wants out –
or dies. However strong the friendship, it is essential to have
a formal agreement covering every cost and eventuality.
Legal agreements, storage, transportation, maintenance
and so on go way beyond the basic task of administering a
number of investors. Each sharing owner’s enjoyment of time
with the car will depend on what happens during the other
sharing owners’ time with the car. So it’s important to agree in
advance the division of expenses in proportion to share
ownership, the annual number of days’ use for each
shareholder, the limitations, nature and logistics of permitted
use, driver restrictions, mileage restrictions, the scheme of
allocation and priority of available times, ‘playing nicely’, and
complying with a detailed set of rules concerning the car’s
care during each sharing owner’s period of use.
When buying a valuable car as a group, the purchase of a
share depends not only on the car’s purchase price but also its
acquisition fees, a proportion of the costs of establishing and
registering the company, effecting the corporate documents
and shareholder agreements, legal, tax and consultancy fees,
and establishing arrangements for the car. Then you need to
account for recurring costs of maintaining, preparing, storing,
insuring, taxing, valuing and transporting your joint asset.
As we said, it’s obvious why a business has sprung up
regarding fractional ownership, and – granted – these may
not sound like the sort of rules that friends need, but you’ll
thank us. After all, when Coleridge commented ‘The
happiness of life is made up of fractions’, it is doubtful he
was envisaging arrangements as complicated as the shared
ownership of a classic car.

120
SLSHOP REBORN
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the extraordinary. Classic Mercedes-Benz SLs restored and Reborn by an experienced,
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If you know - you know, and to classic SL enthusiasts there is nothing like the feeling of
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Never restored Ford V8 Woodie

WOOD YA
BELIEVE IT?
Bought in a rural auction almost
40 years ago and never restored,
this rare Woodie was originally
owned by speed record-breaker
Sir Malcolm Campbell
Words Mark Dixon Photography Barry Hayden

122
123
Never restored Ford V8 Woodie

ack in the mid-1980s, BMW in 1938. But then, so much about this car is 1933 advert by Ford in The Field proclaimed
made a video to promote the remarkable – not least the fact that it was first ‘Sir Malcolm Campbell owns a Ford V8’,
extreme smoothness of its owned by Sir Malcolm Campbell and used as a with accompanying text in which Campbell
new V12 engine in the E32 support vehicle when he raised his own Water extolled the pleasures of running such a car –
750i saloon. This was the first Speed Record to 130.93mph in Switzerland and it seems highly likely that he would have
V12 to be fitted to a German on 17 September 1938. struck some kind of favourable deal, possibly
production car since World War Two and, to Not that Robin had any idea about his car’s through one of the car dealerships in which he
show how refined it was, the creative types had illustrious first owner when he bought it at a had a hand. Campbell was a sharp businessman,
the brilliantly simple idea of showing a coin Herefordshire auction back in 1986. ‘I’ve never averse to using his name to help sell a car,
remaining balanced on edge on top of the always had Woodies in my blood, because my whose maxim was: ‘Never trade with your own
engine while it was running. grandfather had one, and when I saw an advert money. Always use that of others.’
Listening to the barely audible tick of Robin for this car in Exchange & Mart I asked a friend It has also been suggested that the Woodie
Batchelor’s 1938 Ford V8 Deluxe Station in Wales to go along to the auction and bid on was a gift from Henry Ford himself. While
Wagon as it sits gently idling, I’m struck by it for me. He won it for £2000. There were bits there’s no evidence for that, it’s certainly
the utter stillness of the engine. I wonder… It of straw in the back when I went to collect it possible, given Campbell’s celebrity status and
couldn’t work, could it? I fish around in my with a trailer; many years later, I met someone his advertising tie-up with the firm. A copy of
pocket and pull out a pound coin. Very who remembered the car from when it was a Ford’s autobiography, dedicated to Campbell
carefully, I place it vertically on top of the inlet working vehicle on a local farm. And it seemed by Ford himself, sold at auction a few years ago
manifold between the V8’s two banks. It sits huge – I couldn’t believe how big it was!’ for $1486 – and it is dated 10 November 1938,
there perfectly happily, as the video on my Shortly after Robin bought the Ford, friend just two months after Campbell set that Water
iPhone still attests. and legendary long-time editor of Motor Sport, Speed Record in Switzerland.
What’s even more remarkable about this Bill Boddy, suggested to him that the car might What does appear in the buff logbook is a
little demonstration is that Robin’s car has have a Campbell connection. While the speed description of the Station Wagon’s colour:
never been restored, and its engine has king’s name doesn’t appear on the old buff Bluebird Blue. The name of that colour was
probably never been apart since it was built logbook, he was a serial Ford V8 owner – a a coinage unique to Campbell, inspired by

124
 This page and opposite
Roof covering aside, this Woodie has
never been restored since it was used by
Sir Malcolm Campbell to support his 1938
Water Speed Record run in Switzerland,
where the picture, right, was taken.

a stage play he’d once seen called Blue Bird, and

one that he used on many of his road vehicles
as well on as his land and water record-breakers;
it’s also now clearly visible in patches on the car
where a later blow-over in green paint has
peeled away. Furthermore, the very short
registration ‘EXY 3’ is also suggestive of
Campbell ownership – a 1930s photo taken at
his Reigate home shows five cars lined up in
open-fronted garages, all of them with similar
three-digit/single-numeral registrations.
So far, so speculative. The clincher is another
photo (reproduced here on the right), this one
snapped in Switzerland during Campbell’s
successful 1938 Water Speed Record attempt
at Lake Hallwil. Three cars face away from the
camera: on the flanks are a Studebaker and a
‘It has been suggested
Lincoln-Zephyr Coupe (the latter definitely
owned by Campbell), and in the middle is the
Ford V8 Station Wagon, EXY 3.
that the Woodie was a gift
Tragically, while the cast alloy front number-
plate on the car today (stamped ‘Chas Wright from Henry Ford himself’

125
Never restored Ford V8 Woodie

Edgware Mdx’) is the original, the rear one was which included giving passenger rides from a
lost some years ago while in Robin’s ownership.
‘I went to collect a Christmas tree and by the
safari lodge in Africa (‘Robert Redford and US
President Jimmy Carter both came over’) and
‘Robin was a
time I got home, the rear plate had fallen off,’ he
explains. ‘I retraced my journey but just could
not find it, and I suspect someone picked it up
teaching Richard Branson to fly a balloon
(‘Fascinating guy, but had to be taught to
walk before he could run’). He’s been a
professional
as a trophy. I posted about it on social media
and was even interviewed by Radio Oxford!’
That incident, while unfortunate, does
top-level ballooning competitor, and flown
balloons for numerous commercials, TV series
and movies, also acting as stunt doubles for
balloonist for
illustrate how Robin has never been precious
about using the car. He takes a very pragmatic
approach to running ancient machines –
Ryan O’Neal and Robert Vaughn. Old cars do
seem to attract characters like Robin.
With him leading such a busy lifestyle, the
50 years – old
Bullnose Morrises are his ‘thing’ – which was
inspired at the age of 19 by driving a 1927
Humber 9/20 tourer with owner Richard
Ford ended up being driven less and less by
Robin, and in 2012 he was persuaded to sell it
to The Automobile magazine by its then-editor,
cars attract
I’Anson to Istanbul and back.
‘It was the most wonderful vintage car
now-publisher, Jonathan Rishton, to form part
of its ‘oily rag’ collection. Jonathan organised characters
education,’ he laughs. ‘The Humber was stolen some timely conservation work, including a
from our campsite in Istanbul and found upside
down with the roof smashed in and all the steel
new roof covering and some localised
woodwork repairs by Tony Devey of Smithys
like him’
artillery wheels bent. While Richard repaired Coachworks, and he protected the frame with
the engine, I chucked rocks from a nearby river tung oil and the steel panels with Ankor Wax.
at the wheels to straighten them out!’ After a set of new tyres had been fitted, the
It won’t surprise you to learn that Robin was Ford was driven by Robin to Montlhéry
a professional hot-air balloonist for 50 years, for the Vintage Revival, and also attended the

126
 Above and opposite
The Woodie may be showing its age (note Campbell’s Bluebird Blue paint under the green)
but it’s still full of life – much like its owner, Robin Batchelor, pictured at the wheel.

127
Never restored Ford V8 Woodie

1938 Ford 81A Deluxe Station Wagon

Engine 3622cc flathead V8, single Stromberg 97 downdraught carburettor
Power 85bhp @ 3800rpm Torque 150lb ft @ 2000rpm Transmission
Three-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Worm and sector
Suspension Front: beam axle, A-frame, transverse semi-elliptic
leaf spring, Houdaille lever-arm dampers. Rear: live axle, A-frame,
transverse semi-elliptic leaf spring, Houdaille lever-arm dampers
Brakes Drums, cable-operated Weight 1408kg Top speed 75mph (est)

Clockwise, from left

V8 still runs like a Swiss
watch; drop tailgate gives
huge load capacity; tyres
and roof covering aside,
nothing has been
renewed in 87 years.

128
VHRA races at Pendine Sands a couple of iron mines in the early 1920s. However, it Marmon trucks into the 1990s, these last
times. ‘We used it to ferry stuff around, to seems that until the late 1930s the wooden proving a godsend for latter-day hot rodders
carry groups of friends – that kind of thing,’ body parts were made there only in flat-pack when their low-mileage engines were sold off.
recalls Jonathan. ‘It’s still a really useful vehicle.’ form, with the Murray Body Corporation – Of course, the flathead evolved considerably
Nine years later, when The Automobile was conveniently located in Detroit near the Ford along the way, but its essential characteristics
moving offices, a decision was made to part plant – assembling them onto steel cowls and – a short three-main-bearing crank, and
with some of the vehicles in its collection, and floorpans before Ford mounted them onto crankcase and both banks of cylinders cast as a
the Ford was offered back to Robin. It’s since chassis. From there, the Station Wagons were single unit, a ‘monobloc’ – remained the same.
become a regular sight at events such as the transported to Canada and then shipped to The cranks were both statically and dynamically
Bicester Scrambles. England, where UK-specific work was carried balanced, resulting in an exceptionally smooth
Because of Britain’s punitive horsepower tax out, such as for wiring and lights. motor, while high-pressure oil lubrication
and the high cost of fuel back in the 1920s and Henry Ford’s genius had always been in allowed relatively high revolutions to be
’30s, V8-engined cars were never huge sellers keeping production costs to a minimum while maintained. From late 1936, the flathead had
in the UK, but Fords were the exceptions. ensuring the finished product was reliable, and replaceable main and big-end shell bearing
While conventional steel-bodied V8s were the ‘flathead’ Ford V8 engine – each bank of inserts, too, instead of the poured whitemetal
assembled in the UK, the more specialised cylinders is capped with a flat-topped cylinder bearings used previously.
‘Woodie’ Station Wagons started life in the head, with valves to the side of each cylinder Robin’s Woodie is a 1938 Model 81A Deluxe
USA. There’s a lot of confusion online about and operating almost parallel with the pistons Station Wagon, the ‘81A’ signifying an 85bhp
exactly where the wooden bodies were made – is truly one of the world’s all-time greats. version of the 221ci (3.6-litre) V8. Inside,
and they’re often attributed to Ford’s Iron Introduced in 1932, it remained in production you’re enveloped in a cosy pre-war parlour fug
Mountain plant in Michigan, USA, where Ford for cars until 1964 (in Brazil) and was still of brown Bakelite, worn brown leather-cloth
had acquired 313,000 acres of forest and two being used in the French Army’s Simca seats and brown (of course) plywood door

129
Never restored Ford V8 Woodie

cards. There are three rows of seats, so you can

squeeze at least eight people in if you need to,
while the driver still has room to operate the
early and easily, and, if that advert by wily old
rogue Sir Malcolm Campbell is to be believed,
‘a consumption of 20 miles per gallon can be
‘Like a well-
long, willowy gearlever. The rearmost row is
removable and the split tailgate hinges both top
and bottom, creating a large flat load space
obtained under normal touring conditions’.
Touring is what this car would be perfect for:
you’re sitting tall in what’s effectively a mobile
loved old
that’s long enough to carry, say, a Christmas
tree. ‘I’ve never slept in the back but I would
certainly do so if I drove it to the Beaulieu
conservatory, with unobstructed 360º views of
the passing scenery. It’s a great stress-reliever
and, of course, there’s room for several friends
horse, let it find
Autojumble and wanted to stay overnight,’
claims Robin.
There’s a bit of ancient woodworm in some
– and their luggage.
In fact, it’s definitely not a car for the
unsociable. ‘Whenever I take it out, I always
its way at its
of the rear timbers, the steel wings bear quite a
few dings and dents, many of the smaller metal
make sure I’m in a good mood and have plenty
of energy, because I know I’ll meet members own pace and
fittings are pitted with rust, and the interior is of the public who will want to talk about it,’
heavily scuffed and badly worn. It all adds up to
a patina to die for. And how many modern cars
explains Robin. ‘When you drive a really old
car, you have a certain responsibility to
it’s happy’
would survive on minimal maintenance for 87 promote the movement. That’s something I
years like this Ford? learned from ballooning – where if you have to
Fact is, on the road, the Woodie feels force-land in someone’s field, you need to be
remarkably of-a-piece. The steering may not be polite and friendly – and it’s also a great way to
the epitome of precision, and progress is stately meet people. It’s all about sharing the fun.’
rather than record-breaking, but it’s like a well- Robin and the Woodie are clearly natural
loved old horse; you let it find its own way at its companions for life – and, should you ever
own pace and it’s happy. The quietly burbling happen to come across it, he’s still keen to
V8 has torque enough for you to change up recover that lost rear numberplate.

