Iih2i Octane December 2015

RENAULTS RECORD CAR SPECTRE BOND CARS
Back to Montlhry in crazy 40CV DB10, C-X75, SVR & Defender

4.95 | ISSUE 150 DECEMBER 2015
ISSUE 150
SPECIAL!
E-type at
150mph
Can Octane
mat
famous 1961 ch the
roa
test gure? d
STEPHEN BAYLEY
ON DATSUN 240Z
ONE OF THE GREATEST

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PLUS! TEN PAGES OF THE BEST NEW PETROLHEAD GIFTS
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Contents
deceMBeR 2015 // ISSUe 150
Features
68
renault 40CV
80
Cover
story
At Montlhry in Renaults record-breaking monster
jaguar e-type top speed run
Maxing the E-type. Can we reach the fabled 150mph?
120 james bond aston martin db10
On-set in Rome at night with the Spectre film crew
126 the other bond Cars
With the baddies Jaguar C-X75 and Land Rovers
92
e-type: 150mph in 1961
134 goodwood reViVal
98
bugatti type 35 and Veyron
144 the oCtane interView
The story of that original Autocar 150mph test

Past master and last-of-line meet in California
110 Citron ds from greeCe
1500-mile journey to UK in a car bought sight-unseen
Page
98
Fraser Nash racer, Vauxhall taxi, Land Rover parade

Stunt pilot and wing-walk revivalist Vic Norman
150 datsun 240Z
Stephen Bayley hits suburbia in the Japanese icon
CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2015 // ISSUE 150
22
REGULARS
18 NEWS
1905 Panhard engine found on Street View
30 EVENTS AND DIARY
Goodwood Revival and essential dates
42 NEW CAR NEWS
Ferrari 488 Spider, Zenos E10S, Shelby Mustang
55 JAY LENO
Harm done to Volkswagens environment
57 DEREK BELL
The magic of Porsches Rennsport Reunion
59 STEPHEN BAYLEY
169
Why only old cars are welcome at breakfast
60 ROBERT COUCHER
Lurid memories of childhood speed xes
62 GEARBOX
Looking back over the best of 150 issues
64 PASSED IT! TONY DRON
The truth about the Costello MGB V8
66 LETTERS
Partying with Lordy Montagu and Vera Lynn
18
158 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Bob Knight, Jaguars engineering genius
160 ICON
The Paul Ricard water carafe
162 WATCH
Its like a holiday you wear on your wrist
164 AUTOMOBILIA
Collecting Brooklands race cards
166 BOOKS, PRODUCTS, MODELS
Includes ten-page pre-Christmas Gear special
190 SUBSCRIBER OFFERS
Octane on your doormat, free gi in your hand
192 OCTANE CARS
Coucher goes to Holyrood in his XK140
200 CHEQUERED FLAG
The racing month in pictures, and more
207 THE MARKET
Taking the pulse of the classic car world
290 DAY IN THE LIFE
London-Brighton veteran Daniel Ward
8 DECEMBER 2015 OCTANE
30
186
THIS MONTH
Featuring
E-TYPE TO THE MAX
A new Golf GTi and a BMW had a bit of a go,

so I pulled over into the slow lane, but the E-type
was still accelerating at 135mph and it was fun to
watch them fall back because they couldnt go
any faster! Former British Hill Climb Champion
David Franklin describes his attempt at maxing
a standard 1961 E-type on pages 80-90.
Ive got a cunning plan

IT FEELS NO TIME AT ALL since I wrote One hundred
issues. I can hardly believe it! And here we are at issue 150,
and not only can I scarcely believe that time has passed so
quickly, and that there are several of us still here whove
survived 150 press days (and nights), but Im also becoming
rather conscious of repeating myself
Anyway, we all sat down a while back, to think about
what to do for issue 150. Some frankly daft ideas came up, and were
promptly dismissed, and then came the daftest idea of all: Lets see if an
early E-type really will reach 150mph. Funny how feasible that seemed at
the time; and funny how similar the meeting was to the rst get-together in a
pub back in 2002 when one of us said Lets launch a new car magazine.
Anyway, Octane 150 is twice as thick as the rst issue, and neck-and-neck
in sales terms with some of the best-established mainstream car magazines.
And its the biggest in classic cars when you take into account the overseas
versions (Japan, Germany, Netherlands, France and Czechsolvakia). For
Octanes success we have all of you to thank so thank you very much!
As for the E-type, well, we went for it. Deputy editor Mark Dixon says
it was one of the most stressful features hes ever put together. It was
fascinating, though, to discover whats involved in taking a 1961 car to such
high speeds, and equally fascinating to read Jaguar authority Philip Porters
piece on the original 150mph E-type, 9600 HP. Youll nd the features
starting on page 80 where youll also nd out how fast we managed to go!
I hope you enjoy issue 150. Meanwhile, well start thinking about issue 200,
which Im sure will be upon us before we know it.
David Lillywhite Editor
A JOURNEY FROM GREECE
Driving the length of Italy, through Switzerland

and then France in a Citron DS Id bought in
Greece and knew little about was surreal,
sometimes mildly terrifying but absolutely
unforgettable. We all like to pretend that our lives
are one long adventure. Read more about Jethro
Bovingdons adventure on pages 110-116.
BAYLEY GOES SUBURBAN
I have always enjoyed things on the cusp:

national borders, edges of parties, twilight. The
Datsun 240Z is a car on the cusp: somewhere
between ancient and modern, not quite Western,
but not wholly Japanese. Best of all, its a wholly
designed object that speaks of its own age and
no other. Read Stephen Bayley on pages 150-156.
Dont miss out on activities, offers or the digital edition

HISTORIC MOTORING AWARDS
The International Historic
Motoring Awards are
back! Run in association
with EFG, the venue is the
Renaissance St Pancras,
London, on 19 November.
See www.historic
motoringawards.com.
BUY OR SELL CLASSICS ONLINE

Want to buy a classic car?
Got a classic car to sell?
Just fancy browsing
classic cars for sale in
your lunch hour? Satisfy
all your cravings at
www.classicand
performancecar.com.
ONE FOR BOND FANS

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DB4 on road, DP214 replica on track:

turning the clock back to the 1960s
tHe v-bOMbeRS
Aston Martins 1990s heavyweights:

V8 Coup meets supercharged V600
Look out for the next issue

of Octanes sister magazine
Vantage, which features a
cover story that celebrates
the relationship between
Aston Martin and James
Bond including the DB10
from the new lm Spectre.
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ENQUIRIES
+44 (0) 20 7468 5801
ukcars@bonhams.com
THE BOND STREET SALE

Sunday 6 December 2015
New Bond Street, London
Bonhams is delighted to announce the sale of

selected motor cars from the Arthur Carter Collection.
Further entries are invited
THE
ARTHUR CARTER
COLLECTION
ONX 113 the ex-Donald Healey

1953 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100/100S
SPORTS COUP
Estimate upon request
The Ken Flint, Jack Horton, Dan Margulies

1952-MODEL CONNAUGHT A TYPE
RACING SINGLE-SEATER
Estimate: 80,000 - 120,000
bonhams.com/motorcars
SMO 746 The ex-BMC Competitions

Dept., John Gott
1959 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 MKI
WORKS RALLY/MODSPORTS
COMPETITION COUP
Estimate: 140,000 - 200,000
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RICHARD
MILLE
RM028
UNWORN
AS AN OFFICIAL ROLEX AND PATEK PHILIPPE RETAILER, WE

OFFER AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF PRE-OWNED WATCHES
WHICH ARE TAKEN IN PART EXCHANGE FROM OUR CLIENTS,
THIS GUARANTEES THE PROVENANCE, AND SO IF YOU ARE
CONSIDERING
THE
PURCHASE
OF
PRE-OWNED
WATCH
IT
MAKES SENSE TO BUY FROM A RETAILER WITH A HIGH STREET

PRESENCE WITH THE WATCHES PHYSICALLY IN STOCK. WE ALSO
HAVE ON OCCASIONS NEW AND UNWORN WATCHES AVAILABLE
TO BUY SUCH AS THE RICHARD MILLE ILLUSTRATED.
OUR ROLEX TRAINED WATCHMAKER FULLY INSPECTS EVERY

WATCH WE OFFER FOR AUTHENTICITY AND ORIGINALITY AND
BEFORE ITS OFFERED FOR SALE IT IS FULLY VALETED AND
SERVICED IF NECESSARY.
WE WILL ALSO CONSIDER TAKING A WATCH IN PART EXCHANGE

AND AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO VIEW ONLINE, YOU CAN SEE
THEM IN OUR WINDOWS TOO.
P R E S T O N S D I A M O N D S . C O .UK
NE W AND UNWORN RICHARD MILLE RM028

RRP 74,000
AVAILABLE TO BUY FOR 37,000.
1 3 WATE R LANE , WILMSLOW,
94 HIGH S T R EET ,
C HE SHIRE , SK9 5AE
GU ILDFORD , S UR R EY GU1 3 HE
T: 01 625 41 6 330
T: 01483 4 5 4 0 9 1
P R E STONSD IAM ONDS .CO.U K
NEXT MONTH
HOT HATCH
FACE-OFF
ONLY IN
ISSUE 151
On sale
25 November
VW Golf GTI Mk1 takes on Peugeot 205GTI

and we remember the other hot hatch icons
Plus
Lord, wont you buy me a Porsche? Janis Joplins psychedelic 356

Doug Nye on Targa Florio history Piero Rivolta interviewed
Flat-out in the 50th anniversary Shelby Cobra Daytona continuation
Inside the Barber Motorsports Museum London-Brighton Run
(Contents may be subject to change)
THE DECEMBER SALE

Collectors Motor Cars,
Motorcycles and Automobilia
Thursday 10 December 2015
RAF Museum, London
ENQUIRIES
+44 (0) 20 7468 5801
ukcars@bonhams.com
CATALOGUE
+44 (0) 1666 502 200
subscriptions@bonhams.com
Entries now invited
WILLEY
Including The Gordon Willey Collection
From left to right:
1935 BENTLEY 3-LITRE SPORTS SALOON
Coachwork by Mann Egerton & Co. Ltd
Estimate: 25,000 - 32,000
1958 BENTLEY S1 CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR
Coachwork by H J Mulliner
Estimate: 90,000 - 100,000
1936 BENTLEY 4-LITRE OWEN SEDANCA COUPE
Coachwork by Gurney Nutting & Co.
Estimate: 90,000 - 110,000
1938 LAGONDA V12 DROPHEAD COUPE

Coachwork by James Young
Estimate: 150,000 - 180,000
1938 BENTLEY 4-LITRE HIGH VISION COUPE
Estimate: 60,000 - 80,000
1939 BENTLEY 4-LITRE RAZOR EDGE BROUGHAM
Coachwork by Freestone & Webb
Estimate: 35,000 - 40,000
1939 BENTLEY 4-LITRE DROPHEAD COUPE
Estimate: 140,000 - 170,000
Porsche recommends
and
If history is any indication, youre looking at

the future of sports cars.
The new 911.
Ever ahead.
Discover more at porsche.co.uk/911.
Official fuel economy figures for the 911 Carrera S Coup in mpg (l/100km): urban 23.2 28.0 (12.2 10.1), extra urban 42.8 44.1 (6.6 6.4),
combined 32.5 36.7 (8.7 7.7). CO2 emissions: 199 174 g/km. The mpg and CO2 figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated tests,
are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.
IGNITION
NEWS // EVENTS // DIARY
google street view
18 december 2015 OCTANE
bErTONE
rEsCuEd
Not the company, but the car

collection has a home p20
gOOdwOOd
rEvivAl
CATChiNg
spidErs
All the best bits from the worlds

greatest historic event p30p22
David Lillywhite tests

the open-top 488 p42
Rare 1905 Panhard engine

found using Street View
Huge 10.6-litre engine may have lain on Spanish
village pavement for over half a century
Words Mark Dixon Photography The Walker family
A RARE vintage Panhard engine of more than ten

litres capacity similar to the ones used in early
Grand Prix cars has been found abandoned on a
pavement in a Spanish village, after being tracked
down by a teenager using Googles Street View.
It seems that the engine had been taken out of a
car and used to power the machinery in a local mill,
probably in the early 1920s. The engine was later
removed when electricity was installed at the mill,
and dumped on a pavement in the village of Los
Gallardos in Andalusia. It has remained there ever
since, perhaps since as far back as the 1930s.
VSCC stalwart Mark Walker received a tip-off
about the engine and asked his teenage son Hughie
if he could locate it on Street View. After just 20
minutes searching, Hughie had tracked down the
engine, which was clearly recognisable as an early
T-head, four-cylinder Panhard.
Mark, who is best known for his epic restoration
of the 1905 Darracq Land Speed Record car featured
in Octane 87, was originally contacted by an ex-pat
Brit living in Spain who had spotted the engine while
taking a detour through the village.
He was driving through the backstreets to avoid
the hassle of passing through a police checkpoint,
explains Mark, which is why he just happened to
take this street that hardly anyone used.
Recognising the engine as being from an early
Panhard, he gave me a call. Once Id confirmed what
it was, with Hughies help, I asked him to negotiate
a price with the two brothers who owned it, booked
a one-way van rental from Spain to England and
went straight over to pick it up.
The engine, which still has its builders plate
bearing the serial number 12840, appears to be
from a huge Panhard 50hp tourer, one of the most
expensive cars of its time and a rival to the
contemporary Mercedes. A superb UK-domiciled
example was offered at Bonhams Rtromobile sale

in 2008 at an estimated 500,000-600,000.
Measuring 10.6 litres in capacity, the four-cylinder
unit is broadly similar to the ones used in the 1903
Paris-Madrid race and Panhards early Grand Prix
cars, with separate camshafts for inlet and exhaust
valves. The inlet camshaft is notable for being drilled
to take a second, internal shaft that acts as a
decompressor for starting, by operating tongues
incorporated into the main camshafts lobes. The
main difference between this engine and the GP
designs is that, on the road-car unit, the cylinder
heads are fixed, whereas on the GP engine they
are detachable.
Amazingly, because of its remote location, the
engine was complete with all the brass fittings
such as the priming taps that would normally have
been robbed, says Mark. It was still sitting in the
subframe from the mill, with its original vaned
flywheel, and the only parts missing were the
magneto and carburettor. Even more remarkably,
its not seized.
Mark is strongly tempted to build an Edwardian
Panhard in the spirit of the early racers. He would
be delighted to hear from anyone with a suitable
Panhard chassis or other parts available; contact
him via Octane deputy editor Mark Dixon at
mark@octane-magazine.com.
The engine can still be seen on Google Street
View. To view it, pull up a map of Los Gallardos and
search near the junction of Calle Mayor and Calle
Molino, in the villages north-west tip.
BONHAMS
Clockwise from top, facing page

Street View image of the engine in situ; casing for the
clutch, which is in perfect condition; as found on the old
mill subframe; a 50hp Panhard offered by Bonhams in
2008; Mark Walker (in blue shirt) supervises its loading.
OCTANE december 2015 19
ignition // NEWS
Bertone
Collection
bought
Italian car club secures
all 79 Bertone museumpieces for 3.44 million
Words Massimo Delb
the automotoclub storico italiaNo,

Italys largest private classic car club, with more
than 100,000 members, has bought all 79 cars in
the Bertone Collection. Last month Octane reported
that the collection was being offered in one lot
following Bertones bankruptcy, and that it was
feared it would disappear from view or one day be
relieved of its protected status (a condition of sale
is that it remains in Italy and cant be broken up).
Most of these fears were dispelled when ASI
revealed that it had made a successful bid of 3.44
million, 61% above the reserve price, against four
other interested parties. ASIs president, Roberto
Loi, commented afterwards: Im very proud, not
only because we have saved a piece of Italian
history, but also because, being from Turin, I would
have been grieved to see the collection leave this
area, a place I regard as the heart of the Italian
automotive tradition. Im also proud that, when we
convened a special meeting of the board of the club
to discuss buying it, everybody agreed. Now we
have to wait 60 days while the Italian Government
decides whether to match the bid, but we would be
very surprised if this were to happen.
Plans for the collection have yet to be confirmed.
However, Loi told Octane : Turin already has the
Italian Museum of the Automobile, and we dont
want to create another museum. Our aim is to keep
the cars and the design models of the collection on
show in a very dynamic way, always changing how
we celebrate the Bertone style and the names and
the works of the designers who made the Italian
firm so great. What we are thinking of is something
like an art gallery with cars, even if we still have
to figure out all the details.
From top
Bertone collection bought by the
ASI includes 1976 Ferrari Rainbow,
1984 Corvette-based Ramarro (left,
with 1986 Citron Zabrus to right)
and 2011 Jaguar B99 GT (below,
centre), here flanked by 1968 Fiat
850 spider and 2000 I-Slim city car.
SIvAG
SIvAG
Concours returns to Windsor Castle
TIM SCOTT
Her Majesty grants permission for 2016 Concours of Elegance
20 deceMBeR 2015 OCTANE
Next years Concours of Elegance is to

take place at Windsor Castle the largest
and oldest inhabited castle in the world
on 2-4 September.
This will be the second visit to the Castle
by the concours; the inaugural event was
held there in 2012, followed by visits to
St James Palace, Hampton Court and (this
year) the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Organisers always hoped it would be
possible for the event to return to Windsor,
though that was by no means guaranteed.
Fortunately Her Majesty the Queen has now

given permission for the event to take place,
with plans for a spectacular display of 60
of the worlds most important cars in the
quadrangle of Windsor Castle, plus further
displays in the castle grounds and along the
Long Mile leading up to the castle.
The concours will be open to the public by
advance ticket on the Saturday and Sunday,
with the Friday reserved for exhibitors.
For more information and ticket sales,
visit www.concoursofelegance.co.uk.
ignition // NEWS
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIGEL SNOWDON
Below and bottom

McQueen, actress Elga Andersen
and director Lee Katzin during a
script discussion; McQueen with
production exec Bob Rosen who
is interviewed for the documentary.
McQueen and the making of Le Mans
New documentary features never-seen archive material and unheard interview tapes
MAKING MOVIES is great fun. Being a movie
star is a pain in the ass. Its one of the most telling
lines from new documentary film Steve McQueen:
The Man & Le Mans, which opens in the US on
13 November and in the UK on 20 November.
The documentary uses archive footage and
interviews with key people from the making of the
1970 movie Le Mans to tell the story of this
troubled project, which began filming with no script
and suffered a change of director after only six
weeks, when John Sturges quit with the immortal
words: Im too old and too rich to put up with this
sh*t. McQueen then fell out with executive
producer and friend Bob Relyea, saying: You
betrayed me, you stabbed me in the back. You
and I will never speak again.
Add in the ongoing tension between McQueen
and his wife Neile, who had an affair as a protest
against her husbands legendary infidelity, and you
can see that the omens were not good.
To their credit, the documentary makers have not
whitewashed McQueens character flaws and they
have unearthed some fascinating stories for

example, an interview with McQueens personal
assistant, Mario Iscovich, in which he relates how
he was obliged to cover-up a crash in a road car
being driven by McQueen, who was trying to
engineer an affair with leading lady Louise Edlind.
Iscovich, who was a passenger in the car, suffered a
broken arm but took the rap for McQueen, agreeing
to state that hed been driving instead despite
having tried to persuade the star to slow down.
The film opens and closes with McQueens own
voice, recorded by his doctor just six weeks before
McQueens death from cancer at the age of 50,
talking about his life and the pressures that might
have contributed to his illness. Its an intensely
moving monologue, never heard before, and its
beautifully matched to the photography a
combination of new footage and archive material.
This material came from a variety of sources but
the most striking discovery was several hundred
boxes of rushes from the original movie, which had
been believed lost. In addition, the producers found
film from a 1970 Swiss making of documentary as

well as behind-the-scenes footage that had been
shot by a crew member and one of the stunt drivers.
They also scoured the world for old audio
recordings of McQueen, some of which were found
by following up leads from contemporary interviews
in magazines and, bizarrely, a recording McQueen
made for Anglia TV in Norwich, UK, in 1962.
Intercut with the original footage are talking
head reminiscences by people who were on set in
1970: drivers such as David Piper and Derek Bell,
McQueens would-be conquest Louise Edlind, his
on-screen nemesis Siegfried Rauch, and many of
the crew. They are riveting accounts, and the use of
a portable studio adds to the feel that this project
has been put together with real attention to detail.
Such is the hype that has built up around the
McQueen cult in recent years, we approached this
documentary with a healthy cynicism but were
pleasantly surprised at just how good it is. Even
if youre not a McQueen fan, go and see it: you will
find it an absorbing and rewarding experience.
Recreating the Targa Florios glory days
Documentary drama about the Sicilian road race is part re-enactment, part history lesson
The new film about the Targa Florio, A Sicilian
Dream, is described by its producers as a
documentary drama film. If youre not sure what
that means and we werent initially then it is
probably best thought of as being halfway between
the true documentary treatment of Senna and the
dramatised recreation of Hunt vs Senna in Rush.
The film combines re-enactments of important
scenes in the history of the famous road race with
interviews with racers, historians and descendants
of founder Vincenzo Florio, all bound together by
a road trip around Sicily following the Targa Florio
route by racer Alain de Cadenet and architect and
enthusiast Francesco da Mosto.
As such, it tends to jump around a little, which
rather detracts from the main appeal of the film
which is the wonderfully evocative scenery that it
shows off, and the passion for the event exhibited
by the interviewees. De Cadenet, too, is wonderfully
animated, and its a surprise to find that really he

is seeing the mountain vistas properly for the first
time, having been so focused on the road ahead
when he raced there.
Its an emotional journey for de Cadenet, who
came close to death when he crashed his Lola
prototype there in 1971. His narration dips in
and out of Targa Florio history, with fascinating
anecdotes and insights, but we were left wanting
a little more of that and a little less of the slightly
hammy though beautifully shot re-enactments,

despite the appeal of the machinery featured.
So, if youre looking for the full story of the Targa
Florio, look elsewhere. If youre happy to settle for
an evocative dip into the character and feel not just
of the Targa Florio but also of Sicily itself, then this
is worth a watch. Beware, though, because you will
want to visit the island by the end of it.
For more information on A Sicilian Dream, see
www.siciliandreammovie.com.
Clockwise from above

1911 SCAT; Vincenzo Florio in 1903 Panhard; narrators Alain
de Cadenet and Francesco da Mosto in Alfa 8C; 1908 Daimler.
Evel Knievel: to like him, or to loathe him?

Legendary stuntmans flawed character is revealed in new documentary
remember johnny knoxville? He of
TV reality stunt and idiocy show Jackass? Well, its
probably no surprise that the late Evel Knievel
was a hero of his, and so he set out to produce
a documentary on the man resulting in Being
Evel, produced and narrated by Knoxville.
Its brilliant. Rather than indulging in pure hero
worship, Knoxville has covered the good and bad
sides to Knievel: the latter included womanising,
drinking and violence to a quite shocking extent.
As the story unfolds, Knievels ever-crazier
stunts and ever-increasing injuries give Being Evel
a compelling cant-look-away quality, as the ageing

stuntman careers towards his inevitable downfall.
All this is achieved through well-chosen archive
footage of Kneivels stunts and TV appearances.
These are mixed in with interviews of former
colleagues, friends and relatives, including former
wife Linda, with whom you cant fail to sympathise.
After all this, you might think that any respect for
Knievel would be gone. But, incredibly, its not, and
a series of final interviews with some of the current
heroes of the stunt world simply emphasise the
enduring legend of Evel Knievel.
IGNITION // NEWS
Nominations for Awards

shortlist are nalised
The judges are set to deliberate over these entrants
in the 2015 International Historic Motoring Awards
THE
INTERNATIONAL
HISTORIC
MOTORING
THE SHORTLISTS for the 2015

International Historic Motoring
Awards have been decided, created
from hundreds of nominations.
They are as listed (right), and will
now be further examined by the team
of expert judges before the winners
are announced at the awards
ceremony on 19 November at the St
Pancras Renaissance hotel, London.
Tickets for the awards evening are
still available for 180 each (including
VAT), and theres also still time for
you to vote for the Historic Car of the
Year, which is decided by Octane
readers rather than the judging panel.
The International Historic Motoring
Awards are hosted by Octane in
association with EFG Private Bank.
For more information, visit
www.historicmotoringawards.com.
CLUB OF THE YEAR
sponsored by Footman James

Benjaelds Racing Club
Porsche Club GB
The Veteran Motor Car Club of America
The Wolseley Register
Vintage Hot Rod Association
INDUSTRY SUPPORTER OF THE YEAR
Hagerty
Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations
McPherson College Automotive
Restoration Program
Porsche Motorsports North America
Royal Automobile Club
MOTORING EVENT OF THE YEAR
sponsored by EFG Private Bank

Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille
Classic Days Schloss Dyck
Concorso dEleganza Villa dEste
Concours of Elegance 2015
the Palace of Holyroodhouse
Pebble Beach Concours dElegance
Rtromobile
The 20th Annual Amelia Island
Concours dElegance
MOTORSPORT EVENT OF THE YEAR
sponsored by Jaguar Cars

Classic 24 Daytona
Eifel Rallye Festival
Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort
Phillip Island Classic Festival
of Motorsport
Rennsport Reunion
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Silverstone Classic 2015
MUSEUM OF THE YEAR
Brooklands
La Macchina del Tempo
Mercedes-Benz Museum
Mullin Automotive Museum
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR
sponsored by HERO
Brian Joscelyne,
Aston Martin Owners Club
Julius Thurgood, HRDC
Rod Spollon, Chteau Impney Hill Climb
Doug Hill and Ian Staneld,
the National Motor Museum
PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR
sponsored by Hortons Books

Concours Retrospective
by Richard Adatto
Jaguar Design - A Story of Style
by Nick Hull
Jim Clark: Racing Hero
by Graham Gauld
Porsche 917 the autobiography
of 917 023, by Ian Wagsta
The Magnicent Monopostos: Alfa
Romeo Grand Prix Cars, 1923-1951
by Simon Moore
The Mighty MG Magnettes of 33
by Graeme Cocks
The Road to Monaco

by Howden Ganley
The Rolls-Royce Phantom II
Continental, by Andr Blaize
RACE SERIES OF THE YEAR
sponsored by Lister Cars

Classic Endurance Racing
Equipe GTS
HRDC Touring Greats/
Academy Race Series
Jaguar Heritage Challenge
Masters USA
RALLY/TOUR OF THE YEAR
2015 Highland Tour

Bertha Benz Fahrt
Mille Miglia 2015
Modena Cento Ore 15th anniversary
Royal Automobile Club 1000 Mile Trial
The inaugural Road to Mandalay
The Winter Trial 2015
Tour Auto Optic 2000
Trans-America Challenge
RESTORATION OF THE YEAR
1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A F

by RM Auto Restoration
1936 Squire
by Classic Motor Cars Ltd (UK)
1954 Fiat 8V Supersonic Ghia Coup
by Strada e Corsa
1964 Aston Martin DB5 Saloon
by Aston Martin Works Heritage
1971 Porsche 917, by Porsche Historic
Motorsports, Weissach
SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR

3D Engineers
Aston Martin Works
Contour Autocra
Strada e Corsa
William Medcalf Limited
CAR OF THE YEAR
sponsored by Octane
Fiat S76 Beast of Turin
Moss/Jenks Mercedes-Benz
300SLR 722
Land Rover Series 1 Huey
Baillon Collection Ferrari
250GT California Spider
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
sponsored by Richard Mille

To be announced on the night
CATEGORY SPONSORS
TROPHIES PROVIDED
BY REDD EUROPE
THE LONDON
SHOW
ALEXANDRA PALACE
30 OCT - 1 NOV 2015
See the most beautiful, desirable and spectacular cars,

including the best British cars ever
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
WWW.CLASSICANDSPORTSCARSHOW.COM
OR CALL 0844 581 1275
PARTNERED BY
EFG
ignition // NEWS
in brief
are you
experienced?
Rally organiser HERO
adds driving experience
days to its calendar
Photography Francesco Rastrelli
rally organiser HERO has

added a driving experience day to its
line-up of events, to allow anyone
interested in rallying to sample a
range of historic rally cars.
Octane took part in HEROs
Oxfordshire day, based at The Manor
Hotel, Weston-on-the-Green, where
we were given the chance to drive a
choice of the companys Arrive and
Drive cars, which are available for
hire in any HERO event.
We started out in a BMW 1602,
swapped into a Lancia Fulvia Zagato,
then a short-wheelbase Porsche 911
and finally into an E-type. All the cars
are equipped for historic rallying with
tripmeters and safety equipment,
though none was so competitionorientated as to make it unpleasant
to drive. There were other cars
available we missed out on the
MGA, for example but the diversity
of cars sampled is perfect for anyone
who is hoping to get a feel for
rallying, wondering which car to buy
next or simply looking for an
entertaining classic car day out.
This is exactly the same experience
available to any customer, and we
Vauxhall srV on show

Vauxhalls stunning 1970 SRV concept
car (as featured in Octane 124) will star
on the manufacturers stand at the NEC
Classic Motor Show in Birmingham on
13-15 November. The swoopy Earls
Court debutant will be displayed
alongside the ex-Gerry Marshall racer
Baby Bertha and HM The Queens
Friary-bodied 1961 Cresta estate car.
www.necclassicmotorshow.com
were equipped with the same

Tulip-style road books that are used
on all HERO events. There are lessons
in how to use the tripmeters and road
books, and back-up is provided
should you lose your way.
A light breakfast and a lunch are
provided, and there is excellent
support at every stop along an
interesting route plotted by HERO
stalwarts Peter and Lynn Nedin.
Prices depend on how the event
is tailored to you or to a group if
segrave celebrations ahead

Southport Sands, scene of Segraves 1926 Land Speed
Record, will host 90th anniversary celebrations
Plans are underway to
mark the 90th anniversary of Sir
Henry Segraves record-breaking
152.33mph run at Southport Sands,
Merseyside, UK, with a week-long
series of motoring events, which
include a return to the Sands on
16 March 2016.
Segrave, a British national born
in Baltimore, USA, set the record in
March 1926 driving his 4.0-litre V12
Sunbeam Tiger Ladybird. The record
lasted just one month, until JG
Parry-Thomas achieved 171mph in
Babs at Pendine Sands in Wales.
Segrave regained the record a
year later in the 1000hp Sunbeam
Mystery (also known as The Slug)
Above
This Porsche 911 is available on HEROs
driving experience days or for full events
such as seen here, the 2013 London-Lisbon.
required but, as an example, HEROs

similar Welsh experience day costs
595 per team of two. And of the four
cars we tried? The 911 won hands
down, but all were great fun and easy
to master. Highly recommended
you can find more information at
www.heroevents.eu.
at Daytona Beach, Florida, at

203.79mph making him the first
person to travel at over 200mph on
land. His final record came in March
1929, when he drove to 231.45mph in
Golden Arrow, again at Daytona Beach.
He then moved on to water speed
records, achieving 98.76mph in Miss
England II on Lake Windermere, but in
the next run the boat capsized, killing
mechanic Victor Halliwell. Segraves
unconscious body was recovered and he
regained consciousness long enough to
be told that he had broken the record,
only to die a few moments later.
Significant cars lined up for the
celebrations include six Sunbeam 3-litre
Super Sports and the 1922 Isle of Man
TT Sunbeam, though the privately
owned Ladybird is yet to be confirmed.
The event is being organised by the
Atkinson Museum in Southport (www.
theatkinson.co.uk) in conjunction with
the Sunbeam Talbot Darracq Register.
the pod immortalised in lego

As the Santa Pod raceway just down
the road from Octane HQ on the borders
of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire
roars towards its 50th anniversary,
a scale version of it has been built at
Legoland Windsor Resort. A model
dragstrip was first revealed there in
2001, and now the modelling team have
completed a new, faithful scale replica.
Its construction involved the use of
84,780 Lego bricks, 19,800 of them to
make the grandstand and its crowds
of spectators alone. The seven-strong
team of model-makers invested 744
hours in the project, which includes
animation so that guests can race the
Santa Pod dragsters down the track.
pre-66 a-series challenge

The irrepressible Julius Thurgood has
announced an additon to the HRDC
race calendar: the Pre-66 A-series
Challenge. Its open to all BMC
A-series-powered cars (built before
1966, of course), so expect a grid at
Donington Park on 7 November that
includes Minis, Minors, Austin A40s,
Speedwell Sprites and rarities such
as Ogle, Marcos, Unipower and more.
www.hrdc.eu
credit where its due
The story Eastern Promises in
Octane 149 should have carried the
photography credit: Baej uawski
and Lyndon McNeil.
SCOTTSDALE
AMELIA ISLAND
PEBBLE BEACH
RACING TOWARD 2016
AUCTIONS & PRIVATE BROKERAGE

NOW INVITING CONSIGNMENTS
Amelia Island Auction through January 2
Pebble Beach Auctions
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+1.310.899.1960
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The Scottsdale Auctions January 29 & 30
EXPERIENCE HISTORY
In 1971 Luigi Chinetti Jr. & Bob Grossman bring home 5th Overall at Le Mans in the legendary
1969 Ferrari 365 GTB4 Daytona N.A.R.T. Competizione.
The Porsche powered March 83G-4 IMSA Racecar, winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1984.
Find these historically significant automobiles and many more at

our inaugural New York City Auction, November 19th, 2015.
Visit www.kenobrothers.com to register.
ignition // EVENTS
11-13 sept
Goodwood,
West Sussex,
UK
Reviving fond memories

This years Revival was
notable for its emotional
content as well as for the
quality of the racing
Words Steve Havelock
Photography Steve Havelock, Dirk de Jager
The Goodwood Revival is promoted as

a magical step back in time and indeed it is. For
three glorious days, a sell-out 149,000-strong
record crowd put the trials and tribulations of
their hectic modern lives on the back burner and
immersed themselves in a bygone era, albeit one
viewed through rose-tinted spectacles. War is
no fun whatsoever and yet, as Goodwood
commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Battle
of Britain, who could not feel excited and moved at
the sight and sound of 11 Spitfires, a Hurricane and
other WW2 warbirds swooping through the skies?
Emotions were running high all weekend. As
Mark Gillies celebrated his fifth win in the Goodwood
Trophy in ERA R3A he declared: My dad died last
week, so this ones for him. And when Max Girardo
clinched third place in the Ferrari Lavant Cup in his
drum-braked 250GT Tour de France he announced:
Last night my wife had a baby. What better way to

finish the day. A prominent figure in the historic
motoring scene chose the weekend to propose to
his girlfriend, who fortunately said yes.
Sir Jackie Stewart paid an emotional tribute to
his friend Bruce McLaren, who was being honoured.
In 1964, it was Bruce who set the benchmark lap
times at Goodwood when Jackie had his careerchanging single-seater test in a Cooper F3 for Ken
Tyrrell. And it was at Goodwood where Bruce
tragically lost his life at the age of 32, while testing
his new M8D Can-Am racer in 1970. Bruce once
said: To do something well is so worthwhile that to
die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy. It
would be a waste of life to do nothing with ones
ability, for I feel that life is measured in achievement,
not in years alone.
Sir Jackie, who drove a 1967 McLaren BRM M5A
Clockwise from top left, facing page

Paddock for the Ferrari-only Lavant Cup; Fordwater
Trophy competitors in action; one of 11 Spitfires
commemorating the Battle of Britain; riders in the Barry
Sheene Memorial Trophy get close to each other and the
barriers; Sir Jackie Stewart remembers his old mate,
Bruce McLaren; RAC TT Celebration field; the miniskirt
was also celebrated; hard-driven Fairlane Thunderbolt.
ignition // EVENTS
Clockwise from top left

All six Shelby Cobra Daytonas gathered together for the
first time ever; they werent racing but Land Rovers were
commemorated on track; at the Revival, if youre going to
win, youve got to look the part; Ferrari 500 TRC lays down
a smokescreen; Gasser drag racers opened the action
each morning in spectacular and ear-splitting fashion.
in a parade of Bruces cars, said: Everybody loved

Bruce. He must have been the nicest racing driver
that has ever been born, and he was a wonderful
driver and a wonderful engineer.
Sir Jackie also took part in a demonstration to
mark the 50th anniversary of the time when he and
his friend, mentor, flatmate and rival, Jim Clark,
established a new Goodwood joint lap record of
1 minute 20.4 seconds (107.46mph), during the
Sunday Mirror International Trophy Race on 19 April
1965. Jackie was driving a BRM P261 and Jimmy
a Lotus-Climax 25. In this re-enactment, Clarks role
was played by triple Indy 500 winner and fellow
Scot, Dario Franchitti. Afterwards Dario said: I think
Jackie was trying to beat the lap record. The Boss
was giving it plenty and it was wonderful to hear
that BRM.
Brooklands Trophy winner Neil Twyman almost
popped with excitement as he crossed the finish
line in first place in his 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2600
Muletto. This is my first win here, he said, and
the best win I have ever had.
One of the most action-packed races of the

weekend was the Earl of March Trophy for 500cc
F3 cars of the type in which Sir Stirling Moss who
was there to watch started making a name for
himself. After a nasty crash at the chicane and a
safety car period, there was a leading four-car dash
to the flag. George Shackleton ended up headbutting
the pit wall, allowing 17-year-old Peter de la Roche,
in his first season of racing, to take the win in his
1951 Cooper-Norton MkV.
In the Richmond and Gordon Trophy for pre-60
Grand Prix cars, it was bitter disappointment for
pole-sitter Julian Bronson, when his ScarabOffenhauser failed while leading. But that meant joy
for Rod Jolley, who won in his Cooper-Climax T45.
Rod won in the same car at the first Revival in 1998.
In the Glover Trophy for pre-65 1.5-litre GP cars,
Andy Middlehurst stormed to his fifth victory in his
Lotus-Climax 25, from veteran American racer
James King in his Brabham-Climax BT7.
BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden was an
incredibly happy chappy. He convincingly won the
RAC TT with Chris Ward in a Jaguar E-type and in

the St Marys tin top Trophy he finished second
overall with Matt Neal in a Lotus Cortina. Ive raced
every lap with a huge smile on my face, he beamed.
Overall winners were Tom Kristensen and Henry
Mann in their Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt. Drive of
the weekend must go to Kristensen, who charged
through from 28th on the grid to win his race.
On two wheels Duncan Fitchett and Jeremy
McWilliams clinched the Barry Sheene Memorial
Trophy and our congratulations go to all the
Revivals other winners.
Fifty years ago, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
team clinched the World Sportscar Championship.
Just six Daytona Coupes were made and, for the first
time ever, all six cars were assembled and paraded
in one place, accompanied by the Coupes designer,
Peter Brock, and ex-drivers Jack Sears and Allen
Grant. Celebrations also took place for Land Rover,
the miniskirt and Fish Fingers (dont ask), and each
day started with an ear-splitting, rubber-burning
demo by Gasser drag racers. Only at Goodwood
JOIN
US B
B
EHIND THE SCENES ON FACE
OOK
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOTOr CArS IN THE WOrLD
Illustrated 1966 MASERATI MISTRAL SPYDER

CLIENT PORTFOLIO
1938 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coup l 1949 Maserati A6 1500 Pinin Farina Berlinetta
1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback (LHD manual)
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing l 1971 Ferrari 246GT Dino
2004 Ferrari Enzo (delivery mileage) l 2008 Bugatti Veyron
Please note that to respect client confidentiality not all motor cars available may be shown
KIDSTON S.A. 7 AvENuE PICTET DE ROChEMONT, 1207 GENEvA, SwITzERLAND TEL+41 22 740 1939, FAx+41 22 740 1945 www.KIDSTON.COM
ignition // EVENTS
L i m e R o c k H i s t o R i c F e s t i va L
Quick Lime
Moss, Mass and Mercedes star

in Connecticut race festival
Words and main image Simon Aldridge
Other photography Ed Hyman, Greg Clark
Clockwise from left

Mercedes highlights included Mille Migliawinning SLR 722 and ex-Fangio W196R
with 1914 Grand Prix car; Ghoses Maserati
chases Alfa Monopostos; Best of Show
ex-Count Trossi SSK concours winner;
Peter Giddings in full flight in 32 Alfa P2B.
3-7 Sept
Lakeville,
Connecticut,
USA
A VERY RARE public gathering of six of the most important competition cars
in Mercedes pre- and early post-war history was the highlight of this years
Lime Rock Historic Festival, chaired by Murray Smith. The idea originated, at
a dinner in London between Murray and Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz
Classic, who pledged to bring 722 and Sir Stirling Moss together for the 33rd
edition of the Festival, together with Fangios Dutch Grand Prix-winning 1955
W196R Formula 1 car. Oh, and Jochen Mass too, as official Rennfahrer.
The Collier Collection brought up two Mercedes Grand Prix cars: the 1914
Car no41, featured in Octane 134, and the 1939 W154/39 Silver Arrow which
was driven to second place in the Belgrade GP by Manfred Von Brauchitsch.
This cars quad-cam, twin-supercharged V12 engine was rebuilt by Ian Harold
and his team at Crosthwaite and Gardiner before debuting at the Lime Rock
Festival in 2009 and then running at the Goodwood Revival in 2012.
Ian was on hand to make sure that everything went smoothly, for this, only
its third running since it was rebuilt. They are very complicated. The rollerbearing crankshaft means you dont get any oil pressure, which is why you
dont have an oil pressure gauge, because the drivers wouldnt want to drive it!
For the 231 vintage and historic race car entrants, Friday was practice and
qualifying for the nine race groups, followed by a dinner party for participants.
Saturday and Monday featured two races each and there was something for
everyone, with the cars ranging from pre-war to 70s sports-racing cars.
In the pre-war group, Daniel Ghose stalled his 1933 Maserati 4C on the
startline after qualifying in third place, behind a storming Peter Greenfield in
his 1935 Alfa Romeo 8C and Peter Giddings in his 1932 Alfa P2B. Ghose was
able to restart his engine and then work his way up through the field, leading
one wag to comment the following day that Kimi pulled a Ghose at Monza.
Fortunately, Ghose did not have Kimis electronic gremlins to contend with,
and finished third.
The 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK Count Trossi belonging to Ralph Lauren was
the star of the Sunday in the Park Concours dElegance, a car that was last
seen in public at the Louvre in Paris in 2011. Jochen Mass was still bearing
the callouses on his hands from driving another SSK on the Mille Miglia back
in May but, as he explained: They are magnificent cars and, despite being quite
heavy to drive, at the end of a long day on the Mille you are having so much fun
that you dont want to get out.
Also on display was the chain-driven 1908 Mercedes Brooklands from the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, some incredibly rare and
important racing motorcycles from the Rob Ianucci collection, and an eclectic
mix of unrestored road-car gems from the Jim Taylor collection. With a
roughly 35,000-strong crowd gathering over the course of the Labor Day
long weekend, the event is thriving.
As many of the participants packed up to fly to the Goodwood Revival,
Jochen summed it up perfectly: Great cars, great people, great event! The
Lime Rock Historic Festival 34 will take place on 1-5 September next year.
www.limerockhistorics.com
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FRANCESCO RASTRELLI
IgnItIon // EVENT PREVIEWS
LeJog
5-8 December
Lands End to John OGroats, UK
crews consider Heros Lands End to John
OGroats reliability trial and accompanying classic
car tour to be one of Europes most demanding and
challenging historic rally-driving events. Its open to
vehicles built before 1986, which gives you greater
InterClassics
14-17 January 2016
Maastricht, Netherlands
TradiTionally aTTracTing more than 30,000
visitors from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
and further afield, InterClassics Maastricht is the
Benelux regions largest classic car event. This
upmarket show, which is staged at MECC
Maastricht, features prestigious displays from
dealers, private owners and automotive clubs, plus
sales of vehicles, automobilia and luxury goods.
This year, particular attention will be paid to BMW,
Bentley and Rolls-Royce. The main theme will be
100 years of BMW, featuring an extensive collection
of classics from the German manufacturer to mark
its heritage in the air, on the road and in motor sport.
Meanwhile, British Royals: Bentley and Rolls-Royce
will celebrate the history of these luxury marques.
Online adult tickets cost 16.50, or 19.50 on the
gate, and children aged 12 or less are welcomed free
of charge. To expand the InterClassics concept,
a brand new extension of the event will also be
staged in Belgium on 6-8 November 2015, at
Brussels Expo, Brussels.
www. interclassicsmaastricht.nl
scope for finding a car in which to take part.

