EXCLUSIVE!

THE FERRARI 750 MONZA PROTOTYPE CROWNED BEST OF THE BEST

£5.50 / ISSUE 214 / APRIL 2021

FUELLING THE PA SSION

AC COBRA BMW M1 PROCARS ON TRACK

+ THE INCREDIBLE PROCAR GR AVE YARD

REBORN
Preserving the purity of an early 289 FIAT 131 ABARTH
A TRUE HOMOLOGATION HERO
JAY LENO
ON BADGE ENGINEERING

’32 FORD HOT-ROD MEET MAREK REICHMAN CARS ON FILM SUZUKI CAPPUCCINO RESTORING A RENAULT AHS3 TRUCK
● ● ● ●
 Fernandina Beach Golf Club One off coachbuilt 1930s sports car, Amelia
Island Concours Best in Class-winner
20 May, 2021 1935 GODSAL SPORTS TOURER
Coachwork by Corsica
$750,000 - 950,000 *

Les Grandes Marques 1938 PEUGEOT 402 DSE DARL’MAT

€350,000 – 450,000 *
du Monde à Paris
Online Auction
3 - 10 March 2021

On hand to provide expertise on

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 Further entries invited 1964 JAGUAR E-TYPE ‘SERIES I’
3.8-LITRE SEMI-LIGHTWEIGHT
Chichester, Sussex | 16 May 2021 FIA COMPETITION ROADSTER

ENQUIRIES

UK Europe USA Catalogue subscriptions

+44 (0) 20 7468 5801 +33 (0)1 42 61 10 11 +1 212 461 6514 - East Coast +44 (0) 1666 502 200
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 EAGLE
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 Issue 214 / April 2021

CONTENTS
‘THIS IS ONE
OF THOSE CARS
THAT ENCOURAGES
– NAY, DEMANDS
– YOU GET ON THE
THROTTLE EARLY’
FIAT 131 ABARTH RALLY
STRADALE, PAGE 76

5
 HERITAGE IS ABOUT
EXPERTISE
Thanks to the experience and skills of our team of specialists and technicians, we can offer certification
services, the highest standard of restoration and a selection of classic vehicles for sale just for you.

Discover our world.

www.fcaheritage.com
 Issue 214 / April 2021

CONTENTS
62

112

FEATURES
SHELBY COBRA
Page 48
Life story of a newly restored early 289

BMW M1 PROCAR
Page 62
Screaming track group-test in Austria

PROCAR GRAVEYARD
Page 70
…where M1 spare parts are worth millions

48 86 FIAT 131 ABARTH

Page 76
Roadgoing rally great on the North York Moors

MOTUL RENAULT AHS3

Page 86
Evocatively preserved 1940s French truck

CARS IN FILMS
Page 92
The more obscure motors of celluloid stardom

FERRARI 750 MONZA

Page 100
Driving the newly crowned Best of the Best

THE OCTANE INTERVIEW

Page 112
Meeting Aston Martin’s Marek Reichman

100 FORD MODEL B HOT ROD

Page 118
’32 custom with unlikely military connections

7
 Issue 214 / April 2021

CONTENTS
140
REGULARS
EVENTS & NEWS
Page 18
The month in pictures; a place to visit;
a sad farewell to the king of movie stuntmen

GEARBOX
Page 34
FIVA president Tiddo Bresters

COLUMNS
Page 37
AMY SHORE

Time to hear the lowdown from Jay Leno, Derek

Bell, Stephen Bayley and Robert Coucher

18 152 LETTERS
Page 45
A good neighbour and his MGB GT V8

OCTANE CARS
Page 130
Fixing the misery inherent in a Morgan 4/4;
Harry Metcalfe’s favourite (crazy) Jaguars

OVERDRIVE
Page 140
Restored Range Rovers; Polestar 1
160 148
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Page 148
Daredevil test pilot Chuck Yeager

ICON
Page 150
Fisher Space Pen, for postcards from the moon

CHRONO
Page 152
Sir Jackie Stewart on Rolex – plus auction stars

158 BOOKS, GEAR, MODELS

156 Page 156
Monthly desirables to ogle and read

THE MARKET
Page 165
Sales news; buy a Suzuki Cappuccino

DAY IN THE LIFE

Page 210
Author and motoring journalist Giles Chapman

8
 TOURBILLON RM 58-01
WORLD TIMER - JEAN TODT

RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUES

© Didier Gourdon

GENEVA PARIS LONDON MILAN MONACO MOSCOW MUNICH

ABU DHABI BEIRUT DOHA DUBAI ISTANBUL KUWAIT CITY RIYADH

www.richardmille.com

PAUL HARMER
EDITOR’S WELCOME
Extraordinarily ordinary
I THINK THAT probably rather too many of
us can relate to a quick titivation that turns into
a four-year restoration, and such is the story of
this month’s cover car. Indeed, the fact that it is
so relatable shows that it is far from the world’s
most extraordinary restoration in either cost or
time, but then it is also far from the most
extraordinary car. That is not an insult, by the
way, because that’s precisely what makes CSX
2082 special and why it appealed so much to us
at Octane… and why it’s on the cover.
This Cobra didn’t race with Ed Hugus in
period or with Danny Sullivan at Goodwood, it
wasn’t the first or the last, a prototype or one
cobbled together from spares after the fact.
This was a typical car, an everyday Cobra (if
there was such a thing), a lovely, real and pure
example of a very early 289 sold new in 1964
for a smigden over £2000 and more recently for
225 times that. While we all seek out and
celebrate the utterly extraordinary day in, day
out, sometimes it is nice to remind ourselves of
the brilliance of normal. And this car is as
brilliant as ‘normal’ gets in Cobra terms.
IF YOU DO your sums you will rapidly work
out that this edition of Octane was entirely
constructed during yet another nationwide
lockdown in the UK. Since the first lockdown
in March last year our overriding objective
(without breaking any rules, of course, in either
spirit or actuality) has been to make a magazine
that shows few signs of the current chaos in the
10
Issue 214 / April 2021
world. If we have achieved that to even the
slightest degree it is thanks to the incredible
team I am privileged to head up and the
unstinting help and support of an army of
contributors. But front-of-house divas like us
are only a fraction of the story; there are scores
more working behind the scenes at Octane and
elsewhere – from printers to postmen, all vital
links in the chain that puts our monthly
mutterings in your hands. And most of them
have been facing far worse challenges than us.
Many of our support services have been
stretched to the limit, pretty much without let-
up, for almost a year – and then there’s the
double whammy of Covid and Brexit. However,
please understand that some matters are simply
beyond our control, such as a carousel of border
closures or the world’s planes being grounded.
Trust me, we will continue to pull out all the
stops because you deserve it, but please
continue to bear with us – and thanks for your
patience to date.
James Elliott,
editor in chief
FEATURING
JOHAN DILLEN
‘Hearing the BMW M1 Procar’s straight-six
wail sends a shiver down your spine, yet it’s
nothing compared with what happens when
you are behind the wheel, pushing past
7000rpm. A pinch-me moment – and more
followed when we left the Red Bull Ring
for Fritz Wagner’s Procar graveyard…’
BMW M1 Procar heaven: pages 62-74.
JONATHAN JACOB
‘The day began with thick fog, but the Fiat
131 Abarth Rally was a great colour and a
joy to capture. We shot it in the North York
Moors on one of my favourite stretches
of road, which led to a water splash used
in the past by rallying groups!’
Jona’s superb photography accompanies
Glen Waddington’s story on pages 76-84.
APOLOGY
To Aston Sales Kensington, Dylan Miles,
Aston Workshop and Desmond J Smail
In the March 2021 issue of Octane
magazine, an advertisement was
inadvertently published that contained
unsubstantiated allegations about Aston
Sales Kensington, Dylan Miles, Aston
Workshop and Desmond J Smail.
The advert was fraudulently placed by
someone who assumed the identity of
Aston Sales Kensington by creating a fake
email account similar to that of the genuine
email to book the advert with the intention
of causing reputational damage to all of the
long-established and well-respected
businesses listed, the Aston Martin brand
and the classic car trade in general.
We wish to make it absolutely clear that
any such allegations are entirely false and
without foundation, and wish to sincerely
apologise to those companies for the
inadvertent publication.
C A P D ’A N T I B E S T O S A I N T- T R O P E Z
N O W 1 – 5 J U LY 2 0 2 1

It’s time to get an adventure in the diary, so if you love summer,

you love a party, and you love rosé, join us for La Vie en Rosé,
a spectacular motoring tour through Provence that celebrates
our favourite tipple.
We’ve taken the precaution of delaying La Vie en Rosé until
July and a happy bonus is that by then the lavender, for
which Provence is famed, will be in full bloom!
Meticulously organised by the award-winning events
team at V Management. Contact Chris for details on
01635 867705 or email chris@v-management.com
100% Covid cancellation refund guarantee
v-management.com
 NEXT MONTH DEPUTY EDITOR
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
James Elliott
james@octane-magazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Mark Dixon Glen Waddington
mark@octane-magazine.com glen@octane-magazine.com

LOTUS EXIGE ART EDITOR

Robert Hefferon
roberth@octane-magazine.com
MARKETS EDITOR
Matthew Hayward
matthew@octane-magazine.com

Looking back over the career INTERNATIONAL EDITOR

Robert Coucher
of Hethel’s hardcore road racer robert@octane-magazine.com

EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Dawn Grant

ITALIAN CORRESPONDENT Massimo Delbò
DESIGN ASSISTANCE Ruth Haddock
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For this month’s special offer, If you like Octane, you’ll love…
turn to page 162-163
60 60 YEARS OF THE
Visit
YEARS OF THE

JAGUAR JAGUAR E-TYPE

E-TYPE Octane’s Jaguar E-type Diamond
subscribe.octane-magazine.com THE COMPLETE HIST ORY
OF A MO T OR I NG ICON
Jubilee special is a fitting celebration
of the E-type’s 60th anniversary,
AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

charting its history from Norman

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 AUCTIONS & PR I VATE BROKERAGE GOODINGCO.COM +1.310.899.1960

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 FORD
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IGNITION / Month in Pictures

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

Day and night of drama

The 59th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona
played out in front of eerily empty stands on
30-31 January, but was truly epic. Cadillacs
made the early running, but the race had a
gripping final hour in which any of five cars
could have taken the spoils, including the Chip
Ganassi Cadillac, which was dicing for the lead
before suffering a puncture with only minutes
to go. As it was, Wayne Taylor Racing took its
fourth win in five years via the No. 10 Konica
Minolta Acura ARX-05 DPi of Ricky Taylor,
Hélio Castroneves, Filipe Albuquerque and
Alexander Rossi, which completed 807 laps.
Taylor said: ‘It was one of the most hectic,
intense, flat-out 24 hours I’ve ever been a part
of.’ There were 49 starters and Corvette took
a dominant 1-2 in the GTLM class’s final year.
Rolex / Stephan Cooper / Jensen Larson

18
19
IGNITION / Month in Pictures

A GLUT OF GOLDFINGER CONTINUATIONS

With a fifth of the 25 cars built since 2019, this shot has
gathered probably the most Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger
continuation cars that will be seen together. As shown they
have a number of Bond gadgets, created in association with
movie special effects guru Chris Corbould OBE.

LAMBORGHINIS
TAKE OVER TOKYO
To celebrate the 30th
anniversary of the Lamborghini
Diablo, the Urraco’s 50th, and
to get in an early party for the
Countach’s 50th, Octane Japan
has held its first touring event in
Tokyo. Entrants that gathered in
the Japanese capital included
Islero, LM002, Urraco and
Silhouette, plus two Jalpas, four
Diablos and 24 Countachs.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP: ASTON MARTIN; RYOTO SATO; KAZUMI OGATA; RYOTO SATO

20
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IGNITION / Events Diary
COMING UP…
At the risk of sounding repetitive, please don’t take any dates
as gospel without checking closer to the event. Thank you
5-7 March
Philip Island Classic
The Southern Hemisphere’s largest
Historic meeting, held on Phillip
Island near Melbourne. Grids are
organised by the Victorian Historic
Road Racing Register and cater for
Touring Cars, single-seaters, sports
cars and pre-war machinery, too.
vhrr.com
26-28 March
Dix Mille Tours du Castellet
Peter Auto’s series get back to
business at Paul Ricard, where the
generous run-off areas give drivers
a chance to shake off the rust
without fear of a big prang.
peterauto.peter.fr
26-28 March
Un Homme Une Femme
Based at La Croix-Valmer, this new
event is for couples. It’s non-
competitive, so crews can to retire
to their plush accommodation
each night without arguing over
missed turns and timing errors.
happyfewracing.com
22
3-9 April
Marrakesh Tour
Despite the name, this 2250km
event takes entrants way beyond
the one-time capital of Morocco,
as they head as far east as the
coastal city of Essaouira and
as far west as the desert village
of Merzouga. Intrepid stuff.
rallystory.com
7-11 April
Techno-Classica Essen
‘Huge’ is the word most often used
to describe the annual German
show. It’s an accurate description,
but Techno-Classica has more
going for it than sheer size, with
carefully considered displays and
superb support from hundreds of
clubs, making it feel like a show for
the people, by the people, in spite
of the presence of many major
manufacturers, who regularly take
entire halls. The central displays
are usually sensational; just make
sure you don’t get lost in the
labyrinthine Messe.
siha.de
Tour Auto, 19-24 April
Image: Mathieu Bonnevie
9-11 April
A Novice Trial
Based at Bicester Heritage, this is
a fun introduction to regularities,
tests and Tulip books, featuring
a 145-mile route and training
sessions covering all the basics.
heroevents.eu
9-11 April
Oldtimer Show
Five hundred vehicles spanning
a century of automotive progress
are displayed at the Hungarian
Railway Museum in Budapest,
among them some Eastern
European rarities scarcely known
to the average car enthusiast.
oldtimershow.hu
10 April
VSCC Exmoor Trial
Exmoor’s thick forests and muddy
fields will provide challenges and
laughs in equal measure, assuming
the event can take place. The
VSCC plans to confirm one way or
the other a month ahead of time.
vscc.co.uk
10-14 April
Copperstate 1000
Crews in pre-1974 sports and
touring cars enjoy 1000 miles of
dreamy desert roads as they motor
through Arizona and beyond.
mensartscouncil.com
15-18 April
Gran Premio Terre di Canossa
Italy has more than its share of
great regularity rallies, and this
one takes lucky crews across the
Apennines and through some
of the country’s most absurdly
attractive locations. There’s a
‘culinary itinerary’ to match…
granpremioterredicanossa.it
17 April
VSCC Spring Start
It’s not racing season until the
Vintage Sports-Car Club says so.
Its first meeting of the year is at
Silverstone, continuing a tradition
that goes back more than 70 years.
vscc.co.uk
19-24 April
Tour Auto Optic 2000
The modern-day Tour de France
is one of the world’s great driving
events, mixing fabulous roads with
competition on a selection of
circuits between the start in Paris
and the finish in the sunny south.
peterauto.peter.fr
20-24 April
The Scottish Malts
Crews explore some of the best
roads and distilleries Scotland has
to offer, starting in St Andrews and
finishing at Gleneagles.
heroevents.eu
23-25 April
Veterama Hockenheim
Germany’s Hockenheimring hosts
a giant autojumble that attracts
some 20,000 visitors each year,
and upwards of 2500 traders.
veterama.de
24-25 April
Bicester Heritage Scramble
Bicester Heritage has supersized
the April scramble, which will
stretch across two days for the first
time. Access to the display of cars
and to the wider site, with its many
specialists, will be limited to 2000
visitors to ensure the event is
Covid-compliant.
bicesterheritage.co.uk
25-29 April
California Mille
Inspired by the Mille Miglia, this
San Francisco-based event now
has a long history of its own and
in 2021 entrants will take to
California’s backroads en masse
for the 30th time.
californiamille.com
26-29 April
Yorkshire Cloverleaf
A gently competitive rally for
a small and select group based
in stunning Nidderdale in the
Yorkshire Dales. The emphasis is
on fun and experiences that are
not possible with larger groups.
rallytheglobe.com
30 April – 2 May
Greenbrier Concours
d’Elegance
The Greenbrier Concours is held
in West Virginia, but it will have
a Hollywood feel this year thanks
to the addition of a Movie Cars
class, which will include ECTO-1
from Ghostbusters.
greenbrierconcours.com
1-2 May
Donington Historic Festival
Qualifying will take place over
the course of race weekend this
year, but the Festival’s winning
formula is otherwise unchanged:
there will be grids for everything
from pre-war sports cars to ’70s
and ’80s Touring Cars, as usual.
doningtonhistoric.com
1-2 May
Keels & Wheels
Beautiful old cars and boats share
a stage at Lakewood Yacht Club
in Texas. You’ll come away
coveting all sorts of wooden
things and a waterfront property.
keels-wheels.com
Donington Historic Festival, 1-2 May
Image: Jakob Ebrey
1-8 May
Rallye TransMaroc
Beginning and ending in YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE
Marrakesh, but there’s little
big-city tarmac on the agenda: TO 60 YEARS OF THE
JAGUAR E-TYPE
crews will spend most of their
time in Morocco’s desert. Don’t
be daunted, though: you can hire
a 4x4 if you don’t own one, and
instruction will be given to those
Brought to you by the makers of
new to driving on sand.
zaniroli.com
5-9 May
The Pyrenees 1000 Rally
Crews will enjoy the Pyrenees
from both sides of the border on
this 1000km event: they’ll be
flagged away from Olite in Spain,
but will cross into France for a
stint, spending the night in Pau.
bespokerallies.com
OUT
8-9 May
Gaydon Land Rover Show
NOW
Hundreds of Land Rovers and
Range Rovers are set to gather at
the British Motor Museum. There
will be plenty of trade stands and
live music, too.
britishmotormuseum.co.uk
9-22 May
The Craic
Open to Jaguar XK120s, XK140s,
XK150s and E-types, this is a
relaxed jaunt around Ireland
and Northern Ireland, with an
optional navigation element for
those who want to exercise the
grey matter a bit.
classicrallypress.co.uk
12-15 May
1000 Miglia
Brescia to Rome and back in a
hurry, in the company of some
of the world’s greatest classic cars.
A bucket-list event.
1000miglia.it Celebrating the diamond jubilee
of one of the world’s finest sports
cars, from Norman Dewis’s fabled
drive to Geneva in 1961 to today’s
greatest restorations, re-creations
and reinventions.
Available from Amazon, WH Smith, Tesco, Waitrose
and independent retailers
23
IGNITION / A Place to Visit
LE MANS MUSEUM
Open for 30 years, the glittering 150-car collection by the
track’s entrance is a scintillating stroll through its history
Words and photography Barry Wiseman
THOSE OF YOU of a certain age will look
back on the good old days of Le Mans with a
smile. No, not the days when the drivers ran to
their cars and erected the hoods before racing
off, but the 1960s and beyond, when the shriek
of the Matras contrasted with the rumble of
Chevrolet Corvettes. After that, the age when
the rotary Mazdas earned a popular win with
the screaming 787B. Spectators learned to open
their mouths as those cars went past so their
ears didn’t hurt, while the groundshaking
thunder of the awesome Aston Martin Nimrods
was unforgettable, too. There was a vast village
of stalls and a large fun-fair that ran right
throughout the race. Catching the eye was a
foreboding-looking barn, the Le Mans Museum.
Nowadays, the museum is housed in a bright,
modern building at the entrance to the circuit
and it is as much of a ‘must see’ as the race itself.
Opened in 1991, it houses some 150 vehicles,
thoughtfully divided between race cars
associated with the track and mostly French
cars, many of which have important places in
motoring history. The museum displays also
honour the people who made Le Mans great,
from Ettore Bugatti to the likes of Derek Bell
and Tom Kristensen.
24
ALAMY
The second car built by Leon Bollée begins
the collection. Built in Le Mans in 1887, it is
part of a group of his cars on show, all of them
fascinating. A walk through French motoring
history introduces the visitor to many well-
known marques and some less familiar, such as
Corre and Saïga. There are examples of Bentley
and Rolls-Royce, along with a 1920s Citroën
Kégresse half-track, so many of which
negotiated some of the world’s most
inhospitable places. All on 30bhp!
At the other extreme, alternative-powered
cars feature, with the teardrop-shape Socéma
Grégoire turbine and the Citroën rotaries. On
Clockwise, from left
Panhard, specialist at triumphing in the fuel
economy classes, is celebrated with a fine
display; 917L was a DNF at Le Mans in 1971;
1887 Leon Bollée was built in Le Mans city.
to the racing car section, where the imagination
can run riot at the wonderful collection. The
Renault 4CV sends the mind whirring back to
the old Indexes of Performance and Thermal
Efficiency, incentives for fuel-efficient small
cars to enter, with the aerodynamic DB
Panhards later boosting the theme. Porsches of
all shapes and sizes feature, along with Le Mans
titans such as Jaguar, Alpine, Courage and
Rondeau, as well as interesting moderns.
Leaving the racing car hall, there is the
famous Citroën 2CV that circumnavigated the
world. When in remote Chile, the crew found
that its gearbox oil had leaked out. A passing
local is said to have looked at the gearbox, then
peeled some bananas and stuffed them in – a
botch that kept the car running for several
hundred kilometres (see Octane 203). The
collection continues with everything from a
1923 Renault fire engine to a mahogany skiff-
styled Bugatti Type 30. Along with a fine set of
motorcycles and constantly running films, there
is something for all the family here, not least a
pleasant café and gift shop. Walking tours of the
circuit are also available.
Away from the circuit, the city of Le Mans
istelf is a great place to spend time, with its fine
cathedral and atmospheric Palatine medieval
area worth a day of your time on their own.
Or you could make a week of it and attend
the scrutineering, drivers’ parade and evening
practice. Take a drive along Mulsanne Straight
and the rest of the public road section of the
circuit. If you would like to have travel
arrangements made for you, check Octane for
details of tour organisers.
24 HOURS OF LE MANS MUSEUM,
9 Place Luigi Chinetti 72100, Le Mans.
Open: 1 October – 30 April , 10am-6pm; 1 May
– 30 September, 10am-7pm. Admission: from €7
(10- to 18-year-olds) to €9.50 (adults). Under-10s
admitted free. www.lemans-musee24h.com/eng
 1967 FORD GT40
Supplied to Shelby America and sent
by John Wyer to Garage Filippinetti
for the 1967 Geneva Motor Show
n Part of the Ford press fleet then
sold to Sir Anthony Bamford of JCB
excavator fame n Later featured in
the Motorr magazine, GT40P/ 1069
turned a ¼ mile in 12.4 seconds and 14 Queens Gate Place Mews
0-100 MPH in 9.1 seconds n Recently London SW7 5BQ
prepared and rebuilt for historic racing +44 (0)20 7584 3503
by Gelscoe Motorsport www.fiskens.com
IGNITION / News
Replica scene erupts
after Swedish ruling
Jaguar’s landmark court victory has huge implications
for owners and builders of every type of replica classic
THE DECISION by a Swedish court to back
Jaguar Land Rover’s bid to shut down a C-type
builder has thrown the world of replicas into
turmoil, with many fearing widespread and
long-lasting repercussions. The ruling could
spark a global clampdown, not only on Jaguar
replicas and the people who build them, but all
replicas. Technically, it could even sound the
death knell for cars that were built decades ago.
The case for copyright infringement was
brought against Karl and Ann-Christine
Magnusson in 2018 and the verdict was
26
recently handed down by the Intellectual
Property Division of the Swedish High Court.
As well as ordering a replica C-type to be
destroyed, the ruling gives copyright protection
to the shape of the Jaguar C-type in a similar
fashion to works of art. If expanded to other
countries and enforced it would mean that,
as JLR owns the copyright, only cars built
or officially sanctioned by JLR would be legal.
Amanda Beaton, Global IP Counsel for
Jaguar Land Rover, said: ‘This is an important
case in the evolving copyright law landscape
Left to right
Jaguar’s new C-type continuation; the
Magnussons with the replica at the centre
of the storm; the Ecurie Ecosse LM-C,
announced as the verdict came through.
across the EU. This beautiful vehicle is part of
our company’s heritage and this ruling helps
us protect that lineage.’
A legal expert consulted by Octane warned
that this action may just be the tip of the iceberg
and the effects of copyrighting a 70-year-old
car shape could be felt for decades to come.
For a start, the judgement could immediately
be invoked in other EU countries and might
be applied across a wide range of replicas, such
as AC Cobra, Ford GT40 and Porsche RSK.
However, it is not quite that simple…
• The case could be used as a precedent, but
is not necessarily binding elsewhere. Other
courts can always come to different decisions.
• The ruling could be applied in retrospect,
but the longer the delay in enforcing it, the less
likely it would succeed in court.
• The doomsday scenario would be that
infringing cars and the bucks used to make
replicas could be ordered to be destroyed by
manufacturers, who then claim damages.
• A similar case could be brought in the UK
at any time, and anyone building a replica
without Jaguar’s (or any other manufacturer’s)
permission could be at risk of prosecution.

‘THIS RULING OPENS
THE DOOR FOR THREATS
OF DESTRUCTION
TO ALL REPLICAS’
– NEVILLE SWALES
Following widespread outcry at the Swedish
case, Jaguar insisted that the Magnussons had
been planning to build several C-type replicas
– but 68-year-old Mr Magnusson maintains
that he built a single car in his Gothenburg
garage for personal use. He added that the fact
that he travelled to the UK to present his plans
to Jaguar as far back as 2016 caused him to
believe he had tacit approval because no-one
questioned it until the action was brought.
Despite being saddled with Jaguar’s costs of
£450,000 (before any damages it may claim),
he vowed to appeal the decision, launched a
crowdfunding campaign and hit out at Jaguar
over the matter: ‘We don’t understand where
this has come from considering Jaguar’s history
of supporting the replica industry. We feel it’s
hypocritical of Jaguar to sue us when its senior
management privately build, commission, race
and own C-type replicas themselves.’
His wife Ann-Christine added: ‘This is just
one of at least 1500 replica C-types built
globally in the past 45 years. The consequence
of the verdict is that all owners of C-type
replicas are now at risk of being forced to
destroy their cars when JLR comes after them.’
Jaguar refuted all the Magnussons’ claims,
saying it didn’t start court action until more
than nine months after asking them to stop,
that it did everything it could to keep the
matter out of court, and that the Magnussons
had set up a business to build and sell six replica
C-types, each for in excess of €250,000.
When quizzed by Octane, Jaguar pledged
that there was no threat to privately owned
cars. A spokesperson said: ‘Jaguar Land Rover
are not going after private owners of pre-
existing individual replica vehicles, nor
insisting upon the destruction of their vehicles.
However, we will take action to stop businesses
using our IP illegally for their own profit.’
Other replica manufacturers reacted with
fury, however, fearing that whatever action
Jaguar takes now, the Swedish case presents a
severe threat both to their industry and
individual cars. Neville Swales of Building the
Legend said: ‘I am angry. This unjust ruling sets
a dangerous precedent that could influence
judgements in other courts. This goes beyond
JLR, of course, and could have meaning for
other major manufacturers who wish to
promote similar anti-competitive behaviour.
The ruling opens the door for claims of
copyright and threats of destruction to all
replicas – not just Jaguar. However, there is a
mature well-established replica industry in the
UK and I believe the fight would be significantly
harder-fought here. My opinion is that Sweden
was chosen as it was a “soft touch”.’
This comes months after Suffolk Sports Cars
went to the wall, saying that fending off
copyright infringement claims was a major
factor in driving it under. When it sunk with
debts of £850,000 it had been building its
replica SS100s for 25 years, C-types for 13, and
had overtaken Jaguar’s production of both.
Ironically – or possibly not, with copyright
protection usually lasting 70 years and the 70th
anniversary of the C-type fast approaching –
the Swedish result came almost simultaneously
with the announcement of two ‘new’ C-types,
one of them from Jaguar itself.
JLR’s continuation programme announced
that, to celebrate the anniversary of the C-type
in 2022, it was to embark on building a ‘strictly
limited’ number of ‘new, hand-built’ examples
to add to the 53 originals built in period.
Modelled on the 1953 Le Mans winner, they
will have disc brakes and be built at the Jaguar
Land Rover Classic Works facility in Coventry.
The company is even allowing people to
configure their own car (classicvisualiser.
jaguar.com) and says eight new continuation
C-types will be created for a special anniversary
event, though they will not be road legal.
Less pleased with the Swedish ruling will be
Ecurie Ecosse, which has also just announced a
planned run of C-type replicas, dubbed the
LM-C, that pay homage to the equipe’s rich and
successful racing history with the model. The
modern incarnation of David Murray and
Wilkie Wilkinson’s Scottish racing team is
planning seven cars, each a visually exact copy
of one of the examples that Ecurie Ecosse
campaigned in period. Each will externally
resemble one of the originals – all of which are
known to survive – but the new cars will differ
in having a wider and stiffer spaceframe chassis,
a 4.2-litre engine putting out 300bhp, uprated
brakes and suspension, and a five-speed ’box.
With the first car already completed and
available for test driving at Hofmann’s in
Henley-on-Thames, the court decision has cast
confusion and doubt over not only Ecurie
Ecosse’s nascent C-type project, but also its
LM69 Jaguar XJ13 evocation.
27
 IGNITION / News

NEWS FEED
Concours celebrates Italy; Mr Vector and guru of gears; sales site expands; resto specialist
rebrands; insurance for collectors; museum fire; special Landie; speed record project slows

Fire claims Alpine museum

The fascinating Top Mountain
Crosspoint Museum high in the
Austrian Alps has been destroyed
by fire. Nothing but charred
remains were left of the museum
(which opened in 2016) and
its contents of 230 classic and
vintage motorcycles and ten
On the market classic cars after the January blaze.
Online sales platform The Market At 7135ft the highest museum
has moved to new 13,000sq ft in Europe, it was closed due to
premises in Oxfordshire, launched Covid at the time of the fire.
a concierge service, and expanded
into four European nations
Get ready for the London Concours (Germany, Italy, France and
Switzerland) from a new base in
The first class to be announced for the 2021 London Concours is ‘Italian St Moritz. See themarket.co.uk.
Berlinettas’. The category promises a ‘celebration of the golden era of
sports car design from the country that was simply untouchable for
creating masterpieces’. It will focus on such ’60s design icons as Ferrari
250 GT SWB, Iso Grifo GL and Lancia Flaminia Super Sport Zagato.
Already lined up are a well-known 250 SWB ’61 Sefac Hot Rod, the
ultimate 250 GT SWB, and a similarly special 275 GTB6/C, one of only Defender for adventurers
two built with the combination of lightweight alloy body, six-carburettor Land Rover Classic is building 25
engine, torque tube, factory roll bar, and factory outside filler. ‘adventure-ready’ Defender Works
Previously held over two days, this year the London Concours will V8 Trophys, based on its re-
be held at the Honourable Artillery Company on 8-10 June. The new engineered 2012-2016 Defender
three-day format comprises VIP Preview Day, Style Edition and a special Fiennes rebrands Works 5.0 V8. They will come
Supercar Day. Tickets cost from £25 at londonconcours.co.uk/tickets. Due to recent growth, the Fiennes with 90 or 110 Station Wagon
Restoration group – which, as bodies, in Eastnor Yellow with
well as the Fiennes Restoration matching steel wheels. Buyers will
business founded in 1976 and compete in a three-day all-terrain
Robin Price RIP specialising in Rolls-Royce and event at Eastnor Castle in
Tranmission and all-wheel-drive Bentley, includes Coventry Herefordshire as their first drive.
guru Robin Price (on right) has Boring & Metalling, Rob Walker
died, aged 78. The Coventry-born Engineering and the Historic
engineer joined Tony Rolt’s FF Engine Company – has re-
SHUTTERSTOCK

Developments in 1971 and helped branded to Fiennes Classic,

Gerald Wiegert RIP
As the driving force behind the
Vector, Gerald Wiegert longed to
build an American supercar to
rival exotica from Europe. He
formed Vehicle Design Force in
1971; his original Vector concept
was rotary-powered, but it finally
entered production as the 6.0-litre
W8 in the late 1980s. Fewer than
20 were sold. He announced the
WX-8 in 2007… but the world
is still waiting.
spearhead its development of
all-wheel-drive technology, from
converting Opel Senators to the
prototype Ford Sierra 4x4, Group
B and Group A rally cars. In 1994,
after the sale of FFD to Ricardo,
Price joined Xtrac.
Fiennes Showroom, Fiennes
Parts, Fiennes Performance and
Fiennes Engineering. For more,
see fiennes.co.uk.
Insurance for collectors
Insurance broker Howden has
launched a new scheme for classic
car collectors. Called Rhodium, it
will be run by a dedicated classic
car team led by former Hagerty
UK directors Angus Forsyth and
Marcus Atkinson, within the
company’s Private Clients
division, and will operate out of
new offices at Bicester Heritage.
Bloodhound blow
The Bloodhound project has hit
the buffers again and says that, if
no saviour steps up now, its bid
to hit 1000mph on land will die.
Having tested to 628mph, the
team has its eyes on an 800mph
test in 2022, but Covid has
wreaked havoc with its plans.
It is appealing for a new owner.

28
 THE FINEST CARS. THE BEST EXPERIENCE

JOIN US
SATURDAY THE
SPRING
20TH MARCH
ASCOT
RACECOURSE

CLASSIC
Entries include this
1973 JAGUAR E-TYPE
SERIES III CONVERTIBLE
One owner from new.
Completely original.
£75,000-£85,000

VIEWING DAYS
Wednesday 17th March, 9am-7pm
Thursday 18th March, 9am-7pm AN OPEN-TO-PUBLIC SALE
OF 180 FINE CLASSICS
Friday 19th March, 9am-5pm
SALE TIME
Saturday 20th March, 9.30am
Doors open 8.30am Please visit the website for up-to-date information regarding Covid-19
related restrictions, plus full details of all entries and how to bid in-hall,
online or by phone.

+ 44 (0)1753 639170 auctions@historics.co.uk www.historics.co.uk

 IGNITION / Obituaries

Rémy
Julienne
b.1930
ALAMY

FEW PEOPLE have dominated a sphere of motoring quite as much as

this French master of mayhem movie motoring. Just about every
significant car sequence or chase is his work, or that of his team. Just a
few of the most familar contributions are The Italian Job, pictured right
(which really cemented his growing reputation), six Bond movies, Ronin,
plus several French films starring the immense Jean-Paul Belmondo.
In the early days, this passionate rallycross and motocross competitor became beloved of directors for his meticulous, scientific approach, his
– he was national champion at the latter – carried out many of the stunts creative ambition and his willingness to surpass any stunts that had been
himself, but as time wore on he gravitated more towards planning, co- performed up until then. His company, now run by his sons Michel and
ordinating and directing. His big break came after the mentor who had Dominique, estimates that Rémy was involved in more than 1400 movies,
brought him to stunt riding and driving, Gil Delamare, died in an accident but he was equally dominant in choreographing advertisements for
and Julienne agreed to fulfil his studio contracts. Dubbed the Einstein of major manufacturers including Fiat, Renault and Citroën, and even set
stuntmen by no lesser authority than Claude Lelouch, Julienne quickly up a ‘school’ for aspiring stunt drivers and co-ordinators.

Mike Worthington-Williams b.1938

LARGER THAN LIFE, distinguished by a huge bushy beard and
a frequent wearer of tweed and a deerstalker, ‘Worthy’, as he was
universally known, was a prolific motoring journalist, historian,
auction house advisor and champion of the vintage car movement.
Practising what he preached, he used his Austin 20, ‘Arthur’ (below),
as a daily driver, reputedly adding 250,000 miles to a car that had
already done a million miles when bought. He wrote his first article
about cars in 1952 but, after National Service in the RAF, he became
GETTY IMAGES

a successful City broker before deciding to concentrate on writing

full-time. His status as a historian (he was awarded an MBE in 2018)
meant that he was hugely instrumental in enabling UK classic vehicle
owners to recover original registrations from the licensing authorities.
Married twice, he lived with his extended family in a rambling rural
Jean Graton b.1923 manor house in Wales and carried on working right up until his death.

FOR FANS OF motor racing or comic books, the name Jean Graton
will need no introduction. The creator of Michel Vaillant was French-
born, of course, though he spent most of his working life in Belgium.
While working for Tintin magazine, he started coming up with his
own stories and characters, and the racing driver Michel Vaillant – a
sort of French motorsport equivalent of Roy of the Rovers – emerged
in 1957. At first the stories were printed in Tintin, but soon took on a
life of their own and eventually totalled almost 100 individual books,
plus collections and more. Part of the appeal was how real characters
and cars were woven into the stories, and so expertly and accurately
portrayed. Few could compete with the title character, however, who
clocked up a supposed four F1 World Championships, two Indy
EMYR RHYS WILLIAMS

500s, four Le Mans, the East African Safari Rally and even Paris-
Dakar. The vivid description of circuits and racing was aided by
Graton’s own lifelong obsession with motoring and motor racing. In
2004, at the age of 80, he handed over the reins to his son Philippe.

30
 1960 FERRARI 250 GT Pininfarina
Series II Cabriolet

Ferrari factory restoration, certifed by Ferrari,

well documented. Price on Request

2010 PORSCHE 911 Sport Classic 1959 BMW 507 Series

PORSCHE 959 II
S Cabriolet
Only 1.068 km from new, 1 of 250 examples, increased perfor- Delivered in 29
One of only 1959 with hardtop
examples, superex-factory, original
low mileage,
mance ex factory to 408 HP, well documented. interior, well documented history.
extremely original, untouched like new.
Price on Request Price on Request

L D L D L D L D L D L D
SO SO SO SO SO SO
My customers and I have shared passion and enthusiasm for the
world’s most exciting and beautiful cars for 33 years. Our clients
appreciate our expertise, discretion and dependability in buying
and selling their classic automobiles.

Please feel free to contact us and trust in our experience and

global network.