130
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Octane Cars
The trials and tribulations of the cars we live with

Ready, set – no go
1927 Ford Model T Mark Dixon

THE MODEL T is not a requiring the mental agility of a individual coils – one per cylinder 1930s to the 1980s. However,
conventional car. Although it was church organist if you’re used to – to deliver a spark to each plug when the T failed to start for a
built until the late 1920s, it was driving just about anything else. via a simple timer driven from the pre-Christmas meet-up with
launched in 1908, when the Its ignition system was front of the camshaft. friends, I wondered whether
nascent auto industry was still idiosyncratic, too, using current I’m using the past tense here Henry’s set-up might not be a
feeling its way. So, rather than a generated by magnets on the because my ‘T’ has an aftermarket better idea after all. There was not
conventional gearbox, it has an engine flywheel rotating past iron conversion for the more familiar a glimmer of life, and after several
epicyclic transmission that’s cores fixed to the transmission coil-and-distributor system used frustrating minutes I gave up and
operated by three pedals, cover. This current excited four in almost every car from the took my 2006 Volvo instead.

134
 OCTANE’S FLEET
These are the cars –
and ’bikes – run by
Opposite and below Octane’s staff
Model T remained barn-bound when it failed and contributors
to start before Christmas; Henry Ford’s
unconventional ignition had been replaced,
but a new coil eventually solved the problem. JAMES ELLIOTT
Editor-in-chief
• 1965 Triumph 2.5 PI
• 1968 Jensen Interceptor
• 1969 Lotus Elan S4
ROBERT COUCHER
Founding editor
• 1955 Jaguar XK140
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
Contributing editor
• 1927 Alvis 12/50
• 1927 Ford Model T pick-up
• 1942 Fordson Model N tractor
• 1955 Land Rover Series I 107in
‘Alarm bells rang when I tried earthing a spark plug lead ROBERT HEFFERON
Art editor
to the engine block while turning the engine over’ • 2004 BMW Z4 3.0i
DAVID LILLYWHITE
Editorial director
Two months later, a spell of Metaphorical alarm bells began attempts produced exactly the • 1971 Saab 96
spring sunshine impelled me to to ring, however, when I then same result: the engine was • 1996 Prodrive Subaru Impreza
try again. The engine was still tried earthing the brass terminal attempting to start, but it just
dead as a dodo but, given fuel and of a spark plug lead to the engine wouldn’t run. MATTHEW HOWELL
a spark, a ‘T’ should run, so I block while turning the engine By now the starter’s press- Photographer
started working through the over on the starter motor. This switch was getting distinctly warm • 1962 VW Beetle 1600
• 1969 VW/Subaru Beetle
possibilities. First job was to drain should have produced a regular from over-use, so I gave it a rest • 1982 Morgan 4/4
the carburettor bowl using the spark from terminal to block – but and climbed out of the car to take
little petcock conveniently there was nothing. another look at the engine bay. BEN BARRY
provided, to see whether any Cue a call to my friend Matt Which is when I spotted that I Contributor
water had separated out from the Blake, who runs vintage specialist hadn’t re-secured the dizzy cap to • 2007 Mazda RX-8
fuel. But the petrol that came out Auto Electric Supplies its base with the two sprung-steel
looked as consistent and clear (autoelectricsupplies.co.uk). clips, so the cap kept getting MASSIMO DELBÒ
Contributor
as modern fuel ever does. ‘Try the same thing with the end knocked off its perch every time
• 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230
Next, check the points in the of the main coil-to-distributor I spun the motor. • 1972 Fiat 500L
distributor to see if they had lead,’ he advised. ‘If there’s no Re-clip the cap and try again. • 1975 Alfa Romeo GT Junior
closed up. The points gap did look spark, then the coil is probably Success! The motor caught, I • 1979/80 Range Rovers
a little narrow, so I reset it with faulty.’ So I did, and there was quickly advanced the timing lever • 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL
the contacts held open on the indeed no spark. from full retard and opened the • 1985 Mercedes-Benz 240TD
back of one of the distributor More in hope than expectation, throttle slightly, and after a couple
SAM CHICK
driveshaft’s cam lobes, an easy I made a Sunday-morning dash to of minutes of clearing its throat Photographer
task using the Model T’s starting my local motor factor to buy a the big 2.9-litre four was ticking • 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider
handle. With the points closed new Chinese-made coil. With it over happily.
again and the ignition turned on, jury-rigged to the engine, I tried I’m not ashamed to admit that ROWAN ATKINSON
flicking the points open did the starter again… and the engine I gently touched a rear wing and Contributor
produce a spark. coughed, then died. Repeated uttered a quiet ‘thank you’. • 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom

135
Octane Cars Running Reports

Left and below

Sanjay’s DB7 made a return trip
ANDREW RALSTON to Aston Martin Works for a
Contributor service and left him impressed.
• 1955 Ford Prefect
• 1968 Jaguar 240
radius from its Newport Pagnell
SAM CHICK base (I fell just within that), and
Photographer the pricing was competitive at
• 1969 Alfa Romeo Spider £790 for a 7500-mile service. The
transporter arrived on time,
RICHARD HESELTINE
Contributor
driven by a very polite assistant
• 1966 Moretti 850 Sportiva who had been to my house before.
• 1971 Honda Z600 From Works I received a health
check video message – a
PETER BAKER refreshing touch. The car was
Contributor found to be in excellent condition,
• 1954 Daimler Conquest with just two minor things to
• 1955 Daimler Conquest Century report: a possible air conditioning
• 2005 Maserati 4200GT
• 2008 Alfa Romeo Brera Prodrive SE gas leak and a small oil weep from
the differential sump to monitor.
DAVID BURGESS-WISE A 7500-mile service includes a
Contributor pre-service road test; engine oil
• 1924 Sunbeam 14/40
• 1926 Delage DISS The full I then entrusted it to Aston
Martin Works for some major
and filter replacement, with all
other fluids checked and topped
improvements, which included up where required; a full interior
MATTHEW HAYWARD
Markets editor Works having a new soft-top – which, by
the way, was made by the same
electrical and functionality check
(for my i6 Volante, this includes
• 1990 Citroën BX 16v
• 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four 1998 Aston Martin Volante person who fitted it when new. the roof); while all suspension
• 1996 Saab 9000 Aero Sanjay Seetanah As I used the car less over time, and drivetrain components are
• 1997 Citroën Xantia Activa I had it serviced by a local Jaguar examined for wear, play and
• 1997 Peugeot 306 GTI-6 AT THE START of the year, I specialist. However, an email from deterioration before a final road
• 2000 Honda Integra Type R was reflecting on the early 2000s Aston Martin Works Service test is carried out. The vehicle also
• 2002 Audi A2
and what was happening in the reminding me about my MoT has a complimentary service wash
JESSE CROSSE classic car world. 1950s and ’60s made me reconsider. A few things before it’s delivered home.
Contributor cars were still very much in vogue needed attention, such as a loose When you consider the level of
• 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 – who didn’t want an Austin- trim panel around the rear light customer liaison that comes with
• 1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Healey 3000 MkIII or an XK120? after driving it around the track it, including close contact with
– but 1970s and ’80s cars were at Silverstone for Aston’s 110th the service team during the
MARTYN GODDARD
quietly gaining in popularity. anniversary celebrations. Time to vehicle’s stay at Works Service, the
Photographer
Goodwood Revival was still in its treat the car to another visit. collection and delivery, too, this is
• 1963 Triumph TR6SS Trophy
• 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII infancy, the new BMW-built Calling Works was a breath of very good value for money. I’m
Minis had just appeared, and we fresh air – I had forgotten what it delighted I received that email.
DELWYN MALLETT were about to launch a stunning was like to be treated as a valued
Contributor new magazine called Octane. Not customer. Its Heritage Service Thanks to Shaun Dixon and Scott
• 1936 Cord 810 Beverly very long before this, my i6 DB7 offers complimentary collection Fisher at Aston Martin Works,
• 1937 Studebaker Dictator had rolled off the production line, and delivery within a 50-mile astonmartinworks.com.
• 1946 Tatra T87 on 23 January 1998. Soon I’ll have
• 1950 Ford Club Coupe
• 1952 Porsche 356 owned it for half its life.
• 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Buying an Aston Martin was
• 1957 Porsche Speedster never on my radar. I was content
• 1957 Fiat Abarth Sperimentale with everyday classics. Yet, 13
• 1963 Abarth-Simca years on, I still have the DB7, so I
• 1963 Tatra T603 must be enjoying it. When I first
• 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 RS
• 1992 Alfa Romeo SZ bought it, I wanted to take it on an
epic drive across France, so I had
EVAN KLEIN it meticulously serviced by Martin
Photographer Brewer at Runnymede Motor
• 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider Company. We drove 3000 miles in
• 2001 Audi TT the height of summer, from Bilbao
HARRY METCALFE
across to Bordeaux and along the
Contributor Dordogne, then south to
• 20 cars and 15 motorbikes Marseille, the Côte d’Azur, into
To follow Harry’s adventures, Monaco and finally back to the
find Harry’s Garage on YouTube. UK, without a single problem.

136
1990 JAGUAR XJR 12 LM
!3"  42.5%& 2 
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. +  *$+

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1986 SAUBER C8 MERCEDES

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Octane Cars Running Reports

Left and below

Lots of childhood memories of
this car for David; new seat trims
a bargain; ignition upgraded, too.

promises – and then Paul at

Staffordshire Saab revealed that
he had an unwanted set of brand
new replacement covers, sourced
from Lseat in the US (lseat.com).
I snapped them up for a bargain
price (they’re now $700 new,
which is still a bargain), and I’m
pleased to say that they’re of
incredible quality and were
relatively easy to fit. The black
leather with subtle red stitching
wouldn’t have been my first
choice but they’re a huge
improvement on the tattered
originals, which I’ve kept in the
hope of one day having the green
cloth replaced. I bought a black
carpet to match, but again the aim
is to match the worn-out green
original at some point.
Cutting holes in the top edges
of the new covers for the rare and
stylish optional Saab headrests
was a little nerve-wracking but
I finally got around to that in
February, and topped off the
interior revamp with new
seatbelts all-round. This is the first
Getting some seat time in time it’s ever had rear belts but
luckily Saab 96s of this vintage
1971 Saab 96 V4 David Lillywhite came with most of the threaded
holes needed.
HOW THE not-so-mighty are it’s a difficult layout that very few had survived well but some of the The last job before breaking the
fallen… Having owned more than Saab enthusiasts have ever cloth was in tatters. The last thing car out of the garage for the first
50 cars in my lifetime, I’m now managed to convert successfully. I wanted was to get rid of the time in weeks was to finish fitting
down to just one classic. I think I’m happy with the spec I material that I’d slid around on as the electronic ignition and
this is the first time I’ve not had eventually settled on: mildly a kid (my grandad drove the lanes matching high-output coil. It’s a
multiple classics since mid-1992. upgraded, with a modestly tuned around his North Wales home Pertronix unit that fits inside the
I’m OK with that at the engine and uprated suspension. ‘enthusiastically’, shall we say). distributor, and all indications
moment, although my late-night What let it down until recently But several professional attempts so far are that the little Saab is
browsing history suggests not, was the interior. The original seats to have the cloth replaced while starting better and running
veering between Golf GTIs and had olive-green vinyl centres and keeping the vinyl ended up in cleaner than I’ve ever known it to.
the huge Stutz that my dad briefly a lighter green cloth. The vinyl frustrating delays and broken More drives are planned soon.
owned as a barn-find in the 1960s.
You know what it’s like, I’m sure.
At the moment, though, I’m
enjoying quality time spent with
the Saab 96 that my grandad
owned from around 1980 until his
death in the 2000s, at which point
it passed to my uncle, who later
kindly gifted the car to me.
It took me years to really
appreciate it. At one point, I had
plans to build it into a long-
distance rally car, encouraged by
the late historic rally pioneer
Philip Young. Then I looked at
engine swaps for fast road use, but

138
 OUT
NOW!
ONLY
£10.95

T H E 1 0 0 G R E AT E S T
Taking stock SPORTS CARS OF
1955 Jaguar XK140 Robert Coucher ALL TIME
IT’S STARTLING to realise I way. The car has proven to be
have owned my 1955 XK140 as rock-solid and reliable as it
FHC SE for 19 years. My ‘Little should be, given that virtually all
Black Book’ opens with the of it has been renewed! It looks
words: ‘Purchased by Robert smart, if a bit patinated, because
Coucher on 12 August 2006 with I have invested in making it run
13,333 miles on the clock.’ like the perfect cool rod.
The LBB is now almost full of As mentioned briefly last
entries and notations, including issue, I swung the Jag into Lance
all the money I have spent along McCormack’s quaint Romance
the way, so I keep it away from my of Rust emporium on the
wife! Like most enthusiasts, I’ve riverside in Brentford. Lance is
over-invested in the XK but a concours-winning restorer and
amortising the costs over all these when he glanced at the XK he
years makes it seem manageable immediately noticed that the
(using man-maths, at least) and driver’s seat cushion needs
the car has taken me to some restuffing. He suggested I call
unforgettable destinations, Jamie Perryman at Unrivalled
including Barcelona, Le Mans, the Coachtrimming, based in Hook,
Scottish Highlands – and the Hampshire, and he also said
shops up the road. I should go and see Steve Bell
The Jaguar received a full at Silver Crest Woodwork
body-off and mechanical and Design (located in
restoration in 1990 and I have Buckinghamshire) to have
since restored it all over again, my wood veneer sorted out.
including the engine, gearbox, He’s probably correct, so I
brakes and suspension, with all will do – but it won’t make the
the choice upgrades along the Jaguar perform any better.
FROM ALPINE A110 TO DATSUN
240Z, VIA JAGUAR, PORSCHE,
Top and left
In nearly 20 years of TRIUMPH, ALFA ROMEO, MG,
ownership, Robert
has worked through MERCEDES-BENZ, LOTUS, TVR…
the Jaguar to keep it
fighting fit – but
maybe the seats and
dash are due some
cosmetic attention. Available in top newsagents, or online at
www.octane-magazine.com/100gsc