Decembers LeJog its 21st running, and a
qualifying round of the 2015 HERO Cup takes in a
number of ultra-competitive regularity sections and
driving tests as competitors wind their way north
through the British Isles. An overnight halt in
Telford, Shropshire, on the Saturday night allows
the exploration of new territory in the Midlands and
Derbyshire on Sunday. Another rest in Newcastle
precedes the final drive up through the east coast of
Scotlands stunning scenery to John OGroats.
A new organising team plans to inject fresh

excitement and challenge into LeJog, with even
longer reliability and endurance elements plus
extended regularity sections where practical.
LeJog features mixed navigation, night-time
driving and adverse conditions, and so is graded as
Expert level. For less experienced drivers who want
a taster of some of the exhilaration of the event,
a non-competitive tour section follows the main
route. More details on the HERO website.
www.heroevents.eu
London Classic Car Show

18-21 February
****
Policies from
76
**
liStiNGS
23-25 OctOber
Motorclassica
Melbourne, Australia
motorclassica.com.au
23-25 OctOber
Algarve Classic Festival
Portimo, Portugal
historicendurance.com
25 OctOber
Brooklands Autumn Classic
Breakfast
Weybridge, UK
brooklandsmuseum.com
25 OctOber
National Restoration Show
Stoneleigh Park, UK
restoration-show.co.uk
30 OctOber
1 NOvember
Classic and Sports Car
The London Show
Alexandra Palace, UK
classicandsportscarshow.com
31 OctOber
Regent Street Motor Show
London, UK
regentstreetmotorshow.com
1 NOvember
London to Brighton Veteran
Car Run
London-Brighton, UK
veterancarrun.com
1 NOvember
Goodwood Breakfast Club,
Bahn-Stormer Sunday
Chichester, UK
grrc.goodwood.com
6-8 NOvember
InterClassics Brussels
Brussels, Belgium
interclassics.be
7-8 NOvember
Classic Vehicle
Restoration Show
Shepton Mallet, UK
carsandevents.com
13-15 NOvember
Classic Motor Show
Birmingham NEC, UK
necclassicmotorshow.com
15 NOvember
Brooklands Military
Vehicles Day
Weybridge, UK
19 NOvember
International Historic
Motoring Awards
London, UK
historicmotoringawards.com
21 NOvember
Wldinghamring Classic Car
Circuit and Gathering.
Warlingham, UK
xkeidp@gmail.com
4-7 December
AutoRetro Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
autoretro.es
5-8 December
LeJog
Lands End to John OGroats, UK
heroevents.eu
19 December
Wldinghamring Classic Car
Circuit and Gathering
Warlingham, UK
xkeidp@gmail.com
2016
1 JaNuary
Brooklands New Years
Day Gathering
Weybridge, UK
3 JaNuary
Bicester Heritage 7th Sunday
Brunch Scramble
Bicester, UK
bicesterheritage.co.uk
14-17 JaNuary
Autosport International
Birmingham NEC, UK
autosportinternational.com
14-17 JaNuary
InterClassics Maastricht
Maastricht, Netherlands
interclassicsmaastricht.nl
18-24 JaNuary
Rallye Monte-Carlo
Monte Carlo, Monaco
acm.mc/en/rallye-monte-carlo
20-24 JaNuary
Cavallino Classic
Palm Beach, USA
cavallino.com
24-29 JaNuary
The Winter Trial
Norway and Sweden
thewintertrial.nl
3-7 February
Rtromobile
Paris, France
retromobile.com
13-14 February
Great Western Autojumble
Shepton Mallet, UK
carsandevents.com
18-21 February
London Classic Car Show
London, UK
thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk
21-25 February
Winter Challenge
UK/Luxembourg-Monte Carlo
heroevents.eu
4-6 march
Antwerp Classic Salon
Antwerp, Belgium
siha.de
5-6 march
Practical Classics Restoration
& Classic Car Show
NEC Birmingham, UK
necrestorationshow.com
19-20 march
74th Members Meeting
Goodwood, UK
grrc.goodwood.com
6-10 april
Tecno Classica Essen
Essen, Germany
siha.de
8-10 april
La Jolla Concours dElegance
San Diego, USA
lajollaconcours.com
11-16 april
Targa Tasmania
Tasmania, Australia
targa.com.au
15-17 april
Flying Scotsman
England-Scotland, UK
endurorally.com
18-22 april
Beach to Bridge
Liberation Rally
Normandy, France
thetrial.nl/beach-to-bridgeliberation-rally
18-24 april
Tour Auto Optic 2000.
Paris-Cte DAzur, France
peterauto.peter.fr
24 april
Drive-it Day
National, UK
fbhvc.co.uk
24-26 april
Scottish Malts Classic
Reliability Trial and Tour
Scotland
heroevents.eu
30 april 1-2 may
Donington Historic Festival
Donington, UK
doningtonhistoric.com
30 april 1 may
Classic Days
Magny-Cours, France
classic-days.fr
1 may
Simply Ford
Beaulieu, UK
beaulieu.co.uk
6-8 may
Jaguar Simola Hillclimb
Knysna, South Africa
speedfestival.co.za
Octane makes every effort to
ensure accuracy on these pages,
but recommends that you contact
event organisers before setting out.
Classic insurance
redened.
Tailor your classic car insurance
policy to suit your needs.
Classic benets
included*:
Salvage retention
Shows and events
Spare parts
(up to a limit of 250)
European cover
(up to 35 days per trip)
Specialist rates for club members
Cover options*:
Breakdown with options to
include European cover and
Homestart
Agreed value
Driving other classics
Drive to work
Track day cover
Wedding hire cover
Part of the Towergate Group
To discover the Footman James difference,

call our friendly UK team for a quote today.
0333 207 6047
or visit footmanjames.co.uk
*All cover is subject to insurers terms and conditions, which is available upon request.
**Premium example based on: 1978 Jaguar Series 2. Value: 3500. Main policy only and does
not include any FJ+ cover options. All premiums assume the vehicle is not the main car and
includes Insurance Premium Tax. Male driver aged over 25 years old, 2000 annual limited
mileage, and full clean driving licence with no claims or convictions. Member of associated
club. Postcode OX10, vehicle garaged with no modications. Includes a 10 arrangement fee.
Footman James is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited.

Registered in England No. 4043759. Registered Address: Towergate House, Eclipse Park,
Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Authorised and regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority. Telephone calls may be recorded. FP ADCC203.11.14
IgnItIon // EVENT PREVIEWS
Brooklands new Years

daY GatherinG
1 January Weybridge, UK
Cavallino Classic
20-24 January Palm Beach, USA

Billed a convention of automotive
enthusiasts, the Cavallino Classic is the worlds
leading event dedicated to Ferrari. The January 2016
staging celebrates the shows 25th anniversary, and
promises to feature the rarest and most stunning
Ferraris manufactured some of which are only
ever displayed at this prestigious gathering in Palm
Beach, Florida.
Presented by Cavallino magazine, the journal of
Ferrari history for the serious enthusiast, the
four-day event incorporates private track sessions
at Palm Beach International Raceway for both

classic and new Ferraris, marque lectures, a Grand
Driving Ferrari Tour of the locale, and a Ferrari-only
Concorso dEleganza in the grounds of the
waterfront Breakers hotel, featuring 140 cars.
To mark the 25th anniversary, organisers plan to put
on a display of the Best of Show winners from all the
previous 24 Cavallino Classic events, too.
Its not all about the prancing horse badge,
however: the Classic Sports Sunday concours at the
Mar-a-Lago private club features pre- and post-war
European classic sports cars built up to 1970, with
a special emphasis on the historic achievements of
Ferraris Italian stablemate Alfa Romeo.
www.cavallino.com
If your New Years Eve party hangover isnt too

unbearable and you manage to drag yourself
out of bed, get ready for what the organisers
reckon could be South-East Englands largest
New Years Day classic vehicle event. The New
Years Day Gathering, held at Brooklands
Museum near Weybridge in Surrey, welcomes
all classic, vintage, veteran and supercars, as
well as motorcycles and commercial vehicles of
a similar provenance. Parking for display
vehicles will be around the Paddock, Finishing
Straight and Members Banking.
First entries are at 9am, while youll be able
to gain access to Brooklands buildings and
displays between 10am and 4pm. Usual
Museum admission prices apply for the New
Years Day Gathering: on the gate, adults are
11, children (5-16) 6 and under-5s FOC.
A family ticket is 30.
www.brooklandsmuseum.com
BiCester heritaGe 7th

sundaY BrunCh sCramBle
3 January Bicester, UK
the winter trial

24-29 January
Norway and Sweden
if you cant beat the seasonal cold, you may as

well make the most of it and The Winter Trial does
exactly that. For its third annual running, this
exhilarating and demanding event will venture into
the northern reaches of Europe to discover more
snowy and icy roads in Norway and Sweden.
Starting and finishing near Oslo, the toughest
winter event will challenge driver, navigator and
machinery as it takes in stunning scenery, mountain
passes, and plenty of frozen lakes and circuits.

Januarys short days and long nights will make for
even more exciting action, incorporating 10 circuit
tests, 30-plus regularity trials and two night loops.
There are two classes for a maximum of 100
crews: the Trial Class, comprising a 1400-mile route
with six day legs and two evening loops, and the
Club Class, consisting only of the six day legs over
approximately 1150 miles. Experienced service
crews will follow to ensure no-one gets stranded.
Want to brush up on your snow-driving skills
first? See The Winter Trial website for details of the
accompanying professionally run two-day rally
school immediately prior to the event.
www.thewintertrial.nl
Likely to be feeling groggy after the Christmas

and New Year break? Bicester Heritages
seventh Sunday Brunch Scramble will get you
in gear for the return to work. The first event of
the year at the venue the UKs first park for
the restoration, storage and enjoyment of
vintage and classic cars, motorcycles and
planes takes place from 9am to 2pm.
Organisers hope to build on the success of the
2015 event, which attracted more than 1500
vehicles and thousands of visitors despite
freezing fog and icy conditions.
The numerous automobilia and aviation
specialists based at the WW2 RAF bomber
station will allow behind-the-scenes access to
their renovated pre-war showrooms and
workshops. Tickets go on sale in November.
www.bicesterheritage.co.uk
Where the worlds greatest cars come to be sold - 14 QUEENS GATE PLACE MEWS, LONDON SW7 5BQ T: +44 (0)20 7584 3503 W: WWW.FISKENS.COM
Invitation to Consign - RETROMOBILE, 3-7 FEBRuaRy 2016

Fiskens once again will be staging their highly acclaimed stand at the world famous Retromobile Show in Paris. Our service as ever, represents
excellent value for both buyer and seller alike - all for a single commission. With our 2016 stand already shaping up to be our best ever, we have
a limited number of spaces available and welcome your call to discuss how you can be part of it.
For further information please contact Gregor, Rory or Dylan on 020 7584 3503
Christian Werner
1927 Mercedes Benz 680 S Rennsport
Nuerburgring 1927
1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster
ZweimUEller
Restoration Sales Racing Storage Prototypes
Tel. 0043/664/516 73 44 office@zweimueller.eu AUSTRiA

WWW.ZWEiMUEllERCARS.CoM
ignition // NEW CAR NEWS
Not exactly the soft option

Ferraris 488 now comes in Spider form, so you can enjoy more
of the scenery, more of the noise yet its no less incisive to drive
Words David Lillywhite
Forget that its the most accomplished V8

Ferrari has ever built. Forget also that its the most
technically advanced. For the new 488 Spider, its
all about how it looks and how it sounds.
Thats not a sly dig. Its merely two factors that
were important to the 488 GTB coup but even more
important in the Spider. Even Ferrari makes a nod to
this in the choice of test drive location: Rimini on the
east coast of Italy, rather than the Fiorano test track
and surrounding mountains that hosted the GTBs
launch last summer.
So first, the looks. We thought the GTB to be
the best-looking of any Ferrari of recent years,
wonderfully free of those self-conscious bodywork
protuberances that afflict so many modern supercars.
Instead, clever active aero work under and above the
car forces airflow through stylish ducts and the neat
blown spoiler to increase downforce and reduce

drag compared with the previous 458, yet with little
impact on the styling. If anything, the aerodynamic
considerations improve its appearance.
How, then, does the Spider compare? With
a convertible theres not the same chance to
beneficially harness the flow of air over the roof and
the rear window, and then theres the aerodynamic
nightmare of two completely different profiles,
according to whether the roof is up or down and
thats even before you consider protecting the
occupants from the blast of turbulent air at
three-figure speeds. Put simply, there is no more
difficult job for the aerodynamics engineer than to
design a convertible mid-engined supercar.
Well, to us, the GTB is the better-looking. But my
goodness, the Spider is by no means the ugly sister.
From the nose to the trailing edge of the door, the

Spider is the same as the GTB, save for a join in the
roof panel that enables the top to fold and stow away.
But where the GTB has tiny side windows and a long
rear window flowing beautifully right down to the rear
end of the car with the added advantage of showing
off the engine the Spider has tapered buttresses, an
upright rear window and a solid, sculpted engine lid.
Its a very different treatment, which nonetheless
culminates in an identical rear end.
Its fussier than the GTB, without doubt, and when
the lightweight roof panels have folded and stowed
themselves away above the engine an enchantingly
smooth process that takes 14 seconds the sturdy
buttresses defiantly remain, managing not just airflow
but also roll-over protection and cabin comfort. The
glass rear window stays too, but it can be electrically
adjusted up or down to any of three positions (fully
down, quarter-up and half-up but not all the way up
because that causes buffeting). This is the same
Retractable Hard Top system that made its debut on
the 458 Spider but, as with the rest of the 488, its
lighter and faster in operation in its new guise.
And so to the sound, but to get to the sound we

must first mention the biggest fundamental change of
all, brought in with the GTB: the 488 engine is a
twin-turbo V8, smaller in capacity and physical size
(lighter, too) than its predecessor, and introduced in
the California T of 2014. This is the way the world is
going, with a new generation of forced aspiration
increasing efficiency and allowing lower capacities
but we know that the downside can be a lag in
delivery and, because the turbos impede exhaust
flow, a more muted sound. Ah
Is that the case here? Well not in power delivery
terms because, like the GTB, the Spider is ballistically
fast, and the lightest-ever Ferrari engine internals and
spiralling boost characteristics of turbocharged
engines make for the fastest-rising revs weve ever
known on a road car. Honestly, its on the limiter in
split-seconds; acceleration is nothing short of
remarkable, and made all the more of an assault
on the senses when the roof is off.
And it sounds fantastic, of that theres no doubt.
It idles fairly quietly and, under gentle acceleration,
keeping revs down and using the prodigious torque
(it hits maximum by 3000rpm), it remains reasonably
Above
Editor Lillywhite gets to grips with the gorgeous
new 488 Spider in the mountains above Rimini.
discreet in Wet or Sport mode. But the merest brush

of the accelerator from that point will cause the
bypass valve to open, accompanied by a deep bellow
that disappears as quickly as it came if you dont keep
your foot in. Its far more noticeable in the Spider with
the roof down of course! and welcome most of
the time, but very occasionally it can be a little too
sudden (Ferrari is working on a more progressively
acting bypass valve).
A bit more aggression on the accelerator results
in the bellow segueing into a much crisper, more
Ferrari-esque sound, particularly in Race mode. Its
not quite up with the more blood-curdling screams of
earlier Ferrari V8s, particularly the higher-revving
458 Speciale, but then this is not a replacement for
that car. A Speciale will almost certainly follow.
The other consideration with a convertible is,
of course, structural rigidity. Ferrari says the 488

Spider is as rigid as the GTB, and plotted the initial
sections of the first test drives on some of the
twistiest, bumpiest roads youll find in Italy, in the
mountains above Rimini.
To compensate for the strength lost by removing
the roof, the semi-spaceframe alloy chassis (more a
tub with tubes front and aft to support the running
gear) has been strengthened with a vertical
aluminium alloy plate ahead of the front bulkhead
and a horizontal alloy plate, roughly the size of the
engine cover, below the gearbox.
There is no hint of scuttle shake, that old bugbear
of any convertible, and although the weight has
increased, not just from the plates but from the
roof-folding mechanism, its by an acceptable 50kg,
so theres no perceptible drop in performance or
Ferrari F12 gets hardcore option
New tdf pays homage to Tour de France victories
It also pays homage to the

fabulous 250GT TdFs of the 1950s,
what with all those louvres. Theyre
fewer here, though rather highertech, working to increase downforce
rather than simply to dissipate heat.
Still, its hot stuff: while spy shots
first appeared a couple of months
ago, Ferrari is no longer being so coy
about the more extreme version of its
flagship supercar. The new F12tdf

packs a 769bhp punch, up 39bhp over
the standard car, while abundant
(Ferraris own words) use of
carbonfibre trims weight by a
remarkable 110kg.
All that makes for performance
figures of 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds
and a top speed in excess of
340km/h thats 212.5mph.
Above
Twisting roads no less a playground despite the Spiders lack
of a roof. Ferrari claims theres no detriment to rigidity.
handling. Whats more, the roof, when folded down,

takes up just 100 litres of space, in the area above the
engine that the GTB uses mostly to show off the sexy
mechanical parts.
Still, Ive always maintained Im a coup man, not
keen on show-off convertibles. So I activated the
roof, and was briefly overcome with claustrophobia
as my connection with the blue Italian skies was lost.
And now I see why, of the Ferraris sold as coups and
convertibles, more than 50% of sales are of the
open-top variety in almost every country except
China. And, of course, the highest percentage is
in the UK. Funny old world.
YOUR CAR COULD BE

OUR NEXT RECORD
1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta

Chassis 4065, last SWB produced
From the Antoine Midy estate
Matching numbers, original color
Already consigned for Retromobile 2016
R E T R O M O B I L E
BY ARTCURIAL MOTORCARS
T H E
O F F I C I A L
S A L E
5 FE B R UARY 2016
E N T R I E S
I N V I T E D
+33 1 42 99 20 73 M OTORCARS@ARTCU R IAL.COM
Light-hearted fun
Norfolk newcomer aims to out-Lotus Lotus and shows huge promise
Words Glen Waddington
It comes as no surprIse that Im test-driving

the Zenos E10S at Snetterton race circuit. Not after
Im told that Zenos comprises a bunch of disgruntled
former Lotus (and Caterham) staff. Even the (brand
new) factory is just up the road in Wymondham.
Anybody remember Lotuss original ethos for the
Elise? Its engineers referred to the project as the
step-in car. Yep, to keep things simple (and the tub
rigid) it was to do without doors. But the Hethel
engineers relented to marketing pressure and,
lo, the Elise became an open-up, step-into and
sit-yourself-down car. Lightweight fun, an instant
classic, but not so hardcore that it would put off
those wanting something a bit more special than
an MX-5 or an MR2.
But what if you want something a bit more radical
than an Elise though perhaps less so than, er, a
Radical? And what if your budget is little more than
upscale MX-5? Welcome the Zenos.
Its a step-in car, though really more a climb-over,
feet-on-seat, shuffle-down-and-insinuate-shoesinto-footwell car. No doors, and even the
windscreens optional. Entry at 24,995 gets you
a factory-built car with a mid-mounted 200bhp
2.0-litre Ford four and matching five-speed manual
box, though most orders so far have specd the
250bhp turbo version (for an extra 5000). Thats
power aplenty in a car that weighs a scant 725kg,
thanks to an extruded aluminium spine and recycled
carbonfibre and plastic sandwich tub, thats clad
with self-coloured glassfibre wings and wraps
bespoke, adjustable suspension with Bilstein
coilovers (inboard at front). Tail-lights are Alfa

Mito/4C refugees; headlamps come from Hella
in a bespoke housing.
Many have gone for the optional six-speed box
at 1595, and the windscreen (heated, and complete
with reinforced pillars and wipers) at 1695. All told,
that puts the test car above 33,000 but it hits back
with a power-to-weight ratio of 345bhp per tonne,
and can do 60mph from rest in four seconds.
Much of the E10Ss engineering work was carried
out by the remarkably modest, no-airs-and-graces
company co-founder Mark Edwards (E for
Edwards; 10 because its the tenth project hes
worked on; S for the engine upgrade), and it
makes use of Ford powertrain and running gear
to guarantee robustness in hard use. It also meant
Above
No luxuries inside; instead weatherproof plastic, rubber and
multi-point harnesses keep you focused on the track.
the fledgling Zenos company could focus (and

spend) on developing suspension and structure.
And you can tell. Sure, the Zenos might feel a bit
hard and edgy for MX-5 migrants, but this car has
lightning reactions that make an Elise seem soft.
The stiff suspension and structure make it feel more
racer than road car, but youll put up with the
determinedly rigid ride in return for equally rigid
body control and resistance to roll.
There are no driver aids: steering and brakes are
both unassisted, the wheel is tiny so you jink into
corners with almost telepathic response to inputs,
and the middle pedal offers the perfect degree of
firmness for judging heel-and-toe downshifts.
In fact, the only demerit control-wise concerns the
gearshift, which feels a bit long and baggy by
comparison with the minimal movements required
elsewhere. Its still quick and light, mind.
That Ford four-cylinder means youre denied
any kind of thoroughbred soundtrack yet, while
development has led to the air intake being moved
from its original position behind the drivers head,
there are those who might enjoy the still-evident
Hannibal Lecter-style sucking and stuttering as the
turbo gasps and puffs its stuff. That forced induction
also silences the exhaust note, so youll be keeping
an eye on the TFT tacho (theres a highly informative
central display plus shorthand tell-tales in front
of the driver) to know when to shift up rather
than doing it by ear.
This is a relentlessly promising debut. The more
passenger-friendly E11 and E12 are following soon.
Horse flies
The Shelby name returns

and makes this an extremely
rapid Ford Mustang indeed
Words Glen Waddington Photography Matthew Howell
John SimiSter haS already raved about the

latest Ford Mustang in these pages (Octane 138 and
145), but on both occasions he was talking about
the standard car. You know, the one that leaves the
Ford factory as Ford intended. Just imagine if the
original had done only that. No Shelby GT350, no
GT500. Less of a legend, in other words.
The Shelby name has been synonymous with
power-pumpin Ford V8s and go-faster Fords for so
long. And while the Mustang has basically been a bit
crap for two or three (maybe four) decades, it has
now undergone the kind of resurgence that cant be
ignored. And Shelby American Inc, even without ol
Carroll himself in the saddle, hasnt missed it either.
The starting point is any Mustang 5.0 V8. A good
car in its own right, with proper rear suspension at
last (they had live axles out back until this year) and
the kind of interior that wont repulse Europeans any
more. Yours, in right-hand drive no less, for about

40 grand, and sophisticated enough that you could
think of it as a more distinctive alternative to a
Merc E-class coup, complete with a burbling V8
and six-speed Tremec in place of a four-banger
diesel auto. But what if you want an alternative
to an E63 AMG?
This car (left-hand drive but completed by
Surrey-based specialist Bill Shepherd Mustang;
www.billshepherdmustang.com) is not only the
car to do that but also the very first of the breed.
Three packages are available, the first offering the
carbonfibre bodykit (bonnet, tail panel, sills etc) and
billet alloy grilles plus freeflow stainless exhaust
and intake, a short-throw gearshift, 20in forged
alloys and matching tyres, uprated springs, dampers
and anti-roll bars and altered suspension geometry,
as well as various cosmetic identifiers. To that you
can add Shelby Wilwood brakes (six-pot calipers
up-front, and vented, cross-drilled discs) and, finally,
the Shelby Power Upgrade: Ford supercharger,
intercooler, intake and ECU remap for the full
yee-haw corral of 627 horses (actually 618bhp).
This car has all three, plus uprated driveshafts
and a sprint diff ratio, on top of a full-house option
spec that would probably cost an extra mortgage
on that Merc. You can have your own built to order
(with a Shelby chassis number); meanwhile, this one
is offered by Bill Shepherd Mustang for 79,950.
It looks quite menacing: think Black Series Merc

though at production AMG prices. Americans tend
to paint over carbonfibre and its fair to say that the
raw weave here looks exactly that, with a few
wobbles in the weft and the odd sharp edge.
Inside, the ambience feels suitably transatlantic,
referencing the 1960s Stang as well as the
bodywork does yet without feeling overtly retro.
Only ersatz stitching on the centre console jars.
All of which youll forget when you put your foot
down. Your ears are assailed by a proper oldfashioned V8 beat, overlaid with supercharger
whoosh, while you push up through the gears
(a proper stick on the floor, though first is almost
redundant!) with utterly indecent haste.
The shift is extremely tight and precise, the
steering feels organic and quick-witted, the ride is
very refined yet, depite generous dimensions, the
Shelby feels well-contained and superbly poised.
That new rear suspension works very well indeed,
and the Shelby upgrades havent introduced undue
harshness. If youre not in rodeo mood you get to
enjoy hushed though still insistent forward motion.
This is one car that lives up to its GT moniker
and its Shelby badging in equal measure.
Above
New Mustang expertly references 1960s original, and Shelby
upgrades make it distinctive without being distasteful. Huge
power, speed and nimbleness come at no cost to refinement.
SAVE THE DATE

02 06 FEBRUARY 2016
KATARA, QATAR
CONCOURS-QATAR.COM
ORGANISATION
GULF QATARI CLASSIC CARS ASSOCIATION
DOHA, STATE OF QATAR | WWW.CLASSICCARS.ORG
IN COOPERATION WITH
AvD AUTOMOBILCLUB MIDDLE EAST
MESSEPIAZZA 1 | 70629 STUTTGART, GERMANY | OFFICE@AVD-MIDDLE-EAST.COM
The magics back

Souped-up 308 is way better than it looks a potential future classic hot hatch, it seems
Words John Simister
We all knoW how good Peugeots hot

hatchbacks used to be, and well revisit its best in
the next issue. We reported on the 208GTi 30th
a few months ago, the hard-edged special edition
created by Peugeot Sport to commemorate the 30th
anniversary of the 205GTIs launch, and now a range
regular under the guise of 208GTi By Peugeot Sport.
A highly entertaining machine it is, too.
Next in the renaissance comes the car you see
here, the 308GTi. Its another Peugeot Sport
development, but this time all the specially
engineered parts are sent to the main 308 factory
instead of being assembled in Peugeot Sports
workshop.Thats because the new car is a head-on
rival for a Golf GTI or Seat Leon Cupra, and Peugeot
hopes to sell quite a lot of them.
You can have it in this two-tone red and black if
you must, the colours divided by a diagonal slash
and reversed relative to the 208GTis version of this
coupe franche (straight cut) design. Its a motif
taken from some of Peugeots recent concept cars,
and very striking. More important, though, is that
the 308GTi has fully 272 turbocharged bhp at its
disposal, which is a great deal for a 1.6-litre engine
and right up with the efforts of the best 2.0-litre
opposition. And being a small engine, its lighter
than these rival units and more economical should
you find yourself driving it gently. Cake
simultaneously possessed and eaten, it seems.
I might as well tell you now. This car is terrific.
Hefty 19in wheels fill their arches and are attached
to slightly lower, firmer suspension given a stiffer

rear anti-roll bar and a softer front one. Theres a
touch more negative camber, and much aluminium
in the front suspension components. The engines
efforts reach the road via a Torsen limited-slip
differential. And pressing a Sport button does not
alter damping rates or steering effort. Peugeot
Sports engineers have decided on the calibration
and thats how it stays, showing the same purity

of purpose and interaction that also gives the GTi
a proper manual gearbox.
The cabin is all-black apart from the ample red
stitching, a hue matched by the instruments when
that rather unnecessary Sport button is pressed.
Two other things happen: the throttle response
becomes even crisper, and the engines note
is augmented by a digitally created version via
the loudspeakers. And, thankfully, thats it for
2015-style gimmickry.
Accelerating from a standstill to 62mph takes six
seconds, but far more exciting is the offbeat tickover
burble that rises to a breathy roar as the pace
shoots up. A near-flat torque curves gives instant
overtaking ability and the hefty Alcon brakes
are tireless.
Best, though, is what happens as a bend
approaches. Despite the tiny steering wheel the
GTis helm is progressive and naturally weighted,
allowing perfect placing. The Torsen diff then allows
remarkable traction and a total understeer absence
as you rocket out of the corner, feeling every nuance
of feedback through various parts of your body.
No current rival draws you into the drive as much
as this one does (RIP, Renault Mgane Trophy),
only the Golf R from the price category above.
Yet, for all that, the 308GTi rides compliantly and
you could happily live with it everyday. Price is
28,155. Will we read about it in these pages again
in 2045? My bet says we will.
Above
Striking paintjob is known as a coupe franche, or straight cut.
Love it or loathe it, theres no doubt that Peugeot Sport has
worked wonders on the 308s engine and chassis.
Farewell to an old friend
As the Defender nears the grave, all three run-out specials are
exactly that though one in particular is an Octane favourite
Words David Lillywhite
It wont have escaped your notice that the

end of the Land Rover Defender as we know it is
nigh. Safety regulations and labour-intensive builds
mean that production was expected to end late this
year, though demand has been so high that the last
remnants will sneak into early 2016.
This is truly the end of an institution, for the
Defender today isnt so very different from the very
first Land Rovers that emerged from the very same
factory 67 years ago. Theyre not just the same
shape, give or take a few bulges, theyre built on
near-identical chassis (the rails are still the same
distance apart) to pretty much the same mechanical
layout, with the same basic design of bulkhead.
To mark the end of production there are, of
course, a few end-of-production special editions.
Well, there would be. Theres the posh one, named
Autobiography, with its full leather upholstery,
two-tone paint and highly appreciated power
upgrade from 120 to 148bhp. The manly one, more
properly called the Adventure, keeps the leather
and (in 90 spec only) the extra power but adds
underbody protection, extra-chunky Goodyear MT/R
tyres, snorkel, and a roofrack to strap manly
accessories to. And then theres the one to tug at the
heartstrings, the Heritage, in evocative Grasmere
Green with little HUE 166 badges and tags
strategically placed to remind you of Huey, the
first-ever pre-production Land Rover. Eighty

Autobiographys, 600 Adventures and 400 Heritage
editions are planned.
All have the torquey diesel 2.2-litre Ford Duratorq
engine and six-speed gearbox, mated to the familiar
high/low-ratio transfer box and, of course, fourwheel drive. The bonnet bulge that was added to
accommodate the Ford engine in 2007 is still there,
as is the shock! non-venting bulkhead
(conventional air vents came late and controversially
to the Defender, and many enthusiasts rue the loss
of the simple flap-in-the-bulkhead vents that had
been a feature for decades).
We drove a Heritage 110 and an Adventure 90
the numbers are the wheelbase in inches several
hundred miles each. In so many ways, theyre both

rather hopeless: the driving position is cramped for
anyone long of leg, the ergonomics poor (the
ignition key and headlight switch fight for space
under the dashboard, for example), the turning
circle is terrible, the ride choppy (especially in the
90), cabin noise drowns the radio, interior space is
pitiful, and the B-pillar restricts sidewards visibility.
So, of course, we love the damned things. The
feeling of belting along (well, it feels fast) at 80mph,
sitting up high, remembering not to fight the
wandering steering but to let it find its own way, as
the gruff diesel gets on with the job up front is just
magic. And if you want to harness your inner Bear
Grylls, this is the machine, because off-road its
uncannily good, gripping where theres no grip,
traversing the seemingly untraversable.
Range Rovers, Discoverys et al are much easier
and just as capable off-road, with incredible
electronic aids to keep you moving. But theres
something life-affirming about learning to master
the rough, tough controls of the Defender.
Which special edition for you? Well, aside from
them all being sold out (sorry at least you can look
out for them on the used car market), thats very
much down to personal taste, though the extra
power of the Autobiography and Adventure 90 is
very welcome. But for us its simple, and not just
because we like classics: the Heritage is not only the
cheapest (starting at 27,800) but also the most
subtly treated, and the one that draws the most
admiring glances. Well miss the Defender.
Top and left
Last of the line, being turned out as (from left to right) the
Autobiography (only 80 built), Heritage (400 interior left)
and Adventure (600). If only you could still buy one
THE GRAND
AUTUMN SALE
MERCEDES-BENZ WORLD, BROOKLANDS

SATURDAY, 28TH NOVEMBER
1983 FERRARI 308GTSi QUATTROVALVOLE. 33,378 MILES. 65,000-80,000
FINE ENTRIES ARE INVITED

We welcome classic car consignments to our major Autumn sale at Mercedes-Benz World on
Saturday, November 28th. The entry for this sale will be limited to 130 fine motorcars so please
be sure to contact us soon to avoid disappointment.
FINE CLASSIC CAR & MOTORCYCLE AUCTIONEERS

Tel: 00 44 (0) 1753 639170 E-mail: auctions@historics.co.uk www.historics.co.uk
JAY
LENO
T H E
C O L L E C TO R
HE BIG STORY of the month, the year and

probably the decade is the Volkswagen
cheating scandal. The thing I nd fascinating
about it is that they have admitted the
fraud. Thats the dierence between German
companies and everyone else.
When GM had its ignition switch problem or the Japanese had
their airbag problem and, going back 40 years to when Ford had
the exploding Pinto, it was Oh sorry, we didnt know what we
were doing. The Germans would never do that. Theyd rather
admit to fraud and go to jail than admit they didnt do it correctly.
In Germany, incompetence is a much worse crime than fraud.
I think there is actually an upside to this scandal for enthusiasts,
at least here in the States. Manufacturers are ghting to
keep independent dealers and
repair shops from having access
to code readers to repair cars.
Manufacturers want their cars
repaired only by their own people.
Theyre saying that the codes
are proprietary information; its
copywritten and cant be accessed
by anyone other than an
authorised service centre for the
manufacturer. Which means that
when you buy a car its never really
your car and you cant do whatever
you want with it. You can only have
it repaired and xed by particular places. This scandal shows the
folly in that idea, in that manufacturers can manipulate your
vehicle any way they like, for whatever reason.
I worry for Porsches sake. I would hate to see its reputation
tarnished by any of this. Here you have a company that makes
six-cylinder motor cars that are not usually bigger than 3.8 litres,
competing against Aventadors and 12-cylinder Ferraris and in
many cases beating them. I hope and pray they are doing it
legally. There is a great temptation simply to win at any cost. The
interesting one here is Ferdinand Pich. He kind of holds all the
cards here. Did he know? Was he responsible? Its hard to believe
a couple of rogue engineers were working independently.
I am so thrilled and so excited that its not an American
company, because usually we bear the brunt of these things. This
is one reason why I dont like the idea that American military
equipment is made overseas, because people can put a bug in
something. In the old days, every Merlin-engined plane was made
in England and every Lockheed jet was made in the US. Now we
get all our electronic parts from China and Japan and everywhere
else and whos to say whether someone has put in a code?

So thats the scary part.
I think this will knock diesel right out of the United States. Lets
say last year you bought a Jetta with a diesel engine in it. The motor
vehicle board here is trying to say that you cannot re-register your
vehicle because it doesnt meet emissions standards and neither
can you sell it because its illegal. So what do you do? You cant
drive it and you cant sell it. Even if you could sell it outside the US,
how much are you going to get for it?
The price of diesel in California has plummeted and in many
cases its now 50 cents cheaper than gas, when it used to be a
dollar more expensive. There was also a case of a guy coming
back to his Jetta, which hed parked on the street, to nd nasty
notes on it about what a terrible person he was, polluting the
environment and ruining the earth
with his terrible car. The guy didnt
do anything. He bought the car a
couple of years ago, in good faith.
Will it sink them? Weve been
through this before. There was
Audis unintended acceleration
case about 30 years ago, where
someone claimed the Audi just
took o and stepping on the brake
with both feet couldnt slow it
down. I tended to side with Audi,
but the company got very arrogant
and said No, that would never
happen, our cars dont do that. Consequently public opinion
turned against it. The public is not very well informed on
engineering matters. The value of Audi fell through the oor and
the company had to work hard to regain the publics trust. I dont
think it was Audis fault, but that arrogance hurt tremendously.
Here we have a case where its deliberate. Someone should go
to jail. And, if history has taught us anything, it will be some lowlevel guy in the engineering department though obviously this
goes right to the top. I think its going to hurt Volkswagen
tremendously. Just watching the late-night chat shows here in
the States, all the jokes are about going back to Volkswagens and
Nazis and all that. Its not good. I hope all the goodwill and the
reliability associated with the Volkswagen brand is not gone.
A GUY FOUND NASTY

NOTES ON HIS VW
JETTA ABOUT WHAT
A TERRIBLE PERSON HE
WAS, POLLUTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
JAY LENO
Comedian and talk show legend Jay Leno is one of the most famous
entertainers in the USA. He is also a true petrolhead, with a massive
collection of cars and bikes (see www.jaylenosgarage.com).
Jay was speaking with Jeremy Hart.
OCTANE DECEMBER 2015 55
M A X T E D -PAG E
FINE
HISTORIC
PORSCHE
'The 1972 & 1974 European Hill Climb Championship-winning / ex-Anton Fischhaber'
1972 Porsche 911 2.5 S-R (M491) | Chassis # 911 230 1195
For 1972, the Porsche racing department homologated the 911S into a lightweight, 2.5 litre Group 4 GT racing car and built just twenty-one
911 2.5 S-R - more commonly known today as the 911 2.5 ST.
We are proud to present this genuine, championship-winning example. One of the original factory-built 1972 Porsche 911 2.5 S-R - now offered
for sale fresh from a meticulous, multi-year restoration to its correct and original factory specification. Chassis # 911 230 1195 was a lightweight
(M491) chassis featuring extended front and rear wheel arches, aluminium engine lid and rear panel, fibreglass hood and lightweight doors. The car
was lightened further by the deletion of all sound deadening and interior trim. Specification included: roll-hoop and Recaro racing seats; long-range,
110L plastic fuel tank; twin oil coolers; uprated suspension and brakes with aluminium 908 quick-release front callipers. Power output was 270 bhp
with 193 ft/lbs torque from the new 2492cc Type 911/70 race engine with twin-ignition, Bosch racing mechanical injection and high-butterfly intake.
Supplied new to Bavarian driver Anton Fischhaber who competed successfully in motorsport between 1959-1987, taking at least 200 victories
in hill climbs and at race-tracks. As a Porsche works driver he was team-mates with Gerhard Mitter and at Abarth, with Hans Hermann.
Fischhaber competed with this car for three seasons, winning both the 1972 and 1974 European Hill Climb Championship and in 1972, 1973
and 1974 partnering Prince Leopold Von Bayern for the Nurburgring 1000kms.
P.O. Box 7039 Halstead Essex CO9 2WL
Tel: +44 (0) 1787 477749 Mob: +44 (0) 7771 922433 (7 Days)
w w w. m a x t e d - p a g e . c o m |
United Kingdom
Email: enquiries@maxted-page.com
Dow n load ou r App
Derek
Bell
T H E
L E G E N D
he problem with attending most historic

car events as an ancien pilote is that you are
always on duty. By that, I mean sometimes it
would be nice just to be able to stop and have
a nose around; kick some tyres and actually
chat to people for more than a picosecond
before bidding them farewell. This was brought home to me in
late September when I participated in the fifth Rennsport
Reunion, at Laguna Seca. I have been to all five, the first staged at
Lime Rock back in 2001, and this was the best yet. I loved the
sense of informality and cannot wait for the next one.
This Porsche-only event attracted close on 50,000 spectators
over the three-day weekend, not to mention 1400 or so 911s,
including the very latest model, which made its global debut
before the marque faithful. Oh, and
there were more than a few racing
cars, too, ranging from smallcapacity air-cooled machines to
Can-Am monsters.
Porsche has such a rich
competition history in North
America, not least in IMSA GTP,
but this years central theme was
Le Mans. I was one of 11 drivers
on hand who have won the 24
Hours aboard a Porsche. Our ages
ranged from this years co-winner
Earl Bamber at just 25 years old,
to Hans Hermann, who claimed the first win for the marque back
in 1970. The 87-year-old German was joined by Richard Attwood,
with whom he shared the winning 917 all those years ago. Then
there was my dear friend Jacky Ickx, Gijs van Lennep, Hurley
Haywood, Jrgen Barth, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Vern Schuppan
and Well, you get the idea.
It wasnt just drivers, either. It was a pleasure seeing John
Horsman, who I knew from my JW/Gulf days. John tends to get
airbrushed out of the story behind the Porsche 917 but, in many
ways, he made the car work. John, and John alone, sorted the
aerodynamic issues that blighted the 917 in the early days,
and he did so without factory assistance. It was all down to
brainpower and intuition.
It was great catching up with old friends from either side of the
pitwall, but what I enjoyed most was meeting the young guns, not
least fellow Brit Nick Tandy who, along with Bamber and Nico
Hlkenberg, claimed outright honours in June aboard the factory
919 Hybrid. I had an opportunity to meet Nick in the run-up to the
24 Hours but, the thing is, I know what its like to be distracted
when youre preparing for a major race, so I left him alone. At

Laguna Seca, there were no such constraints and Nick turned out
to be a super chap as well as a supremely gifted driver. We had a
long chat, and I was surprised and humbled by how much he
knew about my career. Nick reached the big time via an odd
route, starting out racing on short ovals as a kid when his
contemporaries were battling it out in karts, but he went on to
enjoy success in single-seaters before making the switch to GTs
and sports cars. He told me he wants to win Le Mans at least
another five times to eclipse my record. I wouldnt put it past him.
A particular treat and a real eye-opener was being able to
wander around the cars that were either on display or lined-up
on the grid for the many many Porsche-only races. I have
been to countless Porsche events, including those catering for
the old stuff, but this was
something else entirely. When you
see every conceivable Porsche
from late-1940s 356s the
jumping-off point, if you will to
the latest models via all manner of
one-offs, small-series specials
and heaven only knows what else
besides, you really grasp just why
Porsche matters. Even I was
surprised by the diversity of the
cars at the Rennsport Reunion.
And in what passed for a
moment of introspection (as much
as I do introspection), it made me realise just how important
Porsche has been to my career. To be honest, getting the JW/Gulf
drive back in 1971 was a huge boost at a time when my F1
prospects were a little shaky, while my 1981 victory alongside
that man Ickx paved the way for a works drive in the 956/962
and two world titles.
I was lucky enough to drive the 81 Jules-sponsored 936 over
the weekend. That, and the DHL-livered RS Spyder that was the
dominant player in LMP2 in 2008. There really was no point in
trying to compare them, or todays 919 Hybrid which I sat in and
would one day love to test, but it made me further appreciate just
how different sports car racing history would look had Porsche
not made such a huge contribution, and in so many classes.
nick tandy turned

out to be a super
chap. i was surprised
and humbled by how
much he knew about
my career
Derek Bell
Derek took up racing in 1964 in a Lotus 7, won two World Sportscar

Championship titles in 1985 and 1986, the 24 Hours of Daytona three
times in 1986, 1987 and 1989, and Le Mans five times in 1975, 1981,
1982, 1986 and 1987. He was speaking with Richard Heseltine.
IMPORTANT COLLECTORS
MOTOR CARS, MOTORCYCLES
AND AUTOMOBILIA
Thursday 4 Ferbruary 2016
Paris, France
Following the spectacular auction at the
Grand Palais in 2015, Bonhams is delighted
to announce its return to this magical venue
steeped in automotive history. Bonhams will
be holding a sale of exceptional motor cars,
motorcycles and automobilia.
Selected entries are now invited for what
promises to be a truly memorable event.
Ex-Amschel Rothschild,
single private ownership since 1978
1966 AC COBRA 289 MARK II
ROADSTER
Chassis No. COB 6054
Sold for 937,250
Ex-Boris Ivanowski, class winner in The