Yours, Axel Schütte

Rudolf-Diesel-Straße 3-9
TEL: +49 5202 72000 33813 Oerlinghausen
info@axelschuette.de
www.axelschuette.de Germany
IGNITION / Woman & Machine
WOMAN & MACHINE
World tour of the M25
Covid curtailed MGA owner Charlotte Vowden’s grand plan
Words Charlotte Vowden Photography James Wiltshire
CIRCUMNAVIGATING the M25 at 5am on
an overcast Monday morning wasn’t quite the
7000-mile road trip to Everest Base camp that
my dad and I had planned. We were marking
the 60th birthday of my late grandfather’s
MGA Roadster, Frisky – but the pandemic had
put the brakes on that plan, days before the car
was due to set sail for south-east Asia.
We’d spent a year preparing for an all-terrain
drive through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,
Laos, China, Tibet and Nepal. Instead, after
months of lockdown, we’d put some miles
between us and home by driving in a big circle.
Tucking into bacon baps at South Mimms
services, after completing the less ambitious
WHY WE LOVE…
Tamiya RC model kits
One of my earliest childhood memories is of
staring at the top-shelf Tamiya radio-control
model kits in the local toy shop. Despite the Alfa
Romeo 155 Touring Car, Escort Cosworth
WRC and Group C Le Mans monster, it was
the Martini-liveried Integrale that caught my
attention. Tamiya took the coolest cars on the
planet and brought them within reach.
The responsibility of driving something you’ve
spent days building is a huge part of the thrill –
though the glee of completion is quickly
defeated by that heart-stopping, gut-wrenching
32
challenge of 117 miles around one of the UK’s
most infamous roads, dad and I laughed at the
sense of satisfaction we felt in that moment.
Born in 1960, Frisky is a California girl at
heart. Left-hand-drive with a 1600cc engine –
which she still has – she spent her first three
decades in the US before being shipped back
for an interior and exterior overhaul by MG
specialist Brown & Gammons. Having
converted her to right-hand drive and with a
re-spray from Iris Blue to Chariot Red, they
drove her to victory in the 1991 Monte Carlo
Challenge. Her rally decals were still in place
when my grandfather, Raymond Greenway –
Dodo as I knew him – gave her a new home.
feeling when you lose control and stack it into
a tree! Yet you soon get over it…
The older I get, the more satisfaction I derive
from the construction of the kits. Most recently
I’ve spent time rebuilding a particularly special
Group B Toyota Celica kit. It’s one of the few
that haven’t been reissued in recent years.
Whatever joy you as an adult may get out
of these wonderful pieces of miniature
engineering, it’s also true that they have had
a big impact and influence on younger
enthusiasts. We couldn’t help but notice the
resurgence in the popularity of these kits during
lockdown, as parents attempted to occupy
restless children. Long may it continue.
Matthew Hayward
Old photos show me sitting in the passenger
seat, barely able to see above the door.
In 2019, Blue Diamond Riley Services gave
her a critical engine rebuild. Dad, a mechanic,
commissioned a sump-guard and spare wheel
bracket, then replaced the stiffer springs fitted
by Brown & Gammons with standard ones to
give her more lift. We installed a two-way radio,
rear fog light, five charging ports, extra mirrors,
and a glass petrol filter to help cope with low-
quality fuel. We even put in seatbelts – a
requirement for China – but, to preserve as
much as possible of the car that Dodo loved, I
removed the carpets and bumpers.
Dodo drove Frisky into his 90s; I was his last
passenger, and the first to get her back on the
road when he passed away. I had no idea what I
was doing, and she suffered because of it.
Lesson number one: check the forecast, know
how to put the roof up, and don’t forget the
windows. Lesson number two: you think you
know how to change gears, but you don’t.
That was three years ago. The anniversary of
Dodo’s death would have coincided with
reaching Everest. I wanted to show him what
Frisky could do, what I could do, and I wanted
to make him proud, but it wasn’t meant to be.
2020 has been about the small wins.
I think it’s important to have grand plans,
but what Frisky, and this year, have taught me
is that when something goes wrong, try to see
it as an opportunity. When Frisky presents
an issue, my technical inadequacy triggers
frustration – but my dad is helping me work
on that. When I reunited with my mum after
lockdown, we wanted to mark the occasion
with a spin, but problems with Frisky’s fuel
system made it impossible. We were
disappointed, but dad and I worked together
on the fix. In future I’ll know what to do.
I may not always understand my little red
devil, but the pride, the passion and the
exhilaration she brings into my life makes it all
worth it, especially when I get to share that
with other people.
IGNITION / Gearbox

TIDDO BRESTERS
This 66-year-old Dutchman is FIVA president
but also had a 30-year career in the postal
service and has a soft spot for VW Beetles
Interview Thomas Imhof
1. You’ll find a logbook in the glovebox
of all my cars, noting fuel and oil
consumption. For the 2009 North Cape
tour in my 1973 Beetle 1303 S it became
a Kjørebok [Norwegian for ‘driving
record’], with pictures of the pit stops.
2. When I was 12 I got my first camera
and am still rarely on the road without
a (real) camera. I switched to digital in
2009, but thousands of my car pictures
and slides still wait to be digitised.

1. 2. 3. In November 1989, two days after the

fall of the Berlin Wall, I went to witness
this making of history, seeing thousands
of East Germans heading toThe West
in Trabants. At that time 13in wheels, a
Duroplast body and a 600cc two-stroke
were enough to enjoy such freedom!

4. Every Dutchman loves skating,

especially speed skating. But sadly we
don’t seem to have real winters anymore,
not like the one of 1962-63 when even car
tours were organised on the ice.
3.
5. For 30 years I worked for the postal
service, most of the time internationally:
the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in
Berne. The UPU tie and Polish letterbox
remind us of the centuries when letters
were the main means of communication,
4. just as I had with friends in Poland and
elsewhere behind the Iron Curtain.

6. Even in these days of Google Maps

5. and satellite navigation systems, I find
it is still a fascinating pastime to unfold
county and city street maps, especially
for exploring trips off the beaten track.

7. I inherited my love for Volkswagen from

my German grandfather. Sadly, nothing
other than a Hessen/American Occupied
Zone licence plate is left from his 1950
split-window standard Beetle. From his
1953 oval De Luxe, however, the glove
compartment cover flap has survived,
6. 7. along with the still-ticking clock that he
had built into it. The car key pictured is
for a Beetle that came into the family in
1969, and still belongs to me.

8. 8. As a Dutch military service conscript

over 40 years ago, I received an intensive
course in the Russian language, so that
Soviet prisoners of war could be
interrogated and confiscated documents
9. translated! Ever since, I have regularly
played Scrabble in Russian with my
‘tovarishchi’ [comrades] from that course.

9. In the past I would never travel without

a transistor radio, which I think is essential
to stay connected with what is going on.
Certainly, when you are travelling by car,
a radio is still the fastest source of
information, and not only for traffic news!

34
 Winner of the 1956 Watkins Glen Grand Prix
Raced in the 1956 Sebring 12 Hours & Nassau Speedweek

FOR THIS LISTING AND MORE

BROKERAGE | EVENTS | RESEARCH


JAY LENO
The Collector
I
f you’re reading this magazine you probably think
you’re reasonably well-versed on all things
automotive. Not necessarily an engineer or a
mechanic, but someone who is not easily fooled by
the creative minds in the automotive advertising
department. At least, I thought I was.
The term ‘badge engineering’ comes to mind. This is
usually where some storied bankrupt brand from the
past has mated with some mediocre product from the
present to fool us into thinking something new and
incredible is being released to the public.
The concept reached its zenith in the late 1980s with
the release of the Chrysler TC,
basically a Daytona with a Maserati
‘HAVE I EVER
cylinder head on its 2.2-litre turbo
four-cylinder. A friend, not a car
guy, told me that another friend of BEEN SUCKERED
ours, also not a car guy, had bought
a Maserati. With visions of IN BY BADGE
ENGINEERING?
Quattroportes and Ghiblis dancing
in my head, I couldn’t wait to call
him and welcome him to the fold.
‘It’s an ’89,’ he said. ‘I paid 9500 I’LL LET YOU BE
bucks for it.’ What kind of Maserati
do you get for 9500 bucks? ‘Well,
THE JUDGE’
technically,’ he said, ‘it’s a Chrysler.
But it has a Maserati racing engine in it.’ Not wanting to
harsh his buzz, I asked him about it. He said it had
bucket seats with – and I quote – ‘rich Corinthian
leather’. I congratulated him and hung up.
I am fascinated by the controversy of the new Mustang
Mach-E, Ford’s new electric car – which is actually quite
good. But half the people are furious that it’s called
‘Mustang’; the other half are excited about a new electric
Mustang. Would I even be writing this if it was called the
Electro 3000? It would be just another electric car. And
with the GT package and all-wheel drive it can pretty
much blow off everything, save the 760bhp Shelby.
I remember Bob Lutz telling me at the introduction of
the then-new Dodge Viper, half the people loved it and
the other half hated it. How to handle the half that hate
it? ‘I don’t,’ he said. ‘They’re not going to buy it anyway.’
When General Motors released the new mid-engined
C8 Corvette there were howls of protest. ‘It’s not a
Corvette unless it has round tail-lights and the engine is
in the front,’ screamed the faithful. Luckily GM listened
to its engineers rather than its marketing people and
produced a car in which the base engine package is faster
and handles better than the outgoing top-of-the-line
model, the ZR1. Gone are the days when the difference
IGNITION / Opinion
between the base model and the GT was cartoon
graphics, racing stripes and a wheel package.
Have I ever been suckered in by badge engineering?
I’ll let you be the judge. I’m a huge fan of English
motorcycles, preferably Brough Superiors and Vincents.
The Broughs preceded the Vincents by at least a decade
and were considered to be the first superbikes. They
were guaranteed to go 100mph when most bikes could
barely reach a mile a minute. They had, and still have, the
most beautiful gas tank in motorcycling, as well as one of
the sexiest engines of all time: the 1000cc JAP V-twin
with overhead valves and exposed valvetrain.
Combine that with the legend of
TE Lawrence (of Arabia), who died
JAY LENO
on his seventh before he could Comedian and talk
show legend Jay Leno
take delivery of number eight. Then
add George Brough – designer,
is one of the most famous
entertainers in the USA.
builder, racer and a PT Barnum
of marketing, who never missed
He is also a true petrolhead,
with a huge collection
an opportunity to publicise his of cars and bikes
(jaylenosgarage.com).
Rolls-Royce of motorcycles – and Jay was speaking with
you have a tsunami of possible
badge engineering.
Jeremy Hart.
In the 1930s George Brough
decided to build a car. As with his
motorcycles, he didn’t build his
own engines, he just found the best he could, made sure
they were built to the highest standards, and sold them.
Unlike the motorcycles, of which legends were made, his
cars were hardly racers. He bought six-cylinder
American-made Hudson chassis, had them shipped to
England and bodied by WC Atcherley of Birmingham.
The only time a Brough car was ever at the Brough works
was when a customer came to take delivery.
George was not above a bit of chicanery. In the mid-
to-late-1930s, overhead valves were the way to go,
especially in racing. Hudson engines were flatheads, or
sidevalves. Dependable but hardly sexy. So George made
a cover to sit on top of the sidevalve cylinder head,
giving the appearance of an overhead-valve engine.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re a fine car: quiet, reliable,
looked a bit like a Bentley at a third of the price. But the
car’s ethos came from the motorcycles.
When one came up for sale at an auction recently I
had to buy it. After all, I had all the bikes, how could
I not have a Brough car? I paid roughly five times what
the equivalent Hudson was worth. So my friend got a
Chrysler with a Maserati engine and I got a Brough
Superior with a Hudson engine. I think it’s fair to say
I’ll never make fun of my non-car guy friends again.
37

DEREK BELL
The Legend
I
watched the Daytona 24 Hours from the comfort of
my sofa, all the while marvelling at how the
organisers managed to stage it despite the
horribleness that is going on in the world. How
weird it seemed still to see empty grandstands while
such a major race was unfolding behind closed doors.
And what a race! The depth of talent across all classes
was remarkable, with IndyCar champions, NASCAR
stars and one or two Grand Prix winners mixing it with
the sports car elite.
After 23 hours and 52 minutes of racing, less than a
second divided the top two runners. The final few laps
were tense, to put it mildly, but
Wayne Taylor’s équipe came out on
‘THE LAST THING
top for the third year in succession.
The final margin of victory was
4.7sec, with the Acura DPi driven I HEARD WAS:
by Filipe Alburquerque, Hélio
Castroneves, Alexander Rossi and “THIS MAN NEEDS
HELP!” I CAME
Ricky Taylor taking the silverware
over the quartet in the Chip
Ganassi Cadillac. I remember when
I was in my pomp and doing the ROUND SLUMPED
race in sports-prototypes, the
winning margin could be 20 laps or
OVER A RAIL’
more. The entry list was hardly
threadbare back then, I might add, so to have such
a close finish was quite something.
Nor, as might be suggested, was the winning margin
contrived. Those guys were racing, and racing hard. And
believe me, the Daytona 24 Hours is flippin’ tough. I was
fortunate enough to win it three times, and I maintain
that it was harder on the driver than the Le Mans 24
Hours. There was no let-up; no chance to catch your
breath, not least when you came off the banking and
entered the infield section. Picking your way through
the slower traffic could be a nightmare, particularly at
night. Of all the victories on my resumé, those are right
up there in terms of satisfaction. I felt that my team-
mates and I had earned them.
Which, by means of an awkward segue, brings me
on to another victory that meant a lot to me. I was
chatting with a journalist the other day and the
conversation turned to the 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours.
This was a race that couldn’t have gone better, and it had
a massive impact on my career. I owe a huge debt of
gratitude to Steve O’Rourke who, aside from being
Pink Floyd’s manager, was also a gentleman driver.
In 1981, we shared a BMW M1 in rounds of the
World Endurance Championship. I was committed
IGNITION / Opinion
to doing eight races with him, including Le Mans, and
I was grateful for the drive. Then Porsche offered me a
seat alongside my great friend Jacky Ickx in the 936/81
for the 24 Hours.
I felt honour-bound to stay with Steve’s EMKA team
but fortunately the decision was made that much
easier by the man himself. I will never forget his
generosity in allowing me to accept the Porsche seat
because it resulted in my second win in the 24 Hours.
That in turn led to me landing a full-time drive with
Porsche for 1982. The rest is history. The race itself
was undramatic, the car perfect. It was essentially the
same design of 936 that won at
Le Mans in 1977, but with a
DEREK BELL
2.65-litre ‘six’ from Porsche’s Derek took up racing in
1964 in a Lotus 7, won
stillborn IndyCar programme with
Interscope. It was tough as old
two World Sportscar
Championships (1985
boots and the four-speed ’box,
which was an old Can-Am unit, was
and 1986), the 24 Hours
of Daytona three times (in
perfect for the job. 1986, ’87 and ’89), and
Le Mans five times (in 1975,
The only issue, as it were, was ’81, ’82, ’86 and ’87).
trying to thread your way through
the slower cars without tripping
over them. Le Mans, then as
now, attracts drivers of varying
degrees of ability. I remember
during the night coming up on a couple of cars that
were having their own little battle. I flashed my lights
to show them I was there, and the faster car slotted
back in behind the slower one. I naturally thought they
had seen me, but then the faster car pulled out in front
of me just as I was pulling alongside, which forced
me onto the grass.
We won by ten laps, but the funny thing is I never
crossed the finishing line on the final tour. I got to the
Ford chicane and was encircled by photographers and
marshals. Gendarmes were telling me to ease forward so
I was slipping the clutch for all I was worth. I ended up
being yanked out of the car by the cops and carried all
the way to the balcony. I drank quite a bit of Champagne,
only for Barrie Gill to appear with a microphone. He
wanted an interview, but I suddenly became rather
lightheaded and passed out…
The last thing I heard was: ‘This man needs help!’
I came round slumped over a rail. Later on, there was a
party with the Porsche mechanics, which involved
drinking more bubbly. That, and singing. I managed
maybe an hour’s sleep before getting up at 7am to get to
Cherbourg for the ferry home. I wasn’t in great shape,
but rarely have I been happier.
39

STEPHEN BAYLEY
The Aesthete
T
he motor industry was always coarse and vulgar,
but often gloriously so. There was so much money
and so many opportunities, such hungry markets,
that ethics and taste could find no way into the
very loud conversation. But bad manners are
often more sincere than extreme politeness.
Like Big Pharma and Big Oil, Big Car was an
international circus of amoral excess. The great thing
about Big Car was that its survival depended on
schmoozing the public psyche. Bliss it was in that dawn
to be alive. But dawn has turned to dusk and the motor
industry has become less like a raucous circus and more
like a roomful of fretful penitents,
bent on self-denunciation under
‘POLESTAR IS A
pitiless scrutiny from the Global
Compliance Officer of The Woke
Movement of Complainers. NO-BRAND BRAND,
For only the fifth time in 113
years, GM has re-designed its logo. ITS LOGOS NEARLY
INVISIBLE, CHROME
I can find no attribution to an
outside agency, so we may assume
that it was the work of the in-house
studio and, therefore, we may also BEING THE WORK
assume that it is a peculiarly
accurate illustration of corporate
OF SATAN’
values, as briefed to the designers
by management. That’s to say… it is more like a
confession than bold heraldry.
GM no longer sees itself as a mere car manufacturer,
but is re-purposed as a ‘mobility provider’. You dare not
even think ‘smallblock V8’ any more; it is now a
compulsory piety to think electricity. Accordingly, the
GM logo is blue, in some versions a shimmering blue
gradient, as if to suggest a life-giving electrical pulse.
And to suggest self-effacement, the ‘GM’ is now
lower-case in a rounded font so as to be non-aggressive.
The familiar underline remains, but now only beneath
the ‘m’. With weary, try-hard symbolism, the ‘m’ and the
underline look a little like an electrical plug. Get it? The
company describes it as ‘vibrant’ (always a signal-passed-
at-danger). I describe it as a graphic design calamity,
being both annoyingly visible and conceptually weak.
The auto da fé – or ‘act of faith’ – was a public act of
penance during the Spanish Inquisition. Today, every
car manufacturer is at it. Brightwork and enamel and
three-dimensional effects are being banished from the
language of external logo design. Besides a nod to
puritanism, there is a technical reason for this: logos
nowadays spend as much time in the digital environment
as they do in the more healthy open-air, and a graphic
IGNITION / Opinion
flattening means they reproduce better on screens. Even
if they look bleak and austere in real life.
The Flying Lady remains, but the Pentagram design
partnership has just flattened Rolls-Royce. Volkswagen
has also flattened its logo. Given its origins in a fever
dream of the Führer bent on motorising the pedestrian
volk with the fairy dust of Professor Porsche, I am
astonished that no-one pointed out that the new logo
emanates a scary Nazi vibe. Specifically, and I owe this to
my friend Justyn Norek, a designer once of IDEA
Institute in Turin, the firm responsible for the original
Fiat Tipo, it looks like the logo of the 36th
Waffen Grenadier. Led by Oskar
Dirlewanger, who was nasty even
STEPHEN BAYLEY
by SS standards, the Dirlewanger SB is the individual for
whom the term ‘design
Brigade’s speciality was gang
warfare (it sounds better in German
guru’ could have been
coined. He was the
as Bandenbekämpfung).
Are there any larger design issues
founding director of
London’s Design Museum
evolving here? I think we are seeing and his best-selling books
include Sex, Drink and Fast
the re-positioning of what it is to Cars and Taste: the Secret
be a car business. Polestar is a no-
brand brand, its logos tone-on-tone
Meaning of Things.
body colour and therefore nearly
invisible, chrome being the work of
Satan. The design business calls it
CMF (colours, finishes, materials). CMF has replaced
BHP as a signifier of values. BMW made signal
innovations in CMF with the i3, with its recycled
bamboo and open-pore eucalyptus from certified
forests. Sitting in one is like squatting in Whole Foods.
Toyota is planning a Woven City (a reference to the
company’s origins as a manufacturer of looms), which
breaks ground near the base of Mount Fuji later this
year. This, and I do not intend to parody a press release,
is a totally designed integrated community with
everything powered by hydrogen fuel-cells in which
‘cars’ are appliances with no more emotional value than
a fridge. Woven City’s architect is a Danish practice
called Bjarke Ingels Group. Its email address is big.dk,
which may or may not be revealing.
The dialectics of the auto industry are now based on
apologetics. That may be a welcome correction after so
many years of waste and pollution, but it is the language
of timorous retreat, not of confident conquest. 1971
produced many cars that fascinate us 50 years later.
Maserati Bora, anyone? I doubt that will be the case in
2021. Lucid Air? I don’t think so. Whatever, by then
Octane will need a new logo and re-brand. In 50 years
time it will be called Voltage.
41
IGNITION / Opinion
ROBERT COUCHER
The Driver
N
ever really got Fiat. Yes, I know historically it
stood for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino but
what is a Fiat apart from not being an Alfa
Romeo? As a classic car enthusiast like me you
probably know the old cliché, which states that
all Alfas are brimming with brio, even the ones that
actually are not. Fiats, on the other hand, are Alfas with
a charisma bypass. Is that a gross generalisation?
I have an Italian friend, but you wouldn’t know it
because he has no interest in cars, knows nothing about
football and hardly eats or drinks anything. And he’s
blond. In motoring parlance you’d hardly describe him
as Omologato, certainly not Veloce
and not even Lusso – he’s more of a
‘TO MY MIND,
Stradale sort of fellow – but on skis
he’s sensational, stylish and lethally
quick. Bit of a ringer down a black THE ORIGINAL PANDA
run on the white stuff.
In my opinion Fiats have always IS THE FIAT TO
HAVE: PURE
languished behind racy Alfas and
eccentric Lancias in terms of appeal
and attraction. What was the last
great Fiat? Probably Dante GIORGETTO GIUGIARO
Giacosa’s exotic-sounding Otto Vu,
but that’s a car of the 1950s, one
DESIGN GENIUS’
that commands the price of
London real estate. Actually, Giacosa’s rather more
mass-market 500 was almost certainly the most
significant Fiat of all, with some 3½ million built
between 1957 and 1975. Driving a classic 500 is like
being ensconced in a hardtop lawnmower, bringing new
meaning to the automotive engineers’ favourite
anacronym, NVH – lots of it! And a hot Abarth version
I drove was incredibly exciting but for all the wrong
reasons. The new (well, it was new in 2007) 500 feels
worryingly tinny to me. And the current Fiat Abarth 124
is actually a slightly better-dressed Mazda MX-5, and it’s
been withdrawn from the UK market anyway. Oh dear.
But a classic 500 makes a great little run-around, its
apotheosis being the Jolly ‘beach car’ with the roof
lopped off and replaced with a stripy canvas awning, and
a set of waterproof wickerwork seats. Style icon and Fiat
boss Gianni Agnelli set the trend when he commissioned
the ‘Jolly de Plage’ fun car to use during port stops on his
yacht Agneta when sailing around the Med. Aristotle
Onassis had one and they now command prices north
of that for a decent 105-series Alfa Giulia GTV.
To my mind, the original Panda is the Fiat to
have. Launched in 1980, its minimalist design brought
the original 500 idea bang up to date. Inexpensive, easy
42
to maintain, utilitarian and robustly simple, the Panda
was pure Giorgetto Giugiaro design genius. Its modular
construction, external hinges and flat glazing made it
cheap to build and Tardis-like inside, the latter helped by
seats inspired by a folding lounge chair. It obviously
worked because an amazing 7.8million have been built.
The model all cool Alpine types really want is the 4x4,
tremendously effective on snow thanks to its light weight
and Steyr-Puch drivetrain. Stylish dark green ones rarely
come up for sale, but second-gen examples are almost
as desirable and more readily available. You don’t need
to own a massive yacht to justify one, just a ski rack!
Looking at a Fiat 124 Sport
Spider next to the much-lauded
ROBERT COUCHER
Alfa Spider, the Turin car is better Robert grew up with classic
cars, and has owned a
resolved even if its Tom Tjaarda
styling is less eye-catching. It is
Lancia Aurelia B20 GT,
an Alfa Romeo Giulietta
deceptively simple, yet the Fiat has
a more planted stance than the
and a Porsche 356C. He
currently uses his properly
perched and narrow Duetto and it sorted 1955 Jaguar XK140
as his daily driver, and is
enjoyed 19 years in production, a founding editor of Octane.
another quiet success for Fiat.
The heart of classic Alfas is the
wonderful, all-alloy twin-cam
engine (later V6s are also deeply
mellifluous), but the Aurelio
Lampredi-designed DOHC used in various Fiats is as
delectable, even if it has less grunt and aural zing. Tuners
like them because they’re tough and the tappets can be
shimmed without the hassle of removing the cams, as
you must with the Alfa. The most desirable 124 Spider is
the tweaked Abarth Rally, which has more of that
clichéd brio than the Alfa Spider.
Where I grew up, south of the equator, it was very
much ‘race ’em on Sunday, flog ’em on Monday’, and
Ford led the Group A racing charge with its monster
Sierra V8, chased hard by BMW’s ludicrous M1-engined
745i, with the elegant underdog 3.0-litre Alfa GTV6
adding aural delight. In the more attainable Group N
class it was all BMW, Opel, Ford, Toyota, VW and Alfa
– not a Fiat was to be seen. Fiats were regarded as low-
key suburban commuter fodder in sunny South Africa.
Except, like my understated Italian friend, they were
really rather more than that, winning the WRC
Constructors’ trophy with the boxy 131 Abarth on
three occasions (see pages 76-84). Meanwhile, the
perfunctory Fiat twin-cam went on to power such
legendary weapons as the Lancia Delta Integrale, Lancia
037 and the fearsome Lancia Delta S4 – sensational,
stylish and lethally quick.
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 IGNITION / Letters

Letter Gold star for Glen

of the I would like to compliment Glen
month Waddington on his excellent
article in Octane 213 on the 1968
Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado
Coupe. It was a very immersive
piece of writing and, for a few
moments, I felt that I was in the
car as well.
Such phrases as ‘scattering
Priuses like a gilded shark’ and
‘the guy wearing shades while
driving his spanking new
911’ reminded me of Pete Lyons
and his superb F1 reports in
Autosport and Autocourse, and his
ability to place you where he was
sitting to watch the race. Glen has
that same ability.
Michael Broadbent, Cheshire

Running hot and cold

Matthew Hayward’s exploits
trying to start the 1886 Benz
replica in Octane 213 on a warm

Everyone needs good neighbours

READING ABOUT the sad loss
of ‘the father of the MGB’, Don
Hayter, in Octane 211 reminded
me how lucky I am.
Over the years, I helped my
neighbour, the late John Terence
Coombs, fettle his lovely MGB
GT V8. One of only 2591 made,
it was built in 1973 at Abingdon
and despatched to Wadham
Stringer of Worthing, Sussex,
who sold the car to its first owner,
a Mark Slattery of Hove, in 1974.
We spent many happy hours
talking all things automotive and
tackling the odd small job that
old cars need from time to time.
Sadly, in late 2018 John passed
away and his pride and joy sat
covered up in his garage. This was
a shame, because cars need
exercise now and again, but I had
at least made sure the battery was
being trickle-charged.
As time went by, I suggested to
John’s widow that it might be best
either to find a buyer or enter the
car into an auction. She was
reluctant to do that but asked if I
would take the car out from time
to time, as she understood how
important using a car was. After
all, she had spent many happy
hours as a passenger travelling
both in England and on the
Continent for MG V8 rallies.
One day in late 2020, after I
had been for a short run in the
MG, I was asked to sit down with
John’s widow and her brother: to
my astonishment, they said they
wanted me to have the MG and
that I could keep it in the garage,
so she could enjoy hearing the
car coming and going, bringing
back happy memories. They said
I would be the perfect owner
to look after it.
So that’s how I became the
owner of a stunning Glacier
White MGB GT V8 with only
48,356 genuine recorded miles.
As with all cars, little jobs are
always required and my first one
was to refresh the two front seats
with new foam, webbing and
matching covers. Next was new
oils in the engine, axle and
gearbox, followed by an MoT. The
car sailed through and the garage
confirmed the underneath was
solid and rust-free.
When we are allowed, I will be
taking the MG to as many shows
as possible, so, if you spot it, come
and have a chat and take a look at
the car’s stunning condition. It’s
a tribute to John Coombs, who
will always be in the passenger
seat, I’m sure, happy that I’m
looking after his car.
Tony Skipper, Northamptonshire
day reminded me of one January
morning during the 1990s.
John Bentley Engineering of
Batley, Yorkshire, made 100 Benz
replicas and my son Ben and I
were there when they wheeled
out a new example for a test run.
We had the opposite problem
to Matthew’s: the car wouldn’t
start because it was too cold! We
boiled some kettles of water and
poured them over the carburettor
to warm it up, so allowing the fuel
to vaporise. Problem solved, and
the car started instantly.
The fuel used was Evo-Stik
floor cleaner, incidentally, because
this vaporises much more readily
than petrol. Open a can and leave
the top off, and it’s disappeared
in ten minutes.
Jonathan Moorhouse, York

Letter of the Month wins a car cover worth £250

Manchester mystery
For more than 45 years, Confezioni Andrea Group has produced protective covers for The photo [above] was taken
the world’s major automotive, motorcycle and aircraft manufacturers. It has over 5000 around 1910, and the gentleman
individually tailored patterns for vehicle covers in its CoverCar range, and the writer of
Octane’s Letter of the Month can choose from an indoor or outdoor car cover to suit their with the moustache on the left
vehicle – or, in the event that it does not feature in that 5000-strong list, they can opt is my grandad, who lived in and
instead for a £250 voucher redeemable against any CoverCar product. CoverCar will around the Manchester area for
also apply an appropriate marque logo free of charge to the winner’s cover, if requested.
Any Octane reader can claim a ‘car show’ discount if they mention the magazine when most of his life. I have had the
ordering a CoverCar cover; see www.covercar.com for full details of the range. photo for many years but have

45
IGNITION / Letters
never been able to work out when
and where it was taken.
The number plate, B2N, looks
like an early Manchester
registration and the background
appears to be a factory, with large
steam heating pipes around the
inner walls. I wondered if this
could have been the Crossley
factory, which was not that far
from where the family lived.
Does anyone have any
thoughts or suggestions?
Andrew Conreen, Manchester
The vehicle is some sort of cyclecar,
which as the name suggests was a
lightweight vehicle halfway between
a bicycle and a ‘proper’ car. There’s
chain drive to a sprocket on the rear
axle, and the chap in the middle is
holding a brake lever that acts
directly on the rear tyre. Other than
that, I’m stumped! Mark Dixon
Regrets, he has a few
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB on the
cover of Octane 212 made my
heart stop – and then beat faster
when I read the feature.
In 1972 my girlfriend Margitta
and I attended the first Oldtimer
Grand Prix at the Nürburgring
and parked our 300 SL Gullwing
among all the competition cars
in the paddock. We went out
to watch the GT cars practise
and race, and Margitta soon
commented on how lousy the
300 SLs were doing on the track,
with the 250 SWBs running rings
around them. She pointedly
advised me to switch cars and
said I’d better ‘get one of those
Ferraris’. I reluctantly conceded
and agreed to give it a shot.
46
Five years later, after numerous
unsuccessful tries, I scored
1773GT, a very early car [above].
It was run down, the engine
in pieces, the bodywork with
primitively repaired damage and
a cheap respray. But it cost ‘only’
$22,000 – just as much as I had
paid for a really nice 300 SL
Roadster a few months before.
With help from Jess Pourret,
we had the engine rebuilt and the
gearbox swapped for the original
one. Rob de la Rive Box helped
source the missing aluminium
(competition model) bumpers
and by 1978 we had it all gathered
together in Germany and started
putting the car through a
comprehensive rebuild.
Shortly before putting on the
paint in 1984, I was offered
DM300,000 for the car. The
number blew me off my feet and
Margitta, by then and to this day
my wife, remarked that she could
not see me driving around in a
car that was worth as much as a
house. It would just be stressful
and no fun!
I – dutifully – took her advice
again and sold the car that she
herself initiated me to buy in the
first place. I had just turned 30 at
the time and, referencing the title
of your article, For Gentlemen and
Players, was obviously a player but
not a gentleman. We did buy a
pretty big house for the money.
But today, while I still have the
300 SL Roadster bought in 1977,
I dream of having grown up to be
a gentleman 36 years ago and kept
the player’s 250 SWB as well.
Dr Richard Koch Grimmel,
Zurich, Switzerland
Coming clean
Reading James Elliott’s latest
report on the restoration of his
Jensen Interceptor in Octane 213,
I noted the last paragraph about
the ‘heavy metal Jensen sign’
[below] that he bought on eBay.
I believe this sign probably
originated from a Danish/Swiss
laundry machinery manufacturer,
Jensen-Group, which has a UK
base in Banbury. Our family
business used to buy equipment
from them, and I visited their
offices and factory on the Danish
island of Bornholm many times.
Colin Rowe, Cornwall
The poor man’s E-type
Having just spent £9.99 on your
60 Years of the Jaguar E-type
‘bookazine’, I was disappointed to
see that the 2+2 model was hardly
covered at all.
I have desired a Series 1 E-type
FHC all my life but they’ve always
been beyond my reach. Four years
ago, a 2+2 [below] became
available for £13,000. It was
suffering the typical rust, but it
was complete and it was a UK car.
I got a bank loan, took the plunge
and have during the past few
weeks begun the restoration.
Incidentally, my late uncle had
the first Roadster in the South-
West and I can clearly remember
standing on the front seat as an
eight-year-old with my hands on
the top of the screen as he took
me for a short drive in his new car
– at 100mph! Arthur passed away
in 1972 and my brother and l tried
to buy his immaculate E-type
from Aunt Bette, but she didn’t
want anyone in the family to have
it. It sold for £200…
John Davey, Devon
JEFF BLOXHAM
Racing through San Fran
What a pleasant surprise to
to find that the Buyer’s Guide in
Octane 212 featured the Ford
Racing Puma. Only 300 remain
and far fewer than that are on
the road; I myself have owned,
restored and hillclimbed three of
them, one of which I still own.
While the article mentioned
the Ford ad campaign featuring a
CGI-imposed Steve McQueen
driving the car through San
Francisco, what was not said was
that the original press launch of
the FRP was actually done in San
Francisco. Six of the first cars were
registered in October 1999 with
the numberplates V1 FRP
through to V6 FRP and were then
shipped by air to California. I am
very fortunate to have owned one
of these press cars, V4 FRP
[above], since 2006.
David Boneham, Carmarthenshire
Parked at Sandown
Having just read Derek Bell’s
column in Octane 210, reflecting
on his time Down Under in 1969
and his admiration for Jochen
Rindt, I thought Derek might be
interested to see this photo of
Jochen which I took at Sandown
(Melbourne) on 16 February
1969. I was just a spectator, but
it was a different world then.
Ken Hayes, Victoria, Australia
Send your letters to
letters@octane-magazine.com
Please include your name, address
and a daytime telephone number.
Letters may be edited for clarity.
Views expressed are not necessarily
those of Octane.
“ Winning a Stirling Moss
Trophy race in the little
Lotus XV against much
bigger engined cars is always
special. Keeping the Lotus
reliable when it’s pushed that
hard is a big challenge, but
making it to the chequered
flag is even more
rewarding when we do!
These wins are made
even more special
by sharing the car
with my Dad.
Oliver Bryant

Creating Motor Racing Legends of Tomorrow

motorracinglegends.com
SHELBY COBRA RESTORATION

SNAK E
CH AR MER

48
The Mk1 Shelby Cobra combines understated
barchetta looks with brawny V8 muscle.
Mark Dixon charts the restoration
of an unusually original survivor
Photography Gus Gregory and Paul Harmer

49
SHELBY COBRA RESTORATION
T his has to be the most evocative
approach to any classic car showroom
in the world. Once you’ve been buzzed
through the main gates of Brooklands
– the world’s first purpose-built banked
motor racing circuit – you turn right, along the time-worn
concrete that was once the last section of the Finishing
Straight. And then, suddenly, you roll onto the bottom of the
famous banking, which rises above you in Planet of the Apes-
style dereliction. It’s been disused since 1939 and yet, as you
turn right again towards your destination, it’s hard to resist
an instinct to flinch against the oncoming spectres of pre-
war racing cars, the thumping Bentleys, snarling Rileys and
buzzing little Austins, that you sense might appear at any
minute around the dramatically soaring curve.
Dismiss such foolish fancies, pass beneath the Members’
Bridge and then climb to the right along a muddy track
through a wooded section of infield, turning back on yourself
as you near the top. You’ve arrived at what used to be the
Brooklands members’ restaurant, now home to classic car
and AC specialist The Brooklands Motor Company.
THE BROOKLANDS MOTOR CO is the temporary
custodian of a 1963 Shelby Cobra Mk1, recently restored
by them on behalf of owner John Kent. This isn’t a car
with race history or a celebrity owner in its past; it is,
however, that increasingly rare thing, a very original early
‘This car is that increasingly rare thing,
a very original early Cobra, the purest
expression of Carroll Shelby’s vision’
50
Cobra, the purest expression of Carroll Shelby’s vision to
slot a muscular Ford V8 into a handcrafted European sports
car body and chassis.
Back in 2006, I had the idea of emailing Carroll Shelby to
ask whether he’d consider joining Octane as a columnist. It’s
often said of us Brits of a certain age that we can remember
exactly what we were doing when Princess Diana died –
well, I can recall how I was tinkering with one of the old cars
in my workshop when the phone rang and I picked it up to
hear that famous Texan drawl and the words, ‘Hey, Mark, it’s
Carroll Shelby…’ Carroll would prove to be an excellent
columnist for the next 2½ years and, of course, he talked
about the Cobra along the way. So let’s hear his own words
from Octane 40 of how the project began.
‘The chance to build something of my own came in 1961,
when AC Cars of Thames Ditton lost their supplies of six-
cylinder Bristol engines for their two-seater AC roadster.
Ford in Detroit had just made a small-block V8… So I went
to work and managed to get a chassis and body from Charles
Hurlock at AC and one of those new little V8 engines from
Dave Evans at Ford, and I put the two together at Dean
Moon’s speed shop in California. I didn’t have any money,
but it was a gamble I couldn’t pass up. Then one night I had
a dream I’d call my car a Cobra.’
Shelby had already sent over a sample Ford V8 to AC’s
works at Thames Ditton to try out in a modified Ace chassis.
Reputedly, a puzzled storeman received the engine without
 Above and facing page
Stripping the Cobra revealed the astonishing originality of body and chassis; Ford 289 V8 is of the
correct type but may have been swapped in the mid-1970s.

51
SHELBY COBRA RESTORATION

Above
Metal-worker Roger Duke and his fellow ‘Brooklands bashers’ put hundreds of hours into repairing the body
and chassis, using AC’s original wooden 1960s body bucks; Mk2-style wing vents (above right) had been
added later and were filled in as part of the restoration. Note traces of original red paint.

52
any paperwork, and when he opened the crate he told AC
boss Derek Hurlock (nephew of Charles) that he thought it
might be Japanese – ‘It says FOMOCO on the side of it…’
Production of Cobra chassis and bodies began at Thames
Ditton in 1962, and John Kent’s car was ordered on 17 July.
Its chassis number is CSX 2082 and it was one of the earliest
cars to be fitted with the 289ci Ford V8 that superseded
the 260ci V8 installed in the initial run of 75 Cobras.
The chassis number would therefore suggest it’s the seventh
289 Cobra to be completed, although it’s not certain that
the changeover from 260 to 289 engines happened quite
so neatly over at Shelby American.
What is certain is that CSX 2082 was painted red with
black interior and despatched to New York on 11 February
1963 via the SS American Farmer, minus engine and
gearbox, which would be fitted by Shelby in the USA. Or, as
AC’s record-keeper wrote in the despatch ledger, ‘Carol
Shelby’. His first name was very much still a girl’s name in a
Britain that had not quite yet started to swing.
STEVE GRAY IS the proprietor of the Brooklands Motor
Co, a company that has a long association with AC. ‘We
work closely with the present-day AC Cars,’ says Steve,
‘whose owner, Alan Lubinsky, I’ve known for 25 years, ever
since he took over in 1996 when Brian Angliss shut up the
factory. We’ve been collaborating with Alan on a new
electric AC but we very much major on the repair and
restoration of the Thames Ditton and Brooklands-built cars,
in our official capacity as AC Heritage.’
Brooklands Motor Co has AC’s original wooden body
bucks for the Cobra – and they would be pressed into
service once more for the restoration of CSX 2082. It’s fair
to say that Steve and his expert crew have restored more
Cobras than anyone else in the UK, and so he was the
obvious choice when John Kent needed someone to check
out this prospective purchase.
‘I’d always wanted a Cobra,’ John later tells me over the
phone. ‘It’s on most people’s bucket list, isn’t it? I saw this
one advertised at the RM Sotheby’s Battersea auction in
September 2016 but didn’t go to the sale. It was knocked
down to a bidder, but the deal fell through.
‘I was just about to go on holiday to Portugal at the time,
and persuaded my wife that we should stop off and take a
look at it on the way to the airport… Then, while waiting
for our flight, I picked up a classic car magazine, saw Steve’s
advert for Brooklands Motor Co and asked him if he could
go and check it over while we were away. Steve reported
back that he was very happy it was a genuine, original car,
so I did a deal with the auctioneers and bought it at slightly
less than the hammer price.’
Steve Gray takes over the story. ‘Because the car had been
repaired in the US at some point back in the day, there was
initially some question about its overall integrity. Once we
were able to put the car on a ramp, I spent an hour going
over the underside with a torch. Right from the start, I
could tell it was an original car because it still had the
wooden wedges that AC used to lay the floorpan into the
chassis. I phoned John and said “You need to buy this!”’
53
SHELBY COBRA RESTORATION
Key features of a Mk1 Cobra are its transverse leaf-
spring suspension and worm-and-sector steering; the latter
was changed to rack-and-pinion in early 1963, which also
necessitated altering the shape of the front wishbones and
their pick-up points. CSX 2082 retained the earlier type of
wishbones and the steering box. But it was not all good news.
While the car looked great to a casual observer, it had been
crashed and repaired within the first few years of its life, and
then re-repaired in the 1970s.
‘There was a phenomenal amount of crud in it,’ recalls
Steve. ‘We’d put a gauge either side of a panel and you could
feel half-an-inch of filler in places. But I told John not to
worry because, underneath all that, the car was right.’
IT MAY SEEM incredible to us in 2021 but, in the late ’60s
and early ’70s, a Cobra was not a particularly valuable car.
John Kent tracked down the American enthusiast who
bought CSX 2082 in February 1974 and re-restored it, Tim
Elfrink. ‘I am sorry to say it was not my best work,’ Tim told
John. ‘The Cobras were not worth what they are today. The
car had been damaged prior to me owning it; the previous
owner and his brothers made the repairs and painted it with
acrylic enamel. A year or so later I ended up selling the car to
John Kaltenbach and he asked me to do a little work on it and
repaint it. I think I’d paid about $7000 for the car and didn’t
make very much on it.’
In fact, CSX 2082 had struggled to find a buyer even when
it was brand new. Paperwork shows that after being invoiced
by Shelby on 20 March 1963 to RRR Motors of Illinois
54
‘While the car
looked great to a
casual observer, it
had been crashed
and repaired within
its first few years’
for $5057, the car was returned unsold to Shelby a year
later. On 16 April 1964, Shelby resold it to Ford dealer Ed
Flandro in Pocatello, Idaho, for $5000, and it eventually
found a customer in late 1964, about a year-and-a-half
after it left England. That customer was Jim Weber, who
ended up selling the Cobra to Tim Elfrink early in 1974.
Some aspects of the car’s early life remain cloudy, not
helped by the fact that Ford did not stamp a serial number
on its small-block V8s until the late 1960s. ‘The 289 V8 has
a casting date code for 18 June 1964 and a stamped assembly
code for 25 August 1964,’ explains John Kent, ‘and yet one
would assume that it would have had a 1963 engine
originally. Was the engine swapped before it was sold to Jim
Weber – or did Tim Elfrink change it ten years later?’
Below and facing page
Bare-alloy shell is a work of art in its
own right; a little camera trickery
shows it before and after paint,
combined into a single image.
 1962 Shelby Cobra Mk1
Engine 289ci (4736cc) Ford V8, OHV, four-barrel carburettor Power 271bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque 312lb ft @ 3400rpm Transmission Four-speed Borg-Warner manual, rear-wheel drive
Steering Worm and sector Suspension Front and rear: double wishbones, transverse leaf springs,
telescopic dampers Brakes Discs all-round Weight 916kg Top speed 136mph 0-60mph 5.2sec

55
SHELBY COBRA RESTORATION

56
 Above, below and facing page
Steering wheel is currently a stand-in until the correct Mk1 Cobra type can be found; alternator and
electric fan are easily reversible concessions to modern-day drivability; first outing on the banking
at Brooklands, not that far from Thames Ditton, where CSX 2082 was built almost 60 years ago.