139
Octane Cars Running Reports

immediately, giving out a OTHER NEWS

wonderful roar that, after just a
few seconds, settles into a low,
sleepy throb. All 23 warning lights ‘I am deeply
go out. Bliss. embarrassed at the
Cambiocorsa means ‘racing lack of attention – and
gearchange’ and what you get is a
running time – my Lotus
first-generation F1-style ‘flappy
paddle’ pair of column-mounted Elan received in 2024.
levers – right side to change up, With the sun starting to
left side to change down – that put in brief cameos in
connect the gearbox hydraulically
the UK, I am determined
to a conventional clutch. I also
face the option of ‘Normal’ or to set that right pronto’
‘Sport’ mode. Yours truly, being James Elliott
something of a coward, leaves the
power switch alone. ‘Just booked the BMW
Time to go. Pull right-hand in for its MoT and
lever towards me and first gear
appears in the digital readout. service – and to get

The honeymoon Release handbrake, build revs,

hesitate… and then, into second.
to the bottom of the
whining noise evident
I live in the countryside, with
continues plenty of straight roads, so I’m
soon into sixth gear at 60mph.
when it’s on the move.
Clue: it’s not my kids’
2005 Maserati 4200 GT Peter Baker At 2000rpm the engine is barely Glen Waddington
ticking over.
I’VE NOW COVERED 2000 the world. And keeping those Manual downchanging through ‘Significant progress
miles in my recently acquired stamps up-to-date is so very, very the upper ratios is also easy, with with my Alfa Duetto
Maserati 4200 GT Cambiocorsa important. Therefore, before our an automatic override built-in for restoration: work on the
and can honestly say – while planned road trip to Modena this protection, but this gearbox was
body is complete, so
quickly touching the nearest piece summer, I’ll add one more. After never designed for urban
of wood – that it’s been the most two years of searching for the side-streets. Hesitant back-and-fro the engine, suspension
satisfying and trouble-free of right car and then finally taking auto-changing between second and brakes are now
experiences. Mind you, the the plunge, driving ‘Enrico’ and first creates something of a being stripped, and
mileage still stands at an (named after the famous Italian nightmare and is the prime cause
a shopping list of
extremely low 36,000, and the tenor, Enrico Caruso) for the first of premature clutch wear; that,
car came with a complete history time happened only after I’d read and waiting at traffic lights. For consumables and
file. Even better, the previous the chunky instruction manual short shopping trips I’ll borrow upgrades drawn up’
long-term owner trusted only from cover to cover. my wife Lin’s little Abarth 595. Sam Chick
leading agent McGrath Maserati Getting comfortable is not a If she’ll let me.
to service what is, in effect, a problem, thanks to the four-way In the meantime, to preserve ‘The BMW Z4 is back
cut-price Ferrari. adjustable and heated seats, with my licence and check out the
For the record, an annual oil memory setting. Such luxury. claimed 0-100mph in 11.3 from the bodyshop,
change/filter service plus health Switch on, wait for the oil to seconds, I’ve booked a couple of with bumper, rear
check seems to come in at around circulate, then fire up the track-days at Goodwood and quarter and wheels all
the £1000 mark which, in Ferrari-inspired dry-sump Castle Combe. Enrico will be in looking like new. There
supercar terms, is not the end of 4.2-litre V8 engine. It starts seventh heaven – as indeed will I.
are minor jobs still to do
but, while the sun is
shining, I’m reluctant to
take it out of action’
Robert Hefferon

‘I need to fit new
Michelin tyres to my
Mercedes 500SL and
230 Fintail – so expect
a report on the bank
robbery I’ll have to carry
out to pay for them…’
Massimo Delbò

140
 1967 ASTON MARTIN
DB6 VANTAGE
1955 AC ACECA V8 A multiple Concours winning MK1,
A ridiculously quick, V8 engined Aceca
finished in Cumberland Grey over red
with a 5 speed ‘box and vented disc brakes
£350,000
all round £95,000

2005 PORSCHE
911 GT3
Basalt Black over black, Full Service
History, Recaro bucket seats and 41,000
miles £79,500

1963 JAGUAR
E-TYPE COUPE
Built in the spirit of an SCCA club racer
from the mid 60s, ‘Giddy Minx’ is our own
car built for events across Europe. A LHD,
Pendine is proud to offer… matching numbers example, it was fully
restored over a number of years with
numerous upgrades to make it fast,
reliable and most importantly – FUN.
Finished in Warwick Grey over red
£139,500

Located at T +44 (0)1869 357126 W www.pendine.com E [email protected]

Overdrive
Other interesting cars we’ve been driving

Feel the earth move

2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA Elliott Hughes

BACK IN 1947, when Maurice JLR’s 6D Dynamics suspension (and most docile) Comfort streams or driving across grassy
Wilks sketched the original Land system. Instead of conventional Mode, the OCTA feels like a plains, it feels (say it quietly)
Rover, it’s doubtful he foresaw a anti-roll bars, the system uses more refined version of the eerily like a Range Rover, such
635bhp version on the distant hydraulically interlinked regular Defender. The 6D is the ride’s refinement.
horizon. Yet that’s what the semi-active dampers to Dynamics suspension keeps Yet none of this is particularly
Defender OCTA is: a leather- dramatically reduce pitch and the ride supple and the body flat surprising. The ‘new’ Defender
lined powerhouse that conceals a body roll on the road while and controlled over road is now five years old and is a
4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, shared providing greater wheel imperfections. The 4.4-litre V8, brilliant off-road performer
with the Range Rover Sport SV articulation should you venture meanwhile, is quiet and, if you regardless of the lump beneath its
and the BMW M5, no less. into the wilderness. Meanwhile, have a light foot, does little to bonnet or the complexity of its
Conventional wisdom suggests a central Load Distribution Unit hint at the incredible levels of suspension. The revelations come
that stuffing a 635bhp V8 into controls squat and dive under performance on tap: 0-60mph when you select one of the more
a lofty 2½-tonne off-roader acceleration and braking. takes just 3.8 seconds and top aggressive, performance-
makes as much sense as strapping Octane experienced the results speed is limited to 155mph. orientated driving modes via the
a jet engine to a canal boat – of this engineering witchcraft in It’s a similar story off-road, too. chunky transparent OCTA button
but the OCTA has a trick up its both scenarios in the Scottish Whether you’re climbing muddy on the steering wheel and bury
Barbour jacket sleeve. That ace is Borders. On-road, in its default Scottish hillocks, wading through your right foot into the bulkhead.

142
 This page and opposite
Defender is refined and able, on and
off road – but press the OCTA button
and this one makes full use of its
remarkable 635bhp twin-turbo V8.

Dynamic Mode is designed do an admirable job of shedding like a Bowler Defender Challenge descendant of Maurice Wilks’
to provide the best performance- speed, too, though that’s when car, shrugging off rocks, ruts, Land Rover, it’s also among the
focused on-road experience by you’re most aware of the OCTA’s potholes and crests, while seeking most capable off-roaders the
sharpening the steering and 2585kg kerbweight. out all the grip the slippery, marque has ever built. This
throttle response and increasing Hold that button for a fraction muddy terrain has to offer. Then, remarkable breadth of ability has
the suspension’s resistance to roll, longer and you enable OCTA with the press of a button, you’re created a performance car that
pitch, squat and dive. The result is mode for fast off-road driving – back in Comfort mode: the thrives in any terrain or weather
a 4x4 that’s not only incredibly and this is its party trick. The thunderous V8 hushes, the while delivering all the practical
fast in a straight line but also clever dampers and four-wheel steering and throttle soften, and benefits of a Defender.
handles like a bone-fide drive system constantly adapt the suspension shifts its focus That alone makes it hugely
performance machine on to the terrain’s myriad demands, from precision to plushness. appealing, so it’s little wonder that
Scotland’s twisty, crest-laden while the immense power and After two days of wading the UK’s full 1070-car allocation
B-roads. Throw it into a corner torque make provoking a lurid through rivers, scrambling up for the First Edition models (as
and it feels remarkably agile, slide – and holding it around muddy tracks, and storming tested) has already sold out –
exhibiting none of the lumbering a hay bale – almost effortless. along B-roads, one thing was despite the punchy £160,800
waywardness that characterised The suspension is the real star. clear: the OCTA isn’t just the asking price. The standard OCTA
SUVs of old. Vast Brembo brakes On a rally stage, the OCTA feels most performance-focused starts from £145,300.

143
Gone but not forgotten
Words by Richard Heseltine

RICHARD HESELTINE ARCHIVE

Left
Anderson’s finest result, third at the notorious
Zeltweg circuit, could equally have flattered
his talent or finally shown the true extent of it
to the world. Sadly, we will never know.

proclaimed that it looked easy and, seeing as he already owned

a half-litre Triumph, decided to have a go. Anderson made his
motorsport debut at Cadwell Park later that year, and by 1955
he was making waves aboard an ex-Ted Davis Matchless.
Anderson had titanium-plated self-belief. He quit his day job as
a mechanic/engineer to race full-time, eking out a hand-to-mouth
existence, but the victories soon came. He won the 1956 500cc North
West 200 and was second to Jimmy Buchan in that season’s Senior
Manx. Better rides followed, highpoints including second place to John
Surtees in the 1958 Senior TT, and a strong run in that year’s 350cc
Swedish Grand Prix when he was runner-up to Geoff Duke.
Life was on the up, and then he met the love of his life at a Young
Conservatives dance in Bedford. Anderson fell for a young French au
pair and his ardour was reciprocated. Her parents were less receptive.
They dragged their precious Marie-Edmée back to France but she soon
made her way over to Blighty again and the lovestruck couple eloped.
Anderson’s mother and stepfather then gave the couple part of their
house in Haynes, and an adjacent shed/workshop remained the centre
of operations for his motorsport bids thereafter.
However, 1960 saw his career at a crossroads. He was advised not to
race again following a spill in South Africa, but then a friend from his
agricultural days – sometime F1 driver Henry Taylor – suggested he try
competing on four wheels instead. A year later, he made an impression
in Formula Junior aboard a front-engined Lola. He remained in the
category for 1962 driving for Team Lotus, displaying front-running
pace even though he was eclipsed by his team-mate, Peter Arundell.
Then came Formula 1. Armed with an ex-Bowmaker Racing Lola and
his trusty Volkswagen ex-builder’s wagon-cum-transporter, he became
the entrant, driver, and mechanic. The only other full-time member of
his team was Marie-Edmée. And so it continued for five years. Other
cars came and went, most of them obsolete but always immaculately

Bob Anderson presented. There were wins, too, in non-series Grands Prix, and some
decent showings in rounds of the World Championship, but the works
drive he desperately craved never materialised.
At a time when Grand Prix drivers also competed in sports cars and
A privateer who lost his life when on the verge saloon cars, it seems remarkable in retrospect that Anderson wasn’t
among their number. Doug Nye interviewed him for Motor Racing in
of the big break he had always yearned for 1967, and Anderson openly wondered why he was overlooked for a
drive of any kind. It could be argued that he didn’t mingle with the right
IT WAS A bravura performance, and one that had no effect whatsoever people. After all, he was working on his cars when his rivals were
on advancing his career. Bob Anderson’s third-place finish in the 1964 socialising. It has also been posited that he was too reserved for his own
Austrian Grand Prix was partially earned through attrition, Zeltweg good, that he could be a mite abrasive, but he was hardly alone in that.
being a cruel joke of a circuit. The airfield’s many bumps did for some He was in his mid-30s, a father of two, and clearly his face didn’t fit.
of the more fancied runners and riders – the plucky Brit may have come He was considering walking away when, in August 1967, he was testing
home three laps down on winner Lorenzo Bandini, but he was ahead at a sodden Silverstone and it all went horribly wrong. His car
of former Grand Prix winners as the chequered flag descended. aquaplaned at Woodcote and hit a marshal’s post. He was conscious
It was as good it got for Formula 1’s last true privateer driver/entrant. when help finally arrived, but suffering from serious chest trauma.
Robert Hugh Fearon ‘Bob’ Anderson entered this world on 19 May There wasn’t any on-track medical support. Instead, he was cut out
1931. The son of a doctor and a pathologist, he spent his early years of his Brabham and bundled into a WW2-era pseudo-ambulance.
in North London and lost his father at an early age. His mother later There was no siren, nor suspension to speak of. Halfway to hospital,
remarried and the family relocated to Bedfordshire, although the the driver and Anderson’s pals encountered a proper ambulance. The
youngster was soon packed off to Gordonstoun. His time in Scotland crew reasoned that it was too dangerous to transfer the stricken driver,
proved character-building, especially after he developed osteomyelitis. so they continued in convoy to Northampton General. Anderson died
On leaving boarding school, Anderson attended agricultural college. a few hours later. He was 36. The irony is that the big-time drive he
There was no great burning desire to compete on-track, though, until coveted finally may have been in the offing. At his funeral, BRM’s Louis
he was invited to join some friends on a trip to Castle Combe to watch Stanley told Anderson’s friends that he had been under consideration
some motorcycle racing. That was in 1953. Full of youthful swagger, he for a works seat for 1968. Fate had other ideas.