Double Twelve at Brooklands 1930
1930 ALFA ROMEO 6C 1750 GRAN SPORT
Coachwork by James Young
Chassis No. 8513030/28
Sold for 1,184,500
ENQUIRIES
Europe
+32 (0) 476 879 471
eurocars@bonhams.com
UK
+44 (0) 20 7468 5801
ukcars@bonhams.com
1 of only 39 original left-hand drive examples.
1965 ASTON MARTIN DB5 Cabriolet

Chassis No. DB5/C/1920/L
Engine No. 400/2057
Venduta per 1,897,500
Believed the ex-Milan Motor Show car

1930 ISOTTA FRASCHINI 8A SS
CABRIOLET
Coachwork by Castagna
Chassis No. 1578
Engine No. 1522
Sold for 931,500
STEPHEN
BAYLEY
T H E
A E S T H E T E
AST WEEK I WAS INVITED to a convivial

Sunday breakfast in Belgravia with some car
types. Obviously a good idea, but then the host
good-naturedly explained that my 2015 ninespeed car with paddleshi , voice recognition,
collision avoidance system and driver assists
to keep you alert even a er several bottles of Morey-Saint-Denis,
would not be welcome. So would I park it around the corner and
join the others as they scattered brioche crumbs over the lovingly
assembled collection of less eeminate Cobras and E-types?
I decided that my problem was sourced in contemporary motor
racing and its broken connection to the cars we use. Once upon
a time, motor racing produced sporting heroes with a synoptic
genius for expressing the human dilemma. I love it, for example,
that Mario Andretti once said:
If everything seems under control,
you are simply not going fast
enough. Thats a perfect way of
expressing our common absurdity.
Once, the fundamental risks racing
drivers took inspired them. And
inspired great cars.
Motor racing is the only way
a classic is created. Long a er
its competition successes in the
mid-50s, Jaguar customers were
in the 70s still citing Le Mans as a
justication for buying the cars,
even when assembly was to North Korean standards and the
paint nish looked like lab samples from a dysentery hospital.
No matter how good its cars become, no Lexus will ever be a
classic because the marque has never raced, at least in a form
instantly recognisable to the public. In this sense, Ferrari, Porsche
and even Jaguar will forever be untouchable. Lamborghini has
trouble with a clear brand proposition because it has never won
a race anywhere other than Knightsbridge.
I nd motor racing, or at least Formula 1, infantilised. No-one
wants to encourage carnage, but the idea that open-wheel cars
might soon have canopies to protect the drivers is surely the last
nugatory gesture of a stage-managed pseudo-sport already
hobbled by petty interference and major bureaucracy.
It used to be dierent. While today, Sebastian, Kimi and Felipe
may get stressed if their yoga class is late, there were times
when things were more approximate and more lovely. From a
garage in Hornsey in autumn and winter 1956, Lotuss chief
mechanic Mike Costin organised attempts on the 750cc and
1100cc speed records in a beautiful Lotus XI with an aerodynamic
bubble canopy, there not for protection, but for speed. And Costin
designed it all. The Lotus was given a special paintjob, a polished
undertray, the panel gaps were covered with tape for better aero
(decreasing the laptimes by one-and-a-half seconds) and the
front brakes were removed to reduce unsprung weight.
Costin set out for Monza. Within a few miles the transporter
ran out of fuel. On the way to Folkestone he ran over a petrol can,
which damaged the bodywork and a wheel. As he boarded the
ferry, the oat bowl fell o the transporters carburettor. Still, with
the brakes grabbing and the rear axle lock-nuts working loose,
he drove 640 miles overnight from Dunkirk to Brianon. He
arrived in Italy two days a er leaving north London.
The record-attempt driver was Cli Allison, although Mac
Fraser and Stirling Moss had tried before. For Moss it was his
rst drive for Lotus. During his
attempts the canopy blew o, he
was pelted with redundant rivets
and eventually the whole rear
section of the little Lotus came
adri and went ying into the
Monza undergrowth. Fraser, for
his part, found the vibration so
damaging that he spent several
subsequent weeks peeing blood.
The bodywork also blew o
Allisons car, suggesting a
fundamental design fault. That
laptimes were not greatly
aected tells you all you need to know about the black art of
aerodynamics. Allison suered mechanical maladies, too. Still,
the Lotus won all the FIAs Class G records. Costin then drove the
transporter back over the Alps at 12mph in a snowstorm.
What can the relationship be between these harsh
circumstances and the existence of the Lotus XI, one of the most
beautiful of all cars? Theres a general principle here: its a
curiosity of human nature that hardship produces excellence
and that ease and tranquillity produce mediocrity. Modern motor
racing has become so and decadent and its former greatness
can only be felt as a sense of loss.
This, surely, is Octane territory and the reason why my
beautiful new, modern car was not welcome at breakfast.
FRASER FOUND
THE VIBRATION SO
DAMAGING THAT HE
SPENT SEVERAL
SUBSEQUENT WEEKS
PEEING BLOOD
STEPHEN BAYLEY
Author, critic, consultant, broadcaster and curator, Stephen co-created

the Boilerhouse Project at the V&A, and was chief exec of The Design
Museum. His latest book Death Drive There Are No Accidents
will be published by Circa Press/Thames & Hudson on 1 March 2016.
ROBERT
COUCHER
T H E
D R I V E R
UMAN BEINGS LOVE movement. We are

designed to move and are very good at it.
Thats why we (unfortunately) have to
walk so far to burn o a decent amount of
calories. Our bodies can lope along for
hours. Being human, our enjoyment of
movement is enhanced the faster we go.
Stone Age man apparently invented the wheel to move things
along, so to speak, but it was the horse and then the bicycle in
Britain and Europe that allowed people to move faster and
therefore further. With a bicycle, a young man could ride to the
next village and meet all sorts of new (girl) friends. No doubt he
learned how to ride that bike pretty fast before trains arrived.
Wealthy types took to motorised vehicles as soon as they
could, the more impecunious
jumping onto motorcycles. I
recently rode a modern bicycle
down an Alpine pass and found the
experience unnerving. Downhill, a
bike can reach insane speeds,
making you acutely aware of
how close you are to a broken
collarbone. I used to ride
motorbikes as a youngster but
soon realised that even at legal
speeds theyre too risky for me.
Those of you who enjoy veteran,
vintage and classic cars have long
understood the notion of relative speed. Most old cars have
inferior handling, roadholding and stopping power in comparison
with modern roadgoing missiles which makes them so much
more involving at sane speeds. This was brought home to me
when reading a road test of one of the latest Porsche 911s in
which Evos skilled, hotshoe tester admitted the car is just too
fast to enjoy anywhere other than on a long racing circuit.
My rst experience of real speed was when I was seven years
old. My father bought an early Jaguar E-type 3.8 roadster. What a
glorious sports car. It was painted metallic silver blue with blue
leather interior, sparkling chrome wires and a dark blue so top,
and I thought this was the most fantastic ying machine Id ever
seen. The McLaren F1 of the day, if you like. Bear in mind my
mother was driving a 1200cc VW Beetle and other mums had
Austins, Minis and Peugeot 404s, while fathers typically had
Rovers, Valiants and Fords.
On some lucky occasions, father would volunteer to take me to
school in the E-type, leaving my sisters to follow in the Beetle. Id
clamber in, do up the seatbelt, pull my cap down hard and cling
onto my suitcase on my lap. Hed warm the E and, when reaching

the bottom of a long hill, hed drop the Jaguar down into second
gear and give it full throttle. The quiet engine note changed into a
deep bellow and we were o at full chat. My head was thrown
back against the bucket seat and my short legs would y up with
my feet being pinned under the dashboard. Id disembark at
school shaken and stirred!
A er arriving in the UK in the late 1980s I soon shipped my
1958 Alfa Giulietta Sprint over and set about improving it with a
1600cc engine, twin Weber carbs and Alfa Ricambi suspension.
The Alfa felt really fast and I enjoyed driving at nine-tenths
wherever possible, especially on historic rallies. But then
everyone else around me was driving faster than they do today.
Batting along the motorway at 80mph, big Jaguars, Mercs and
BMWs would come whooshing
past at much higher velocities, so
I really had to push the Giulietta.
Thats because Transport
Sergeant Roger Reynolds only
switched on the rst UK Gatso
camera on the A316 in
Twickenham, London, in 1992.
Motoring
slowed
down
signicantly a er that as many
more speed cameras proliferated.
Britain now has the safest roads
in the world, along with Sweden,
which is a good thing.
One hundred and y miles per hour might not sound that
quick in the scheme of things today. Many middle-manager
saloons can clock that and more, and the Bugatti Veyron featured
this month (see pages 98-106) holds the world record top speed
for a roadster at an astonishing 254mph.
As life gets ever faster, so do modern motor cars. But realworld road speeds are becoming ever-slower, so it makes sense
to enjoy classic cars that give you fun, excitement and real driver
involvement at a realistic pace. As youll read, preparing to max a
stock 1961 E-type Jaguar is quite some undertaking. In a Veyron,
you can simply change down a gear and smash through 150mph
in a few seconds. But the pleasure will cost you more than ten
times the price of a decent E and probably your licence as well.
MOST OLD CARS HAVE

INFERIOR HANDLING
AND STOPPING POWER,
WHICH MAKES THEM SO
MUCH MORE INVOLVING
AT SANE SPEEDS
ROBERT COUCHER
Robert grew up with classic cars, and has owned a Lancia Aurelia
B20GT, Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Porsche 356C. He currently uses
his properly sorted 1955 Jaguar XK140 as his daily driver, and
is a founding editor of this magazine.
Organised by
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Organis par
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F E W R A C I N G
TM
R A C I N G
TM
1 ST
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ITI
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SOME FATHERS, SONS

AND FERRARIS
Following the great success of the Rallye Pre-Fils (father

& son) in France, HappyFewRacing invites you to take part
in a brand new event dedicated to Ferrari owners. And like for
each event we organise, the programme is built to give time
to meet other teams, share very human moments, enjoy the
ride of your car on selected routes and fine cuisine.
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GEARBOX
The best from 150 issues of Octane
Some of the brightest lights in the classic-car rmament have shared

their favourite things with us. These are our picks of a fantastic bunch
1 // EVEL KNIEVELS SUIT

Evels own Elvis-like leathers. One of Evels bestknown jumps was in 1975 at Wembley Stadium
when he hurled himself on his Harley over 13
buses. He was my daredevil hero. Bruce Meyer
2 // CARBONFIBRE LIFT
Having a li in a house was very rare years ago.
Still is. This is the only carbonbre li designed by
the Williams racing team. It is a tremendous piece
of kit, although Susie wont use it at the same time
as I do in case it stops. [A most sensible policy,
as it turned out: not long a er this interview the li
malfunctioned, leaving Sir Stirling with two broken
ankles. Both the li and Sir Stirling have since been
repaired. Ed] Sir Stirling Moss
3 // ROLLEIFLEX CAMERA
My father was an amateur photographer and this
was his camera. Its a great piece of classic design
and still works perfectly. Sir Paul Smith
2 //
3 //
4 // CRICKET CAP
Every year at the Goodwood Revival they have
a cricket match and for several years I was an
umpire, even though I know next to nothing about
cricket. Its a fun event. Once Dan Gurney came out
to bat with a baseball bat. Murray Walker
5 // NATIONAL GUITAR MODEL
This model of my National Style O guitar
was made at Theo Fennell in 1987, a gi from
management. Its about 10in tall and as beautifully
made as the guitar itself, which was built in the
mid-1930s. Nationals seem magical to me
somehow. Mine found its way onto the cover
of the Brothers In Arms album. Mark Knoper
1 //
4 //
5 //
6 // BLUEBIRD JETEX BP MODELS

This is the Bluebird car and boat from 1964,
Donald [Campbell]s double year when he broke
both the land and water speed records. You literally
shove a rework up them and light it. These are
unused if you use them, they melt. Don Wales
7 // ROLEX OYSTER
I drove for John Coombs from 1964, starting o
in the Lightweight E-type 4 WPD. About ve years
ago he gi ed me this gold Rolex, given to him
when he was 11 by his father. When Rolex serviced
it, inside it was engraved Made in Geneva, port
of entry Glasgow. John didnt know that but what
a remarkable coincidence. Sir Jackie Stewart
8 // CRASH HELMET
Von Dutch painted this for me when he was just
the paint guy at Bud Ekins bike shop. He painted
Ford as a mirror image, and he could do that
without thinking. Its signed by Shelby, Mann and
Bondurant. Sir John Whitmore
6 //
7 //
8 //
9 // SURVIVAL KIT
We bought this when we did the Paris-Dakar in
1985. It cost about 500 and we were not allowed
to open it unless there was an emergency. It was
full of ares and rockets to use if we got lost. A er
the rally I opened it and tried to re o all the gear,
but nothing worked! Philip Young
10 // 1930 CARRIAGE SINK
Probably from a railway carriage or vintage yacht.
I had this nickel folding sink plumbed into our
house a total folly, conducted at vast expense.
The sink erupted one night when my son had
his friends around, and we came home to a line
of boys bailing the house out! Stephen Bayley
9 //
10 //
PHOTOGRAPHY: 1 WILLIAM EDGAR; 2, 3, 10 MARTYN GODDARD; 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 STEVE HAVELOCK; 5 PAUL HARMER; 9 DEXTER FLINT
11 //
11 // WITHNAIL AND I COAT

Its my favourite lm. This is the actual coat worn
by Richard E Grant, auctioned to help schools in
Swaziland. Its signed by the cast and it ts me
perfectly. I also bought a copy of the script, signed
by the whole cast. Chris Evans
&
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PASSED IT!
TONY DRON
THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS BET TER THAN A ROSE TINTED VIEW OF HISTORY
EVER SPEAK ILL of the dead.

Its wrong and I wont. However,
so much nonsense has been
written about Ken Costello, who
died in July aged 88, that somebody
just has to put the record straight.
Ken, a successful club racer in the 1960s, gained
greater fame a er that by converting MGBs to Rover
V8 power. That embarrassed British Leyland,
sparking a long-running David and Goliath battle.
Leyland-bashing has been a popular sport for
decades, which perhaps explains why Kens long
obituaries were so one-sided, casting him as the
brilliant engineer who devised a faultless MGB V8,
yet received nothing but hostility from British
Leyland for his trouble. The full story was a bit
dierent and I must be honest: in 1973, the Costello
MGB GT V8 that I tested for Motor magazine was
seriously under-engineered.
Without doubt, British Leyland was then dithering
over the very future of aordable sports cars. The
British giant owned Austin-Healey, MG and Triumph
TR but seemed unsure of what to do with them.
American demand for aordable British sports
cars, so strong for two decades, was tailing o.
Leyland people never grasped that US buyers werent
tired of sports cars they wanted new designs. Here
in Britain, enthusiasts were turning instead to the
Ford Motor Companys stylish, modern, highperformance Escort models.
When Ken, the cheeky chap from South London,
revealed his MGB V8, the news caught British Leyland
PERFORMANCE MADE
THE ORDINARY B LOOK
SILLY AND EVEN MADE
MINCEMEAT OF THE
POOR OLD MGC
with its trousers down. Yet again, an obvious
opportunity had been missed. Rover had bought the
lightweight 3.5-litre Buick V8 engine design, modied
it and launched it in the P5B saloon in 1967. It then
went into the Rover 2000 saloon as the P6B and
Peter Morgan secured a supply of engines to create
his soundly engineered, successful Plus 8 in 1968.
Kens idea of revitalising the old MGB with that V8
was hardly a brainwave but it was exciting to me.
Having run out of money in motor racing, I had joined
Motor magazines road test team and we were
really keen to test a Costello MGB V8. But Ken
refused to lend us one.
When a glowing road test of a Costello MGB GT V8
appeared on 25 May 1972 in Motors arch rival
magazine, Autocar, we were frustrated but remained
enthusiastic. Meanwhile, at a private dinner, I
challenged a senior Leyland executive about
Costellos car. Hinting at Leylands forthcoming MGB
GT V8, he implied that Kens car was underdeveloped. For a start, the standard MGB/MGC
gearbox, as used by Ken, was not strong enough.
Early in 1973, a helpful reader oered us his

low-mileage car for a road test. As expected, the
performance made the ordinary B look very silly and
even made mincemeat of the poor old MGC. Kens
car managed 0-60mph in 8.0 seconds and was about
20mph faster than a standard MGB GT. Our gures
were almost identical to those achieved by Autocar
but, unlike our rivals, I had noticed nasty banging
noises inside the transmission tunnel, a degree of
rear-wheel steer and the fact that clearly the
ordinary B box is operating near its limit.
When challenged, Ken revealed his investment in
a completely new, stronger, ve-speed gearbox of
his own. I never got to try that by the time it nally
appeared I was out of journalism and back in motor
racing again.
My road test (pictured, le ) was published on
2 June 1973, and soon a er that we heard that our
unfortunate readers gearbox had broken, as
predicted by my Leyland contact. By the way, I had
no idea then that our reader, Simon Park, was about
to become a famous composer. In September 1973
he took the number one slot in the British singles
charts for four weeks (Simon Park Orchestra, Eye
Level ) and never looked back.
Meanwhile, Ken ever belligerent carried on
battling away with Leyland. One of his later projects,
the Costello TR7 V8, was listed as an exhibit at the
1977 London Motorfair. By that time Ken had strong
backing and his TR7 V8 was probably excellent.
Leyland Cars, however, was toying with its own
V8-powered TR7 and the Motorfair organisers caved
in to their single biggest exhibitor. Kens stand was
cancelled at the last minute.
We know now that anyone who really wants an
MGB V8 roadster should go for an RV8, a superbly
engineered retro model that was properly designed
in the 1990s by British Motor Heritage under the one
and only David Bishop, the ultimate hero of the
MGB V8 story.
Back in 2011 I happened to meet Simon Park at
Race Retro. Years earlier he had forgiven me for
wrecking his gearbox and, over lunch, he recalled
his old MGB GT V8: That car was complete s***.
It was under-engineered but I didnt know any better
then. You know, I got a great deal of trouble from Ken
Costello for letting Motor test it. Ill bet he did.
TONY DRON
Having started his racing

career in Formula Ford,
Tony made a name for
himself in 1970s Touring
Cars and since then has
raced an astonishing
variety of sports and
historic machinery.
He is also a hugely
respected journalist.
&
Photo: F&R Rastrelli
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Letters
Write to: Octane Letters, Octane Media Ltd, 5 Tower Court, Irchester Road, Wollaston, Northants NN29 7PJ, UK
Email: letters@octane-magazine.com. Please include your name, address and a daytime telephone number
Octane reserves the right to edit letters for clarity. Views expressed are not necessarily those of Octane magazine
BOGUS BUGATTIS
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
I HAVE NO AXE to grind, living in

Australia and not owning a classic car,
but it seems to me that the Bugatti
Owners Club and your magazine are
taking the view that the DVLAs
position [regarding the possible
withdrawal of historic registrations,
as reported in News, issue 149] is
somehow unreasonable.
The simple and inarguable fact is
that if a car such as a Bugatti wasnt
built in France in period, it cannot
be a Bugatti, regardless of the
provenance of some of the parts. Cars
such as the Pur Sang are just that:
Pur Sangs. Registering them as 1923
models or similar is pure nonsense.
There is a huge dierence between
restoring a car which is incomplete,
and assembling a range of genuine
parts from dierent cars and then
claiming it to be a particular car.
LINDSAY TAYLOR
SORRENTO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Right, from top

Ian Bilbeys original sketch for a limited-edition Mini; the Postman Pat postcard that
inspired a stripey show car; the painted car being assembled by Rover.
At midnight we struck up Dame

Veras music and she walked regally
down the main staircase at Beaulieu.
The house had been hung with
wartime posters declaring such
messages as Careless Talk Costs
Lives and the upper oor had been
turned into a cinema showing
Movietone newsreels all night long.
I distinctly remember Lord Montagus
friends calling him Lordy as we
partied right into the dawn.
Almost 40 years later, I now
present a talk called A Life In Music.
Wanting to recall this very special
evening as part of my presentation,
I remembered that photographs had
been taken and wondered if I could
perhaps have been snapped behind
Dame Vera. I called Beaulieu and, just
a couple of days later, they had looked
through Lord Montagus private
collection and very kindly sent a
photograph through to me. Sure
enough, there I was, right behind
Dame Vera!
I was struck as to how homely and
helpful everyone was at Beaulieu and
how the employees seemed to really
pull together as one big family team.
PETER BOITA LONDON
L E TT E R O F T H E M ONTH
A Mini design adventure

I READ WITH GREAT INTEREST your article concerning Sir Paul Smiths
various cars in Octane 149. I had just le the Royal College of Art when I was
lucky enough to be asked by Paul to suggest some designs for a limited run of
Paul Smith Minis and a one-o show car. I was given complete albeit unpaid
freedom to come up with anything I liked.
My rst eorts were based on the old Minivans and trucks. Body-coloured
stamped grille, steel wheels with hub caps, and a series of industrial colours
that included cement-mixer orange.
At the eleventh hour Rover let us down; they could not make or source any
of the parts, nor could they mix a decent orange. So I had to do a whole new
design pretty much overnight, and this is when Paul got a pair of scissors and
vandalised one of his blue shirts to create the unique shade of Paul Smith
Blue. I came up with all the badges and bright-green elements, and wherever
possible Paul used his suppliers to make them.
The show car was less of a headache. I had only one question: am I just
designing this, or do I have to paint it? Fortunately only the former, so I
thought of something I could never do myself the stripes and based them
on a Postman Pat postcard. Just randomly coming up with stripes is not easy,
so I divided this postcard up into strips of various widths and picked colours
that appeared in them. For example, the dark blue and black stripes were
inspired by Pats blue uniform and black tie.
Painting it was way beyond Rovers capabilities, so Ian Callum, who was
then at TWR, took on the job. He, like Paul, was brilliant to work with. Rover
did agree to pay me for the show car design which was even better when
a second one was made, as they had to pay me all over again.
IAN BILBEY SUFFOLK
LORDY LORDY!
WHILE I WAS obviously saddened to

learn of the death of Lord Montagu,
I greatly enjoyed the comprehensive
article about him in Octane 149. I was
particularly delighted to see mention
of the World War Two-themed party
at which Vera Lynn appeared.
I was present at this truly magical
and memorable moment. The date
was Saturday 23 October 1976 and
I was the drummer in the orchestra
that played on that occasion, which
was held to celebrate Lord Montagus
50th birthday. Before the guests
arrived we ate and drank well,
keeping strictly to the wartime theme
think Spam fritter canaps and
Champagne in tin mugs!
A er the guests had dined in
outlying private dinner parties they
arrived at Beaulieu at 22:00hrs,
dressed in WW2 uniforms and riding
in period vehicles that had been
assembled by Lord Montagu himself.
It was an amazing nostalgic party and
pre-dated the period dress code of the
Goodwood Revival by some decades!
SEVEN WONDERS
AS BOTH a car bu and a steam bu

I was delighted to see your feature on
Garratt locomotives in Octane 148.
The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland
Railways in North Wales operate a
number of these locomotives (as well
as their unique Double Fairlie engines
the push-me-pull-you locomotives
you mentioned). Indeed, the Welsh
Highland Railway is the only line in
the world where you can still see
Garratt locomotives in daily use on
normal scheduled passenger trains.
As your article hints, a Garratt loco
is the only type powerful enough, with
its large boilers for steam generation
and two engine units, to haul a
full-length loaded passenger train on
the steep gradients and tight curves
as the line crosses the mountains in
the Snowdonia National Park.
The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland

Railways have seven of the Garratt
type locos, including the very first of
the type ever built (for the Tasmanian
Government in 1909) and the very last
one that was built by Beyer Peacock
in Manchester, for the South African
Railways in 1958.
HANS SCHUBERT
murray reid north yorkshire
NOW THereS a JeT 2
In youR ARTIcle about the

Rover-BRM gas-turbine car in octane
147 you mentioned Rovers JeT 1.
I just wanted to inform you that in
Austria a strikingly perfect replica of
this car exists. It is driven by a Rover
Type 2S 150 gas turbine and it is based
on a 1950 Rover 75.
The replica was built after intense
study and measuring of the original
vehicle in the Science Museum in
london by Austrian Rover enthusiast
Georg Mayr-Harting. He did not
hesitate to take part in this years
Ventilspiel, which took place at the
Red Bull Ring on 3 october.
Imagine the sweet smell of
kerosene which perfumed the race
track, accompanied by the surreal
sound of a starting helicopter
without the flap-flap of the rotor
blades, of course. you can see more
pictures at www.ventilspiel.at/news/
rover-turbinenwagen/.
clauS HaSSliNger vienna, austria
califOrNia? dream ON
I WAS InTeReSTed to learn in

the feature In Search of california
(octane 149) that Great yarmouth
has been relocated to Suffolk since
I visited my parents a fortnight ago!
That apart, whatever possessed
you to take a beautiful car like the
Ferrari california to the holiday camp
in california, norfolk? If you are
searching for places as backdrops for
such cars, I can suggest a few not so
far away in France: for example, the
Pont du Garabit, designed by the same
eiffel who built the famous tower.
you have only to ask if you need
someone to navigate
delON Or BaillON?
WHen I FIRST SAW the Baillon

Ferrari in octane 140 it struck a chord.
I have a wonderful large-format book
by edward Quinn, Stars and cars of
the 50s, which is an extraordinary
record of edwards photographic
career post-war on the cte dAzur.
I remembered the two photos of
the Baillon car in his book: they show
Alain delon and Jane Fonda in the car
on the set of les Flins in Antibes in
1964. The car is being driven by delon
with his gorgeous passenger when it
was only a few years old.
To me, they put the car into proper
context. It is not just a barn find but
a car with a fascinating history and
fortunately one with photographic
evidence to prove just that. I think
it deserves to be celebrated as the
delon car, as he used it as it was
intended, rather than remembering
it as the Baillon car, where it was left
uncared for by someone who proved
to be acquisitive beyond his means.
rOB perkiNS melbourne, australia
Weve had a strong response to our

follow-up cover feature last month
on the recently recommissioned car,
and will be airing some readers views
on how it should now be preserved in
a future issue.
Mark Dixon
HOrSeS fOr cOurSeS
I MuST TAke ISSue with John

Simisters description of my MX-5
Mk3 2.0-litre automatic in octane 148:
The squidgy, dozy automatic is best
avoided, as is the optional electrohydraulically folding solid roof.
In a motoring career of 50 years,
my current MX-5 is my third, following
a Mk2 1.6 and a 1.8. Sadly, two knee
replacements make the fun of
three-pedal driving difficult now.
The six-speed automatic is superb,
with a very rapid kick-down when
needed. As for the electric hardtop:
a single button takes me back 47
years to the top-down driving of my
68 MGB roadster, in just 12 seconds.
you should see the disparaging looks
I get as I sweep into the blue-badge
disabled bay at the supermarket in
my snazzy sports car and close the
electric roof
peTer JacOB Gloucestershire
ricHard favier france
That would have been too easy,

Richard, although admittedly a lot
more picturesque. Mark Dixon
r e n au lt 4 0 c v
french
revolutions
With the unlikely-looking 40CV NM, Renault scored

a host of speed and endurance records at the newly
built Montlhry bowl. Time to revisit those efforts
Words richard meaden // PhotograPhy Andy morgan
r e n au lt 4 0 c v
he pursuit of speed has

long been an obsession for
automobile manufacturers, but
never more intently than during
the 1920s. Helped by the
construction
of
numerous
purpose-built circuits designed solely with speed
in mind, this inter-war period saw a burgeoning
car industry embrace the challenge of setting
speed records to market their products. Ever the
pioneer, Louis Renault saw such feats of
performance and endurance as an ideal means
of generating publicity and selling cars.
In the nearby Linas-Montlhry circuit he had
the ideal proving ground on which to make those
attempts. Built on a 650-hectare site, the circuit
was itself an extraordinary feat of engineering.
Measuring a little under 1.6 miles in length the
bulk of which was two vast banked turns, linked
by a pair of short straights the high-speed circuit
was the first track to be built from reinforced
concrete. Some 8000 cubic metres of the stuff to be
precise. Supported by a lattice of 3300 posts, 8000
beams and 7000 struts, also made from reinforced
concrete, it must have been one of the great manmade wonders of the world.
Incredibly it took only six months to build, with
work commencing in March 1924 and the
completed circuit hosting its first competitive
event in early October the same year, at that
moment joining Brooklands, Indianapolis, Avus
and Monza as one of the great cathedrals of speed.
Fittingly, Renault was the first car manufacturer
to use the remarkable new facility for testing
and development purposes. Engineers completed
extensive testing of the new 40CV road car over
a seven-month period, during which Louis
Renaults plan for assault on the record books
gained momentum. And 90 years later weve
returned to Montlhry to drive his most successful
record-breaker around that very same super-sized
saucer of concrete.
Its glory days as host of the French Grand Prix
might be distant echoes on the breeze, but LinasMontlhry is still used as a proving ground to this
day. Still, Im not convinced those testers present
are quite prepared for the sight of Renault Classics
bright blue monster as its disgorged from the
transporter. Even those sent to chaperone the car
look in awe of the thing as it sits in the shadow of
the imposing banking. But then, at five strides
long, standing as tall as a man and powered by a
9.1-litre straight-six, this faithful reproduction of
the original Renault 40CV NM Montlhry record
car is truly a gargantuan, gobsmacking machine.
There is no trace of the original one-off recordbreaker, or a number of other precious cars that
formed part of Louis Renaults personal collection,

believed to have been destroyed in an artillery
bombardment during the Second World War.
Were it not for Robert Pichon, this amazing car
would only exist in grainy archive images but, as
a member of the team who worked on the original
car, Pichon was perfectly placed to create an exact
copy. Built on a rare 40CV chassis, this faithful
reconstruction was made in 1965 and spent much
of its early life in a museum, before Renault Classic
acquired it and put it through a typically thorough
restoration. The result is magnificent; one of the
jewels in a truly remarkable collection of cars and
a welcome participant at events such as the
Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Its in marked contrast to the regular production
40CV, which was a stately, coachbuilt machine.
Luxurious, stylish and hugely expensive, this
prestigious touring car was even used by the
French President for official duties. However, with
the advent of Montlhry and its high-speed bowl,
Louis Renault saw its potential as a record-breaker.
The project began in 1925 with a 40CV
wearing semi-streamlined (I use the term
loosely), windscreenless open-cockpit fourseater bodywork. Despite its unlikely looks, its
prodigious performance far exceeded tyre
technology of the day, with treads being thrown
after just a few laps of sustained running at 90mph.
Undeterred, Renault continued its extensive and
somewhat perilous testing programme until tyres
Right and below

Richard Meaden at speed on the
Montlhry bowl in the 1965-built
recreation of the 1926 Renault 40CV
that achieved a host of speed records
there; advertising continued into the
1930s, with subsequent Renault
record-breakers.
Your first
response is to
laugh at the
absurditY of the
40CV, but then the
seriousness of its
intent and sCale of
its aChieVements
hit You
OCTANE MONTH 2014 71
r e n au lt 4 0 c v
were developed that could cope with sustained

speeds of up to 110mph. Emboldened by this
breakthrough, Renault made its first official record
attempts with the 40CV, its drivers factory
employees Robert Plessier and the American
JA Garfield, setting new 500km, three hours, 500
miles and six hours records, plus a new one-lap
record for the Montlhry high-speed circuit of
51.4sec a little over 111mph.
A month later they returned for an attempt on
the 24-hour record. Despite the loss of two hours
running to replace a broken timing chain and
having consumed no fewer than 100 tyres (!), the
40CV set nine new World Records. It was a
triumphant, heroic effort, but Louis Renaults
thirst for speed remained unslaked, and his
engineers pride was dented by the timing chain
failure. Not only did he want his car to go faster,
he wanted it to deliver a flawless performance.
And so plans were hatched for a more extreme
record-breaker. The 40CV NM was born.
What people must have thought of it in 1926 is
anyones guess, but here in 2015 the 40CV NM is
remarkable and ridiculous in equal measure. Your
first response is to laugh and shake your head at
the absurdity of it, but then the seriousness of its
intent and scale of its achievements hit you, at
which point you fall into reverential silence.
Everything about it is so alien to 21st Century
eyes. There are no front brakes. The ride height
could be measured in feet and inches; the wheels
are almost waist-high. Where you might expect to
see an exhaust manifold, six stubby pipes jut from
the left flank of the fully enclosed bonnet, while
the inclined grille and low-slung headlights are
Art Decos nod to aerodynamics. And then theres
the leatherette fastback, formed around a wooden
frame and pinched tight into a boat-tail. Its a
bizarre yet strangely beautiful thing.
As you might imagine, the 9.1-litre straight-six
is no screamer. Coaxed into life by one of Renault
Classics technicians, it starts with a blare akin to
an aero engine, but settles into a softly musical idle
as exhaust gasses chuff from each of the stubby
pipes in turn, like the engine is talking to you.
The driving position is almost as remarkable as
the car itself. The upholstered door is light and
swings on hinges that remind you of a shed, as
does the basic wooden frame over which the
leatherette is stretched. To get in, you climb up
through the right-hand door, lifting your left leg
in, then ducking your head as you pull up to settle
your bum on the seat before folding your right leg
in behind you. Youre set way back in the chassis
and tucked inside the slimline bodywork. Its
cramped, which accentuates how huge the rest of
the car feels, not helped by the inclined, letterbox
windscreen that offers little view of the track.
This is intimidating enough when youre
stationary in the pitlane but, when the moment
comes and youre waved out onto the vast
concrete saucer, the feeling of unease ramps up
exponentially as you attempt to stir the monster
up to speed and take to the banking.
r e n au lt 4 0 c v
It feels more lIke

a locomotIve than
a car, even when
you get on the
throttle and
accelerate away
You sit low in the car, but high off the ground,
legs outstretched almost horizontally to reach the
heavy, offset pedals, head tucked into your
shoulders to clear the roofline, and hands at tento-two on the steering wheel. Thankfully the pedal
arrangement is conventional: accelerator on the
right, brake in the middle and clutch on the left.
The steering wheel is enormous and alarmingly
flexible on its four metal spokes, and sits on the
end of a spear-like steering column that disappears
into the depths of the footwell, your inputs
eventually turning front wheels located so far
from you they might have a different postcode.
At the best part of a metre long, the gearlever is
another piece of remote-control engineering. Not
surprisingly it has a weirdly pendulous feel across
the three-speed gate. You dont so much select first
gear as persuade it in, depressing the heavy clutch
and drawing the lever back until you feel the teeth
begin to chatter into synch. Pulling away is tricky,
but only because the pedals feel so dead.
Century-old clutch technology doesnt take
kindly to attempted slipping, so you need to get
rolling as decisively but steadily as possible. Once
those huge wire wheels begin to turn you can take
your feet off both pedals and let the torque do
the work. It feels more like a locomotive than a
car, even when you get back on the throttle
and accelerate away.
The next challenge is changing up a gear, which

means dipping the clutch and fishing around for
one of the two remaining forward ratios. As luck
would have it I manage to find top, so once its in
with another toothy clatter Im home free,
squeezing on the throttle and powering out onto
the circuit proper.
As we enter the banking and I tentatively try to
point the 40CV into the incline, its all I can do not
to steer down the banking for fear of capsizing,
even though were nowhere near the lip of bowl.
Actually were barely halfway up the wall of
concrete, which approaches an angle of 60 at its
steepest, but to go any further up we need to go
faster, and from where Im sitting 50mph feels
more than fast enough right now. We wont be
breaking any records today.
Ive been lucky to drive all kinds of competition
cars over the last 20 years, from F1 and Le Mans
cars to Pikes Peak specials and Bonneville record
cars, but let me assure you that none of them is as
scary or physical as this Renault. The circuit is
bumpy as hell proper knock-the-wind-out-ofyou bumpy which could easily be blamed on the
circuits advancing age. But, having read accounts
from drivers in the 1920s, it was always so.
After a handful of laps in which Ive managed
to edge up to 60mph, my arms and shoulders are
burning from the exertion of holding myself in the
Above left, and above

Record-breakers Guillon, Garfield and Plessier with the 40CV at Montlhry in July 1926; this
locomotive-like car has since been honoured by inclusion within a mural at the Montlhry track.
r e n au lt 4 0 c v
Anti-clockwise from above

Renaults first record attempts
were carried out at Montlhry with
this open-topped four-seat version
of the 40CV; Robert Plessier with
the 1926 car and the 1965
recreation today at Montlhry.
seat and the 40CV NM in a straight line, while

my necks stinging from having my head cocked
to the left in an effort to compensate for the
inclined banking and to get a decent view of the
track arcing away out of the top right corner of the
slit-like windscreen. And all this at roughly half
the speed Garfield, Plessier and new boy Paul
Guillon (also a Renault engineer) were driving
at for two hours at a time.
So physical is the experience it overwhelms any
conventional sense of what the machine is doing
beneath you, other than administering a good
beating. The steering fights and kicks in your
hands, the engine blares its hard, unwavering
blare, fumes suck in through the sliding windows.
You feel hot, sick and scared, with nothing to do
but hold on and keep your foot pinned.
Unbelievably it was the original intention for

there to be a riding mechanic crammed in the
tapered compartment between drivers back and
the fuel tank, in a kind of tandem arrangement.
His job was to keep the fuel tank pressurised
by pumping it up at intervals during the run but,
somewhat unsurprisingly, the designated
mechanics decided against it, forcing Plessier to
arrange for a bottle of compressed air to be
installed beneath the drivers seat, from which he
and the other drivers would open a valve from
time to time to maintain fuel pressure. Only at the
end of the 24 hours was it discovered that the
pressure in the bottle was too high and that it had
distorted almost to the point of exploding.
Luck and the compressed air bottle might
have held, but there was no shortage of perils
facing the plucky trio of drivers. Having removed
the front brakes to prevent the risk of locking
wheels when slowing for their regular pit stops,
the drivers had to judge their braking from some
300-400 metres out. Quite how they did this in the
dead of night I have no idea, especially as Plessier
decided against using the headlights!
Tyres remained an issue too, so while the
dramatic de-laminations of the original 40CV
record-car testing were a thing of the past, the NM
was wearing out its tyres more quickly than had
been estimated. With 20 hours completed, the
Renault team realised they had insufficient
Michelin tyres left to see them to the end of the
record attempt. To make matters worse, a recent
fire at the Renault plant had destroyed the tyre
store. It was also a Sunday, which meant Michelins
depots were closed!
Yet somehow Dunlop came to hear of Renaults
predicament and offered to supply enough tyres to
complete the record run, but only if Renault fitted
Dunlop tyres to its production cars henceforth.
Louis Renault was not happy, but it was an offer
he could not refuse, so the deal was done.
r e n au lt 4 0 c v
1926 renault 40cv nM

(1965 replica)
EnginE 9121cc straight-six, side-valve,

Renault two-stroke carburettor
PowEr 140bhp @ 1680rpm (approx)
Transmission Three-speed manual,
rear-wheel drive sTEEring Rack and pinion
susPEnsion Front: beam axle, longitudinal
leaf springs, friction dampers. Rear: live axle,
oblique cantilever leaf springs, friction dampers
BrakEs Rear drums wEighT 1600kg (approx)
PErformancE Top speed 191km/h (119mph);
24-hour world record average speed
173.649km/h (108.5mph)
Later that day Garfield completed the final lap

of the 24-hour run at an average speed of just
under 120mph it was the fastest lap of the entire
record attempt. Together with Plessier and Guillon
they had taken ten world records and covered a
total of 4167.158km at an average speed of
173.649kh/h. It was a spectacular achievement
made all the more impressive by the fact that over
the entire 24-hour period this incredible car
travelled further than noted aviation pioneers of
the day, the Arrachart Brothers, in their own
record-breaking 26-hour flight from Paris to
Baghdad, prompting Le Figaro to run the headline
Faster than a plane for 24 hours.
True to Louis Renaults word and ambition, the
40CV NM required nothing but fuel, oil and tyres
throughout the 24-hour run. Just as remarkable as
the speed and reliability of the car were the speed
and consistency of the pit stops, which were
handled by a team of 14 people. With two people
per wheel, three for refuelling, one to top-up the
oil, another to top-up the radiator and a team

manager to co-ordinate the stops, the 40CV NM
never remained stationary for more than 50
seconds. Given that the wheels were attached with
knock-on spinners and the 100-litre fuel tank was
replenished using a hand-pumped bowser, they
were every bit as well orchestrated and executed
as todays Formula 1 stops.
The 40CV NMs 24-hour record lasted for 14
months, eventually eclipsed by a Voisin, which
also used Montlhry as the venue. Then, in 1933,
Ab Jenkins changed the face of endurance
records forever with his Herculean effort on
the Bonneville Salt Flats in his Pierce-Arrow. It
brought Montlhrys record-breaking era to an
end, but cars like this faithful copy of the original
40CV NM ensure the legacy of those speedblurred days lives on for us to marvel at. End
thanks to Circuit Montlhry. For a full list of events and
trackdays, visit www.utacceram.com.
RE-LIVE THE UNMISTAKABLE

SOUND OF THE SIXTIES
INTRODUCING THE ORIGINAL E-TYPE EXHAUST
THE LOW PURR, THE THROATY GROWL,

THE AUTHENTIC SOUND
The shape is iconic, the performance is legendary, and the sound of an E-type
is unique. That assertive growl emitted from the throat of a mild steel exhaust
was emblematic of the 1960s E-type, now that sound reverberates yet again
with the introduction of the new Aluminised Mild Steel Exhaust.
The Original Design The Original Sound

Meticulously recreated from the original drawings, and using state of the art
production methods to create a tone that reverberates the original 1960s
exhaust note the E-Type exhaust is proof that history is worth reliving.
But its not just classic aesthetics at play; this exhaust system has been
developed with performance in mind, and comes with a 2-year warranty*.
*Please refer to the standard warranty conditions on jaguar.co.uk
Designed to t 6 cylinder models (not including 2+2 models).