57
SHELBY COBRA RESTORATION
Tim’s recollections of CSX 2082 are understandably hazy,
47 years on, but he does recall that he robbed a number of
parts from 2082 to help with the rebuild of another Cobra
he owned, CSX 2543, which he fitted with a seriously
hot engine. Did Tim swap over the V8s, so that 2082 ended
up with the slightly later V8 from 2543?
Another mystery is when CSX 2082 acquired the wing
vents and slightly wider flared ’arches that were features of
the car when John acquired it in 2016. Not surprisingly,
overheating could be a problem with Cobras and louvred
vents were incorporated in the front wings after the first 160
or so cars had been made. The vents in John’s car, however,
didn’t look original and were probably added later.
CSX 2082’s career after Tim Elfrink sold it in 1975 to
John Kaltenbach is better documented. Kaltenbach kept
the Cobra until 1988, when he part-exchanged it against a
Ferrari Dino being offered by a dealer: at the time the Dino
was valued at $90,000 and the Cobra at $60,000! The
dealer then spent a further $30,000 on improving the Cobra
before selling it in 1989 to a New York-based enthusiast,
Marc S Sherman, for $165,000.
‘Each section of the
body was reworked on
the original wooden
bucks before being
gas-welded back
together’
58
That was at the height of the late-80s classic car boom
and when the car next changed hands, at RM Auctions’
Monterey sale in 1998, it fetched only $98,975. Five years
later, it was resold for $167,400 to the UK classic car dealer
Brian Classic, who passed it on to Lord Drayson. He kept it
in France for a while, until putting it into the 2016 RM
Sotheby’s auction, where it was knocked down at £459,200.
John Kent bought it post-sale for slightly less than that – but
not massively so. The car’s value, however, did mean that it
made economic sense to have Brooklands Motor Co
completely restore it.
‘ONCE WE HAD stripped the body of paint, we separated
it from the chassis and invited the honorary president of the
AC Owners Club, Bertie Gilbart-Smith, and Cobra expert
Nick Green to inspect it in the raw,’ continues Steve Gray.
‘They were able to check all the matching numbers stamped
into the doors and so on, to confirm its originality.
‘We then moved into what I’d call a conservation phase,
rather than one of restoration. The car had clearly suffered a
major knock on the front right-hand side, and some minor
pieces of chassis tubing had been replaced. You could see
from marks on the inner panels that a “body dozer” had
been used to straighten the shell, but we elected to leave
those as traces of its history. Similarly, although the seats
had clearly been retrimmed in the 1970s, we left those alone
as well. They’ve been like that for most of the car’s life and
their slight patination adds to its character.’
The Cobra’s aluminium body took a huge amount of work
to refurbish, however. Brooklands’ ace (sorry…) panelman
Roger Duke cut the damaged body into sections before
reworking each one on the original wooden body bucks and
then gas-welding them back together using 1mm strips of
alloy. The front and rear clips were repaired and the panels
rewrapped around their supporting tubular frames, using
virtually all of the original metal. Repairing the body and
chassis consumed hundreds of hours.
Fortunately, the small-block Ford V8 lived up to its
legendary reliability and needed no work at all. Suspension
and rear diff ’ were rebuilt, as was the steering box, and a set
of AC Greyhound-type 5.5J wire wheels found to replace
the incorrect 6.5J chrome wires that the car was wearing
when it arrived. ‘Later 289 Cobras had slightly wider wheels
than the Mk1, and wheelarches that were flared a little more
to accommodate them,’ explains Steve. ‘The earlier wheels
had less offset, with the spokes closer to the outer rim.’
While CSX 2082 is now about as close to an ex-factory
Mk1 as you could hope to find, one detail has yet to be
resolved. ‘The steering wheel was a later, dished type as
fitted to a Mk2,’ says Steve, ‘whereas it should be flat-faced.
The one now on the car is at least approximately right in that
it has the turn signal lever incorporated into the top of its
boss, but I’m still looking for an original Mk1 wheel.’
CORRECT OR NOT, that three-spoke steering wheel
dominates the Cobra’s snug cockpit. You slide behind it
after fiddling for the inside catch that opens the
featherweight driver’s door: in front of you is a simple dash
peppered with traditional Smiths gauges; to your right (this
being a left-hand-drive car, of course) a stubby chromed
gearlever sprouts from a broad transmission tunnel, the
lever’s lift-up crossbars for selecting reverse an instant
giveaway to the gearbox’s transatlantic origins.
59
SHELBY COBRA RESTORATION
‘Drive it sensibly,
even enthusiastically,
and the Cobra is
not at all scary; it
feels compact and
catchable and fun’
A couple of pumps on the accelerator to prime the four-
barrel carb and the V8 blats into life, crackling through the
side-pipes that exit behind each door. It’s thrilling but not
obnoxiously loud, striking exactly the right note, both
literally and metaphorically, for this iron fist in an alloy
glove. The small-block Ford is one of the world’s truly great
engines, and it’s just perfect for the Cobra.
Some drivers might sneer at the ‘unsophisticated’
transverse leaf springs that suspend the Cobra front and rear,
but they work perfectly well on a road car – Chevrolet stuck
with them on the Corvette right up until 2019, don’t forget.
The light-gauge chassis tubes provided a degree of chassis
flex that was integral to the car’s handling, too, an accepted
practice pre-war if one that seems strange today. Denis
Jenkinson famously quipped in 1964: ‘The next time I am
60
out in a vintage car and the inevitable peasant comes up and
says, “Ah, they don’t make ’em like that nowadays,’ I shall
say, “Oh, yes they do, and they are called Cobras.”’
As more highly tuned engines, and bigger-capacity ones,
were fitted for racing and for later road cars – the Mk3 427
– the limitations of the Cobra’s lightweight chassis became
more apparent, even though the chassis tubes were beefed
up and coil springs introduced when the Mk3 debuted in
1965. But drive it sensibly, even enthusiastically, and the
Mk1 is not at all scary; yes, it will oversteer on demand, but
it feels compact and catchable and, above all, fun.
Biggest surprise is the steering. Worm-and-sector must be
inferior to the rack-and-pinion that superseded it in the
Mk2, surely? Well, perhaps on a track, but on the roads and
roundabouts surrounding Brooklands this car steers as
beautifully as you could want, neither excessively heavy in
tight corners nor remotely sloppy on the straights – a tribute
to careful assembly by whoever rebuilt it.
There is nothing at all to dislike here, at least on a dry day
with the top down. Few things in life can compare with the
joy of accelerating briskly in a Cobra, revelling in the sound
of the V8 braaaaarp-ing as you short-shift up through the
gears, effortlessly surfing a wave of torque. The Mk1 Cobra
has everything you need and nothing you don’t, and it
manages to look simultaneously gorgeous yet understated.
Original and best? I think so. End
THANKS TO John Kent, and to Steve Gray and his son
Charlie at Brooklands Motor Co, acheritage.com.
M1 PROCARS ON TRACK

RACING WITH
62
THE PROS
It’s 40 years since the
end of the BMW M1 Procar
championship. This is
the legend of the world’s
Words Johan Dillen Photography Dirk de Jager and BMW AG craziest one-make series

63
M1 PROCARS ON TRACK

64
W hen the needle hits 6000rpm in the M1 Procar,
evil crawls back under a rock and begs for its
mummy. At close to 7500rpm, the sheer volume
of the straight-six’s raspy vibrato tortures your
inner ear. But you feel it, this is the sweet spot, this is where
this engine delivers. So you stick with it, and push on some
more: 8000rpm, 8500rpm. Glorious. I am told that bigger
names held little regard for the redline when they were
ports, racy camshafts and a much more liberal exhaust that
channelled six tubes into one big trombone under the
bumper, landing right on target with 470bhp at 9000rpm.
But the plans nearly came undone when Lamborghini,
contracted to build the M1, ran into financial trouble
after missing out on a supply contract for the US Army.
BMW had to retrieve the plans and the prototypes from
Sant’Agata, production was delayed, and with it the
behind the wheel, and joyfully revved the M1 over 9000rpm, planned homologation for Group 4 racing. ‘We could not
even beyond 10,000. The M1 Procar makes every hair on start racing the M1 when we had planned to, because
your body stand up. Imagine what it must have sounded like we could not produce enough cars in time for the
Opposite and below
when 20 of them came powering through the Monaco homologation deadline in 1979. And without a racing Austria’s Red Bull
tunnel, one after another. programme, it would be hard to sell the road cars.’ Ring (formerly the
The M1 was Jochen Neerpasch’s brainchild. He still refers Game over? Well, the solution was found… in a bar. Österreichring) is the
to it as ‘my life’s work’. BMW had lured him in the early Neerpasch: ‘It happened one evening in a Munich scene of Octane’s
drive; Procar racer
1970s to stop Ford beating BMW on the Touring Car nightclub. I was there with Max Mosley, with whom we Niki Lauda with
circuit. And so Neerpasch established the semi-independent were working closely on the March Formula 2 project. I the M1’s creator,
BMW division, Motorsport GmbH. It needed to bring in told him of our difficulties and we started tossing ideas Jochen Neerpasch.
money: how better than to build a Porsche 911 alternative?
‘The first idea was to develop some sort of super-coupé,’
he says. ‘But what we really wanted to do was produce an
engine for Formula 1. It would be a 3.0-litre eight-cylinder,
and we wanted to use a roadgoing derivative for the coupé.
Our three problems: the project was too expensive, it would
take too long to develop a Formula 1 engine that could be
used on the road, and there was an issue with quality, in that
we could not use glassfibre for the production car to keep
weight under control. So what might have been a BMW AG
project became one for the BMW Motorsport subsidiary.
And by switching to the available six-cylinder engine, we
could get the M1 done in time.’
And so the M1 was conceived with competition in mind.
‘We opted for a steel spaceframe chassis, which left us room
for modifications for Group 5 racing and for rallying.’ With
the engine, 280bhp was the target for the road car, 470bhp
for the Group 4 M1 and, with turbocharging, 850bhp was
the desired outcome for Group 5. BMW’s engine wizard
Paul Rosche went to work on the new straight-six. For
racing in Group 4, the 3.5-litre engine received bigger valves,
double valve springs, forged pistons, new intake and exhaust

‘THE M1 PROCAR MAKES

EVERY HAIR ON YOUR
BODY STAND UP’
BMW GROUP ARCHIVE

65
M1 PROCARS ON TRACK
around. Maybe we could pitch the five fastest Formula 1
drivers from Friday practice against other top-rated drivers
in identical Group 4 M1s. We took it to Bernie Ecclestone
and he was enthusiastic because it would draw more
spectators in on the Saturday. And that is exactly what
Procar did: people wanted to see these drivers fight it out
in M1s. Spectator numbers went up and Bernie was happy.’
That didn’t make life much easier for BMW, though. ‘It
was an expensive operation. We had to convince private
teams that they needed to buy an M1 Procar from us to
race in this new, unproven series. We had a very short time
to build them, and we had to sell more than 20 cars.’
The F1 drivers were not to be remunerated, instead
receiving a brand new M1 road car for the champion and his
team boss, with a 528i for the runners-up. And Niki Lauda
took a different approach. ‘He had his eye on the title all
along. Well, on the prize, more precisely. Niki understood
that he was not guaranteed a top-five place in the Friday
practice in Formula 1, so he struck a deal with Ron Dennis’s
Project Four. They entered a car for the whole season, and
Niki walked away with the M1 at the end of it.’
For the Belgian Grand Prix in May 1979, BMW
Motorsport prepared the five ‘factory’ entries for the Grand
Prix drivers, while the cars for the private teams were sent to
Ron Dennis’s Project Four (ten cars) in the UK and Osella
(ten cars) in Italy. The first round of the Procar championship
took place on 12 May, even though some cars were barely
finished. Niki Lauda made a star-quality champion,
Ecclestone made money, and so a second season was added
to the calendar for 1980. The title went to Formula 1 racer
Nelson Piquet, but the first race of the season, at Donington,
was a one-man show for the young Dutchman whose name
is on one of the cars pictured here: Jan Lammers.
66
Left and right
Focused cockpit
reverberates to the
ear-splitting high-rev
scream of BMW’s
470bhp 3.5-litre
straight-six.
‘LAUDA MADE A STAR-QUALITY
CHAMPION, ECCLESTONE
MADE MONEY, SO A SECOND
SEASON WAS ADDED’
Toine Hezemans had competed in the 1979 Procar
season, and pushed to get Lammers in the driving seat for
1980 while he took on the role of team manager. ‘The cars
were brilliant,’ says Lammers. ‘The sound was just
phenomenal, and I found the M1 easy to handle. I had no
problems going fast in it. But I had been F1 testing at Zolder
and arrived late in Donington, and got in the M1 Procar for
the very first time after all the others. Right away I started
complaining to my mechanic about the car. He looked back
with a strange expression. “What do you mean? You just
turned in one of the fastest times, on used tyres,” he said. “In
that case,” I told him, “put on some new rubber!” I went
quicker still, comfortably taking pole. I felt really at ease
in the car. I pretty much walked that race.’
The second race at Avus brought a nasty surprise, when
the fire extinguisher went off in the car. ‘It took away the
oxygen and I passed out for a moment, dropping back to
fifth. I came round and worked my way back to second.’ The
third race, at Monaco, proved the undoing for Lammers’
championship chances. ‘I got pushed in the rear by Pironi. It
was a big impact, sending me up the pavement and damaging
1979-80 BMW M1 Procar
Engine 3453cc DOHC straight-six,
24-valve, Bosch/Kugelfischer fuel injection
Power 470bhp @ 9000rpm
Torque 288lb ft @ 7000rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual,
rear-wheel drive, limited-slip differential
Steering Rack and pinion
Suspension Front and rear: double
wishbones, coil springs, telescopic
dampers, adjustable anti-roll bar
Brakes Vented discs, balance-adjustable,
non-servo Weight 1020kg
Top speed 194mph 0-60mph 4.3sec

67
M1 PROCARS ON TRACK

Top right and right

Clay Regazzoni leads
the M1 Procar pack
round the Loews
hairpin at Monaco,
1979; Lauda in the car
he took home at the
end of that season.

68
‘SUDDENLY IT’S CRAZY,
AND THE NOISE LEVEL
ALMOST HITS THE
PAIN THRESHOLD’
the car. We never managed to get it back to how it was
before. A shame. Even in Monaco I had taken pole position,
so the speed was there. But after the crash the results suffered
and I ended the season fourth.’
The 1980 season was wrapped up at Imola, and with it
the Procar adventure folded. Just two years into its racing
career, BMW no longer saw a future for the M1. Neerpasch:
‘All the attention had turned to Formula 1 and the turbo
engine.’ The M1s were sold off and showed up at Le Mans
and in Imsa, among others. There was still some Group 5
development, but it was Procar that had made the M1 really
famous. Ironically, the coveted pre-GP slot is now filled by
an all-911 race. What was it that Neerpasch said? That the
M1 could have been BMW’s 911?
BOTH THE CARS here today at the Red Bull Ring in
Austria come from Fritz Wagner’s workshop (see next
feature). The Jägermeister-liveried car was made for Jan
Lammers for the 2019 M1 Procar reunion held at the
Norisring in Germany, created from original Procar parts; it
could easily have been on the grid back in 1979. The other
car was driven by Dieter Quester and Luca Riccitelli to third
in class and first in the Group 4 class at the Daytona Classic
in 2017. Back then, it sported Red Bull livery, now removed
(under contractual obligation) and replaced by a scheme
dreamed up by the new owner, one that refers to the car’s
origins as number 55, the HIS Jeans-sponsored M1 Procar
that Christian Danner, Manfred Winkelhock and Manfred
Schurti campaigned for Cassani Racing in the 1980 Procar
season. Schurti won the Avus round in the championship.
‘Sure, today you can find faster M1 Procars than ours,’
says Marco Wagner, son of Fritz. ‘But for us this is not a
business. We do this out of passion for the original M1
Procar, so we stick to the specifications as they were in 1979
and 1980. We are not looking for modern improvements.’
I head out in the Schurti car. ‘Take it to 8000rpm, at least,’
Wagner Jnr tells me. ‘The engine will not perform below
those revs, it will run a bit rough. It can take 9000,
no problem. On downshifts, Quester would hit 10,000rpm.’
Well, if you say so. I push the buttons for the fuel pump
and ignition and hit the starter button below. A rude force
awakens in my back. This is what you must feel, seconds
before a tornado strikes. That force urges you to grab first in
the five-speed dogleg ’box and the surprisingly forgiving
clutch sends you out without so much as a hiccup. Moving
on a steady throttle, I see heads turning our way – and I
haven’t even left the pitlane yet. The 3.5-litre straight-six
begins to come alive over 4500rpm; time to grab second
gear. The shift is precise, the throw is long. The revs drop a
little, but there’s enough torque to take up proceedings like
nothing has happened.
I start sniffing out the line on the first lap, and gradually get
used to the car. Steering feels easy, but there are several levels
to unlock if you want to move the game along a little further.
And yes, the engine has a craving for revs. It feels strong
below 6000rpm, if nothing out of the ordinary. Take it over
7500rpm, however… click! Next level unlocked. Suddenly
it’s crazy, and the noise level almost hits the pain threshold.
Now you are in the zone, this is where the magic happens,
and the trick is not to become intimidated. This car was
meant to be driven flat-out and soon I find myself flooring
the throttle, powering out of second gear, uphill and into an
off-camber hairpin, feeling the tail step away slightly. The
limited-slip differential makes the slide easy to control,
without having to lift. Easy and playful.
Onto the brakes and speed is scrubbed off quickly. A bit
more commitment in the entry phase of corners results in a
front end that turns in eagerly. Thanks to the mid-engined
layout, you can get back on the power the second you hit the
kerb on the inside. And steering that initially feels heavy
becomes that bit lighter, the harder you go.
In short, Paul Rosche’s sensational engine makes for an
unforgettable experience. This is one of BMW’s greatest,
packed in a beautifully pure form into the roadgoing M1.
Procar makes that a brutally forceful proposition. The series
never dented any racing reputations, and the potential to
develop the car further was clear for all to see. It’s a shame
that BMW decided to call an end to the project so soon.
As Jochen Neerpasch says: ‘There was still so much
we could have done.’ End
THANKS TO Racing for Anita.
69
M1 PROCAR GRAVEYARD

PROCAR
IT’S THE JUNKYARD from heaven. Everything you see here is BMW
M1 Procar. Every part is worth thousands of euros.
That’s an M1 Procar radiator he’s kicking out of the way. And there’s a
turbocharger for the Group 5 version that’s taken on a temporary
function as a doorstop. Everywhere you look, parts have been dumped:

HEAVEN
This is where BMW M1 Procars
go when they die. Welcome to
Fritz Wagner’s treasure trove
Words Johan Dillen Photography Dirk de Jager
on the floor, in the attics, in the barn, in the yard of the barn… all
exclusively M1 Procar. ‘These are the parts nobody wanted at the time,’
says proprietor Fritz Wagner. ‘But I knew the M1 Procar would become
an important car at some point, so I brought it all home.’
Wagner cuts an unlikely figure as the authority on all things M1 Procar.
But as you wade through the piles and piles of parts and documents, you
realise that this is it. Everything. All piled up, 30 minutes south of
Munich. ‘It began in 1978, when I first laid eyes on the M1, the most
beautiful car I had ever seen. One day, I would have one.’ And as a race
mechanic, Wagner made sure he was involved early on in the M1 Procar
project. ‘I was working with Ron Dennis’s Project Four; we prepared half
of the privately entered M1s in the Procar series. Just one month before
the 1979 season started, we were still working flat-out building cars.’
Later he worked for Cassani Racing, on the cars Hans Stuck, Christian
Danner and Manfred Winkelhock would drive.
As the 1979 Procar season got underway, BMW Motorsport and its
suppliers were extremely busy. ‘They were producing parts like there was
no tomorrow. And although there was full insurance for the race cars, the
repair costs…’ Wagner shakes his head. ‘Almost every crash meant a new
car. And the old parts were thrown away. Nobody cared.’
Nobody, that is, except Fritz Wagner, who collected as many discarded
parts as he could. ‘Max Mosley, who ran the financial side of Procar, put
pressure on BMW so that they would have 15 cars ready to run at any

70
given time. With all the crashes, there was a constant frenzy to get parts
ready before the next round. I was the only one to show any interest in
the old ones. I’d haggle with Ron Dennis over a gearbox, I’d give
mechanics drinking money in exchange for spares. It was no free ride, but
they all charged just a fraction of what these parts cost. In Munich, the
Motorsport guys would throw it all in the bin. I went to retrieve the parts
before they were destroyed, then leave them on the floor at my home.’
Those days soon ended. ‘The insurance company politely declined
renewal for 1980. The teams had to pay for the damage themselves,
so they were more careful with the parts. I have a lot less from 1980.’
The bits and pieces are just one aspect of this amazing collection.
There are whole cars hidden away, too. Wagner walks to a shed in the
corner and lifts the cover on one. ‘You might know this car,’ he says.
Marlboro colours become visible. ‘This is the spare car Niki Lauda had
for the final round at Monza in 1979,’ he says. ‘Lauda had his eye on the
title from the beginning. In the end, the fight was between him and
Hans-Joachim Stuck. So, for Monza, Ron and Niki decided to leave
nothing to chance and kept a spare car ready. This one. I reapplied the
stickering myself, with Ron Dennis, when he was unhappy with the
original mechanic’s work. That was typical Dennis. He would be in This spread
the workshop behind us, sweeping it clean with a brush.’ One wonders Engine blocks to the left
if Ron Dennis’s heart would withstand a visit to Wagner’s place. of him, nosecones to
the right, and here he is,
In 1984, Wagner bought all the remaining Procar parts BMW had left. stuck in the middle with
‘For them, Procar was finished. They had turned their attention to pretty much every M1
Formula 1 with Brabham, and didn’t care about the M1s anymore. They Procar part imaginable.

71
M1 PROCAR GRAVEYARD

Left and below

Cover comes up on the
Marlboro-liveried M1 that
was Niki Lauda’s spare for
the final race in the 1979
season; silver car is the
sole remaining Lamborghini-
built prototype.

‘I TOLD MY WIFE SHE HAD TO

TAKE IT EASY ON THE SHOPPING.
IN THE END, SHE LEFT’
got rid of it all. They had sold the M1 Procar at DM160,000 [€81,800]
before the season. After it, BMW sold the works cars for just DM50,000
[€25,600]. For DM100,000 [€51,000], I bought all the parts they had
lying around. At Marchese in Italy, I managed to buy frames; I got body
parts from ItalDesign. I worked crazy hours to finance it all – I was just a
humble racing mechanic. And I never had money. If I made DM1000, I
would spend DM1050 on M1 parts. I told my wife she had to take it easy
on the shopping. In the end, she couldn’t take any more and left.’
The first M1 Procar Wagner brought home was the one Stuck parked on
the guardrails at the swimming pool complex in Monaco in 1979. More
followed when Wagner’s hunting trips around BMW’s dustbins led to
some extraordinary finds. He leads the way into a tiny shed. Two cars are
here; a silver one wears the serial number 001. ‘This is the very first M1,
the only remaining M1 prototype that was built by Lamborghini,’ he says.
‘There were five prototypes in total. Four were used for crash testing and
disappeared. Only this one remained, but it got involved in an accident as
well and it was put aside for crushing, when I found it. I went looking for
all the remaining parts and reconstructed it. The prototype differs from
the final M1 in a number of points, most notably the air extractor in the
front bonnet. It has a different interior, and a different engine too, making
245bhp rather than the 277bhp of the regular engine.’
The car behind it? ‘Oh, this is Nelson Piquet’s 1980 championship-
winning works Procar. It will be my final restoration before I hand
everything over to my son Marco,’ says Wagner. The Piquet car was
damaged in a fire and cast aside by BMW, only to be retrieved by Wagner.

72
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M1 PROCAR GRAVEYARD

As the tour continues, we are guided to ‘the final works engine’ amid
other engines, cylinder heads, crankcases and more. ‘Don’t worry, I know
where everything is, I just didn’t want to get things organised. The M1s
Below and bottom
have always been a passion for me, but never a job. I always worked as a Wagner-prepared M1 Procars have become popular in
racing mechanic. My son Marco has a different job as well.’ Nonetheless, Historic racing in Germany; Wagner stands by the wing
Wagner has become the M1 Procar guru. Long-lost original parts such as of a Cassani Racing Procar while Stuck looks on.
the cast magnesium brake calipers are to be found here. ‘We can fix, or
we can replace. In any case, if you want to replace a part, I want your
original in return for mine. Then I can fix it and still have an original part.’
There is little else in Fritz Wagner’s life other than his M1s, these
days. ‘I get out of bed and I start work here. Seven days a week. I don’t
need anything else.’ In the workshop, work is underway on two Group 5
M1s. In German classic racing, Wagner is synonymous with M1 Procar.
At the 2019 Norisring M1 Procar revival, quite a few Wagner M1s filled
the grid. ‘We have been racing the M1 Procars for some time now,’ he
says. ‘At first, we were guaranteed to be the fastest M1s in the field.
Then, ten years ago, with all the modernisation, suddenly ours were the
slowest. But we stuck to our philosophy and maintained originality as the
most important factor in our cars. We use only original parts, as were
used at the time. The M1 was never the fastest car in its time, but it was
special all the same. We want to keep it that way. Originality is key.’
Which leaves just one question: what does Wagner like about driving
the M1 Procar? He looks astonished. ‘Driving? For me, it’s all about
working on them. I don’t care about driving them.’ End

‘DON’T WORRY, I KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS,

I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO GET THINGS ORGANISED’

74
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FIAT 131 ABARTH RALLY

76
 BLUE BLOOD
In the days immediately before Quattro, Fiat dominated the World Rally Championship –
and competition begat a beguiling road car, as Glen Waddington discovers
Photography Jonathan Jacob

77
FIAT 131 ABARTH RALLY

78
F
og. Unreasonable, unseasonable fog. It’s
early morning and as I venture along Blakey
Ridge I can barely see the edge of the road,
let alone the staggering views across this
particularly epic stretch within the North
York Moors. I have little idea where I am;
external references are limited to the damp-
looking tufts of reedy grass and prickly
gorse that scratch the patchy tarmac’s edges
immediately off-piste, while the tarmac
itself is being nibbled rather than gobbled
by the wheels of my car. Yet sat-nav suggests the
rendezvous is close, and suddenly my headlights pick out
a flash of vivid blue within the murk. Not a freak patch of
sky, but the bold and boxy body panels of the Fiat 131
Abarth Rally Stradale. We’ve arrived. Hopefully the
weather will learn to behave itself.
Until it does, let’s acquaint ourselves with the car in
question. While we Brits fondly remember a rear-wheel-
drive world in which the Ford Escort swept every trophy
straight into a bulging cabinet in Essex, truth is that the
World Rally Championship’s Constructors’ title went to
Fiat in 1977, ’78 and 1980. The drivers responsible? Take
your pic from the likes of Markku Alén, Timo Salonen,
Walter Röhrl and Michèle Mouton. Indeed, Alén took the
FIA Cup for Drivers in 1978;
Röhrl the WRC drivers’ title in
Clockwise, from left
It truly looks the part, 1980. And the car they did it
though Stradale’s with was the 131 Abarth Rally.
hungry-looking air Some context? The Rally took
intakes are blanked over after three years of the top
off; Abarth’s workshop
prepares works cars;
spot being hogged by the exotic,
Markku Alén tackles mid-engined Lancia Stratos;
the Safari Rally, 1979. Ford’s Escort RS1800 got the
gong in 1979; Talbot’s Sunbeam-Lotus in 1981. And that
marked the end of an era: the days of gravel-spraying rear-
drive bravado were over, as the prospect of four-wheel
drive, unlimited power and F1-rivalling tech arrived with
Group B in 1982 and brought with it Audi’s Quattro,
Lancia’s 037, Peugeot’s 205 T16 and more. Then the wick
was wound down a little and the Delta Integrale had the
WRC to itself for six years.
A simple car for simple times, then? Well, yes – and no.
Sure, the 131 is a trad-looking saloon on a rear-wheel-
drive platform. And, in reality, Fiat saw it taking over
from the Abarth 124 Spider rather than the Stratos,
though both were homologated for Group 4. And, for
rallying purposes, Abarth applied a few tricks to the 131.
Which is just as well, as Abarth – the tuning operation
founded by the Austrian Carlo Abarth in 1949 – was
absorbed by Fiat in 1971, and became the company’s
official competition department.
So, in 1976, this unassuming family saloon underwent
quite a transformation. Bodywork design and initial
construction were handed over to Bertone, which not
only transformed the looks and aerodynamics with those
flared wheelarches, integrated spoilers front and rear,
plus another above the rear window, but also shaved
weight by substituting glassfibre for the bonnet, wings
and bootlid, and aluminium for the doorskins and roof
panel. There were plexiglass side and rear windows, while
air intakes let into the bonnet and flanks were intended
to aid engine and rear brake cooling on works cars.
As for the powertrain, Abarth – under the managing
auspices of none other than Ingegnere Aurelio Lampredi,
famed for his engine work at Ferrari, and the man behind
the Fiat/Lancia twin-cam – got busy with what was
available. The 131 had very much carried on where the
79
FIAT 131 ABARTH RALLY

previous-generation 124 saloon had left off – don’t

forget, that car had been the basis of the rally-bred
Abarth Spider. The saloon came with a live rear axle and
simple overhead-valve four-cylinder engines in 1.3- and
1.6-litre capacities; it wasn’t until the facelifted
Supermirafiori of 1978 that twin-cam power became
standard. Paired with a five-speed gearbox, that made
for a very desirable mechanical specification in the days
of rival Cortinas and (shudder) Marinas.
Still, in ’76 Abarth had to look abroad to the US-market
version, which already ran a 2.0-litre twin-cam four that
was familiar in Europe in the larger 132. But Abarth
went further, topping the twin-cam with a new 16-valve
cylinder head, machined in alloy, much as the previous
Abarth 124 Rally had featured. Braking was upgraded
to discs all round, and the live rear axle was dropped
in favour of an independent MacPherson strut set-up,
initially designed for the larger 130 saloon, and more
easily replaced in the confines of the service park at the
end of a rally stage. It was better able to get power down
in controlled fashion than the solid axle, too.
The ‘Corsa’ competition version ran Kugelfischer
mechanical injection, which boosted power initially to
225bhp and ultimately a claimed 240. It also ran a ZF
limited-slip differential and a close-ratio straight-cut
gearbox. The roadgoing Stradale, which we have here,
has its fuel meted out via a twin-choke Weber, and a less
aggressive diff. Power output is 140bhp, so not outrageous,
but good going for a 2.0-litre sports saloon of the 1970s.
Especially as it weighs only a tonne.
The ‘C’ badges on this example’s front wings suggest
the presence of a Colotti transmission – all Stradales
left the factory with a dog-box in order to homologate
the same type of transmission for the Corsa. Problem
was, in an era that had long enjoyed synchromesh, no
road driver wanted to go back to the days of a crash ’box;
to that end, there’s a standard five-speed transmission in
place here. ‘I’ve never heard of a single Stradale that ran
with the dog-box,’ Kevin Theaker, proprietor of 131
Abarth specialist RSD Rallysport Development, tells me.
Bertone was contracted to build all the Corsas,
which amounted to 50 of the planned 400-strong
homologation run, though there’s evidence to suggest
that, in total, production topped out at some 608. All
cars were initially plucked from Fiat’s Mirafiori
production line – the factory was in a suburb of Turin;
today, as well as building cars, it plays host to Abarth
Classiche. From there the standard two-door 131s were
sent for conversion work at Bertone’s Grugliasco plant,
while the Stradale versions were then trimmed and
completed at Fiat’s Rivalta plant.
Rivalta? These days it’s home to Mopar, the parts
distribution network for the Stellantis automotive group
that incorporates Fiat (and by extension Alfa Romeo,
Lancia and the rest), PSA
(Peugeot, Citroën, Opel) and
Left and right
It’s an unclassified road Chrysler-Jeep. If the name is
that picks its way along familiar, that’s because it’s a
Blakey Ridge, but you’ll Chrysler servicing brand that
find it heading north from for years sponsored drag-
Hutton-le-Hole – perfect
territory for the 131
racing and NASCAR entries.
Abarth, and there’s even More conceit than deceit, but
a water splash! it’s a tangled web nonetheless.

80
 ‘THOSE WHEELARCHES ARE
CLEARLY A PRECURSOR OF WHAT
BERTONE DECIDED WOULD SUIT
THE LAMBORGHINI JALPA’

81
FIAT 131 ABARTH RALLY

82
IT’S BEEN brightening up. A bit more like it should
be – at last, I can see. A chance to stand back and
admire Bertone’s handiwork. And some of it seems
familiar, if in an exotic way. Those wheelarches are
clearly a precursor of what Bertone subsequently
decided would suit the Lamborghini Jalpa. And with
Lamborghini in mind, check out the relationship of the
glasshouse to the lower portions, and the shape and
position of the doorhandles. You’d never see it in a
four-door 131 saloon, but this one brings to mind the
Jarama. If Sant’Agata had decided to chase the Cortina
market, this could have been the result.
‘I’ve had it about two years,’ its owner tells me. ‘It came
from an Austrian collector via a German dealer. There
can’t be many left as original as this.’ With barely
31,000km on the clock, it’s pretty much as it left the
factory. And how the market has changed: we have it
insured for more than ten times what was asked for a
similar one 20 years ago. And it’s begging to be driven.
The road up to Blakey Ridge from Hutton-le-Hole
climbs via a roller-coaster of snaking bends, with a loose
surface of chippings: ideal rally-car territory, then. I
squeeze the catch on the driver’s door (it’s left-hand
drive, of course) and drop into a huge and plump cloth-
trimmed bucket seat that might have looked more at
home in the VIP section of
Clockwise, from left a 1970s flea-pit cinema. It’s
Gorgeous three-spoke soft and enveloping, a world
wheel feels great in the away from the carbon-shelled
hands; 2.0-litre twin-cam highbacks of today’s road-
16-valve engine makes
140bhp but is capable
racers, but once in its embrace,
of much more; alluring you’re going nowhere. A vinyl
Cromodora alloys. strap slams the door, and
ahead is a logically laid-out black dash, equipped with a
full set of gauges and little else. It’s focused rather than
luxurious in here, though not sparse.
I fire up the twin-cam, which settles to an idle that
gurgles and threshes in equal measure. There’s a
pleasingly mechanical feel to the gearshift, and immediate
throttle response; despite the 16-valve head and a torque
peak at 3800rpm, there’s plenty of shove on hand right
from the off. The ride is surprisingly soft, absorbing the
vagaries of the patchy road surface without wallowing
over deeper compressions, and the steering, while quite
low-geared and unassisted, is blessed with decent
feedback and linearity of action.
The sun has burnt off the fog, road surface dampness
is rising in an eerie mist, and confidence in the 131
increases with every corner. This is one of those cars that
encourages – nay, demands – you get on the throttle
early yet, despite the dampness, it just tucks in and
powers out. There’s no temperament to take issue with.
Winding it up through each gear is a pleasure; click-
clack-click through the gate and you land in the next ratio
with unerring accuracy, ready to lamp the throttle and
head on up the rev-counter again.
Acceleration isn’t vivid, but it’s strong enough to be
entertaining, and it’s accompanied by a gruff, chattily
encouraging soundtrack. You might wish for stronger
braking – something, no doubt, addressed for the Corsa
version – but the pedal feel is consistent, and its action
free of grabbing.
The 131 is great fun on these roads, something not
lost on its owner, who’s a regular in the North York
Moors. ‘This is the route I take when I’m visiting RSD.
Kevin looks after the car for me,’ he says.
83
FIAT 131 ABARTH RALLY
‘WE WERE ALL obsessed with Escorts in the UK,’ says
Kevin Theaker. ‘The 131 was never a privateer car; Fiat
devoted a year’s Ferrari F1 budget to winning rallies
with it. It was a big investment but rallying was huge
then, especially in Europe. It proved to the market what
a tough car the 131 could be.’
So tough, in fact, that Theaker now builds Corsa
replicas from Stradales. ‘I’ve converted ten so far, for the
UK, Italy, even Australia. Everything is bigger, stronger:
the diff, wheel bearings, driveshafts, engine internals.
The Stradale simply homologated the type of parts
used: lightweight panels, the 16-valve head, five-speed
dog-box, disc brakes and so on. In fact the cylinder block
is all that’s the same in that engine: there are different
con-rods, pistons, a magnesium slide throttle, larger
valves, different ignition system, not to mention the
Kugelfischer fuel injection,’ says Theaker.
And while Abarth developed the 131 until 1981, for
RSD it’s still a work in progress. And progress has
already been made. ‘Walter Röhrl told me they got a real
236bhp on the dyno. I saw a spec drawing for a late engine
with bigger valves and a new manifold, and got 245bhp
straight off,’ he says.
For four years the 131 Abarth Rally dominated stages
worldwide, from Finland via Argentina to Monte Carlo.
Those three constructors’ world titles (1977, 1978 and
84
1980) came via 18 individual victories, two doubles 1976 Fiat 131
and five hat-tricks. While Ford had run its Escorts on Abarth Rally Stradale
a shoestring, Fiat had the largest motorsport budget of Engine 1995cc DOHC
its era, and was never short of space for building and 16-valve four-cylinder,
preparing cars. It had a squad of 13 works machines twin-choke Weber
34 ADF carburettor
ready in time for the 1976 season (homologation was Power 140bhp @ 6400rpm
achieved by April that year), and a further 20 for 1977. Torque 130lb ft @ 3800rpm
Each car was rarely used more than three times before Transmission Five-speed
being sold off or used for testing, and for rallying they manual, rear-wheel drive
Steering Rack and pinion
were distributed to far-flung corners of the globe thanks Suspension Front and rear:
to Fiat’s links with the Alitalia airline, the livery of which MacPherson struts, coil
was applied to Markku Alén’s car for 1978 and 1979. springs, anti-roll bar
Abarth kept that car for posterity. Brakes Discs
Weight 1004kg
There were proposals for development, including a Top speed 118mph
cheaper, steel-bodied Group 1 car that would have 0-60mph 7.2sec
required 5000 to be built, and a more powerful V6 version
that proved too heavy. But then came Group B. The 131
Abarth Rally was consigned to history while the Lancia
037 took over.
It’s an important piece of history, nonetheless. And
while it took only 50 cars to make it, those Stradales
that escaped into the public spread the love far and wide.
Even into Escort territory. End
THANKS TO RSD Rallysport Development,
rallysport-development.co.uk.
 NO IM PO RT VAT PAYA B LE O N CA RS
EXPO RT ED TO T HE E U BE FORE 30 APR IL 20 21 *

*E U C U STOM E R M U ST DE C L A RE I M P O RT AN D PAY VAT.