144
Gearbox

1. I won this Interior Motives student design

Paul Howse award when I was in my second year at

Northumbria University. It was the first time
I really believed that I had what it took to
succeed in design.
Car designer behind the McLaren P1 and 2. I try to get out on my mountain bike once a
week to clear the mind. I bought this Cotic Jeht
Lanzante’s Project 95-59. Also an artist… about four years ago, designed and built in
Britain from Reynolds cro-moly. It weighs about
the same as a carbon bike but is much prettier.
The geometry and materials make it so much
fun, it rails corners and pops off every root
in sight, yet soaks up the big stuff, too.
3. I’ve been collecting model cars since I was a
boy and now have a wonderful office to display
1 them in. They’re basically anything I’m into,
2 and if you know me, you’ll know that’s quite
a diverse range of cars!
4. This is a prototype P1 model that had my
original design of bonnet on it before Ron made
us change it. It’s probably the only evidence
that still exists of it.
5. When I started at McLaren, I was obsessed
with Bruce’s heritage and the Michael Turner
Kiwi logo; I’d hide it in my design renderings so
Ron wouldn’t see it. I ordered a keyring from
the Bruce McLaren Trust and then Mark
3
Roberts designed and made me a carbon one
for my wedding, engraved with the P1 rear
lights two years before it came out.
6. My dad is a master mechanic and engineer
and the reason I’m so obsessed with cars. He
built this six-cylinder M20 engine for my 1971
BMW 2000 Touring that I’m restoring with him.
It’s been stroked to 2.8 litres, with a fast road
4 5 cam, and he’s done loads of old school engine-
building tricks to it. It’ll run on triple Weber 40s.
I’ll keep it forever.
7. These ticket stubs and VIP passes are from
important events during my 11-year McLaren
career. The P1 launch in Paris and the 720S first
6
drives in Rome provide great memories for me.
8. I first watched The Speed Merchants on VHS
as a teenager and it’s been my favourite movie
ever since. It kick-started my love for the Targa
Florio and late ’60s/early ’70s Sportscar racing.
If you haven’t watched it, go and do so now.
9. These Nikon M5 8x42mm binoculars are
fantastic and were a massive part of my
recovery from the work-related breakdown
that I suffered in 2020. During the time that
followed, getting out birdwatching and being
7 8 9 in nature was something I really leaned on to
help my mental state. I still do.
10. I recently treated myself to one of my dream
cars, a 1977 Citroën CX. The design and
engineering thinking behind it are quite unlike
anything seen since (in regular cars, anyway).
The aerodynamics, the details such as the door
handles and binnacle, the sculpture in the
bodyside and the dashboard… And all of that
is before you experience the otherworldly ride
quality and those squishy seats. Can you tell
10 that I’m quite taken by it?

146
 FE LLOWE S
FI NE C ARS

1954 ASTON MARTIN DB2/4 MK1 - SPORTS SALOON

,?56,3*<5505./(49,0+º>692:79,7(9,+»

Supplied new to burgeoning British racing driver & future Aston Martin ‘Works’ driver, Noel Cunningham-Reid
4VKPÄLKI`(Z[VU4HY[PUº>VYRZ»MVYJVTWL[P[PVU\ZLH[[OLPUZ[Y\J[PVUVM*\UUPUNOHT9LPK JHTWHPNULKMYVT [V 
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+44 (0)1206 355098 PUMV'MLSSV^LZÄULJHYZJVT

Icon
Words by Delwyn Mallett

Left
This 1934 ‘Guinness for Strength’
poster was one of the best-known ads
dreamed up by the SH Benson agency.

which a whole menagerie of zoo animals

absconded with a keeper’s pint, including the
endearing and enduring Toucan balancing
a pint or two of Guinness on his beak.
Eye-catching but sublimely irrelevant to
anything remotely connected to the act of
drinking beer in any state other than acute
inebriation, the Toucan became a favourite
with the public both young and old, drinkers
and non-drinkers, and continued into the ’50s.
Commercial television arrived in the UK in
1955 and Guinness was there on the first night
with a somewhat conventional pub-set
commercial that encouraged the viewer to
‘Try a Guinness a day… and enjoy proving
that Guinness Is Good For You.’
After taking a sales dip in recent years,
it seems that the black stuff has found an
enthusiastic new following in the younger

ALAMY
generation. Boosted by social media, sales are
soaring among Millennials, including a big
upsurge with women.

Selling Guinness Much of the attraction lies in Guinness’s

perceived ‘authenticity’, making it the ‘vinyl’
of beers perhaps. That image is enhanced and
reinforced by the two-pours ritual required to
Some might say that the Marmite of beers needed ingenious achieve a perfect creamy head. Although many
pint-pullers say it’s not absolutely necessary,
advertising to tempt anyone to try it; others needed no persuasion the Guinness marketeers encourage bar staff
to adhere to the two-pull performance. They
even have a prescribed formula for pouring
WHEN I WAS a nipper in the mid-1950s, my After 170 years of eschewing the vulgar the perfect pint: hold the glass at 45% and fill
mother, after suffering a debilitating illness, world of self-promotion, Rupert Guinness, to three-quarters before standing the glass for
was prescribed a pint of iron-rich Guinness then chairman of the board, appointed the 1min 32.5sec – hard to imagine any bartender
a day as a ‘pick me up’. Coming from a strict SH Benson agency to create an advertising hitting the point-five! – then top-up slowly, so
Welsh Chapel background and, to the best of campaign. The first all-text whole page creating that creamy topping.
my knowledge, in her eventual 96 years on newspaper ad read like a quack medicine A number of eminent physicists, and
Earth never having committed the ‘sin’ of pitch, claiming that ‘Guinness builds strong presumably also Guinness connoisseurs, have
entering a public house, even the notion of muscles. Feeds exhausted nerves. Enriches the written papers on the forces at work in a glass
frequenting an off-licence was anathema to Blood. Doctors affirm that it is a valuable of Guinness as the nitrogen bubbles in a
her. So her young son deputised and I was restorative after Influenza and other freshly poured pint migrate around the
dispatched every few days on the Guinness weakening illnesses and is a valuable natural container – some seeming to defy expectation
run, rattling home with a couple of pint aid in cases of insomnia.’ On this last point it by floating downwards – before finally rising
bottles clunking in an oilskin shopping bag. neglected to state how many pints one had to to the surface to form the creamy head.
At first the bitter black stuff was as down before peacefully passing out. The ad The wait between pours has become such
unpleasant to Mum’s palette as real medicine also introduced the ‘Guinness Is Good For an important part of the Guinness experience
but it wasn’t too long before she acquired the You’ slogan. All the above claims would now that in recent years it has formed the basis of
taste, upped the dosage and my off-licence be prohibited in advertising, of course. the Guinness advertising strategy, producing a
runs got more frequent, my burden Guinness advertising soon became much slew of award-winning commercials, including
considerably heavier, and Mum started to put more colourful and dynamic, capturing the condensing the entire evolution of humankind
on weight. Eventually Dad decided enough public’s attention and affection with long- into 60 seconds as three Guinness-supping
was enough, but Guinness had done the trick. running poster campaigns amusingly chums in reverse motion travel backwards in
Odd though prescribing alcohol as a tonic illustrated by commercial artist (and Benson’s time from bar-room to pond life.
might sound today, the notion that Guinness art director) John Gilroy. ‘Guinness For For fans of drinking games, ‘Splitting the G’
was good for you had for many years been a Strength’ featured a workman striding forth involves seeing who can, in a single gulp, lower
widely held belief. Irish doctors in particular balancing a massive girder on his head. the line dividing the black from the creamy
had recommended it to new mothers after Gilroy also originated the ‘My Goodness froth so that it coincides with the crossbar on
childbirth, but it was not until 1929 that it was My Guinness’ posters, both an exclamation the G in Guinness. Nearest gets a pint from
publicly endorsed by Guinness. and endorsement of the ‘good’ theme, in his or her mates. Time to start practising.

148
 NG
AT
M OD
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B E O O D YO

EE
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EM G SEE

Central London’s Largest Classic Car Showrooms

M

A selection of our 75+ cars currently for sale

1969 Wood & Pickett Mini Cooper S 2015 Range Rover Vogue Autobiography LWB
20.000 Miles

1977 Rolls-Royce Cornice DHC 25.000 Miles only 1966 WSM Sprite GT Race Car

1957 Jaguar XK150 SE Restored condition 1962 Bentley S2 Continental by HJ Mulliner

Restored condition

www.graemehunt.com
+44 (0) 20 7937 8487 [email protected]
Graeme Hunt Ltd, The Garages, 1A Coppock Close, Battersea, London, SW11 2LE
Chrono
by Mark McArthur-Christie

A masterpiece fit for a queen

Breguet’s Marie Antoinette is not only the greatest watch ever, it is the most storied, too

WATCHWORLD IS RATHER given to hyperbole, so one eventually

learns to translate. ‘Innovative new dial’ means ‘Look – we’ve made
a blue one!’ ‘In-house movement’ is often ‘We got La Joux-Perret to
gussy the rotor up with our logo and a bit of engine turning’. But when
it comes to Breguet No.160, there’s no need. Every aspect of its story
is remarkable, from its original commission and creation as a gift for
Marie Antoinette in 1783 to its theft 200 years later from the Institute
for Islamic Art in Jerusalem, to its almost casual re-emergence in
2007. There isn’t a more important, or storied, watch in the world.
The Breguet archives don’t record who commissioned the
watch, but their instructions were clear. Breguet was to make the
best watch he could and not be bothered by bourgeois concerns
such as budget or time. There aren’t many more dangerous
things one can say to an obsessive, perfectionist, creative genius.
It took Breguet 44 years to finish No.160. And that’s Breguet
the firm; alongside Abraham Louis, an entire team of
watchmakers worked on the project and, after he died in
September 1823, his son, Louis-Antoine, took over to complete
it. In that time, France got through four kings, an emperor,
Maximilien Robespierre and a whole revolutionary committee.
Breguet threw every complication he knew at the watch. It’s
self-winding, an innovation he’d nicked and perfected from
fellow watchmaker Perrelet’s work. It has a minute repeater
mechanism, so one can tell the time without even removing one’s
watch from a pocket (the very height of rudeness at Louis XVI’s
court). There is a perpetual calendar that accounts for leap years, a
stopwatch, a running second hand, a power reserve, a thermometer
and a nifty ‘equation of time’ display. That’s a handy feature to deal with
the difference between sidereal and solar time. Rather than brass, the a Breguet watch in the same way tech journalists would obsess over the
movement plates, bridges and wheels are gold. It uses sapphire release of the latest iPhone.’
bearings, has 823 components and runs a 48-hour power reserve. Sadly, the events of 1789 meant Marie Antoinete never took delivery
Although his innovation and design thinking are clear, watchmaker of her watch. Instead, its first owner was the Marquis de la Groye, who
George Daniels always argued that Breguet himself probably delegated had been the Queen’s Page in his youth. No.106 eventually passed into
making the movement to a colleague, an M Prudhomme. There is the collection of Sir David Salomons in 1896 and finally to the Mayer
certainly a Prudhomme listed in the firm’s archives. Whoever made it, Institute for Islamic Art, from which the watch was stolen and left in
they were a master. In the early years of the 19th Century, No.160 must a cardboard box. It was rescued and returned only in 2007, almost by
have felt as though it had been beamed in from the future. chance, after the thief ’s death.
Glyn Morgan, the fortunate curator of the Science Museum’s Glyn Morgan sums up: ‘It’s not just about value or materials or its
Versailles exhibition, home to No.160 until April, explains: ‘It’s a bit of beauty or its aesthetics. It’s about story as well, and this watch has had
a facile comparison, but this was the smartwatch of its day. People who such a great story throughout its life.’ There’s not a watch with a better
could afford something like this would obsess over the new features of one – it’d make one hell of a film.

ONE TO WATCH

UNTIL RECENTLY, IF you’d wanted to get your hands on

Asterix watch iconoclastic watch modifier and artist Romaric André’s work, it wasn’t

– Chronofixe easy. Now, thanks to a collaboration with Chronofixe, just a few clicks
will do it in the form of the Swiss firm’s Asterix watch. Powered by a
cooking Seiko NH35 movement, the real interest is in the dial and
An accessible work from caseback. Both feature Asterix, with him giving 8 o’clock (in Roman
numerals, of course) a hard enough Gaulish belting to knock it across
Romaric André. By Toutatis! the dial. Even the date and dive bezel are, appropriately, in Roman
numerals, too. Résister encore et toujours! Expect to pay €395.

150
Books
Reviewed by Mark Dixon

Let’s get something out of the way first: this book’s unstyled Cugnot steam wagon of 1770. Logically
When cover is rather misleading. From the title and the
sexy image of Marcello Gandini’s Alfa Romeo
enough, since a wedge-styled car by definition has
the minimum possible frontal area, there is a focus

Wedge had Carabo concept, you might assume that all of its
480 pages (this is a weighty tome) are packed with
wedgy goodness. In fact, the author doesn’t get
on how aerodynamics influenced automobiles:
Camille Jenatzy’s 1899 La Jamais Contente
record-breaker, with its streamlined cigar-shaped
the Edge into proper wedginess until page 184, with the
aforementioned Carabo. Judge this book by its
body, was a remarkable pioneer.
Author Gautam Sen covers a vast selection of
cover, and you may be slightly disappointed. diverse styling trends from then on – everything
Any such mild sense of let-down will quickly from 1920s slab-sided ‘pontoons’ to spaceship ’50s
dissipate once you start to take a closer look, Americana – before ending up with the dramatic
however. Even allowing for a late start, there are mid/rear-engined supercars of the 1960s, such
still almost 300 pages devoted to wedge-styled cars as the De Tomaso Mangusta pictured above.
throughout the decades from the 1960s to the Beautiful colour images are a hallmark of this book,
GAUTAM SEN, present day. So, no shortage of wedges. incidentally, since publisher Dalton Watson’s
Dalton Watson, £130.50 inc The preceding third of this hefty hardback is, in productions are always handsome works.
p&p to USA and UK, effect, a discussion of how car design evolved from Then we get into the meat of the subject. The late
ISBN 978 1 956309 18 8 its very earliest days, starting with the distinctly 1960s and early ’70s saw an astonishing number of
wedge concepts and they all appear to receive an
outing here. Pininfarina’s Ferrari-based Modulo is
singled out for in-depth coverage – author Sen
co-wrote its creator Paolo Martin’s autobiography,
which helps – but it’s good to find less commonly
fêted designs discussed, too, such as Tom Tjaarda’s
Isuzu Bellett MX 1600 and Giacobbi Sinthesis, the
forerunners of his De Tomaso Pantera.
Talking of Tjaarda, he and many other notable
proponents of the wedge – including Brits William
Towns and Oliver Winterbottom – are profiled in a
chapter dedicated to the designers, which rounds
off a book packed with fascinating facts about
unforgettable cars (did you know that the Bertone
Stratos Zero concept of 1970 was officially
apostrophised – and badged – as the Strato’s?). Sen
concludes by asking whether Tesla’s Cybertruck
marks a possible revival of a wedge approach to
vehicle design. It will certainly be interesting to see
how history regards that particular machine.