For more information on the new Aluminised Mild Steel Exhaust, speak to
your local Retailer, or talk to our Jaguar Heritage experts.
E: JHParts@jaguarlandrover.com T: + 44 (0) 2476 565 708
THE ART OF PERFORMANCE
E -T y p E T o p s p E E d T E s T
TAKING IT TO
THE MAX
In 1961, a standard Jaguar E-type reached 150mph
on a Belgian motorway. Can Octane achieve
the same now, on a German autobahn?
Words mark dixon // PhotograPhy matthew Howell
e -t y p e t o p s p e e d t e s t
ERE STANDING near the end of a rest area on the

A1 autobahn south of Cologne, eyes fixed rigidly
on the traffic appearing from under a bridge in the
far distance. Its ten past seven in the evening, and
the light is fading. The headlights of oncoming cars
appear ever-brighter as the cars themselves begin to disappear into the
gloom. Almost 30 minutes have elapsed since we waved a metallic blue
Jaguar E-type out of the car park and watched it accelerate down the
sliproad and power onto the autobahn. It should have returned ages
ago. These are some of the most stressful minutes that myself and
photographer Matt can remember.
Just as weve taken the decision to retrieve our Discovery support
vehicle and go in search of the missing E-type, it purrs into the rest area.
Its barely come to a halt before Matt and I are waiting at the drivers
door to hear the verdict from its pilot, and former British Hill Climb
Champion, David Franklin. How fast did he go?
THIS MOMENT is the culmination of weeks of planning. When the
Octane team was coming up with ideas for our 150th issue, someone
had the bright idea of recreating the most famous road test ever:
Autocars 1961 article, which proved that a standard roadgoing E-type
really could achieve 150mph, as Jaguar was claiming for the cars
launch. It wasnt merely a journalistic scoop or simply a key point in
Jaguar history it marked the dawn of a new era in motoring. It showed
that a moderately (but not exceptionally) affluent man or woman could
buy a roadgoing car that, straight off the showroom floor, would crack
150mph, a speed previously unheard of beyond La Sarthe or the
worlds Grand Prix circuits.
Of course, theres been a suspicion ever since that Jaguars road test
car, a left-hand-drive Coup registered 9600 HP, was specially prepared
in some way. Most owners, and certainly most journalists, would not
expect a production E-type to be capable of more than the mid-to-high
130s. So perhaps there was a certain karma in the fact that our first
choice of car for Octanes own attempt at 150mph the original road
test car, 9600 HP, now owned by Jaguar historian Philip Porter could
not be made match-fit in time for our attempt. While the car is in very
good condition and Philip was up for the challenge, the demands of
running at 150mph are very different from those required at half that
speed, and for safetys sake we could leave nothing to chance.
Instead, we were offered an equally early and significant Coup,
chassis 860001, which is in fact the very first right-hand-drive
production FHC. Owned by the proprietor of Bridgnorth-based Classic
Motor Cars Ltd, Peter Neumark, it was restored by Peters company in
the early 2000s to original factory specification with nothing added,
nothing altered and nothing taken away. As a representative of a new
1961 E-type it could not be bettered, and Peter who believes that cars
are to be used, not hidden away in garages was just as keen as we
were to find out what it could do.
NEXT QUESTION: where could we take an E-type up to 150mph and,
just as importantly, back down again in safety? A public road test was
clearly out of the question in the UK. But finding a suitable test track
was next to impossible, too. Its true that there are a few places used for
high-speed testing in this country: often former Cold War airfields such
as Bruntingthorpe in the Midlands, where the long runways built for
V-bombers are adequate for stretching modern performance cars. We
knew, however, that the E-type would need a run-up measured in miles
rather than yards to achieve its absolute top speed, and then a
considerable distance to brake to a halt again. Even the longest runway
we could find in the UK wouldnt be long enough.
Above and facing page

E-type driver David Franklin, in red-trimmed blue jacket, checks over the car as it is unloaded and chats with Octanes Mark Dixon, above.
Every precaution has been taken to ensure this will be a safe road test, including the fitment of brand-new competition road tyres.
Another option was to drive the banked circuit at the old Motor
Industry Research Associations testing grounds in Warwickshire (since
July this year owned by the Japanese company Horiba). No-one liked
the idea of trying to hold an E-type steady at 150mph on the banking,
however, and it would introduce an element of tyre scrub that would
affect the top speed, however minimal. Since our 150mph target was
already an ambitious one you can read on pages 92-96 how difficult
the Autocar road testers found it in 1961 that was a crucial factor.
The more we thought about it, the more it seemed there was only one
solution. In 1961, Autocar had driven 9600 HP to Belgium for its highspeed test. Fifty-four years later, we would have to take the E-type to
Germany, the last country in Europe to retain stretches of motorway
without speed limits. Even in Germany these are becoming increasingly
rare and wed have to pick our autobahn carefully. Features editor
Henry Catchpole at our sister magazine Evo suggested a stretch of the
A1 south of Cologne might be suitable: It doesnt really go anywhere,
so its relatively quiet, he assured us.
Decision made: the A1 it would be.
A FEW WEEKS later, the Octane team of myself, photographer Matt
and driver David are cruising through Germany in a new Discovery
SDV6, kindly provided as our support vehicle by Jaguar Land Rover
which appreciates the historical significance of this event. Its the
perfect back-up car: comfortable, roomy and economical, and with
enough grunt to tow the E-type out of trouble should it develop any
mechanical problems.
Not that were expecting it to. Peter Neumarks team at CMC have
been through it with a fine-tooth comb, fitting new wheels and tyres
and checking every mechanical element. Theyve even dyno-tested the
engine on a rolling road something that proved its worth when it was
discovered the fuel pump wasnt coping at really high revs. A highercapacity pump has duly been installed. Its intriguing to note that
power at the flywheel has been calculated at 213.9bhp at 5000rpm,
which equates to a theoretical 130.4mph. As the graph on page 90
shows, the figures are what youd expect of a carefully built but
standard 3.8-litre road-spec engine, proving that this is no hot rod.
The one thing weve not been able to take precautions against is the
weather. Its been steadily deteriorating since we crossed the Channel
and, by the time we reach our German guesthouse in a village just off
the A1, the cloud has descended and a persistent rain is falling; although
its not yet 6pm, the light is already failing. Weve allowed ourselves a
maximum of a day-and-a-half to do the photoshoot and get the timed
runs, but the plan is to wrap everything up tomorrow if possible, with
the option of a final early-morning run the following day if the weather
hasnt improved tonight. Fingers crossed.
FORTUNATELY, the rain has stopped when we stumble down to
breakfast at 8am the following day. Good intentions of starting early
with a high-speed run were shelved when we worked out that it would
make more sense to get pictures in the bag first, just in case the engine
does happen to go bang. Plus, we need to check the car over carefully
before attempting any heroics; safety is paramount.
Left from top

David contemplates his forthcoming
high-speed test; fuelling up with
100-octane Shell V-Power Racing;
Mark rigs up a GPS speedometer.
Chris, the trucker who has brought the E-type over from the UK in a
huge articulated lorry, has already unloaded it by the time were ready
for action. It looks simply gorgeous, finished in its original colour of
Opalescent Dark Blue with red leather interior, on sparkling chrome
wires. Just as with 9600 HP in 1961, the front grille bar and bumper
overriders have been removed for ultimate aerodynamic efficiency,
and like 9600 HP this very early Fixed Head, 1 VHP, has no external
mirrors. Its also one of only four right-hand-drive coups made with
carriage-type external locks on each side of the bonnet, which have to
be worked with a T-handled key just like the ones I remember from
old British Railways carriages in my youth.
I bought 1 VHP from Philip Porter in October 1998 for a quid! says
Peter Neumark, when I call him for a bit of background on the car. The
deal was that he would sell me it for a nominal pound, if I restored his
other early E-type, 9600 HP, free of charge.
Chassis 860001 was built on 10 July 1961 and despatched on 26
August to Henlys in London as a demonstrator, which makes you
wonder how many famous backsides sat in it during the first few
weeks. We restored it to factory condition in the early 2000s and I use it
a lot. Ive driven it in France and on the Scottish Malts tour, for example.
As a result, the car has picked up the odd paintwork chip here and
there, something that we find oddly reassuring as we contemplate it in
the soft German daylight. This car is clearly no trailer queen. David is
particularly pleased to see that the E-type has been fitted with Avon
CR6 ZZ tyres, which he rates highly. They were developed by Avon for
events like the Tour Auto as a roadgoing competition tyre and theyre
brilliant, very well suited to the car. The size here is a 205/70 x 15,
which is slightly wider and taller than the original spec, and fills the
arch out nicely without looking too modern.
CMC has set the pressures at 31psi all round and I wonder whether
we shouldnt increase them for high-speed running, to avoid any
chance of overheating and to minimise rolling resistance; back in 61,
the Autocar chaps settled on 35psi front and 40psi rear for their Dunlop
R5 racing tyres. David, however, is happy to leave the Avons as they
are. He points out that the autobahn is not the smoothest and that he
wont be travelling at very high speed for any length of time, so hed
rather have the benefit of a little more sidewall compliance and a
slightly larger contact patch. Since it will be David whos sitting in the
hot seat and not me, Im more than happy to defer to his judgement.
THE NExT FEW HOURS are spent shooting pictures and checking
the accuracy of the Jaguars speedometer against the GPS-based app
on my iPhone. To our surprise, at speeds up to about 100mph the big
Smiths dial matches my digital read-out exactly.
Im feeling very glad that I wont be riding shotgun when David
goes all-out, however. As a passenger, you are hyper-aware of the
fragility of the metal eggshell around you; despite the E-types famously
compliant suspension, every bump in the road seems intent on
throwing the car off-line even though it probably doesnt feel nearly
so nervous to the man behind the wheel.
Or perhaps it does, only it doesnt show: David has been competing
in motor sport since 1965 and has been a champion in disciplines
ranging from HSCC Historic GTs (with a McLaren M6B) to hillclimbs
and sprints (with an F3 Ensign and F2 March). He professes himself
happy with the E-type. It rides very well, and the engine seems notably
smoother above 3500rpm. Theres a slight resonance from somewhere
at about 100mph but it goes away again above that.
Cruising at 100-110mph, Davids hands resting easy at the quarterto-three position, the roar of slipstream and tyres on tarmac drown out
the straight-sixs refined exhaust note. Its another reminder that this
is a Grand Tourer and not a balls-out racer like a C- or D-type.
The traffic on this autobahn

seems unrelenting its not
nearly as quiet as wed
expected it would be
88 MONTH 2014 OCTANE
IF THE JAGUAR is near-perfect, thats not so true of the autobahn.

At its southern end, it reverts to a single-carriageway road, with an exit
sliproad and an overhead return to the other side. Thats good, because
it will make repeated runs easy to achieve. On the other hand, the
autobahn is narrower than we expected only two lanes rather than
three and the first few clicks are speed-limited to 100km/h. Then,
suddenly, it bursts onto a long, sweeping viaduct and becomes derestricted, as the lanes widen. Its here that David will finally be able to
open the taps and give the car its head assuming that the road is clear.
And this, unfortunately, is the problem. The traffic on this autobahn
seems unrelenting. Its never nose-to-tail but its not nearly as quiet as
wed expected it would be. We have to hope that the road will get less
busy in early evening, since the sun has come out during the day and it
means well have the benefit of daylight until relatively late.
At 6pm we decide its now or never. Matt starts rigging up his digital
SLR in the E-types luggage area, while I get to grips with a VBox datalogging system that will give us a highly accurate record of the cars
speed, acceleration and much more. As back-up, Ive gaffertaped my
iPhone with its GPS speedometer over the VBoxs video display, itself
taped onto the underside of the sun visor. All a bit Heath Robinson but
it will do the job. The VBoxs GPS measuring is a lot more precise than
the iPhones and it will also record high-definition video, providing a
useful alternative to the time-lapse photos taken on Matts SLR.
A last-minute check of tyres and fluid levels, and its time to go.
Looking cool as a cucumber, David smoothly feeds in the power and
breezes out of the rest area. All we can do now is wait.
THE VIEW of the neighbouring autobahn is obscured by dense foliage,
planted to reduce the noise of passing traffic. So our awareness of
David still
looks as calm
and unflustered
as if he were
merely taking the
dog for a walk
whats happening beyond the rest area is as much governed by our ears
as our eyes and we can hear that the traffic is pretty much constant.
We remember that David may have decided to travel north a few
junctions in his search for a clear run. We also realise, with a sense of
foreboding, that neither of us has a mobile phone any longer: Matts is
being used to trigger the time-lapse on his camera; mine is displaying
the E-types speed just above Davids sight-line. If David has a problem,
hell be on his own.
After 20 minutes, David pulls back into the rest area and confirms
that, while the autobahn is busier than he would like, the car is running
well. He hasnt got it beyond 136mph yet but hes going out for another
attempt. Still as calm and unflustered as if he were merely taking the
dog for a walk, he points the E-type towards the exit once more.
Another 20 minutes pass. Then 25. Still no E-type. Matt and I fidget
nervously and try not to catch the eye of curious East European lorry
drivers, who have begun to park up their huge rigs ahead of the coming
night. Thirty minutes. The sun has set now and dusk is falling. Its
becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish the outline of oncoming
cars on the opposite carriageway.
Simultaneously, we take the decision that one of us needs to retrieve
the Discovery and go in search of David. Im halfway to the vehicle
when I hear a yell and turn around to see Matt waving furiously: the
E-type is heading back!
A few minutes later, David is calmly explaining how he got on.

I managed three runs in all. The second was the fastest; the first was
only 136-138 or so. They were all spoiled by traffic, however. When
youre travelling at that speed you have to err on the side of caution.
Youre catching other traffic up quite quickly and you have to remember
that theres no ABS, although the brakes felt strong and progressive.
There are also no aerodynamic aids the car starts getting quite light
above 110mph and the steering becomes power assisted, so you have
to maintain a delicate touch. But the engine seemed to get smoother the
higher it was revving. It was still pulling at 5000-5500rpm; I think I saw
146mph and it was still accelerating when I had to back off.
Thats good enough for us. We may not have quite hit that 150mph
target but weve come damn close, and we know the car had more to
give. Racelogic confirms later that the VBox recorded a maximum
velocity of 146.49mph and car owner Peter Neumark is delighted:
I thought it would do well to get to 135, maybe 138mph, so Im
gobsmacked. Well done, David!
The man himself is typically laidback about the whole experience.
The car felt absolutely super. It would comfortably have reached
150mph. Of that, I have absolutely no doubt. End
Thanks To Peter Neumark and CMC, www.classic-motor-cars.co.uk;
Racelogic for the loan of the VBox, www.vboxautomotive.co.uk;
and Jaguar Land Rover for the Discovery support vehicle.
250
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136
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j ag u a r e -t y p e a t 15 0 m p h
Below
A few weeks after the
Autocar road test, 9600 HP
enjoys a more relaxed drive
back from the 1961 Geneva
motor show note the
reinstated grille bar.
the most
famous dash to
150MPH
In 1961, the e-type changed the course of automotive history.
this is the story of how autocar magazine verified Jaguars
claim that it was offering a 150mph car for real-world money
Words Philip Porter
t may be difficult to believe now

but, when the Jaguar E-type was
launched in 1961, it was such a
sensational motor car and such a rare
sight initially that the few examples on
the roads of Britain were literally mobbed
when they stopped.
Peter Sargent, who would race E-types at Le
Mans, worked in the City. When he left his
office at the end of the day, he could not get
near his newly delivered E-type parked in the
street, such was the crowd. He had to go and
have a gin and tonic!
There were two reasons for this extraordinary
aura. First, the E-type was, and is, a piece of
stunningly beautiful automotive sculpture
quite possibly the most beautiful car ever
made. Second, it would do 150mph, a speed
virtually unheard of in 1961.
The car that created that 150mph legend
was 9600 HP, a prototype Fixed Head Coup
that had been built in August 1960 and was
used as a development hack before being

spruced up and pressed into service as one
of two press cars, the other being the
Roadster 77 RW, an early production car. To
maximise the impact on launch, it was essential
to Jaguar that leading journalists should have
driven the car before its introduction so that
their road tests, or at least driving impressions,
could appear at the time of its public unveiling
in mid-March.
There were only two full-scale road tests
done, says Bob Berry, then head of Jaguar PR.
Motor did 77 RW and Autocar did 9600 HP
and they were, in our book, the two most
important journals by miles. Gregor Grant and
John Bolster [of Autosport] would have been
third on our list, and then Motor Sport and a
series of one-day stands for other people.
Of the select band of journalists who
sampled 9600 HP prior to launch, the honour
of being the very first fell to the late Maurice
Smith, then editor of Autocar, and
concurrently of Flight. He was actually Wing

Commander Maurice A Smith, DFC & Bar,
to give him his full title.
Maurice was not just a pilot, states Elizabeth
Hussey, his secretary at the time, but he was a
master bomber in the war. He was actually the
master bomber at the Dresden raids. He used
to look down and organise the bombing while
it was going on.
It seems rather appropriate that a man who
was used to flying should conduct the first
E-type road test. It took place on 16-17 February,
was reported in the 24 March issue of Autocar
and was quite an adventure. Sadly, Maurice
Smith died in February 1987, but the previous
year I had interviewed him for an article for
his old magazine.
Word had been put about and publicity
material prepared to the effect that E-types
would do 150mph, so the claimed top speed
already wagged the car, so to speak. The actual
car chosen for our test was the very well
Left
The 150mph run took place
on a stretch of a Belgian
motorway, parts of which
were still under construction!
loosened-up LHD second prototype coup, as

indicated by the famous chassis number
885002. Chosen may not be the right word,
since Jaguar used to develop on a shoestring
and it was probably the only coup. The
registration number 9600 HP, painted at an
illegal angle on the nose, was worth 2 or 3mph
as compared with a separate number plate.
Not only that but Jaguar removed the front
overriders and familiar motif bar that
normally resided in the bonnet mouth. Every
single mile-per-hour was going to be crucial.
To achieve the 150mph maximum, the 3.8
engine had to be a very good one. The
necessary power was conjured up during
prolonged work on the test beds, the engine
being pulled out and reinstalled more than
once. For the specification provided at the
time, we dutifully wrote of the engine: The
version used in the test car is basically the
same as that fitted in the XK150 S [265bhp at
5500rpm]. As an afterthought in rounding off
the report, we pointed out that some 40bhp
more could be found in highly developed
versions of the 3.8 engine. Perhaps the original
test-bed figures still survive. It would be
interesting to know what they really were.
We that is [colleague] Peter Riviere and
me were told officially not to exceed 6000rpm
on pain of death to the engine. Conversely, we
were told not to lift under 150mph on pain
of death to us as journalists/testers. Harry
Mundy, who knows about such things,
mentioned that he doubted whether valves
and pistons would meet under 6300rpm.
Jaguars chief tester Norman Dewis was
concerned that the normal Dunlop Roadspeed
tyres (RS5s) might not cope with the sustained
jaguar removed
the front
overriders and
grille bar. every
single mile-perhour was going
to be crucial
high-speed running and pushed for racing
tyres (R5s) to be fitted, which Dunlop
recommended should be inflated to 40psi.
Due to last-minute delays, including the
tailgate bursting open at speed, 9600 HP could
not be delivered to Smith at the Autocar offices.
It seemed best, therefore, to go home and
await delivery of the E-type while getting a
few hours sleep. Bags and test gear were
packed, the papers were in order, 7 a day
expenses had been collected and we were
booked out of Southend Airport intending to
report at 10.55am for 11.30am take-off. About
5.00am a cheerful, if red-eyed pair, arrived at
my home bringing the E-type. Bob Berry and
Norman Dewis joined me for eggs and bacon
as a grey and foggy dawn broke outside.
Smith was scheduled to meet his co-tester,
Riviere, at Antwerp. Antwerp came into the
picture because the E-type needed what was
then known as super premium fuel [100

octane] for the maximum performance testing.
Belgium and Holland could offer only lower
octane super or normale, therefore a special
fuel supply had been laid on at the docks.
There was no speed limit on most of the
Continental motorways at the time but they
were often two-laners and traffic could be
patchy. We had previously used the legendary
Jabbeke road between Ostend and Brussels,
stretches of which, at a price, could be closed
for testing. Otherwise you tried to out-guess
the farmers who crossed it with their animals
and wagons. This was acceptable at the right
times of day and up to about 120mph, but it
could be fraught at any time. The E-type test
was different and was likely to require at least
twice as long a clear stretch to gain the extra
30mph to 150.
Therefore a new stretch of motorway had
been chosen that, being only part-completed,
led nowhere and was virtually deserted, they
said. Today it is a 14km stretch of the E39 [now
the E34/E313] from the outskirts of Antwerp
to Herentals almost straight, mostly level and
frequently flanked by pinewoods. This, it was
felt, would give proper two-way runs to cancel
out any wind or gradient. The speed was to be
read on a carefully calibrated car speedo. Our
test fifth wheel with its accurate electric head
went with us but was not suitable for towing
above 130mph because it was apt to take off
from the road and occasionally from the car!
However, Smith, having crawled through
London traffic to Southend, had a problem.
The fog had not lifted and flying was cancelled
for the day. We needed those performance
figures without delay, so the one chance was
the night boat from Dover. I made my first
crossing on the Tilbury ferry and motored on,
still in fog, to the Channel port. Finally, the
ship crept from its moorings in mist to foghorn
accompaniment, which, from the noise and
vibration, seemed to originate beside my bunk.
At some ghastly wee hour we were
unshipped, still in fog and darkness. Do you
remember those first E-type headlights? Nicely
faired-in with 45 sloping Perspex enclosures
defracting half the beam vertically upwards to
produce a wall of bright fog. This, a misted-up
car interior [ventilation was poor], and
unfamiliar minor roads, made the prospects
unpropitious, to say the least. We crawled
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away from the docks on dipped headlamps,

crossed a canal, turned left and aimed for
where we thought Belgium should be.
Peter was waiting at the Dock Hotel and
arrangements were in hand 100-octane,
racing tyres and the rest for an early-morning
test session next day.
Out on the unfinished autoroute, six oclock
the next morning brought the start of a bright
day with some mist patches and a dazzling
orange sun ahead for the outward run. We
had a good look at the road and checked that
it was possible to turn and cross onto the
return carriageway. First, we ran off the highspeed acceleration figures with the fifth wheel
attached. With the car now hot and eager, we
took turns solo at the maximum speed runs.
It was relatively easy to wind up to 145mph
in under a minute but the extra 5mph took
a long time to show. At first, we were
getting up to 149mph outwards and 147 on the
parallel stretch back. Soon an occasional VW
Beetle appeared in fact there seemed to be
little else in Belgium at that time. We found
that if a Beetle was just going out of sight on
the horizon as we set off, the Jaguar would
pass it on the two-lane speed stretch that
followed, with a speed differential of at least
110mph not something we would have
done by choice.
To get to 150 we had to approach that
chosen straight at not less than 135mph. My
rather cramped right leg quivered with the
pressure to hold the pedal flat on the floor, and
as the Beetle came backwards towards me, as
it seemed, my toes instinctively curled up,
If a Beetle was
going out of
sight as we set
off, the jaguar
would pass it
with a speed
differential
of 110mph
trying to ease off the pedal, and disobeying
my instructions. The car felt stable and safe. In
these days of airdams and wings it seems
surprising that the long curving nose did not
lift and make the front end too light, nor the
short tail allow the car to wander.
After two or three runs each, we had a
roadside conference. The car was shimmering
with heat, the exhaust pipes were ticking and
all around was a smell of hot tyres and oil. We
had both just topped 150 on the outward run
but were sticking around 148 on the return.
Conditions were improving, so we would
have one or two more runs.
Maurice described what occurred next. Two
things happened on the runs which were
terrifying, both to me, actually. We were

beginning to despair and literally had foot
hard down, almost bending the floorboards.
Having passed the inevitable Volkswagen
with a speed differential of about 120mph, the
E-types passenger door sprung open onto its
safety catch. The body had flexed and there
was a tremendous reduction of pressure round
the outside of the doors, together with interior
pressure you could actually see the windows
pulling outwards if you left them ajar. Anyway,
it either flexed or was pulled open and it
sounded like a rifle shot, it went with such a
bang onto its safety catch. It was fairly
terrifying, when youre concentrating and
wondering whats going to happen next. My
fear had been a burst tyre.
Our scares were not quite over. On the
return run, again in the high 140s, came a
banshee wail accompanied by a burst of
machine-gun fire. Could the natives so resent
our activities? This time it was the bright metal
trim strip around the windscreen seal, which
had torn adrift and was holding only on a
screw at one end. Its edges played like a reed in
the slipstream and the loose end had been
beating on the roof.
My final and best run showed 151.5 out and
148.5 back. The waiting Peter had, in the
meantime, been entertained by a kindly and
solicitous Belgian chap who, seeing him sitting
by the roadside with a fifth wheel and forks,
felt sure he must have had a dreadful accident
with his bicycle.
The car now seemed to be using nearly as
much oil as petrol and both were getting low.
More vehicles were appearing and we were
beginning to feel conspicuous. Peters last run
was happily his best at almost 152 outwards
and about 149 back, so we called it a day. The
mean top speed worked out at fractionally
over 150mph, and we were satisfied that the
figure was fair. We should not have to resign
after all.
The precise figures, according to their
subsequent report, were a best run of 151.7mph
and a mean of 150.4mph. It was mighty close!
As we toured back to Antwerp the car
cooled and settled down again, being the
gentle, flexible sports coup we arrived in.
This was, Maurice stated, one of the
outstanding tests that I had anything to do
with. It was also terrifying!
Subsequently, I traced Peter Riviere and
bluntly asked him if they had fudged it. No,
we didnt fudge it. It was genuine. In terms of
a really great car to drive and great fun, the
E-type was an outstanding experience. End
Left
Parked in Genevas Parc
des Eaux Vives, following
the furore of the E-types
international launch.
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b u g a t t i t y p e 35 a n d v e y r o n
The Kings and i
As Bugatti prepares to move into a new era, Robert Coucher drives

an early masterpiece and the end-of-line Veyron back-to-back
PhotograPhy dominic Fraser
he Bugatti Veyron is
history. The King of the Road
is dead. It was first launched
ten years ago, and Bugatti has
produced only 300 Veyron
coups and 150 roadsters. The
cars are all sold and no more
are to be constructed. We are at the end of this
particular era of technical tour de force.
The diminutive Bugatti Type 35T you see
here was also an engineering marvel when it
was launched in the early 1920s, and is
arguably one of the most successful racing cars
ever, with more than 2000 victories and
podium finishes, including five consecutive
wins on the Targa Florio, the toughest road
race of them all.
So, two completely different motor cars
from opposite ends of the automotive timeline.
It is incredible to think that the Veyron has
been around for a decade, and this Bugatti
Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is the last
of the illustrious line and the Veyron is still
the fastest car in the world. The World Record
model holds the highest top speed
electronically limited to 268mph to prevent
the tyres disintegrating! And this Grand Sport
Vitesse holds the top speed record for a
roadster at 254mph. After a decade dominating
the high-speed, high-tech automotive world,
the Veyron is still the daddy.
The gestation of the Veyron was not easy.
In the 1990s Volkswagen Group supremo
Ferdinand Pich decided a 1000bhp 400km/h
supercar would be a good idea. Having been
the brains behind the all-conquering Porsche
917 and Audi Quattro, hes the sort of fellow
who thinks at that rarefied level. He charged
his top engineers with delivering the project
and, after a year expending maximum
brainpower and engineering skill, they failed.
So Dr Wolfgang Schreiber was brought in as
chief engineer and Le Mans racer Thomas
Bscher was appointed as president, and the
ber-complicated Veyron came to fruition and
blew away everything that had gone before.
Among car enthusiasts the Veyron was met
with mixed reaction. Yes, its performance
statistics were unbelievable and it pushed
the boundaries of the hypercar beyond
comprehension. But to some it seemed too big,
too complicated and too much. A completely
different animal to the lean, minimal and
beautiful (mostly) vintage Bugattis of the past.
But these armchair critics had probably never

slipped down behind the thick-rimmed, EBembossed steering wheel of a Veyron. Trust
me, youll never experience anything else like
it out there in the mad, bad world.
With those 450 examples now built and sold
out, the model certainly found the clientele it
was aimed at. There are urban myths about
Bugatti losing money on every Veyron but, at
2 million a pop, depending on specs, thats
almost a billion into the Bugatti coffers. As
successful as the great Type 35? Probably.
Indeed, the Veyron is expensive to run, with
a full service at around 14,000 and a set of
tyres costing 23,000, with new rims required
every five tyre-changes at 7000 a corner. Oh
yes, and at full chat it will drain its fuel tank
in eight minutes flat. But as the owners
probably run thirsty private jets and
superyachts as well, so what?
The Veyron is often compared to the
legendary McLaren F1 (of which only 106
examples were ever constructed), the car that
held the supercar mantle until Pich and his
boys unceremoniously yanked it away.
Gordon Murrays F1 is different to the Veyron,
being light (1250kg), pure and untainted by
such driver aids as traction control. Hell, it
doesnt even have servo-assisted brakes.
Back in 2010 (Octane 80) we did a track test
with Rowan Atkinson comparing his McLaren
F1 against a Veyron brought along by test
driver and ex-Formula 1 and Le Mans racer
Pierre-Henri Raphanel. Up at Rockingham
Motor Speedway, the track was treacherously
wet. Rowan, being Rowan, gave both cars the
beans (sorry) and, while the all-wheel-drive
Veyron remained clamped to the glistening
tarmac at stupendous speed, the McLaren was
immediately sliding off-line at some very
adventurous angles.
Ive had the good fortune to drive an F1
on fast country roads through France and its
a superb machine with that naturally aspirated
627bhp 6.0-litre V12, which sounds soulsoaringly wonderful. But on tricky roads its a
handful. Think of an early Porsche 911 with
way too much power. The McLaren is
astonishingly fast but I had problems keeping
up with a Ferrari 599 on the unknown roads.
With the normally urbane and smooth
owner sitting next to me fast turning pale I
was circumspect, especially when he told me
hed just taken the F1 to McLaren for a bit of
1925 bugatti
type 35t
ENGINE 2262c straight-eight,

OHC, twin Solex carburettors
POWER 120bhp @ 5200rpm
TORQUE 100lb ft @ 4000rpm
TRANSMISSION Four-speed
manual, rear-wheel drive
SUSPENSION Front: hollow axle,
leaf springs, friction dampers.
Rear: live axle, cantilevered
quarter-elliptic leaf springs,
friction dampers
BRAKES Drums, cable-operated
STEERING Worm and roller
WEIGHT 750kg
PERFORMANCE
Top speed 120mph
servicing and sorting out. The bill was around

20,000. Hmm, these hypercars are all
expensive to run and, now that McLaren F1s
are valued at around 8 million, well, a sub1-million, pre-owned Veyron looks like good
value no matter how many tyres you shred.
I drove a Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse last
year on the Mille Miglia, taking a mornings
break from competing in a 1931 Bugatti Type
51 racer (see Octane 134). Manuela Hoehne,
Bugattis head of communications, gave me
the key on the second day of the Mille and let
me loose through the Italian mountains. On a
particularly challenging section of road we
came up behind my bte noire a 599GTO.
Its driver clocked the big Veyron in his
mirrors and went into full-blooded attack
mode. He drove the Ferrari well and absolutely
flat out. He cut the apexes, flinging dirt at the
Bug, and used every millimetre of the road,
slewing the 599 at ten tenths. In the Veyron I
clicked down a gear and watched the antics at
about six tenths. The Veyron idly toyed with
the 599 without even beginning to try.
So here we are in California on the quiet and
genteel 17 Mile Drive near Monterey (in the
Land of the Free, the armed guards check you
in and out at the security gate) with this Veyron
Grand Sport Vitesse and the well-used Type
35T. And riding shotgun to show us how its
done is Le Mans winner Andy Wallace (he
piloted the fearsome ground-effect 240mph

TWR Jaguar XJR9 in 1988). Without wanting
to blow hot air up his intake restrictor, Andy
is a gentleman and tremendously overqualified to show a bunch of hacks around
these great cars. But he remains polite, patient
and amusing and is incredibly well informed
about everything Bugatti.
Now Im not going to kid you that we laid
all 1200bhp (metric) of Veyron power (and
120bhp of Type 35 grunt) down along the guntoting enclave of 17 Mile Drive but it makes a
dramatic backdrop to these dramatic motor
cars and I hope you enjoy Dominic Frasers
photographs. Andy has driven many properly
fast cars at insane speeds but he is clearly
taken with these Bugattis.
The Veyron looks menacing but the finish of
the matched carbonfibre-weave bodywork is
lustrous and the two-tone blue colour scheme
looks smart and expensive. Against it, the
faded and patinated Type 35T looks almost
like a childs toy car. But dont be fooled, it is
anything but.
Says Andy: The Veyron is set up to
understeer slightly but this can easily be
balanced by the throttle and the turn-in is razor
sharp. The engine has huge reserves of torque
and the steering is terrifically accurate and
communicative. The Grand Sport Vitesse has a
slightly softer damping set-up than the coup,
Andy WAllAce
hAs driven mAny
properly fAst
cArs At insAne
speeds but he
is cleArly
tAken With
these bugAttis
Left and right

A tale of contrasts: nine decades
separate Type 35 from the last of the
Veyrons, which has ten times the
power but also three times the weight.
Interior character has evolved from
raw racer to first-class luxury.
2015 Bugatti 16.4

Veyron grand
Sport ViteSSe
ENGINE 7993cc W16, DOHC

per bank, four turbochargers,
electronic fuel injection
and engine management
POWER 1184bhp @ 6000rpm
TORQUE 1106lb ft @
3000-5000rpm
TRANSMISSION Seven speed
dual-clutch, four-wheel drive
SUSPENSION Double wishbone
hydraulic with three
height settings
BRAKES Carbon-ceramic discs;
rear spoiler acts as air
brake above 120mph
STEERING Rack and pinion,
power-assisted
WEIGHT 1990kg
PERFORMANCE Top speed
254mph. 0-60mph 2.6sec
Climbing out of the Veyron and

into the type 35t is a reVerse shoCk.
you feel perChed and exposed
in its tight CoCkpit
which gives it a very composed ride, so the car
is not in any way intimidating and can be
threaded down a road with accuracy. The
really amazing thing is its sheer traction. Hop
in and Ill show you.
The cockpit is very low, the seats are
mounted low in the frame and I find it amusing
that on this 1.9-million car they are adjusted
manually by pulling on the lever at the front of
the squab. Good old-fashioned weight-saving
to prune the Bugs kerbweight down to
1990kg! The interior is quite simple but
beautifully hewn. The leather buckets are
offset by blue stitching and that massive
steering wheel is a work of pure art. Being so
low-slung helps the handling as the cars
centre of gravity is as near to the ground as
possible, says Andy, as he fires the 8.0-litre
W16 engine. The sound is astonishing. It is
unlike that of any other motor car. Its a hard,
aggressive, loud monotone. The engine has
four turbochargers and their whooshing
overlays the mechanical thunder.
Andy snicks the delicate shifter into Drive
and eases away. The flat engine note climbs as
the seven-speed dual-clutch box slurs up
through the cogs. The road clears and Andy
looks at me. Here we go. I know whats coming
so I brace myself and tense my neck muscles
as tightly as I can. With a monstrous roar the
Veyron launches and, yep, my head smacks
back onto the headrest. Hard.
The raw acceleration is quite stupendous.
Your brain takes a couple of milliseconds to
catch up with the speed of movement as your
eardrums are assailed by the mighty bellow
from behind. Le Mans winner Wallace was
being gentle up until now but hes morphed
into a focused racer as he firmly takes control
of the 1184bhp Bug. And when it is time to
slow down he does so with absolute conviction.
He stands on the brake pedal and the huge
carbon-ceramic discs cut the speed with such
ferocity Im slammed up hard against the
seatbelt. Oof.
This Veyron experience is as overwhelming
as always. The tyres are not up to temperature
just yet so the gearbox is selecting second gear
to allow the most traction from a standing
start, says Andy. Im not looking forward to
the full-on first gear thrust, I can tell you. And
no, we wont be troubling the special key that

is required to unlock speeds of over 375km/h.
Andy then lets me take the wheel and
Im reminded of the Veyrons beautifully fluid
and feelsome steering, the awesome brakes,
forgiving suspension and the pure rush of
driving such a machine. When left in automatic
its happy to potter but use the paddles and its
supersonic. Bear in mind the Veyrons top
speed is 100mph higher than Concords
landing speed. Ample sufficiency.
Climbing out of the recessed Veyron and
into the Type 35T is a reverse shock. You feel
perched and exposed in its tight cockpit, with
your feet scrabbling for room on the oil-kissed
bare aluminium gearbox case. Whippet-slim
Andy leaps behind the wheel and deftly sets
about the start-up procedure. Kill switch,
ignition, magnetos and fuel switches I
pump the dash-mounted fuel pump up to
pressure before firing up the 2.3-litre straighteight, which burst into angry action. The
whole car shivers and shakes with mechanical
energy. The exhaust is deliciously raspy and
loud through the delicate twin tailpipes, and
the view through the aero-screen and down
the long, louvred bonnet with its leather
straps is emotive.
Julius Kruta, head of tradition at Bugatti,
freely admits this Type 35T (T for Targa
Florio) is something of a bitsa, but theyre
all real bits and its used properly by the
enthusiastic Bugatti staffers who are lucky
enough to take it on the Mille Miglia and other
historic events. Incidentally, Pierre Veyron was
an early Bugatti development engineer and
driver and he won the 1939 Le Mans with JeanPierre Wimille, co-driving the rather bulbouslooking Type 57G Tank. He is honoured with
the latest Bugatti being named after him.
The Type 35 has its pedals in the normal
layout many of its contemporaries have the
throttle in the middle but the gearshift
pattern is the wrong way around, with first
gear to the left and back, third back and right.
No matter, Andy guns the straight-eight, eases
it into cog one via the long shifter poking out
through the aluminium bodywork, and the
lightweight 750kg Bug roars away with glee.
Immediately hes on it, enjoying hustling
the little Bug through the curves with
beautifully clean gearshifts. The skinny tyres

offer little grip and soon we are sliding neatly
through the corners.
The T35 is superbly balanced with 50:50
weight distribution and, when I take my
turn behind the large-diameter, thin-rimmed
wooden steering wheel, it is incredibly alive
and involving. The brakes are cable-operated
but they work. You need to get your head
around the gearshift pattern and the crash
box. It doesnt require force and the trick is
to let the shifter linger in neutral, doubledeclutch, and then use your fingertips to snap
it into the next gear. Best not to keep rubbing
the gear selector up against the cogs.
The steering is quick and direct and the gear
ratios are tightly stacked but whine loudly in
third. The ride is very good for a car of this era
and you can feel its racing pedigree. But its
the jewel-like engine thats the real joy. It has
lots of grunt and is cracklingly eager to rev and
makes driving down any road a total pleasure.
Impressive for a 90-year-old machine.
While both of these motor cars are Bugattis,
they are not really comparable. Yet both exhibit
Right and below

An 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 versus
a twin-cam straight-eight: the elder
is simpler and more purist in its
approach, but theres no denying the
appeal of that thundering 1184bhp.
engineering of the highest standards and both

break the rules, the Type 35T being the first
race-winning motor car you could use
effectively on road and track, and the Veyron
because it redefined any previous envelope
of performance.
Which to have? Well, obviously, both. Which
one would I like most? The Type 35T, because
it is one of the greatest vintage motor cars ever
and I could have all sorts of fun with it,

popping to the shops, blasting around the
Mille Miglia or sliding around a racetrack with
the Vintage Sports-Car Club nutters.
The Veyron, on the other hand, is an
expression of utterly astonishing automotive
engineering but, as Im not part of the jet set,
its not for me. Le roi est mort, vive le roi
Turn to the next page.
SELL OR CONSIGN TODAY
Quick Decision
Worldwide Collection
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BUG AT TI: W H ATS N EXT
LONG LIVE THE KING
Frankfurt Gran Turismo concept previews design language of the next Veyron
NOTHING IN THE motor industry

stays still for very long. The Bugatti
Veyron is now over and in its place
is about to come the next Bugatti
hypercar. Its believed to be called
the Chiron, named after 1930s Bugatti
racing driver Louis Chiron.
Some fortunate Bugatti customers
have enjoyed an exclusive preview at the
beautiful Bugatti mansion in Molsheim,
and the asking price is rumoured to be
around 2.2 million. Meanwhile, mere
mortals got a taste of whats to come
when Bugatti translated from the digital
world the Bugatti racer that had been
developed for the video game Gran
Turismo. This project showcases
Bugattis new design language, which
we have developed to celebrate this new
chapter in our history, says Bugatti
president Wolfgang Drheimer.
So, what do you get for your black
credit card-wilting outlay? A full
1480bhp and the promise of a top speed
of 288mph with tyres specially
developed to prevent them exploding at
this ultra-velocity. The Chiron is a
heavily developed Veyron so it retains
the quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre, W16
engine, four-wheel-drive system (with
torque vectoring) and seven-speed, dualclutch transmission.