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TO R E F L E CT A SAVI N G E Q UAL TO I M P O RT VAT.
MOTUL TRUCK RESTORATION

THE
SCARS
OF LIFE
This 1940s French truck
was rescued from a
scrapyard and restored
– while retaining its
battle-worn patina
Words Jörn-M Müller-Neuhaus Images Motul

IT’S ONLY TWO YEARS since this 1945

Renault AHS3 was discovered, not in an open
field, but at an abandoned scrapyard in
Northern France. And it quickly became clear
that this was no ordinary derelict truck: it had a
special history. It was bought by a Motul oil
dealer after its initial life in the military. Then it
became part of a fleet of delivery trucks that
hauled barrels of engine oil to workshops and
service stations. Occasionally it was even used
to transport racing cars from Motul partners to
the racetracks across France. But after years of
heavy use, during which it must have been seen
at nearly every garage and service station in
Northern France, the Renault was parked in a
barn and forgotten until 2018.
Despite the many decades it spent in
hibernation, while the paint faded, rust spread
and the engine seized, it still retained its old
Motul trademark and ‘Vagabond’ nickname
above the cab – a nickname that likely stems
from the fact that this truck visited so many
places around the country during the 1950s
and 1960s; it was not uncommon in France for
hauliers to name their trucks. Another AHS3
called ‘La Meuse’ was used as a brewery dray,
and there are even nice models of this particular
truck available in 1:43 and 1:87 from Norev.
When Romain Grabowski, an executive at
Motul, found out about Vagabond, he knew

86
MOTUL TRUCK RESTORATION

88
at once that he should preserve this unique
aspect of Motul heritage. So he bought the
truck and commissioned Paintbox Industries,
an experienced restoration specialist in La
Chapelle-Saint-Ursin, to bring it back to life.
But before we tell the story of Vagabond, let
me introduce you to the Renault AH truck
family. The first version was the AHS2, which
saw the light of day in 1939 and was developed
for the French Army in the 2.5-tonne class. Yet
the armed forces rejected the prototype and
that could have spelled the end for the new
model before it was even in production. But
then the German Wehrmacht stepped in with
an order and the AH was saved.
There were three models: the AHS, with a
two-tonne payload and a 2.4-litre four-cylinder
petrol engine; the AHN, with a four-tonne
payload and a 4.1-litre six-cylinder producing
75bhp; and the AHR, which could carry five
tonnes. All three had a four-speed manual
gearbox, and were manufactured between 1941
and 1947. The Wehrmacht was supplied with
more than 20,000 of the small AHS, 4000
AHNs and more than 1000 AHR models.
After the war, civilian models were produced
with a payload between two and 3.5 tonnes.
One of these became Vagabond.
BACK TO OUR BARNFIND. Before Loïc, 1945 Renault AHS3
Antoine and Fred – the restoration team at Engine 2338cc sidevalve
Paintbox Industries – started work on the four-cylinder Power 52bhp
truck, decisions had to be made about the level Transmission Four-speed
manual, rear-wheel drive
of restoration. The easiest way would have been Suspension Front and rear:
to dismantle it and bring it back to as-new beam axles (live rear),
condition. But then the rebuilt truck would semi-elliptic leaf springs
lose its history and become one of many Brakes Drums, hydraulic
with mechanical servo
perfectly restored yet sterile vehicles – sacrilege Weight 1400kg (unladen).
in the eyes of both the restoration team and the Payload 2 tonnes
people at Motul. Therefore it was decided to Top speed 40mph
save as much of the patina as possible, but at the
same time rebuild the chassis, drivetrain and
suspension to as-new condition, so the truck
could be driven safely to and from events.
The team began carefully dismantling the
truck, documenting every single item –
especially its outer panels – to ensure they
could keep its ‘shabby look’ intact. Meanwhile
the engine and gearbox were sent to a specialist
for a full rebuild, with new valve seats to suit
modern lead-free petrol, and a slight overbore
from 85 to 87mm to extract a little more
performance from the ancient four-cylinder Facing page and below
sidevalve engine. Consequently new pistons As found, in 2018 – and that patinated
appearance would survive the
had to be fitted, but most of the other restoration; the engine and chassis
components were rebuilt and could be used were stripped and rebuilt; the bodywork
again in the reconditioned unit. was conserved as much as possible.
89
MOTUL TRUCK RESTORATION

Clockwise, from above

As revealed at the Goodwood
Revival in 2019; on display at the
Grand Palais, Paris, for the start
of the 2019 Tour Auto, with
restorers Loïc and Fred.

While the drivetrain was away, the threesome

spent a couple of months working hard to
remove rust from the chassis and bodywork,
gradually revealing a foundation that was still
strong. Most of this work was done by hand
with steel brushes, trying to save and reuse
as much of the original material as possible.
‘As well as the meticulous cleaning, scouring
and brushing, we worked hard to bring the
steel back to the finish with which it had been
manufactured more than 70 years ago,’ explains
Fred. ‘A lot had to be brushed by hand without
compromising the particular quality of the
steel. It was then treated by hand with an
epoxy product to prevent the further spread of
rust and to make it fit for the road. It’s the sort
of work that has to be carried out with love.’
While Loïc, Antoine and Fred toiled on the achieve this goal, the truck could not be where it created an important part of the
structure, the suspension and brake hydraulics rubbed down to bare metal for a complete Revival’s paddock ambience in 2019.
were overhauled, too. The axles received new respray. Instead, the old paint was cleaned ‘It was a loving job that only skilled engineers
bushes, and the springs and dampers were with great expertise, to preserve the charming with a thorough knowledge of this type of
rebuilt for their second life as well. New brake surface, and every letter and logo was historic vehicle could do,’ says Hugh Dowding,
lines were made of steel tubing but, after fitting elaborately restored by hand with a brush. That vice president of Motul. And the result was
them, remnants of the original copper pipes was a time-consuming task. worth every minute, as can be seen in these
were found. It was therefore decided that the Half a year had passed before the rebuilt pictures. Vagabond was transformed from a
new steel must be removed and replaced with chassis and bodywork could be reunited with piece of scrap to a reliable truck that can be
copper, because it was more authentic. the reconditioned engine, and Vagabond was driven for longer trips – though only if the
Even so, the most difficult aspect of the finally ready for the road again after those driver is prepared to cope with the lack of
restoration was to keep the decades-old patina decades in a barn – just in time to travel from comfort and speed that was the norm for these
intact and to preserve it for the future. To Motul’s Paris headquarters to Goodwood, vehicles seven decades ago. End

90
Est.
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KEY 5

Photo: Courtesy of Romans International

CARS ON FILM

Silver Ford custom sedan |

Daddy-O
Known as Downbeat in the UK,

screen
but frankly still unlikely to register,
this kitsch 1959 movie is much
lampooned and most memorable
for the impressive height it managed
to achieve in launching a hefty

machines
‘shoebox’ Ford from a truck-loading
ramp. It lands with all the meteorite-
like impact you would expect. The
police patrol car, incidentally, is a
1957 Plymouth Plaza, while TR3
and Ford Thunderbird also feature.
For those who feel they have seen it
all before when it comes to books on
motors in movies, here’s one that will
let you turn your inner nerd up to 11
Words James Elliott Archive Giles Chapman

LET’S FACE IT, if what you are after is a book

or info about cars in movies or on TV, then you
are spoilt for choice. In print or online, you can
take your pick of everything from glossy coffee-
table overviews to squillions of web pages of
snatched screenshots of things like a Citroën
GS fleetingly in the background in Grange Hill.
It’s also true that many of the printed
products share pretty much the same source
material – do you really need to see some of
those stills from The Italian Job ever again? –
which is what made a recent book stand out.
Boasting a large number of photos that nobody
(even on the geeky Octane team) had previously
seen in print, it came from motoring author
and editor Giles Chapman (see p210).
The reason it stood out was that it featured
the personal collection of this inveterate
collector and archivist, amassed over 40 years.
‘The book is based around my collection of rare
and original film stills featuring cars of all
kinds: photographic prints that I’ve
accumulated slowly and haphazardly,’ he
explains. ‘In contrast to other titles that have
covered the subject matter, it’s not based on a
wish list of well-known “car films”, car chases,
or the work of specific designers building
motorised props.’
Giles started as a teenager with press kits,
then scoured junk shops, office clear-outs, fairs
and flea markets, autojumbles, shows and
auctions to flesh out his collection, which is
now several hundred strong. That is no mean
feat because such material was ephemeral even
when new and became increasingly rare with
every passing year – at least, until the internet
and online auction sites came along…

92
1904 Tony Huber |
Waltz of the Toreadors
Not a frame from the 1957 film
but an on-set shot by Rank’s stills
photographer, George Ward. It
shows Peter Sellers and Cyril
Cusack aboard what would be
a little-known French veteran if it
weren’t a much-loved regular on the
Brighton Run. In the film, the car
belongs to Dr Grogan (Cusack),
friend of General Leo Fitzjohn
(Sellers), who has retired to the
country to write his memoirs.

Kurtis 500X |
Roadracers
This 1959 film showcased the
cream of European and American
sports-racers in action. Of them all,
this is the most curious, starting life
as a Kurtis two-seater but then
famously and extensively modified
by the legendary Ak Miller for an
American assault on Le Mans in
1957. The Chrysler hemi-powered
racer was nicknamed ‘El Caballo II’
and Miller ran it up to 176mph on
Bonneville Salt Flats. The film plot
is something to do with a father
disowning his racing driver son,
but does it really matter?

93
CARS ON FILM

Lotus Mk2 |
Brothers in Law
Yes, that is Nicholas Parsons,
much-missed host of Just of Minute
and more, but ponder this – the
jalopy he is sitting on is the second
car ever built by Colin Chapman.
This historically important Austin
Seven-based motor was picked for
the film, also starring Ian Carmichael
and Richard Attenborough, because
it looked like one Nicholas Parsons
might do up at the side of the road.

Maserati 3500 GT |
Love is a Ball
While many will be interested in
actress Hope Lange – who plays
trainee racing driver Milly Mehaffey
in this Glenn Ford film – sprawling
herself across the bonnet, we would
expect the Octane reader to be far
more excited by the car she is on.
After all, it was one of a pair of Fiat 124 Spider | A Place for Lovers
Carrozzeria Touring protoypes for an It didn’t get much more A-list than this in the late 1960s: Marcello
open-topped 3500 GT and was Mastroianni and Faye Dunaway beside a villa in Cortina d’Ampezzo with an
shown at the Turin Salon in 1958. Italian sports car, even if it is a yellow example of the famed ‘baby Ferrari’
The factory opted to go with Vignale instead of the more usual big red Ferrari. Vittorio di Sica’s bittersweet 1968
instead so this car remained unique. film – she’s dying of cancer, he doesn’t know – casts Mastroianni as a
It’s worth checking back on Octane racing driver and safety campaigner whom fashion designer Dunaway
190 for the full story. selects for her final fling after seeing him on TV. It’s a terrible film, sadly.

94
 Bentley MkVI |
Rikki & Pete
Look carefully: Pete Menzies is not
just going zen on the roof of his
mother’s MkVI in this 1988 film, he
is steering it via a strap wrapped
around the wheel. Yet this wacky
Australian Outback road movie
about a brother and sister looking
for adventure had a worse fate in
store for the stately British saloon
– Peter later chops it in half to
create an articulated truck! It stars
Nina Landis and Stephen Kearney
and is worth a look; there is also
Mini Moke content.
Austin A55 |
The Running Man
No, not that one. Carol Reed’s
1963 movie stars Alan Bates as an
insurance investigator on the trail of
a clap-door Lincoln-driving crook
played by Laurence Harvey. Despite
the film being in colour, this lobby
card appears to be a colourised
black-and-white, and shows some
Spanish road workers stepping out
of their Seat 1400B to help Bates
after his Cambridge has been run
off the road by Harvey and terrified
wife/passenger Lee Remick.
Cadillac Series 62 |
Badlands
Terrence Malick’s 1973 directorial
debut is renowned for its stunning
photography. Inspired by a real-life
youth killing spree in 1958, the
brooding nihilistic piece mainly
features the youngsters crossing the
wilds of Dakota and Montana –
destination the Canadian border
and sanctuary – in a 1959 Series 62
sedan they purloined while robbing
a mansion. Stars Sissy Spacek and
Martin Sheen; you can probably
guess how well it ends for them.
CARS ON FILM

Porsche 356 |
Doc Hollywood
Leading up to the car crash that led
high-living high-flyer Michael J Fox
to get stuck in hicksville, where he is
inevitably charmed by rustic life and
a local lass (who saw that coming?),
he was driving VW-based 356
replicas (they used five or six in all).
In the car’s final resting place, it was
still not a real Speedster (far too
valuable even in 1991), but a scrap
coupé that’s had a roof chop.

Crosley | 3 Ring Circus

America has had a curious relationship with small cars, so much so that they
were often used in 1950s and ’60s films to denote the downbeat (couldn’t
afford a proper car) or the downright kooky. The fact that in this 1955 Jerry
Lewis and Dean Martin vehicle a Crosley is used as a clown car, literally, after
the demob pals join a circus, says it all. The 1949 Crosley CD convertible
sedan is the punchline to several gags and we are offended on behalf of this
diminutive car built in Indiana with a sub-1.0-litre engine and good intentions.

96
 Ford Zodiac MkIV | No Blade of Grass
Implausible though a plot of global panic sparked by a deadly virus pandemic
and environmental disaster might seem, it was the basis of this apocalyptic
1970 Cornel Wilde film. Here Nigel Davenport and Jean Wallace flee London
in their Ford, but are swiftly surrounded by an inquisitive yet threatening mob
of motoring enthusiasts who instantly recognise it as the rare estate version.
The couple escape to Northumberland, where they have a chance of survival.
Alfa Giulietta |
The Young Racers
Roger Corman’s race movie
featured footage of legends such
as Jim Clark and Bruce McLaren,
yet still remains more fabled than
watched. Here the actual actors,
Mark Damon (hack Steve
Children) and William Campbell
(racer Joe Machin), come to
blows on an Alfa Giulietta Spider.
R-R Phantom II |
The Yellow Rolls-Royce
Possiby the best-known car film
included here, it gets a mention
because this picture (rather than the
one of Shirley MacLaine draping
herself over the bonnet) shows off
more of a cast that featured George
C Scott, Rex Harrison, Omar Sharif,
Jeanne Moreau, Alain Delon and
Ingrid Bergman. Make no mistake,
though, this story of consecutive
owners is all about the Barker-
bodied Phantom II, chassis 9JS.
MG X-power SV |
Run
Spoiler alert: before you start
frantically searching the internet,
this film never happened. However,
the prospect of the last-gasp
super-MG having a starring role on
the silver screen is still tantalising
enough for it to be included. The still
was shot at Cannes Film Festival in
2004, where the street-racing flick
was launched with the 175mph MG,
Rick Yune (Die Another Day), Simon
Webbe (‘from boyband Blue’, we’re
told) and a £10million budget.
Within a year, both the film and MG
Rover had gone the same way…
97
CARS ON FILM

MP Lafer | Moonraker
A what? The VW-based MP Lafer was a Brazilian
MG TD look-alike launched in 1974 and numbering
more than 4000 from a 16-year production span
(including updated PI version). It was driven by
Manuela (Emily Bolton) to chase the sultan of
suave in Rio. Definitely not the most notable Bond
car from definitely not the most notable Bond film.

Iso Grifo |
Mahogany
As if disco queen Diana Ross and
Psycho’s Anthony Perkins weren’t
an odd enough pairing in this 1975
rags-to-riches story, the choice of an
Iso Grifo to drive, and subsequently
destroy, is baffling. Directed by
Motown mogul Berry Gordy, this
story of the rise of a fashion student
to global fame credited Fiat for CARS ON FILM
supplying the cars. Did Turin source A CELEBRATION OF
the Chevy-powered muscle car CARS AT THE MOVIES
rather than sacrifice one of its own? by Giles Chapman,
ISBN 978 0 7509 9400 2,
is published by The History
Press at £14.99 –
www.thehistorypress.co.uk.
Ford Capri Mk1| The book is based on a
collection of original film
Psychomania publicity ‘stills’ accumulated
A strange 1973 supernatural thriller and conserved by Giles
about a biker gang called The Living Chapman over 35 years.
Dead and led by Tom Latham (Nicky They show a huge range of
Henson) that sees immortality as a cars in productions both
superb way to carry on terrorising familiar and obscure, many
everyday Brits in their Capris and of which have rarely, if ever,
Transits for eternity. Motorcycles been reproduced. The text
sharing the screen include BSA, is packed with behind-the-
AJS and Matchless. A tragic twist scenes facts and insight
was that actor George Sanders into how and why many of
committed suicide after a screening these vehicles ended up
of the film in Madrid. End on the big screen.

98
BEST OF THE BEST FERRARI 750 MONZA

100
 WAR

HORSE

In a previous life this Ferrari 750 Monza

battled its way to victories on road and
track – and it has just won the most
coveted honour in the concours world
Words Jay Harvey Photography Evan Klein

101
BEST OF THE BEST FERRARI 750 MONZA

T
he house where Tom Peck keeps his old Ferraris is
a recreation of a medieval Tuscan villa perched on a
verdant hillside and overlooking some of the toniest
real estate in Orange County, California. Peck’s 750
Monza, smooth as river stone and lustrous as a
black sapphire, shares its stable (built of imported
Italian masonry) with three other Ferraris of similar
1950s vintage. Polished to appear as exquisite jewels under the soft lights,
these veteran cavallinos are enjoying a life far more pampered than Enzo
Ferrari ever planned for his race cars.
We wheel the Monza into the sunshine; it’s one of those glorious West
Coast January mornings. Peck thumbs the starter and, after some clanking
from the electrical components, the Aurelio Lampredi-designed twin-
cam four erupts. This isn’t one of Ferrari’s sonorous little V12s greeting
the morning with a lovely purr, but a big-bore war weapon that alights
with a raspy, blatty, spitting, smoking, cantankerous cadence of
murderous gunfire. The fearsome noise of this Italian Offy ricochets
around the walls of Peck’s courtyard and spills out over the fastidiously
manicured lawns of his neighbours, who will soon be swamping with
complaints the community’s uniformed army of rent-a-cops. The Ferrari’s
engine quits and has to be restarted several times before it will stay lit – it
will be a while before it’s warm enough to maintain anything approaching
an idle. But then, it wasn’t born to idle, it was born to go like hell and win.
Here’s the life Enzo had planned for this car: workers at the Maranello
Scuderia slapped together chassis number 0428 MD in March 1954 in a
rush to get it into the Conchiglia d’Oro (Golden Shell) race for 2.0-litre
cars that June at the newly constructed Imola circuit. The 2.0-litre
formula had taken over international Grand Prix racing for a short time
and the Lampredi four-banger was Il Commendatore’s answer, being far
simpler than Ferrari’s small V12s while offering similar power.
Just one tool in Enzo’s drawer of racing implements, this car was born
to live a hard life in Ferrari’s epic battles with Maserati. It wasn’t even
created as a 750 Monza originally but rather a smaller-displacement 500
Mondial (hence the MD designation in the chassis number), and the car
wasn’t originally black, either, but Scuderia red. Jockeyed by factory shoe
Umberto Maglioli, the 500 played its part to further Italy’s resurrection
from the ashes of war by notching a win at Imola. That plus a victory
in Portugal that year would be the car’s finest hours in competition.
Only a week after Imola, the car caught fire at Monza and badly burned
driver Nino Farina, who spent the next 20 days in hospital. Enzo’s boys
schlepped the cooked carcass back to the factory for repairs and fresh
bodywork from Carrozzeria Scaglietti. It was back at the coal-face a
month later in Portugal, where factory driver José Froilán González won
with it. Then, three months later at the Tourist Trophy race in Dundrod,
Northern Ireland, Gonzáles went off and rolled the car. Back it went again
to Scaglietti for a whole new front end, and that’s when it received the
larger Type 119 3.0-litre engine, making this 500 Mondial the very first
750 Monza. However, Enzo was already done with this particular
hammer and he put the car up for sale to his privateer customers. Above
Into our story steps Don Alfonzo Cabeza de Vaca, the 17th Marquis de The Monza started life as a 500
Mondial, earning its spurs as a 2.0-litre
Portago. ‘Fon’ to his friends, he was the lucky descendant of both Spanish before being upgraded to a 3.0-litre
royalty and an extremely rich British heiress. He was a pilot, a horseman, 750. In its dotage it has been restored
an Olympic bobsledder, and a crack polo player. Befitting the life of a rich and now competes on concours lawns.

102
103
BEST OF THE BEST FERRARI 750 MONZA

dilettante, he launched his racing career not in smaller, slower cars but in
a Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spyder at the 1954 1000km enduro in Buenos
Aires. After only three laps, however, the team yanked him out because
nobody had bothered to instruct the 17th Marquis de Portago on how
to manually shift a car (the team still finished second). Somehow Fon
concluded from this experience that his next step should be to enter the
most dangerous road race in the world, so he bought the 750 Monza from
Ferrari in November 1954 and headed for Tuxtla Gutiérrez on the edge
of the sweltering jungle in southern Mexico.
La Carrera Panamericana had begun in 1950 as a way to publicise
the opening of the new Pan-American highway, but by the year of
Portago’s arrival it had turned into a slaughter. Nine people died in the
1953 running, including six bystanders mowed down by Mickey
Thompson in a careening Ford. Along the 1900-mile route were straights
stretching to ten miles, arduous climbs to more than 10,000ft, and the
occasional hay-bale heaved into the road by bored spectators. Portago
barely made it out of Tuxtla before the Ferrari blew an oil line and he was
forced to retire. Perhaps it was a blessing; another seven people died in
1954 after sailing over cliffs, smashing into trees, veering to avoid the
ubiquitous cattle, or being hit by cars, and the Mexican Government
decided to end the Carrera for good.
Portago patched up the Ferrari and raced it with some success at the
Nassau Speed Week in the Bahamas before parting company with the car
in late 1954 and moving on to even faster machines. Subsequently his
own fatal crash in the 1957 Mille Miglia saw the end of open-road racing
in Italy as well.
By then, the ageing Ferrari had slid further down the rungs of the
racing ladder, running in local events in California through the latter
1950s, including the original Pebble Beach races. Finally its Lampredi
3.0-litre gave out and, because the factory was loath to supply parts for
outdated race cars, the engine was replaced with a Chevy V8 that
powered it in US club events into the 1960s, where it had a few more
run-ins with immovable objects. Peck is unfazed by his car’s muddied
past: ‘For many early Ferraris, that’s the only reason they’re still around,
because the owners couldn’t get parts and so put in American V8s and
continued to race them.’
Eventually the Ferrari ended up packed into about a hundred boxes in
a warehouse in the San Francisco Bay area, where it sat for four decades

104
Clockwise, from above
Livery namechecks racer and aristocrat
‘Fon’ Portago; 3.0-litre twin-cam four is more
guttural than Ferrari V12; twin Mobiloil decals
were the source of much head-scratching;
Portago on the final Carrera Panamericana.

105
BEST OF THE BEST FERRARI 750 MONZA

106
1954 Ferrari 750 Monza
Prototype by Scaglietti
Engine 3000cc DOHC
four-cylinder, two Weber
58DCOA3 carburettors
Power 250bhp @ 6000rpm
Transmission Five-speed
rear-mounted transaxle
Steering Worm and sector
Suspension Front: double
wishbones, transverse
semi-elliptic leaf spring, hydraulic
dampers. Rear: de Dion axle,
transverse semi-elliptic leaf
spring, hydraulic dampers
Brakes Drums Weight 760kg
Top speed 165mph

107
BEST OF THE BEST FERRARI 750 MONZA
until Peck heard about it from a friend in 2016 and managed to convince
the ailing owner to part with it. Reunited with its original engine
sometime in the early 1990s, the car was sent off to Bob Smith
Coachworks, a well-known Ferrari hospital in Gainesville, Texas, where
it was meticulously restored over three years while the engine was revived
in the shop of Patrick Ottis in Berkeley, California.
By his own admission, Peck can’t turn a wrench, ‘so I do the research’,
which has obviously been exhaustive. He spent hours looking for just the
right Mobiloil Pegasus logos to put on the body. Then he had an artist
tweak and resize them to match the few grainy photos of the car during its
brief period in Portago’s ownership. He had stickers made, too – but was
subsquently advised that decals would actually be correct, so he had
them remade. Then he realised that the flying horses on the nose were
backwards and should point towards the Ferrari emblem. ‘We must
have $10,000 in those damn’ decals,’ he laments.
Peck bought his first Ferrari in 1979, a 308 GTS, while he was
helping his dad to grow the family building products business. Work and
kids always took precedence and, although new sports cars came and
went, he can barely remember them now. In 2015 he bought his first
vintage car, a baby blue 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial, after selling his
company and suddenly finding time and money to spare. He got hooked
on the Pebble Beach Concours after winning a class award there with
the 500 on his very first trip to the event.
‘I don’t go there to win, I go to try to get feedback on how to make the
cars better,’ he says. Tips he’s picked up from the coterie of experts at
Pebble include not painting a race car to perfection. ‘Enzo would tell his
guys, “I need this car painted in a week,”’ says Peck, ‘and there was orange
peel and overspray and dirt in the paint.’ Sure enough, if you lean into
Peck’s black Monza you’ll notice some fog in the finish from a spray job
that hasn’t been sanded until it looks like glass. Also, the number
roundels and fender lettering have been painted by hand, as befits a La
108
‘The twin-plug engine
is prodded by the
starter and responds
with a paroxysm
of guttural rage’
Carrera entry. Back then, the racers hired local sign painters in Tuxtla
to adorn the cars before the start, and the brush strokes are clearly visible
on Peck’s car. It certainly wowed the judges at the 2020 Cavallino Classic,
and has now been declared the winner of the latest Peninsula Classics
Best of the Best award.
Peck unlatches the aluminium body’s single gossamer door (it’s right-
hand drive), climbs over the red leather driver’s seat and slides into the
passenger seat. I try to slide gracefully behind the big wheel but it’s not
easy. In the races at Nassau, according to Peck: ‘Portago would run across,
jump in and go – I don’t know how he did it.’
I elect to work the closely spaced pedals in socks and am relieved that
the legend on the large spun-aluminium shifter ball reveals a conventional
H-pattern for the four-speed transmission, with first up and to the left.
Once again, the twin-plug engine is prodded by the starter and responds
with a paroxysm of guttural rage. I’ve been warned that the clutch is touchy
but it has some slight give to it if you’re patient and I’m able to ease the
Ferrari out of Peck’s courtyard and onto the street without stalling.
Above left, and above
Roundels and lettering applied
by hand in true La Carrera
tradition; Orange County
residential surroundings look
surprisingly appropriate.

109
BEST OF THE BEST FERRARI 750 MONZA
The Monza hates – really hates – going slow. The pair of side-draught
48mm dual-choke Webers will flush enough air and juice down the engine’s
throat to make it surge towards 6000rpm with a hellacious fury, but they
won’t abide any shyness. The car stumbles and bucks if you try to accelerate
using anything much less than half-throttle, so I give it more and the
Monza takes off.
The gated shifter finds its own way and, when I am firm with it and
good on the double-declutch timing, the upshifts and downshifts slam
home with a minimum of clash as the wind ripples our cheeks. The phone
lines to the guard shack are burning as we rip back and forth through Peck’s
immaculate subdivision, which for a few glorious minutes in 2021 sounded
like the main drag in Tehuantepec in November 1954.
The Monza is up to temperature and all business now, its steering tight
and its chassis rolling in predictable ways through the corners as the
narrow tyres squish and squirm around those gorgeous Borrani wires.
But the rent-a-cops have been roused and their little sport-utes with
yellow flashing lights are closing in. We break for the house, because
wringing out a Ferrari 750 Monza in a chi-chi Orange County enclave
110
is pretty much like trying to stage a bullfight at the Guggenheim; you can
get away with it for only so long before somebody notices.
One can’t help but be charmed by Peck’s humble approach to his
hobby. Probably the only guy in his neighbourhood who has made all the
shutters on his house himself, he feels a sense of duty to get these old
Ferraris out of their gilded vaults and into the world, where they can be
appreciated by the next generation. He’s even talking about running the
revived La Carrera Panamericana in the Ferrari, which remains a tough,
bare-knuckle car-breaker, even in its modern guise.
‘Sure,’ says Peck, ‘after it’s done the show circuit, why not?’ Well, Enzo
certainly never was one to let a race-car just sit around. End
THE FERRARI, which won Best in Show at Florida’s Cavallino Classic last
January, has just been crowned Best of the Best in the annual Peninsula Classics
showdown. It took top honours from a shortlist that also included the Concours
of Elegance-winning Porsche 917, Salon Privé’s 1931 Alfa 8C Zagato, and
Amelia Island’s 1929 Duesenberg Model J. For details, visit peninsula.com/
en/signature-events/events/best-of-the-best.
112
 THE
O C TA N E
INTERVIEW
in association with
Marek Reichman
He’s the man in charge of what new Aston Martins look like –
yet he has a passion for Astons of the past, and he races
in Historics, too, as Ben Barry discovers
Portrait photography Charlie Magee courtesy Aston Martin
AS A PRIMARY school kid in 1970s Sheffield, Marek
Reichman would race downhill – ‘40mph without
brakes!’ – on a soapbox built with his older brother
Julian. By 2005, the kid from the northern estate had
been shortlisted to lead the design team of arguably the
most beautiful car brand of all, following the departure
of Henrik Fisker.
Now, 16 years and two bosses later, Reichman
remains chief creative officer of Aston Martin, with
oversight of the 68 automotive design staff (20 more are
deployed elsewhere) currently engaged on 14 design
programmes in the Aston studio.
In the intervening years he’s reinvented Aston’s
design language, introduced continuation DB4 GT,
DB4 GT Zagato and DB5 ‘Goldfinger’ models (a little
trickier than you might guess), and amassed an eclectic
car collection of his own, including a gorgeous DB2/4,
which he’s raced.
Yet part-way through his interview with company
boss Ulrich Bez in 2005, Reichman’s gut said the odds
were against him. ‘Ulrich was really drilling me, saying
he didn’t like things in my portfolio,’ recalls Reichman,
who’d flown in from Detroit after an 18-month stint with
Aston’s parent company, Ford. ‘Half an hour became
two hours, but I felt it was going so badly.’ Some
surprise, then, to have Bez offer him the job once he’d
returned to Motor City. The new recruit wanted five
or six weeks to move his life; Bez told him ten days.
‘I think one of the reasons I got the job was that I
could examine a brand and go back to fundamentals and
have an influence on it, rather than just carry on where
the last person left off,’ suggests Reichman. ‘I saw
opportunity and a brand loved by everybody. Aston
Martin started because of racing, because of innovation,
and the heritage of the cars was amazing; the DB5 is one
of the world’s greatest ever cars, without a doubt, and
there was a you-can’t-really-define-it part of them, a
magic. And I thought “You know what, we can push
performance, we will get DBS and we’ll put Bond back
in and emphasise that these cars have really powerful
V12s” – they looked like such gentle animals at the time.’
While the new boss and his likeable right-hand man
Miles Nurnberger spent the early days of the partnership
in essence recycling the bonded-aluminium VH-
architecture cars introduced with the DB9 – the DBS
was the first Reichman-era car – latterly they’ve worked
from clean sheets thanks to new bespoke platforms,
first with the DB11, later the Vantage.
Newest of all is the DBX. Last time we met, Reichman
was guiding me through the super-hangars at Aston
Martin’s new production facility at St Athan, recalling the
live mission he joined in a C130 Hercules from Brize
Norton to the Highlands – ‘60º banked turns over blind
crests!’ – before introducing me to a silk sheet, beneath
which was the well-received SUV.
You’ll know much has changed since: tanking share
price, new management, electric Lagondas axed,
works GT racing team ditched for Formula 1, and
of course the Covid-19 maelstrom. So for Aston
enthusiasts it’s reassuring to see Marek smiling in his
design office via a Zoom meeting, given how much he’s
contributed to Aston design over the last 16 years and
how much he respects the lineage he’s continuing.
Like all of us, Covid has disrupted so much of his
working life, including part-time lectures at Tongji
university in Shanghai, but the disruption has provided
time to reflect and reassess. ‘We can’t do clay modelling
from home so I came in and sat next to a clay this
morning and I was looking at one corner,’ reveals
Reichman. ‘My phone wasn’t buzzing, I didn’t have
113
MAREK REICHMAN INTERVIEW
a meeting to go to, so I thought “I’m going to spend 20
minutes just taping up this corner.” Normally that’s a five-
second look. I want things to go back to how they were,
but also use the efficiencies [like Zoom] we have now.’
At least every other day Reichman chats on the phone
with Lawrence Stroll, Aston’s new billionaire saviour and
executive chairman, whom he describes as ‘passionate
about his investment and passionate about the brand’.
Born in 1966 to an English mother and Polish
father, Reichman (his mother died just six years after
his birth) grew up inspired by a blacksmith father
‘fascinated by going fast’, by uncle ‘Ziggy’ Zigmund
who’d fixed tanks during the war after being taken to
Siberia – ‘basically saved his life’ – and later set up a
garage in the UK. ‘Sometimes he’d have sports cars or
’50s and ’60s exotic cars and I just fell in love with
them,’ summarises Reichman.
Brother Julian, seven years his senior, fast-tracked the
young Marek’s expectations of the possible. ‘We restored
a 1966 Austin-Healey Sprite together – red, round
arches, the registration was 979 LAB – I loved the
process of restoring it and had the privilege of taking
my test in that car,’ he enthuses.
Reichman references Sheffield’s 1980s creative scene,
as you might expect – underground music, New
Romantics, art museums – but the more we talk, the
clearer it becomes how crucial engineering and industry
were, too. ‘At the time industry was disappearing, but
114
unique artisans like [Royal Designer for Industry and Clockwise, from above left
celebrated silversmith] David Mellor were practising, and Pointing out the detailing on
his DB11; driving the hugely
he had an open studio in Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, so valuable DBR1; drawings by
they’d be drawing and imagining the knife or whatever it his predecessor, William
was, then in the foundry they’d make it. I was fascinated Towns; Reichman sketching
because as a youngster you don’t realise that everything – the Vulcan model is a
that is created has been designed,’ Reichman explains. reminder of his more radical
recent work; in childhood,
Further education took him to Teesside University, shortly before the soapbox
where he earned a First in Industrial Design, and also racing began; ’54 Austin-
perfected a car-buying habit. ‘We’d get our grant money Healey is part of Reichman’s
and the local paper and go “Right, Alfasud, 395 quid, buy burgeoning collection.
it,” then I’d go home every weekend to take food up to
college. I went through a plethora of ’70s and ’80s cars,
they were cheaper then – Rover SD1, P5B, old 2CVs – it
was a car a term.’
Later he studied vehicle design at the Royal College of
Art, but Reichman had already enjoyed a student
placement at Land Rover before graduating from
Teesside. George Thompson (head of the studio), Mike
Sampson and current design boss Gerry McGovern were
all influences, and Marek remembers being struck by
their ingenuity in the face of cost constraints – the first
Discovery borrowed its doors from the Range Rover, for
instance, but sleight of hand ensured few noticed.
In 1991 came the first break at Rover, and in 1995
BMW’s stewardship took him to California and the
Designworks studio, working across the Land Rover
portfolio as senior designer. Harm Lagaay had moved
 in association with

‘AS A YOUNGSTER YOU

DON’T REALISE THAT
EVERYTHING THAT
IS CREATED HAS
BEEN DESIGNED’
from BMW to Porsche some years before to oversee
its Boxster/996-era 911 water-cooled renaissance, but
perhaps surprisingly the Dutchman had access to – and
took an interest in – Reichman’s work. ‘Harm was coming

MAX EAREY
into semi-retirement, he was a friend of the guy who
owned the studio and even though he worked for Porsche
he was somehow part of the family,’ reveals Reichman.
‘Harm made me question everything I was doing, always.’
Designworks introduced influences not only from
the US West Coast but also from designers visiting from
Munich, and others who’d go to Italy to work on a
concept, then return. Amid it all was Chris Bangle,
already a powerful force years before the world
frothed at his ahead-of-its-time ‘flame surfacing’ design
language. ‘Chris would always encourage young
AMY SHORE

designers – “You’ve got to do this, go for it!”,’ emphasises

Reichman. ‘It was a brilliant cosmopolitan melting pot
that allowed me to really expand my portfolio and think
about things differently.’
Crucially, under BMW’s stewardship, Reichman
helped reinvent two British icons: the Range Rover and
Rolls-Royce Phantom. While he acknowledges his work

REICHMAN FAMILY ARCHIVE

on the Range Rover and Rolls was clearly important in
securing his job at Aston, he also credits this next stint
with Ford in Detroit, where he worked on Lincoln and
Mercury concepts (and also hired Nurnberger out of
college) as underlining the importance of identifying
the core of a brand. The Aston One-77 was his first real
opportunity to do that while also stamping his authority
on Aston’s aesthetic.
Reichman explains: ‘We did 77 cars in 2010 and it
was unique in its time – the first ever carbonfibre tub
for Aston Martin, an exterior of aluminium that was
partially hand-formed and also hydro-formed. I had
this vision that everything would be a surface, so
when you opened the hood it would look like the
exterior. It greatly influenced the DB11.’
As well as progressing Aston design, Reichman has
also been more involved with the Continuation cars than
might be expected, given they are essentially facsimiles.
Because no two of the 19 DB4 GT Zagatos were
identical – sometimes subtly so due to inconsistencies
in production, sometimes with pronounced and
intentional alterations – Aston Martin Works set out
to select the most representative examples, a task that
with neat circularity was entrusted to Reichman’s brother.
‘We scanned the surfaces to pick a “best of ” without
making it characterless, so actually it was quite a complex
process of scanning, looking, machining in clay and