152
Wheelbase Tracks in the Sand Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale
Thrillers based around the world of classic The Vintage Hot Rod Association’s beach Patrick Dasse and Dingwort Verlag created
cars are rare – and usually pretty awful. races at Pendine Sands, South Wales, were instant sensory overload back in 2018 when
This one, however, gains credibility from an instant success when first run in 2013, they simultaneously released six fantastic
its author’s status as a respected high-end winning Motoring Event of the Year at the hardbacks devoted to archive factory images
classic car specialist and finder, and anyone International Historic Motoring Awards. of the Alfa 105-series cars. More books have
involved in the business will have a lot of This high-quality softback art book by followed, and now we have a two-volume
fun trying to spot the inspirations behind retired dental professor Philip Newsome set focusing on the Sprint Speciale: book
some of the characters. The pacy plot, in is a gorgeous album of images that really one covers the model’s evolution, book two
which a trader is pitted against organised capture the atmosphere of a hugely popular details chassis-by-chassis competition
crime while trying to secure a collection of event. If you’re a regular, you’ll want a copy, histories. Packed with rare images, and with
exotic classics, is nicely developed, full of and if you’ve never been, then it will show text in German and English, they fully live
authentic detail, and thoroughly engaging. you exactly what you’re missing. up to the high standard previously set.

MICHAEL KLIEBENSTEIN, Porter Press PHILIP NEWSOME, Blue Flag Press, £25, PATRICK DASSE, Dingwort Verlag, £169,
International, £13.99, ISBN 978 1 913089 51 1 ISBN 978 1 7397061 2 8 ISBN 978 3 87166 055 9

LFA The Roar of an Angel

The text and many of the photos in this
lavishly produced hardback, sponsored by
an enthusiastic Lexus LFA owner, are by the
engineer who masterminded the supercar,
Tanahashi Haruhiko. He took care to
Ultimate Ford GT40 document every stage of its development
– and the result is a magnificent tribute.
The Definitive History Volume 1 Tanahashi-san had been at Toyota for
about 20 years when his proposal for a small
The gloriously named Ronnie Spain – a moniker that any Essex gangster would (perhaps literally) RWD sports coupé, codenamed 928T, was
kill for, although he’s actually Scottish – has been a lorry driver by profession but a GT40 obsessive turned down. As compensation, he was
by inclination, and this incredible piece of research is the distillation of nearly 50 years of gathering allowed a free hand to come up with a new
data about the cars. Such are the quirks of individual chassis that, should all the GT40s ever made design. So began the LFA project, which
be gathered together and stripped to bare metal, he reckons he could identify about 50% without evolved into a no-compromise V10-engined
even having to reference his photo library. supercar limited to just 500 examples.
As the prominent ‘racing numeral’ on the cover suggests, this mammoth, 576-page large-format Besides telling the LFA story in depth, the
hardback is just the first of four volumes about the GT40 that publisher Porter Press International author adds some intriguing asides, such as
has planned: the next three will cover its development and racing history, written by a team of Toyota’s attempt to place an LFA concept
GT40 experts. Volume 1, however, is Spain’s territory, an in-depth chassis-by-chassis catalogue in a James Bond movie (Aston won the bid,
raisonné of every GT40 built. That includes prototypes, roadsters, all the Mks I-III production in Casino Royale). Meanwhile, his own life
cars, plus the Alan Mann cars, Mirages, J-cars and Mark IVs, illustrated with over 1300 photos. story gives fascinating insights into Japanese
Spain has frequently been called upon by owners to verify the identities of their cars, but the culture and its interaction with the West.
flipside is that he’s also been subject to threats both legal and physical. All credit to him, then, that For anyone interested in Toyota, Lexus or
he’s not only resisted pressure to authenticate fakes but called them out as such. He’s produced an Japanese cars generally, this is a must-have.
amazing book despite, as he cheerfully admits, being too large to fit inside his chosen subjects!
TANAHASHI HARUHIKO, Nana Agency Ltd,
RONNIE SPAIN, Porter Press International, £325, ISBN 978 1 913089 71 9 £50, ISBN 978 1 3999 8170 5

153
Gear
Compiled by Chris Bietzk and Sophie Kochan

Bell Bullitt GT
motorcycle helmet
It was neither aerodynamic enough nor quiet
enough to be the ideal choice for long rides,
and it wasn’t a great fit for everybody, either,
but the original Bullitt helmet stands as one of
the coolest bits of industrial design of the 21st
Century. No wonder Bell’s Kyle Westmoreland
called the task of updating it ‘nerve-wracking’.
Happily, the Bullitt GT is a worthy successor,
retaining the fabulous retro look and wide field
of view of the Bullitt while offering a number
of improvements such as sliding top vents, a
better-sealing visor, and a more universal fit.
A carbonfibre version is available as well,
costing a couple of hundred quid more than
the regular Bullitt GT and weighing 100g less.
From £434.99. bellhelmets.com

Runwell Canvas Hot Wheels 1:64-scale

backpack by Shinola Premium Formula 1 models
Shinola, based in the Argonaut Building in Detroit that In addition to a few kid-friendly approximations of current Formula 1 cars, Hot Wheels
once housed GM’s design department, is now making has just released 16 more-detailed collectable models. Missing from the collection
a pleasingly knockabout canvas version of its Runwell at present are the Ferrari and Aston Martin cars; fingers crossed the men
bag – which was previously available only in leather. in suits can hammer out a deal that allows the grid to be completed.
£480. shinola.com £10.99 each. mattel.com

154
Tudor Black Bay
Chrono Blue
Boutique Edition
You’ll have to travel to get your
hands on this new iteration of
the Black Bay Chrono, which is
available only in Tudor stores
(there are currently ten in the
UK), but the watch is worth the
effort. It’s powered by the same
chronometer-certified MT5813
movement as its forebears, but
the usual Oyster-style bracelet
is replaced by a more flexible
and slightly dressier Jubilee-
Lotus 97T T-shirt by Goodwood
type bracelet, which together Among the attractions at the 82nd Goodwood Members’
with the blue, sunray-brushed Meeting in April will be a demonstration of the Lotus F1
dial makes this the most car in which Ayrton Senna won his first Grand Prix 40
sophisticated-looking Black years ago, and ahead of the occasion Goodwood has
Bay Chrono yet. produced this T-shirt featuring man and machine.
£5020. tudorwatch.com £40. shop.goodwood.com

C Seed N1 TV
A seriously impressive feat of engineering,
this: a home-theatre-sized TV that folds down,
Transformers-style, into a neat and vaguely
Art Deco sideboard that can be finished in any
number of colours and materials. The screen –
which can be rotated through 180º left
or right to ensure the perfect viewing angle –
is made up of five separate micro-LED panels,
yet there is no visible border betwen them at
all when the TV is in use.
£POA. cseed.com

155
Gear

Fairlight Strael 4.0

Good stuff just keeps on rolling out of the London HQ of Fairlight, the company’s latest offering being a substantially updated version
of the steel-framed Strael all-road bike. The 4.0 is at once stronger and a little lighter than its predecessor thanks to the use of a new
variation of Reynolds 853 DZB tubing, developed especially for Fairlight and for all-road cycling. ‘DZB’ stands for ‘double zonal butting’,
the practice of reinforcing areas placed under particular stress, which allows other parts of the tubing to be made thinner than usual.
Frameset only from £1499; complete from £2649. fairlightcycles.com

Patek Philippe
Cubitus 5821/1A
Yep, the stainless steel version
of Patek’s new Cubitus has
much in common (movement,
construction, bracelet, basic
dial design) with the farewell
edition of the hugely popular
Nautilus reference 5711/1A.
But with its angular case and
Cubitus-collection-only rotor
decoration, it’s an altogether
more arresting watch. At 45mm
BMW Isetta 250 across it’s quite a presence on
the wrist – but because of the
1:18-scale model by Revell case shape and the integrated
Released to mark the 70th birthday of the BMW bracelet it’s no larger than that
Isetta, this model comes as a 94-piece kit and lug-to-lug, and it’s only 8.3mm
features a nicely executed opening door and a thick, meaning it will disappear
likeness of the car’s tiny, single-cylinder engine. under a shirt cuff quite happily.
£69.30. grandprixmodels.com £35,330. patek.com

156
Gear

Fisher AG7
‘Space Pen’
Sixty years ago, Paul Fisher
filed the patent paperwork
for an ‘anti-gravity’ pen – one
that could write at any angle
because of a pressurised
cartridge and yet resistant
to leaking thanks to the use
of a new, thixotropic ink.
Fisher had poured $1m into
the development of the ink,
but his investment paid off
after NASA adopted the pen,
and the AG7 design used by
astronauts on the historic
Apollo 7 mission of 1969
remains in production today.
£97.95
fisherspacepen.co.uk

Original 1973-74 International Lamborghini Revuelto

cufflinks by Tateossian
Race of Champions poster Part of a new range of Lamborghini-
inspired accessories from London
As eye-popping as the grid for the inaugural IROC series, which jeweller Tateossian, these sterling
was made up of a dozen Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 cars, each silver cufflinks capture the wild lines
mechanically identical but finished in a different colour. Of the 12 of the 1001bhp Revuelto hypercar.
famous drivers invited to compete, it was Can-Am champion Mark £695. tateossian.com
Donohue – pictured leading and far left – who came out on top.
$965. vintageautoposters.com

Porsche x Puma Club II Era trainers

The familiar ‘Turbo’ wordmark on the tongue (not quite visible
from this angle) tells you which anniversary prompted the latest
collaboration between Porsche and Puma: it was 50 years ago,
in the spring of 1975, that the original 911 Turbo hit the streets,
thrilling drivers who could manage its power, turbo-lag and
tendency to oversteer, and terrifying the many who could not…
£70. shop.porsche.com

158
TURRINO WHEELS LTD

ALL types of wire wheels, hubs and wheel nuts designed, made, restored.

[email protected] +44 (0)1780 470460 www.turrinowheels.com

159
 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
FEBRUA RY 202 5

£12,697,928 ($13,205,000)
1966 Ford GT40 MkII
RM Sotheby’s, Coral Gables,
Florida, USA, 27 February

£7,938,008 ($8,255,000)
1908 Mercedes 17.3-litre 150HP
Brooklands-Semmering
Rennwagen
RM Sotheby’s, Coral Gables,
Florida, USA, 27 February

£7,409,128 ($7,705,000)
1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS
RM SOTHEBY’S

Project XP-64
RM Sotheby’s, Coral Gables,
Florida, USA, 27 February

£5,331,117 ($5,532,500)
1996 Ferrari F50
RM Sotheby’s, Coral Gables,

Amelia and ModaMiami

Florida, USA, 28 February

£3,449,688 ($3,580,000)
1991 Ferrari F40

auctions total over $200m RM Sotheby’s, Coral Gables,

Florida, USA, 28 February

£2,952,205 (€3,548,750)
$13.2m Ford GT40 at RM Sotheby’s sale leads healthy Spring Florida auction figures 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari
RM Sotheby’s, Paris, France,
5 February
THE RIVALRY BETWEEN RM Sotheby’s and continued enthusiasm for the model at $5,532,500
£2,813,712 ($2,920,000)
Hagerty-owned Broad Arrow – and Hagerty’s – another auction benchmark price.
1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K
take-over of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Gooding & Company had a great sale, ending up Cabriolet A by Sindelfingen
– may have been the trigger for the creation of the with a figure of $67.4million and a 93% sale rate. RM Sotheby’s, Coral Gables,
ModaMiami and RM’s associated auction, but, with Top-seller was a 1955 Ferrari 375MM Berlinetta at Florida, USA, 28 February
the two events a week apart this year, they really $9,465,000. Gooding also set a new world record
seemed to work rather well in tandem. Many are auction price for a Ruf, with the exquisite 1989 CTR £2,760,714 ($2,865,000)
now referring to the trio of associated sales – which ‘Yellowbird’ (previewed in Octane 262) causing quite 1988 Porsche 959SC
Reimagined by Canepa
brought in a combined total of $203.7million – as a stir as it hit a final price of $6,055,000. Other sales
RM Sotheby’s, Coral Gables,
the ‘Spring Florida auctions’. of note include a 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, at Florida, USA, 28 February
RM Sotheby’s took the top spot in the sales totals, an above-estimate $2,205,000, and the 1953 Siata
reporting a $74.5million figure after the post-sale 208CS Coupé for $1,407,500. £2,531,056 (€3,042,500)
deals were done, with an 83% sell-through rate. With a few cars not quite getting over the line on 2022 Pagani Huayra R
Headlined by the final selection of cars from the the day, Broad Arrow worked incredibly hard on its RM Sotheby’s, Paris, France,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, the big post-sale deals to achieve a $61.7million, 88% sale 5 February
hitter was a 1966 Ford GT40 MkII (pictured above) result. Leading The Amelia’s official auction was
£2,352,894 (€2,817,500)
for $13,205,000 – a new auction record for the a 1959 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spider 1950 Ferrari 166MM
model. Other museum cars excelled, including the Competizione at $9,465,000. Significant, as it’s Touring Barchetta
fascinating 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS Project Broad Arrow’s most valuable sale to date, even at just Bonhams, Paris, France,
XP-64 at $7,705,000 and 1908 Mercedes 17.3-litre below the $10-14m estimate – which was already 6 February
150HP racer for $8,255,000. At the head of the some way shy of the same car’s previous $17,990,000
The top ten data is supplied
non-museum cars was a 1996 Ferrari F50, proving result by RM in 2017. Matthew Hayward courtesy of HAGERTY

160
Spring 2025: whither the market?
We expected last year’s big elections to bring economic certainty and stability, but instead
we seem to be in a phase of global financial chaos – how is the classic car market coping?