These pictures (below) are of the Gran
Turismo concept, but those who have
seen the Chiron say it is instantly
recognisable as a Bugatti thanks to its
signature horseshoe front grille and
well-planted stance. The carbonbre
bodywork is more angular than before
and double-barrelled headlights add
menace. There are large vents in the
front wings as well as air scoops on the
roof, and the four round tail-lights are

replaced by a full-width LED light-bar
embedded in a silver carrier. The exhaust
is integrated in a new end panel shaped
like a stylised B.
The revised W16 engine will feature
cylinder deactivation, electric-actuated
turbocharging and direct injection.
Bugatti is planning to build 500 examples
and the Chiron will be launched at
Geneva in 2016. The King of the road
is back, long live the King! End
Above
Until the new Bugatti arrives (expected
to be called the Chiron, at the 2016
Geneva show), this Gran Turismo
concept unveiled at Frankfurt is the
biggest clue as to what comes next.
citron ds from gr eece
the greek goddess

Jethro Bovingdon wanted a Citron DS and the best he could afford was
in Athens, a long way from home. Is that a problem or an opportunity?
PhotograPhy The Bovingdon family
OCTANE decemBer 2015 111
t feels real the moment the front wheels

touch the ramp for the tatty-looking Grimaldi
Lines Olympia ferry that will take me, my new
car and 100 lorry drivers from Patras on mainland
Greece to Brindisi on the heel of Italy. The panic
crashes in a wave through my stomach, into my ribcage
and through my arms until they feel almost rigid. Rolling
to a jerky stop (those brakes!) Im in automatic pilot,
stirring the still-alien manual column-shift into first,
stomping on the parking brake to make sure its secure,
gathering my bags for the 15-hour journey ahead, locking
the doors well, three of them as the passenger door lock
barrel slides whole with the key and then trying to
work out how I get up on deck. My mind is scrambled.
As I fumble to lock the boot, a black Austrian-registered
Mercedes SL rumbles behind me. The driver hops out,
maybe six-four, well-groomed and looking ready for a
week on a yacht rather than a night on a creaky ferry.
His girlfriend is impossibly glamorous. Wow, nice car,
he says in unmistakable clipped tones. I have one of
these back in South Africa.
He begins to poke around for corrosion with a welltrained eye. Looks like youve got a good one, he says.
I tell him Im driving it back to the UK over the next few
days. He raises his eyebrows, theres an awkward silence,
then a simple Good luck and theyre gone. Im left alone
with the DS as it slowly sighs down on its suspension.
God, it looks cool. God, I hope it gets me home.
So how did I come to find myself dazed and mildly

panicked on a ferry leaving Greece and bound for
southern Italy in a 1972 D Super in a lovely shade of Brun
Scarabee? I can barely remember myself but it went a
little like this
My much-loved, highly unoriginal Porsche 996
Carrera was paid off, recently resprayed and ready for
many more miles of enjoyment. Consequently I had that
itch. The one that sees you scouring the internet for
something, anything, of interest. I intended to buy a
Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R, maybe a Mitsubishi Evo VI
Tommi Mkinen: something with that unique
combination of focus, technology and unbridled
craziness that only the Japanese can conjure. Then a
detailer and friend Richard Tipper of Perfection Valet
posted a picture on Twitter of the car he was working on
that day. A green Dcapotable, looking mouth-wateringly
beautiful in this, the DSs 60th-anniversary year.
Memories of my dads old DS resurfaced, I fired up the
laptop and there was an ad for a Pallas, basking in Greek
sunshine and available for a suspiciously tempting price.
The advert was mysterious. Typed in CAPITALS,
telling a story of a one-owner car in Athens but with the
advert location said to be Camberley, UK. I closed the
laptop. Then opened it again. I reasoned it was probably
a scam but, then again, thats what everyone else would
think, right? Why not drop the guy an email? So I did. He
replied (in CAPITALS) almost immediately. He sounded
Above, left and right

In a tunnel near Termoli, Italy
the DS proved the perfect classic
for sustained autoroute cruising;
at Maranello, outside what are
possibly the most hallowed
gates in the motoring world.
1972
citron d
Super
EnginE
1985cc four-cylinder,
OHV, Solex carburettor
PowEr
108bhp @ 5500rpm
Transmission
Four-speed manual,
front-wheel drive
sTEEring
Power-assisted
rack-and-pinion
susPEnsion
Front: leading
arms, self-levelling
hydropneumatics, antiroll bar. Rear: trailing
arms, self-levelling
hydropneumatics
BrakEs
Powered discs,
inboard at front
wEighT
1361kg
PErformancE
Top speed 100mph
genuine. Soon I discovered he was a reader of Evo

magazine, to which I regularly contribute, and Octane
too, of course. He had a large collection of cars, he said.
Ill book a flight, I said. He assured me he wasnt an axe
murderer (the wife made me ask) and, sure enough,
when I went to look at the car Andreas was a lovely chap,
passionate about cars, and the DS had been his fathers
since 74 when he bought it as an ex-demo from the
importer in Athens. He took me for a long drive, we had
an unbelievable lunch overlooking the shimmering
Saronic Gulf, he bought me Ouzo, the deal was done.
The next two or three weeks were testing. I knew little
about the DS except that its a car I love, yet slowly I
realised this one wasnt a Pallas (it will be painfully
obvious to many of you) but had been dressed up to look
a bit like one. The excellent Citron Conservatoire helped
trace its history: a 2.0-litre D Super built in 72 with a
four-speed manual gearbox. As was often the way in
Greece, the dealership had brought in a basic car for tax
reasons then added Pallas C-pillar trim and the chrome
strip (since removed), and had the interior trimmed in
soft olive-green leather. It left the factory painted Vert
Charmille but, before Andreass father bought it, the
importer had changed it to the gorgeous Brun Scarabee.
Why? Who knows. Did uncovering its true identity
put me off? A little, but I couldnt afford a mint Pallas
so it was almost irrelevant. Plus my family had
completely bought into the idea of flying out to help me
bring it home. A couple of hours after arriving in Italy

Id pick up my two brothers and my dad at Brindisi
airport (10.30, Saturday morning), aim for Maranello
that night, then head into Switzerland and over the
St Gotthard Pass on Sunday, hoping to make it into
France. On Monday itd be an easy stroll to the Chunnel
and then home to Northamptonshire.
Rolling onto Italian soil feels pretty damn intrepid.
There are 1500 miles to go but the sun is shining and the
customs staff are friendly. The guy checks my passport
with a smile and shouts to a colleague who bounds over
when he sees the car. His English isnt great but I get
the gist. Pointing, he says: I have I have this. Bianco.
Mine is bianco. Another DS owner. It adds a further
twist of the surreal to this already remarkable adventure.
I explain Im driving it home as best I can. He sticks his
thumb in his mouth for a moment then says: Bambino.
Treat it as bambino. Then I sink back into those incredibly
soft, beautifully aged leather chairs and head for the
airport, wending through tiny sun-bleached streets,
feeling elated and (almost literally) floating on air.
Things arent so rosy once Nathan, Toby and my dad,
Roger, arrive. The previously flawless D rises swiftly but,
with four blokes, their luggage and the LHM a little
below maximum, it wont go high enough to extinguish
the massive red STOP sign in the oval warning cluster
on the dash. Its a niggle but annoying when youre
showing your new bambino to the family.
SL
c
it
Ur
GoH
E
nAD
DS f r o m G r E E c E
Its well over 30 degrees outside and Toby has had

some comedy DS Adventure T-shirts made for us.
Theyre 100% polyester. So all four windows are down
and its blowing a gale as we settle into a cruise at an
indicated 110km/h. Within two minutes the interior
C-pillar trims come loose on either side and dad
reaches for one before it flies out into the slipstream,
letting go of the map, which then swirls around the
interior and is sucked towards the window opening
Thankfully he makes a crucial save at the last moment.
The car and my hopes are rapidly disintegrating.
At the first fuel stop, Nath a mechanic and the man
charged with running repairs finds a small fuel leak.
Is it bad? I ask, tentatively. No fuel leak is a good fuel
leak, he replies. My heart sinks still further but at least
the ice cream is good and I dig out the email
confirmation of my new ADAC European recovery
membership. Yet a few minutes later were back on the
road, having discovered its just an overflow and the
leak stops as soon as the gruff but torquey fourcylinder is running. The miles come and go gently and
our speed creeps up to 120km/h, with the odd foray to
130 when Im feeling brave. Slowly but surely the
furrowed brows and worries are washed away and we
start to enjoy the majesty of a DS cruising along the
Adriatic coast. Dinner in Rimini? Why the hell not.
Its midnight when we roll into Ferrari town and
check in at The Planet hotel, right opposite those
famous gates. My dad bravely volunteers to share
with Nathan, whose snoring measures on the Richter
scale, and I share with Toby. Our room is huge and its
two kingsize beds are almost as comfy as a DS
armchair. In the morning dad pops in to borrow some
toothpaste, looking exhausted. Turns out he and Nath
had two singles with about six inches between them.
Ill never forget his slumped shoulders as he walked
out clutching Colgate to hoots of laughter from myself
and Toby. Of such things are roadtrips made.
Still, the horror of a night in a twin room with his
eldest son is forgotten as we trundle around Maranello,
peep through the gates at the Fiorano test track and
soak up the place. Ive been many times before but for
my family its a real treat and reminds me that, behind
all the tat, Ferrari still possesses real magic.
Today is The Big One. Well cover a similar mileage
to yesterday around 500 but Im really keen to take
in the spectacular St Gotthard Pass, which means we
need to negotiate customs at the Swiss border with our
barely legal Greek FIVA-registered car (intended to
allow short journeys to shows and the like), conquer
the Alps, then skirt around Lausanne and Geneva and
get into France. The route could hardly be more
evocative: Maranello, Piacenza, Milan, Lake Como, St
Gotthard, Geneva and then, hopefully, somewhere
up near Dijon for a late dinner. Confidence is high,
although when Nath shows me the toolkit it dips:
tie-wraps, screwdriver, toilet roll, not much else.
All is sunny in Maranello but as we head north the
skies turn grey and it begins spitting with rain well
before we hit Milan. I wonder when my DS (still
sounds strange) last saw precipitation and, when I
switch on the wipers, the perished rubber blades
confirm its been a while. On the second arc the left
one comes loose at the bottom and flaps around
hopelessly. Luckily we have those tie-wraps. And the
drooping door-mirror needs a little tighten-up, too.
700 miles into our

journey, a bodged
wiper blade and
a loose mirror are
acceptable issues in
a 43-year-old citron
Were 700 miles into our journey and all agree that a
bodged wiper blade and fixing a loose mirror are
acceptable issues in a 43-year-old Citron. Theres a big
test to come, though. We sweep serenely into Switzerland
(no customs trouble) but, 20 miles short of St Gotthard,
traffic is at a standstill. Its cold, grey and the rain is that
hazy sort that soaks you in seconds. We get out for a chat
with the French, Swiss and Germans stuck alongside us.
So, do we switch the car off and risk having to restart
over and over again, or leave it running and risk it
overheating? As the traffic finally starts to creep we have
little choice but to watch that temperature needle and
pray Two hours later were free of the queues and
heading up and up and up on the magnificent St
Gotthard Pass. We should never have doubted it. What
a car! Sweeping over great curves suspended on giant
concrete stilts, plunging into thick fog and watching the
snow build from a light dusting at the roads edge to
great shelves of white ice twice the height of the DS
were all alone on St Gotthard and its breathtaking,
slightly surreal and, for my brother Toby, terrifying. I
think hed have preferred the straight, flat tunnel option
but the Pass is something else. What if it, yknow,
stops? he asks, timidly, while clinging to a towel thats
become a sort of comfort blanket. I assure him we can
always roll back down but, of course, we make it to the
wintry summit with ease and the journey through a vast
valley of mountains and beautiful villages is fantastic,
the DS staying calmly unruffled even when my dad has
a turn behind the wheel and seems to be channelling
Paul Coltelloni on the 59 Monte.
Its 6.30pm when we hit the valley floor and breathe a
sigh of relief. Toby is particularly pleased to be back on
the flat and heading for big blue autoroute signs. But
within spitting distance of the main E35 a landslide has
shut the road. The Swiss police officer speaks very little
English but points us towards Furka and the train. So
the DS turns around and heads for this mysterious train,
panic again rising in the car. In Realp, a few kilometres
away, we find an open-sided car transporter that rattles
through the Furka Tunnel for 15km in almost complete
darkness and deposits us in Oberwald, tired, hungry
and not knowing exactly where we are.
For the first time we resort to sat-nav and ponder just
how far away the French border looks right now. The
answer is very. But with little choice we push on to
Lausanne, past Geneva and finally into France. Now
were really tired and roll into the little town of Chtillonen-Michaille, more in hope than expectation of finding
a hotel at one oclock in the morning. At the first

roundabout two gendarmes are waiting and request a
breath test. Once Im proven to be sober they lead us to a
hotel, we pop our credit cards into a machine and two
room keys are ejected as if by magic.
Monday is a breeze. We finally top-up the LHM,
tighten that mirror again and just keep adding fuel every
350km or so (the fuel gauge doesnt work so were being
cautious). The DS really is a fantastic car in which to
cover miles. The engine isnt the smoothest but that fourspeed manual box is light, almost effortless, the ride is
fantastic but not so floaty as to make you feel queasy, and
the light, quick steering and superbly responsive brakes
make it feel almost modern once up to speed.
We missed our 500-mile target yesterday so the speed
creeps up to 140km/h or so and still the DS just strides
on imperiously. Mcon, Dijon and Reims slip by and
soon were gliding into the Eurotunnel terminal. We go
FlexiPlus, the tunnels version of Business Class. This
incredible car deserves nothing less.
Dad climbs out and pats the roof once were on board.
Its part of the family now, he says. End
Above
Getting high on the St Gotthard
Pass. Remember, this journey
started in 30-degree heat by the
Mediterranean. Passengers
wearing shorts are beginning
to feel the cold
The Chateau Impney

Christmas Gala Auction
Wednesday 9th December 2015
1933 Lagonda 4.5 Litre Tourer

- Offered from the estate of engineer and jazz musician Jim Shelley
- Purchased by Jim Shelley in 1972 and developed thereafter
- Tuned Lagonda 4.5 Litre six-cylinder engine (higher compression ratio, tubular exhaust manifold, oil cooler etc)
- High ratio back axle tted by the late Paul Morgan
- Fabric covered Bugsback coachwork fabricated using aero modeller techniques
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A DV E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E
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As part of Jaguar Land Rover, Jaguar Heritage is the denitive source for 100%
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THE GREATEST DRIVER never to have won the

World Championship is undoubtedly Sir Stirling Moss.
He was runner-up on four occasions and nished third
a further three times, having won 212 of the 529 races he
entered. Moss may be best known for his great victories
in Formula 1 and in the fearsome Mercedes-Benz 300
SLR, yet he was rst and foremost a Jaguar man.
Stirling won his rst major international race on his
21st birthday, the 1950 RAC TT at Dundrod, driving a
Jaguar XK120 (pictured here during practice). He would
go on to win the TT a further six times, including victory
in a C-type in 1951.
In 1950, at the Autodrome de Montlhry, he and Pat
Johnson drove another XK120 for 24 hours at an
average of 107.46mph a world production-car record.
He followed that in 1952 with a non-stop, seven-day,
high-speed record-smashing marathon in a Jaguar
XK120. In 1952 Norman Dewis joined Stirling in C-type
XK 005 on the Mille Miglia, though they retired with
steering problems. Yet he went on to win the sports car
race at Reims in the Jaguar later that year.
At Silverstones 1952 Touring Cars race, Moss won
in an improbable-looking Jaguar MkVII, and then he
came second at Le Mans in a C-type in 1953. Not a bad
record for a Mercedes-Benz driver!
Robert Coucher
JAGUAR HERITAGE
JAGUAR
MAN,
STIRLING
MOSS
Leading specialists in the restoration and

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Where great cars achieve perfection.

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International suppliers of classic and

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Speak with Peter Hugo and Chris
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www.winspeedmotorsport.com
bon d c a r s i n rome
keeping
it real
Octane goes on
location with new
Bond film Spectre
to watch Aston Martin
DB10 and Jaguar
C-X75 battle it out
Words Mark Dixon
PhotograPhy Sony/EON
OCTANE DEcEMbEr 2015 121
IDNIGHT IN ROME, and

the boulevards flanking the
River Tiber in the city centre
are still thick with traffic.
Car drivers on either side
cant see whats happening in the valley
alongside them, because of the stone walls that
flank the pavements. But the occupants of
bigger vehicles lorries and buses enjoy a
more elevated view. And they must be just
a little spooked when theyre overtaken by a
helicopter roaring past below their line of
vision, just above the river, and then rocketing
skywards at the last moment before the next
river bridge. No doubt about it: James Bond
is in town.
In these days when anyone with a cheap
laptop can produce their own movie special
effects, weve become a bit blas about the
amazing stunts we see on the big screen.
CGI computer-generated imagery has
transformed the way movies are made.
Remember the impact that Jurassic Park had
back in 1993? For todays audiences it would
barely rate a whatever Which is why, for
the latest Bond flick, the movie-makers have
gone back to first principles. The stunts are for
real, and they have been captured get this
on actual film!
Of course, no Bond film is complete without
a good car chase; and the chase sequences in
this film, Spectre, promise to be very good
indeed. The cars involved are truly spectacular,
for a start. Bond gets to drive an Aston, of
course, and this time he has a spanking new
DB10 (only ten were made; one will be
auctioned for charity next year). Even the
baddie, Mr Hinx, has something special, in the
shape of a Jaguar C-X75, the hybrid supercar
that has yet to make it into the showrooms.
Moviegoers will see Hinx (played by Dave
Bautista) pursue Bond (Daniel Craig, of course)
through the streets of Rome and for the first
time ever in a movie the heart of the Vatican,
hurling their cars over slippery cobbles, flying
down flights of steps and, as our opening
image shows, giving the odd unfortunate Alfa
an impromptu soft-top conversion. Theres
also a scene where Bonds DB10 launches into
the River Tiber itself and Octane was there,
on a freezing cold March evening, to see how
that particular stunt was done.
Given the essential Britishness of Bond, its
reassuring to find that most of the film crew
hail from the old country too. And, despite the
lateness of the hour and the enormity of the

expectation thats resting on them, they all
seem remarkably laid-back and cheerful. None
more so than DB10 stunt driver Mark Higgins,
who has the privilege not only of ragging one
of the rarest Astons ever made but also as
doubling up for Daniel Craig. We suspect hes
never short of a chat-up line at parties.
Unfortunately I dont get to keep the Omega
or the Tom Ford suits! he laughs, when asked
what its like to be James Bond. But Daniel is
great to work with. Hed drive the car more if
he could, but obviously hes so busy. Weve
done a few days with him in the car, and he
enjoys sliding it around.
Higgins hasnt always been a stunt driver:
hes rather better known for winning the
British Rally Championship three times, in

1997, 2005 and 2006. But hes also worked on
Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. I was dressed
up as Naomie [Harris] for much of Skyfall, he
confesses. And yes, there are pictures, but Im
not going to show them to you!
For Spectre, Higgins and fellow stunt driver
Martin Ivanov were the only crew allowed
behind the wheel of either the Aston or the
Jaguar especially when that wheel is
mounted on top of the cars roof, in one of the
specially made pods from which the stunt
drivers control the cars while the main actors
are filmed apparently driving them. Surely
this is a horrendously scary thing to do?
The pod is very difficult, Higgins admits.
The problem is that steering is by a hydraulic
marine pump, so theres no self-centring or

feel and youre always correcting it. Its not
like driving a car at all and we much prefer to
be actually inside the cars.
Eight DB10s were provided for the film
(and, as youll read on pages 126-130, there
were seven Jaguar C-X75s too). The Astons
comprised two pod cars, two stunt cars, two
for jumps like the one over the Alfa and two
for special effects. The special effects cars
have the gadgets: flame throwers, ejector
seats, adds Higgins. And machine guns All
the old Bond gadgets appear, which is good
and I have the buttons to press! I control the
flamethrower and machine guns; its more
reliable than having them triggered remotely.
And I can always be blamed if they go wrong!
Above and left

Drifting around the centre
of Rome was all done for
real, by rally champion
Mark Higgins in the DB10
and stunt driver Martin
Ivanov in the C-X75;
Mr Hinx, played by Dave
Bautista, is the chief
baddy in the Jaguar.
Above
Aston and Jaguar jump
cars were required to fly
down flights of steps,
something that caused
remarkably little damage.
We thought
the gearbox had
been ripped out,
but it was only a
driveshaft and part
of a wishbone
The DB10s are based on manual-box (apart

from one of the pod cars) Vantage V8 S
floorpans, with 70mm wheelbase extensions
and widened tracks. Youd expect the attrition
rate during filming to have been pretty high,
given that the stunts involved hurtling down
flights of steps (above) and similar rough stuff,
but special effects technician Ashley Hollebone
claims thats not the case.
Our biggest surprise was that the cars
didnt get nearly as smashed up as wed
expected. One of the Jaguars came down the
steps and we thought the gearbox had been
ripped out, but it was only a driveshaft and
part of a wishbone. Within 30 minutes wed
replaced them and the car was driving again.
Tonights stunt involves Jaguar pursuing
Aston along the river bank, and getting
flambed by the DB10s flamethrower in the
process. Then Bond will veer off into the river
just ahead of a bridge, leaving Hinx to go
screaming past and possibly, though were
guessing embed himself in the abutment.
The river jump will be almost comically oldschool: an engineless DB10 has been placed on
a ramp disguised by fake blocks of stone, and
will be catapulted off just as the speeding
DB10 passes behind. Careful camerawork and
editing will smooth the transition.
As with any movie, setting up for a shot that

will last barely a handful of seconds in the
movie takes several hours. Practice runs with
the helicopter and takeaway pizza for the
assembled journos and PRs are all-too-brief
highlights in a night that essentially consists
of waiting, and waiting, and waiting for
something to happen. Anything.
But, when the cameras finally roll, its all
worthwhile. Aston and Jag roar along the
riverbank and the spare DB10 is fired into the
River Tiber exactly to plan. Minutes later,
frogmen are diving to attach cables to the car,
which fortuitously is half-floating in the inkblack water, ready for it to be lifted out by the
biggest crane youve ever seen.
And if youre lamenting the demise of the
DB5 at the end of Skyfall, well, theres a
rumour that it may have been rebuilt by Qs
backroom boys. When pressed on the issue,
one of the crew laughs nervously before
adding hesitantly: Put it this way, this isnt the
only mark of Aston weve worked with. After
which, of course, he is taken away and fed to
some Piranhas for going off-message.
Old-world stunts, traditional film cameras,
manual-transmission supercars and the most
recognisable classic in the world it seems that
Bond is back in the best possible way. End
Sourcing the nest

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P A S S I O N
R E A L I S E D
the o ther bon d v ehicles
BOND
CAR
vIllAINs
The Spectre bad guys got to chase Bond

in the prototype Jaguar supercar and
a selection of rough, tough Land Rovers
Words david Lillywhite // PhotograPhy Lyndon mcNeil and Sony/eON
So the good guy is in an Aston And

the bad guys? Well, theyre showing eclectic
taste, with none other than Jaguars stillborn
prototype hybrid-electric supercar, the C-X75,
and a black Range Rover Sport SVR that is
permanently flanked by two of the toughestlooking Defenders youre ever likely to see
on the big (or small) screen.
Interesting choices indeed, so we were
excited to be able to see three of the film
vehicles for ourselves, and to talk to some
of the team responsible.
As youve probably already gathered, the
Jaguar features heavily in chase scenes with
Aston Martins DB10 around the streets, steps
and aqueducts of Rome. The Land Rovers,

meanwhile, show off their off-road ability in
the mountains of Austria, tearing through
snowy forests and along icy Alpine passes,
always as a trio.
Of course, there are stunts and crashes
a-plenty, and the vehicles were put through
hell, often seriously damaged during filming,
only to be rebuilt overnight ready for the next
take. You might assume that CGI or trick
photography was involved but Bond films are
very much all about real stunts.
So how many Jaguars and Land Rovers
does it take to make a Bond film? In this
case ten Defenders, seven SVRs and seven
C-X75s, along with seven container-loads

of spares to Austria and five to Rome. Phew.
Stuart Davies was on set throughout
filming, as project manager for Jaguar Land
Rover. He was taken on in October 2014 to
look after the vehicles from the end of build
right through to the end of the programme,
including all the post-production publicity.
I was in Austria throughout November
and December with four technicians for the
rehearsals, he explained. At that point we
were still prepping the vehicles EON had
given us a brief but its always hard to
understand exactly what will be needed until
youre actually out there.
Then we were back in Austria for 4 January.

Thats when filming started. We had six
technicians with us for the first six weeks,
because there were still lots of bits and pieces
to sort, including a last-minute request for a
Discovery Sport, and I kept four technicians
with me until 18 February, which was when
filming finished in Austria.
The big scene in Austria is a chase between
a plane and the three Land Rovers down a
narrow, twisting, icy Alpine pass. The chase
really did take place the difficulty being that
the planes stall speed is 50mph, and it was
being flown close to the rockface deep in an
Alpine valley. Challenging for the pilot but
tough for the stunt drivers too, who had to

keep the SVR and Defenders in close formation
at 50mph-plus along these treacherous roads.
Filming then moved straight to Rome. Stuart
flew there from Austria and was joined by
Williams Advanced Engineering workshop
manager Jean-Yves Tabourot, who had been
responsible for the build of the seven Jaguar
C-X75s. The majority of the big scenes here
were filmed at night, with lairy chases through
the narrow streets near the Vatican and a
rough-and-tumble scene in which the Aston
Martin and the Jaguar career down the steps at
Scalo de Pinedo, towards the River Tiber.
Jean-Yves has been involved with the C-X75
development programme from the start, and

was summoned to Pinewood Studios last year
to meet director Sam Mendes.
We took the blue prototype C-X75 to the
studio for Sam Mendes to look at. There was
hardly anyone else around; for that first time
he wanted to be on his own. We had to wait
in the canteen until we got a phone call to say
that he liked it.
That was 6 September. On 8 September
we went back, and this time there were lots of
people. We took colour samples, and they
chose three black, a champagne colour, and
orange which they then took to Rome to
evaluate under the streetlights. As you see,
they chose this [Jean-Yves gestures towards
the metallic orange C-X75], which is not an
easy colour to work with.
Then we had meetings with the stunt guys.
They wanted loads of cars; we knew we could
provide two hero cars from the five prototypes
very quickly but for the rest, should we use
existing chassis, or Ferraris or what? We
decided to build spaceframe cars with WRCtype [World Rally Championship] suspension
to cope with the jumps. They looked the same
from the outside.
Five of these stunt cars were built, including
one equipped with a pod on the roof (pictured
overleaf) so it could be driven remotely. With
schedules tight, and three weeks set aside for
filming, the stunt drivers had to learn the cars
as quickly as possible.
We did so much testing to get them to jump
right, and then we spent a week testing on a
track in Rome with the stunt drivers, says
Jean-Yves. They were a bit reserved at first
but after a while they totally loved it. They are
super-heroes, very well organised and skilled.
Filming took place six nights a week, with
the Jaguars looked after by three Williams
technicans. The team would receive a call at
5pm, to tell them how many cars to bring on
set (usually all of them, says Jean-Yves) and
filming would take place until 5am, at which
time the streets of Rome would begin to come
alive with road cleaners and early risers.
At 5am Jean-Yves would send a message to
the three day-shift technicians telling them
what needed fixing before filming would
resume the following evening. The cars stood
up well to the stunts, and breakages were
mostly confined to driveshafts and tie-rods,
which were quickly fixed, though one on-set
repair required the technician to work while
standing in the river at the end of the steps.
The team worked so hard, says Jean-Yves.
We rotated the technicans from the factory to
each have a week in Rome. None of us had
done anything like this before. It was brilliant!
Jaguar C-X75
Two smart hero cars and five long-suffering stunt

cars, built on spaceframes with supercharged V8s
the brief for the C-X75 was tough. It would have to be capable of
being jumped repeatedly, driven at high speed down steps over and
over again, and drifted on the rough cobbles around the Vatican for
night after night. Hardly appropriate for any of the five C-X75 hybrid
supercar prototypes that Jaguar and Williams built back in 2010.
The solution, then, was to build special C-X75 stunt cars, but time was
tight. The team spent two months designing a spaceframe car with
long-travel suspension, the majority of the travel being in the droop
the wheels allowed to drop as the car jumps, thus building in plenty of
travel to absorb the impact when it lands.
Rather than the C-X75s hybrid power units, each stunt car used a
Jaguar supercharged V8, coupled to a GT Car competition gearbox and
clutch, with paddle shift. It needed enough power and torque to be
easily driftable, but it would also have to be reversed at high speed
and it took a lot of work to adapt the competition transmission parts to
allow that, and to make the clutch smooth enough for repeated takeoffs. Fourth, fifth and sixth gears were barely used at all.
All the stunt cars have since been rebuilt, and improved upon, so that
where there was bare metal through there not being time to paint it
there are now smart finishes and even carpets.
Range RoveR
SpoRt SvR
Seven built, seven destroyed. The all-black SVRs

had a hard time at the hands of the stunt drivers
flanked by those rough n tough Defenders, any other vehicles

would look positively effete in comparison, or so you might think. But
the seven Spectre Range Rover Sport SVRs look anything but in their
all-black livery, right down to the wheels and the LED light bar.
Those seven SVRs had a really hard time of it too, with one particular
crash scene in which a front impact with one of the Defenders sends the
SVRs passenger through the windscreen. For that, four takes and the
subsequent rebuilds were required. New front ends were needed each
time, and on the last take former Stig Ben Collins pushed a little harder,
shoving the cooling fan into the radiator. One of the four has been left as
it was, right to the extent of the windscreen lying on the bonnet.
In fact, all of the SVRs were seriously damaged during the filming, to
the point that the vehicle you see here is a replica of the film cars, but
without the rollcage that was neatly fitted to the real things.
But the biggest problem with the SVRs was that their electronic
systems are so integral to the vehicles that new programmes had to be
written, and the electronics customised, to allow them to be slid around.
It was that, rather than the crash damage, that gave the Land Rover
SVO technicans the biggest headaches.
Clockwise from left

The hero cars were adapted from prototypes numbers three and
four; one stunt car was fitted with a remote-driving pod on the roof;
interiors were retrimmed to higher quality; hero cars still hybrid.
Land RoveR
defendeR
Ten big-wheeled 110 Double Cab Defenders, kitted

out to look as purposeful and villainous as possible
the brief was to make the Defenders look menacing, and its fair
to say that Land Rovers Special Vehicle Operations succeeded in that.
Ten were built, all of them black, all of them identically kitted out with
the eyeball-melting light bar, roofrack, access ladder, bull bar, Warn
winch, and those oversize wheels and 37in tyres. All were fitted with
roll hoops too, along with a fire extinguisher system and electric cutouts, and a hydraulic handbrake to aid the stunts.
With the centre of gravity of these Defenders so high, they were a
handful to drive but youd never know it from the stunt sequences.
Three already had Bond history, being veterans of the previous Skyfall
production, so theyll be the most sought-after of the ten now.
One of the best chase scenes ends with a plane crashing through a
building and into one of the Defenders. For this, two of the Defenders
were stripped of all their internals on set, even engine and transmission,
and fitted with cannons to propel them forward and over before being
set alight! The impact twisted the bodyshell of one of them but, overall,
the Defenders survived well and all are now up and running again.
Strangely, the biggest problem with the Defenders was found to be in
balancing the huge wheels, during the many swaps between treaded
and studded tyres. As for those powerful roof-mounted lamps they
were never used, being so bright that the cameras couldnt cope End
Above and left

One of ten film Defenders
built by Special Vehicle
Operations; in Spectre, the
Defenders always travel in
convoy with the 550bhp
Range Rover Sport SVR
at least they do until the
SVR crashes into one them.
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When the Baillon family barnnds emerged,
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To mark the end of the line for the Land Rover
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Goodwood 2015
racing in the freddie march trophy
Revival of
the fittest
Richard Meaden describes what its like to race

a Fraser Nash Le Mans Replica at Goodwood,
just one of the scenes of its many past glories
PhotograPhy Drew Gibson
OCTANE December 2015 135
Goodwood 2015
RACING IN THE FREDDIE MARCH TROPHY
TS A SURREAL FEELING to sit on

Goodwoods timber pit counter,
waiting
nervously
amidst
the
cacophony of noise and action for your
car to arrive. Surreal because here,
where time has truly been warped, its
impossible not to let your mind reect upon
the Whos Who of illustrious drivers that have
sat in the same spot, be it half a century ago or
at the 18 Revival meetings held since 1998.
Then again, perhaps such wistful reverence
is the only way correctly to prepare yourself
for racing a car like HBC 1 a beautiful 1950
Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica with impeccable
provenance and a glittering period competition
history. First purchased by one of Britains
leading privateer racers Bob Gerard this
car enjoyed a frenetic early life, typied by a
remarkable 1953 season in which Gerard
competed in the Goodwood Nine Hours,
Reims 12 Hours, RAC TT at Dundrod and the
Le Mans 24 Hours. If cars could talk, this one
would have quite the story to tell.
Like many signicant competition cars,
HBC 1s story continues into the present day.
And, of course, this means a return to one of its
happiest hunting grounds: Goodwood. The
Freddie March Trophy is the longest race of the
three-day Revival weekend, traditionally
kicking things off on the Friday evening with
The Nash is easy

to read, its front
wheels initiating
direction-change
before the tail
begins to slide
a 90-minute charge into the gathering dusk.
Its an evocative tribute to Goodwoods shortlived Nine Hour races, held in 1952, 53 and
54, and one that gathers together an eclectic
mix of 1950s sports cars, from svelte Jaguar
C-types and ugly-but-effective Cooper-Jaguars
to smaller-capacity machines such as HBC 1.
Of course, Ive long been aware of the Le
Mans Reps existence, but if Im honest my
knowledge of this early post-war era was
rather centered upon the C-type. Still, its
part of the Revivals magic that its cleverly
conceived programme of races provides
vivid opportunities to gain a wider
appreciation for wonderful cars and periods
of racing that would perhaps otherwise fail to
ping your petrolhead radar. Now, perched
on the fabled pit counter, Im about to have

just such an epiphany.
Ive raced on-and-off for the last 20 years in
all kinds of cars initially modern ones, but
more recently in Historics in all kinds of
places yet, until my golden ticket arrived in the
form of an email from HBC 1s owner, inviting
me to share his car in this years event, Id
never driven at the Revival.
Im feeling unusually apprehensive prior to
our combined practice/qualifying session. The
pressure is always on not to make a fool of
yourself at any competitive driving event, but
Goodwood palpably increases that sense of
responsibility. Not just for yourself and the
safety of your fellow competitors, nor the
priceless cars, but ultimately for the continued
running of the event. Bluntly, nobody wants
to be the one whose ill-judged actions threaten
to burst this perfect bubble.
Thankfully were blessed with customary
Revival sunshine (Lord March clearly has
very good connections!), and the Nash
meticulously prepared by marque maestros
Blakeney Motorsport feels even better than it
did when I tried it a pre-Revival test day a few
weeks previous. All of which is just as well,
for when it comes to sustained speed and
commitment theres nowhere quite like
Goodwood. No matter what car youre in
Far left, above and below

Waiting on the pitlane wall for his first
Revival race allows a period of reflection for
Meaden; cloth cap swapped for race helmet
before dicing among the other historic
racers in the Freddie March Trophy.
Goodwood 2015
racing in the freddie march trophy
Left
With headlamps ablaze as the daylight
subsides and the rain falls, Meaden
demonstrates perfect control and plenty
of attitude through a Goodwood corner.
1950 Frazer Nash Le MaNs repLica
EnginE 1971cc straight-six, OHV, triple Solex carburettors PowEr 110bhp @ 5250rpm TorquE 121lb ft @ 3750rpm
Transmission Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive sTEEring Rack and pinion susPEnsion Front: transverse
leaf spring, lower wishbones, telescopic dampers. Rear: live axle, torsion bars, telescopic dampers
BrakEs Al-fin drums wEighT 635kg PErformancE Top speed 117mph. 0-60mph 8.6sec
even one with relatively modest performance,

such as the Nash you take a deep breath as
you cross the start/finish line and only dare to
exhale once youve successfully arrived at
Lavant Corner, a little over halfway round the
2.38-mile lap. Look-up ballsy in the Oxford
English Dictionary and it might just say see
Goodwood Motor Circuit.
Back on my pit counter perch Im snapped
abruptly into the present when Blakeneys
boys give me the nod and HBC 1 peels in for
our mid-point driver change. Down I hop,
fidgeting from foot to foot with nervous energy
as the Nash arrives. We elect not to open the
low-cut drivers door, or remove the steering
wheel, as thats two fewer things to fumble,
meaning speedy ingress requires little more
than some unceremonious clambering onto
the black leather seat before dropping into
position, knees splayed to clear the wheel. The
2.0-litre straight-six is a bit of a bugger to start
when hot, but a tweak of choke coaxes it into
life, from which point a steady throttle keeps it
spinning sweetly. Sit tight while the Blakeney
Motorsport crew tighten down my belts, then
were away in a flurry of revs to rejoin the fray.
Id like to say I know exactly what position
were in relative to the cars around us but, to be
honest, my race strategy consists of trying to
catch and pass anything in front, and not get
in the way of those quicker machines closing

from behind. A C-type goes snorting by as we
filter onto the circuit, so naturally I give chase,
but its not until Ive committed to try to pass it
that I realise its being driven by Derek Bell!
Im familiar with the phrase dont meet your
heroes but Im not sure if that still holds true
on the fearsome run towards Fordwater.
The dodgy-looking weather has denied us a
classic Sussex sunset so theres no racing into
the gloaming; instead, the light fades suddenly,
dimming from grey to disconcertingly grainy
in what feels like a handful of laps. The Nashs
headlights are more suited to illuminating a
reading desk than a racetrack, their warm
puddle of light barely extending far enough to
see beyond the long bonnet. Some of the
quicker cars appear to have decidedly nonperiod lighting, which at least makes them
easy to spot when they steam into my mirrors.
The leader Chris Ward howls by in the
JD Classics Cooper. Hes almost close enough
to touch as he drifts beautifully through
St Marys and powers away into the distance.
About 30 minutes into my stint two things
occur to me. The first is that racing around
Goodwood as fast as you dare in a 65-year-old
car and fading light is a rather bonkers thing to
do. The second is that the Nash is a surprisingly
physical car to drive. Not due to excessive
control weights or neck-straining g-force, but

rather thanks to the sheer effort it takes to hold
yourself in place behind the steering wheel.
With minimal lateral support provided by the
seat, you rely on core strength to hold yourself
upright through the corners, which explains
why the muscles in my lower back have begun
to burn. As fatigue sets in I can feel myself
relying on the steering wheel for extra support.
Bob Gerard and his contemporaries must have
been as tough as old boots.
Then it begins to rain. Not a few gentle
spots, but big, wet splats on the aeroscreen and
my visor. Im close behind two other cars and
at first think it could be coolant spraying from
one of them, but the unmistakable, earthy
smell of late-summer precipitation puts me
straight. As our three-car train funnels in
towards Fordwater and St Marys, its clear the
track is very slippery indeed. You can almost
hear our collective intakes of breath above the
roaring engines as we turn-in ever-so-gently
and hope our steeds respond accordingly.
Much to my relief the Nash remains faithful
and easy to read, front wheels initiating the
direction change before the tail begins to slide,
thereby bestowing the throttle with as much
say on your cornering attitude and trajectory
as the steering wheel. The sudden rain makes
for an edgy few laps but, once the conditions
begin to stabilise, the fun of slithering around
begins to outweigh the fear and the race settles
into an initially intimidating yet ultimately
thrilling new phase.
Things take another twist in the last few
laps, as the rain abates and the circuit begins to
dry. Where once the Nash slid sweetly and
predictably from turn-in to exit, it now bites
and slips and bites and slips across the invisible
patchwork of wildly varying grip. The drum
brakes are also giving aromatic hints that
theyre working hard, as tangy wafts of hot
friction material drift into the open cockpit
when we brake for Woodcote.
By the end of the race its so dark I can barely
see the chequered flag being waved. Ive got
no idea where weve finished (14th from 19th
on the grid, as it turns out) and my screaming
back muscles are glad the Freddie March
Trophy has come to an end, but theres no
doubt my first taste of racing at the Revival is
right up there with the best things Ive ever
done. Indeed, were it not for feeling like Ive
been kicked by a mule when I awake the
following morning, it could all have been a
particularly vivid dream. Same time next year?
God, I hope so. End
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Goodwood 2015
picking up fareS in a VinTage TaXi
top rank
If youre going to cut your teeth as a taxi driver,
where better than at Goodwood Revivals
Glamcabs in a 1926 Vauxhall 30/98?
Words John Simister // PhotograPhy Simon Hucknall, Jakob ebrey
The Glamcabs hQ is just across the road.

What a carry-on. Mk1 Ford Cortinas are their
usual transport, but in the minicab world Ford
has long vied with Vauxhall. So Im going to
invade their pitch with an example of the
automotive opposition.
Its not quite a Cortina rival, though. More a
Bentley competitor, which is why up to now it
has been in the grander queue of carriages
along with several mature Rolls-Royces. I saw
one of them earlier, a late-1920s closed example
noiselessly chasing a Mercedes Sprinter van
past the Goodwood Hotel.
My borrowed Vauxhall is a member of
Britains 1920s automotive aristocracy, of
course, but its also a General Motors product.
GM bought Vauxhall in 1925, this car was built
in 1926. Not that American influences took root
until the 1930s: this Vauxhall is a proper
primordial Brit. Its a 30/98, the 268th out of
312 OE versions made. The earlier E was a
development of the Prince Henry, but this OE
has overhead valves and four-wheel brakes.
With the right body, less wind-resistant than
this ones Velox coachwork, it was good for
Above, left and far left

Ferrying Debbie, Julie and June from the Goodwood
hotel, before picking up the Watkins family; a wry smile
from Simister, surrounded by the Glamcabs girls has
he acquired The Knowledge? Driving the 30/98 around
Goodwood is easy, after a crash course in the Alps.
100mph, the first British production car to be

capable of such speeds.
Ive driven NT 7797 before, including an
Alpine crossing with anxious braking moments
and an easy 75mph cruise. Today Im to ferry
Goodwood-goers from Goodwood House to
the circuit, but Im on the afternoon shift and I
fear that Lord Marchs house guests might
already have made the transfer. Hmm.
I pull the ignition switch, trigger the starters
metallic whirr and 4.2 litres of 30/98 engine,
distributed between four vast cylinders, burble
into life. Now I have to re-programme my
brain, because the accelerator pedal is between
the clutch and brake, the crash gearbox with
hefty sliding pinions has a mirror-image gate
pattern compared with normality, and the
pedal activates only the front brakes and a
rattly, snatchy transmission brake. For smooth
retardation I need the handbrake, which slows
the rear wheels. And for that I need my right
hand, which the gearlever also demands.
Theres a knack to this, which Im trying
to remember as I crawl along the circuits
perimeter road through a dense throng of
people in period fancy dress. The multiplate

clutch has a heavy action, and Vauxhalls
Simon Hucknall, the 30/98s expert custodian,
has reminded me that sometimes the clutch
can drag when its hot. Which could mean a lot
of run-over Revivalists.
Phew. Were through the gate, out onto the
road and into a traffic queue while we wait for
spectators to cross between the circuit and
other attractions without. Now were off,
easing into second gear and sweeping past
one of the Goodwood tractor-and-trailer
combinations. Round the roundabout, next
right towards Goodwood House, up through
the gears until the Vauxhall ceases its musical
gear-thrash and settles into the silent, straightthrough top ratio.
We join the Festival of Speeds hillclimb
course at the first corner, looking quite different
without the Festival installations, and sweep
up to the house and round the forecourt circle.
No takers, as suspected. So back down the hill
to the startline, tyre streaks still evident from
June, turn right and into the hotel. Theres a
queue of hopefuls because the hotels bus has
broken, and in climb Mark and Teresa from

Southend. They werent expecting a car like
this. What is it? Wow, this is brilliant!
Back to the circuit, waved through the main
gate like royalty, inch back to the cab-rank and
off for another run. This time Debbie, Julie and
June pile in at the hotel, mother, daughter and
mother-in-law. A Vauxhall? Really? We had a
Vauxhall Wyvern when I was a girl, but it
wasnt quite like this.
Next up, Paul and Ditte Donnelly, regular
Revivalists. Finally its the entire Watkins
family, mum and dad Tessa and Matthew in
the back sandwiching daughter Vicki, son Joe
in the front. Joe is intrigued: how different is it
from a modern car to drive? The accelerator is
where? Why are you using the handbrake so
much? How fast does it go?
So we go for a longer drive, up to the horseracing course and back, before the circuit dropoff. My back-seat passengers are blown away,
almost literally. Back at the track, the Vauxhall
is mobbed by the Glamcabs girls, perfectly
choreographed with me in the middle. Scarier
than driving the 30/98? Definitely. End
Goodwood 2015
driving in the land rover parade
In control. Almost...
Taking part in any Goodwood parade is a real privilege
even when they put you in the most unlikely vehicle
Words patrick cruywagen
everybody loves an old Land Rover,

which is what makes the 18th Goodwood
Revival perhaps a little more special than
previous ones. On each day of the event, 50
specially selected pre-1966 Land Rovers
gingerly make their way around the 2.4-mile
circuit. Gingerly? Well, classic Land Rovers
were built to outlive their owners, and off-road
doesnt necessarily translate to on-track.
Why all this Land Rover fuss? This
impressive parade is a celebration of the
Defender, as production of this global icon is
about to end. Its the only Land Rover currently
produced that remotely resembles anything in
this pre-1966 parade.
My drive for the event is the first production
1966 Series IIB 110 Forward Control. The
Dunsfold Collection easily the best private
collection of Land Rovers in the world
bought the vehicle in 2004 and fully restored it
to original specification. It was built to carry
massive loads over rough terrain and would
always look hopelessly out of place on a racing
circuit. But that doesnt bother me at all

because all I have to do is keep up with the
other slow-coaches.
It has been said that trying to find first gear
in a Forward Control is like stirring soup for 20
minutes, and I pray this wont be the case as I
dont want to make a fool of myself. Its start-
Top and above

Fifty pre-1966 Land Rovers process around the circuit to
a rapturous reaction from the crowds; Land Rover
Monthlys Patrick Cruywagen in the 110 Forward Control.
up procedure is a reminder of how far diesel

technology has come in the last 50 years. First
you turn the key halfway, which makes the red
charge light and green oil pressure light come
on, then you wait 20 seconds to let the glow
plugs warm up. Only then can you turn the
key the whole way. The 2.25-litre diesel engine
roars into life and Im good to go.
Were driving in chronological order so I
find myself bringing up the rear of the Land
Rover parade. Im happy to report that the
gearchanges do not me take 20 minutes; two
minutes is nearer the mark and, fortunately,
we never stray beyond 45mph so no-one
notices. Driving around Goodwood Circuit in
the first production Series IIB 110 Forward
Control is like watching the world go by in
super-slow-motion. Even the waving crowds
seem to slow their hand movements
respectfully or maybe the diesel fumes in
the cab are to blame.
From my seat in the sky I have the most
incredible view of the whole parade unfolding
before my eyes. I stay in fourth gear for most
of the way but have to shift down to third for
the chicane. Fair enough, this is probably the
most unlikely vehicle ever to have been driven
through it. Cue lots of arm-twirling as I steer
the 110 through the tightest part of the circuit.
The lap done, all 50 Land Rovers park on the
infield so that the 150,000 visitors can take a
closer look. And Im happy to report that the
big Forward Control 110 attracts just as much
attention as the other 49 Land Rovers. End
F O R M E R LY T H E C A R D I V I S I O N O F T H E B R I S TO L A E R O P L A N E C O M PA N Y
Showroom
368-370 Kensington High Street, London W14 8NL
sales@bristolcars.co.uk
020 7603 5555
www.bristolcars.co.uk
Service & Parts