115
MAREK REICHMAN INTERVIEW
looking again,’ Reichman reveals. ‘We haven’t tried to
redesign it, we just tried to say if there was one perfect
Zagato, which would it be and how would we combine
it. That in itself was an interesting process.’
There will, he hints, be more continuation cars to
come – ‘there are some obvious ones’ – if not imminently,
and he ramps up the intrigue in saying the skills
rediscovered may influence future cars. ‘The focus on
modern cars has become more of an important aspect
of how do we do those things, but whether we’ll hand-
make cars again is something I can’t tell you…’ he teases,
meaning presumably more than simply the hand-
assembly of today’s sports and supercars.
He also touches on Singer-style restomods, and
whether that philosophy could be applied to, say, a
hybridised version of the 1977 V8 Vantage – a car he
describes as incredibly well-proportioned for its time,
with an appealingly short front overhang and plump tyres
that powerfully fill the arches.
Reichman’s mind can race, so the boundary between
him simply freestyling ideas and revealing tantalising
glimpses behind the design curtain is fuzzy, but people
in his position rarely say things impulsively to journalists.
Talk of classics naturally leads to his own collection,
comprised of around 11 cars, though there’s some looking
at the air and silent counting and not quite being sure. ‘I
wanted the collection not just to be about driving on the
road, but enjoying the experience of ownership,’ goes the
rationale. ‘One of the highlights has to be the Aston
DB2/4, which is brilliant. It was owned by the husband
of Henry Hope-Frost’s mother for 30 years, and
when Henry died he didn’t have anyone to give the car
to. He wanted to keep the car with family and friends,
‘I WANTED THE COLLECTION
NOT JUST TO BE ABOUT
DRIVING BUT ENJOYING THE
EXPERIENCE OF OWNERSHIP’
116
and asked if I would buy it. It’s a lovely black DB2/4 Below, left and right
from 1954 and I love it to pieces.’ Two years back Reichman racing his Cooper
T56 Formula Junior at
Reichman drove the DB2/4 to Le Mans, and has even Goodwood; front-wheel-drive
raced it at Goodwood, much like the car’s original owner 1950s Emeryson 500 F3
would drive it to events and paint numbers on the door. racer kicked off his collection.
More collection highlights flash by, including a Cooper
T56 Formula Junior – ‘You drive it with the seat of your
pants, a hair between oversteer, understeer and getting it
just right’ – and a 1964 Mini he’s both raced himself at
Silverstone and entrusted to long-time Aston works
driver Darren Turner. There’s also a restoration project on
a 1949 Series I Land Rover with his brother Julian, plus a
1942 Willys Jeep, a 1954 Austin-Healey and a share in a
Lotus 26R racer. ‘There’s nothing like when you compete
with high power in a car shrink-wrapped around you,’ he
says. ‘I did the six hours of Spa, and you’re in a small 26R
with a GT40 almost touching you!’
At the heart of it all is the Formula 3 car from which the
collection grew. ‘It’s a 1950s Emeryson, one of the 500s,
so how Stirling started his career, and Bernie Ecclestone.
The chassis number is 007, believe it or not, and it now
has a “knocker” Norton engine. They’re incredible fun to
drive and incredibly dangerous; you’re doing 110mph
down the back straight at Goodwood, it’s front-wheel
drive, so there’s a chain running between your legs and
the thing is just rattling underneath you,’ says Reichman
with obvious glee, before adding that he still bears the
scars from previous Emeryson injuries.
Aston Martin’s design boss has come a long way
since running soapboxes down Sheffield hills, but it’s
reassuring to know that the little kid with a thirst for
speed and a passion for engineering is still just a badly
grazed knee beneath the surface. End
‘THE CHUBB INTERVIEWS’
PODCASTS WITH JODIE KIDD
Head to www.chubb.com/
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’32 FORD HOT ROD

118
 BOY’S TOY
This 1932 Ford hot rod has military history, having
once been the property of the key World War Two General,
Sir Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning. Greg Moss delves into its past
Photography Greg Moss

119
’32 FORD HOT ROD
I n a corner of Valley Gas Speed Shop sat a
charming little Ford Model B, tucked away
in the corner. At first glimpse it seemed to
share more characteristics with a Bentley or
an old Austin, with its knock-off wire wheels,
Union flags and maroon paintwork, and it
stood out among proprietor Jimmy Hibberd’s backdrop
of muscle cars and pick-ups. ‘Apparently it used to belong
to some General and his wife, who was a famous writer,’
said Hibberd, as I peered under the bonnet to see
an immaculate French flathead V8.
There was something about the Ford that grabbed
me: its old-school hot rod looks, the chopped roof, tiny
screen, the V8, its understated paintwork, those flags and
wheels… It seemed curiously British, though with the hint
of a glamorous past. My curiosity was piqued.
I soon discovered that the original owner of the car was
Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning, a key
figure in the Second World War and the husband of famed
author and playwright Daphne du Maurier, no less. His CV
reads like one from Ripping Yarns or Bulldog Drummond.
A fascinating character, he had been educated at Eton,
awarded the Distinguished Service Order for conspicuous
gallantry and devotion to duty in the First World War (in
which he also happened to serve alongside a young Winston
Churchill), and in peacetime became an Olympian –
competing in the bobsleigh at the winter games.
Come the Second World War and having never left the
Army, he was made Commander of the British Airborne
forces, oversaw Operation Market Garden, and was then
appointed as Admiral Mountbatten’s Chief of Staff at
South-East Asia Command. In 1947 he left the Army
and became Comptroller and Treasurer to the Household
of Princess Elizabeth and eventually Treasurer to the Duke
Clockwise, from right
These days it’s a hot rod but during Boy’s tenure it was a family car;
1st Airborne division paratroopers on exercises at Netheravon Airfield, 1942;
their commander, Lieutenant-General Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning.
120
of Edinburgh. Quite a career, eh? But of all his postings,
commissions and achievements, it’s his involvement
in Operation Market Garden that came to define his legacy.
Named the ‘father of the airborne forces’, Boy had been
selected to command the 1st Airborne Division in 1941.
This title was perfectly apt as he set about the gargantuan
task of moulding troops, acquiring equipment and
resources, and ultimately dragging the British Army into a
new form of warfare. He had a reputation for arrogance,
even condescension, but those close to him, whether peers
or subordinates, found him to be hard-working and
determined, and they treasured his friendship. As author
Richard Mead states in his biography General ‘Boy’: The
life of Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Browning, ‘history has
increasingly judged him on the back of one short episode
that went badly wrong and has tended to ignore his qualities
and achievements, which were considerable’.
This short episode was Operation Market Garden
(‘Market’ code for airborne forces, and ‘Garden’ for land
forces), a mission designed by General ‘Monty’
Montgomery. The plan was ambitious: to drop 35,000
parachute and glider troops into the Netherlands, securing
bridges and land and ultimately giving the Allies a
springboard over the Rhine into Germany. Unfortunately,
it was plagued with problems and failed in its main objective.
The tanks of 30 Corps (the land forces) struggled to
keep momentum en route to their targets. The furthest
bridge at Arnhem was intended to be held for only two days
before reinforcements came, but 1st Airborne division had
to hold out for twice that, ran out of ammunition and lost
position. According to the Imperial War Museum, from the
10,000 men of the Airborne division just over 2000
returned, 1485 British and Polish soldiers were killed or
died of wounds, and 6525 were taken prisoner.
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
121
’32 FORD HOT ROD

122
‘Netheravon Airfield is
an apt location for Boy’s
car, as it was regularly
employed by 1st
Airborne troops’
In the aftermath, Boy’s role was under scrutiny and has
been a subject of debate ever since. In retrospect I find it
hard to untangle the predictions, plans and errors from the
chaotic battle that lasted nine days. Was he not just a soldier
with a job to do and orders to follow?
Richard Mead provides me with some of his thoughts
on the operation. ‘Monty wanted it to happen so it had to
happen. Browning, I think, himself thought that it was
the wrong approach; most of Monty’s staff thought that,
too. It wasn’t Browning’s position to do anything other than
make it happen, essentially. He was very keen to bring his
1st Airborne division into it.
‘It certainly doesn’t absolve him from blame; he was
absolutely one of those who has to carry the can for the
failure of Arnhem, but not to the extent that some people
say. No strategy survives its first contact with the enemy;
whatever you decide to do, you cannot predict how the
enemy is going to react and in this particular case the Allies
had underrated the German ability to recover from what
was a complete disaster in Normandy.’
That disaster was D-Day, but an added factor in his legacy
was the film A Bridge Too Far, the title of which was a phrase
Boy had coined during the original plans – he was played
by none other than Dirk Bogarde, in a glittering cast of
Hollywood stars that included Sean Connery and Michael
Caine. The film came out in 1977, more than a decade after
Boy’s death in 1965. Its script needed a ‘fall guy’ and,
as Mead says in his biography, ‘cast Boy as the villain’.
I can remember watching that film for the first time as a
kid and being won over by its action, blazing Sten guns,
exploding buildings and a cast of cinema’s finest. Looking
back, I can see poor old Boy doesn’t come out of it well.
‘It’s a great film; unfortunately it’s historically inaccurate,’
says Mead. ‘Quite a lot of it is very fanciful. It was written
for the benefit of US audiences; America was the biggest
box office available.’ Boy’s wife Daphne du Maurier was
appalled and hurt by the portrayal of her late husband, and
promptly sent a scathing letter to The Times.

I NOW SIT at Netheravon Airfield in Wiltshire, an apt

location for Boy’s car as this place was regularly employed
by 1st Airborne division troops to practise parachuting and
flying in gliders. Save for the occasional military helicopter,
there’s only the odd skylark to disturb the peace; it’s far
from the hive of activity that this place would have been
during the war years.
Boy had a passion for cars; among his collection was
an MG and a 1932 Ford that he called ‘Fordie’. With the
help of Boy’s eldest daughter Tessa, Dowager Viscountess

123
’32 FORD HOT ROD
Montgomery of Alamein, and son Kits, we’ve come to
discover that Fordie is the car I’d seen at Valley Gas Speed
Shop. According to Kits, the car was kept at the family home
of Menabilly House in Cornwall, laid up in a garage
throughout the war, and it wasn’t re-registered until his
father returned in 1948. Kits suspects that his parents may
have taken Fordie with them on a trip to Egypt.
It’s now owned by Barry Whitebread, who has restored
and modified it with an unwavering sense of determination
that would have made its late owner proud. Whitebread
bought Fordie in 2017, after a lengthy search for the right
car. ‘I’d been looking for a ’32 Ford; I wanted something
that was slightly different to what everybody else had – hot
rod wise.’ Fordie was in far from its original state since it
had left the hands of Browning and du Maurier: with the
roof chopped and running boards missing, it barely
resembled its former self. ‘Originally it was a Tudor saloon.
It was a lovely car; you wonder why anybody would want to
chop the roof off! It had been taken in the wrong direction
– someone had put a great big Cleveland V8 in the front of
it; the thing was just shaking itself to bits,’ says Whitebread.
It wasn’t until he had had a good chat with the last owner
that Whitebread discovered it was once owned by Browning.
Coincidentally, he had also served in the Army, as a Warrant
Officer in the Ordnance Corps, and he’d driven virtually
everything from motorbikes to Chieftain tanks. So this
stage in Fordie’s ownership seems entirely appropriate.
With upgrades high on Whitebread’s list, Jimmy Hibberd
of Valley Gas Speed Shop entered the story. The first task
‘As well as power,
handling was a priority,
as previous modifications
had made for an
unnerving ride’
124
was to replace that hefty 351ci Cleveland V8, and after a few
phone calls Hibberd located an ex-French Army Ford
flathead V8 still in its crate at a warehouse in Germany. ‘We
pulled the whole engine apart, put a different cam in it,
fitted Offenhauser heads and installed an Edelbrock inlet
with Stromberg twin carbs. We totally rebuilt it, connected
it up to a C4 automatic transmission, and made up a stainless
steel exhaust system,’ he tells me.
As well as power, handling was a priority, as previous
modifications had made for an unnerving ride. Whitebread
explains: ‘There was this long Pitman arm that was used to
steer it – there was so much play, you literally did a quarter
of a turn to keep it in a straight line!’
Hibberd recalls: ‘We put a Kugel independent suspension
unit on it with a steering rack; a lot of people will go “Ah, I
don’t like that,” but Barry said “I want to be able to drive this
thing.” We fitted Wilwood brakes and lowered it at the back,
adding coil-overs and a four-bar set-up. Then Barry added
all the running boards and put the wings on.’
And here it is, with those upgrades fitted by Hibberd and
looking fantastic. Its profile hints at its hot rod credentials,
back end up and nose down on its new suspension, poised
with intent, less like the car you’d take on a picnic and more
Right and below
Ex-military French Ford flathead V8 has replaced the
hefty Cleveland that had found its way into Fordie
over the years; interior has been kept simple –
though Fordie wasn’t always a soft-top.
125
’32 FORD HOT ROD
COURTESY KITS BROWNING
like the hot rod you’d scare the neighbours with. No-one
knows who gave it its current colour scheme (it was
originally Eton blue) but I like to think it’s a homage to the
maroon beret of the Airborne division. Even Boy’s son
Kits approves: ‘I must say, she looks great as a convertible
and I love the colour and the wheels.’
Clamber in via the suicide door and the driver’s seat feels
strangely open, there’s a wealth of space at your feet and the
chopped windscreen makes you realise how high you sit.
Into gear and it pulls away silky-smooth, the V8 burbling
with solid intent, though never quite threatening to burst
my eardrums. The transmission shifts with subtlety and
immediacy, and no head-bobbing jerks. Swinging Fordie
round for another spin, it leans but rolls out of the corners
nicely; I never feel as though I’m going to slide off the bench
126
‘It’s less the car you’d
take on a picnic, more
the hot rod you’d scare
the neighbours with’
seats and there’s no need to hang on to the steering wheel
for dear life. The ride is testament to Hibberd’s handiwork
and Whitebread’s commitment to creating a classic car that
handles well, and is – more importantly – great fun to drive.
I try to imagine what it would have been like for Boy
driving the Model B around the narrow country lanes of
Cornwall, its dinky proportions perfect for squeezing
between the hedgerows on a jaunt down to the coast, a
welcome respite from the pressures of duty perhaps.
Though it’s so different today, I can see why he would
have loved it: throwing it around the airfield soon brings
a smile to my face.
His son Kits and eldest daughter Tessa remember Fordie
well, having stood as children on the running boards along
with their sister Flavia, clinging to the doors as their father
drove them up and down the drive of their home at
Menabilly. It’s a charming piece of history, and represents
a lighthearted chapter in a life filled with adventure,
tragedy and love. Good old Fordie. End
THANKS TO author Richard Mead and the staff
of Netheravon Airfield.
Top left and below
Photo from the family archive illustrates
Fordie as it was when owned by Browning
and kept for use around Menabilly House,
Cornwall; today’s nose-down hot rod
stance is subtle yet definitive.
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2017 Lamborghini Centenario Roadster
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1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III “Copper Kettle”
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by Octane staff and contributors
OCTANE CARS
OW N I N G + D R I V I N G + M A I N T A I N I N G
The uncomfortable truth
1982
MORGAN 4/4
MATTHEW HOWELL
SINCE I WROTE my last piece
about my recently handed-down
Morgan, I’ve been keeping a
secret from everyone around me
and the stress has been building
and building. Then one afternoon,
after about an hour’s drive, I
blurted it out to my unsuspecting
wife: ‘This is the worst car I’ve
ever driven. I’m sorry, it is just
terrible.’ This was not what she
wanted to hear (we hoped to have
lots of adventures in it), and I
imagine I’m going to get hatemail
from armies of Morgan fans once
they’ve read this.
The thing is, everyone who sees
the car says: ‘That’s lovely. You’re
going to have so much fun in it.’
And yes, it does look great, but
how it drove really didn’t match up
to its appearance. If you’re a
Morgan lover, please read on
130
before you explode with rage; as
this story will (hopefully) have a
happy ending…
I’d like to point out that I’ve
driven cars from Model T Fords to
modern classics, so trust me when
I say I know what to expect from
an old car. The problem was that if
you rode over a series of small
bumps, the front wheels could be
sent into an uncontrollable spasm.
More than once I genuinely
thought we might leave the road as
the tyres skipped all over the place.
Then throw into the mix the rear
lever-arm dampers (yes, on a 1982
model) in a very light car with a
disproportionately heavy live axle,
plus what turned out to be zero
chassis clearance, and both back
pain and unacceptable handling
were inevitable.
I couldn’t believe this was
normal and after checking the car
over I found the front suspension
was in good condition, with little
to no wear in the kingpins, and the
dampers were fine. Fortunately,
there is a recognised upgrade with
progressive and adjustable springs
Left and right
Front suspension upgrades
have been partly successful,
but it’ll take a major overhaul
to prevent the rear axle from
hitting the underslung chassis
and render the Morgan as
good to drive as it is to look at.
and adjustable dampers. Although
I usually do all the work on my
own classics, I decided to farm this
one out and have a new set of
uprated kingpins and bushes fitted.
The consensus online was it would
‘transform the ride and handling’.
Did it work? With the dampers
softened off, it was a definite
improvement and I could feel the
front tyres follow the tarmac and
comfort was better. Not quite the
revelation the internet promised,
but it made me realise that some of
the car’s problems were at the rear.
When I went to replace the lever-
arms with a telescopic conversion
kit, what I couldn’t believe was that
the axle sat firmly on the bump
stops. The chassis runs underneath
the axle and rubber stops keep the
two apart, so when the suspension
compresses, a gap grows between
them. As it rebounds – THUMP!
– the axle hits the stops and sends
all that force to your backside.
I did some more digging and
some people in the know said
‘That’s how they are’, which I also
find hard to believe. The springs on
my car appear to be in excellent
condition, as is everything else in
the rear axle vicinity. I’ve also
noticed that the axle sits 15mm
OCTANE’S FLEET
forward of the wheelarch centre.
These are the cars – and
You can buy a kit that moves the
motorbikes – run by the
axle up by 20mm and rearwards by
magazine’s staff and
15mm at the same time, seeming to contributors
offer a two-in-one solution. I’m
fully aware of its potential effects
on geometry and so on, so I’ll let ROBERT COUCHER
you know next time how well it’s International editor
worked and by then I hope I’ll be l 1955 Jaguar XK140
a lot closer to having a Morgan that
drives as nicely as it looks. ANDREW ENGLISH
Contributor
l 1960 Triumph TR3A
l 1962 Norton Dominator
l 1965 Aston Martin DB5
GLEN WADDINGTON
Associate editor
l1989 BMW 320i Convertible
SANJAY SEETANAH
Advertising director
l 1981 BMW 323i Top Cabrio
l 1998 Aston Martin DB7 Volante
MARK DIXON
Deputy editor
l 1927 Alvis 12/50
l 1927 Ford Model T pick-up
l 1955 Land Rover Series I 107in
l 1966 Ford Mustang 289
l 1994 Range Rover 4.0
JAMES ELLIOTT
Editor-in-chief
l 1965 Triumph 2.5 PI
l 1968 Jensen Interceptor
JOHN SIMISTER
Contributor
l 1961 Saab 96
l 1972 Rover 2000 TC
l 1989 Mazda MX-5 Eunos
RICHARD HESELTINE
Contributor
l 1966 Moretti 850 Sportiva
l 1971 Honda Z600
MASSIMO DELBÒ
Contributor
l 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230
l 1972 Fiat 500L
l 1975 Alfa Romeo GT Junior
l 1979/80 Range Rovers
l 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL
l 1985 Mercedes-Benz 240TD
DAVID BURGESS-WISE
Contributor
l 1903 De Dion-Bouton
l 1911 Pilain 16/20
l 1926 Delage DISS
131
OCTANE CARS / Running Reports

OCTANE’S FLEET
EVAN KLEIN
Photographer
l 2001 Audi TT Quattro

MATTHEW HAYWARD
Markets editor
l 1990 Citroën BX 16v

l 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four

l 1996 Saab 9000 Aero

l 1997 Citroën Xantia Activa

l 1997 Peugeot 306 GTI-6

l 2000 Honda Integra Type R

l 2001 Audi A2

SAMANTHA SNOW
Advertising account manager
l 1969 Triumph Herald
13/60 Convertible
l 1989 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

JESSE CROSSE
Contributor
l 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390

l 1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

MARTYN GODDARD
Photographer
l 1963 Triumph TR6SS Trophy

l 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII

DELWYN MALLETT
Contributor

Decisions, decisions
l 1936 Cord 810 Beverly

l 1937 Studebaker Dictator

Why it’s still in the garage is
l 1946 Tatra T87

l 1950 Ford Club Coupe

because I keep having mega drives
l 1952 Porsche 356
in it. Take it to a trackday and it
l 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL makes you feel like a hero because
l 1957 Porsche Speedster
1978 JAGUAR It is one of the most remarkable you can simply drive around most
l 1957 Fiat Abarth Sperimentale XJ 5.3C & performance saloons ever created other stuff there; think of it as a
l 1963 Abarth-Simca

l 1963 Tatra T603

2018 PROJECT 8 – think of it as a BMW M3 fitted Nissan GT-R for gentlemen. But
l 1992 Alfa Romeo SZ
HARRY METCALFE with the M5’s 600bhp, 4WD, then I can punt it down some of
twin-turbo V8 drivetrain – and my favourite roads and have my
TONY DRON completely unexpected of Jaguar, mind boggled again. It just nails it
Contributor THESE TWO Jaguars cause the which might explain why only in a way many other cars can’t and
l 1932 Austin Seven most debate of all the cars inside 220 were built before the lack I love the way I’m sat that bit
my garage… because I can’t of gas particulate filters in its higher than in something like a
SARAH BRADLEY decide whether they should stay exhaust put a stop to production. GT3. The Michelin Cup 2 tyres
Contributor or be sold. From what I understand, the aren’t exactly ideal companions
l 1929 Ford Model A hot rod
My son Charlie is the blue XJ Jaguar XE was never designed to during the winter months, so I’ve
l 1952 Studebaker Champion

l 1956 Chevrolet 3100 pick-up

l 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner
l Various motorbikes
MATTHEW HOWELL
Photographer
l 1962 VW Beetle 1600
l 1969 VW/Subaru Beetle
HARRY METCALFE
Contributor
l 20 cars and 15 motorbikes
To follow Harry’s adventures with
his cars and bikes, search for
Harry’s Garage on YouTube.
V12 coupé’s biggest fan but I don’t
like the colour, nor its (slightly)
scruffy appearance, and I find
myself taking the Espada ahead of
it, every time. But then I drive it
again and I’m reminded that it
really is a bit nuts, in a good way.
Then there’s the Project 8. I had
no intention of buying it but,
when I first drove one back in
2018, I was flabbergasted by its
sheer speed and usability. Two
years and 10,000 miles on, I am
still amazed by what it can do.
take a supercharged 5.0-litre V8
and the engine room needed
extending to pack everything in,
which is why the front wings and
bonnet are bespoke and made
from carbonfibre. The car also has
enormous 400mm carbon brakes,
ceramic wheel-bearings (it’s the
first car to be fitted with them
outside F1) and a massive
increase in track width, all of
which helped the Project 8 set a
new ’Ring record for four-door
saloons of 7:18 back in 2019.
swapped them out for a set of
Pilot Sport 4S instead, which give
you way more confidence when
things get cold and wet outside.
The giggle factor is what’s
keeping the Project 8 in the
garage, which is probably why the
XJ-C also sticks around. It’s fitted
with a five-speed manual gearbox
and a mildly tweaked engine that
punches out circa 320bhp, it sits
50mm lower thanks to stiffer
springs, and it has revised
dampers and anti-roll bars too.

132

Oh, and it’s equipped with a
special exhaust system that makes
it sound more like a Le Mans
XJR-15 than a regular Jag V12.
All of which makes the driving
experience a bit addictive.
That’s why I’ve booked the
XJ-C into a rehab facility next
month, for the bodywork to be
tidied up and resprayed in a more
acceptable (to me, anyway) hue
than Squadron Blue.
Above and below
Two Jags take centre stage
in Harry’s garage, and both
– 1978 XJ 5.3C and 2018
Project 8 – provide the
‘giggle factor’ that he craves.
I’ve still to decide exactly
what colour it’ll be finished in,
but the XJ-C is scheduled to be
on display at the London
Concours this June – so you’ll
find out there, if not before.
AU CTIO N
Classic cars & motorcycles
SATURDAY | MARCH 27 TH 2021 | 1:30 PM
OLDTIMER GALERIE TOFFEN
1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello
Viewing on March 20 to 26 2021 th th
every day from 10:00am in the Oldtimer Galerie Toffen
Please use our online-form for your catalog orders (EUR 40.-)
1961 Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider Touring 1971 Porsche 911 T 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Convertible
1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2 1947 Hürlimann D100 1954 Jaguar XK 120 OTS, Registro MM
1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Saloon 1968 Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3 1981 Citroën CX 2500 D, 29‘500 km
2003 Lamborghini Murciélago 1933 Triumph Super Eight Saloon 2010 Fiat-Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari
1965 Mercedes 230 SL 1975 Benelli 750 Sei 1957 Ford Thunderbird
2006 Maserati Grand Sport Spyder 1964 MG B Roadster 1980 Renault Alpine A310 V6
Guerbestrasse 1 Phone +41-31-8196161
CH-3125 Toffen info@oldtimergalerie.ch
www.TheSwissAuctioneers.swiss
133
OCTANE CARS / Running Reports
Cheap
thrills
1972
FIAT 500L
MASSIMO DELBÒ
THE LEFT-HAND indicators
on my Fiat 500L are not working
and a quick check showed that the
bulbs are not at fault; hardly a
surprise, since the chance that all
three of them – front, side and
rear – would fail at the same time
is quite small. A good friend of
mine, who owns a Topolino C,
sarcastically pointed out how
important the left-hand indicators
are on these small Fiats, because
you do so much overtaking in
one… Yet still I wanted to get
them working again.
I don’t have a multimeter and
I think buying one would be a
waste of money because I
wouldn’t know how to use it,
so all I could do was to check
134
connections and fuses. Everything
seems fine, although I was
surprised to find that the wires
from the fusebox to the left front
lights are quite sticky. I’ve no idea
why that should be, or even if
it’s related to the fault, and an
internet search didn’t provide any
answers. So, bearing in mind that
the car hasn’t had any major work
for a few years, I booked it into
my local workshop for a service
and general check-over, and I
asked them to fix the mystery
problem with the indicators.
This gave me the perfect excuse
for a drive out, so that I could
identify anything else that might
need fixing, and I spent a
wonderful sunny morning
Left and below
Non-functioning indicators prompted a
service, which subsequently prompted
a run out on one of Massimo’s favourite
roads – fun guaranteed at low speeds!
cruising around in the old 500.
After a couple of stops to run
some errands – the 500 is just
perfect for this, because you can
park her anywhere and there’s
always a spot that’s big enough –
I headed to the country. In a big
modern car, 27bhp is used just to
power the engine ancillaries but
it’s enough in an old 500 to
provide a lot of fun. A beautiful
twisty road with some rises and
dips is the perfect playground for
you to use third and fourth gear,
a lot of double-declutching and
hardly any braking, because the
secret is never to lose momentum.
With its light weight, rear-
mounted engine and basic
suspension system, the Fiat 500
is also quite responsive to the
throttle in corners and you can
easily provoke a slide. It may not
be quite like powering a Porsche
935 out of Mulsanne but it’s
enough to put a big smile on your
face. What’s more, it’s totally safe
because all this drama happens
at a mere 40-50km/h.
I learned from the test drive
that a couple of the brake drums
are noisy – but, to be honest, I
think that may have been as a
result of the drive…
 1973 LOLA T282
Chassis HU6 was delivered new to Scuderia Filipinetti in Geneva in January ‘73. The teams’ assault saw Jean-Louis Lafosse
and Swedish F1 racer Reine Wisell lined-up to race it in World Endurance Championship, to include the Daytona 24 Hours
and ‘24 Heures du Mans’ carrying its iconic Gitanes livery.

Beautifully prepared at no expense spared and straightforward to run with a robust aluminium monocoque chassis and
proven Cosworth DFV / Hewland drivetrain, HU6 has been a regular winner of European events in recent years.

A passport
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Flavien Marçais +33 (0) 662 43 64 30 | Vanessa Marçais +44 (0) 7879 634432
OCTANE CARS / Running Reports

Steamy
action
1927
FORD MODEL T
MARK DIXON

‘EXCUSE ME, but your car is on

fire!’ squeaked the young woman
in the café. I glanced out of the
window and reassured her that the
clouds emanating from the front
of the Model T were in fact steam
rather than smoke, and that this
was quite normal behaviour. At
least, it was for my car, which has
always had a leaky radiator.
I’ve never worried too much
about it, because even on a long
journey the water level wouldn’t because it would stand out like the gap to the engine block. That’s core. That means I can leave the
drop more than an inch or so in a sore thumb on the heavily one of the perils of a car such as car idling and it won’t boil up
the header tank. The Model T’s patinated ‘T’; fortunately, good the Model T, which was built in nearly as quickly. Of course,
cooling system is unpressurised friend Richard Rimmer of The T such massive numbers; there were within a few days of the rad swap,
and leaks tend to be a lot gentler Service had a decent-condition thousands of variations over the Richard discovered he needed just
than they are on those new- secondhand rad of the right size. years. So the swap was put on hold such a radiator for one of his own
fangled, high-tech classics Even more fortunately, he offered until Richard could send me the projects, a fabulously original
of the 1950s and ’60s. to come over and help fit it just alternative solution, which is two 1923 Model T Fordor. I decided
Nevertheless, the situation before the Christmas lockdown. short hoses with a metal tube the least I could do was donate the
clearly wasn’t going to get any All went smoothly until we linking them together. old one from my car. I’m all heart.
better. My drive out in the ‘T’ was discovered that the bottom outlet Once reassembled, I quickly
in December, so the holiday on the replacement rad was discovered a major benefit to the Anti-clockwise, from top
Richard Rimmer gets ready to install
period seemed a good time to do slightly shorter than the one on ‘new’ rad: it’s a twin-core type replacement rad in Mark’s ‘T’; lower
something about it. I didn’t want my original, which meant that the (two rows of cooling tubes) hose had to be swapped; old rad got
to fit a brand-new radiator core bottom hose wouldn’t quite bridge whereas my old one was single- Richard’s Fordor temporarily mobile.

136
OCTANE CARS / Running Reports
Pegged out last summer
1972
MOTO GUZZI
V7 SPORT
ANDREW ENGLISH
‘FOR WANT OF A PEG’, as the
old saying doesn’t go, but it was a
missing footrest (peg) that caused
my lovely, rebuilt Moto Guzzi V7
Sport to be holed up for most of
last summer. And what a summer
it was – perfect motorcycling
conditions when lockdown didn’t
prevail – and I’d picked up my
resprayed and rebuilt machine
from Nigel Billingsley at NBS,
all ready for just such a break.
I got it home just before the
first lockdown and, when
restrictions were lifted, I made
my maiden journey down to the
South Coast for a swim and a cup
of tea. Duly dunked and refreshed,
I walked over to the lime green
beast and quickly realised that the
left-hand peg had fallen off. What
do you do? Of course, I retraced
my route, with boot supported
by a piece of driftwood forced
between the exhaust and the
frame, but a tiny black footrest
isn’t easy to spot at the side of the
road, and I didn’t.
138
Gutsibits, a normally Swiss-
watch reliable parts supplier, drew
a blank on a replacement, so I
commissioned local engineer Pete
Covey to make one. Since the
pegs are handed, he needed a
pattern, and my stricken machine
sat in the shed for the rest of the
high days as a result.
It is, however, now done,
sporting a new footrest rubber
and lock-wired onto the hanger.
So this year will be different. It
had better be: it’s Moto Guzzi’s
centenary, after all.
I had to sell my classic Norton
and Triumph machines to
purchase this ultra-rare beastie.
Along with ’70s and ’80s Japanese
and German motorcycles, later
Moto Guzzis are becoming highly
collectable as buyers realise that
(pegs aside), they are reliable,
easy to ride, beautiful and quick.
The V7 Sport was one of the
most potent sports machines
of its age, even though its 750cc
air-cooled V-twin initially saw
service in a bizarre army trike, the
Autoveicolo da Montagna. It was
then used in the V7 Special, a
shaft-drive plodder for the Italian
police, before Lino Tonti and the
Guzzi team (including World
Champion Mike Hailwood) set
a load of 750cc speed records with
a heavily modified version.
The first V7 Sport models were
painted an extravagant green with
frames in telaio rosso, but mine’s a
later black-framed machine and
has the optional Brembo twin
front disc set-up, which means it
stops. It’s currently in the shed,
swaddled in blankets and
Scottoiler FS 365, but I can’t
help dreaming of days out with
my best girl on the pillion.
I doubt that the mooted
100-year celebrations will take
place this year at the company’s
Mandello di Lario HQ in
Northern Italy, but I’m thinking
about a September ride out to
important Guzzi history places –
and most definitely including
a deliziosa Italian lunch.
OTHER
NEWS
‘I’ve had a new retro-
style Blaupunkt radio
fitted to the BMW 323i
Top Cabrio – it looks
fantastic and has all
the latest tech, but it’s
made me realise I now
need better speakers!’
Sanjay Seetanah
‘My son and I had great
fun building a Tamiya
radio-controlled model
of an Integrale rally car
over Christmas. Paint
drying times caused
some delays but we’re
almost ready for first
shakedown tests’
Robert Hefferon
‘My BMW 320i
convertible has been
with me for exactly
a decade. Time for a
change? I’ve fancied
a 987 Cayman S for a
while, so if you feel like
making me an offer…’
Glen Waddington
‘My plan to run the
Triumph through winter
was obliterated by the
first cold snap and
Octane alumnus Keith
Adams dangling a
rather tasty Ford Focus
ST170 in front of me’
James Elliott
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not sorry, in
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139
by Octane staff and contributors

OVERDRIVE
Other interesting cars we’ve been driving

140

Wild Rover or Mild Rover?
RE-ENGINEERED
& ORIGINAL-SPEC
RANGE ROVERS
MARK DIXON
LIKE THE IDEA of a classic
Range Rover with a bit more
power? How does 430bhp sound?
If that’s not quite enough, then
how about 650bhp? Step this way,
sir (or madam).
More specifically, step over to
JIA of Banbury, who will build
you the Range Rover of your
heart’s desire. The initials reflect
the company’s origins – they
stand for Jensen International
Automotive – in re-engineering
Interceptors with modern General
Motors V8s. So far they’ve done
about 40 of those, but more
recently they’ve branched out
into Range Rovers.
‘We wanted to find a vehicle
that would respond to similar
improvement; something that
hadn’t already been done by
others, and whose character
wouldn’t be ruined by an engine
swap,’ explains JIA’s Durran
Heslop. ‘The exterior and interior
are left broadly untouched, other
than retrimming of the latter, but
the drivetrain and suspension are
completely changed.’
All hail, then, the JIA Chieftain.
Up front you’ll find a crate GM
This page
JIA’s Chieftain is
based on a late
Range Rover Classic
– with its more
luxurious interior –
but features all-new
suspension and a
6.2-litre V8 engine.
6.2-litre V8 motor, offering standard late Range Rover. The its redline somewhere north of
430bhp in stock LS3 form – ‘but cabin feels quite narrow – and the 6000rpm. The (comparatively)
we’re also fitting a 650bhp LT4 doorcases are close-up to the seat modern feel of this GM V8 is,
version for a customer,’ adds cushions – but the upside is that however, counterpointed by
Durran. That drives through a the vehicle is fantastically easy a transmission that can feel
six-speed automatic gearbox, to place on the road. PAS and a unexpectedly jerky under
Borg-Warner viscous-coupling surprisingly small steering wheel full-bore acceleration.
transfer box, and Range Rover help with that, too. While the Chieftain’s ride is not
diffs (the rear one modified to be As you’d expect and, indeed, quite as pliant over minor bumps
limited-slip). Top speed is in the hope, the big V8 has a rewardingly as an original Range Rover’s, its
order of 130mph-plus, and the meaty muscle-car exhaust note. handling is much more car-like –
0-60mph dash takes just 5.2sec. It’s super-responsive to the the IRS reduces unsprung weight
Externally, there’s little to throttle – careless application significantly – and its cornering
suggest that this isn’t just a of the right foot will lead to an ability is massively improved. The
particularly nice example of a late embarrassing kangaroo getaway steering is nicely weighted and the
Range Rover Classic – until you – and very quick to rev, a world vehicle feels utterly stable when
notice the slightly wider track, apart from the old Rover V8, with you nail the throttle.
and the 17in Discovery 2 alloy
wheels. They are clues to the
vehicle’s most significant changes,
eclipsing even the engine swap: in
place of the original Classic’s live
axles, the Chieftain has bespoke
coil-and-wishbone independent
suspension, with Discovery 3
hubs and brakes. (For more
extreme power outputs, AP
aftermarket brakes are an option.)
You can also specify a beefed-up
replica set of the original Vogue
three-spoke alloys, if you want
to maintain an even more
understated look.
We’d certainly be tempted by
the lookalike Vogue alloys,
because much of the Chieftain’s
allure is how much of a Q-ship it
is. Inside, apart from some
retrimming, it’s pretty much
141
OVERDRIVE / Other Cars
‘This Arctic White example dates from 1975, so it has the
character of an early car but with the practicality of cloth trim’
And that’s something you’d
never tire of doing. ‘We didn’t set
out to build a hot rod,’ claims
Durran Heslop, but it’s hard to
resist the urge to show off just
what’s under this Chieftain’s kilt.
The white 1975 Range Rover
pictured on this page is a very
different concept. Freshly restored
by Windsor Classics in Berkshire,
it was exhibited as a bare shell at
Salon Privé last September, where
its undressed state attracted a lot
of interest. Now we’re able to
drive the finished car.
142
This Arctic White example
dates from 1975, so it has the
character of an early car – drop-
down rear numberplate, Rostyle
wheels, Spen King-penned
dashboard – with the practicality
of cloth trim. The hose-down
Palomino vinyl seats of the very
first models may appeal to the
purist collector but, says Windsor
Classics’ founder Richard
Heighes, they’re less desirable if
you actually want to use the car.
An original-spec vehicle like
this appeals to a particular target
audience that’s unlikely to be in
the market for a Chieftain. ‘Our
customers are often rekindling
childhood memories of going on
holiday in the family Range
Rover,’ explains Richard, ‘or
perhaps, as one chap told us, of
Range Rovers being used by the
shooting parties on the family
estate! Our restored example will
look right at home next to any
exotics they may own but could
also double as a daily-driver.’
And you certainly could drive
the Windsor Classics car every
This page
Windsor Classics’
perfectly restored
1975 Rangie is
correct in every
detail – and the
herringbone cloth
seats are original,
not re-upholstered.
day, because it is at least as good
as anything that left the factory.
The carb-fed 3.5-litre V8 issues
that familiar, discreetly breathy
burble and the long-travel
coil-spring suspension gives the
impression that you’re floating
along the road. What’s really
impressive is how the
transmission lacks any trace
of the ‘shunt’ that afflicts most
elderly Range Rovers; this is one
of the nicest-driving examples I’ve
ever experienced.
It looks just right, too, riding on
period-correct Michelin X M+S
tyres. These have recently become
available again but early Range
Rover parts are now increasingly
difficult to source – and that, of
course, adds to the cost. ‘A full set
of rubber seals for one door will
set you back £1500, so, including
the tailgate, you can easily spend
£3500 on door seals alone,’
explains Richard Heighes.
Which leads us to the not-
quite-64-million-dollar question
of how much a car like this retails
for. Windsor Classics is looking
for ‘offers in the region of’
£125,000 for this particular
vehicle, which is well below the
£145k-plus that JLR Classic asks
for one of its Reborn examples –
and there’s no waiting list. The JIA
Chieftain, meanwhile, starts at
£147,000 plus VAT. It’s a case of
horses for courses – but either
one is a total thoroughbred.
Visit chieftainrangerover.com and
windsorclassics.co.uk, respectively,
for more details of both vehicles.
 s
Beyond restoration for a life less ordinary...