LAST SUMMER, IN Octane 257, I looked at the Looking at Hagerty’s latest index charts, it appears
general performance of various areas of the UK there has indeed been a rally, with Hot Hatch and
market. I reported that the UK Hagerty indices had RADwood indices showing rises similar to the Gold
generally flattened over the previous few months, Index this quarter, and the Festival of the
and suggested a lack of worldwide economic Unexceptional (FOTU) Index remaining flat. Only
certainty was to blame thanks to the bank of the Classic Index, designed to track the UK general
elections taking place in various countries that enthusiast market, is down by 1%.
power the classic and collector car market. But look behind the jagged line, and it seems the
In many ways, we now have more understanding growth is focused in specific areas. The Hot Hatch John Mayhead
of the economic outlook than we did six months ago, index was most consistent, with no models reducing Hagerty Price Guide
with both new British and US governments in place in value and notably the Clio Williams 1 rising by editor, market
and the German election decided. Former Bank of £3350 to £22,075, an increase of 18%. RADwood, commentator and
concours judge
England chief Mark Carney is Canada’s Prime tracking ‘turbo era’ cars, also showed increases, with
Minister elect and an Australian election is expected twice as many cars adding value as dropped and the
to be imminent. In other ways, the economic Vauxhall Lotus Carlton increasing by £2500 to
situation is rapidly changing and steadfastly £69,000 (4%). In the Classic Index, the big
unpredictable, with tariffs, increased defence percentage riser was the Rover SD1 Vitesse, up by
spending and cuts to public services being 20% or £2025 to £12,225.
announced almost daily. The common link between these models is that
In the current edition of our sister publication, they are all what a few years ago we’d have called
Magneto, I use my page to analyse whether some of ‘modern classics’, having been built from the 1980s
the most wealthy may be seeing blue-chip collector onwards. That reinforces what we’ve seen more
cars as a sensible place to put their money at such a widely: that younger classics are still where the
time, and whether this is reflected in the 5% upward money is being spent.
bounce in Hagerty’s Gold Index (which tracks such On the whole, the majority (64%) of all cars listed
models) over the past few months. I won’t tread on in Hagerty indices didn’t change in value this
my own toes by writing about that here but rather quarter, and that’s not really surprising given the
focus on what may be happening in the world of the external factors. It is too early to see if economic
general enthusiast, like you and me, who may not variables are impacting whether people buy classic
have millions to spend but remains totally invested cars, as this time of year is traditionally quiet.
in driving, events and their cars. In a few months, we should know more.

‘The economic AV E R A G E VA L U E C H A N G E P E R C E N T A G E O V E R T I M E ( F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 I S 1 0 0 % )
situation is
rapidly changing 125%
GOLD
and steadfastly 120%
HOT HATCH
unpredictable, 115% RADWOOD

with tariffs, CLASSIC

110%
increased defence
105%
spending and cuts
100%
to public services
announced daily’ 95%
FOTU
90%

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

161
The Market Auction Previews

Short and sweet

Broad Arrow Auctions, Lake Como, Italy
25 May

BROAD ARROW
DESCENDED DIRECTLY from the through the hands of racing driver and exotic
legendary pre-war T150C-SS, the Talbot-Lago car dealer Otto Zipper.
T26 Grand Sport was to be Anthony Lago’s It’s an extensively documented car that lived
swansong. It sported a 4.5-litre twin-cam an interesting life before languishing in a
engine, generating 190bhp and fitted into a partially rebuilt state. Garage owner Jerome
short, sporting chassis that was shipped off Sauls then bought it and completed the work
to the coachbuilder of your choice. in time to enter the Pebble Beach Concours
The car offered here is chassis 110102, d’Elegance in August 1998.
which is the sole surviving (of two produced) Returning to Europe in 2006, the Talbot
coupé-bodied cars built by Dubos Frères. It’s a was shown at Rétromobile, followed by the
simpler, less extravagant design than many of Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2010,
the other coachbuilt cars of the time, but an which, fittingly, is where it will now be offered
incredibly cohesive one. Making its debut at for sale by Broad Arrow. A true French grand
the 1949 Concours d’Élégance du Bois de routière, the T26 stands as a compelling
Boulogne, it quickly found a buyer and was sports car, which is offered with an estimate of
exported to the USA. While there it passed €1.2-1.5million. broadarrowauctions.com

One of a kind
H&H, Duxford, UK 9 April
THE FERRARI MARKET can be very sniffy
about modified cars and, while this wide-body
512BB is definitely not one for the purists, it is
a rather special example. It was delivered to its
first owner in August 1977, who sent it back
to the supplying dealer – Maranello
Concessionaires – shortly after, and there it
received a number of modifications. Inspired
by the competition cars, a custom wide body
was fabricated, underpinned by a set of 9-
and 11in-wide alloy wheels. Retained by the
owner’s family until now, it’s covered only
6000 miles and, although now in need of some
mechanical recommissioning, it presents in
beautiful condition. It is expected to sell for
£150,000-170,000. handh.co.uk

162
 1973 Ford Capri 3.0 GXL AUC T ION DI A RY
Bonhams, Goodwood, UK
13 April, cars.bonhams.com 26 March
H&H, Solihull, UK
This Group 1 Capri is one of three (motorcycles)
original works cars built by Ford
27 March
to take part in the 1973 Avon Tour Charterhouse, Sparkford, UK
of Britain. This one was driven by
28 March – 6 April
HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who Hampson Marketplace, online
finished a respectable 16th overall. 29 March
The car went on to race around Dore & Rees,
Europe, with names such as Niki Bradford-on-Avon, UK
Lauda, Tom Walkinshaw and even 2 April
Barry Sheene taking a stint behind Brightwells, online
the wheel. Now fully restored, it’s 3-5 April
estimated at £80,000-120,000. Mecum, Houston, USA
4-5 April
Manor Park Classics,
Runcorn, UK
5-6 April
ACA, King’s Lynn, UK
7 April
Aguttes, Paris, France
9 April
H&H, Duxford, UK
11-12 April
1981 Land Rover Stage 1 V8 1991 BMW 535i Sport 1993 Honda CR-X del Sol Branson Auction,
RM Sotheby’s, Paris, France MPC, Runcorn, UK H&H, Duxford, UK Branson, USA
23-28 April, rmsothebys.com 5 April, manorparkclassics.com 9 April, handh.co.uk 12 April
Barons, Southampton, UK
In effect a Series III Land Rover One of the most handsome BMW If you have an appreciation for a
13 April
with V8 Range Rover running gear, saloons ever made, and a scarce clever electric folding hardtop
Bonhams, Goodwood, UK
you could say that the ‘Stage 1’ is car on UK roads today. This one mechanism, then this del Sol
Osenat, Fontainebleau
the great grandfather of the OCTA looks to be an honest and cared Transtop should appeal. Based on (motorcycles)
Defender in Overdrive (page 142). for example, with 114,525 miles and the front-wheel-drive Civic, it’s 16-18 April
This one was originally a fire including the all-important toolkit powered by a 1.6-litre SOHC Mathewsons, online
engine, used for getting to and BMW torch. Although it’s 16-valve engine, with VTEC, 23-28 April
inaccessible areas of the Swiss wearing a set of more modern producing 125bhp. It comes with a RM Sotheby’s, online
Alps. Treated to a nut-and-bolt tyre-friendly wheels, the original huge wad of maintenance history, 24 April
rebuild between 2017 and 2020, it’s metric TRX set is included. It’s and could be a lot of summer fun SWVA, Poole, UK
expected to fetch €25,000-50,000. guided at £5000-6000. for the £2000-3000 estimate. 25-26 April
Worldwide Auctioneers,
Auburn, USA
25-27 April
Barrett-Jackson,
Palm Beach, USA
Also Look Out For… 26 April
Broad Arrow Auctions,
Costa Messa, USA
Among the lots in the next RM Sotheby’s online or indeed of self-preservation, were immediately Cheffins, Cambridge, UK
auction, which closes on 28 April, is one of Ayrton ejected from his mind when he followed Érik Comas WB & Sons, Killingworth, UK
Senna’s race helmets. A customised, lighter-than- into Blanchimont to find that the Frenchman had 26-27 April
standard Shoei X4, it was worn by Senna during slammed into the barriers at almost 200mph and Bonhams, Stafford, UK
the 1992 Formula 1 season – and in particular for bounced back into the middle of the track. (motorcycles)
one of his most heroic performances… Comas had been struck by the front right wheel 27 April
By the time of the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix, of his wrecked Ligier and was sitting unconscious Osenat, Paris, France
the Drivers’ title had already been wrapped in the cockpit, his foot still pinning the 30 April
up by Nigel Mansell, who had won eight accelerator to the floor. Senna pulled Manor Park Classics,
Runcorn, UK
of the first 11 races of the year. Senna up, leapt from his car and sprinted
3 May
had suffered some bad luck at times, across traffic to kill the howling Bonhams, Miami, USA
and his McLaren MP4/7A could engine of the Ligier before it Historics, Farnborough, UK
be a treacherous beast, but he’d could burst into flames. Comas 4 May
still picked up wins in Monaco credits Senna with saving his Iconic Auctioneers,
and in Hungary. life that day, so perhaps he’ll be Old Warden Park, UK
He had high hopes when he among the bidders for the great (motorcycles)
pulled away at Spa for the first man’s X4. The competition will be
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
practice session of the Belgian fierce: the helmet is expected to fetch
GP, but any thoughts of race day, £100,000-150,000.

163
The Market Data Mining

Lancia Stratos HF Stradale LANCIA STRATOS

What price a rally-winner that started as a show-car and resulted in a road-going rarity?
£353,000 – 564,000
Hagerty value range

492
WITH THE STRATOS, Lancia The final element was the body 1976 and successful privateers
brought together three and drivetrain. It was developed still competing with the car into
extraordinary elements in a way as a rally car so that the 500 the early 1980s.
that hasn’t been bettered. First Stradale (street) versions would Today, the Stratos HF still
was its wedge styling by Marcello pass Group 4 homologation punches above its weight. Of the
Gandini for Bertone, whose 1968 requirements. A stamped steel 3000 cars Hagerty tracks with its MADE
Alfa Romeo Carabo and 1969 cockpit and spaceframe were clad Collectability Algorithm, it sits in

190bhp
Autobianchi A112 Runabout had in glassfibre front and rear, the 99th percentile overall. In
evolved into the Stratos Zero braking was by discs all round, fact, it’s in the top 20 of the most
concept, seen at the 1970 Turin and suspension was via double collectable cars despite having
Auto Show. When production wishbones and coil springs. the smallest engine capacity of

2148cc
began in July 1972, it still seemed The weight – or lack of it – was any model in the top 100.
like something from the future. extraordinary: 980kg for the Demographically, it’s an
Second, the Stratos used one of Stradale version and just 879kg older-owner car, with 68% of

68%
the most sonorous small engines for the Rally. In the end, only owners born before 1965. Values
ever built, the 2.4-litre Ferrari 492 were completed, the FIA rose significantly between 2010
Dino V6, which delivered 190bhp accepting that there were enough and 2015, Hagerty’s ‘Excellent’
and 166lb ft in the road-going parts and body tubs completed price increasing from £316,000
version, and up to 320bhp in the to create that number. The car to £505,000 in that time, but it’s
Rally version. Power was dominated rallying, winning been almost flat since then, with
delivered to the rear wheels via three consecutive WRC a current value of £507,000.
a five-speed manual transaxle. championships from 1974 to John Mayhead owners born before 1965

HAGI Value Tracker 911 displayed strong post- over that same timeframe. To put of uncompromised cars with
millennium momentum, with it in a nutshell, the once conclusive and well-documented
Porsche 911, prices in the decade to 2014
increasing four-fold to around
high-flying 911 got ahead of itself
and has now undergone a rather
history is probably just a few
hundred. Very early chassis-
£350,000 for first-class examples, stern correction, and is attainable number cars will always be a
1964-65 which out-performed the E-type
considerably, but couldn’t match
at around 70% of peak pricing. As
to whether that represents an
focus of particular interest.
The reward of ownership is a
The 911 is at once many things the pace of the Aston DB5. attractive value proposition, that’s car that feels so much younger
and unique: no other model in This was particularly notable a matter of individual judgement than its age and more agile than
production today is still as, prior to that surge, the for those who appreciate its contemporaries.
recognisable as a direct linear 1964-65 911 had broadly tracked first-of-line purity. HistoricAutoGroup.com
evolution of the landmark 1964 both the HAGI Top index overall That said, the 1964-65 911
original. For those wishing to market measure for collector- market is fragmented: some have
connect with that moment in grade classics and the HAGI been converted to race cars and
time the good news is that the Porsche index. The sustained have lost originality. The number
pared-back purity of the first of out-performance that followed
line is, in comparative terms, a far to 2014 also brought values to a
better price proposition than it peak, but since then focus has
5 -Y E A R % AV E R A G E A N N U A L I S E D R E T U R N S
was a decade ago. shifted elsewhere and today
Barring the very few 1963 prices for the first-iteration
pre-production models, 232 units models have subsided to around 20
were produced in 1964, and the £250,000 mark. 15
about 1000 in the first half of That represents significant 13.34
1965. All were left-hand-drive, underperformance compared 10
4.9
and priced new at approximately with HAGI indices and wider 5
£2500, depending on market, markets over the past 11 years,
pitching it above the £2000 and over the last five years. As 0
Jaguar E-type and at a little over displayed on the chart, the early -5
half the price of a £4500 Aston 911 has posted a negative 5.5% -5.5
-10
Martin DB5 in the UK. average annualised return, while
In classic after-life the 1964-65 the HAGI Top is positive at 4.9% 1965 PORSCHE HAGI Top Index S&P 500 Index