Unit 17-19 Shield Drive, Great West Road, Brentford TW8 9EX
services@bristolcars.co.uk / parts@bristolcars.co.uk
020 8560 3300
www.bristolcars.co.uk
THE OCTANE
INTERVIEW
hen we tell one

another stories about lifealtering decisions, we tend
to gloss over those days
when we wanted to quit,
and skip straight to the breakthroughs. Vic
Norman, however, is the exception. The
legendary stunt pilot is deliciously candid,
freely admitting that he and his stomach
werent exactly simpatico when he started out.
When I decided to do this back in 1982, I
practised constantly and was sick every time,
he laughs. I was like that for six months. Then,
one day I wasnt. Since then, Ive done more than
1500 air shows and have never been so busy.
Chatting in the Engine Shed at RFC
Rendcomb Aerodrome in Gloucestershire, the
likable sometime racer is clearly in his element,
but then he is surrounded by memorabilia that
stretches from pre-war aviation posters to
motorcycles of similar vintage. And what a life
it has been, even though the affable 67-year-old
tends to dismiss it as being one long lucky
streak. He comes across as a man who takes
things seriously without being serious. As such,
he is great company.
My passion for cars and aeroplanes began
with my dad, he says. He was a playboy, an
East End boy made good. At one point he
employed 220 people in his main business,
Balfour Marine Engineering, but then he
acquired the manufacturing rights to the
American AMI jukebox and things just
skyrocketed. He couldnt make them quickly
enough. This was the time of the 45rpm record
and jukeboxes were everywhere. Dad wasnt
afraid of spending his money, either. He would
order a new Ferrari each year, while mum
always had a new powder-blue Roller.
As a boy, I took it all for granted. I was
completely spoiled but then dad died when I
was 13. That changed everything. He had
owned planes and had known a lot of the guys
at the Stapleford Flying Club, so they took me
under their wing, so to speak. I started flying
or rather started flying formally when I was
17. I had a licence but no use for it. I couldnt
afford to do anything with it so I packed it in.
There was always motor racing. In the 60s, I
raced karts competitively. I was up against the
likes of [future BTCC driver] Derek Brunt, who
was very good. Shunter still calls me Young
Vic, but he is in his eighties. Then there was
vic
norman
Meet the man who left a motor racing career
behind in order to become a stunt pilot
and wing-walk revivalist
Words richard Heseltine // PhotograPhy Howard Simmons
v ic nor m a n
Roy James, better known as one of the gang

behind The Great Train Robbery. I was good
enough to be selected for the British team one
year, the problem being that I had a forged
licence. At that time, you needed to be 16 in
order to race. I was 14 so That said, I used to
drive the van to all the meetings with the kart
in the back. I had nobody controlling me at
that time so pretty much did what I wanted.
He did, however, discover a distraction in
the teenage model Anne Margaret, who later
became his wife. We met at a Rolling Stones
concert at Leyton Baths in East London in
1964. She was 16 and lived on the Kings Road,
which seemed like the place to be. I was 17 at
the time. I left Millfield School and enrolled
at the Chelsea College of Aeronautical
Engineering, which was nearby on Sydney
Street. Then I met Alain de Cadanet and he
had a massive impact on my life. In 1971, I
went with him to Le Mans, just to help out,
and went back every year for the rest of the

decade in one capacity or other. Alain told
me that I should follow my heart and do
something that interested me rather than tying
myself down to a regular job. He suggested
I buy some old racing cars. I would have fun
racing them and they would probably go up
in value. I took his advice.
Back in the early 70s, it was possible to
buy a car and go racing without it costing the
earth. Cars that nowadays go for millions
were within reach of guys like me. At various
points I had a Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta,
an Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-type, a Maserati
300S and an ex-Fangio 250F. I also had a
Ferrari 250GTO, which Nick Mason now
owns. I got 16,000 for it, which was a record
price in 1978. I was delighted!
He wasnt afraid of getting his hands dirty,
either. I helped in the preparation myself.
Apart from anything else, I was interested in
the engineering side of things. What was really

great in those days was that Emmanuel de
Graffenried would phone and say that he was
arranging a support race to the Monaco Grand
Prix, or suchlike. He would ask me if I would
mind bringing along the 250F; that the
organisers would pay me a bit of money and
give me a couple of tickets to watch the F1
boys if I did. When I was competing, it was
possible to run these cars and maybe even earn
something just from racing them.
Preparing historic racing cars subsequently
became a business, Rosso Racing fielding a
Ferrari 512BB/LM in the World Championship
of Makes. I did all the testing with that car,
and also drove it in the 1980 Silverstone 6
Hours in the run up to Le Mans. Norman
finished seventh alongside Chris Craft and
the cars owner, Steve ORourke. He also
became a Ferrari dealer, albeit more by
happenstance than planning. I think Ferraris
reasoning was that because we were racing
Ferraris, we should also sell road cars. I think
we sold three. It was pretty hopeless, but by
then I was keen to get back into flying.
There have been so many people who have
influenced me over the years, and Patrick
Lindsay was chief among them. Aside from
being a very good driver, he used to fly to
VSCC meetings in his Spitfire or a biplane of
some kind. We became good friends and
Patrick fired me up about flying again so I
bought a Stampe biplane. I then met Richard
Goode, captain of the British aerobatic team
and another major influence. I used to fly to air
shows and let him put on a display using my
plane because I wasnt good enough. It seems
hard to believe but I got paid; I would get
money for letting someone fly my aeroplane.
It was like start money in motor racing.
Competing in Historics gradually took a
back seat, the decision to quit for good
occurring at the 1985 European Grand Prix
meeting at Brands Hatch. By that time I had
the ex-Joachim Bonnier BRM P25 and I
qualified it on the third row for the support
race, he recalls. Just after the start, Stephen
Langtons Connaught hit the barriers with real
Left and below
Norman alongside his 1913 Flying Merkel bike, in the
once-derelict engine shed at RFC Rendcomb Aerodrome,
from where wingwalking team AeroSuperBatics is run.
& Knight Racing Services Ltd
We would like to congratulate Michael Squire & Frank Stippler

on their pole position and 3rd overall in the
RAC TT celebration race at Goodwood Revival 2015
Car prepared by
RW Racing Services Ltd
01280 840799
www.rw-racing.com
Engine prepared by
Knight Racing Services Ltd
01327 871177
www.knightracingservices.co.uk
v ic nor m a n
Above and left

Normans Rosso Racing outfit fielded this Ferrari 512BB/
LM in the World Championship of Makes; he once owned
the ex-Fangio works Maserati 250F, pictured here with
Norman driving at Silverstone in 1979.
force. Stephen was thrown out of the car and

landed on the track in front of me. I missed
him by about an inch. He died from his injuries
and that scared me. I knew the risks but I had
a family. Of course, I was into stunt flying by
then. It probably sounds like I swapped one
dangerous pursuit for another, but I didnt see
it like that. When I was in the air, I was in
charge of my own destiny. I still feel that way.
The purchase of a Czech-made Zlin 50
monoplane in 1982 saw our hero make the
leap from rookie to full-time stunt pilot. It was
the ultimate aerobatic aircraft of its day and I
had massive, if unofficial, support from the
factory. They would send me stuff free of
charge. What really made it happen for me,
though, was getting sponsorship. Without it, I
would have been dead in the water. I seem to
have a knack for attracting backers.
Things moved on apace with the formation
of AeroSuperBatics in 1989, the team becoming
celebrated across the globe, not least for its
wing-walking routines involving plucky

young ladies. The current Breitling-liveried
fleet stretches to five Stearmans, with all work
bar engine rebuilds being done on-site. To
begin with, it was a huge risk financially but
fortunately we have been very successful. 2014
was our busiest-ever year and I reckon 2015
will probably beat it, which is great.
So is he not tempted to venture trackside
again? No. I did it and had a great time, but
historic racing has changed a lot in the
meantime. The problem for me is that there are
too many poseurs out there. There are guys
who cannot be bothered working their way up
the ranks and honing their racecraft. They just
buy the quickest car out there. Dont get me
wrong, there are many good drivers but, from
what Ive seen, there are just as many who are
out of their depth. You dont get that with
flying. You need skill and discipline. If you
dont have both, you will kill yourself. Its that
simple. There are no shortcuts.
Warming to the theme, he continues: Think

about it. Why is there such disparity in values
between historic aircraft and old racing cars?
Compare something like a Spitfire with, say, a
250GTO. Both are legendary in their own way,
but one is worth a fraction of the other. I hate
mentioning values, but it is relevant. If anyone
could fly a vintage aircraft, they would be
worth considerably more than they are. But
theyre tricky so you need to persevere.
Motorcycles are the same. I love doing events
such as the Pioneer Run because youre riding
alongside like-minded souls who know what
theyre doing.
Normans collection of motorcycles is
impressive and typically eclectic, the
undoubted highlight being a 1913 Flying
Merkel. It was just about the fastest thing on
two wheels in period. I bought it from my
good friend Bud Ekins who was, of course,
well-known for his stunt work on The Great
Escape. I have a couple of his old bikes.
So, given a lifetime of adrenaline-fuelled
fun, what does he enjoy doing most now? Oh,
thats easy. On the rare occasion I have free
time, the thing I enjoy doing most is nothing at
all. I suppose its an age thing. I have been
immensely fortunate in that I have never had a
real job. Ive never had a boss telling me what
to do, but I enjoy being a team player. I love
what we do here, even though I have throttled
back on doing all the air shows. These days, I
tend to pick and choose.
And with that, duty calls, but not before an
anecdote involving Peter Sellers, Radford
Minis and The Grand Prix of Regents Park.
That, and one concerning an epic motorcycle
ride across the length of the Med back in 2009,
which spanned places such as Syria and Libya.
You couldnt do it now he adds by way of
a parting shot. Few people would have done
it then, but it seems that life for Vic Norman
has rarely been dull. End
dat su n 24 0z
150 September 2015 OCTANE
Zen and the

art of the Z
It was the first sports car from Japan to attain

the status of icon. Who better than Stephen Bayley
to unravel the appeal of the Datsun 240Z?
PhotograPhy Paul Harmer
dat su n 24 0z
Above and right

Then there were the exquisite 1963 Honda S500, and the
heres a marvellous saying in
There had been Japanese
impressive rotary-engined Mazda Cosmo of the following
Zen that whatever is true, the opposite is
sports cars and coups before
year. And in 1965 Toyota showed its sensational 2000GT.
truer. You can apply that principle to the
the Datsun 240Z, but none had
Clearly inspired by the Jaguar E-type, Toyota refused to
question of Japanese sports cars. The
been designed with an eye on
the American market. Stephen
attribute its design to any individual until Paolo
question being: are there any great ones?
describes the black, moulded
Tumminelli identified Satoru Nozaki in his fascinating
Japanese culture is stiff with concepts
interior as Cold War.
2014 book Car Design Asia myths, brands and people.
of the superiority of collaborative endeavour over
individual expression. They have a concept known as
Forgotten now is the elegant 1966 Isuzu 117 Coup,
drawn by Giugiaro when he was still at Ghia and at least as fine as the
nemawashi, which translates as root-binding, but actually means
same designers contemporary Gordon-Keeble. In fact, its impossible
collective responsibility. Then there is jishu-kisei for self-restraint. Hence
not to believe they used the same drawings twice. But the greatest
a public fast train, the glorious Shinkansen, is preferred over a personal
Japanese sports car of them all was the new 1969 Datsun Fairlady. This
idiosyncratic sports car. Moreover, Japans 60km/h speed limit is among
we know as the 240Z.
the most stringent in the world.
Like all great products, creation myths surround its origins and
And yet there is a Japanese sentiment that finds its best expression
evolution. But these creation myths, the idea of authorship, were a
in sports cars, often of very unusual character. The 1959 Datsun SP211
necessary part of the progress and acceptance of Japanese design in the
was based on the Bluebird saloon and called Fairlady, a name inspired,
West. Against all the principles of nemawashi and jishu-kisei, the
in that amusing Japanese way, by the company presidents 1958 visit to
Broadway to see the Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe musical that
240Z has always been recognised as the inspiration of Yutaka
was, itself, based on Shaws Pygmalion. Thus, the layered, yet revealing,
Katayama, described in his New York Times obituary earlier this year
meanings of automobile nomenclature.
as an ebullient, adventurous man. Mr K, as he became known, was
unlike his timorous and anonymous corporate colleagues. He was 105
Pygmalion was a play about a hopeless strumpet being civilised
years old when he died.
through ambition and elocution. The Fairlady followed a similar path
Katayama had been a successful rally driver and became the first
of improvement, evolving into a pleasing MGB-like proposition
president of The Sports Car Club of Japan, an imitator of the American
although, by the time it reached its final 1968 edition, what had
SCCA whose races at Laguna Seca and Bridgehampton offered a theatre
become the Datsun 2000 Sports Roadster proffered an output of some
for the English sports car to perform in front of appreciative audiences.
135bhp, and it effortlessly shaded the English car in every single aspect
And it was the leading role of MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey that
of performance and quality.
The 240Z cannot be separated from the

1970s and its visual culture. It was co-eval
with the avocado-coloured bathroom suite
dat su n 24 0z
It represented a gorgeous,
remote dreamworld of innocently
sexy un-wired consumerism
Right
With its 2393cc 151bhp L-series six-cylinder (an engine
Katayama set to usurp with his new Datsun coup. His
Stephen explores the details
inspired by Mercedes-Benz, whose designs were
story is told in David Halberstams 1986 book The
of the Z, with its flaps by the
produced under licence by Prince, which merged with
Reckoning, a study as much about the collapse of the US
bonnet for accessing the
Nissan in 1966), it easily outperformed English rivals and
auto industry as the rise of Japans.
battery and suchlike, and an
under-bonnet lamp that can
annihilated the American hegemony of MG, Triumph and
Because of his extrovert personality, Katayama had
be removed for localised
Austin-Healey. Katayama said at the New York launch:
been banished from Japan to California, a sort of gulag as
illumination. Such attention,
The 240Z represents the imaginative spirit of Nissan and
seen from Tokyo. As the first president of what became
he says, is typical of the
was designed to please a demanding taste that is strictly
Nissan Motor Corporation USA, Katayama faced derision,
Japanese approach
to car design.
American We have studied the memorable artistry of
cultural obstacles and profound market apathy in America
European coachmakers and engine builders and
but, under his influence, by 1969 the neat little Datsun 510
saloon was selling 60,000 units a year. This growing success had given combined our knowledge with the Japanese craftsman.
The car cost a modest $3526 and, while some critics found its finish
him the prestige to talk his own project into being back in Tokyo.
The precise origins of the 240Z may never perhaps be disinterred from and behaviour a little crude, it soon dominated its class in the
the archives, but it seems to have been based in an early-1960s project symbolically important SCCA races.
Visually, the 240Z is exceptionally distinctive. With its long bonnet
called A550X, a joint venture with Yamaha. Albrecht Goertz, a designer
who had learnt the craft of self-promotion in the United States from his and emphatically rearwards cabin, the general arrangement is based on
mentor, the sleek, perfumed and pomaded Raymond Loewy, was hired the E-type while its scalloped headlights were inspired by Ferrari, but
the whole is unique. It is small, but imposing, aggressive, yet elegant
as a consultant.
Hitherto, Goertz had worked on Loewys Studebakers and the BMW (although most of the original 240Zs had crude pachinko-style
507 that, since Ferry Porsche was impressed, led to some early styling wheeltrims, not proper alloys). It does not look nearly half-a-century
proposals for the 911. Goertz it was who introduced the Japanese to the old. But get into a 240Z today and it seems very narrow, feels slight and
use of American-style full-size clay models in the design process, so has a bit upright too. Doors are insubstantial and strangely thin. The
a big claim to having begun graphically biased Japans adventure into structure pre-dates the computer-aided modelling that, inspired by
Western sculptural 3D.
safety legislation, has given impressive psychological bulk to even the
But the A550X stalled and Yamaha took its engine technology and the most modest contemporary cars.
rest of the project to Toyota, where it soon appeared in the Toyota 2000GT
The 240Zs glazing bars seem fragile. There are sharp edges and you
which Yamaha eventually built in its Hamamatsu factory. Goertz, wince to think of its integrity during an impact. Indeed, a stabiliser bar
however, stayed on with Datsun, collaborating with in-house designer across the rear hatch opening suggests that body flexing was a problem.
Kazuo Kimura on the beautiful Silvia Coup. However, when it was The hatch itself closes with a shuddering undamped clang, not a modern
presented at the New York Auto Show of 1965, American critics found moderated thwump. Start the engine and there is a fine induction roar.
the Silvia too cramped and too under-powered. This seems to have been Press the throttle and there is a lot of noise, but not a lot of progress.
the imperative Katayama needed to create a real sports car.
Steering is precise, visibility good. I am not certain I felt that sense of
This he did by encouraging another another in-house Datsun designer, euphoria Katayma described when he said the 240Z gave access to that
Yoshihiko Matsuo, who ran Styling Studio No 4, to rage against the mystical man-and-machine harmony, but it was certainly amusing to
conservatives at Nissan who had abandoned A550X and design a brave drive. It feels vintage. Sue Chibas interior, with its hard plastics and
new car. But Goertz stayed long enough to have had his name associated irrational scattering of tumbler switches and sliders, seems Cold War.
with the 240Z. Persistent claims by the argumentative Goertz were The 240Z was the first modern Japanese sports car and also, globally
grudgingly and partially acknowledged by the company in 1980, speaking, one of the last old ones.
although Matsuo and Katayama published a more official list of those
To my eye, the 240Z cannot be separated from the 1970s and its
involved in their 1999 book Fairlady Z Story. It reads like a musicals strange visual culture, still influenced by voyeuristic television serials
cast: Teichi Hara, Kazumi Totsurnoto, Akio Yoshida, Sue Chiba, Eiichi that were themselves located in a more distant, romantic age of oneOiwa, Kiichi Nishikawa, Hidemi Kamahara and Tsuneo Benitani. Car dimensional heroes and villains, following linear plots. It was co-eval
design is, indeed, a collaborative venture. And perhaps not one that with the rise of disco and reggae, the avocado-coloured bathroom
suite, Italian furniture in tangerine plastic, and the era in which
gives due credit to its heroes.
There is more certain ground to discuss Mr Ks concept. He wanted Habitat (whose signature colour was a violent green) was the dominant
a coup, not a roadster. This was pragmatic: impending US legislation high street taste-maker with its knock-off bean bags and inimitable
would, so it was thought, outlaw convertibles. He liked butch numbers chicken-bricks. Thus, it represented a gorgeous, remote dreamworld
as model designations, not effete names. The Z simply connoted a of innocently sexy un-wired consumerism.
For this reason, we photographed the 240Z in the extraordinary
Jetsons-era modernism. It is said that early proposals resembled
Giugiaros Ghibli, but the car that went on sale in the United States on Edgcumbe Park estate in Crowthorne, near Bracknell, on land that once
belonged to Windsor Great Park. Here, as my fantasies enlarged, was
22 October 1969 had a style all of its own.
OCTANE september
december 2015 155
OCTANE
dat su n 24 0z
and reliable 240Z home, parking it in the drive of

where you could reliably enjoy barbecues and wife1973 datsun 240z
your California-style ranch home in Berkshire, then
swapping after a thrilling blast up the dual carriageway
EnginE 2393cc straight-six,
sipping a Campari and soda before you enjoyed a
from Maidenhead in the Z-car. More prosaically,
OHC, twin Hitachi SU-type
casserole served in bright orange (Raymond Loewy
Edgcumbe was a high-minded garden suburb created
carburettors
designed) Le Creuset oven-to-tableware.
by an enlightened developer called Athelstan Whaley,
PowEr 151bhp @ 5600rpm
TorquE 146lb ft @ 4400rpm
More than half-a-million 240Zs were manufactured
who had been influenced by Scandinavian domesticity
Transmission Five-speed
and its success lent Datsun an aura of prestige that
and the ranch-style houses of California. As Katayama
manual, rear-wheel drive
could not have been achieved by the front-wheel-drive
said, the 240Z package was addressed to America. At the
sTEEring Rack and pinion
Cherry. As The New York Times noted in 2008, it
time, most advanced design was.
susPEnsion Front and rear:
MacPherson struts, lower
Exactly contemporary with the 240Z and its Fairlady
changed the auto industrys perception of Japanese
wishbones, coil springs,
predecessor, Edgcumbe Park was begun in 1958 and
cars. Katayama-san retired in 1977 when Japan was still
telescopic dampers,
completed in 1970. The ambitious brochure more,
a pompous, conservative and hieratic nation.
anti-roll bar
really, of a manifesto was revealing: The place to live
While America acknowledged his achievement with
BrakEs Discs front,
West of London, it said. Every house, every site and
the 240Z, at home his high profile was interpreted as
drums rear
wEighT 1044kg
winding cul-de-sac is imaginatively planned by our
vainglory and Katayama was not fted in retirement.
PErformancE Top speed
Architectural Staff [note CAPITALS], preserving the
But with the increasing scholarly interest in the history
122mph. 0-60mph 8.7sec
Oaks and the Mountain Ash, the Scots Pine and
of car design, Katayama began to emerge as a significant
Sycamore, ensuring good orientation and pleasant views. And, if you
figure and, by 1997, Nissan was running television ads featuring the
could afford it, you would have a Charles Eames chair and ottoman
ebullient Mr K, father of the Z-car.
next to your heated serving trolley with its taramasalata and beef olives,
The 240Z is one of the great Japanese cars. In fact, one of the greatest
around which your female guests would gather, wearing billowing
cars of them all. Consider again that Zen proposition and take pleasure
cheese-cloth dresses and agreeable pouts.
in the ability of cars, good and bad, to evoke powerful and romantic
It was in a house on this estate that Franois Truffaut shot, with Julie
ideas. Great cars take your imagination, as well as your body, on
Christie, his film of Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451, a novel set 50 years
fascinating journeys to remote worlds. Even as far as Crowthorne. End
in the future. The estate has been described as the future that time
forgot. And now, as we remember it, how distant that age of thigh boots
Thanks To 240Z owner Phil Bradshaw, 240Z specialist Fourways Engineering,
and hot pants seems. Delicious to imagine the felicity of driving a fast
www.datsun240z.co.uk, and Edgcumbe Park homeowners Mr and Mrs Vincent.
Gone but not forGotten

WOrds GILES CHAPMAN phOtOgraph jAGuAr HErItAGE
Bob Knight
Jaguars unsung hero pictured above, with glasses fought

the diktats of British Leyland and conjured up dynamic magic
nly after BoB Knight

cleared his desk, turned out the
light and departed for home for
the final time, did his immense
contribution to Jaguars survival become
apparent. Hed engineered the worlds finest
car and then saved the company, although
not with any bold vision of the future. Knight
doggedly held together Jaguars independent
nucleus its close-knit engineering and design
teams, operating on shoestrings while British
Leyland seemed hellbent on destroying the
companys soul. History has proved him to be
Jaguars unsung hero, manifested as a chainsmoking procrastinator who drove colleagues
potty with his quest for perfection.
Born in 1920, Knight attended Coventrys
Bablake School before graduating from
Birmingham University with a BSc in
mechanical engineering. He joined what was
then SS Cars in 1944 as a technical assistant
in the drawing office, recruited directly by
chief engineer William Heynes who, being
an instinctive talent but lacking theoretical
academic education, was impressed by young
Bobs training, intellect and analytical skills.
Knight proved himself extraordinarily capable
of identifying, interpreting and improving car
dynamics. He was a brilliant problem solver,

appointed chief vehicle development engineer
in 1951. Hed worked first on the MkV saloon
and then the XK120, but his expertise in chassis
design was poured into the C-type and D-type,
working in partnership with aerodynamicist
Malcolm Sayer, whose use of applied
mathematics impressed him. Knight was
responsible for the C-types pioneering disc
brakes in 1953, a hugely significant sports
car breakthrough.
When Jaguar switched its racing programme
into what became the E-type, Knight was
absorbed in every aspect, but his personal
triumph was its rear suspension. It gave the
E-type its sophisticated compromise between
roadholding and ride comfort. The story is told
of Knight completing the design in 27 days,
to win a 5 bet from Jaguar founder William
Lyons that it couldnt be done in a month.
By 1960, Bob Knight was supervising all
Jaguar development, taking Heynes position
as chief engineer three years later. He wasnt a
keen driver, so chief test driver Norman Dewis
made an ideal partner. Knight left the highspeed stuff to Dewis, while he finessed ride
quality and the suppression of noise and
vibration, becoming a world-leading guru.
Via the S-type, Knights independent rear

suspension migrated to the XJ6 Jaguars
masterpiece. His fingerprints were all over its
exceptional road manners, and included
working with Dunlop to custom-design its fat
tyres. The later XJ12 was universally hailed as
superior to any other luxury saloon. The idea
that development towards the ultimate should
ever stop is anathema to Bob Knight, wrote
Jaguar chronicler Andrew Whyte. He never
failed to use every last available moment to
perfect some detail.
Knight was accustomed to working on
slender resources but via short chains of
command to produce engineering alchemy.
Then, in 1968, the company became part of
British Leyland. Jaguar alumni, including
Lyons, retired or passed away, and Knight
found himself the lone defender of its modus
operandi, doing everything in his power to
resist having Jaguars engineering base diluted
by being folded into Rover or Triumph.
In 1973 hed begun work on the new XJ40
programme, but BL kept him chronically
under-funded, so the project was in nearconstant limbo. Most of his energy went, as
one observer put it, on a protracted campaign
of non-cooperation and stubborn refusal to
keep Browns Lanes sparse design and
engineering facilities intact. BL reclassified it in
Soviet style as Large Car Plant No 2 but
Knight kept the increasingly ragged Jaguar
Cars Ltd flag flying. In 1969 he joined the
Jaguar board. For three years from 1975 he was
in unofficial charge of the company, although
as many colleagues regarded him as a solitary
figure, unmarried and with nervy habits like
constant hand-washing, this wasnt a role he
was cut out for. Yet he received a CBE in 1977.
Between 1978 and 1980 Knight was, officially,
managing director, but he couldnt prevent
build quality nose-diving nor see off every
stupid diktat from BL head office, such as that
XJ6 colour choice be limited to red, white and a
horrible yellow. He turned down the chance to
oversee all BLs engineering and refused the
opportunity to install the Rover V8 in his XJ40
(he shaped the engine compartment so it
wouldnt fit anyway!). A more robust defender
of a marques core values is hard to imagine.
When John Egan arrived in 1980, he
implored Knight to stay as MD, but he chose to
retire. He was a very fine and meticulous
engineer, says Egan in his new memoir Saving
Jaguar. Bob had been forced to put up with all
kinds of nonsense from his superiors. He was
tired of fighting Jaguars corner.
Knight left Jaguar with a decent severance
and his personal Daimler Double Six Series II,
which he kept until his death in 2000, aged 81.
He found consultancy work for Rolls-Royce,
Dunlop and more. Meanwhile, Egan made
good on his promise to rejuvenate Jaguar, and
Knights precious XJ40 finally emerged in 1986.
Hamburg Berlin
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe, 1955, frame off restoration by marque specialist

to concours condition, luggage set, matching-numbers.
Mercedes-Benz 770 K Convertible D Groer Tourenwagen, 1931, very few

770 with elegant coachwork produced, prominent first owner, matching-numbers.
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40/50 Salamanca Convertible, 1921, well

documented history, original bodywork, excellent condition.
Invicta 4.5 l High Chassis Tourer, 1928, very interesting

and well documented history, formerly team car, restored some years ago.
De Tomaso Pantera GTL Serie I, 1973, untouched original car, only 24.769 KM, 2 owners from new, FIVA-Pass.
Jaguar E-Type 4.2 l Series I Coupe, 1965, completely

restored, air condition, 5-speed gearbox, magnesium wheels.
RR Silver Cloud III Mulliner Convertible, 1963,

only 38 built, Wedding car of Danish Crown Prince.
Lamborghini 400 GT Espada Serie II, 1971,

very original, techniques overhauled.
BMW 503 Series I Convertible, 1957, 1 of 78 produced,

one owner, only 53.000 KM, first registration.
MB 220 SE Ponton Convertible, 1960, Ice blue with

ivory, extensively restored, 1 of only 1112 produced.
Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint Series I Coupe, 1952.

AM DB 2 Vantage, 1951, beautifully restored.
Aston Martin DB 4 Series I, 1959, extensively restored.
BMW 503 Cabriolet Series II, 1958, 1 of 58.
Ferrari F40, 1990, original condition, only 29.041 KM!

Ferrari 212 / 225 S Tuboscocca, 1951, race history.
Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I, 1965, Ferrari Certificate.
Lancia Delta S4 Stradale, 1989, only 45 existing!
Mercedes-Benz 300 S Roadster, 1953, unique.

Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc Roadster, 1956, 1 of 53.
Mercedes Benz 540 K Cabriolet A, 1939, 1 of 32.
Porsche 356A 1600 Cabriolet, 1958, very original.
Many more interesting cars in stock please ask or visit our website: www.thiesen-automobile.com
Thiesen Hamburg GmbH Griegstrae 73 D-22763 Hamburg-Othmarschen fon: +49-40/45 03 43-0 sales@thiesen-automobile.com
E. Thiesen Berlin GmbH Wiebestrae 29-38 D-10553 Berlin fon: +49-30/34 50 20 44 larkamp@thiesen-berlin.com
ICON
WORDS DELWYN MALLETT
Paul Ricard water carafe

As if the drink itself werent sufciently an icon of 20th century France,
Paul Ricard pastis was served with a delectably angular water carafe
S THE 1960s began to swing,

Britain was clawing its way out
of the gloom of post-war austerity
and many were for the rst time
discovering the joys of the Continent. French
Nouvelle Vague cinema was in the ascendant
and whetting the appetite for the sophisticated
lifestyle of our near-neighbours. When smoking
was still cool and cars had not yet become
super, Gauloises and Deux Chevaux were
chic, and nothing caught the avour, quite
literally, of Frenchness more than a glass of the
nations favourite tipple: Ricard pastis.
An essential part of the pastis-imbibing

ritual was the Ricard water carafe, sharply
chamfered and asymmetrical with a chimneylike neck, as if designed by a 1920s modernist
architect. The lure of its vibrant red, blue and
yellow Riviera hues turned otherwise lawabiding tourists into petty thieves, as bars and
bistros were relieved of carafes and ashtrays in
their thousands before these were eventually
superseded by more resistible variants.
Ricard owed its existence and success to the
ban imposed, 100 years ago, on Frances then
most popular and notorious aperitif: absinthe.
Absinthe was originally peddled by Pierre
Ordinaire, a French doctor living in Switzerland
in the 1790s, as an elixir for various ills. Despite
its medicinal taste, the extremely high alcohol
content ensured its popularity and before long
Henri Pernod, who had acquired the formula,
opened a factory in France producing absinthe
on an industrial scale.
By the 1880s absinthe was being consumed
in vast quantities, was much favoured by
Bohemian artists and had become known
colloquially as the Green Fairy.
With alcoholism an increasing social
problem, absinthe in particular was demonised
for its contribution to the nations social ills.
A particularly gruesome family murder in
Switzerland in 1906 was blamed on madness
induced by absinthe and prompted a ban,
Nothing caught
the flavour of
Frenchness more
than a glass of
the nations
favourite tipple:
Ricard pastis
Le
Ricard was an anise-based absinthe light,
and as stereotypically French as a spirit
could be. The angular water carafe it was
served with became highly sought-a er.
which was followed by more in most other

European countries and, with World War One
raging, in France in 1915.
Absinthe may have been banned but the
French had not lost their taste for anise. Anisebased spirits were the moonshine of the
Mediterranean, where generations of home
distillers had produced their own variants,
known as pastis Occitane for mash.
Paul Louis Marius Ricard was born in
1909 in the small Provenal village of SainteMarthe, now subsumed into the urban sprawl
of Marseilles. His father was a wine merchant
and the young Pauls ambition to be an artist
was thwarted by his fathers insistence that he
pursue the family business.
It is said that an old shepherd introduced
the young Paul to pastis, prompting him to
experiment in his bedroom with a small still
and concoct his own formula based around
star anise (the Asian variant of the herb), fennel
seeds and other herbs that to this day remain
secret. Crucially, Ricards liqueur did not
contain wormwood, the ingredient that had
given absinthe its reputation as an
hallucinogenic and corrosive spirit, yet still he
faced an uphill battle to be able to sell what
remained illegal under French law.
In 1932 the Government nally relented and
allowed pastis to be sold above the counter.
Ricard immediately claimed the high ground
by stating that his eponymous liqueur was
Le Vrai Pastis de Marseilles the authentic
pastis of Marseilles. Competitors, including
Pernod, were by implication inferior.
Ricards artistic creativity manifested itself
in a gift for promotion. Early advertising
posters depicted Ricard as a kind of absinthelight, complete with its own traditional
drinking paraphernalia of special spoon
supporting a sugar cube through which iced
water was dripped.
The Ricard company was formalised in
1939, just in time to have the World War
Two Vichy Government once again ban
strong alcohol! Sales resumed post-war but
advertising remained prohibited. Undaunted,
Paul Ricard switched his promotional efforts
to imaginative point-of-sale material and
sports sponsorship, being the rst commercial
sponsor of the Tour de France and building the
eponymous Formula 1 motor racing circuit.
In 1975 Ricard merged with its great rival,
Pernod, to create one of the worlds largest
drinks conglomerates. France nally repealed
its ban on absinthe in 2011.
CHRONO
WORDS NICK FOULKES
The ultimate in holidaywear

With Bulgaris neatly updated Scuba on your wrist, even the smartest beachside
establishment wont dare to take issue with your oral-print swimming trunks
DO NOT KNOW whether two

instances of utterly covetable 18-carat
pink-gold, rubber-strapped watches
constitute a trend. But both Rolex and
Bulgari brought out great rubber-wristed
timepieces, although Rolex being Rolex made
sure that it did not call its rubber strap anything
as commonplace as rubber preferring the
pleasing neologism Oysterex.
However, I will consecrate this particular
column to just one of these triumphs the
Bulgari Scuba which made its dramatic
return to the line-up of Bulgari models. There
are steel and bi-colour iterations, but the
contrast of the pink gold and the black rubber
are what give this watch its unique presence.
Incredibly, it is 21 years since Bulgari rst
launched the Diagono Scuba. I can still
remember the excitement I experienced when
I rst saw it. It summed up in clockwork and
articulated rubber what it meant to be
glamorous and Italian: all sport-chic lusso with
a year-round tan. Even if you are in a beach bar
wearing no more than a pair of Vilebrequins
and a pair of Persols, this is the watch that says
I have just parked the GTO on the quayside
next to the Perini Navi without you having to
say it yourself.
In the interests of horological correctness
Bulgari will tell you that the thing is powered
by a solotempo calibre, a manufacture
self-winding movement entirely designed,
developed and produced in-house, with a
frequency of 28,800vph and a 42-hour power
reserve. While, to be sure, these are noble
attributes, it is the look of the thing sorry to
sound so trivial that attracted me in the rst
place, and the passage of time has not
dimmed that appeal.
What is so good about the Bulgari Scuba
Ver 2.0 is that you can trace the lineage of
the timepiece without any doubt: Bulgaris
design director Fabrizio Buonamassa has
demonstrated the condence of a man with
nothing to prove and the eye of an aesthete in
applying a lightness of touch that has resulted
in a fresh but familiar watch.
The dial design, while slightly cleaner than
the original, is instantly recognisable. Indeed,
all the design signatures that established this
watch as a near-instant classic in 1994 look just
as good in the teens of the current century,
chief among which is the crenellated bezel,
which has scoops taken out of its prole
almost as if something with a very small and
perfectly sharp mouth has been taking bites at

regular intervals.
Buonamassa describes the dial and bezel as
picking up the architectural codes of Roman
columns and arches. This may well be and,
although I do not recall Pliny or Pompey or
Cicero or any of the Caesars ashing their gold
Scubas around the forum, perhaps this is what
Shakespeare was driving at in Julius Caesar,
in which characters are constantly asking
What ist oclock?
However, this is not a watch to wear during
the Ides of March, but in the summer sun.
Alas, I do not have an estate in the southern
hemisphere to which I can retreat during the
hibernal months. Nor, to my shame, do I have
a yacht moored in the Bahamas or, for that
matter, a house in Mustique. Although I have

heard it said that, if there is one thing better
than having a boat or a house in the Caribbean,
it is having a friend who has a boat or house in
the West Indies to which one is invited.
And if I were to receive such an invitation
this winter, I could think of few more
appropriate watches to wear than the Bulgari
Scuba Chrono, and even if I do not have such
an invitation, a bit of deftly applied fake tan
and the glint of the new Bulgari Scuba at the
wrist would convince anyone that I had just
returned from a sojourn in warmer climes.
Put simply, this watch is a holiday worn on
the wrist yet, as a piece of great design, it
demands to be worn more often than only
when on holiday.
The original summed

up in clockwork and
rubber what it was
to be glamorous
and Italian
AutomobiliA
Words giles chapman
Brooklands race cards

These detailed insights into a bygone era of speed are highly collectable yet fun, too
day out at the races? In the 1920s

and 30s, that didnt just mean the
gee-gees if you lived in greater
London and had an empty Saturday
afternoon. If you liked the brum-brums then
there was at least one steam train an hour to
whisk you from Waterloo down to Weybridge.
For here was the home of Brooklands, the
worlds first purpose-built motor racing circuit,
where speed and lap records were constantly
being shattered, and where well-to-do
petrolheads hung out the air thick with the
proverbial aroma of Castrol R to be in
and around sports and racing cars.
The Brooklands Automobile Racing
Clubs Open Meetings were the most
common fixtures throughout the 1930s,
jostling with Junior Car Club and Light
Car Club meetings, and motorcycle race
days in the yearly season. The circuit was
Britains motor racing Mecca, and the
atmosphere around it was like nowhere
else. Not just at the weekends, either; on
any weekday you could turn up at the
track with your road car and tear round it
to your hearts content for ten shillings,
or just five shillings for a motorbike.
The fun ended in 1939, and Brooklands
never reopened after the Second World
War. The spirit of the times was kept alive
for decades in writing and recollections
from those who knew it personally.
Theres now virtually no-one alive who
pounded that hallowed concrete track
between Weybridge and Byfleet. But one
great way to relive the glory days is
through the Official Race Cards that
accompanied every single event.
These booklets cost visitors a shilling
on the day and, thanks to their A5 format,
they could be carried around in coat
pockets, maybe even handbags, as you
enjoyed the days proceedings. Their
main function was to give details of the
eight or nine races taking place, allowing
the dedicated to note the results, almost
every heat stuffed with famous names.
Looking at the race card for Saturday 17
October 1931, for example, the first race is the
Cumberland Junior Short Handicap, in which
Goldie Gardners MG took on Sir Tim Birkins
Rover and Whitney Straights Riley. The fourth
race at 3.30pm was The Ladies Handicap;
wouldnt you love to have seen Mrs TH Wisdom
in her Invicta battling it out with the Hon Mrs
Joan Chetwynds MG and the Hon Mrs VA
Bruces Aston Martin, perhaps with Miss Paddie

Naismiths Salmson trying to get a look in.
On Saturday 11 March 1933, the 4.50pm
Weybridge Lightning Mountain Handicap
featured the warring Bugattis of Kaye Don and
TASO Matheson and HJ Aldingtons Frazer
Nash snapping at their heels; on Saturday 16
March 1935, the 2.30pm Second New Haw Short
Handicap pitted Mrs Kay Petres MG against
Goldie Gardners MG and Oliver Bertram, at
the wheel of a Delage owned by motor racing
photographer Louis Klementaski. Handily, the
Survival rates are

low, after being
stuffed into pockets
or tucked inside
car gloveboxes
race cards gave all the cars colours, as well

as their bore, stroke and cc.
You were more than likely to run into a
motoring celebrity among the officials, too. In
May 1932, for instance, the observers included
Le Mans legend Dr JD Benjafield, Archie Frazer
Nash and Aston Martin founder Lionel Martin,
and the announcer was BBC radios Alan Hess.
But, for most visitors, watching the cars going
round and round would only be part of a jolly
good day out. The adverts in the race cards
really impart some of the flavour, such as the
dry-throat reminder that We want what
we want and what we want is Watneys.
The catering was looked after by the
Army & Navy Catering Service Ltd, and
all its refreshment rooms were licensed
between 11am and 6pm.
In 1933, you could enjoy a Table dHote
Luncheon in the paddock for 3s 6d, or
Tea, including bread and butter, pastries,
cake for 1s 6d, with tea costing the same
at the Public Hill. Meanwhile, stomach
and weather permitting, you could enjoy
a five-shilling passenger joyride flight
from the aerodrome, provided by the
Brooklands School Of Flying.
By the mid-1930s, Brooklands had its
own slogan: The right crowd and no
crowding. It was shamelessly elitist but
no doubt reflected the fact that a Saturday
at the track was a continuum of the social
scene among Londons bright young
things. No wonder companies used the
race card to target the monied enthusiast.
In March 1935, Clifford Taylor Ltd of
Bruton Street, London W1, took a page to
advertise the imported Auburn eight-cyl
Supercharged Speedster as Guaranteed
100mph, vying for attention with a
Thomson & Taylor ad for the Railton, said
to be Ten years ahead of its time.
These highly telling race cards are
great to collect, and if you have some to
sell then youll be pleased to know that
theyre quite valuable, worth 10-40 each
depending on condition. Programmes for
one-off races (such as the Empire Trophy)
held at Brooklands are more valuable still at
80-120 apiece. Survival rates are low. After
having been stuffed into pockets or tucked
inside car gloveboxes or, indeed, being left on
the seat of the return train to Waterloo they
wouldnt hang about for long; ephemera as
fleeting, really, as the carefree, pre-war aura
at Brooklands itself.
Books
REVIEWED BY richard heseltine and mark dixon
Book
of the
Month
Formula 1 in camera 1960-69 vol 2

PAUL PARKER, Behemoth Publishing, 40, ISBn 978 0 9928769 2 0
WE HAVE BEEn great

admirers of Parkers previous
photo histories and have
reproduced extracts in Octane
before now. This is arguably
his best effort yet. You know
what to expect: a decades
worth of Formula 1 imagery
with extended and
well-researched accompanying captions. And
the images really are hugely evocative.
It helps that this was a decade that witnessed
seismic shifts in car design, not to mention the
arrival of corporate sponsorship and colourful
drivers from a time when wheelmen werent
media-trained to within an inch of their lives.
But while the inevitable superstars are here
Clark, Stewart, Surtees and so on what really
appeals are the never-before-published images of,
say, privateer John Taylor steering his Brabham
BT11 to sixth place in the 1966 French Grand Prix,
or Moiss Solana looking pensive as he waits on the
grid for the start of the 1966 Mexican Grand Prix.
Both drivers, like so many others, have been largely
forgotten by history so its nice to see them being

given equal billing with the bigger names. There are
also pics of some of the smaller teams, not least
Colin Crabbes McLaren M7B in all its Antique
Automobiles-liveried glory. This was surely the
slowest name in F1 history
Away from the on-track action, we rather liked
the shots of a remarkably relaxed-looking Jackie
Oliver standing with the
remains of his Lotus 49 at
Rouen les Essarts shortly
after he made contact with
something immovable at close
on 190mph. Rather less
chilled, however, is Lotus
mechanic Dale Porteous who
is standing alongside him,
wondering if he is expected to
glue it back together in time
for the start of the 1968
French Grand Prix. Equally
superb is the pic of Matras
insouciant Johnny SevozGavin, looking like a hippie
from Central Casting as he chats with an animated