Hand built and unique Series Land Rover, info@windsorclassics.co.uk

Defender & Classic Range Rover www.windsorclassics.co.uk

restorations. @windsor_classics
OVERDRIVE / Other Cars
A cool
IT’S JUST OVER a year since
I drove the outgoing Volvo V60
Polestar (see Octane 200). It was
powered by a supercharged and
take on
turbocharged 2.0-litre four with
362bhp, and rode on a set of
extremely pricy, bespoke Ohlins
dampers that could be adjusted
the GT
– though only if you were
prepared to get your hands dirty.
It felt a bit like a BTCC racer for
the road. ‘Committed’ is a good
theme
word for it.
The Polestar brand has moved
on a bit, separated somewhat
from the Volvo range, no longer
a ‘tuner’ but a manufacturer of
its own cars, with a theme that
prepares it for a new, greener
world beyond the internal
2020 POLESTAR 1 combustion engine, though
GLEN WADDINGTON there are some shared parts and
similarities in design language.
144
Indeed, the Polestar 2 is a recently
launched electric family car (think
Tesla 3 for size); the forthcoming
Polestar 3 is a larger SUV.
But the transformation began
with what you see here: the
unambiguously named Polestar 1.
And it’s a comely thing. Spot the
Volvo P1800 design cues?
Certainly deliberate. ‘It is a car
designer’s duty to reflect and
incorporate design signatures that
are vital parts of the company’s
heritage,’ said head of design
Thomas Ingenlath when it was
unveiled as a concept all the
way back in 2013. So there’s a
bucketload of Swedish coupé
heritage here, though it’s
unashamedly modern. And it’s
also unashamedly exclusive:
Polestar is building no more than
1500 at its plant in Chengdu.
Chengdu? Not Gothenburg?
Nope. Volvo has been part of
the privately owned Chinese
carmaker Geely since 2010. And
Geely has a lot of expertise in
electric vehicle design, not least
in the LEVC black cab you’ll see
plying for fares all over London.
Lots of coal-fired leccie to spare
in China, after all.
That exclusivity is as deliberate
as the styling cues. While the 2
and 3 will be mass-market cars,
the 1 is really a statement of
intent. For starters, it costs
£139,000. Its bodywork and
upper structure are fashioned
entirely from carbonfibre. And
while it employs electric motors,
it’s actually a plug-in hybrid,
though one that – unusually –
promises up to 93 miles of silent,
petrol-free motoring.
 A couple of aspects are familiar.
The 1 is based on a cut-down S90
platform, and the shapes within
the interior are recognisably of
that ilk, though quality of finish
has been ramped up to go with
the price. The engine is a
supercharged and turbocharged
2.0-litre four (308bhp plus a
68bhp electric starter/torque filler
wrapped around the crankshaft).
And there are Ohlins dampers.
Yes, they’re adjustable. And yes,
you’d have to scrabble about
on your knees to do it.
But from then on this is a
refreshingly novel experience. It
looks utterly beguiling – largish,
GT-ish, a perfect blend of trad and
modern and no clash between the
two. And it’s the same inside: ‘the
right kind of fancy’ as my young
daughter described it. Tasteful
stuff: aluminium accents edging
carbonfibre fillets, plenty of
stitched leather, low-key, linear
forms, no over-design, all tightly
built. Yup, it’s got that Scandi
thing off to a T. And even if you
disregard the tech, in looks alone
it’s the perfect halo car.
All of which would count for
nowt if it didn’t impress on the
road, and a quick nip round the
block isn’t enough to understand
this car’s complex character. At
the time of this test Lockdown
3.0 is still a few weeks away, yet
already there’s snow on the hills
up north. Which is where I’m
off to, with motorway schlep,
sweeping A-roads and some
windier byways by which to
sample the 1.
The door thunks shut, the seat
embraces, ‘Drive’ is found via the
little crystal-looking transmission
selector, and we pull away.
Silently. There’s an electric motor
for each rear wheel, totalling
232bhp, and that’s plenty of urge.
The ride is firm, a little too much
so for my tastes; in the longer
term, I’d fiddle with those Ohlins.
And it feels as big as it looks,
which is something that becomes
more apparent away from the
motorway.
In the twisties, you can sense
the torque-vectoring effect in
action across the rear ‘axle’, acting
to counterbalance the tractive
action of the force-fed four
up-front (technically, the 1 is four-
wheel drive), so it’s tight and
balanced. But it feels busier here
than a great GT should, perhaps
because of the hard ride and the
four-cylinder voice, though the
latter is remarkably well-muted,
and has a pleasing beat. The 1
calms down markedly when the
bends are longer and lower in
frequency. Then it feels at home.
And where the 1 really comes
into its own is doing long
Left, below and above
Polestar 1 is elegantly restrained in its
styling, if deliberately evoking the Volvo
P1800; interior is superbly wrought.
stretches on the motorway: I’ve
driven few more relaxing cars
in poor weather at night. Even
though it’s left-hand drive, three
hours on the M6 are rendered
surprisingly pleasant by low noise
levels, brilliant headlamps,
fidget-free seating, and the
economy of movement granted
by superb ergonomics and
high-geared steering.
There’s also plentiful
acceleration on hand – remember,
there’s a total of 608bhp when you
boot it, though it has to overcome
2.35 tonnes. Which comes as
a surprise, as the 1 feels much
lighter on its feet than that
suggests. Talking of figures, while
the electric motor didn’t quite last
93 miles, 50 is about five times as
far as I’ve ever managed before in
a PHEV. And as a measure of its
potential pace, another figure:
0-62mph in 4.2sec. Brisk, then.
A Bentley Continental GT this
is not. But, while the Polestar 1 is
similar in price, it’s a very different
prospect: different in the way it
presents its luxurious nature, less
profligate in its provision of haste,
and a welcome distance from the
Man United set that car appeals
to. Far more exclusive, to boot.
145
OVERDRIVE / Other Cars
Hot
Spurs
2021 BENTLEY
FLYING SPUR
V8 & W12
MARK DIXON
A COUPLE OF months ago
I stated that the latest Bentley
Continental GT is the best
roadgoing Bentley there has ever
been. Having just spent a snowy
weekend with the new Flying
Spur V8 – which, thankfully, has
all-wheel drive and came shod
with all-season tyres – I’ll now
have to qualify that by saying the
Continental GT is Bentley’s
best-ever coupé… and the Flying
Spur is its best-ever saloon.
The V8 first drives were
delayed, so the nice man at
146
Bentley sent a W12 instead, to
allow me to fulfil chauffeuring
duties for some friends who were
getting married before Christmas
– hence the ribbons in the picture,
below. Not everyone is a fan of the
Flying Spur’s front end styling
and the W12’s glitzy grille did
cause one colleague to say it
reminded him of a Chinese
knock-off; I wouldn’t go that far
but I’d suggest that the optional
Blackline spec – which the
delayed V8 wore – does tone the
bling down, and of course painted
rad surrounds are something of a
Bentley tradition: remember the
Mulsanne Turbo of 1982?
Inside, the interior is just about
perfect, with a gorgeous sweep of
veneer from doorcases to dash
and, of course, those trademark
chromed ventilation balls and
organ-stop controls. There’s still
room for minor improvements –
the cruise control stalk has too
many functions to be worked by
feel, yet was impossible for this
driver to see behind the steering
wheel spoke – but it is a beautiful
place to spend a lot of time. The
newly-weds gave it the big
thumbs-up, and I don’t think
that was due simply to the
Champagne…
At idle the W12 is literally
imperceptible, and it delivers
seemingly endless reserves of
creamy urge when called upon.
Regardless of its dynamic
excellence – and keen drivers can
customise the drivetrain/
steering/suspension settings to
individual preferences – it is very
Left and below
New Spur V8 is the all-weather
Bentley driver’s choice – and
not as thirsty as bar-room
pundits will tell you; W12 is still
the limousine par excellence.
much a traditional limo. That’s
no criticism, but Bentley itself
recognises that owners can be
keen drivers, too, and offers a
solution: the Flying Spur V8.
Slightly less expensive than the
W12 – our test cars were priced
at £153,900 and £168,300,
respectively – the V8 gives little
away in terms of performance
(4.0sec/3.7sec to 60mph from
rest, 8.9sec/8.2sec to 100mph)
yet, more importantly, it adds vital
character. This is Bentley’s
brand-new 4.0-litre twin-turbo
V8, not the evolution of the 1950s
design that disappeared with the
Mulsanne last year, and it’s a
corker. The exhaust note is
slightly less evident than in the
Continental GT but there’s still a
welcome trace of waffle-waffle-
waffle that morphs into a braaaarp
when you accelerate hard. Factor
in a 100kg weight reduction over
the W12, and better weight
distribution thanks to the lighter
motor, and it’s easy to see why the
V8 is the driver’s choice.
So, is the Continental GT or
the Flying Spur V8 the ‘Bentley
best of the best’? Personally, I’d
still choose the former for its
more dramatic looks (and sound)
but, if you need four doors, the
Flying Spur V8 is a handsome and
satisfying alternative. Oh, to be in
the fortunate position of having
to decide.
1989
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Gone but not forgotten
WORDS DELWYN MALLETT
CHUCK YEAGER
The movie-script life of a hillbilly who hit the heights, broke
the sound barrier and was immortalised by Tom Wolfe
FAME LANDED ON 24-year-old Charles
Elwood Yeager with a bang. Specifically, it
arrived at 45,000ft above the Mojave Desert on
14 October 1947 when, in extreme pain from
broken ribs sustained two days earlier, he
squeezed into the Bell X-1 – an orange, bullet-
shaped, rocket-propelled projectile inscribed
‘Glamorous Glennis’ after his wife – and
became the first man to break the sound barrier.
The ‘top secret’ news was not made public
until eight months later when, for a while,
‘Chuck’ Yeager became the most famous man
in the world. In the meantime it was an open
secret in flying circles and Washington, with
everyone wanting to shake his hand.
Everyone except Air Force Chief of Staff
General Vandenberg, who told Wright Field
to ‘keep that damned hillbilly Yeager out of
Washington’. That order was as futile as
Canute’s attempt to hold back the sea. Hillbilly
or not, Yeager was the toast of Washington, and
soon to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
Chuck came from humble beginnings. The
second of five siblings, he was born in 1923 to
farming folk Susie Mae and Hal Yeager in Myra,
West Virginia, one of America’s poorest areas.
148
Left
Chuck Yeager in
the cockpit of the
Bell X-1 ‘Glamorous
Glennis’, the plane
in which he broke the
sound barrier in 1947.
ALAMY
Possessed of hawk-like 20/10 vision, he was
brought up huntin’, shootin’ an’ fishin’ by his
father. Fitting, since the family name was Jäger
(German for hunter) before it was anglicised.
Chuck enlisted in the USAF as a mechanic
straight from school in September 1941. As he
left home, Hal’s only advice was ‘never gamble’
and ‘never buy a pick-up truck that wasn’t built
by General Motors’, though for many a year, as
he hurtled through the skies in supersonic jets,
his land transport was an emphatically subsonic
Model A Ford. In the USAF Chuck first became
aware that those who found his Virginia drawl
hard to understand branded him a hillbilly; he
was also self-conscious about his lack of a
college education.
When the US entered the war three months
later, he was accepted for flight training despite
his lack of academic qualifications and the rest
of his life reads like a Boy’s Own story. Flying a
P51 Mustang, he was shot down over France
on his eighth mission and hid out for a time
with the Maquis, helping them wire explosives
(learnt from his father). He escaped over the
Pyrenees into Spain with another airman,
whose lower leg he had to amputate with a
penknife after he was shot by a German patrol.
Making it back to England, he refused to be
sent back to the US, as was mandated for
downed airmen who evaded capture. He
argued his case all the way up to a face-to-face
with Dwight D Eisenhower, who let him keep
flying combat missions. Back in action in his
Mustang, Yeager became an ‘ace in a day’ when
he accounted for five aircraft on a single sortie.
In his own words he was ‘a hell-raising fighter
jock with plenty of swagger’.
On returning to the USA, his piloting skills
saw him become a top test pilot at Muroc Army
Air Field (later Edwards Air Force Base). In
1954 he took up a post in Germany but
returned in 1962 to be the first commandant of
the Aerospace Research Pilot School, training
future astronauts. Ironically he was not eligible
to become an astronaut due to his lack of a
college education; but that did not stop him
flying test planes to the edge of space, with a
very narrow escape when his aircraft went into
an unrecoverable flat spin, plummeting from
108,000ft before he ejected at 13,000ft. The
seat became entangled with his ’chute, striking
him on the head and setting alight the oxygen-
filled helmet of his pressure suit, resulting in
severe burns to his face and a month in hospital.
Always the first to admit that surviving as a
test pilot was a mixture of skill and luck, Yeager
reckoned he had used up the latter and stopped
test flying. He then commanded a fighter wing
in Vietnam, completing 127 missions at the
controls of a B-57 Canberra bomber.
Chuck retired in 1975 with the rank of
Brigadier General but remained busy: flying,
lecturing and consulting and twice driving the
Indianapolis 500 pace car. He also fronted a
series of AC Delco commercials, which, as a
GM company, might have pleased his pa.
Yeager’s status as an all-American hero was
firmly established with the publication of Tom
Wolfe’s 1979 book The Right Stuff, chronicling
the early years of the space race and Chuck’s
prominent role in it. The 1983 film of the same
name vividly dramatised the sound barrier
flight and his later narrow escape from the
spinning jet. Yeager was memorably played by
Sam Shepard, with Chuck appearing alongside
his screen self in a cameo as a barman.
By the end of his life Yeager had racked up
10,000 hours as a pilot in 180 military aircraft.
In 2012, to celebrate the 65th anniversary of
his breaking the sound barrier, he once again
went supersonic, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat of
a McDonnell Douglas F15 Eagle fighter, at the
age of 89. Chuck Yeager was a pilot’s pilot. A
pilot by whom others were judged and judged
themselves. Although he was mocked for his
accent, that laconic unflappable delivery under
stress became the model for a whole generation
of fighter jocks and even airline pilots.
As Chuck might have put it, he finally
‘augured in’ on 7 December 2020, aged 97.
 ROLLS-ROYCE AND BENTLEY
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BENTLEY 4¼ LITRE 1937

GURNEY NUTTING PILLARLESS COUPÉ

Excellent condition with good history of concours successes.

Maintained by P & A Wood for many years. Very rare and attractive.

Great Easton, Dunmow, Essex CM6 2HD, England

Telephone: 01371 870848 Fax: 01371 870810 E-mail: enquiries@pa-wood.co.uk www.pa-wood.co.uk
Icon
WORDS DELWYN MALLETT
The Fisher
Space Pen
They originally cost NASA
under three bucks a pop and
have been on every manned
mission since Apollo
THERE’S A SCENE early on in Stanley
Kubrick’s 1968 special-effect-packed movie
2001: A Space Odyssey in which a stewardess
on a PanAm (remember them?) flight to the
moon captures a sleeping passenger’s pen that
has decided to float away on an unscheduled
flight of its own and returns it to his pocket.
Product placement had not yet become a staple
of the movie industry, but if it had we would no
doubt have been made aware that the only pen
that could write in zero gravity was made by the
Fisher Pen Company.
One of the more persistent urban myths is
that during the space race NASA spent millions
of dollars developing a high-tech pen that could
write in space, whereas the more pragmatic
Russians issued their cosmonauts with that
well-proven implement, the pencil.
While it is true that the Russians initially
used pencils, as indeed did the Americans, and
it’s also true that the Fisher Space Pen had cost
a million dollars to develop, neither the
impetus to develop the pen nor the money
came from NASA or the US tax payer. It was
purely the initiative of inventor Paul C Fisher.
Fisher, the son of a Methodist minister, was
150
born in 1913 in Lebanon, Kansas. In 1939 he
graduated from Kansas State University with
a Bachelor of Science degree but his early
jobs were no more exciting than truck driver,
manager of a bread store and manager of a ball-
bearing company. In 1945 he turned down the
opportunity to join a Chicago ballpoint pen
company, reasoning that the pen would not be
a success because it leaked. However, it was an
instant hit, making $5million in just three
months, and Fisher soon opened his own
machine shop and applied his inventive skills
to producing a better pen. In 1948, with his
brother Robert, he founded his eponymous
pen company, close to Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
The ‘Bullet’ – an aluminium-cased ballpoint
pen using an ink cartridge with smoother
writing ink – was its first product. Although
an improvement on other pens, it still leaked
and Fisher continued to work on the
problem, claiming many years later that he had
‘made at least 10,000 pens that didn’t work’.
In 1965 a furore ensued when it became
public that NASA had bought 34 mechanical
pencils for the Gemini space missions at what
seemed to be an outrageous price of $128.89
each (pushing $1000 in today’s money).
Supplied by Tycam Engineering Manufacturing
of Houston, Texas, the total $4382.89 bill,
Clockwise, from top
Lunar module pilot Walter Cunningham uses a
space pen as he performs flight tasks on the ninth
day of the Apollo 7 mission; Fisher has aluminium
barrel; advertisements exploited space connections.
N
FISH ERS PAC EPE
ALAMY
although minuscule in the overall $1.3billion
budget, was seen as symbolic of the profligacy
of the space race. The hunt for something
cheaper coincided with an approach from
Fisher, who had just perfected and patented
his leak-proof AG-7 ‘Anti-Gravity’ pen.
Inside the hard-chromed brass barrel of the
AG-7 is an hermetically sealed cartridge
pressurised by nitrogen gas and containing a
thixotropic ink. At rest, the ink is a non-leaking
gel, but the sheering action of the rotating
tungsten carbide ball turns it into a free-flowing
liquid that will write on almost any surface. The
gas pressure ensures that, unlike common-or-
garden ballpoints, the AG-7 writes at any angle,
even upside-down. In addition, the pen will
function in a vacuum, from -30ºF to +250ºF,
and even underwater should you choose.
After two years of evaluation, NASA ordered
400 pens for the Apollo moon missions. At a
40% discount, they cost NASA a rather more
reasonable $2.39 each. Interestingly, the
Russians ordered 100 pens and received the
same discount! A NASA order coming to less
than a thousand dollars in total didn’t represent
much of a return on Fisher’s million-dollar
development cost, but the value of the publicity
was incalculable and every manned space
mission since has carried a Fisher pen.
Incidentally, the floating pen effect in 2001:
A Space Odyssey was achieved by sticking it to
a sheet of glass with double-sided tape and
slowly rotating it in front of the camera. One of
the movie’s less expensive effects.
 1912 Talbot 12HP Sporting Model

1936 Talbot 3½-Litre Drophead Coupe by James Young

1955 Parson MG Sports Racer

Also available: 1936 Talbot 3½ Litre Speed Saloon. Please see website for more details.
Chrono
WORDS MARK McARTHUR-CHRISTIE
SIR JACKIE STEWART
…on watches, racing and his 53-year relationship with Rolex
AS A KID, Sir Jackie Stewart was my hero.
I’d beg a seat in front of a motorsport-mad
neighbour’s TV whenever he was running
videos of 1960s and ’70s racing and watch,
rapt, as he threaded his car effortlessly round
circuits such as Spa and Rouen. When I started
collecting watches, aged nine, I knew that I
wanted a Rolex one day. As a watch- and racing-
obsessed brat, I’d never have imagined I’d
finally get to talk to Sir Jackie about watches,
his role as a Rolex Testimonee and racing.
Over a chat, I listen while his remarkable
memory calls up a stream of dates, detail, grid
places and, perhaps best of all, stories about the
watches he’s owned, how he came to have them
and even how one was stolen, then recovered
for him by a Prime Minister.
I start by asking Sir Jackie if he thinks there’s
a link between car people and watch people. He
grins: ‘I’ve not heard anyone say it before, but
the car man and the watch man – or woman –
are very similar. They both like nice things!’
Nice things, indeed. Sir Jackie has been
linked with Rolex since 1968, when he became
the watchmaker’s first modern motor racing
Testimonee, but it dates back further than that:
‘I nearly won the Indy 500 in 1966. I was two
laps in the lead when, seven laps from the end,
the oil pump went from the bottom of the
engine to the top, which actually happened the
following year as well. Graham [Hill] won and
Jimmy [Clark] was second so we were first,
second and third. The car owner, John Mecom,
was so pleased though that he flew me in his
private jet to Houston. I went downtown and
passed a jeweller’s shop and thought “I’m going
to get a Rolex,” so I bought a yellow gold day-
date with a President bracelet – top of the line.
‘I had to get the strap adjusted and go back to
pick it up, because those big Texans need more
space in the bracelet than me.’
Rolex soon became part of his racing ritual:
‘Just before stepping into the car, I would give
my watch to Ken Tyrrell. I wasn’t worried
about damaging it, but racing drivers shouldn’t
wear watches. If there’s an incident the wrong
way, you can deglove your hand with the metal
bracelet. You can never get the skin from your
palm back if that happens. It was the last thing I
did before I got into the car and the first thing
that happened when I got out was Ken giving
me the watch back.’ It’s a ritual that Rolex
incorporated into its ’70s advertising under the
headline: ‘There’s only one time World
Champion Jackie Stewart takes off his Rolex.
When he puts on his fireproof underwear.’
152
Sir Jackie revived the ritual for a special
occasion in 2019 at Goodwood: ‘A couple of
years ago I again drove the ’69 Matra I’d raced
with Ken. Ken’s son was there. As I got in the
car, I said “Hang on a second, I’ve got something
for you” and handed my watch to him, just as I
had with his dad. It literally turned the clock
back. He thought “Oh my God, that’s exactly
what my dad did.” He was nearly in tears.’
Sir Jackie’s first Rolex was stolen on an Air
France flight back from the 1968 French Grand
Prix at Rouen. It was clearly not a good day. ‘I
finished third behind Jacky Ickx in the hacking
wet rain and the Dunlop tyres didn’t work.
Helen [Sir Jackie’s wife] and I were sitting in
the plane and it was a very hot day at the
beginning of July. We were sitting up front, and
I got up to go to the loo. I just managed to get
‘I WAS GIVEN A KING
MIDAS WHEN I WON THE
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
BUT CAN HARDLY WEAR IT
BECAUSE IT’S SO HEAVY’
out by the time the crew were saying we needed
to get back to our seats. So for some reason, I
didn’t pick up my watch. Someone must have
taken it while Helen was not around, or maybe
it just dropped on the floor between the seats. I
have no idea, but I knew it was lost when I got
up to leave the plane. I said “My Rolex isn’t
here!” and there was a big hoo-ha and everyone
was asked about it. It took an hour to get out of
the airport.’ The watch was never recovered.
He nearly lost another when it was pinched
from a Malaysian hotel poolside. He’d been
waiting for a call from the Malaysian Prime
Minister to discuss bringing F1 to the country
and, jetlagged, had fallen asleep by the pool,
only to wake up with his yellow gold GMT
Master gone. The thief had checked out and
flown to Hong Kong. ‘By the time he’d arrived
in Hong Kong, because I was friendly with the
Prime Minister of Malaysia at the time, I called
his office and he’d had the thief arrested before
he got off the plane. I got my watch back.’
How many Rolexes does Sir Jackie have?
‘Fortunately, I’ve got more than one. I love my
Cellinis and I’ve even got a King Midas [the
100g gold-cased watch also worn by Elvis]. I
was given it by André Heiniger, the CEO of
Rolex, when I won the World Championship.
You can hardly wear it because it’s so heavy!
I occasionally take it to Rolex events at Grands
Prix, where I wear a different watch each day.
Because of my relationship with Rolex I think
it’s a good thing to do. It’s one of my proudest
possessions because it’s so rare.’
I ask which is his favourite. Despite having a
Rolex collection that features watches such as a
rare Cosmograph Daytona that the firm gave
him for winning the Monaco Grand Prix, and
platinum and gold Datejusts, he replies: ‘I think
my stainless steel GMT Master, funnily
enough. It’s just a nice watch to wear.’
Finally, I ask Sir Jackie if the stories about
having his shirt cuffs made wider to show off
his Rolex are true: ‘Yes, absolutely. This shirt
cuff is made wider than this one so the watch is
always seen. The watch is also several links
larger than it neeeds to be so it drops to the
bottom of my wrist and people can see it.’
It’s clear that Sir Jackie brings the same level
of determined focus and detail obsession to
being a Rolex Testimonee that he did to racing
and safety campaigning. After our conversation,
I think back to those rainy Saturday afternoons
glued to the TV, watching old taped F1 races.
I give my nine-year-old self a wry smile and tell
him that ‘never meet your heroes’ is bunk.
Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV 1971 RHD Original, unrestored - 29,000 miles - Unrepeatable

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider - 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint 1300 GT Junior
SWB - Concours 1967 Unrestored

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Alleggerita

1957 Facetti prepared

The specialist supplier of Classic Alfa Romeo Motor Cars

t: +44 (0)1883 344226 / m: +44 (0)7442 506123 / e: info@southwood.co.uk / w: southwood.co.uk

M25 J6 - 5 minutes / Gatwick 20 minutes / Heathrow 45 minutes / Central London 19 miles

Chrono
WORDS MARK McARTHUR CHRISTIE

MARKET WATCH

Gift of God
In the horological news this month: a McQueen
keepsake causes an auction frenzy, plus three new
quality timepieces to suit pockets of differing depths

WHATEVER ONE’S VIEWS about Steve
McQueen, the man certainly had fine taste in
watches. And his gift of a Heuer Monaco to
personal mechanic Haig Alltounian in 1970
turned out to be pretty generous, too. When it
came to auction at Phillips late last year,
bidding opened at a pocket-money $200,000
but finally soared to $2,208,000. Mr Alltounian
was not only McQueen’s spannerman, but also
chief mechanic on Le Mans, the movie with this
memorable poster line: ‘Steve McQueen takes
you for a drive in the country. The country is
France. The drive is at 200mph!’
The Heuer Monaco was designed in 1969 by
Jack Heuer, great-grandson of Heuer’s founder.
Today, automatic wrist chronographs are as
common as Audis, but back in the 1960s
there were only Zenith’s El Primero, Seiko with
the cal. 6139, and a Breitling-Buren-Dubois-
Depraz-Hamilton-Heuer collaboration with
the ‘Project 99’ cal. 11. It was this last
movement that powered the Monaco.
With a square case (surprisingly comfortable,
thanks to a chamfered caseback and stub lugs)
and a left-side winding crown, the Monaco
already stood out from the Seiko and Zenith
offerings, but its movement was quite different,
too. Where Seiko and Zenith went for a
centrally mounted full-sized winding rotor,
Heuer chose an offset micro-rotor, patented
originally by Buren and barely bigger than the
mainspring barrel.
McQueen had presented this example,
engraved ‘To Haig Le Mans 1970’, to Mr
Alltounian at the end of filming and it added to
quite a run of megabucks motorsport watches
sold by Phillips in recent time. In New York in
October 2017, watch specialist Aurel Bacs
hammered Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona
down for $17,752,500.

NEW WATCHES

FARER CHARLTON GMT ARCHIMEDE 1950-3 MOSER ENDEAVOUR CONCEPT MINUTE

Farer is refreshingly upfront about designing
watches in Britain, then having them made in
partnership with Roventa-Henex in Switzerland.
The Charlton GMT is powered by a Swiss Sellita
SW330-1 movement – this one is Top Grade
(with a better balance wheel, balance spring and
anti-shock system) – and they’ve had the winding
rotor customised with a Farer ‘A’ emblem. None of
this should detract; if anything, the opposite,
because Sellita movements are easy to service
and spares are plentiful. The company has done
something rare, producing different, interesting
watches with their own style. ‘Charlton’ refers to
Charlton Way, one of the three roads around the
Royal Observatory, GMT’s home at Greenwich.
£1250 (plus £125 for a stainless bracelet)
If you want bling, a busy dial, fuss and flounce,
the Archimede 1950-3 is not the watch for you.
Instead, you get a case, an almost plain dial, a
crystal, a strap and a matching pair of hands.
That’s it. But isn’t that all you really need?
A 316L stainless case, 40mm in diameter and just
under 10mm thick. A 3atm screw-down sapphire
display back. Nothing that stands out or draws
the eye particularly. But it’s when you start
thinking about the choices the watchmaker made
that you realise how they got it just right.
You can opt for an automatic Sellita SW 200-1
(no faffing about giving a solid and reliable stock
movement a daft in-house name) or upgrade to a
hand-winding SW215 for €80 more.
€740 on a leather strap
REPEATER TOURBILLON
The Swiss watch industry isn’t known for its
humour, which makes Moser et Cie’s approach to
top-flight watchmaking all the more engaging. Its
website’s front page sets the tone with an opt-in
that reads ‘I understand irony, let me in / I have no
humor, let me out’. The new Endeavour Concept
Minute Repeater Tourbillon isn’t a joke in any
sense, though. Not only is it running a flying
tourbillon, its tuned minute repeater gongs are
tiny, almost wire-thin and set on display around
the dial edges. Inside the case is the 400-part,
21,600bph HMC 903 manual-winder movement,
co-developed with Timeless SA. All for less than
the cost of a parking space in Islington.
CHf 330,000 (£273,000), only 20 made

154
Books
REVIEWED BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS

Book
of the
month

Toymaker
TOM KAREN, Bonnier Books, £20,
ISBN 978 1 7887 0086 3

Industrial designer Tom Karen

is most famous for styling the
Raleigh Chopper and the Bond
Bug – but there is so much more
to his life than these two icons.
His autobiography, released in
time for his 95th birthday in
March, is an enthralling tale
of a life that’s had its full share
of pain as well as pleasures.
Born in 1926 to a wealthy
family in Czechoslovakia, the

Ferrari 250 GTE

young Tom had an upbringing
of privilege but also one of
isolation. For a childhood
DAVID WHEELER, Porter Press International, £90, ISBN 978 1 913089 20 7 birthday party, he recalls, his
mother invited a whole crowd
Remember that old Enzo variety of Ferrari had arrived. And it’s significant, not of children – none of whom he
Ferrari adage, that he built road only because it was built in such substantial numbers knew. ‘That awkward feeling has
cars only in order to fund his by Ferrari standards, particularly for the time, but never quite left me,’ he admits.
racing activities? Well, this is because there has been a 2+2 in the Ferrari range He was forced to flee to
the car those racers owe the pretty much ever since. England when the Nazis
greatest debt to. Ferrari built A sequence of prints from the Ferrari brochure is invaded, and his refugee status
950 of them, in three series, both nostalgic and attractive, though possibly the further undermined his
from 1960 and through 1963. closest Wheeler’s book gets to art: this is far more a confidence, but an innate skill
It was by far the most numerous of the 250 series, reference source than a coffee-table pose, and there’s and curiosity for design saw him
and this book was published in commemoration plenty of honour in that. Paper quality is good, and rise to become MD of Ogle
of the 60th anniversary of the GTE’s launch. the layout clear throughout rather than sexy. Fulsome Associates in 1962, after its
It’s certainly a thorough tome: 432 pages of tech info and period road test excerpts are highly founder was killed in a car crash.
large-format hardback, complete with more than informative, too – and there’s a chapter on the GTE’s He steered the company until
650 photographs, many from the archives (period subsequent career as the basis for replicas of other, the 1990s, responsible for a vast
black-and-white shots, blueprints, advertising) and rarer, more valuable 250s. array of innovative and exciting
many shot more recently in full colour. Even up front As Octane goes to press, a quick glance at publisher designs for everything from
in the introduction there’s a little anecdote I hadn’t Porter Press’s website suggests that this book has vacuum cleaners to lorry cabs.
read before: the reason for the ‘GTE’ name. Put already sold out – it was limited to 750 copies, after A self-confessed workaholic,
simply, the full nomenclature of 250 Gran Turismo all. Specialist Hortons Books is listing a mint one Karen talks openly about his
Pininfarina Coupé 2+2 is a bit of a mouthful, and its at £200; although, at such an early stage, sufficient loveless marriage (a legacy of his
chassis followed on from the type 508, which began interest would surely convince the publisher that a parents’ similar relationship)
in the 250 Europa and evolved with B, C and D re-print is worthwhile. If you want one, hassle ’em. but also about how he found
suffixes in subsequent generations. In this case, with It’s well worth the money. GW redemption in retirement,
the engine set further forwards to release more cabin creating toys for children –
space, it became the 508E. Less of a mouthful, then. a subject that has always
There’s background on the previous coachbuilt fascinated him. Indeed, he
2+2s, as well as the genesis of the 250 GT series, reckons the last two decades
before attention turns to the development of the have been the happiest and
GTE. With that modification to the forward section most rewarding of his life.
of the chassis, a shorter steering column and revised Beautifully shaped by
front seating positions, plus 40mm wider track front co-author Richard Askwith into
and rear, space was found within to allow a pair of a kind of virtual tour of Karen’s
rear seats to be fitted. Meanwhile, Sergio Pininfarina modest home, via the objects
got busy first with pens, then in the wind tunnel at and artworks that adorn it, this
Turin Polytechnic, and within a year a whole new is a truly inspiring read. MD

156
 w w w.hortonsbooks.co.uk

Collector’s
Only Here for the Beer book
JEREMY WALTON, Haynes, 1978, value £75

If you could Perhaps not surprisingly,

Bialbero
PHIL WARD & MICHAEL WARD,
bialbero.co.uk, £45,
ISBN 978 1 5272 7944 5
This surprisingly big 302-page
book is a testament to the
longevity and flexibility of
Aurelio Lampredi’s twin-cam
engine. It powered countless
cars, from the Fiat 124 Spider of
1966 to the final 16-valve turbo
incarnations found in the Fiat
Coupé – via many competition
cars – and virtually every one
is included within these pages.
Bialbero is its Italian name, and
this incredibly comprehensive
compendium provides an
interesting perspective on the
sheer variety of vehicles it found
a place in. If you like the slightly
niche topic, you’ll enjoy it! MH
ROFGO Collection
DOUG NYE, Porter Press Int’l,
£75, ISBN 978 1 907085 67 3
For those who enjoyed the
supplement on the ROFGO
collection with Octane 196
in 2019, or the special feature
on the then far younger and
smaller collection in Octane 96
( June 2011), this will be manna
from Gulf-liveried heaven. A
heavy, 300-plus-page landscape
hardback, it gives luxurious
space to the 34 cars in this
amazing collection assembled
by Roald Goethe with the help
of Adrian Hamilton. Ranging
from Gulf-Mirage M1 to Aston
Martin Vantage GTE, they’re
graced with superb words by
Doug Nye and pictures by Tom
Wood. Vanity publishing? No,
the bible for Gulf fans.
choose only ten
motor racing
books in your
lifetime, then
this should be
among them. It’s one of the
greatest driver biographies
ever, right up there with All
Arms and Elbows, Touch Wood
and Mon Ami Mate, with the
bonus of being well illustrated.
The book’s title is borrowed
from a famous advertising
campaign for Double
Diamond bitter that was
launched in 1971, and it sums
up the era and the lifestyle
that Gerry Marshall
represented – ‘real men’
drinking and smoking
cigarettes, driving flat-out and
not worrying about whether
they were being politically
correct in front of the camera.
JE
Marshall fell out of fashion for
a while until events such as
the Goodwood Revival stirred
up nostalgia for the ‘good old
days’, prompting a reissue in
softback (the original was
hardback) after his death in
2005. True to form, he died
of a heart attack while testing
at Silverstone, aged 63.
You can pick up the
softback for £25 or so but the
hardback original will always
be sought after and is worth
£75; double that if it is signed.
Ben Horton

Quattro, the Race and Rally Story 1980-2004

JEREMY WALTON, Evro, £50, ISBN 978 1 910505 43 4

Alfa Romeo, from
1910 to the Present
MAURIZIO TABUCCHI,
Giorgio Nada Editore, £50,
ISBN 978 88 7911 765 4
First published in 2010, this new
and updated edition of a classic
Alfa history is distinguished
both by its size – it’s a doorstep
hardback of 352 pages – and by
its superb collection of images.
Drawing heavily but not
exclusively on Alfa’s extensive
archive, it depicts everything
from a 1910 ALFA-engined
biplane to a 2020 Carabinieri-
liveried Giulia. The text is a little
clunky in translation and suffers
from poor font choice and
layout, but overall this is a solid
and useful work. MD
Very much building and saloon car racing. For 1988 Audi took the beastly
significantly expanding on looking four-wheel-drive 200 Quattro into the US
Walton’s previous Quattro Trans-Am series: despite challenges adapting the
book, as the title suggests this drivetrain to be effective on track, it didn’t just prove
latest 304-page hardback the concept but won the championship!
explores Audi’s four-wheel-
drive competition history
This later success story is generally less celebrated
than the sexier Quattro rally cars but it’s every bit as
in much greater detail. thrilling to read about. Audi later competed all over
It’s a story that began in 1980 with an explosion the world with various saloon racers, proving time
onto the world rallying stage, and, although the and again that its four-wheel-drive formula could
book’s focus is on motorsport, the chapter detailing be incredibly effective in all situations.
the development of the road car – with many Not only well-designed, the book is rounded off
first-hand accounts from those involved – is as by the quality and well-considered use of immersive
insightful and comprehensive as you’ll find anywhere. archive photography. It’s a joy to read. MH
Dive into the Quattro’s early rallying career and
Walton not only describes the results, but also
captures the struggle that faced the drivers and
engineers behind the experimental programme.
With the many ups came just as many downs.
I suspect I’m not the only one that automatically
associates ‘Quattro’ with rallying, but there’s a lot
more to this story. After Audi officially left the WRC
mid-season in 1986 due to the increasing danger of
Group B, it switched to developing the Group A 200
Quattro for endurance rallying. It turned out that the
200 would also become the perfect candidate for

157
Gear
COMPILED BY CHRIS BIETZK

‘BATMOBILE’ SCULPTURE
BY JONNY AMBROSE
We’ve lived with the BMW 3.0 CSL for almost 50 years now,
but time has done nothing to blunt the visual impact of the car
in full aero get-up. This 38cm-long sculpture from Jonny Ambrose
captures the lines of the ‘Batmobile’ in aluminium, Perspex and
carbonfibre, while gold, deep-dish BBS lattice rims are cleverly
conjured using turned aluminium and oak. Only nine pieces
will be made, each one customised for its buyer.
From £1970. jonnyambrose.com

INDIAN EFTR JR
Considering the post-war history of Indian, solvency is probably its
greatest achievement since being revived in 2011, but the competition-
only Scout FTR750 is a close second. That brilliant flat-tracker
flat-tracker has now
inspired a 15mph, battery-powered mini-bike for younger riders.
$749. indianmotorcycle.com
ALTAIREGO
TYRE CUSHIONS
Many of us will emerge from lockdown
looking rounder than when it began, but
the same cannot be said for the tyres of
many classic cars. Flat spots will have
developed – unless there’s a set of these
under the wheels. They increase the size
of the contact patch by up to 400%,
spreading the load to keep tyres in shape.
From £350. argentbespoke.com

158
1:3-SCALE
COSWORTH DFV
This Cosworth-approved
replica of the V8 that once
dominated F1 took three
years to develop – longer
than the real thing. Made
by Bouland Motors in
the Netherlands, the 76cc,
watercooled engine runs
on methanol and will rev
all the way to 10,000rpm.
€10,650 plus VAT.
SILVER ARROWS SOCKS
boulandmotors.com BY HEEL TREAD
In 2018 Mercedes-Benz began
remaking the fabrics used to cover the
seats of the Gullwing and of Fangio’s
W196R, and thanks to Heel Tread you
can now upholster your person as well
as your car in colourful Mercedes plaid.
£40. heeltread.com

R-LAMP BY
HALLEY ACCESSORIES
There wasn’t much good news
last year, but the arrival of the R18
put a smile on the face of bikers.
BMW’s new, vintage-style cruiser
(principally inspired by the R5 of 1936)
is a knock-out, and among our favourite
details is the traditional R-series
headlight – a design also borrowed
by Halley Accessories for this
minimalist floor lamp.
€1390. halleyaccessories.com

TOYOTA 2000GT POSTER BY ACLASSICA

Pictures of the 2000GT would surely have decorated teenagers’
bedrooms around the world in the late 1960s if only Toyota had figured
out a way to make inroads into overseas markets, because the car
is proper pin-up material, as we are reminded by this new poster.
$49. aclassica.art

159
Models
REVIEWS AND PHOTOGRAPHY MARK DIXON

Classic model
WORDS: ANDREW RALSTON

1:24 scale
DINKY METAL KITS
Anyone who has attempted

1937 DELAHAYE 135MS FIGONI & FALASCHI to build a plastic kit as a child
will have ended up with small
plastic parts firmly cemented
By Automodello Price $249.95 inc worldwide postage Material Handbuilt resincast
to their fingertips, so in 1971
Dinky Toys came up with an
The word ‘supercar’ is widely considered to be a shift gearchange, and all these elements combined idea that avoided that pitfall:
1960s coinage that was inspired by the Lamborghini to make the Delahaye a peerless Grand Tourer. disassembled versions of
Miura, but it’s hard to argue that it couldn’t be applied Automodello’s handbuilt model is flawlessly standard Dinky models that
to the Delahaye 135MS, bodied by Figoni et Falaschi. finished in aubergine paint (limited-edition versions required nothing more than
‘MS’ signified a triple-Solex, 3.6-litre version of in light metallic blue or green are available at extra a couple of screws to hold
everything in place.
Delahaye’s straight-six – which delivered 160bhp, cost) and captures the ‘French curves’ to perfection.
True, they still needed to be
a third as much again as a regular 135M – and the Even the dials on the dashboard have been depicted painted, but – making a virtue
stunning Art Deco coachwork was reminiscent of in 3D rather than by transfers. It’s strictly a display out of a necessity – Dinky
a Bugatti Type 57S Atalante. Add in a walnut and piece – no opening panels or other gimmicks – but stressed that this allowed
leather interior, plus the luxury of a Cotal electric- that is entirely appropriate for such an objet d’art. each modeller to make their
product different from
everyone else’s, and the
models could be taken apart
and rebuilt. Of course, the real
advantage from Dinky’s point
of view was that these were
existing products recycled as
something new – which was
important because Meccano’s
owners, Lines Brothers, were
in trouble and on the brink
of liquidation at the time.
Around 30 different kits
were issued, consisting of
1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Vignale 1938 Mercedes 540K Norrmalm 1929 Bentley Speed Six cars, three different buses,
Matrix £97.95 Carbone £325.65 Spark £58.95
a Ford Transit, tipper truck,
Matrix has made a great job of the huge Expensive, but this 1:43-scale model A nicely rendered replica of the
rear screen and complex bright trim could easily be mistaken for the real 1929 Le Mans winner, with correctly Land Rover, a selection of
on this Vignale-bodied Aston. thing in a photo – it is simply exquisite. matt-finished ‘fabric’ bodywork. military vehicles and aircraft,
a motor boat and a Lunar
Roving Vehicle. They were not
a huge success and sealed,
unopened examples still
regularly turn up for sale.
Judging from the number of
Routemaster and Atlantean
buses that come onto the
market, these were the
slowest sellers originally.
As a final irony, in 1972
1960 Maserati Birdcage 1973 Brabham BT 42 signed by John Watson
Meccano-Triang was sold to
Matrix £99.95 Grand Prix Models Studio £75.95 Airfix Industries – so the Dinky
Stirling Moss won the 1960 Cuba GP John Watson won’t remember the 1973 US Grand Prix with metal kits ended up being
in his ‘birdcage’, and its eponymous affection – his engine blew after nine laps – but he has sold by the company that also
frame is intricately modelled here. graciously signed this handsome limited-edition Brabham model. made the Airfix plastic ones.