164
 35,9$7(&2//(&7,21

FOR SALE

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3,&.(77Ⱦ+$552'6(',7,21ȿ 0272&2032%,.( 52$'67(5

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SERIOUS ENQUIRIES ONLY /(0$,/$'Ͱ&$5=#*0$,/&20

The Market Dealer News

SHOWROOM BRIEFS

1957 Hillman Minx

£20,000
A tried-and-tested historic racer
with a difference, this Minx has
an uprated 1.6-litre with Holbay
cylinder head and twin Weber
carbs. A one-of-a-kind that has
raced in the HRDC since 2006.
dmhistorics.com (UK)

1978 Maserati Kyalami

1973 Porsche 911 2.7 MFI €84,500
Just 200 of these Maserati
V8-engined (and badged) takes
£275,000 from Ranmore Fine Motor Cars, Redhill, Surrey, UK on the De Tomaso Longchamps
were built, and this Dutch car is
IN THE WORLD of very special Porsche 911s, and a limited-slip differential, it’s a real drivers’ in excellent original condition
it’s rare to find a model that has gone, relatively specification. Other options include Z272 metallic with a superb leather interior.
speaking, under the radar for as long as the mid- silver (without the black Carrera script), black gallery-aaldering.com (NL)
1970s 2.7 MFI. Values may not quite be the bargain anodised window trim, tinted glass, and a midnight
they once were, but they’re still compelling given blue leather interior. Exported to Hong Kong in
that this is, in effect, a continuation of the legendary 1976, where it was eventually sold to its next owner,
2.7 RS Touring with a more modern G-Series body. it came to the UK for the first time in 1991, and has
The 2.7-litre, 210 bhp ‘mechanical fuel injection’ since led a sheltered life in the South West.
engine is the same as the RS’s, and an earlier example Bought by the current owner in 2010, it has
like this even gets an RS-style ducktail spoiler. been restored to a high standard by UK specialists
Around 50 right-hand-drive cars were sold in the and comes with an extensive history file and
1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9
UK between 1973 and 1975, but this example was photographic record of the work. Ranmore describes $69,500
originally bought in Germany by a British Army it as being ‘pretty much perfect and probably better The ultimate Mercedes saloon?
officer. Specified with no sunroof, manual windows than new’, with a price to match. ranmorefmc.co.uk Laden with tech and a monster
6.8-litre 285bhp V8, this
US-market example has been
fitted with Euro-spec headlights
and larger 15-inch wheels.
hymanltd.com (US)
The Insider
HOW’S BUSINESS? Since the US election, buyers and sellers have returned.
What’s the secret of your success? I operate with complete transparency so buyer
pays seller directly and I invoice the seller post-sale for 5%. I also only take on cars at
realistic prices and on the basis that I can disclose the price – no one likes POA.
Is the market strong? There are good buyers, but it is not as frothy as it was.
Are pre-war cars doomed? No, I don’t think so – VSCC trialling seems to be more
popular than ever and top brands like Bentley have a constant following. 1985 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6
What should people buy right now? The best F1 cars look cheap when compared $52,900 AUD
Simon Drabble Well-maintained Australian-
to top recent Le Mans cars. With the US focus in current F1 I think America is a big Former banker who delivered example, which has
growth market. Also, ’70s and early-’80s Ferraris and Astons feel good value. turned his love of classic benefitted from a recent respray
What should people avoid? Modern supercars: you can’t use them on the road due cars into a job in 2015. and mechanical refresh –
to speed limits and potholes and they are falling like a stone in price. See simondrabblecars. including a top-end engine and
What cars are great value? 1950s British sports cars are out of vogue, but people co.uk. gearbox rebuild.
will surely wake up and realise an XK120 at £70-80k is a stonkingly good buy! richmonds.com.au (AUS)

166
The Market Buying Guide

THE LOWDOWN

WHAT TO PAY
Early cars remain the most
affordable, with prices for a
tidy but well-used SR I
starting from around $23,000
in the USA. Lower-mileage
and tidy examples range from
$35,000 to $45,000. The best
collector-grade first-year cars
(the most desirable for
collectors) can fetch in
excess of $100k.
Post-1996 SR II roadster
models are about 20% more
than these on average,
though colour and spec can
make a significant difference.
The GTS has remained
slightly more valuable,
starting at around $35,000,
with smarter examples

Dodge Viper ranging from $55,000 to

$70,000, and the very best
attracting upwards of
$100,000. Add 20% for an ACR
The ‘modern-day Cobra’ is powered by an 8.0-litre V10, and is still surprising value model, and double for a GT2.

LOOK OUT FOR

THE VIPER HAS always had a reputation for to push it to the limit, however, it would do 0-60mph
Parts availability for the Viper
being a handful to drive, somewhat crudely built in 4.4 seconds and go on to 165mph. Although grip
can be a bit of a mixed bag.
and extremely powerful – thanks to an 8.0-litre levels were high, the overall handling balance made
Many mechanical
V10 crammed under the bonnet. It’s a recipe for this a tricky car to master. components are readily
excitement, and one that became a real poster car Due to customer demand, optional air available, but if you need trim,
during the 1990s, yet for such a powerful car it conditioning was added in 1994, along with a body panels or anything
remains relatively affordable in today’s market. hardtop roof panel. The much-improved SR II unique to the Viper it’s a
During the late 1980s, Chrysler’s president Bob generation was introduced in 1996, bringing with different story. The SR II’s
Lutz wanted the company to build a sports car that it new wheels, a less compromised rear-exit exhaust huge front clamshell, for
would be something of an extreme and up-to-date – replacing the cool but inconveniently located example, is painfully
interpretation of the Shelby Cobra. A concept car, side-pipes – and a 15bhp increase in power. Under expensive to replace.
designed by Tom Gale, was first shown at the Detroit the skin, the chassis was stiffened and several Sagging door hinges are a
show in 1989, with the production version following suspension components were lightened. relatively common issue due
at the same location in 1992. As the same time, the considerably more to the extra weight of window
Power would be provided by a new V10 engine, user-friendly GTS coupe (pictured above) was mechanisms on later cars.
similar in size and concept to the Ram pick-up launched, with luxuries such as electric windows and These can easily be adjusted.
truck’s V10, but with significantly better breeding. even doorhandles! Airbags were fitted, too, perhaps a Engines are robust, but the
This mammoth power unit was a development of the necessary step considering that the GTS received an cooling system must be well
Chrysler LA V8, so a fairly basic pushrod design, but even more powerful 450bhp engine. All of these maintained in order to keep
it was given an aluminium cylinder block designed features, including the engine, made it into the that huge V10 cool. Many
owners have replaced the
by Chrysler-owned Lamborghini, whch also helped roadster the following year.
standard catalytic converters
to refine the intakes and fuel injection system to Dodge celebrated the Viper’s Le Mans class
to free up extra power and
push power output to 400bhp. victory in 1998 with a special-edition GT2 model.
help with heat management
This monster engine was housed in the front of 100 were built, featuring BBS wheels and a huge rear in the cabin.
a tubular steel chassis, connected to a heavy-duty spoiler with revised aero. This made way for a similar The gearbox is bulletproof,
six-speed manual gearbox and underpinned by lightweight ACR model in subsequent years. and difficulty shifting could be
independent suspension. It was clothed in a Uprated front brakes arrived in 2001, along with down to a weak clutch.
lightweight glassfibre body, with the whole thing ABS and generally improved safety, while the Obtaining the correct
weighing in at a not-insignificant 1542kg. engines were tuned for slightly better emissions – tyres can be difficult, even
When the first-generation car (known as the SR I) though they lost the forged internals at the same impossible, so bear this in
went on sale, it was an overwhelmingly raw time. A total of 360 Final Edition models, all painted mind if you’re looking at a car
experience, lacking any driver aids or creature red with white stripes, rounded out production in with a worn set. Buying later
comforts – with no side windows, roof or even 2002, ushering in the substantially revised third- or aftermarket wheels is often
external doorhandles. For those brave enough generation car in 2003. Matthew Hayward the simplest solution.

168
 A C H E R I T A G E

1969 AC 428 Frua Fastback

This is 1 of only 51 coupes ever produced, featuring a 7-litre Ford V8 engine paired with an automatic transmission. It has had three previous owners,
with the most recent having owned it for the past two decades. The car is a left-hand drive model and is currently registered in the European Union.
It has been meticulously maintained and is accompanied by a comprehensive history file, including detailed documentation of its restoration. £149,995

1990 AC Cobra MKIV Lightweight 1964 AC COBRA 289

It was ordered by Drambuie Liqueur Company in the corporate colours, Fully matching numbers, recent cosmetic restoration by AC
16,300 miles from new. Retains full factory specification. One of the Heritage. Extensive hillclimb history by Paul Channon. Continuous
finest examples of the AC MKIV Lightweight available. £199,995 history from new. One of the finest examples of the marque. POA

2000 AC Cobra CRS 212SC 1963 AC MA-200 Prototype

Two owners from new, 4500 miles from new. 1 of 2 AC Cobras fitted Unique factory prototype, used daily by AC’s managing director between
with a Lotus twin turbo V8. It also includes all-weather gear, a spare 1963-68. It has a 289 Ford V8, fully independent AC design. Fully restored.
wheel, a toolkit and a tonneau cover. £89,995 Significant history file, with magazine features and factory drawings. POA

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
AC HERITAGE
Telephone +44(0)1932 828545 · Mobile +44(0)7557 878123 · www.acheritage.com
 2020
FERRARI 812
SUPERFAST
Canna di Fucile with nero leather and
alcantara interior. A 1 owner car from
new with full Ferrari service history
by HR Owen London. Equipped with
front axel lift, full electric daytona style
seats, Scuderia shields, passenger
display, parking camera, carbon fibre
driving zone with LED’s, matt silver
alloys with Alluminio brake callipers
plus much more. 9,770 miles.

2016
FERRARI F12
BERLINETTA
Rosso corsa with nero leather, A
fantastic spec on this car includes
extensive carbon fibre throughout
the interior and exterior including
exterior door handles and fuel
filler flap, front and rear parking
cameras, suspension lifter, 20”
forged alloys, Scuderia shields,
full Ferrari service, 1,840 miles.

2017
FERRARI 488
SPIDER ‘TAILOR
MADE’
Bianco Lagos with nero interior,
ordered through Ferrari’s special Tailor
Made department and is possibly the
highest specification available in the
UK. This includes F12 TDF style seats,
extensive red carbon throughout the
interior and exterior of the car, front
and rear parking cameras, suspension
lifter and full PPF protection over
the entire car, FFSH, 5,800 miles.

+44 (0) 1772 613 114 | [email protected] | www.williamloughran.co.uk

 THE UK’S OLDEST INDEPENDENT FERRARI SPECIALIST | EST. 1968

1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GT 1988 Ferrari 328 GTB 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer
£324,995 £82,995 £POA

1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona 1989 Ferrari Testarossa 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS QV
£POA £147,995 £90,995

D E LI VE RI NG U N RI VAL LE D F E R R A R I S A LES , S E R VI CE & R E S TO R AT I O N F OR OV ER 50 YEARS

FOSKERS.COM
E M A I L : info@fo s kers.com | S A L E S :+44 +44 ( 0) 1474 8 74555
B R A N D S H AT C H P A R K , K E N T , DA3 8P U

£149k

174
 $6(/(&7Ζ212)285&855(17672&.

1967 ASTON MARTIN DB6 VOLANTE £595,000

%XLOWLQDQGRQHRIH[DPSOHVEXLOWZHDUHGHOLJKWHGWRR΍HUWKLVVXSHUE'%9RODQWH0DQXIDFWXUHGZLWKRSWLRQDOSRZHUDVVLVWHGVWHHULQJDXWRPDWLF
WUDQVPLVVLRQSRZHURSHUDWHGURRIDQGFKURPHZLUHZKHHOV7KHFRQYHQLHQFHRIDXWRPDWLFWUDQVPLVVLRQDQGSRZHUDVVLVWHGVWHHULQJFRPELQHWRSURYLGHWKH
RZQHUDSOHDVXUDEOHDQGVWUHVVIUHHWRSGRZQPRWRULQJH[SHULHQFH
5HFHQWUHFLSLHQWRIFRQVLGHUDEOHUHVWRUDWLYHZRUNVFDUULHGRXWE\UHQRZQHG$VWRQ0DUWLQVSHFLDOLVWVDQG$VWRQ0DUWLQ:RUNVEULQJLQJWKHFDUWRLWVFXUUHQW
ȴUVWFODVVFRQGLWLRQ
:LWKPDWFKLQJHQJLQHDQGFKDVVLVQXPEHUVWKLVHOHJDQWDQGKLJKO\XVHDEOH'%9RODQWHGLVSOD\VMXVWPLOHVHYLGHQFHGE\WKHFDUVKLVWRU\ȴOH5RRIXS
RUGRZQWKHFDULVVXSHUEO\SUHVHQWHGDQGZRXOGEHHTXDOO\DWKRPHLQDQ\FDUFROOHFWLRQRQDQ\GULYLQJHYHQWRULQEHLQJVKRZQDWDQ\FODVVLFFDUFRQFRXUV

1953 Aston Martin DB2 Aston Martin DBZ Centenary Collection 1960 Aston Martin DB4 Series II
£POA £POA £425,000

1988 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante $VWRQ0DUWLQ9(ȴ9RODQWH 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello
‘X-pack’ £185,000 £106,950
£350,000

1LFKRODV0HH &R/WG(VVHQGRQEXU\)DUP+DWȴHOG3DUN(VWDWH+HUWIRUGVKLUH$/$)
LQIR#QLFKRODVPHHFRXNQLFKRODVPHHFRXN
&$56$/(6 385&+$6(6ȏ6(59Ζ&Ζ1* 0$Ζ17(1$1&(ȏ5(6725$7Ζ21ȏ3$576 0(5&+$1'Ζ6(
75Ζ0 83+2/67(5<ȏ75$163257$7Ζ21 6725$*(
176
 C HARLES P RINCE Worldwide Collector Car Sales

1929 Bentley 4.5 Litre HB 3405

$VWXQQLQJO\KDQGVRPH9LQWDJH%HQWOH\LGHDOIRUVHULRXVLQWHUQDWLRQDOWRXUVDQGHYHQWV0DWFKLQJ
QXPEHUVZLWKRULJLQDOFRDFKZRUNE\0DUWLQ:DOWHU)XOOKLVWRU\

&IRXPI]0MXVI7TIIH1SHIPRare original &1;3RISJXLIVEVIGEVWƼXXIH

VHDWHU)XOOKLVWRU\ JVSQRI[[MXLXLIVEGIFVIHIRKMRI

We are always eager to buy important collectors cars.