Jacky Ickx in the car park at Magdalena Mixhuca.
There are so many wonderful images here, its all
too hard not to sound gushing. Countless books are
churned out along these lines, but some cost
considerably more and a great many have
meaningless captions. This is a superb effort and
great value, too. Recommended.
w w w.hortonsbooks.co.uk
N.A.R.T.
A concise history of the North

American Racing Team 1957-1983
TERRY ONEIL, Veloce, 60, ISBN 978 1 845847 87 6
ONEIL HAS WRITTEN several well-received works on American

road-racing history and this latest eort is typically well-written.
This is not the denitive history of Luigi Chinettis squad, however;
second-generation team principal Coco Chinetti hasnt contributed
his thoughts and reminiscences (hes working on his own
history of NART with Michael Lynch).
However, there is plenty to commend, not least the
background on Chinetti Srs early driving career and his
love/hate relationship with Le Mans. The author has also
delved into the story behind Ed Huguss claim that he
was the Third Man who secretly piloted the 1965 24
Hours-winning 250LM as relief driver for Jochen Rindt
and Masten Gregory. ONeil hasnt taken Huguss claim
at face value, unlike some works we could mention.
Nigel Mansell
Staying on track
NIGEL MANSELL, Simon & Schuster, 20

ISBN 978 1 4711 5022 7
LOVE HIM OR loathe him, Our

Nige le an indelible mark on
motor sport, belying a middling
career in junior formulae to
become Grand Prix and IndyCar
champion. Much of the narrative is
fairly well-known: how he sold his
house to fund an F3 drive; how he
saved Elio de Angelis from drowning, and so on.
There have been umpteen Mansell biographies, so
its the non-F1 stu that really intrigues. His
thoughts on his rst and nal outing at Le Mans in
2010 are fascinating, not least how head injuries
apparently curtailed his driving career. It was also
amusing to read about his time serving as a
Special Constable while at the height of his fame.
A diverting time-whiler, then, and good value.
Jaguar XK150 explored
COLLECTORS BOOK
Alfa Romeo-Zagato
SZ, TZ
MARCELLO MINERBI, 1000 Miglia, 1985, value 150
WRITTEN BY a respected Alfa

historian, this was the rst
history of the small-series
Zagato Giulietta- and
Giulia-based SZ and TZ
racers. As well as how and
why Alfa came to adopt the SZ as a
production model, having once disowned it,
the narrative moves on to the Spada-styled
Coda Tronca version and the glorious TZ1.
There is also information on one-os such
as the Pinin Giulia Sport Speciale.
Panel beating and body work
BERNARD VIART, PJ Publishing, 110

ISBN 978 1 908658 11 1
BENGT BLAD, Blads Forlag, 77, ISBN 978 91 637 2086 4 /

2087 1, available from www.bladsforlag.com
THIS IS the third in Bernard

Viarts fabulous trilogy of XK
works, following previous books
on the XK120 and XK140, and
like the others its an amazing
production. To describe it as
something between a production
history and a parts book is to do it a disservice:
it contains literally thousands of razor-sharp 3D
drawings of virtually every component on the car.
No surprise that Viart spent nearly three years
working full-time on this one volume.
Apart from the drawings (which benet from
subtle use of colour) there are numerous period
photos, too, making this an invaluable reference
work for any owner or restorer of an XK150.
Given the eort thats gone into it and the high
production values, the price looks very reasonable.
FIRST THINGS FIRST: this

is not light bedtime reading.
Not even close. It is,
however, remarkably
in-depth. Combined, this
twin-volume set of
so backs runs to more than
1400 pages and covers every conceivable aspect of
the subject, from basic body repairs to how to
operate pressing tools and just about everything
in-between. In addition to the highly informative
but still relatively easy-to-digest text, there are
also numerous photos and line drawings showing
you how (and how not) to become your own
coachbuilder. So, if you need to know how to
measure holes with collars for a Jaguar XK150
bonnet, or how best to shape a doorframe using
a turnbuckle, then look no further. Recommended.
Mille Miglia
Lamborghini supercars
A race in pictures
Stuart Codling, Motorbooks, 50

ISBN 978 0 7603 4795 9
LEONARDO ACERBI, Giorgio Nada Editore, 60, ISBN 978 88 7911 618 3
THERE IS NO shortage of
Lamborghini books, and this
latest eort from Motorbooks
does cover familiar ground.
That said, this glossy hardback
concentrates only on the
assorted supercars made by
the SantAgata concern over the past half-acentury, and Codling has an engaging writing
style that stops it short of being just a list of
achievements. The many sidebars on key players
such as Dallara, Gandini and Stanzani are also
a welcome touch. On the ipside, there are few
revelations, but this isnt intended to be a
warts-and-all history of the calamity-marque.
It is, however, an eective introduction to the
subject. In addition, James Manns studio shots
are as striking as the subject matter.
GIORGIO NADA APPEARS to be on a roll right now, especially with

its many race histories. And while there are countless other Mille
Miglia works, this is something else entirely. Its predominately
a picture book but the images are captivating. Acerbi went to
great lengths to track down never-before-seen photos, and the
overwhelming majority here will be unfamiliar.
Oered in Italian and English, the text
(mostly informative captions) can take a turn
for the orid and confusing, eg Because the
lines and the images of this book we will all
nd, along with the scent of petrol and
Marinettian blooming of the bolide, rather than
in the statuesque, chronicalistic, portrait-esque
and aggressive staticity of the still shots... You
get the idea. But it is beautifully produced and
a must for all fans of the great race.
GEAR
COMPILED BY OCTANE STAFF AND BRETT FRASER
PETROLHEAD GIFT GUIDE

Go on, treat yourself tis the season, after all
Defender
pedal car
TBC. www.landrover.co.uk
OH, TO BE A CHILD again, when pedal

cars are this good. Handbuilt in Blighty,
this rooess tribute to 60 years of the
original Land Rover has an aluminium
body, spring suspension, working
brakes (including the parking brake)
and a leather upholstered interior. Its
o-road ability will be governed by the
strength of little Johnnys legs, as will
its top speed. Before getting too excited
at the prospect of buying several for
the whole family, we should let you
know that its likely to be quite dear
GEAR
Ayrton Senna portrait by Annemarie Wright
300. www.mementoexclusives.com
A PICTURE IS worth a thousand words, they say, but in this case thousands of
words have painted a picture. British artist Annemarie Wright is renowned for
creating portraits of famous folk using lines of text, and she has now embarked
upon a series of F1 works, the rst of which is this likeness of Ayrton Senna,
made up of quotes from other GP drivers and commentators.
Lomography LC-A 120

339. www.lomography.com
THE PEOPLE AT Lomography continue to rage against the

digital revolution, and their latest enormously enjoyable
lm camera is this, the LC-A 120. Beloved of street snappers,
it is as compact and easy-to-use an introduction to mediumformat photography as youre likely to nd; and, as youd expect
given the price, it is considerably more solidly built than some
of Lomographys novelty cameras.
Montblanc Meisterstck
BMW fountain pen
370. www.montblanc.com
SAID TO HANDLE every bit as smoothly

as the new BMW 7 Series in honour of
which it was created, this Platinum Line
LeGrand Fountain Pen boasts a gold
nib with rhodium-plated inlay, and a
clip engraved with the number 7.
Drone Lily
$799 (preorder price). www.lily.camera
IT USED TO BE that if you wanted something to follow you around

faithfully, you bought a dog. Now you can have a photographic drone
called Lily that automatically tracks you via a transponder in your
pocket and records you doing active lifestyle stu. Lilys main body
ts in the palm of your hand and to y it you simply chuck it into the air.
Its waterproof, too, and is claimed to cope with ying in strong winds.
Signed Stirling Moss

1:2 scale helmet
249.95. www.thesignaturestore.co.uk
FAR CLASSIER THAN a signed baseball cap, this halfsize replica of a 1950s racing helmet bears the signature
of Sir Stirling Moss and comes complete with a stand and
certicate of authenticity. Each helmet is handmade by
Bill Vero of Everoak (who made the originals) and has
leather ear protectors and a traditional corker lining.
Classic Bruno Roadster toy

45. www.meandmycar.co.uk
WASTED ON KIDS, the Bruno Roadster has a pleasing simplicity of

line that makes it better suited as a desk ornament than an object for
the playroom oor but if you do take it racing, it should withstand
a few knocks thanks to its tough plastic body and rubber tyres.
Eterna Royal Kontiki GMT

1525. www.eterna.com
SIGNIFICANTLY MORE advanced than its namesake (Kon-Tiki was a

traditional balsawood ra on which a team of brave and slightly mad
Scandinavians sailed the Pacic in 1947), this GMT watch is powered
by Eternas in-house 3945A movement with ultra-durable Spherodrive
mainspring barrel system. Looking at its rugged stainless-steel case and
rubber strap, we suspect it would cope with an ocean crossing just ne.
Marshall Major headphones

80. www.marshallamps.com
THE IDEAL TRAVEL companion, Marshalls neatly styled Major

headphones are fully collapsible, comfortable, and feature
a microphone and remote to allow you to pick up phone calls
while listening to music. No word on whether they go up to 11.
GEAR
Portes du Soleil by
Pullman Editions
395. www.pullmaneditions.com
THERE ARE MORE dramatic

mountainscapes in the world,
but few that we return to as
gladly as the Portes du Soleil
ski area between Mont Blanc
and Lake Geneva. The magic
of its microclimate is captured
in this beautiful poster, one of
several designs by Charles
Avalon for Pullmans Art Deco
in the Alps collection and oered
in a limited edition of just 280.
BMW golf bag

280. http://shop.bmw.com
THE ULTIMATE DRIVERS MACHINE, and great for putters and irons,
too Literally the BMW of golf bags, it is roomy, ultra-lightweight and
waterproof, and with its comfortable shoulder straps it wont break
your creaking back as you stroll between holes.
Ford Trimotor model

450. www.meandmycar.co.uk
HENRY FORD APPLIED the same principles

to building aircra that he did to making
cars, so the Ford Trimotor was robust,
cheap and reliable. This impressive
handbuilt model of the Tin Goose consists
of a corrugated aluminium skin over a
mahogany frame. Youll need some space to
display it: it has a wingspan of 101.5cm.
Johammer J1
From 22,900. www.johammer.com
NO RUMBLING V TWIN, no exhaust

fumes, no vast expanse of chromed
metal the electric Johammer J1
might not appeal to the traditionalists
among the motorcycling fraternity,
but holy heck its an achievement.
Designed and built by a team of clever
Austrians, it is suciently strangelooking that you might assume it to
be a styling study rst and a working
bike second, but form in fact follows
function here. The aluminium frame
is both lightweight and rigid; the
maintenance-free motor, good for
75mph in its electronically limited
state, is integrated into the rear
wheel; that unusual front fork
reduces dive under braking;
the battery pack sits low in the
frame for stability; and all dash
info is visible in those way-uphigh rearview mirrors. It oers
a range of up to 124 miles on a
single charge, so its not about to
displace its petrol-drinking cousins,
but if theres a cooler city bike in the
world well eat our hat.
READERS CHOICE
CATEGORY
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SWISSVAX USA, LLC 13380 BISCAYNE BAY DRIVE KEYSTONE POINT NORTH MIAMI, FL 33181 SALES@SWISSVAX.US WWW.SWISSVAX.US
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GEAR
Tamiya Monster Beetle R/C car
199.99. www.hobbyco.net
TAMIYA RECENTLY re-released its iconic Monster Beetle

from the 1980s and treated it to a few little upgrades. The
kit comes complete with injection moulded plastic body,
spaceframe chassis, oil-lled dampers, universal rear
drivesha s and adjustable gear ratio. And it remains
outrageously good fun, with a period twist.
t-lab prints
15 each. www.t-lab.eu
SMART ENOUGH TO be hung in the house rather than

consigned to the garage, these A2 litho-printed posters
feature some of t-labs most popular designs. If youve
nowhere to display them, they can also be had splashed
across the front of a heavyweight, 100% cotton T-shirt.
Dura workshop cabinets

POA. www.dura.co.uk
RENOWNED BRITISH garage outtter Dura created this one-o

homage to the Gold Leaf-sponsored Lotus 49 F1 car for this years
Goodwood Revival, and plans to honour other famous Grand Prix
cars at subsequent Revival events. If your workspace is crying
out for a swish set of custom cabinets, you know whom to call.
GEAR
Mugs by Jonathan Carter
10 each. www.meandmycar.co.uk
PERK UP YOUR coee break with these beautifully

illustrated mugs by British artist Jonathan Carter.
Featuring portraits of some of F1s greats, the mugs
are heavily glazed to handle the rough and tumble of
the dishwasher, and suciently inexpensive that we
suspect most people wont be able to buy just one.
VW desk clock
17. www.speedkingtools.com
FANCY THE STYLE of an old VW clock in your

oce without having to park a camper van
alongside your computer monitor? This
retro-looking number sets a camper-style
clock into a surround that replicates the old
Dubs steering wheel much more convenient,
and a snip, too, at only 17.
Paul Smith T-shirt

55. www.paulsmith.co.uk
HARDLY A CLOSED BOOK, that Sir

Paul Smith. You dont have to work
very hard at all when looking at his
latest range of products to gure out
that the designer is a keen bicycling
enthusiast something that is especially
apparent from this T-shirt, which features
a jolly print of old-school cycling caps.
Ferrari 375 Plus Carrera Panamericana model

6350. www.nemodelcars.com
BUT FOR THE LACK of dirt and patina you could almost mistake Amalgams
1:8 scale rendering of the 1954 Carrera Panamericana-winning Ferrari 375 Plus
for the real thing. Each new model that Amalgam develops emerges from its
workshops only a er 3000 hours of toil, and each example takes 350 hours
to hand-build and nish all of which helps to make sense of the price.
GEAR
Speedking leather tool roll
140, or 220 with socket set. www.speedkingtools.com
IF AESTHETICS MATTER to you, youll want a tool kit that matches the
look of your classic. Speedkings leather tool roll, available in black,
chestnut and tan, is as period appropriate as they come, and is now
being oered with the option of a perfectly-tting in Armstrong
imperial socket set with ratchet and extensions.
GrandPrix Originals
Macan Heuer travel bag
369. www.grandprix-dakotashop.com
PRETEND THAT YOURE an old racer with

this Heuer-badged leather travel bag;
although its brand new, it has an
appealing vintage look and feel.
Morgan iPad case

50.40. www.morgan-motor.co.uk
DISGUISE YOUR IPAD to look like a nicely presented Morgan

handbook. This leather case is available in brown or black
and is stamped with Morgans wings logo, a device
that is also engraved on the clasp.
MHD
bespoke watches
235 as pictured.
www.matthewhumphriesdesignwatches.com
HERES A TOP IDEA: customised watches at

very modest prices. Matthew Humphries Design
(founded by the former Morgan stylist who penned
the Aeromax Coup) uses a Seiko movement,
around which you can specify your preference for
the case style, dial, hands and strap. Each
month the website showcases a watch to
show customers whats possible.
Automoblox Mini Hot Rods
45. www.speedkingtools.com
BE YOUR OWN chop-shop king with this set of

three wooden hot rods that all have interchangeable
parts. The cars have a patented universal connector
system to ease the transfer of engines and wheels
and roofs, while their bodies are made of German
beech and the tyres of real rubber.
GEAR
The Novice Gun by Roy Putt
2000. www.historiccarart.net
Der Grne Himmel calendar

by Rachael Clegg
were probably supposed to be interested in the

story of our young marksman, his gun tracing the
flight of an unfortunate grouse, but all we can focus
on is that fabulous rolls-royce phantom II Shooting
brake in the background the ultimate runabout for
the sporting gent. expertly rendered in oils on linen,
it would grace the wall of any grand country pile.
25. www.rachaelclegg.com
tHe nrburgrIng like youve probably never

seen it before with nudes Its all very tastefully
done, of course, and each months image tells
the story of a different corner. each shot can
also be bought as a high-quality poster.
Haynes desk diary
9.99. www.haynes.co.uk
you dont need to be a technophile

to appreciate Haynes famous cutaway
drawings, and this 2016 week-to-view
desk diary gives you 52 highly detailed
beauties to look at over the course of
the coming year. a better stockingstuffer youll surely not find.
1:2 scale Racer by Pocket Classics

19,995. www.pocketclassics.co.uk
wHen tHe pocket Classics team says that theyve thrown the kitchen sink
at their latest model, theyre not kidding: the half-scale, 1960s-inspired racer
is better engineered than many of the full-size cars on the octane fleet. powered
by a 120cc mid-mounted single-cylinder engine, it is capable of 45mph in standard
tune but will roar past 80mph with a bit of tinkering. Its a good job, then, that it is
equipped with top-notch hydraulic brembo disc brakes, as well as fully adjustable,
fully independent suspension and a limited-slip differential. theres a choice of
three- or four-speed semi-automatic gearboxes, too, and it sits on alloy wheels
shod with specially made crossply tyres.
GEAR
Carrera RS print
by Mark Lacey
From 48.95. www.laceyviews.co.uk
INSPIRED BY PORSCHES adventurous

colour palette from the 1970s, this bannerstyle print is reproduced on ne art paper
and is available in two sizes 30x9.75in
and 60x19.5in. Bigger, wed suggest, is
denitely better in this particular case.
F1 exhaust sculpture
8000 approx, depending on nish. www.heritage-f1.com
THIS CAPTIVATING SCULPTURE was created from

the exhaust system of a 2010 Sauber F1 car, and
was mated to a Ferrari 056 engine for the Monaco GP.
Mounted on a slab of Italian granite, it stands three feet
tall and is one of only 19 that will be made that total a
reection of the number of races in 2010, and thus of
the number of exhausts used during the season.
Raymond Weil Maestro

Frank Sinatra limited edition
975. www.raymond-weil.com
CREATED TO MARK the 100th anniversary of

Frank Sinatras birth, this 39.5mm automatic
has the same easy charm and elegance as
Ol Blue Eyes himself. Those famous peepers,
incidentally, were the inspiration for the
electric-blue hour markers and hands,
which leap o the unfussy face.
Blower Bentley model by Sapor

POA. www.thesignaturestore.co.uk
A QUITE EXTRAORDINARY model, this 1:8 scale masterpiece from Sapor

features a host of working parts, including the pedals, brakes, rear di and
much, much more. It will also move under electric power, but to avoid any
unfortunate accidents wed respectfully suggest that you simply watch the
wheels turn round while its mounted on its special axle stands.
182 APRIL 2014 OCTANE
GEAR
B&G Little Sister
Vintage Michelin sign
DESPITE ITS NAME, the Little Sister

makes an astonishingly big, raunchy
sound. Modelled on the small but
mighty parlour guitars played by the
likes of Robert Johnson, it features an
old-growth mahogany body with gured
maple top, a mahogany neck and a pair of
handwound humbuckers or P90s. A word of
warning, though: if you want one, youll have
to join a queue, and gure out how youre
going to navigate life with an unputdownable
guitar permanently stuck to your mitts.
GIVEN THAT HE began life looking like

a monster from Dr Who, Bibendums
instant popularity was somewhat
perplexing. Happily, he was soon
redrawn, and this vintage-style metal
sign one of a range oered by Coker
Tire and measuring 9.75in across
shows him in his now-familiar,
less nightmarish guise.
$3450. www.destroyallguitars.com
Near the Motorways

by Hugh Cantlie
15.95. www.cheviotbooks.co.uk
THE FACT THAT Near the

Motorways is now in its 11th
printing is a reection of how
damned useful this little so back
is. Packed with descriptions of
more than 200 inns, restaurants
and hotels within ve minutes of
a motorway exit, it is a highly
useful reference for those who
resent paying 19 for a servicestation sandwich and a weak cup
of coee. Thats everyone, then.
Carroll Shelby Art Ball chair

$4750. www.racing-emotionusa.com
A PROPER statement piece of furniture, this and ttingly so.

Neither Carroll Shelby nor his ferocious cars could ever have
been described as vanilla, so we assume he would have approved
of this Art Ball chair, part of a collection featuring designs based
on some of the worlds favourite historic racing machines. End
$49.95. www.cokertire.com
MODELS
REVIEWED BY MARK DIXON
1:43 SCALE
1 // SINGER 9 LE MANS
PRICE 129.95
MATERIAL Metal handbuilt
QUALITY VALUE
Built from a kit specially for Grand Prix
Models, this weighty model depicts the
French Singer agents 1935 entry.
2 // RED BULL RB11 BY SPARK
PRICE 50.95 MATERIAL Resincast

QUALITY VALUE
The camera-confusing graphics of
Ricciardos pre-2015 season test car
have been brilliantly reproduced here.
3 // ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM III

Models are available from
Grand Prix Models, +44 (0)1295 278070,
www.grandprixmodels.com
1:18 BY CMC
Alfa Romeo 1750 GS
PRICE 339.22 MATERIAL Premium diecast QUALITY VALUE

THE BEAUTY of a vintage car modelled to this scale and with this
degree of delity is that it actually follows the real thing in its
construction: an engine and drivetrain resting in a chassis, with
bodywork built-up around them. As with all CMC models, this
bigger picture realism is complemented by astoundingly ne
detail check out the opening ller cap on the scuttle side. Oddly,
although the hood mechanism appears to be hinged, it doesnt
unfold; at least, not on our pre-production sample.
Modelled on the car in Alfas own museum, CMCs replica is
tted with Mille Miglia red headlamp covers. Removable, of course.
BY CARBONE PRICE 252.55

MATERIAL Resin handbuilt
QUALITY VALUE
A simply stunning handbuilt model
of a Hooper 1937 Sedanca de Ville,
which is reected in the high price.
4 // AERO MINOR II BY AUTOCULT

QUALITY VALUE
We like high-quality models of unsung
subjects like this early-50s Czech
saloon. Great period colour, too.
5 // BENTLEY GT3 BY TRUESCALE
MINIATURES PRICE 71.20

MATERIAL Resincast
QUALITY VALUE
As with the Red Bull F1 car featured
here, its the incredible quality of the
graphics that makes this model.
6 // LOHNER PORSCHE
PRICE 51.15 MATERIAL Diecast

QUALITY VALUE
Scale-thickness mudguards set this
model (made in China for Porsche) of
a 1901 petrol-electric hybrid apart.
7 // FORD THUNDERBIRD BY NEO

4

QUALITY VALUE
Lots of etched detail on this 1960 T-bird
model, including the frame around the
notably ne wrap windscreen.
8 // CITRON SM MYLORD CABRIO
BY MATRIX PRICE 74.95

MATERIAL Resincast
QUALITY VALUE
Finished in the same shade of gold as
editor Lillywhites SM, Matrixs model
depicts the rare Chapron conversion.
9 // FERRARI 312PB BY MARSH
MODELS PRICE 201.60

MATERIAL Resin & metal handbuilt
QUALITY VALUE
Its handbuilt so its pricey, but this is
a ne English-made model of Munari
and Merzarios 1973 Targa Florio winner.
Spyder America
by MLB of Italy
ONE OF THE earliest toy companies in Italy

was founded by Agostino Marchesini in
Bologna in 1908, using the trademark
AMBO (an acronym for Agostino Marchesini
Bologna). Several generations of the family
were involved and cheaply made tin toys were
still being produced in the 1970s.
At the other end of the spectrum in terms
of quality and nish is this magnicent
convertible with the MLB trademark,
standing for Luigi Marchesini Bologna. Luigi
was the son of Agostino and branched out on
his own a er World War Two; the America
series, produced between 1949 and 1955,
comprised some of his most desirable toys.
The full description on the box label reads:

Spyder America cromato con fari. Cromato
refers to the highly polished chrome nish
and fari indicates that the car has batteryoperated headlamps. Power is provided by
a clockwork motor, wound up via a keyhole
discreetly located at the bottom of the side
door. Though the shape of the body is
simplied, its reminiscent of a 1946-47 Ford.
The Spyder America is full of careful
touches that make it stand out from other toys
of this genre. To contrast with the chromed
bodywork, other components are copperplated: grille, bumpers, folded hood and even
the centre of the spare wheel cover at the rear.
The seats are in brown and theres a detailed

dashboard in cream, where the switch for the
headlights is located.
But the biggest surprise comes when you
open the bootlid: in addition to the battery for
the lights, theres a removable miniature oil
can! Another version has a mechanism
by the music-box makers Thorens of
Switzerland, allowing the car to play a tune.
Even though the model is quite large at
27cm in length, its amazing how the makers
have managed to incorporate all these
working features. This has always been an
expensive toy and you would pay a four-gure
sum for one in the condition pictured.
WORDS: ANDREW RALSTON

PHOTOGRAPHY: BRUCE STERLING
CLASSIC MODELS
eriously,
there is no other car
like this in the world,
and there never will be.

1952BENTLEY.COM
Designer: Stuart Peck

Coach Builder: Mulliner of Birmingham
Commissioned by: Sir John Black
Inquire: Chris Clarke

1-707-236-0473
clarke275@gmail.com
OCTANE CARS
BY OCTANE STAFF AND CONTRIBU TORS
1955 Jaguar
XK140
ROBERT COUCHER
@OctaneRobert
Scotland via
the easy route
SeptemberS ConCourS of eleganCe, held at
the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, turned out to be
a fabulous celebration of superb motor cars (see last issue).
The setting in Scotland was breathtaking and enthusiasts
from all over the world enjoyed each others company as well
as superb driving through the heather-covered hills.
The Octane Tour on the Sunday promised to be interesting
as a number of exciting cars had signed up for it. In a fit of
optimism I volunteered to take part in my Jaguar too, though
it needed a bit of attention before the off.
In the cold light of day, its a long slog up to Edinburgh,
so I began to get cold feet. But a word with leading Jaguar
specialist Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth, Shropshire,
rendered the whole idea attractive if not downright luxurious.
CMC offers an International Concierge Service, whereby it will
collect your car and deliver it (prepared, if required) anywhere
in the UK (costs are 1 plus VAT per mile), or even the world.
Well, Scotland is not that far away.
Tim Goldthorp arrived outside my front door in London at
the appointed time, popped the XK into the covered trailer and
drove it off to CMC. I gave him the short list of attention the
Jaguar needed before it was then taken up to Holyroodhouse
Palace. All it required (so I thought) was a bit of a wipe down,
the rear brakes and handbrake adjusting and the tyre
pressures checking. He promised theyd give it a detail so it
would not look out of place among the other smart motors.
I then received a detailed email from CMC managing
director, Nick Goldthorp, informing me the XK had been
checked, polished and made safe for the Octane Tour. And,
by the way, a list of whats really required was attached. Ah.
So I hopped on the one-hour flight to Edinburgh and arrived
at the Palace to find the now-gleaming Jaguar being gently
unloaded for display in the forecourt. God, it looked good.
Then it was off to the Royal Yacht Britannia for the welcome
dinner. Vast ship, pity about its spartan interior!
On the sunny Sunday morning, Jonathan Connolly joined
me in the XK as my navi and we eased out to the start at
the magnificent Dalmeny House. We were met with an
impressive collection of 43 classic and performance cars in
front of the building, ranging from a blood red Ferrari F50 to
O C TA N E S
FLEET
We enjoyed 100 miles

of the most beautiful
Scottish scenery, the
only traffic being other
Octane Tour cars and
a few cyclists
These are the cars and

motorbikes run by
the magazines staff
and contributors
DAVID
LILLYWHITE
Editor
1971 MGB GT
1971 Saab 96
1973 Citron SM
1976 Zip Shadow Kart
1996 Subaru Prodrive Impreza
ROBERT
COUCHER
International editor
1937 Bentley 4
1955 Jaguar XK140
1973 Porsche 911S 2.4 Targa
1991 Range Rover Vogue
GEOFF
LOVE
Publishing director
1989 Maserati Biturbo
MARK
DIXON
Deputy editor
1955 Land Rover Series I 107in
1963 Ford Galaxie Country Sedan
1964 Chevrolet Greenbrier
1970 Lamborghini Espada
1989/91 Land Rover Discoverys
2001 Honda Insight
OCTANE CARS
a Bentley S1 and two McLaren 12Cs. We were all invited

inside for bacon sandwiches and tea with Lord Dalmeny.
At 9.30am I started to wave the exciting cars away with
the Saltire and couldnt help but encourage each driver to
give it the beans. Lord Dalmeny didnt seem to mind exotic
cars noisily bouncing o their rev limiters and laying rubber
down his elegant estate drive it is a couple of miles long.
Connolly and I then clambered into the XK and promptly
got lost on the driveway! Back on the mapped route, we
enjoyed 100 miles of the most beautiful Scottish scenery,
the only trac being other Octane Tour cars and a few
cyclists. We hooked up with Dietrich Hatlapa in his Ferrari
308 Vetroresina and Hardy Sohanpal in his 911 3.2 and gave
our classics a good exercise through the countryside.
The Octane Tour nished in the VIP enclosure at the
Palace of Holyroodhouse with champagne and a slap-up
lunch, where David Goodwin received the Octane Editors
Choice for his heroic-sounding ex-Eric Comas Lancia
Stratos Group 4. I then drove the Jaguar back to the trailer
park, where Tim re-loaded it while I headed for the airport.
The XK is now in the workshops at CMC for a little
attention. More on that next time.
Below
Roberts XK was collected from his London home and taken to
CMC in Shropshire for a check-over, before being delivered to the
Concours of Elegance in Edinburgh for the start of the Octane Tour.
SANJAY
SEETANAH
Advertising director
1998 Aston Martin DB7 Volante
GLEN
WADDINGTON
Associate editor
1983 Porsche 944

1989 BMW 320i Convertible
TONY DRON
Test driver
1932 Austin Seven
ANDREW
ENGLISH
Contributor
1960 Triumph TR3A

1965 Aston Martin DB5
JOHN SIMISTER
Contributor
1934 Singer Nine Le Mans

1961 Saab 96
1987 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9
DAVID
BURGESS-WISE
Contributor
1903 De Dion-Bouton
1911 Pilain 16/20
1926 Delage DISS
OCTANE CArs
The devil is in the detail

1955 Land
RoveR 107
MARK DIXON
@OctaneMark
YOU KNOW HOW it is when you buy a new old

car. The initial honeymoon period induces you to
spend money left, right and centre as you try to get
it just right: to make the reality match the vision.
Theres still a way to go with the Land Rover,
but Ive made good progress since buying it at the
Brightwells auction in July. A priority was to replace
the non-standard exhaust, which was routed up
behind the cab, and which therefore meant that
a canvas tilt couldnt be fitted.
Tom Pickford, who restored the Series I on the
cover of Octane 145, sells new exhausts for 107in
Landies like mine (wwspares.co.uk), and he offered
to fit one if I brought the vehicle over. Trundling

through the backlanes to his base at Bicester was
a good test run; Ive been told that the previous
owner, who bought it in 1981, only used it to collect
firewood from the end of his drive. The journey to
Bicester also confirmed that Id been right to replace
the ignition coil, which had been the source of a
slight misfire. A new coil, bought from Auto Electric
Supplies (www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk),
instantly cured it.
Even with Toms expertise, it took a good couple
of hours to fit the exhaust correctly, but the
transformation was immediate: the Landy no longer
sounded like a crippled Lancaster on final approach.
Days later I was off to Yorkshire, to collect a
secondhand tilt from fellow 107 owner John Davies,
who had very kindly offered me his for a bargain
75. Its a repro item in the correct blue colour (as
fitted to grey 107s) but very faded and slightly tatty
exactly what I was after.
New wing mirrors, new 3in raised-digit

registration plates it was starting to look pukka,
as Jamie would say. But by far the biggest difference
was made by fitting a set of period-correct 7.00x16
Avon Traction Mileage tyres from the brilliant
Longstone Tyres (www.longstonetyres.co.uk).
As bought, the Landy was shod with 6.00s, which
are OK for short-wheelbase Series Is but undersized
for the 107. Three of the old 6.00s were still in
as-new condition, even though they were probably
several decades old, and they fetched an incredible
352 when I listed them on eBay.
The new 7.00s raise the cruising speed quite
noticeably and fill the arches better without looking
too butch. They certainly made a difference on my
drive down to the Beaulieu Autojumble, where I
used the 107 as a primitive camper van on my pitch
in Yellow Field. At 6ft 1in, I found I could stretch
out quite comfortably in the load bay, even it if did
get a bit nippy in the wee small hours.
Clockwise from left

Landy looking better after the addition of
new tyres, mirrors, registration plates and
a hood; Mark getting his hands dirty soon
after purchase; Tom Pickford changes
exhaust; new pipe being run under the
chassis; basking in the Beaulieu sunshine.
Investment Quality Automobiles Restoration & Vintage Racing Service Motorsports Museum
1958 Porsche 356
Restored by renowned 356 expert

Tim Goodrich, with no expense
spared.This matching numbers,
two owner California car comes
compete with books, tools,
tonneau cover, spare and jack.
2004 Porsche Carrera GT
This Seal Grey, documented low

mileage GT is a stunning example
of Porsches V10, 612 hp, carbon
ber monocoque supercar.
Complete recent service. Comes
with books, cover and COA.
1988 Porsche 911 Turbo
This Paint to Sample, Ferrari Fly

Yellow Turbo with documented low
mileage has all of its maintenance
records from new. Comes with
original books, window sticker, tool
kit and spare tire.
1965 Shelby GT350
SFM5S517 was subject to a detailed,

period correct concours restoration. Authenticated and comes with
its Shelby Serial Number Verication. Incredibly well maintained.
Fully nished and serviced.
1973 Porsche 911 T
The best, original 911 that we

have ever encountered. Flawless
original paint and interior, renewed
to a concours level of t and
nish. Matching numbers and
documented low mileage.
1981 Ferrari 512 BB
One of only 929 Berlinetta Boxer

512s built by Ferrari. Stunning
restoration, a awless example.
Engine-out, major service, including new timing belts. Comes with
book, tools, jack and spare.
1996 Porsche 993 Turbo
Documented low mileage of 9,967.

Ordered through the Porsche
Exclusive-Programme with Metallic
Paint to Sample, beautiful Flamenco
Red leather interior and a host of
options. Fully serviced.
canepa.com
00+1.831.430.9940
WANTED:
Canepa is interested in purchasing the highest quality

original and restored automobiles contact us.
OCTANE CARS
1958 austin a35
DaViD LiLLYWHitE
@OctaneDavid
The race of
the Flying
Peanuts
We did it! We made it to the first ever all-A30/A35
historic race. There were little Austins to the front,
little Austins to the rear, and quite often little Austins
to the left and to the right. It was ridiculously good
and hilariously exciting.
This was the dream from the start. As well
as establishing a class of controlled-specification
Academy A30s and A35s within the current HRDC
Touring Greats series, HRDC founder Julius
Thurgoods aim was to gather up enough of the cars
to be able to run the occasional Flying A Trophy
one-make race.
It worked. Twenty cars were entered, more than
enough for the relatively compact (though
thoroughly challenging) Mallory Park circuit. Twelve
were Academy Class cars, some freshly built (there
are many more still in-build), and all with the sealed
85bhp, single-sU, A-plus engine, and spridget
gearbox and open differential required by the
Academy regulations. The rest were speedwell
specification cars, complying with the Touring Greats
regulations so 120bhp-plus, more sophisticated
suspension and limited-slip differentials.
No surprise, then, that the speedwells were
ahead of me on the grid, as were four Academy cars
whose drivers were more on the ball (and way more
talented) than me in qualifying. but a reasonable
start propelled me past one of the speedwells and
then it was into a brilliant battle with the two
Academy cars ahead, lap after lap until a soft brake
pedal prompted me to ease off for the second half of
the race though not before a late-braking scare at
the hairpin, which saw me locking up and spinning
alongside one of the overtaking speedwell cars.
Ironically, one of the other Academy cars later had
a similar hairpin excursion, and we ended up battling
again in the final laps. No-one can say this isnt
exciting! I finished eighth, and third in class, with a
best lap time of 1:03.325; the winning speedwell car
achieved a best of 59.762.
The Flying A Trophy was followed by another round
of Touring Greats. After a change of brake fluid and a
tweak to the rear drum adjustment (remember, this
is the development car, and its been through the mill
over the last two years), we were back on form,
fighting with much more powerful cars, including the
Jaguar MkVII. From a start of 22nd I was happy with
a finish of 15th, second in class. The fun continues at
Donington Park, for the last race of the season.
A l l P Ho T o s by Je F F blox H A M
above and below

The inaugural Flying A Trophy heads into its first lap at Mallory
Park; Davids spin at the hairpin was due to late braking but
was quickly recovered from; smoke (below) is from the inside
rear wheel spinning theres no limited-slip differential.
MARTYN
GODDARD
Photographer
1963 Triumph TR6SS Trophy

1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII
DELWYN
MALLETT
Contributor
Gearing up for Goodwood

1958 TRIUMPH
THUNDERBIRD
SARAH BRADLEY
HAVING SPENT a year in the workshop while longoverdue fettling was carried out, my 1958 Thunderbird hit
the road in style in the late summer. Over the course of a
fortnight, it travelled to the Classic TT motorcycle road races
in the Isle of Man (where I was spectating, by the way
not competing!) and then the Goodwood Revival (ditto).
Ive owned my trusty Triumph for 24 years. My father
gave it to me when I passed my test aged 19. He, in turn,
had bought it as a bike in a box in the mid-1970s. Hed
restored it, along with a 59 Matchless G12 and the
53 Sunbeam S8 he still has today.
The thousands of miles Id ridden the Triumph had taken
their toll and, during its 12 months o the road, the clutch
and primary drive were replaced so they no longer sound
like a cement mixer, the rear chain was renewed, and the
leaking petrol tank welded up and tted with handfabricated brackets. Some of the tinware was repainted,
and the leopard seat was recovered as well.
The Thunderbird was nished in time for a long weekend
in the Isle of Man, to which it travelled in a van alongside
two other pre-unit Triumphs my bloke Jakes 61
Bonneville and a mates 57 Trophy-esque T110. Once
on the Island, the Thunderbird ran troublefree as we
rode 250-odd miles watching the crazy guys race. It was
a helluva shakedown trip.
Two weeks later the Triumph sat alongside the Bonnie in
my 56 Chevy pick-up, en route to the Revival. As they had
done for some years, the bikes were to appear in the events
1960s Mods and Rockers display although, for 2015
Goodwood had planned to replace us authentically dressed

bike and scooter owners with actors. That wouldve looked
pretty fake a shame at an event that prides itself on its
authenticity but, as it happened, the actors didnt turn up.
Having nobody to interact with the spectators would
have made for a fairly undynamic display, so we genuine
Mods and Rockers stepped in to take our traditional roles
instead and the fabulous reaction from visitors and media
was the most enthusiastic yet. It just goes to show, you
cant beat the real deal.
1936 Cord 810 Beverly

1946 Tatra T87
1950 Ford Club Coupe
1952 Porsche 356
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
1957 Porsche Speedster
1957 Fiat Abarth Sperimentale
1963 Abarth-Simca
1963 Tatra T603
SARAH
BRADLEY
Contributor
1929 Ford Model A hot rod

1952 Studebaker Champion
1956 Chevrolet 3100 pick-up
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner
Various motorbikes
Above and below

1958 Thunderbird, 61 Bonneville and 57 T110: a trio of pre-unit
Triumphs in the Isle of Man; Rockers and riders at Goodwood Revival.
MASSIMO
DELB
Contributor
1967 Mercedes-Benz 230

1972 Fiat 500L
1980 Ferrari 308GTB
1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL
K EEP UP T O DAT E
Follow the progress of the Octane

eet via Twitter, Facebook and the
Octane website blogs
www.facebook.com/octanemagazine
@octane_magazine
ChequeredFlag
OCTANES MONTH IN MOTOR SPORT
IN THIS PICTURE
Hot stuff
Circuit des Remparts,
Angoulme, France.
18-20 September
A warm weekend in western France
occasionally boiled over at the 2015
Circuit des Remparts. Richard
Depagneux was forced to bail out
of his 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
with ames spewing from the rear
(facing page, top right) and the 47
Gali Special of Bernard Colombie
(right) had overheating problems.
There was bad luck, too, for Barry
Foster, who was carted to hospital
after a collision that left him
upside-down in his MG Montlhry.
He is now recuperating following
surgery to put his left arm back
together, while the MG is awaiting
its turn on the operating table
Image: Mike Davis
SPA SIX HOURS, 19 20 SEPTEMBER

Image: Charlie Wooding
PRESCOTT AUTUMN CLASSIC, 3 4 OCTOBER

Image: Peter McFadyen
I N A SSOCI ATION W ITH
The private bank for

historic motor racing
W W W. E F G I N T E R N A T I O N A L . C O M
In brief
AMOC AT BRANDS HATCH, 5 6 SEPTEMBER

Image: Laura Manning / Steve Cross
CIRCUIT DES REMPARTS,

18 20 SEPTEMBER. Image: Mike Davis
SPA SIX HOURS, 19 20 SEPTEMBER

DIJON MOTORS CUP, 2 4 OCTOBER

HSCC AT BRANDS HATCH, 26 27 SEPTEMBER

CASTLE COMBE AUTUMN CLASSIC,

3 OCTOBER. Image: Peter McFadyen
ACADEMY HITS 20
The Caterham Academy
celebrated its 20th anniversary in
October. The initiative, which has
started almost 1000 drivers on the
racing ladder including Octanes
own David Lillywhite rst ran
as the Top Gear Caterham
Scholarship at Mallory Park in
1995 and has inspired several
more series intended to attract
novices to motor racing. The
Academy oers ve classes in
increasing degrees of ambition,
erceness and cost.
uk.caterhamcars.com
SUPER TOURING
RETURNS TO GOODWOOD
As well as the new GT40-only
Alan Mann Trophy race, Super
Touring cars return to the
Goodwood Members Meeting on
19-20 March for demonstration
runs on both days. The 2000
Honda Accord in which Tom
Kristensen won the last BTCC race
held to Super Touring rules,
Rickard Rydells Ford Mondeo
from the same season, Jo
Winkelhocks 1994 BMW 318i and
the 1999 David Leslie Nissan
Primera will all appear.
www.goodwood.com
RAC GOES TARMAC

The RAC Rally Championship will
become asphalt-only for 2016, to
give older cars an easier life:
traditionally historics would go
rst through the forests for a less
damaging run, but the MSAs
safety review has prompted
changes to the running orders.
The ve RAC rounds will include
the Isle of Man Classicagh and the
Harry Flatters Rally on Epynt, plus
an event in Belgium; the Mintex
MSA British Historic Rally
Championship will continue to run
parallel, on asphalt and gravel.
www.racrallychamp.org
ChequeredFlag
MAN AND MACHINE
The best of several worlds
Allard, Farrell, Cadillac. Yes, the results were always going to be explosive...
AH, THE MIGHTY FARRALLAC, synonymous
with Tony Bianchi, whos owned all sorts of weird
and wonderful racers over the years, and still
maintains a small but eclectic collection of both
cars and planes. But the constant thread for
almost four decades has been this marvellous
old warrior, which almost denes the formula
an engine bolted to a chassis.
Theres a little more to it than that. The
Farrallac Mk1 was built in the 50s by Don Farrell,
a racing cyclist. Hed owned an Allard J2, then in
1953 or 54 bought a better one the car Peter
Collins raced before he got the Aston Martin drive
and later rebodied it in a fully enveloping style in
the vein of the Le Mans cars. It went much faster,
but he had a huge accident in it at Harleyford
Manor hillclimb, and it went end over end.
Farrell had already decided to make a
tube-frame car, so lots of the bits migrated
across, and the Farrallac Mk2 came out in about
1958. It was an immediate success. He wanted
proper independent front suspension so Dave
Hooper and other Allard guys used it as a
technical exercise and designed a wishbone front
end for him. Theres no rubber in the front end
it all pivots on solid phosphor-bronze bushes.
The rest of it is clever too, using an Alvis Speed