Models above are to 1:43 scale and available from Grand Prix Models, +44 (0)1295 278070,
160 www.grandprixmodels.com; to order the 1:24-scale Delahaye, visit automodello.com.
 Our passion is classic competition cars

1974 Lotus 76/1-JPS9 1980 Fittipaldi F8-1

Ex-Ronnie Peterson in iconic and stunning JPS livery. Fresh and race-ready Driven by 2 World Champions. Freshly restored and race-ready with current
for Masters F1 and Monaco Historic GP 2021. P.O.A FIA HTP and spares. Eligible for 2021 Monaco HGP. P.O.A

1958 Lotus 16 (#363) 1963 Shelby Cobra (CSX 2194)

Ex-Graham Hill, David Piper and Tom Wheatcroft works car. Race-ready with Genuine 289ci Cobra with continuous history from new. Older race
current FIA HTP. Front runner for HGPCA and Monaco HGP. P.O.A preparation but in excellent condition throughout. P.O.A

1971 Ford Escort RS1600 FIA Gp2 2007 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR
Period race history. State-of-art preparation by Rüddel Motorsport. Race- One of only 98 built from 2007 to 2012. As new, very low mileage and
ready with spares and current FIA HTP. €139.500 matching numbers. 100% race-ready with spares. P.O.A

1967 Factory prepared Porsche 911S 1980 Porsche 935 L1 “Baby”

Last 911 SWB model year. Matching numbers, 4 owners from new and in Unique and lightest 935 existing. Excellent race history incl. Le Mans 24hr.
wonderful original condition with 1st paint. EUR 375.000 Race-ready with current HTP and spares. P.O.A

We have a wider variety of great cars for sale. Please call or visit our web-site for more information.
www.rmd.be - salesinfo@rmd.be - +32 (0) 475 422 790 - Schoten, Belgium
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 Central London’s Largest Classic Car Showrooms

1960 Bentley S2 Continental by HJ Mulliner 1963 Alfa Romeo 1600 Giulia

70,000 miles only Charming and full restoration

1965 Jaguar E-Type 1970 Porsche 911 T

Fully restored and never driven after completion A very interesting and complete history

1964 Gordon Keeble 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL

2 owners from new with upgraded performance Finished in lovely ‘coffee & cream’

www.graemehunt.com
+44 (0) 20 7937 8487 mail@graemehunt.com
 Edited by Matthew Hayward

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

TOP 10 PRICES
JANUARY 2021

£4,390,000 ($6,000,000)
1955 Jaguar D-type
RM Sotheby’s, Scottsdale,
USA. 25 January

£4,368,000 ($5,940,000)
1965 Shelby Cobra 427
Mecum, Kissimmee, USA.
7-16 January

£3,464,500 ($4,735,000)
1937 Bugatti Type 57SC
Tourer by Corsica
RM Sotheby’s, Scottsdale,
USA. 25 January
ARTCURIAL

£2,398,000 ($3,277,500)
2020 McLaren Speedtail
RM Sotheby’s, Scottsdale,

Le Mans winner tops €6.9m

USA. 25 January

£1,871,000 ($2,557,000)
1954 Ferrari 375 America
Matra leads Artcurial Paris auction; Shelby’s Cobra smashes records Coupé by Vignale
RM Sotheby’s, Scottsdale,
RETROMOBILE MIGHT have been postponed Type 57SC at $4,735,000. Another highlight, as the USA. 25 January
until later in the year, but Artcurial went ahead and first of its kind offered at auction, was the 2020
held its February auction anyway. With bids taken in McLaren Speedtail, which sold at $3,277,500. £1,840,000 ($2,500,000)
the room, online and by phone, highlight of the sale Gooding & Company sold 39 of the 49 cars offered 1967 Chevrolet Corvette
L88 Convertible
was the legendary 1972 Matra MS 670, as featured in via its Geared Online auction, returning a total of
Octane 212. With a hefty 20% TVA levied on the car, $7,092,031. Leading the pack was a particularly Mecum, Kissimmee, USA.
7-16 January
its sale ended with a final price of €6,907,200. original 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose, achieving
The Group B collection on offer (see Octane 213) $1,936,000. One strongly contested lot was a 1954
also attracted a lot of interest, but it was the 1988 Audi Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupé, which ended £1,415,000 ($1,936,000)
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB
Sport Quattro S1 that smashed estimates (and auction at $968,000. There was a lot of love for the Citroën Long-Nose
records) by making €2,016,600. The Peugeot 205 SM land speed racer, trailer and pick-up combo at Gooding & Co, online.
Turbo 16 Evolution also sold for a record €977,440. $203,500 (see Dave Kinney’s round-up). 18-22 January
In total, the sale raised €18,300,564. Bonhams’ sale was led by a 1959 BMW 507 S2
Mecum’s huge $141.2m Kissimmee sale offered roadster, coming from its owner of 30 years, selling £1,318,500 ($1,809,000)
one of Carroll Shelby’s most prized personal cars, a for $1,809,000. The rare ‘North American Spec’ 1993 1959 BMW 507 Series 2
Cobra 427 (on right) owned by him from new in Land Rover Defender proved popular at $123,200. Bonhams, Scottsdale, USA.
1965 right up to his passing. Modified by Mike Each sale was smaller than in 2020, but posted 21 January
McCluskey in period, and subsequently returned to stronger sales as a result. Bigger isn’t always better…
standard specification during its latest restoration, £1,154,000 ($1,567,500)
this 7.0-litre ‘big-block’ made a staggering $5,940,000. 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
This year’s Scottsdale auctions were smaller in Mecum, Kissimmee, USA.
scale than their pre-pandemic levels, but results were 7-16 January
generally very healthy. RM Sotheby’s offered 88 cars
at the OTTO Car Club, achieving sales of $35,065,900 £1,012,000 ($1,375,000)
with a 90% sale rate. Top seller was a highly original 1967 Shelby Cobra 427
1955 Jaguar D-type, with a winning bid of $6,000,000. Mecum, Kissimmee, USA.
Next up was the one-of-eight Corsica-bodied Bugatti 7-16 January

165
 THE MARKET / Reports

DAVE KINNEY’S USA ROUND-UP

1956 Mercedes-Benz
300 Sc Roadster
RM Sotheby’s, Scottsdale, USA 22 January
The 300 Sc, and the earlier 300S, are cars that have a well-earned
reputation for being expensive to bring back to life. They were basically
entirely hand-built when new, available as a coupé, a cabriolet or roadster,
and a total of just 200 were made.
A very early production model with body number one, this might be CAR OF THE MONTH
the first production 300 Sc built, and it’s one of only 53 roadsters. The
inline six-cylinder engine (a detuned version of the engine found in the With excellent paint, chrome and interior fittings, including wood and
300 SL) with Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection pushes out 173bhp, leather, this is a top-notch restoration with a bit of age. Being the most
sending drive through a floor-change four-speed transmission. It’s also desirable of the series, it’s worth noting that the 300 Sc was the most
fitted with a Becker Le Mans radio, Bosch foglights and, interestingly, expensive Mercedes-Benz of its time. Its values are now eclipsed by the
comes with a newly made but yet to be delivered matching luggage set. 300 SL, and will likely stay that way. Magnificent, handsome and well
It sold comfortably within the car’s $750,000-850,000 pre-sale estimate executed, the 300 Sc is a car that deserves a bigger following.
at $775,000; the replacement engine – said to be a correct type as detailed Dave Kinney is an auction analyst, an expert on the US
in the auction description – knocked a bit of froth out of the final price. market scene, and publishes the Hagerty Price Guide.

The world’s fastest Citroën sold
BARGAIN OF THE MONTH from the Petersen Museum
collection, and this trio of eccentric
1972 Citroën SM, tow car & trailer
builds is a pure delight. The star of
Gooding & Co, Scottsdale, USA
the lot is the land speed racer
Citroën SM, although the tow-car
and gooseneck trailer attract just as
much attention. Selling just a bump
above its wide $100-200k pre-sale
estimate at $203,500, it’s a great
example of engineering talent and
Bonneville Salt Flats history.
SURPRISE OF THE MONTH
2020 McLaren Speedtail
RM Sotheby’s, Scottsdale, USA
There are those that call the
Speedtail the spiritual successor
to the F1, or at least a 21st Century
update with its 4.0-litre twin-turbo
V8, hybrid system, 1035bhp and
a top speed of 250mph. This is a
brand new car with just 30 miles
on the odometer. Imported to the
US under ‘Show and Display’
exemption, it’s the first Speedtail to
come to auction and, at $3,277,500,
sold beneath its pre-sale estimate.

AUCTION TRACKER TOYOTA 2000GT

The combination of beautiful looks,
a Yamaha-developed inline
six-cylinder engine and low build
numbers have helped to make this
Japanese classic hugely appealing.
The principal auction activity
is centred in the US, although the
market accounted for less than
20% of total production, with only
62 left-hand-drive cars originally
delivered new to the States. The
high point was reached in April
£1,000,000
£800,000
£600,000
£400,000
£200,000
2013 2014
Line charts the top prices for comparable cars at auction.
2013 when a 2000GT became
the first Japanese car to break the
million-dollar mark at auction, RM
Sotheby’s achieving $1,155,000
for a Bellatrix Yellow example
(pictured). That figure was matched
the following year at Pebble Beach
with Gooding & Company’s
two-owner, low-mileage GT in
Pegasus White. While top auction
prices have traded some way off
those levels in subsequent years,
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
RM’s well-supported Elkhart
sale in October 2020 netted an
above-estimate $912,500 for
chassis MF10-10100, a veteran of
six previous trips across the auction
block in the past five years. BH
Auction recently set the bar for
the rare MF12L variant, raising
¥88,000,000 ($852,500) in
September for the first of just nine
prototypes built with the less exotic
2.3-litre SOHC engine.
US-based restorer and TV
personality Wayne Carini explains
the appeal: ‘I truly enjoy everything
about this car, from its design, its
engine and interior to the aggressive
race-style wheels. The engine is a
work of art to look at, but holds true
when the power comes on and the
exhaust note reaches its peak.
‘The Toyota 2000GT should be
right up there with a Gullwing, a
great Ferrari and a Duesenberg as
a cornerstone of a great collection.’
Rod Laws
Glenmarch is the largest free-to-access online
resource for classic and collector car auction markets.
Visit www.glenmarch.com to keep up to date.

166
THE CLASSIC MOTOR HUB
+44 (0)1242 384092 : GLOUCESTERSHIRE, GL7 5NX : INFO@CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM : WWW.CLASSICMOTORHUB.COM

SALES : STORAGE : TRANSPORT : EVENTS : COFFEE SHOP

2003 ASTON MARTIN DB7 ZAGATO – CHASSIS #001

1965 JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES 1 4.2 ROADSTER

ALSO IN STOCK...
1931 ASTON MARTIN INTERNATIONAL LE MANS ♦ 1953 ASTON MARTIN DB2 VANTAGE ♦ 1927 BENTLEY 3/8 SPECIAL
1934 BENTLEY 3½ PILLARLESS COUPÉ BY GURNEY NUTTING ♦ 1939 BENTLEY 4 1/4 VDP OPEN TOURER ‘HONEYSUCKLE’
1955 BRISTOL 404 COUPÉ ♦ 1929 BUGATTI TYPE 40 GRAND SPORT TOURER ♦ 1937 FRAZER NASH BMW 319/328 SPORTS SPECIAl
1938 FRAZER NASH-BMW 328 ♦ 1961 JAGUAR E-TYPE S1 FLAT FLOOR 3.8 ♦ 1937 LAGONDA LG45 RAPIDE
1954 LANCIA AURELIA B20 GT SERIES 4 1929 ♦ 1965 TVR TRIDENT PROTOTYPE
THE MARKET / Auction Previews

Bonhams, Amelia Island, USA 20 May
THE AMELIA ISLAND concours has
been delayed, which has also pushed this
year’s auctions further into 2021. Among
Bonhams’ early offerings will be this
intriguing one-off 1935 Godsal Sports
Tourer, which took a ‘Best in Class’ award
at Amelia Island in 2020.
A prototype created by engineer
Charles Godsal, this intriguing tourer has
a Ford V8 engine and glorious bodywork
from Corsica Coachworks. Despite
showing much promise, Godsal’s project
never quite managed to get off the
ground due to a lack of funding. Today,
One of a kind
it certainly poses an interesting automotive
‘what might have been?’
The whereabouts of Godsal’s prototype
were unknown for many years, until the
one-and-only chassis, 001, made an
appearance in the 1969 film Mosquito
Squadron. It had been painted red with
white stripes, and the significance of the
car had gone somewhat unnoticed.
After being re-discovered, it was restored
using original photos acquired from
Research Engineers Ltd, the company that
had built it for Godsal. The interesting
story was revealed in the March 1977
issue of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars,
before the car was sold via Paradise Garage
to a California-based owner. It remained
with that owner in the USA until 2016.
When it was previously sold by
Bonhams for $203,500 in 2017, the car
was offered in red and in need of some
restoration work. And that’s exactly
what has happened, as fans of Wayne
Carini’s Chasing Classic Cars television
show will know. Looking better than it has
for a long time, Godsal’s tourer is now
estimated to sell for $750,000-950,000.
bonhams.com

Migratory Swallow
RM Sotheby’s, Amelia Island, USA 22 May
MOST OF THE 276 Swallow
Dorettis built were destined for a
life in the USA. Making use of
Triumph TR2 running gear, the
Doretti was built on a bespoke
box-section chassis, clothed in an
Italian sports car-inspired body.
Longer and wider than a TR2,
it had better handling and stability,
and rightly so at £1158 compared
to the £887 TR2. The whole
project was overseen by ex-Bristol
engineer Frank Rainbow.
It’s fairly apparent from the UK
registration plate and right-hand
steering wheel that this 1954 car
is one of the very few that stayed
a little closer to home. Sold new
near to Glasgow, Scotland, it
eventually ended up in Eastern
Canada, subsequently heading
west towards Vancouver. Now
living in the US, chassis 1208 was
restored to a high standard by
specialist Lynn Martin of Forever
Healeys before the current vendor
acquired the car in 2008.
Chassis 1208 was seen at the
2009 Amelia Island Concours, and
it will now be offered at the RM
Sotheby’s Amelia auction in May,
at no reserve. rmsothebys.com

168
 QUICK GLANCE AUCTION DIARY
Due to cancellations and moves
online, it is essential to confirm
details with auction houses
19-28 February
RM Sotheby’s, online
27 February
Classicbid, online
Richard Edmonds, Chippenham,
UK (motorcycles)
27-28 February
Anglia Car Auctions,
1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 1964 Jaguar E-type 4.2 S1 King’s Lynn, UK
Russo and Steele, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA Silverstone Auctions, Race Retro, online, UK 3-10 March
27 March, russoandsteele.com 27-28 March, silverstoneauctions.com Bonhams, Paris, France
As it was built to celebrate the end of C4 production, After this E-type suffered a minor scuffle at Snetterton
13 March
you’d be forgiven for thinking the 1996 Grand Sport when it was just three months old, it sat for many years
Morris Leslie, online
was simply a special-edition with a fancy paint job, but it unrepaired. A couple of failed attempts to get a rebuild
featured the new 330bhp LT4 V8 engine and six-speed underway followed; it’s still showing only 2805 miles 14 March
manual transmission. Only 1000 were produced, 810 in and is in need of a full restoration. It was recently sold Aguttes, Paris, France
coupe form, and each of these featured slightly flared for £115,000 at ACA, but the current vendor has
16 March
rear arches and wider wheels. This car has covered decided to pass the project on to the next owner due to
Osenat, Fontainebleau, France
just 3973 miles and is offered with no reserve. other ongoing commitments. Maybe this time…
18-20 March
Mecum, Phoenix, USA
19-20 March
Mathewsons, online, UK
20 March
Bonhams MPH, Bicester, UK
Historics, Ascot, UK
20-27 March
Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, USA
24 March
H&H, online
26 March
1928 Nelson-LeMoon Stake Bed 1991 Honda NSX
Classic Car Auctions, online, UK
Mecum, East Moline, Illinois, USA Historics Auctioneers, Ascot, UK SWVA, Poole, UK
25-27 March, mecum.com 20 March, historics.co.uk
Bought in 1979 by the current owner, this fascinating Japan’s original Ferrari-killer has been a celebrated 27 March
Nelson-LeMoon truck was apparently in ‘deplorable’ performance car hero for decades. This relatively Oldtimer Galerie, Toffen,
condition. Fitted with a six-cylinder Waukesha engine, early car, a Japanese import, is offered with a minimal Switzerland
it has been lovingly restored over the years, including 34,772km on the clock, and with plenty of history from Richard Edmonds,
the beautiful wooden cab. The rest has been painted Japan and the UK – including a recent cambelt service. Chippenham, UK
to match the original colours, which were discovered As the reasonable-sounding £35,000-40,000 estimate Russo and Steele,
during restoration. One of about 3000 built between suggests, it’s the less desirable automatic version, but Scottsdale, USA
1910 and 1939, it will be offered with no reserve. still a fantastic machine for a (potentially) sensible price. Silverstone Auctions, online
1 April
Brightwells, online
6 April
ALSO LOOK OUT FOR… Shannons, online
8-10 April
Every young car enthusiast who interstate tarmac. Autopia offered Mecum, Houston, USA
has visited Disneyland has surely a version of the coming highway 10-11 April
been underwhelmed by Autopia, experience. But you know how Anglia Car Auctions,
an attraction so misleadingly it goes: give people an inch… King’s Lynn, UK
named that the FTC should get With no guide rail to keep
11 April
involved. For the uninitiated, it roadhogs in check, Autopia
Charterhouse, online
allows kids to operate a small car, frequently resembled a demolition
running on a guide rail in traffic. derby. By 1965, park management 13 April
It was not supposed to be this decided to restore order by fixing Osenat, Versailles, France
way. Autopia was among the the path of the cars. The fleet had 14 April
original rides at Disneyland, which already been replaced five times! H&H, Duxford, UK
opened in 1955, and it was Fortunately the linen poster 16-17 April
intended to give mini-motorists here, which dates from ’55, Branson Auction, Missouri, USA
a real taste of independence. escaped Disneyland in far better Vicari, Biloxi, USA
On 29 June that year, President condition than any Autopia car.
Eisenhower signed into law an act It will go under the hammer at IN ASSOCIATION WITH
authorising the construction of Heritage Auctions’ Disney event
41,000 miles of fast, multi-lane, in Dallas on 27-28 March.

169
THE MARKET / Showroom Stars

SHOWROOM BRIEFS

1967 ROVER P5 COUPE

£16,995
With only three previous owners,
the last for the previous 30 years,
this gorgeous Mk3 P5 Coupé has
covered just 39,000 miles. It has
a nicely patinated interior, plus a
recent exhaust and brake servo.
sherwoodrestorations.co.uk

1984 MG Metro Turbo 1986 TOYOTA 4×4 XTRACAB

PICK-UP, $47,500
It’s definitely unusual to see
£119,995 from Duncan Hamilton ROFGO, Hampshire, UK pick-ups, especially from this era,
in such pristine condition, but this
Xtracab has been fully restored.
COMPUTERVISION may have been responsible Similar to the one Marty McFly
for some innovative and groundbreaking CAD/CAM lusted after in Back to the Future!
systems, but to most of us it’s a name we associate with hymanltd.com (US)
Metros. Although it’s the Group B monster 6R4 that
immediately spings to mind, it was a livery also shared
with this lesser-spotted Group A Turbo racer.
This is one of the original Austin-Rover factory cars,
built by Roger Dowson Engineering to take on the
British and European Touring Car Championships in
1984. With SD1s taking the lead in Class A, these little
Metros quickly became the cars to beat in Class B.
Under the bonnet is a 230bhp Howley Racing- 1972 FIAT 128 FAMILIALE
prepared turbo A-series engine, with a Jack Knight €14,950
Never mind when you last saw
gearbox. The Hydragas suspension was significantly one, more like have you ever seen
altered, and along with a big brake upgrade came a set one? Slightly lowered and with
of slick-shod centre-lock alloy wheels. wider wheels, this well-restored
Car number 35, offered here by Duncan Hamilton 1.1-litre station wagon is certainly
unique, and looks great.
ROFGO, was driven by Robin Brundle (Martin’s erclassics.com (NL)
younger brother) in the ’84 BSCC. Taking two class
wins, and four top-three finishes in total, it was an
effective car. It took part in a single round of the ETCC
that same year, from which it retired.
Austin-Rover pulled out of the BSCC before the
end of the season, so this car was retired from racing.
It spent a period of time in the British Motor Museum
at Gaydon before being sold and has since been
mechanically refreshed by Roger Dowson Engineering.
1997 FERRARI F355 GTS
It still retains all of the special parts that made it a force AU$199,990
to be reckoned with in period. Still one of Ferrari’s all-time
Compared with some of the more exotic Group A great sports cars, in targa-topped
and Group 4 machinery currently racing in HTCC GTS form with Giallo Modena
paintwork, six-speed manual and
and HTC, it’s certainly a different way to go. Works
38,895km. What better way to
history, reasonable running costs, not to mention race- enjoy the howl of that epic V8?
winning pedigree… what’s not to like? dhrofgo.com duttongarage.com (AUS)

170
2018
ASTON MARTIN
VANQUISH VOLANTE

ZAGATO
#4/99 MADE
1,250 KMS

2011 1969
PORSCHE JAGUAR
GT3 RS 4.0L E-TYPE SII FHC
12,000 MI FULLY ORIGINAL
76,000 MI

HENDON WAY MOTORS

EST. 1952

For Collectors of Modern Art,

experts in Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, and AC Cobra

W: www.hendonwaymotors.com T: +44 (0)20 8202 8011

THE MARKET / Buying Guide

Suzuki Cappuccino THE LOWDOWN

WHAT TO PAY
Within this miniature roadster lurks the soul of a true thoroughbred Rough cars are normally best
avoided, but can be bought
THE IDEA OF a micro-sports car almost seems at sale in the UK. It appeared at the 1992 British motor for very little. Running and
odds with the modern automotive world. It’s a niche show and went on sale a year later at £11,995. driving cars that need a little
that Japan has always embraced thanks to restrictive By 1995 only 1110 Cappuccinos had been officially love start from about £2000,
kei-car regulations and, while few ever escaped onto imported and registered in the UK – 888 red and 222 with most below that price
the international market, Suzuki’s Cappuccino did. in silver. A small number made it to mainland Europe. usually broken for spares.
Built at Suzuki’s Kosai factory, it went on sale in After that, imminent emissions regulations would Spend around £4000 and
you’ll get a well-maintained
Japan in November 1991, becoming the company’s have necessitated the re-homologation of the car to car in great condition, while
first (and only) sports car. It might have looked cute continue sales here, which was simply not viable. £6000-8000 is about what
and cuddly, but this was a car that had been engineered It was revised for 1996 in Japan, however, with a you’ll pay for a low-mileage or
to entertain. Within its tiny dimensions beat a new, slightly torquier and lighter alloy-block version freshly imported car; more for
turbocharged 656cc three-cylinder heart. Not your of the engine. Some of these later cars also got power something particularly special.
standard kei-car unit, but a highly balanced 12-valve steering and the option of automatic transmission. UK cars don’t carry a
twin-cam that produced 63bhp (the limit for kei-cars) Production came to an end in 1997, with the final premium – condition is the
and would happily rev all the way to 9300rpm! Japanese cars selling in 1998. In total, only 28,010 most important factor – but
Mounting it a long way back in the engine bay Cappuccinos were built. the JDM cars can have patchy
histories, so a UK-supplied
ensured near-50:50 weight distribution, and a five- It quickly gained a cult following around the world,
car is often a safer bet.
speed manual gearbox sent drive to the rear wheels. but support for the Cappuccino has always been
A limited-slip differential was optional in Japan, too. particularly strong in the UK. Numbers have certainly WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
It wasn’t just lean at 725kg, but lightweight where thinned out over the last decade but it remains a car Engines are reliable but
it counts the most. The Cappuccino features that enjoys a die-hard following, with plenty of grey require very regular
aluminium double wishbones up front, a compact imports making their way here over the past 20 years. maintenance, with 3000-mile
and lightweight multi-link set-up at the rear, and alloy Drive one, and you’ll understand why. This is a oil changes. Gearbox
wheels with narrow tyres to keep unsprung weight to seriously entertaining little car, which delivers more synchros are notoriously
a minimum, also making the unassisted steering a joy. driver enjoyment than its cheeky styling and modest weak, so check for crunches.
The bonnet and removable roof panels are also alloy. power output would have you believe. Those modular aluminium
roof panels are prone to
Roof panels? Rather than a soft-top, it employs a One of the key elements is its compactness, which
getting knocked about, so
modular removable hardtop. The panels lift out and means it is a joy on British B-roads as well as city inspect them for any dents.
store in the boot, with the roll-bar and glass rear streets – it makes an MX-5 feel bulky! The lack of Look for rust. Sills and
screen then sliding down into the car. Clever. weight and surprising balance give this car the feel of wheelarches are the first
After discussions, Suzuki’s British importer a proper little thoroughbred. More ‘espresso’ than giveaway, but a good poke
convinced the company to homologate the car for ‘cappuccino’, if you ask me. Matthew Hayward about underneath is advised.

172
 PETER BRADFIELD LTD

1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio “KYN 9”

TheTarga Florio was designed as a sports car with competition potential combined with just enough comfort and boot
space for touring. “KYN 9” is unique because it was the only Frazer Nash built with a 2.6 litre Austin engine and it was
showcased at the 1952 London Motorshow. It was sold to Louis Keller in the USA who competed with it in the 1954
Golden Gate Park Race in San Francisco. In 1986 the car was discovered by the famous British actor, John Rhys-Davies
and it came back to the UK and into the care of TT Workshops. In 2008 KYN 9 was fully race prepared by Blakeney
Motorsport and enjoyed five years racing. It was bought by the current owner in 2016. Presented in beautiful condition,
“KYN 9” is one of the finest post-war Nash’s to come to market in recent years. It is complete with a black hood and
tonneau cover and a low perspex screen that can be fitted for sports and racing.A weighty history file accompanies the
car with magazine articles, photos, bills and letters documenting all its owners and competition history.

1937 Lagonda LG45 Rapide

A Lagonda had won the 24 Hours race at Le Mans in 1935 and the company decided to capitalise on this sporting
success. Accordingly the LG 45 Rapide was launched in 1936 and its 4½ litre engine, uprated by W.O. Bentley,
ensured that the car was as quick as its flamboyant coachwork suggested. Chassis 12267/R is the last but one of
the 25 Rapides built and it was delivered new in London through Lagonda agents, Keevil and March on 23rd July
1937. Chassis 12267/R is offered for sale in impeccable condition.A fresh restoration was completed in 2014 with
paint by MotoTechnique and leather by O’Rourke Trimming. Not surprisingly this stunning car has appeared at
numerous international concours events. However, be under no illusion, this is not just a show queen. In 2018 the
car successfully completed the arduous “Flying Scotsman Rally”. A fully documented history file accompanies the
car listing all the owners and confirming its provenance.The car has matching numbers throughout and in the same
livery as when it was delivered .
Also available:
1928 Bentley 4½ Litre Bentley Le Mans • 1953 Bentley R Type Continental
See website for more details
8 REECE MEWS KENSINGTON LONDON SW7 3HE
peter@bradfieldcars.com www.bradfieldcars.com Tel: 020 7589 8787
 1963 Chrysler Turbine

Presenting
The Kleptz Collection
We are proud to have been selected to present the Frank Kleptz Collection. Twenty-one automobiles and eleven
motorcycles, including a selection of rare classic-era Chryslers. Featuring one of only two Chrysler Turbine cars in
private hands; a singular opportunity to acquire a historic treasure from this renown collection.

1937 Chrysler Airflow

“Major Bowes” 1954 Kurtis 500 1931 Chrysler CG Roadster

hymanltd.com or +1 (314) 524-6000

2021 Copyright Hyman Ltd · St. Louis, Missouri

 1989 JAGUAR XJR-11
Built for the 1989 World Sports Car Championship with chassis number 289, this is the second of three XJR-11s ever built by TWR for the factory Silk Cut Jaguar team.
#289 made its debut at the Brands Hatch 1000km in the early Silk Cut livery, with the team immediately on pole with the sister #189. Although great promise showed
in 1989, 1990 was the year that the XJR-11 really showed its blistering pace. #289 was updated to the 1990 chassis number of 590, and claimed back-to-back podiums
at Silverstone and Spa, plus another in Mexico, proving the pace of the Tony Southgate, Ross Brawn-designed carbon-chassis, twin-turbo V6 package – the sister
chassis winning overall at Silverstone. Had it not been for the thundering works Sauber-Mercedes C11s, the Silk Cut Jaguars would have been world champions in
1990 – finishing 3rd, 5th and 6th in the final standings, beaten only by the Silver Arrows. Of the five men to race this car (Davy Jones, Alain Ferté, John Nielsen, Andy
Wallace, Jan Lammers) four are Le Mans winners, three of those with the Jaguar works team. One of the fastest and rarest factory Group C cars in existence, XJR-11
#590 is newly rebuilt and truly race-ready. Alternatively, it would make a very special addition to any collection of important race cars.

DRIVING HERITAGE
 0208 348 5151
Jonathan Ostroff (out of hours): 07522 911 911

Porsche 911 (930) Turbo LE, 1989 Fiat Abarth 695 Tributo BMW M635 CSi, 1985
1 of 50 cars Ferrari Edition, 2010 Manual
10,500 miles 10,315 miles 53,100 miles

AC Cobra Superblower, 1999 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, 1985 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, 1972
Alloy body Manual, LHD, Factory electric sunroof Ferrari Classiche
2,800 miles 8,600 miles Ex-Sir Elton John

BMW M4 DTM Champion Edition, 2017 Ferrari 575 Superamerica,2005 Aston Martin Volante Zagato, 1989
1 of 200 edition cars Award winning car, LHD 1 of just 37 cars
870 miles 4,200 miles 6,700 miles

Over 60 classic cars in stock, visit:

www.hexagonclassics.com
 Aston Martin Specialists
Sales | Restoration | Parts | Servicing | Enginology

1965 ASTON MARTIN DB5

This prestigious vehicle is finished in a stunning
Silver Birch exterior and Anthracite leather
interior. It comes with its original documents and
has been extensively maintained since it rolled out
of the factory in 1965. With 13,556 miles on the
clock this DB5 is in beautiful condition.
CAR OF THE MONTH £649,950

1964 DB5 POA 1967 DB6 VANTAGE MKI LHD £439,950

Beautiful 1964 DB5 in RHD, Presented in stunning Pacific

presented in its original colours Blue with a Tan Leather interior.
of Fiesta Red and Black trim. Comprehensive, fully
Only 89,164 miles and with an documented restoration by
extensive restoration this car is ourselves in 2008. Only 2210
in fantastic condition. miles on the clock since then.

1961 DB4 SERIES 2 SALOON 3.7 MANUAL £449,950 1966 DB6 MK1 VANTAGE MANUAL £449,950

Sublime example in original A very fine example, fully

Goodwood Green with restored vehicles of the calibre
Black leather. In exceptional are hard come by. Benefiting from
condition with a comprehensive a two year ground up restoration
documented history. by ourselves incorporating many
discreet enhancements.

1974 V8 SERIES 3 £119,990 1952 DB2 FIA EX-GEORGE ABECASSIS £299,950

Unique and very rare manual Presented in stunning Graphite

1974 Aston Martin V8 Series Grey and previously raced by
III, fresh to the market in its British driver George Abecassis.
original colour Tudor Green Fully documented ground up
and fitted with aftermarket restoration in 2017. Eligible for
wood rim steering wheel. many historic racing events.

Thinking of selling your classic or modern Aston Martin?

Call our sales manager Alex Henderson on 07827 353 195 or email sellmyaston@aston.co.uk
for a confidential and professional response to your enquiry.
Our extensive database of clients and unmatched network can help you achieve the best sale possible.
Whether it be left hand or right hand drive, a restoration ready barn find or an all original gem,
we would love to hear from you to discuss your requirements.

30 plus more cars

available online www.aston.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 1207 233525 | Email: sales@aston.co.uk
 2005 Lola B05/40 LMP2 HU 01
Four participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008
Le Mans Endurance Series LMP2 champion in 2005
AER Turbo engine rebuilt, sequential gearbox with paddle shift
Eligible in Endurance Racing Legends,
Masters Endurance Legends in Europe and in the USA,
Le Mans Classic
Fully restored, ready to race

www.ascottcollection.com
Xavier Micheron
Phone: + 33 (0) 9 67 33 48 43
Mobile: + 33 (0) 6 17 49 42 50
Email: cars@ascottcollection.com
Paris - France
Scan me

1955 COOPER T40 / 1955 LISTER KNOBBLY / 1969 ABARTH 2000 SE 010 / 1984 VOLVO 240 TURBO Group A /
1987 PORSCHE 962 / 1985 MARCH PORSCHE 85G / 1989 TIGA GC 289 C2 / 1990 SPICE SE90C / 1996 VENTURI 600 LMS /
2 0 0 0 R EYN A R D 2 Q K L M P 9 00 / 2 01 1 P E U G E O T 9 08 V 8 L MP 1
 2018 ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH ZAGATO (LHD)
Cairngorm brown (a Q department colour) with ivory rekona / bitter chocolate leather interior and a bitter chocolate brown hood. Number 69
of 99, this car features a One-77 steering wheel, satin chrome finish, garage door opener, carbon paddle shifts, ventilated front seats, touring
pack and embroidered ‘Z’ logo on each of the headrests. A one owner car, ordered and supplied new in the UK with just 312 miles.

— £POA —

The leading specialist in sourcing the rare and unobtainable

We are always looking to buy interesting cars
+44 (0) 1772 613 114 | sales@williamloughran.co.uk | www.williamloughran.co.uk
 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV
Branding pack, Carbon driving zone, Carbon
fibre exterior pack & race seats
Ceramic brakes, High level rear wing,
800 miles, £POA
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster
Branding package, Hemera alloy wheels,
Rear parking camera & sensors
Q-citura stitching, 14,000 miles, £174,990
Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 Spyder
Branding package, Front and Rear parking
sensors, Full electric heated seats,
Lifting system, Style package, 8,500 miles,
£138,990
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Performante
Carbon ceramic brakes, Extended carbon fibre
interior package, & bucket seats.
Lifting system, Rear parking camera,
20,000 miles,£102,990
Porsche 911 991 GT3 RS
Sports bucket seats & Exhaust System, Carbon
fibre interior & sill plates, Alcantara steering
wheel, Front end lift, 1,200 miles, £143,990
BUYING OR SELLING LAMBORGHINI MOTORCARS
T +44 01580 714 597 E sales@vvsuk.co.uk W www.vvsuk.co.uk
(
(Viewing by appointment only
y) Address: VVS UK LTD PARK FARM, GOUDHURST ROAD, CRANBROOK, KENT, TN17 2LJ
y)
www.lamborghinibuyer.com
Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV
Larini sports exhaust, Carbon driving zone &
race seats, Ceramic brakes,
High level rear wing, Lifting gear, 5000 miles,
£399,990
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
Carbon fibre interior package, Carbon race
seats, Larini sports exhaust
Latest Pioneer Sat Nav, Apple car play, Lifting
gear, 14,000 miles, £169,990
Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4
Carbon fibre engine bay, Front and Rear
parking sensors, Lifting system with Magneto-
rheological suspension, Branding pack,
13,000 miles, £126,990
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4
Branding package, Rear view camera,
Full electric heated seats, Satellite Navigation,
15,000 miles, £83,990
Porsche 911 991 GT3 RS
Ceramic brakes, Lifting system, Sports bucket
seats, Carbon fibre interior & sill plates, Electric
windows & mirrors, 16,000 miles, £136,990
Additional Websites: www.justlamborghini.com
Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 SV Roadster
Rear view camera, branding package with
alcantara, lifting system, carbon fibre X frame,
5,500 miles, £276,990
Lamborghini Murcielago Coupe
18” speedline alloy wheels, Full leather interior,
Manual transmission, Nero Pegaso metallic
with full Cream leather interior, 14,000 miles,
£169,990
Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4
Lifting system, Magneto-rheological
suspension, Branding package, Rear park
assist, Lamborghini extended warranty,
18,000 miles, £118,990
Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
Branding package, Electric & Heated Seats,
Lifting system, Rear parking camera,
Satellite navigation, 12,000 miles,
£69,990
McLaren 650S V8 SSG
Carbon fibre side blades, front and rear badges,
centre caps & interior package.Electric seats &
mirrors, Lifting system, 14,000 miles, £93,990
 WANTED
AUDI RS | BMW M | MERCEDES AMG | PORSCHE | LOTUS | FERRARI | LAND ROVER | JAGUAR | MORGAN

At the Car Barn Beamish we have been sourcing and offering the market rare, exotic and sought-after sports and classic cars for almost a decade.
Our success in finding new owners for our diverse range of cars means that we have an extensive database of satisfied customers both in the UK and
globally. We understand selling a car privately can be a stressful process, at the Car Barn Beamish we are dedicated to making the whole experience
as stress free as possible. Upon consignment, your vehicle will be inspected for market readiness, stored in our pristine secure showroom facility and
receive a full complimentary interior and exterior cleaning routine to prepare it for the market place. So, what are you waiting for?

Thinking of selling your classic, exotic or performance vehicle?

Call Alex now on 07827 353195 for a no obligation discussion.

www.carbarn.co.uk Classic & Sports Car Specialists

+44 (0) 1207 288 760 sales@carbarn.co.uk Purchase – Consignment – Part Exchange

Red Row, Beamish, Durham, DH9 0RW

1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT America
Chassis #BA4-*0102* was delivered to the USA in the desired „America“ version with independent rear suspension and fibreglass
body. The car returned to Europe in 1991 and was completely restored in Italy. The racing career of the car began 2007 and was
since then raced extensively in Patrick Peter‘s GT-Trophy, Le Mans Classic and a 2 time entrant/finisher in the Spa 6 Hours. The car
was maintained to the highest standard during the past years and is now ready to go for the next 2021 season. The engine and the
gearbox are freshly and completely revised with only 1 hour trackday in summer 2020.

A freshly revised spare engine is available by separate negotiation.