$OOFDUVFDQEHVHHQWULHGDQGWHVWHGDW4XLQ+D\)DUP3HWHUVȴHOG+DPSVKLUH*8%=RULQFHQWUDO/RQGRQ
Please see our website for full stock photos videos and details. Valuations always available.
Int T 0044 (0) 79 85 98 80 70
[email protected]
charlesprinceclassiccars.com
 Su

Chpen pr
O ay A
nd

ar Da il 2
ity y 7th
AS Motorsport ltd

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: [email protected]

178
1951 Ferrari 212 Inter: Vignale / Drogo, Mille WE WILL BUY AND CONSIGN ALL FERRARI AND ALL VINTAGE SPORTS
Miglia 1952, 1954. Ground up restoration. RACING & GT CARS PARTIAL TRADES CONSIDERED - FINANCING AVAILABLE
Race and Rally ready. Unique one of a kind,
matching numbers. Piero Drogo, a subcon-
tractor to Ferrari Factory; wins well-known.

1970 Porsche 917:5 liter, flat 12. Total 1968 Fiat Dino Spider: Rare. Frame-up 1974 Jaguar XKE V12 Roadster: 2011 Hennessey Venom mid-engine GT:
comprehensive rebuild by ex-factory resto; bare metal repaint. Driveline & One of a kind, uniquely built. Bare metal 3rd one built out of 13; 725hp; as new
917 specialist. Driven by Derek Bell, Vic suspension rebuild; new interior top & repaint, new interior, 5-sp, Webers, condition; single owner from new with
Elford, Jo Siffert; used in the making of chrome. With photo docs. Stunning! SS headers, Alloy radiator, Two tops. only 2100 miles.
Steve McQueen’s movie “Le Mans”.

1996 Porsche 911 Twin Turbo, Arena 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 BJ8, red/tan, 1986 Ferrari Mondial: Just out of 20 year 1965 Porsche 356SC Cabriolet: Match-
Red/Tan, 55k miles, clean CarFax, frame-up resto., 4sp OD, Webers, comp ownership, always serviced / ing #s, 1 of 533. 3-owner, full docs, COA.
excellent cosmetic/mechanical condition, wheels, headers, electronic ignition. well-maintained. Excellent paint. 67k miles. One repaint. Euro version.
service records from new. A beauty. Performs better than it ever did. All systems in excellent working order. Outstanding original throughout.

WWW.MOTORCLASSICCORP.COM
350 ADAMS STREET, BEDFORD HILLS NEW YORK 10507
914-997-9133 • [email protected]

2005 PORSCHE 911 GT3 CLUBSPORT 996 | 33K Miles

7KHȴOHFRQWDLQVD3RUVFKH&HUWLȴFDWHRIDXWKHQWLFLW\OHWWHUIURPWKH
SUHYLRXVRZQHU&KULV&UDIWȂ3RUVFKH*%0DQDJLQJ'LUHFWRUDQG
VHUYLFHUHFHLSWVDVZHOODVUHFHQWLQVSHFWLRQUHSRUWV7KHVHUYLFH
UHFRUGFRQWDLQVYLVLWVWRHLWKHU3RUVFKH&HQWUHV*URXS2SHUDWLRQV
5HDGLQJRUUHFRJQLVHGΖQGHSHQGHQWV7KHLQVLGHKDVWKHFRUUHFWVPHOO
LI\RXNQRZ\RXNQRZ DQGWKHXQGHUVLGHFDQEHHYLGHQFHGDVQHYHU FOR
KDYLQJEHHQWUDFNHGDEXVHGRUPHVVHGZLWKLQDQ\ZD\7KHQXPEHU
SODWHZLOOVWD\ZLWKWKHYHKLFOH7KHUHDUHNH\VDQGDWUDFNHULVȴWWHG SALE

Contact SLSHOP.com 01789 337070 for more details

179
 1992 Caterham 7 Super Sprint 1997 Porsche Boxster 2.5 litre

%RE<DUZRRGEKS&URVVÀRZ Five speed manual, A/C, 53,000 miles,

very special................................£23,995 early car .......................................£9,995
1991 BMW Z1 1975 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S

UK supplied, 69,000 miles, original and LHD, Ex-Italy, fully restored, beautiful....
unmolested......... .......................£36,995 ...................................................£24,995
1969 MGC GT 1959 Austin Healey 3000 Mk1

Overdrive, black leather, nut and bolt BT7, black interior, fully restored some
restoration, beautiful.. ................£28,995 years ago, fantastic....................£42,995

180
181
182
 1959 Elva Mark III 1936 Talbot Alpine Team Car Replica

1934 Bentley 3½-Litre Tourer 1937 Talbot BD105 Tourer

Landline: +44 (0) 1440 841 447 Mobile: +44 (0) 7493 897 975 [email protected] www.polsonmotorco.com

183
        speedsport gallery An extensive variety of original motor racing
paintings, photographs and autographed items
     ) * +,  
for sale.
-. +/.0 

Bernd Rosemeyer Auto Union 1936

By Walkden Fisher
A lovely illustration by Walkden Fisher of the
pre-war rear-engined Auto Union being driven
to victory by young German driver Bernd
Rosemeyer in the 1936 Eifelrennen.
 
     Illustration prepared for a publication during
the 1960’s, it comes with a cover sheet with
  information about the image. This is one of a
!"# large series which can be viewed upon request.

$$ Charcoal and Watercolour on Board

26.5CM X 30.5CM





PRICE: £395.00

 %&'#'(&&" T: 01327 858 167 E: [email protected] www.speedsport-gallery.com

Derby Plating Services Ltd ,Z[ 

Specialist electroplaters, polishers

HUKTL[HSÄUPZOLYZ
Re-chroming to the highest
concours and show standards

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,THPS!PUMV'KLYI`WSH[PUNJV\R

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184
ASTON MARTIN HERITAGE PARTS
15% DISCOUNT FOR NEW CUSTOMERS*

Here at Aston Engineering, we are one of the largest stockists of genuine Aston Martin
parts, with thousands of products available in-stock, ready for same-day worldwide dispatch.
We also offer an in-house re-manufacturing service. All Heritage models are covered,
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UNITED KINGDOM

1 STOR AGE
E&
TRANSPORTATION
LOCATIONS

8
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10 4
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11

Vintage Classic Modern

01869 248805 [email protected]

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 Telephone Mobile
01753 644599 07836 222111

Established 1978

2018 Aston Martin DB11 V8 Volante in Magnetic Silver with two tone Obsidian Black and Mocha hide interior. High
specification including Touchtronic transmission, high spec premium audio system with blue tooth, high spec cobra
tracking, electric heated seats, fully adjustable electric steering column and 20” Diamond cut alloys. One owner and a mere
11,700 miles from new and in “As New” condition. Now offered for sale at a huge saving on list at £89,950

2008 model year Aston Martin DB9 Volante in Onyx Black with Cream Truffle hide interior. This is a beautiful example
that has covered only 52,300 miles with a fully stamped up service history. It is in fabulous condition reflecting just how
well it has been kept. The spec includes satellite navigation, climate control, electric heated seats, cruise control, front and
rear heated screens and a fully adjustable steering column. Fully serviced and ready to be enjoyed at £32,950.

2005 Aston Martin DB9 in Meteorite Silver with Obsidian Black hide interior with Piano Black centre console.
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All third party makes, models, and vehicle names are property of their respective owners.
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193
 Autobiography
Interview by Stephen Dobie

Left
He may still be relatively early in his
career, but the man now shaping Touring
Superleggera’s look has had spells at
Lotus, Lamborghini and Bugatti.

exterior including the components. In 2022

I accepted an offer to join the Lotus Advanced
Tech Centre in Coventry. After a year in the
UK, I was called back to Touring under our
new CEO Markus Tellenbach.
As a coachbuilder we are sketching a face
and a personality rather than just transport.
The Veloce12 is my first car as head of design
but it’s car number 13 or 14 in my career. It’s
a spin-off of the Ferrari 550 Maranello rather
than an original piece of Touring DNA, but I
think it’s something different for the restomod
market. We’ve designed everything from
scratch. The only original components are the
windscreen and a little piece on the mirror.
That is a complex component to change; it’s
a baptism of fire to design a new mirror or
TOURING SUPERLEGGERA

headlight, where most restomods use existing

modules behind a bespoke bezel.
Veloce12 may use the 550 Maranello as its
donor but the mask and armour is new. People
loved it at The Quail, A Motorsports
Gathering when it was revealed. The green
grass, blue sky and white show stand provided
the perfect backdrop to present our matt grey
and my first car was my mother’s Fiat Seicento, car. I remember the first time I saw a

Matteo though I went on to own a Mk1 Volkswagen

Scirocco, Mk1 Audi TT, first-gen Dacia Duster
and original 2001 Mini Cooper. I hope to
Maranello. It had a big impact on me as a
child. Our target customers are my age, maybe
ten years older. It responds to their nostalgia

Gentile soon purchase a Jaguar XJ-S – clearly that

Jaguar influence from my father still lingers.
I’ve always been an exterior designer,
for manual, analogue driving. Nobody wants
batteries. It’s the right product in the right
moment – all the stars aligned. My dream is
working on body or components. I’ve to do an F40, but we’ll never do it. We are not
The head of design at Touring collaborated on many cars in both of those hooligans! I’d love to do a Porsche 959, too.
Superleggera, whose path fields, creating proposals for both and winning When other kids my age were playing on
or losing, but always participating. The design a PlayStation, I was on CoralDraw or
to Milanese coachbuilding process is too complex to be attributed to just Photoshop. I’ve been using the latter for 25
one person. It’s a credit to any head of design years now. We have access to everything from
started with a Brit supercar to mix all the ingredients of each designer. To CGI to 3D modelling and 2D rendering, but
create this milkshake. Nobody can say ‘it’s my Photoshop is every designer’s best friend.
car’ in a design studio. I’ve never stopped sketching, of course.
THE JAGUAR XJ220 inspired me to pick After studying I worked at IBO Group, a Every project starts with a rough sketch by
up a pencil and start sketching. My father was third-party company supplying Seat, working hand. It’s simply to give a quick impression of
working as a lawyer at Jaguar when I was six. on production cars as well as show cars and what you have in mind. It’s an act, a gesture,
I saw one in the showroom and it amazed me, concepts. I then moved to a Chinese company, even if you only sketch two shapes.
and I also loved the Ferrari F50 and 456. I was Qoros, before Bugatti, where I was involved Sometimes the result is awful and I won’t
born in 1985 so cars of the 1990s really thrill in a number of projects. Then it was off to show it to anyone. Most of a designer’s time is
me and it’s good we’ve done a restomod on a Lamborghini, where I stayed for around three now spent 3D modelling. It allows us to work
’90s car with our Veloce12. years working on Urus, Revuelto and multiple fast, correcting imperfections and mistakes on
The habit certainly stuck and I studied at La versions of the Huracán. the go. But a piece of paper remains my safe
Sapienza Disegno Industriale in Rome before I joined Touring Superleggera in 2019, place; perhaps it’s my own piece of analogue
moving to Spain for a masters in Automotive reporting to my predecessor on the Aero 3, nostalgia. Even when I’m modelling, I still
Design at Elisava School of Design in where I worked on the rear of the car, and have a piece of paper and pen nearby, like
Barcelona. My father helped me learn to drive Arese, where I designed and modelled the a child who needs a blanket to sleep.

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.

194
 T H E H A I R P I N C O M P A N Y

1990 PORSCHE 964 C2 MANUAL 1977 MG MGB ROADSTER BY FRONTLINE

C16 UK RHD. A supreme example in superlative condition. 38,000 miles with a A very high specification example from the gurus at Frontline who transform the
great history. Comes with everything. MG in every respect. Beautiful build and detail finish and goes like no other MGB.

1973 LANCIA FULVIA 1.6HF ZAGATO 2000 TVR GRIFFITH 500

A rare UK RHD example well-known to the Lancia Club. An excellent older restoration. Immaculate, 15,000 miles with full history from new. Power steering, rare split
A 2024 London Concours entrant. Very well sorted and drives beautifully. removable roof and custom-made exhaust. Hard to find like this.

1973 CITROËN SM 1989 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 3.2 CABRIOLET

European supplied and surely one of the best SMs remaining. A manual example An exceptional example from the last year of production. Just 36,000 miles with
with full black leather interior. Great history, restored to the highest standards. all books, tools and keys.

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
 RM 16-02 EXTRAFLAT
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Baseplate and bridges in grade 5 titanium
Platinum rotor
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A Racing Machine
On The Wrist