Eligible in Patrick Peter‘s GT Trophy, Sixties Endurance and Le Mans Classic as well as the Spa 6 Hours makes this one an ideal
front runner car for the coming year. Price on request

1969 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Saloon
Complete with original German registration and service book.
Powered by Mercedes-Benz venerable 6.3 Litre engine. Adored
with finest luxury fitments of the time, this was a car for those
who were looking for the very best.
Ordered in Stuttgart, this 300 SEL 6.3 Saloon retains a copy
of its original data card, which lists a host of desirable options.
Fitted with heat-insulating glass, front safety-belts, eletrically
heated rear window and air conditioning, this Mercedes-Benz
would have been an absolute luxury to drive. The data card also
reveals that 300 SEL remains in its original colour beige, with
dark brown interior. Swiss Veteran Registration and Swiss tax
paid. EUR 82‘000
2010 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider
„End of Production“ - The last built Alfa Romeo 8C
Competizione Spider, number 500 of 500.
V8 engine with 4‘691cc and 450 HP. Swiss official
inspection passed in July 2020, only 882km. The car is in
„as new“ condition.
Pearl white (Bianco Madreperla), red leather sport seats,
carbon interior, Xenon lights, radio navigation system, Bose
sound system, 20 inch aluminum rims, ceramic brakes.
EUR 255‘000

Graber Sportgarage AG 3125 Toffen / Switzerland ch.traber@grabersportgarage.ch

CHARLES PRINCE Worldwide Collector Car Sales

1936 Bentley 4.25 Litre All-Weather by Vanden Plas

An exceptionally handsome Derby Bentley in outstanding order.

1929 Bentley 4.5 Litre DHC by Martin Walter

One of two superb original 4.5 Litre cars available. Both cars are original
“matching number” cars with full history, and in excellent order.

Please see website for all details and full stocklist

charlesprinceclassiccars.com sales@charlesprinceclassiccars.com Int T 0044 (0) 79 85 98 80 70

 1966 JAGUAR E-Type Series 1 4.2 Coupe.
Carmen Red with Black interior trim. Extremely
straight and correct. Matching Numbers UK RHD
example. Drives beautifully. Chrome wire wheels.
Good long-term ownership. A superb E-Type
maintained by WinSpeed and offered with great
confi dence. £97,500.00
JAGUAR C-TYPE by PROTEUS.
A very desirable and original Jim Marland example. Very good long-term & meticulous owner-
ship. 3.4 Litre XK Unit with Triple SUs. Driving beautifully – an absolute delight!
£79,500.00
….Knowledge, experience & expertise from The WinSpeed Family….
1970 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 Roadster.
Subjected to a comprehensive restoration by
Fullbridge Engineering during 2003/5 and has
been maintained by WinSpeed since 2013. 67,500
miles, UK RHD, continuous MOT certifi cates
from 1975 and a very comprehensive History File.
Finished in Signal Red with Black interior trim,
extremely well maintained. £97,500.00

1972 Jaguar E-Type V12 Coupe.
Pale Blue with dark Blue trim. Manual. UK
matching numbers. WinSpeed maintained
since 2015. Immaculate and driving superbly
£68,500.00
• Dedicated Engine Shop The WinSpeed Team 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12 Roadster.
• Top Quality Bespoke Engine Building BRG with Cinnamon trim. Manual.
• Fast Road & Race Specifications Dedicated to E-Types UK matching numbers example. Last fastidious
• Performance Upgrades & all Classic Jaguars owner for 20 years. WinSpeed maintained
• SU and Weber Carburettor Rebuilds since 2010. Utterly delightful and immaculate.
£98,500.00
WINSPEED MOTORSPORT LTD.
enquiries@winspeedmotorsport.com www.winspeedmotorsport.com
Tel: 01483 537 706 Mobile: 07831 164 460

188
 1986 TOYOTA TOM’S 86C (Gr.C)
- ONE OF TWO REMAINING TOM’S CARS
- METICULOUSLY RESTORED AND READY TO RACE
- REBUILT 3S-GT MODIFIED TURBO ENGINE AND
MARCH GT-P GEARBOX
- LARGE SPARES PACKAGE INCLUDING SPARE ENGINE

1994 NISSAN SKYLINE R32 GT-R GT-1

- JGTC RUNNER-UP (EX-MASAHIRO HASEMI)
- NISSAN KOUKI RB26DETT ENGINE, XTRAC GEARBOX
- BEAUTIFUL, ORIGINAL CONDITION THROUGHOUT 1972 BRM P180 SHOW CAR
- Ex-Marlboro period show car

1988 LH MARCH 881

- 1988 Japanese GP Specification

ALL CARS LOCATED IN JAPAN. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

info@pitlanespares.com | www.pitlanespares.com
fbva +44(0)7590 672740

SPEEDMASTER SPECIALIST IN HISTORIC AUTOMOBILES

Tel: +44 (0)1937 220 360 or +44 (0)7768 800 773
info@speedmastercars.com www.speedmastercars.com

LEYTON HOUSE CG901

We are pleased to offer this 1990 Leyton House March F1 Car for sale.
Designed by Adrian Newey, and powered by a 3.5L Judd EV V8 engine and driven by Ivan Capelli and
Maurizio Gugelmin, the design and build detail of this iconic F1 car is spectacular.
Offered freshly rebuilt and in running condition and ready to be driven at some of
the world’s best motoring events.
Please call for more details.

189
911 Carrera 4 GTS (991 GEN II)
GT Silver • Bordeaux Red Leather
Sports Seats • PDK Gearbox with
Paddles • 20” Centre Lock Wheels
Sport Chrono • Dynamic Chassis
Rear Axle Steer • 4,722 miles • 2018 (18)
911 Turbo (997 GEN II)
Jet Black • Black Leather Seats
PDK Gearbox with Paddles • Bose
Sound • Parking Sensors • Bi-Xenon
Headlights • Sport Design Steering
Wheel • 34,027 miles • 2012 (12)
911 Carrera 4 (993)
Arctic Silver • Classic Grey Leather
Sports Seats • Manual Gearbox
285 BHP VarioRam Engine • 17” Cup
Wheels • Air Conditioning • Dark Blue
Power Hood • 61,259 miles • 1997 (P)
911 Carrera 4 GTS (997)
Basalt Black • Black Leather Adaptive
Sports Seats • PDK Gearbox • 19”
Centre Lock Wheels • Sport Chrono
Previously Supplied & Serviced by
Paragon • 24,905 miles • 2012 (62)

£94,995 £65,995 £59,995 £59,995

Cayman 718 T
Carrara White Metallic • Black 918
Bucket Seats • Manual Gearbox • 20”
Carrera Sport Wheels • Switchable
Sports Exhaust • Sport Chrono
1,669 miles • 2019 (69)
911 Carrera 2 (991)
Carrara White • Black Leather Seats
PDK Gearbox • Switchable Sports
Exhaust • 20” Carrera S Wheels
Previously Sold & Serviced by Paragon
37,285 miles • 2012 (12)
Boxster 718
GT Silver • Black/Crayon Dual-Tone
Leather Seats • PDK Gearbox • 20”
Carrera Sport Wheels • LED Main
Headlights • Switchable Sports
Exhaust • 2,119 miles • 2019 (19)
Boxster Spyder (987)
Jet Black • Black Leather Sports Seats
Manual Gearbox • 19” Turbo II Wheels
Switchable Sports Exhaust • Heated
Seats • Porsche Sound Pack Plus
33,234 miles • 2011 (61)

£52,995 £49,995 £45,995 £41,995

911 Carrera 2 (997) GEN II
Atlas Grey • Black Leather Seats
Manual Gearbox • 19” Carrera Classic
Wheels • Sport Chrono • Previously
Supplied & Serviced by Paragon
42,479 miles • 2010 (10)
Cayman (981)
Rhodium Silver • Black Leather Seats
PDK Gearbox • 20” Carrera Classic
Wheels • Rear Parking Sensors
Previously Sold & Serviced by Paragon
15,712 miles • 2014 (14)
Boxster (981)
Agate Grey • Black Leather Sports Seats
Manual Gearbox • 20” Carrera S
Wheels • Front & Rear Parking
Sensors • Switchable Sports Exhaust
36,221 miles • 2015 (64)
Boxster (981)
Carrara White • Black Leather Sports
Seats • PDK Gearbox • 19” Boxster S III
Wheels • Sport Chrono • Front & Rear
Parking Sensors • 55,390 miles
2013 (62)

£39,995 £32,99 £29,995 £26,995

01825 830424 sales@paragongb.com www.paragongb.com

We have superb in-house workshop and preparation facilities. Each car is supplied fully serviced with a new MOT and our
12-month/12,000-mile comprehensive parts and labour warranty. See more of our current stock at paragongb.com

PAR AG O N G B LT D FI VE AS HES EAST S US S EX TN20 6HY

 O L D O L D
S S

1929 Alfa Romeo 1750SS 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS Spider

£1,200,000 £1,400,000

O L D O L D
S S

1931 Bentley Speed Six 1938 type 57 Bugatti

£860,000 £1,200,000

O L D O L D
S S

1948 Maserati 4CLT 1952 Bentley R Type Continental Fastback.

£880,000 £1,100,000

O L D O L D
S S

1932 Alfa Romeo 8c. 1909 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

£1,100,000 £1,300,000

Commission sales of the worlds finest cars.

 SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

1950 Jaguar XK 120 OTS Alloy - early, rare AUS del. car, superb history 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL - factory hard top, 67,500 kms with full history

1987 Ferrari 328 GTS - 34,200 kms only, toolkit, service history, superb 1988 Ferrari 328 GTS - European delivery, ABS, service history, superb

1981 Aston Martin Lagonda - one of only 645 cars produced, RHD 2008 Ferrari 599 GTB - stunning condition, 9,600 kms, books

BAYS 3&4 50-64 PACIFIC HIGHWAY NORTH SYDNEY AUSTRALIA T +61.2.9922 2036 F +61.2.9922 4594

Vintage Specialists

Sales
ales · Restoration · Servicing · Parts · Event Support · Arrive & Drive

1930 Aston Martin Team Car LM4 - £ 995,000
1930s Brooklands race history
Retains original bodywork & Works lightened castings
Raced by two Aston Martin CEOs ,76 years apart
Complete refurbishment in 1990s to very high standard
Engine rebuilt by Ecurie Bertelli
Appearances at Le Mans Classic 2002, 2004 & 2006
Available for viewing and test drive at our showroom
01234 240024 www.ecuriebertelli.com
1933 Aston Martin Le Mans - £ 495,000
Short chassis model in superb condition
New Ecurie Bertelli engine fitted in 2015
Original stamped cylinder block retained with vehicle
Absolutely ready to race, rally or go touring
Holds current 1000 Miglia Registro papers and FIVA card
Maintained by Ecurie Bertelli to the highest standards
53 Stilebrook Road, Olney,
Buckinghamshire, MK46 5EA, UK

192
CLASSIC SHOWCASE IS CELEBRATING
60 YEARS OF THE

1961 XKE SERIES 1 OBL OTS CHASSIS No. 875132

ALL YEAR LONG

1961 XKE SERIES 1 OTS CHASSIS No. 875781

1961 XKE SERIES 1 OBL OTS CHASSIS No. 875180

1962 XKE SERIES 1 FHC CHASSIS No. 885356

1965 XKE SERIES 1 OTS CHASSIS No. 1E10502

1966 XKE SERIES 1 OTS CHASSIS No. 1E10843

193
 est. 1987

R AW L E S M O T O R S P O R T LT D
Austin Healey Restoration - Upgrades - Sales - Service - Upholstery - Concours Prep - Engine Build & Rolling Road

1966 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII, British Racing Green, Black 1965 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII Phase II, Black with Red 1964 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII Phase II, Black w. Colorado 1964 Austin Healey 3000 MKIIA, Ivory White with Black
chrome piped interior. Unrestored, all original and in very leather interior. Fully restored recent RHD import from Red Duotone, Red Interior. Original RHD, engine rebuilt and leather seats. Recent restoration with delivery mileage. Over
good condition. Single ownership ‘66 - ’18’. £80,000. Australia in stunning condition throughout. £78,000. warrantied by Rawles Motorsport with 100 miles. £68,000. 400 new parts, this Healey is ready for enjoyment. £64,000.

Austin Healey 100/4, 3000 MkII BN7 & 3000 MkIII, UK RHD Home Market Projects
1961 Austin Healey 3000 MkII, Healey Blue with Ivory 1964 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII Phase II, Colorado Red with 1960
We Austin
have inHealey
stock3000 MkI with
the very nestOriginal Hardtop,
and rarest barnHealey
nd cars 1962 Austinfor
available Healey 3000
full or MkIIA,
part Colorado
restoration. Red, Red interior,
Including 1 of 4
Duotone, Navy leather. 2,500 miles since 2011 restoration. Ivory Duotone, Black Ambla seating. £18,000 spent on total Blue Metallic
facotry builtwith ultraBlue
Healey rare &
hardtop, UK MkII
Ivory UK home 2market
seaterscar.
as wellBlack Everrex
as Phase roof and
II MkIII Aluminium
cars. £POA. Silver wire wheels. One
Well maintained since, drives beautifully. £59,995. overhaul of drivetrain, steering, brakes, wiring. £59,500. Incredible history, body restoration 2012. £57,500. of 126 MkIIA ‘62 RHD cars built. Fully restored. £56,000.

We’re looking for Austin Healeys! Have one to sell? Contact us with the details below:
Rawles Motorsport Ltd, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4JR 01420 23212 Enquiries@RawlesMotorsport.com www.RawlesMotorsport.com

194

www.racing-motorcycles.co.uk
1995 Honda RS250 V twin £18500
1963 Honda CR110 and CR93 Available
1924 AJS 350 Model B1, £8950
1973 Seeley Norton Commando £12500
1993 Yamaha TZ250 V twin Rebuilt £13500
Seeley Fred Walmsley G50 MK2 6 sp
£19500
1925 Velocette Model B 250cc, £8950
1989 Ex Heron Suzuki GSXR1100R as ridden
By Jamie Whitham in the Pr TT £13950
1967 FERRARI 275GTB 4 NART SPYDER,
Silver/burgundy, matching numbers, rebuilt engine and
driveline. New paint, leather and top. Outstanding
mechanical & cosmetic condition. Ready for show or
rally circuit. POA
1969 LOLA T163-17, Lightweight version built to order
for the Penske Team, driven by Mark Donohue -pow-
ered by a 6.9L alloy fuel-injected Chevy. Debuted at
Mid-Ohio in Aug. 1969 and qualified in 3rd. A full res-
toration was completed by the mid-2000s. POA
1977 PORSCHE 930 TURBO CARRERA, Silver/black.
12,800 original miles. Built Feb 1977. No paint work.
As-new cosmetic & mechanical condition. Complete
documentation: history, owners, mileage and service
records. It looks, runs and drives as new. True investor/
collector
ll grade
d Porsche.
P h POA
CONSIGNMENTS WELCOME
350 ADAMS STREET, BEDFORD HILLS, NY 10507
Tel 914-997-9133 Fax 914-997-9136 sales@motorclassiccorp.com
www.motorclassiccorp.com
p
Steve Griffith Tel 07768 621490 • 01243 -511005
Chichester email rimuk@aol.com • www.rimuk.com
1978 Yamaha TZ750 E monoshock £44000 1985 Suzuki RGB500 MK10 X3 Prototype
h1958 Benelli 125 cc Leoncino Moto 1972 Aermacchi 250cc Sprint £5500
Gito Italia
1928 Douglas SW5 500cc, £24500 Brough Superior Pendine Jap 1100 JTOS v5
2008 TT isle of Man Michael Dunlop Phase 2005/6 TT isle of Man Bruce Anstey 127mph
one Yamaha R1 1000cc Superbike £22500 Lap Suzuki 1000cc Superbike £24,000
1958 FERRARI 250GT TOUR DE FRANCE, Second OA in
the 1958 Tour de France. Extensive race history.
FERRARI CLASSICHE certified. 1 of the 36 built as
single-louver, covered headlight versions. An iconic,
street & competition machine ready for any circuit! POA
1966 JAGUAR XJ13, Tool room copy by Tempero. Alloy
monocoque & body, fuel-injected V-12, 5-sp ZF transaxle.
Outstanding mechanically & cosmetically. This is your
chance to drive an extraordinary racing car legend. POA
1970 PORSCHE 911S, Ivory/black, Concours quality,
matching numbers, orig 2.2 liter eng, rare long hood
icon. COA. Orig manual, jack & maint logbook.
History & service docs. Stunning in appearance & out-
standing to drive. An investment quality Porsche. POA
1982 Suzuki RGB500 MK7 £38,000
1951 BSA Gold Star ZB350 Trail £12,500
1948 Velocette KTT MK8 350cc DOHC
£43000
2009 TT isle Of Man & BSB Gary Johnson
AIM Racing Suzuki 1000cc £24,000
195
 C M COPLEY
M O T O R C A R S

1960 Fiat Jolly 600

Coral with wicker, completely restored, an authentic Jolly 600 from new.

Copley Motorcars, 37 Chestnut Street, Needham, Massachusetts 02492 USA

Tel. 781-444-4646 | e-mail: copleycars@gmail.com

www.copleymotorcars.com

196
 We specialise in pre
1986 Ferrari V12s,
rebuilds,
restoration and
servicing.

All servicing is fixed

price and all work
guaranteed £85ph.

Tel: 01608 656 366 • Email: contact@theferrarihouse.com

www.theferrarihouse.com

County Classics
Gloucestershire
Tel: +44 (0)1452 731289
Mob: +44 (0)7595 218406

1948 Cisitalia 202 Gran Sport Berlinetta

One of the most beautiful cars ever made.
Most desireble body by Pinin Farina.
Recently body restored and mechanical overhauled.

Aston Martin Vanquish 2004 £79,999 Maserati Sebring 2, 1966, LHD, 3.7 £229,999
Left-hand-drive, Stronsay Silver with only Superb older restoration still presents superbly.
6,201 miles, in as new condition, European certificate One of the very best in Europe.
of conformity, an exceptional car with full-service Factory Classiche certification, drives fabulously,
history / documentation. One for the collector. current owner 20 years.

www.countyclassics.net

UK +(44) 01629 56999 www.nickcartwright.com email: contact@nickcartwright.com

Ferrari 246 GT, 1973, ‘Flares’- Rosso Chiaro / Nero, recent sympathetic refurbishment at NCSC, rare and magnificent.
Brookfield Park, Tansley, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 5ND

197
CARS FOR SALE
OCTANE
MARKETPLACE
Browse classic cars for sale, or reach a huge international classic
car market to sell yours, with a free advertisement in Octane –
go to subscribe.octane-magazine.com/classifieds
Octane cannot endorse any cars for sale in classified advertisements and recommends that you meet the vendor
and are satisfied with the car before parting with any money. Current social distancing rules apply, of course
1966 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII Ph2
Chassis H-BJ8/100 is one of the pre-production and
development Phase II cars created by the Abingdon
factory, as identified by the British Motor Heritage
Trust in 2018. Maintained by us for the last 20 years,
all original body panels, repainted and reupholstered
in 2001-02, engine rebuilt. £74,500. Tel: +44
(0)1420 23212, email sales@RawlesMotorsport.com,
www.RawlesMotorsport.com (T).
Project Austin-Healey 100, UK RHD
Rare home-market example with special history.
Matching numbers, original panels. To be restored by
Rawles Motorsport either to concours specification
or upgraded for modern driving. £POA. Tel: +44
(0)1420 23212, email sales@RawlesMotorsport.com,
www.RawlesMotorsport.com (T).
Buying or Selling
Aston Martin
1964 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII PhII
Project for restoration, built to original specification or
upgraded for modern driving. UK RHD car. Available in
your choice of colours and specification. £POA. Tel: +44
(0)1420 23212, email sales@RawlesMotorsport.com,
www.RawlesMotorsport.com (T).
䄀甀猀琀椀渀 䠀攀愀氀攀礀 倀愀爀琀猀 匀瀀攀挀椀愀氀椀猀琀
Barn-find Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII
Original Healey Blue Metallic barn-find. Desirable
Phase II example, fully matching numbers, in this
extremely desirable colour. Restore this ’Healey to
your dream specification, to original specification
or upgraded with Rawles Motorsport in a colour
combination of your choice. £POA. Tel: +44 (0)1420
眀眀眀⸀䄀䠀㐀䠀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀
23212, email sales@RawlesMotorsport.com,
www.RawlesMotorsport.com (T).
198
ADVERTISE
IN-MAG FOR FREE!
Race Proven Parts
Tel: +44 (0)1543 472244
www.bighealey.co.uk
1965 Austin Mini-Cooper 970S
Original Tartan Red with black roof and stunning red
and gold/grey interior. Full concours restoration with
every period-correct feature. £59,950. Tel: +44 (0)1207
288760, email: sales@carbarn.co.uk (T).
1949 Austin Pathfinder Special
This racing pedal car, made by the Austin Motor
Company Ltd, was only produced for one year.
Realistic dashboard containing speedo and rev-
counter, detachable bonnet revealing a dummy
engine with spark plugs and leads, fishtail exhaust
pipe, external handbrake, detachable wheels with
Dunlop pneumatic tyres. This original example has
been restored to full working order. £5500. Tel:
+44 (0)7347 017918 (leave a message) or email
tracy_channellnapier@outlook.com.
PRIVATE SELLERS ONLY,
LIMITED SPACES
AVAILABLE
1970 Bentley T-Series
A refined classic car that has raw power and a
laidback nature. Passengers will enjoy a standard of
ride quality that few cars of the era (or any other era,
for that matter) can match. £24,950. Tel: +44 (0)1207
288760, email: sales@carbarn.co.uk (T).
2006 BMW Z4M Roadster
3.2-litre engine (343bhp, 0-60mph in 4.7sec).
Interlagos Blue, light grey leather interior, excellent
condition and very low mileage at 33.7k. Full service
history. BMW car cover and hard luggage system to
fit to integral boot rack, cherished plate plus some
spares. £17,750. Tel: +44 (0)7779 019505, +44 (0)1450
870675, berniehartnett@outlook.com.
Cadillac V16 Engine
Cadillac V16 engine and gearbox. No. 700375.
Cosmetic rebuild. Fitted with starter, dynamo, carbs
and distributor. Ultimate 1930s engine and very
rare. £65,000. Tel: +44 (0)7498 456906, email
regency-supersports@tiscali.co.uk.
1930 Cadillac La Salle 340 Coupe
€68,500
For more information please contact me,
FRANK KENNIS +31 622 420 766
info@KennisCars.nl www.kenniscars.nl

1951 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
V8, auto, 331 engine. Recent respray. Original 12-volt.
Power steering. Runs and drives. Needs some parts
to finish. £25,000. Tel: +44 (0)7498 456906, email
regency-supersports@tiscali.co.uk.
1976 Ferrari 208 GT4 Dino
Beautiful and rare, only 38,859km, 1500 miles since
restoration. Original factory specification with Azzuro
metallic paint and blue velour interior. £65,950. Tel:
+44 (0)1207 288760, email: sales@carbarn.co.uk (T).
1998 Ferrari 456M GTA
In original colours of Grigio Titanio Metallic with Nero
leather interior. £34,950. Tel: +44 (0)1207 288760,
email: sales@carbarn.co.uk (T).
1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL
LHD, refinished in its original colour of graphite grey
DB190. Aston Workshop has mechanically enhanced
the car with a full service, including the gearbox,
braking system and a mechanical detail. £POA. Tel:
+44 (0)1207 288760, email: sales@carbarn.co.uk (T).
80 s Ferrari Classics
1961 Morgan Plus 4 Supersport
Eligible for Tour Auto, factory Lawrencetune engine,
in original delivery colour scheme with matching
numbers. LHD. £119,950. Tel: +44 (0)1207 288760,
email: sales@carbarn.co.uk (T).
With crisp Pininfarina design and improved reliability and driveability over their
predecessors originally launched in the 70s, the Ferrari BB 512i and 328 GTS
proved very popular in the 80s. Over 7000 examples were built between the two
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S Silver models and both are highly collectible today.
Rose Edition - One of 70 U.K. German-based KK Scale have captured these magnificent machines superbly in
cars, superb original, rare their traditional kerbside 1:18 diecast models and, as always with this range,
the models offer superb value. Paint finishes are excellent and the detailing we
can see, thoughtfully applied.
Two colour options are available for each subject and the 328 GTS has a
removeable roof panel.
Just £87.26* + £6 p&p**
*RRP £96.95. **UK only, overseas postage at cost. Quote OCT80S when ordering
Grand Prix Models
4 Thorpe Close, Thorpe Way
Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 4SW, UK
1990 Porsche 911 964 Carrera 2 Tel: 01295 278070
Cabriolet - Australian del., excellent mail@grandprixmodels.com
condition, good history
www.grandprixmodels.com
1993 Porsche 968 Clubsport -
1 of just 19 cars for Australia,
low kms, rare
1985 Stutz Victoria Sedan
€64,500
For more information please contact me,
FRANK KENNIS +31 622 420 766
info@KennisCars.nl www.kenniscars.nl
Swi 1931 5P
10hp Convertible Coupe €25,500
For more information please contact me,
FRANK KENNIS +31 622 420 766
info@KennisCars.nl www.kenniscars.nl
199
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
INTRESTED
OCTANE SERVICES GUIDE
Browse services for you and your classic car, including insurance,
IN ADVERTISING?
CONTACT MILES TAYLOR
MILES_TAYLOR@DEN NIS.CO.U K
0203 890 3989
parts, restoration, marque specialists, home & garage
improvements, covers & storage facilities.

GALLERY, ART & MEMORABILIA ATTIRE

GALLERY, ART & MEMORABILIA

An extensive variety of original motor racing paintings, photographs and autoraphed items for sale.

T: 01327 858 167 E: info@speedsport.co.uk

www.speedsport-gallery.com CHROME PLATING BRAKE PARTS

www.garagefinds.co.uk
Mugs, Books, Memorabilia,
Gifts, Vintage Collectables.

E: garagefindsuk@gmail.com
T: 07756 862188
STEERING WHEEL RESTORATION ELECTRIC PARTS

LUGGAGE

TRAMSMISSIONS

BPA Engineering
SPECIALIST TRANSMISSION www.racingbag.it made in Italy
SERVICES
HEWLAND BUILD & REBUILD BMW PARTS
NEW & S/H SPARES
GEARS, SPARES & COMPETITION GEAR
KITS DESIGNED & MANUFACTURED
CASTINGS PRODUCED FROM CLASSIC BMW PARTS
DRAWINGS OR SAMPLES bmw@jaymic.com
Tel: 44 0 1256 895757 T +44(0)1263 768768 F +44(0)1263 768336
Fax: 44 0 1256 895151 2002 Thurgarton Road, Aldborough, Norfolk, NR11 7NY, UK
www.bpaengineering.com NEW Online Shop at www.jaymic.com

200
Parts & Insurance

+44 (0)1264 772811

www.moto-lita.co.uk

“A Fine Example of British Craftsmanship”

Sir Stirling Moss OBE
New Address:
Unit 2, Fairview Road
Weyhill, SP11 0ST, UK

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in the opposite direction just as fast. Thankfully,
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adrianflux.co.uk
Authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

202
 Jaguar Specialists

Leaping Cats Ltd.

THE XK SPECIALIST

FOR SALE - POA - XK 120 DHC 3.4 1953

RHD • All matching numbers • 3.4 fresh built engine
HD8 2” carbs • 5 speed LT77 gearbox
Frt & rear disc brake conversion with servo assist
Power steering • Electric fan
THE COMPANY THE TRADE USES & TRUSTS
EST IN 1983 & STILL PROVIDING ASSURED QUALITY
• PANELS • PARTS • BODY SHELLS • BESPOKE.
Tel 02476 313139 Fax 02476 643513 E-mail: leapingcats@btconnect.com
16 SCHOOL ROAD, BULKINGTON, NR. NUEATION, WARKS CV12 9JB
www.leapingcats.co.uk

AST
L
THE
T -
RS
E FI
TH

WE ALSO CATER
FOR THE ONES
IN-BETWEEN

CLASSIC JAGUAR & JENSEN PARTS 24-7

Martin Robey Engineering LTD were commissioned by Jaguar Heritage to restore
the 2 most historically important E-Types being the first production roadster
(Registration: 77RW) and the last Series 3 E-Type to be built (Registration: HDU 555N)
GROUP
www.martinrobey.com | info@martinrobey.co.uk | +44(0)2476 386 903

203
Parts & Restoration

THE ASTON MARTIN

SPECIALISTS
Maintaining the future with TRINITY ENGINEERING
engineering of the past www.trinityaston.co.uk

Servicing – Diagnostics – Parts – Engineering

For all Aston Martins from Post War to Gaydon Era
• Restoration • Enhancements • Routine servicing • Concours preparation
• Engine rebuilds • Insurance repairs • Sports exhausts • Insurance valuations
• Re-trimming • Gearbox conversions • Fault diagnostics • Handling kits
• MOT preparation • Braking upgrades • Chassis and paintwork • Purchase advice
• Product advice • Power steering • Transportation • Air conditioning

Servicing enquiries tel: +44 (0) 1483 211899

Parts & online store enquiries tel: +44 (0) 1483 211289
Parts enquiries email: parts@trinityaston.co.uk
Online parts store enquiries email: partsstore@trinityaston.co.uk

A ston Martin
Heritage Designs

heritageresto@btinternet.com +44 (0)1825 732306

Suppliers of many rare, obsolete, original parts &
Original Spec Factory optional extras & upgrades
for Classic Aston Martins.
www.heritageclassicrestorations.com

204
 Parts & Restoration

MIDDLE BARTON GAR AGE

F I A T A N D A B A R T H S P E C I A L I S T S
ESTABLISHED 1987

Parts, Servicing, Restoration, Engine &

Transmission Rebuilding
5.5, 7 and 8x13 Campagnolo style wheels available for
classic Abarth and Fiat models (98 PCD)

Neither competition use or even road use, should be undertaken

with magnesium wheels manufactured fifty years ago. Middle Barton
Garage is again re-manufacturing competition standard alloy wheels,
as a direct replacement for original Campagnolo magnesium wheels
(5.5x13, 7x13 and 8x13 available now).

Middle Barton Garage, Troy, Ardley Road,

Somerton, OX256NG
Tel ++44(0)1869 345766 • Fax ++44(0)1869 346581
carsandparts@middlebartongarage.com
www.middlebartongarage.com

205
Covers, Garage & Maintenance

Bespoke Garage Doors Commercial | Domestic | Listed & Heritage | Special Projects

Tim Crocker ©

Solid Timber | Aluminium | Brass | Glass

T: 0151 280 6626 | E: info@rundum.co.uk | W: www.rundum.co.uk

Perfect fit indoor car covers,

available in Red, Blue and
Black only £99.

2019 Full info and shop www.richbrook.co.uk or call 01328 862387

䈀攀猀瀀漀欀攀 䌀愀爀 䬀攀礀猀 昀漀爀 愀氀氀 倀爀攀猀琀椀最攀 䴀愀爀焀甀攀猀 Castrol’s Classic Oils are produced to original
viscosities and contain the necessary anti-wear
additives to provide overall protection of
veteran, vintage and classic vehicles.

Original Castrol grades:

XL30, XXL40, GP50, XL20w/50

R40, 10w/60 syn., EP80, EP90
ST90, EP140, D140, LS, B373
TQD TQF, RR363, Brake Fluids
Greases, Semi-Fluid greases etc.
Castrol l Small size from 500ml to
Classic Oils Home Workshop sizes -
+44 (0)1954 231668 Free UK mainland -
sales@classicoils.co.uk Next Day Delivery offers.

www.castrol.com/uk/classics
Valvemaster™ and Valvemaster™ Plus
Phosphorus formula - the best protection after lead.
Contains Etha-Guard enabling use of E5 & E10 petrol.
Valvemaster Plus with Octimise-Plus for increased
愀 瀀愀爀琀渀攀爀 漀昀 䄀猀琀漀渀 䴀愀爀琀椀渀 䬀攀礀 刀攀瀀愀椀爀 acceleration* & fuel economy** up to*3% and **2%
l Ultimate valve seat l Ethanol protection to
recession protection. engine & fuel system.
l Octimise-Plus l Use with 95, 97, 98,
friction modifier 99 & higher E5
performance. and E10.
250M
Classic Valvemaster™ BOTT L
TRE LE
+44 (0)1954 231668 250L ATS
ITRES
sales@classicvalvemaster.co.uk
椀渀昀漀䀀瀀栀漀攀渀椀砀戀攀猀瀀漀欀攀欀攀礀猀⸀挀漀洀 www.valvemaster.co.uk
眀眀眀⸀瀀栀漀攀渀椀砀戀攀猀瀀漀欀攀欀攀礀猀⸀挀漀洀
206
 Covers & Storage

South East England

(Tunbridge Wells & Ashford)
Tel No +44 (0)1580 753939
www.jarcarstorage.co.uk

READY TO WEAR AND BESPOKE COVERS FOR ALL CAR MODELS

.co.uk
www.carcovershop.co.uk | t.01780 654088 1
Specialists in high specification car storage
and enclosed car transport (UK & Europe)

Soft Stretch Indoor Covers from £119 Waterproof & Breathable Outdoor from £185

PROTECTOR4 FLEECE LINED BREATHABLE FROM £115

OUTDOOR CUSTOM WATERPROOF FROM £285
CUSTOM INDOOR COVERS FROM £279 TWO PURPOSE DESIGNED CAR STORAGE FACILITIES
REVEAL COVERS FROM £159 NEW SITE AT JAR ASHFORD – 2 miles Jcts 9 & 10 M20
38 mins London St Pancras / 15 mins Eurotunnel

Airchamber instantly converts any shed,

barn or garage into the ideal clean, dry and
condensation free storage area for your car,
bike or personal belongings.
Using a unique space-saving internal frame
Airchamber provides drive in, drive out
access while creating a low-cost protective
environment for either frequently used vehicles
or those in long term storage.
Available from stock in seven sizes we offer
fast UK and International shipping from our
Oxfordshire warehouse.
Airflow UK are manufacturers and worldwide
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Visit us at www.Airflow-uk.com
or call us on (+44)
( 44) 01367 718550

207
 Storage & Transportation

THE ULTIMATE
BESPOKE STORAGE
FACILITY 3
H M RC A P PROV E D
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A bespoke, temperature, humidity and

2 dust controlled, high security building.
T 020 3973 1520
E info@mossauto.co.uk
W mossauto.co.uk
4

Situated 5 minutes from the A3 on the Surrey / Hampshire /

Sussex borders convenient for Goodwood
5 Discreet secure insulated storage facility for any 6
car or motorcycle.
Onsite service and repair available

F further
For f h information
i f i Tel:
T l 01420 472 273
E-mail: southlandsccs@gmail.com
Web: www.southlandscherishedcarstorage.co.uk

7
SPECIALIST, SPORTS &
CLASSIC CAR STORAGE
30,000SQ FT OF FULLY DE-HUMIDIFIED
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l Total Security
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44(0)7736 360 360
208
 Storage & Transportation

UNITED KINGDOM
S TO R AG E &
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LOCATIONS
5

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4

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11

15 12
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2
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6
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12

THE FINE CAR STORE

‘Caring for fine automobiles’
13 • Long and short term, dehumidified, purpose built, rural facility
14
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• Single acquisitions and multiple collections
• UK & European enclosed transporter collection and delivery service
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Facilities in Knutsford and Macclesfield, Cheshire.
01565 872400 • enquiries@thefinecarstore.com
q • www.thefinecarstore.com

15

16

209
Day in the life
PHOTOGRAPH ANNABEL CHAPMAN
GILES CHAPMAN
As the author of more than 50 motoring books, this
former magazine editor reckons he’s earned a lie-in
BOOK WRITERS don’t have to get up early.
Nothing to do with the amount of absinthe
we drink, but I’m a night owl – reading,
researching or listening to music until the early
hours – and my wife has to rouse my lifeless
corpse using strong tea and dark threats. My
circadian rhythm used to be my son’s school
schedule, but since he started university I feel
ever more the slacker. As does he, probably.
Book publishing has a majestically glacial
pace and two years can elapse between first
negotiations and the printed title arriving, so
whether I write on one day or another doesn’t
matter. However, my background in magazines
and newspapers means I carry a schedule in
my head like a vaulted cathedral arching above
a God-fearer. I’ll never miss a deadline.
To that end, I’m quite good at the thing,
which is to sit down and get some writing done.
After breakfast I set to in my study or hop on
the bus for ten minutes to my writer’s eyrie, a
corner of an office from which some friends
run a luxury travel business. It’s easier to focus
there because everyone else is working. I can’t
go and mess around in the garage.
I’m 55 and I’ve just finished my 55th book, a
retelling of the Jaguar story for its centenary
Octane, ISSN 1740-0023, is published monthly by Dennis Publishing (UK) Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP, UK. The US annual subscription price is $99. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA,
156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Octane, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA.
Subscription records are maintained at Dennis Publishing (UK) Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP, UK. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.
210
in 2022. That took most of 2020. There’ve been
plenty of Jag books so being different wasn’t
easy when I had ‘only’ 60,000 words to cover
the rich saga from sidecars to today’s I-Pace. I’d
find it hard to write a similar thing on Ferrari
because I’d run out of ways of saying brilliant,
stunning and fantastic, but the Jaguar story has
enough crises and conflicts to balance out the
greatness. It’s a joy to recount. My inspiring
English teacher Mr George would go berserk if
anyone used ‘nice’ in an essay and that stuck
with me. There’s always a more engaging, less
repetitive way to write, and that’s the seasoning
that makes cooking up car facts enjoyable.
A good day’s writing is 1000 words, while
1500 is excellent and 2000 tremendous. A
book in progress is a statistical iceberg, and the
bigger percentage chunk you can chip off, the
faster it proceeds. I like a long, brisk walk in the
middle of the day to counteract all the sitting-
down, so I relish errands that demand legwork,
or a lunchtime hike. Surely all authors build up
lactic acid in their muscles that needs burning
off, and I avoid carbs, which are always followed
by a yawning concentration crash. Vitamin-
rich watercress and tomatoes are the best ways
to ensure adjectives bounce from my fingertips.
I guess I write to try to please people who
think like me. I want to do quirky stuff that
strikes a chord. I’ll pitch ideas to publishers or
get commissioned on a specific subject. In
reality, car-related books – unless they’re TV
tie-ins – sell in penny numbers compared with
mainstream fiction. Marque histories usually
get written for free by owners’ club folk.
I can devote a whole (unpaid) day to writing
a synopsis for a new title and some ‘taster’ text.
Working to a strict wordcount comes easily to
me so I can visualise what’s going into a book,
and so not over-research. In 2019, I was writing
three books simultaneously. I perfected a
rotational way to do it, but it did my head in.
Books mostly become labours of love; they
don’t make economic sense. Of the cover price,
the author gets a small cut, never more than
10%, that goes down proportionately if it’s
discounted. Publishers pay an advance on
projected sales that I must earn out before I’ll
get royalties; on one title I wrote in 2019, the
advance just about covered five months’
council tax. Writing about Aston Martins
pretty much guarantees you’ll never own one. I
had to shell out £3500 when the gearbox in my
wife’s Nissan collapsed at Christmas, wiping
out a year’s book residuals. It’s a cruel world.
My time fills up with other elements of book
making such as picture research, captions and
proof-reading. If publication day is imminent,
I’ll have to promote the title in print, on radio
or via podcasts. People think authors get paid
for that, but they don’t. I like talking about my
work but I know I’ll mostly get asked what my
favourite car is, will driver-less cars ever
happen, and do I know Jeremy Clarkson…
I have a huge photo collection and draw on it
constantly to illustrate my books. I think much
more visually than most car authors, almost
certainly down to a media background and
terrible eyesight, and I love collaborating with
photographers and book designers. My biggest
turn-on is to include genuinely new research in
my books. Today I’m starting to update my
book Britain’s Toy Car Wars, and it’ll contain
interviews with people who’ve never been
quoted before. That’s very satisfying.
I like to walk home from the office because
it’s ideal ‘think time’. 100 Cars Britain Can Be
Proud Of came to me while tramping through
the park, although My Dad Had One Of Those
– my best-seller at almost 200,000 copies –
pinged up when hanging out laundry.
Dismally, I’m built for lockdowns. I was
sociable until about a year ago, but, along with
the missus, I’ve fallen back on my partiality to
homemade grub, wine, online comedy gigs and
compelling boxed sets. I long for the return of
events such as Beaulieu Autojumble… and the
call from the guy who’s restoring my 1976
Range Rover to say it’s finished.
 T H E H A I R P I N C O M P A N Y

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