25 four-speed synchro box bolted through a
exible coupling to a Halibrand di, which doesnt
move because the rear suspension is by de Dion.
Motor and transaxle are connected by a short
propsha . The brakes are drums, but they are at
least nned and vented. Its powered, of course,
by a Cadillac V8, originally from the Collins J2 but
currently running a replacement a er that blew
up: It had a 6.0-litre or a 6.9 but I keep it as a 390
[6.4], which it was originally. Ive owned it since
the late 70s and rebuilt it in 1984 a er it
developed a few cracks in the chassis, but
all Ive really done is added the headrest
I didnt even put a rollover bar in until 2006.
It weighs under a tonne and, with thin
aluminium bodywork by Maurice Gomm, its
mostly engine: On two two-barrel Holleys it
makes almost 400bhp and 650lb . It beat a Lotus
30 and a Lola T70 Spider at one of the Blackbushe
dragfests in the 60s when Farrell still had it.
A Viper owner once came up and implied that we
didnt really understand torque so I took him for
a ride he couldnt believe it, but then it weighs
under a tonne, about two-thirds of his car. The
motor doesnt really want to rev but I can do the
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL HARDIMAN
Silverstone club circuit in top gear. Top end is

where it loses out if I could get another 500rpm
itd do 170mph, but as it is Im still hitting 142 or
143 on the old Silverstone club pit straight. It
starts to get light at the front at those speeds
A few years ago it was always in the top three
in drum-brake sports cars, but not now as people
spend lots on engines and chassis tuning. It could
go quicker but I dont want to change it, though
we have stiened the suspension, and even
though its a bit down on power at the moment its
three seconds quicker at Snetterton than its ever
been before. If we had a million quid, would we do
it any dierently? I dont think so.
Its an eective old car, a great all-rounder
rather than a highly strung racer that you have to
rebuild every hour even the conrods are
standard! Just as the Farrells did, Ive sprinted,
hillclimbed and drag-raced it, done the Brighton
Speed Trials, the Pom several times, Vernasca
Silver Flag, Mont Ventoux plus about 250 race
meetings, all over Europe. At Dijon weve come
second in a pack of seven FIA Cobras.
But its still a sports car, proudly points out
wife Pia, whos driven it to several class FTDs.
Bianchi smiles: She goes to the shops in it too.
Come and see us at the Classic & Sports Car Show

at Alexandra Palace, London, October 30th to November 1st
R E S TO R I N G J A G U A R S H E R I TA G E
1967 TR5
ROADSTER
79,500
This is the first production right hand drive

TR5, which was also Triumphs Earls Court
Motor Show car and was featured on n ewsreel.
This TR5 is in very original condition throughout,
having been serviced and maintained to a high
standard. A comprehensive and detailed history
file confirms the provenance of this unique and
historic car.
Finished in the exterior colour of Valencia Blue
with Black Ambala interior.
This is a beautiful TR5 that will certainly add to
any car collection.
1967 E-Type Series 1 4.2

145,000
Fastidiously maintained throughout its life.
This original right hand drive matching
numbers E-Type runs and drives perfectly and
will give any new owner great enjoyment.
1985 Mercedes 280SL

28,000
With just 16,014 recorded miles from new, this
vehicle is in exceptional condition throughout
having recently had a major service.
1961 Jaguar 3.4 Mk2

39,000
A very original manual overdrive car in
excellent condition with only three owners
from new and a recorded mileage of 41,000.
1955 JAGUAR XK140

122,000
A really excellent XK140 Roadster. This car
underwent a complete restoration, where it
was converted to right hand drive. It is fitted
with several upgrades to improve safety
and driveability.
1970 Series 2 E Type FHC

85,000
This is the most original and beautifully
detailed fixed head coupe that we have seen
in a very long time. The car has been fastidiously
maintained for the last 45 years by just five
careful owners.
SP
LISTED
RT
F
For full details and more cars for sale please visit:
WWW.CLASSIC-MOTOR-CARS.CO.UK
THE WORLDS PREMIER JAGUAR RESTORATION COMPANY
SH
SALES I SERVICE I UPGRADES I RESTORATION I TRIMSHOP I PAINTSHOP I PARTS I STORAGE
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E C I LI S T
A
Classic Motor Cars Limited, Bridgnorth, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1746 765804 Email: mail@classic-motor-cars.co.uk
ROUND THE BEND
Magny Cours: Nrburgring and Imola

MARK HALES ON WHAT STOPS MAGNY COURS BEING TOO EASY
ide
Adela
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Go
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Imola
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180
Grande
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NIKI LAUDA SAID he didnt have favourite

circuits because he felt that would put him at a
disadvantage when he went to all the rest. Lauda
was ever the pragmatist still is but you can see
what he meant, and its a bit like driving in the wet.
If the guy next to you on the grid says he dislikes
racing in the rain, you have a completely dierent
attitude when you line him up for a pass. No doubt
we can all appreciate the grandeur and scale of
Spa rather more readily than, say, the industrial
curves of Rockingham or Silverstone National,
but wheel-to-wheel competition has to be the
main reason why I race. Whichever track Im at is
simply the place where it happens.
Having said all that, youll nd plenty of people
willing to say they dont like a particular circuit,
and its the same places that tend to crop up. The
aforementioned Rockingham is a regular but
there is also Magny Cours, which, until recently,
was the venue for the French Grand Prix. The real
reasons why Magny Cours in particular and
France in general lost the race are doubtless
both political and nancial, but the stated reason
was because people didnt like the track or its
location in the vast plains of Central France.
The Magny naysayers didnt include yours
truly, mind you. I really like all those corners,
which are fantastically dicult to get right a bit
like Rockingham, in fact.
Theres a wide 180 turn at Magny Cours
between the Nrburgring and Imola chicanes
that keeps reducing in radius, a bit like a question
mark, and I dont think Ive ever gone in there
wearing Dunlop historics and got the result I was
hoping for. Its so tempting to carry the braking
deep into the shallower rst part, only to nd the
inside-front busy generating a at-spot.
Take the speed in, anyway, and try to roll it o
through the curve, and youll risk washing wide in
the middle, unable to get back for a nal apex. Get
the braking done a bit sooner and enter earlier
At Magny Cours, F1 cars

tackled Nrburgring, only then
to face the horror of Imola
without even leaving France
with a touch less speed and you still nd yourself

wide in the middle. Get in later so you can get on
the power earlier and you re the tail wide, or
push the front on, depending on the car. Slow it all
down to tidy everything up and you feel youve
wasted a tempting expanse of road. Frustrating?
Absolutely, and you might be tempted to ddle
with the settings in search of help, if only you
could work out which end to tackle.
My favourite Magny Cours problem, though, is
the Imola chicane that follows a couple of gentle
curves up the road from 180. I say chicane but
its actually a high-speed pif-paf, which only
accommodates if you get the front end loaded
in time and the car rotated and ready. All of which
is made more dicult by a slight rise in the road
before the curve right, then a dip, followed by
another rise just before the apex of the middle
le . The problem which even the professionals
will acknowledge is the diculty of committing
to a shallow apex that is out of sight, at threegure speeds. If you hesitate, waiting for sight of
the clipping point, youll miss it. Then youll be
slightly too tight for the second clip on the le ,
and then theres no option but to li to avoid
running wide on the exit.
I remember a highly successful fellow historic
racer who had purchased a modern Ligier miniprototype so hed have something else to do at
IN ASSOCI ATION W ITH
The private bank for historic motor racing

W W W. E F G I N T E R N A T I O N A L .C O M
VdeV events while he waited to race his GT40. He

was stalking the garage, muttering about the four
seconds missing between him and the category
front-runners, much of which hed just discovered
was down to their progress through Imola. Some
of it had to do with levels of downforce and grip
that was unfamiliar, but so was their willingness
to have a modest li in h gear and allow the car
to waltz from one front wheel to the other under
momentum, rather than braking and shi ing down
to fourth and accelerating to put back the speed.
Which, in the proverbial nutshell, is it. You have
to visualise a rst apex that is out of sight to the
right and commit the car to rotate so it points
towards it. Then, as the car responds, you must
look away to the le and get ready to repeat the
process. You cant see the second apex clearly at
that point and you mustnt wait until you can.
Ive said it before: Imola would be so much
easier but for those two slight humps that hide the
view. Nrburgring is almost a mirror-image of
Imola but nothing like as dicult because its on the
level. Satisfaction at Imola is staying within the
extremities of all the kerbs and being able to get
hard on the gas from the second apex. Youll know
when its happened because youll arrive into
Chteau dEau, the falling right-hander that follows
Imola, with your reward of extra speed, only to nd
an inside front locked or a big load of oversteer on
exit as you try to gas it down the slope and keep
the momentum. Its why I like the place.
MARK HALES
Octanes resident test driver is also a track instructor,
and regularly races famous historic cars, including

Nick Masons Ferrari 250GTO.
LAT
Complexe
du Lyce
HALL & HALL
1983 Porsche 956 #110 Supplied new to John Fitzpatrick for Le Mans.
Winner of Brands Hatch 1000kms etc. Highly original.
Picture courtesy of: Derek Hibbert
1976 Shadow DN5B DFV DN5/5B
A great car for Masters FIA Series or Monaco 2016.

From long term ownership.
1968 McLaren M6B GT #50-16
Road legal with airconditioning, ZF gearbox etc. Converted from a

Can-Am car using original bodywork etc. New FIA HTP.In current
ownership for over 30 years, a well known car with a fully
documented and continuous history.
We probably have the largest stock of competition cars in the World.

Get in touch if you are looking for something specific, we could have it!
Sales
Mobile: +44 (0)7973 338752
E-mail: historiccars@gmail.com
www.hallandhall.net
Rick Hall
Tel no: 01778 392562
Mobile: 07710 971277
E-mail: info@hallandhall.net
THE MARKET
BUYING // SELLING // OWNING
TOP 10 PRICES
SEPTEMBER 2015
4,760,000
1958 FERRARI 250GT BERLINETTA

COMPETIZIONE TOUR DE FRANCE
RM Sothebys, London, UK. 7 September
2,452,500 3,335,000
1972 MASERATI BOOMERANG COUP
Bonhams, Chantilly, France. 5 September
1,762,500
KR17,825,000
1930 DUESENBERG MODEL J
DISAPPEARING TOP ROADSTER
Bonhams, Ebelto , Denmark. 26 September
DARIN SCHNABEL
1,232,000
1964 FERRARI 250GT/L

BERLINETTA LUSSO
RM Sothebys, London, UK. 7 September
1,087,900
1965 ASTON MARTIN DB5 CONVERTIBLE

Bonhams, Goodwood, UK. 12 September
Sweet deals in Chocolatetown
930,000 1,265,000
1938 BUGATTI TYPE 57 CABRIOLET
Bonhams, Chantilly, France. 5 September
At RMs Hershey Sale, an international crowd came away with some American-made bargains
Touring brought the biggest money,
attracting a winning bid of $830,500
including buyers premium, against
an estimate of $550,000-650,000.
Some 20 more cars beat their
pre-sale valuations, including our
favourite, a beautifully maintained
1897 Lon Bolle Voiturette that
made a deserved $126,500 ($36,500
more than its top estimate); and an
award-winning 1923 Duesenberg
Model A Sport Phaeton that raced
past the anticipated $225,000275,000 to sell for $374,000.
In general, though, the estimates
on the older machines seemed to be
HERSHEY, PA, might still be best

known for its horrid chocolate, but
its reputation as a car town continues
to grow year a er year, as evidenced
by the large crowd at the RM
Sothebys 2015 Hershey Sale on 8-9
October. Collectors from 20 countries
were present to bid on the traditional
array of early cars and American
classics, and bid they certainly did.
By the end of the two-day auction,
part of the vast annual AACA Eastern
Division Fall Meet, 96% of the lots
oered had been sold, raising a total
of $16.3 million. A 1913 Pierce-Arrow
Model 66-A Seven-Passenger
HAGI Mercedes-Benz Classic index

180
170
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
Jul-15
Sep-15
May-15
Jan-15
Mar-15
Nov-14
Jul-14
Sep-14
May-14
Jan-14
Mar-14
Nov-13
Jul-13
Sep-13
May-13
Jan-13
Mar-13
Sep-12
Nov-12
90
MONTH/YEAR
Vertical axis is based on a benchmark of 100 set at 31 December 2011.
The MBC index charts the prices of key collectable Mercedes-Benzes.
too strong, and many were bought

for far less than the sticker price.
The two Thomas Flyers in the
centre of the image above part
of the Harold Coker Collection
were expected to make as much as
$600,000 and $500,000 respectively,
but the cream 1907 4-60 FourPassenger Runabout went for
$300,000, while the red 1905 FivePassenger Touring made $220,000.
A concours-quality 1930 Cadillac V16
Coupe was also very good value at
$319,000 roughly half its high
estimate. These were tasty cars
at even tastier prices.
THE MERCEDES BENZ Classic index has

always been characterised by moderation and
a degree of separation from its stablemates.
This is in part due to its broader composition,
spanning a wider value range than other HAGI
marque indices. One other dierentiator is that
it contains some key higher-value models that
were produced in far bigger numbers than
other brands oerings at similar price levels.
For all its relative steadiness, the MBCI
stood out in September with a 6.10% push,
overcoming the 3.41% dip in August (which
was dominated by US auction sales) to hit a
new peak of 169.94. Moreover, in September
it outperformed all other HAGI individual
marque indices. Indeed, the only HAGI index
to advance more in September was the
Top-ex, which excludes Ferrari and Porsche.
926,500 KR9,372,500
1914 MERCEDES 28/95 PHAETON
Bonhams, Ebelto , Denmark. 26 September
916,000 $1,402,500
1929 DUESENBERG MODEL J
CONVERTIBLE COUPE
Auctions America, Auburn, USA.
2-6 September
900,000
1968 ASTON MARTIN DB6

VANTAGE VOLANTE
Silverstone Auctions, Woodstock, UK.
4 September
857,500 $1,300,000
1965 SHELBY COBRA 289
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, USA.
5 September
That may reect a market in which some

collectors are looking for value in new areas
as some high-end staples have moved out
of range. Additionally, Mercedes strong
portfolio of emerging classics is advancing
signicantly ahead of the overall market.
The MBCIs year-to-date performance of
5.68% pitches it in a singular middleground.
For the time being, year-on-year growth of
13.49% aligns the MBCI with its 2014 year
gain of 13.42%; with three months to go it
will be interesting to see how 2015 pans out.
Compared with global equities, which are in
decit for 2015 so far, the classic car market
in general is currently a benign place and
the separateness of Mercedes-Benz may
come to be regarded as a virtue. For more,
see www.historicautogroup.com. Dave Selby
MARKET // P R E V I E WS
COMPILED BY CHR IS BIETZ K
PATRICK ERNZEN
Penned by a prodigy
RM Sothebys, New York, USA 10 December
YOU DONT NEED to know anything about cars
or even like them particularly to be impressed
by the DB4 GT Zagato. The most desirable of
classic Aston Martins is a proper trac-stopper,
a supermodel with a straight-six. But its lines seem
all the more stunning with the knowledge that they
were drawn by a kid in his very rst job.
Ercole Spada joined Zagato in 1960 a er a period
of national service and an interview with Elio Zagato
that consisted of two questions: Do you have a
degree? and Can you produce full-scale drawings?
The 23-year-old, it turned out, was capable of

much, much more, and a er proving his worth with
the Bristol 406S Zagato he was handed the keys to
the DB4 GT project Aston having commissioned
the Italian coachbuilder to turn its elegant machine
into a track weapon to rival contemporary Ferraris.
As hard as Aston and Zagato tried to boost
performance (50kg of weight was shed; 314bhp
was squeezed from the 3.7-litre alloy engine;
aerodynamics were obviously improved), the car
was never going to be a world-beater, but the 19
examples built were nonetheless very handy.

Chassis DB4GT/0186/R, set to be sold by RM
Sothebys in New York and expected to make over
$16 million, was campaigned with success in
Australia by its rst owner, winning its rst two
races and topping its class o en during the 1962
season. Sold the following year, it remained in Oz
and mostly in storage for the next three decades
before being exhumed and eventually restored to
its current, exemplary condition.
It would surely be welcome at all of the worlds
major historic racing meetings, but if its recent,
glittering past is any indication, youre more likely
to spot DB4GT/0186/R on the grassy catwalks of
the nest concours events arguably just where
a supermodel belongs.
www.rmsothebys.com
O N E T O WAT C H
1953 DKW F89 L52 Schnellaster

Artcurial, Paris, France 1 November
1953 DKW F89 L52 Schnellaster,

says the catalogue. Estimate: 40,00060,000. We cant help feeling that the
Ingolstadt engineers responsible for
this little van must be having a good
laugh at the expense of the collector
car world right now, because the
Schnellaster (Rapid Transporter),

was hardly lusted a er in its day.
Conceived in 49 as DKWs rst
post-war project, it was utilitarian in
the extreme. Pick-up and panel-van
variants were oered; the oor was
made at throughout to increase cargo
space; to the same end the engine
was mounted transversely; and
the engine bay contained the fuel
tank as well as the radiator
and noisy 688cc two-stroke
motor. (The Schnellaster
would not have scored highly
in a Euro NCAP safety test.)
It was a worthy little thing,
but not good enough to worry the

competition. Just 3727 Schnellasters
were built as Volkswagen stamped its
authority on the market. Now, of course,
its mediocrity works in its favour: the
fact that few were sold means there
are few le , so those who want a good
one are forced to pony up large sums.
Earlier this year a 1955 low-loader
(with the 896cc engine introduced
that year) made an estimate-busting
$120,000 at auction. Maybe, then, this
meticulously restored pick-up is a
potential bargain But we suspect
youd have a hard time explaining
that to those Ingolstadt engineers.
ALSO LOOK OUT FOR

Not nearly as well known as his
compatriot Tintin, but innitely cooler,
private detective Gil Jourdan was created
in the 1950s by Belgian writer Maurice
Tillieux, a man who evidently knew his
cars. Gil Jourdan was notable for its
refusal to stretch the bounds of credulity
in typical comic book fashion, and
carefully drawn, real-life cars featured
throughout its run. Several of those have
since been immortalised in resin, metal
and wood by model-maker Michel
Aroutche, including Gils red Renault
Dauphine, an example of which will be
oered by Sothebys at its comic book
sale in Paris on 24 October estimated
at an appropriately realistic 400-500.
In brief
UNCOMMONLY GOOD VALUE
Classic Car Auctions, Leamington Spa, UK

5 December
Classic Car Auctions, purveyor of everyman
classics, has recently begun accepting entries
worth up to 50,000, but no such wedge will
be required to buy this pretty 1966 Datsun
Fairlady SP311, which is expected to sell
for no more than 15,000 on 5 December.
That might sound like a lot of money when
a decent MGB Roadster can be had for half
as much but the Datsun is rarer by a factor
too large for our feeble brains to calculate.
In fact, it is thought that there are just three
SP311s on the road in the UK today, including
this on-the-button example. There arent
many classic sports cars that oer that
sort of exclusivity for a smaller price.
www.classiccarauctions.co.uk
EASY RIDER
Auctions America, Hilton Head, USA

31 October
That the restoration of this 1960 Buick Electra
225 Convertible took four years is no surprise:
there was an awful lot of car to restore.
Measuring 19 feet from nose to tail, the Electra
225 of 1960 was a intended as a roadgoing
cruise liner, and equipped accordingly. Under
the bonnet was a 401ci V8 mated to a Turbine
Drive transmission that used a variable-pitch
uid-control mechanism instead of ordinary
gears to deliver power oh-so-smoothly. There
can have been few more comfortable ways
to travel a long distance in a straight line, and
somebody from the open plains of Flyoverland
will surely nd this Pearl Fawn car to be worth
every penny of its $80,000-100,000 estimate.
www.auctionsamerica.com
ATTENTION SEEKER
Artcurial, Paris, France

1 November
Angry letters have taught us that it is
dangerous to generalise, but we feel safe
in saying that those who bought a wedgeshaped Aston Martin Lagonda back in the
1980s were probably not the sort to squirm
under the gaze of strangers. The pointiest of
Astons was so distractingly enormous, so
distinctively angular, that owners could hardly
expect to drive about unnoticed. We applaud
the original keeper of this 82 example for
embracing its LOOK-AT-ME character and
opting for a Kermit-green paint job that, like
the rest of the car, appears to be in very ne
order. An asking price of 45,000-60,000 for
such a head-turner seems more than fair.
www.artcurial.com
Auction
calendar
22-24 October
Richard Edmonds Allington, UK
23-24 October
Worldwide Auctioneers
Fredericksburg, USA
24 October
Theodore Bruce
Melbourne, Australia
24 October
Matthewsons
Thornton-le-Dale, UK
25 October
Silverstone Silverstone, UK
27 October
Barons Esher, UK
30 October
Bonhams London, UK
30 October 1 November
Collector Car Productions
Mississauga, Canada
31 October
Auctions America
Hilton Head, USA
1 November
Artcurial Paris, UK
6-7 November
Motostalgia Austin, USA
7 November
Vicari Zephyrhills, USA
7 November
Anglia Car Auctions
Kings Lynn, UK
8 November
Charterhouse Auctions
Shepton Mallet, UK
12-14 November
Mecum Anaheim, USA
14-15 November
Silverstone Auctions
Birmingham, UK
18 November
H&H Buxton, UK
Thrillseekers choice
Bonhams, London, UK 6 December
BILLY COTTONS post-WW1 professional life,

by the standards of most people, was a riot. A er
a stint working odd jobs and then as a bus driver,
Cotton set up the London Savannah Band in 1924,
and went on to play with some of the most famous
musicians of the day before fronting the Billy Cotton
Band Show on BBC radio from 1949 to 1968.
But for a man who falsied his age in order
to ght in the Great War, and who was ying
solo in the RAF by the age of 18, playing music
must have seemed relatively dull. Cotton turned
to racing for his regular dose of adrenalin and
was a regular at Brooklands, where he became
acquainted with the likes of Malcolm Campbell,
Count Zborowski and Henry Segrave; indeed, he
borrowed the latters Talbot for his rst-ever race.
20-22 November
Leake Auction Dallas, USA
23 November
Shannons Melbourne, Australia
25 November
Brightwells Leominster, UK
Cotton was no slouch as a driver, and nished

fourth in the 1949 British Grand Prix. His taste in
cars was excellent, too, and ahead of the 1938 RAC
Tourist Trophy he availed himself of a brand new
Frazer Nash-BMW 328 Roadster, chassis 85HF
260217. Sadly the race was cancelled due to the
Munich Crisis and the creeping inevitability of war.
That 328, one of 426 built, changed hands in
1947 and again in 59 before being bought by the
present owner and restored. A super example of
a fantastic car (a model with a Mille Miglia win to its
name, lets not forget), it is to be oered by Bonhams
with a top estimate of 650,000 which, as Billy
Cotton would no doubt tell you, is a fair price to
pay for a car guaranteed to set the pulse racing.
www.bonhams.com
27-28 November
Dan Kruse Classics Houston, USA
28 November
Historics at Brooklands
Weybridge, UK
28 November
Oldtimer Galerie
Toen, Switzerland
1 December
Coys London, UK
5 December
Classic Car Auctions
Leamington Spa, UK
GO ONLINE!
www.classicandperformancecar.com
FOR MORE ON THESE
SALES, VISIT THE CLASSIC &
PERFORMANCE CAR WEBSITE
MARKET // REP OR T S
INSIDER
UK aND EUROpE cOMMENT
Simon de Burton on heat

at both ends of the age scale
hE ThOUghT Of Denmark being a

car-collecting hotbed had never occurred
to me until 1994, when I was sent there
with Sothebys to help stage the dispersal
sale of part of the alholm Collection, a
diverse range of vehicles from a private
museum built-up over a 30-year period by the barons
Raben-Levetzau. Held when values were somewhat in
the doldrums, that initial auction of 181 lots of cars and
automobilia raised a relatively paltry 865,000.
In 2012, however, RM (now RM Sothebys) was tasked
with shifting the remaining 175 cars from the collection
in a no-reserve sale that, in a rising market, realised
more than 8.2 million.
This September, however, Bonhams managed to
make even RMs success pale into insignificance with its
first auction on Danish soil, at which it offered the truly
impressive collection of 48 cars belonging to Danish
tycoon Henrik Frederiksen who is
now even wealthier after star
auctioneer Malcolm Barbers skill with
the gavel helped the sale to a total of
more than 16 million.
On paper, the success of the event
was far from guaranteed because
Frederiksen had focused his collection
on pre-war cars, which dont generally
hold such appeal as the betterrecognised classics, values of which
seem to be on an unstoppable
trajectory. But, having visited
Frederiksen at Lyngsbaekgaard, the
magnificent 16th Century manor house
where the cars were kept, it seemed unlikely that they
wouldnt attract strong money because each and every
one was in truly superb, on-the-button condition.
One thing I can be sure of, he told me during an
interview for the Financial Times before the sale, is that
none of the buyers of my cars will call me up afterwards
to complain.
With the top lot being a 1930 Duesenburg Model J
with disappearing top that drew 1.7 million, 11 mostly
early Rolls-Royces making 3.5 million between them
and a 1939 Lagonda LG6 Rapide establishing a new
record at 540,000, some believe the sale may serve to
re-ignite the pre-war market although it needs to be
borne in mind that such instantly usable (if not
necessarily entirely original) cars from the era are not so
easy to find. And thats what made this collection special.
And, if there was a bargain among the bunch, Id say it
was the fabulous 1914 Mercedes 28/95 that appeared
remarkably authentic, from its well-oiled skiff body to
its faded, canvas-covered seats and suite of Louis
Vuitton luggage. Tipped to make up to 1.2 million, it

went back to Germany for a bottom-estimate 927,000
and was undoubtedly my car of the sale.
While Bonhams was staging its Scandinavian
extravaganza, Coys was hard at work in Frankfurt,
where it held a 70-car sale at the time of the annual
motor show. The mixed bag of offerings included plenty
of Porsche 911s, such as a 1989 930 Flatnose turbo that
fetched a modest 90,000 against a pre-sale guide of
125,000-140,000, and a rare 964 Speedster with what
Coys described as the desirable (really?) Tiptronic
gearbox and which realised a below-estimate 123,500.
A highly original and well-preserved 1966 Maserati
Quattroporte, meanwhile, made a deserved 64,250,
with a 1994 Ferrari 512TR helping to maintain the strong
market for these cars at 154,000.
Among the more interesting offerings was a 1959
Facel Vega HK500, originally owned by Hollywood
starlet Ava Gardner. Decades in the
sun had kept the Facel relatively
rust-free and, beneath a coating of
dust, it looked to be complete,
original and potentially a good buy
at 103,000, not least because of its
preservation class potential and
celebrity provenance.
Brightwells September sale
starred a highly desirable 1962
Jaguar E-type Series I coup that
was decidedly rare in having had
only two owners from new and only
31,300 miles on the clock. It even
retained its original, three-piece
luggage set and fitted cover. Auction appearances by
such cars especially those of the E-types popularity
are blue moon occurrences, which is why this one easily
rose above its 90,000 pre-sale estimate to realise a
deserved 118,800.
Low-mileage modern classics were also in evidence,
with a 24,200-mile 1990 Renault 5GT Turbo offering
considerable driving fun for 10,000 and a 1980s 42,000mile Opel Monza GSE making 5400. A 1991 Pontiac
Firebird with a manual gearbox, 5.0-litre V8 and only
57,000 miles recorded, meanwhile, must have been
worth every penny of its 4400.
We were surprised, however, to see a 2004 Aston
Martin Vanquish (57,000 miles) left on the shelf despite a
low estimate of 55,000. These are undoubtedly set for
a big jump in values, and this fully serviced example in
black with tan leather had everything going for it save,
that is, for the almost essential manual gearbox
conversion, of which Astons Works department is fitting
more now than when the car was current.
Among modern
classics, a 24,200mile 1990 Renault
5GT Turbo offered
considerable driving
fun for 10,000 and
a 1980s 42,000-mile
Opel Monza GSE
made 5400
SIMON DE BURTON has his finger on the pulse of the auctions and sales rooms,
and was Octanes founding market editor for five years.
European sale
highlights
BRIghTwEllS, lEOMINSTER
23 SEpTEMBER
The MGB is so ubiquitous that it often

gets ignored but theres no denying
that it really is the quintessential
British sports car. And, while the best
of the best can make decent money,
the thousands in the middle remain
remarkably affordable. A case in
point was this tidy, 1971 Mk2
Roadster: great in white with
Minilite-style wheels and a quality
mohair hood. The buyer who paid
4800 isnt going to lose anything.
BRIghTwEllS, lEOMINSTER
23 SEpTEMBER
Hondas Gold Wing seemed like a

sophisticated behemoth when it was
launched in 1974, yet the original
now seems almost small and
understated. Early ones in good
condition are becoming hard to find,
which makes this tidy example an
excellent buy at 2700. Remember
how exotic that water-cooled
flat-four seemed 40 years ago?
And that dummy fuel tank which
housed a back-up kick starter?
BONhaMS, DENMaRK
26 SEpTEMBER
This one-off 1973 Rolls-Royce

Phantom VI by Frua was
commissioned by a Swiss diplomat.
In single ownership until 1997, the
car became part of the Danish
Frederiksen collection a few years
ago and was offered for sale in
superb, original condition.
Considering its rarity and the time
and craftsmanship that went in to it,
the final selling price of 365,000
was, perhaps, not unreasonable.
1958 ASTON MARTIN DB MKIII 260,000

A WONDERFULLY ORIGINAL AND VERY CAPABLE FAST ROAD CAR
WITH SUPERB HISTORY.
36 East Street, Olney

Bucks MK46 4AP
T
E
W
1961 DB4 SERIES III SALOON RESTORATION

PROJECT, SPECIFICATION? UP TO YOU POA
1967 DB6 RALLY CONVERSION, NO EXPENSE

SPARED ON THIS CAR 260,000
1982 V8 VANTAGE VOLANTE TO PRINCE

OF WALES SPECIFICATION 240,000
+44 (0)1234 240 636

sales@djsmail.co.uk
djsmail.co.uk
1979 V8 VOLANTE 7.0L RSW CONVERSION,

BEAUTIFUL CAR 199,000
1995 VANTAGE V550, BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE WITH

1956 JAGUAR XK140 ROADSTER (OTS), VERY
RARE ORIGINAL RHD, FULLY RESTORED 195,000 LOW MILEAGE AND FULL SERVICE HISTORY POA
In partnership with
1986 V8 VOLANTE EFI AUTO, JUST 3 PRIVATE OWNERS

1955 LANCIA AURELIA B20 GT COUPE, NARDI
AND COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY 145,000
MODIFICATIONS AND BEAUTIFUL CONDITION 120,000
Please join us on
1935 LAGONDA RAPIER, THE BEST SMALL CAR

IN THE WORLD! SUPERB CONDITION 55,000
MARKET // REP OR T S
INSIDER
Us coMMENt
Dave Kinney finds a few

bargains in the old Steel State
ArrEtt-JAcKsoN auction house

has two announcements that are of
note. This was their last adventure in
Reno, Nevada; the Hot August Nights
events that coincided with their sale
apparently just werent enough of a draw
for the long term. But B-J has also announced that it will
be holding a new sale on the east coast, specifically
Connecticut, at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
At least one other auction company has attempted
a sale at Mohegan Sun but it lacked the massive draw of
Barrett-Jackson: few companies can match its potential
audience. This years Barrett-Jackson Reno auction, held
in early August, was another all no-reserve sale, with
233 cars sold out of 233 offered. The total came in at
just over $9,000,000, a number that served to remind
us that this coming Januarys Scottsdale results will
dwarf this sale.
As you might expect, the auction
was heavy on domestic brands, with
a plethora of pick-up trucks thrown
in for good measure. Top seller was
a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427
convertible. Selling at $214,500, it
became one of only a handful of cars
at Reno to pass the $100,000 mark.
Several in the top ten were expertly
crafted hot rods, typical for Hot
August Nights.
Auburn, Indiana, remains one of
those mecca-like events for old car
fans and 2015 was certainly no
disappointment. The ancestral home of Auburn and
Cord, as well as the Auburn Cord and Duesenberg
Museum, brings thousands of ACD fans from all around
the world to this small Indiana town. Worldwide
Auctioneers and Auctions America also call Auburn
their home town.
Worldwide hosts the smaller of the two sales but
always manages to find great cars and pull off a few
surprises. An AC Cobra 289 Dragonsnake was the only
car of 61 in the sale to exceed a million dollars. It sold
for a healthy $1,300,000. According to the vendor, this is
one of only four built. With an unbroken chain of
ownership (four owners from new), it is said to have an
extensive race history and to be one of the most
successful Cobras known.
Other sales of note included three Ferraris: a 1979 400
Automatic ($33,000), a 1987 328GTS ($71,500), and a
1991 Ferrari Testarossa Spider (really a cut-down coup)
that sold for $148,500. A 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII
found a new home at a hardy $92,950. A total of
$4,900,000 made for a 75% sale rate.
Auctions America ended the long weekend at just

over $19,000,000 with a 63% sale rate, moving 551 cars
out of the 870 on offer. A 1947 Armstong-Siddeley
Hurricane Drophead changed garages at $26,950, while a
1972 Citron SM brought $38,500, and a 1968
Intermeccanica Torino spyder in Fly Yellow sold for
$159,500. One of the top-dollar cars to cross the block
was a 1972 Ferrari 365GTC/4, sold for $315,000.
Bonhams returned to the Simeone Museum in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for its Preserving the
Automobile sale. As the non-official start to the week
that is dominated by the Antique Automobile Club of
Americas autumn Hershey meet, the Bonhams sale is
dedicated to non-restored and original cars.
One of the top-selling cars was the sole surviving
1908 Rainer Model D 45/50hp Seven Passenger Touring.
It was an unrestored barnfind with a massive presence;
it sold for $253,000 and, perhaps
after some recommissioning, we will
see this at major concours in a few
years. It was pipped by a 1936
Wanderer W25 K Roadster with
coachwork by Wendler. An attractive,
sporting car, it has a 2000cc
supercharged six-cylinder engine and
bears comparison with a BMW 328.
Described as being in nice but older
restored condition, and with a
pre-sale estimate of $350,000 to
$450,000, it sold for $319,000
including commission.
The trend of many older cars
selling for what can only be described as bargain prices
continued at the Simeone sale, and a few bidders have
bought some historic automobiles for pennies on the
dollar. Striking examples included a 1919 Cleveland
Model 40 two-passenger roadster that sold for only
$7700 and, perhaps the surprise of the sale, a 1918 Ford
Model T Brisbane runabout, a Canadian-built, right-handdrive car that was originally shipped to Australia and
fitted with a body by original importer Queens Motors
Ltd. Sold for $4400, it was a one-time opportunity
to own a car that was a globetrotter from new.
Not all of the vehicles at the Simeone sale were from
the pre-war era. A 1964 Ford Falcon-based Ranchero Ute
brought smiles to those of us who remember our Bond
films (Oddjob drove one in Goldfinger, carrying the
crushed remains of a Lincoln Continental out of the
wrecking yard). Despite the fact that the Ranchero would
likely have broken into pieces under the weight of the
Lincoln, like many movie cars it made an impression.
For only $7480, the new owner can make a Bond
villain fantasy come true.
'A few bidders

bought historic
automobiles for
pennies on the dollar,
including a 1919
Cleveland Model 40
two-passenger
roadster that sold
for only $7700'
DAVE KINNEY is an auction analyst, an expert on the US classic car auction scene,
and publishes the USAs classic market bible, the Cars That Matter price guide.
Kinneys top
three US cars
BoNhAMs, sIMEoNE MUsEUM,
PhIlADElPhIA. 5 octoBEr
Seldom seen on the American

market is a bit of an understatement
when applied to this extremely
original, matching-numbers 1937
Morgan Super Sports. It was said to
have been acquired by Lex du Pont
in 1953, while visiting England.
Excellent patina throughout, and one
of the best ownership chains to be
seen on any North American Morgan.
The $88,000 achieved here should
please both the buyer and seller.
AUctIoNs AMErIcA, AUBUrN,
INDIANA. 6 sEPtEMBEr
This 1960 Bristol-engined AC Aceca

coupe with triple downdraught
Weber carburettors and four-speed
manual transmission was a nicely
restored example that had been
converted to left-hand drive and
offered a nice interior plus lots of
fresh chrome and paint. One of only
169 with the BMW-derived Bristol
engine, it wore four too many
chrome wire wheels for some tastes,
yet was worth its $176,000.
worlDwIDE AUctIoNEErs,
AUBUrN, INDIANA. 5 sEPt
This 1924 Auburn Model 6-26 Sport

Touring was a barnfind, but one that
looks like it was more forgotten than
neglected. It wears older paint, a
weak top, and everything visible is
worn, though its very complete.
When you go to a town thats famous
for something, why not pick up a
souvenir? At $29,700, it sold for a
no-surprise price and will probably
never go up in value, yet it will
remain a tie to a proud city.
MARKET // DE A L E R N E WS
How the other half lived
A nose around some notable dealerships provides a glimpse into the lives of yesteryears bigwigs
because we are more or less
sane, we have never been terribly
interested in being important. Well
confess, though, that the automotive
perks that come with VIP status have
occasionally given us cause to wonder
what life would be like if we were able
to locate our inner Tywin Lannister,
and this months whistle-stop tour
of classic car dealerships has turned
up several desirable machines that
once belonged to the worlds elite.
Visitors to McPheat Automotive
in Lancashire over the past few
weeks have been met by the instantly
recognisable face (and dorsal fin) of a
1951 Tatra Tatraplan, recently hauled
out of a Swedish museum and put
back on the road. Chris McPheat
Above and right
The silver Tatraplan in stock at
McPheat Automotive is running
sweetly after being woken from its
slumber in a Swedish museum;
Colin Chapmans personal Lotus
Eclat, with a very personal colour
scheme; this imposing Alfa Romeo
6C limousine is believed to be the
only one of its kind that remains.
214 DECEmbEr 2015 OCTANE
has as large an inventory of classic

Panhards as youll find outside of
France but, even in the company
of oddballs such as the Dyna X and
Junior Roadster, the Tatra stands out.
It stood out in the immediate postwar period, too, of course: although
its streamlined shape was the logical
development of the earlier T97, and
of the V8-powered T77 and T87 before
it, the Tatraplan was still extremely
exotic-looking by the standards of the
time. It was rare, too, with only 6342
examples built, and was far out of the
reach of the average Czech motorist.
Its no pocket-money proposition
these days, either, but given its lovely
overall condition, McPheats asking
price of 32,000 seems fair.
Less reasonably priced at first

glance is the Lotus Eclat up for sale
at 35,000 at Albion Motorcars in
Belgium; good examples of the
practical Lotus can still be found
for under 10,000. This 1980 car is
no mere good example, however,
but Colin Chapmans own daily driver.
The Lotus boss chose the unusual
green-on-green colour combination,
and, because he could, ordered the
factory to kit out the car with a
non-standard full leather interior.
Chapman eventually gave the car
to the king of Formula 1 journalists,
Grard Jabby Crombac, as a gift, and
it remained in his possession until his
death in 2005. Original, running well
and with exceptional provenance,
this must be the Eclat to have.

Just across the border in the
Netherlands, E&R Classics have got
their hands on a similarly unique car.
One of 29 built but believed to be the
only surviving example, the 1949
Alfa Romeo 6C Boneschi Ministeriale
limousine was intended as the
name suggests to ferry government
big cheeses to and from their various
engagements. Though the two-tone
paint is possibly not original, it
highlights the Alfas lines beautifully.
If we were important enough to be
chauffeured around (and had 115,000
to spend), this is the car wed choose.
www.mcpheatautomotive.co.uk
www.albionmotorcars.com
www.erclassics.com
marKet // buy i n g
LYnDOn MnEIL
D av e S e l by S h o t l i t t l e n u m b e r
Jaguar mk1 saloon
The car that begat the cops n robbers Mk2 is surely undervalued by comparison
the mark 1 is a genuine landmark in Jaguars

history, yet it remains undervalued and overlooked.
In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking theres no
such thing as a Mk1. Jaguar never called it that, yet
without the Mk1 there would have been no Mk2. Even
more important is the part it played in boosting the
companys fortunes.
So what is a Mk1? Well, first you take a Mk2, then
apply custom street-rod aesthetics, remove the
garnish, enclose the rear wheelarches and fill in the
glass area. Basically the Mk1 is altogether less
visually polite, and thats a good thing though thats
not quite how it happened. Back in 1955 Jaguar broke
new ground with its new 2.4 saloon. It was the
companys first monocoque road car. As a result,
it was tough, stiff and over-engineered.
The addition of a compact saloon (thats compact
in American terms) meant that Jaguar had its most
comprehensive line-up to date, introducing a new
group of motorists to Jaguar ownership. Key to that
was price (see right) and performance. Today, no-one
thinks of a 2.4-litre Jag as sporting, but it was. US
mag Road and Track enthused: We think it is a best
buy if you are looking for a compact, safe-handling
family car with a durable engine and sturdy chassis.
The sports car performance is a bonus feature
always there, ready to be used, if you require it.
That comment was made about the initial offering
with its downsized 112bhp 2.4-litre version of the
famed XK twin-cam six. Indeed, road test cars
managed 102mph. And heres something that needs
explaining: Jaguar never released the later 2.4-litre
Mk2 for road tests until the introduction of the

run-out 240, because it couldnt make the ton.
Even in initial form the drum-braked Mk1 hit the
mark. But the market, particularly the USA, wanted
more, and in early 1957 the 3.4 arrived, boasting
210bhp. Though you shouldnt always believe
Jaguars historic horsepower figures, the 3.4 hit
60mph in 9.1 seconds and topped out at 120. Disc
brakes became a much-needed option and, in the
hands of the likes of Tommy Sopwith, Roy Salvadori
and Stirling Moss, as well as ordinary mortals, the
3.4 saloon was a potent force in saloon car racing.
Yet the Mk1s reputation has forever been haunted
by the spectre of Mike Hawthorns fatal accident in
his much uprated car on the Guildford by-pass in
early 1959. If people know anything about the Mk1
its that its rear track was four inches narrower than
the front, which made handling tricky in extremis,
as the potted model guides say. That was, of course,
rectified with the Mk2 (introduced as its replacement
late that same year, after which the original saloon
was retrospectively known as the Mk1).
As for the Mk1, it sold 36,740 copies, more than
any Jaguar before. For that alone you could consider
it more important than the relatively low-volume XK
sports cars, particularly as the Mk1 contributed to
Jaguars decision to buy neighbouring Daimler for
extra production capacity and to raise the stakes
again in the 1960s with the E-type and the XJ6.
Come to think of it, if early E-types are worth
more than later ones, shouldnt the Mk1 saloon be
worth more than the Mk2?
Price Points
1955 Theres no doubt the Jaguar 2.4 was a
compelling package, aggressively priced at just
1343. The Rover P4 90 was 1418, the Daimler
Conquest 2 cost 1600 and a Humber Super
Snipe would set you back 1643 and none
could match the Jag for vigour. Meanwhile the
3-litre Alvis TC21/100 cost 1928, the Bristol
405 3189, and the Lagonda 3-litre saloon, with
its marginally sporting character, was a hefty
3901. For context, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
was 5708. The 968 MG ZA Magnette was
considered sporting, if not in the Jags league.
1957 The arrival of the 3.4-litre Mk1 renders
obsolete any comparison with Humber, Daimler
or Rover. Priced at 1672 (with the 2.4-litre
version pitched at 1495), it outpaced and
hugely undercut the 2993 Lagonda 3-litre, the
3451 Alvis TD21 and the 3586 Bristol 405.
today Mk1s have always been cheaper than
Mk2s, in fact considerably so, but the figures
dont tell the whole story. Within the last few
months a 1959 Mk1 3.4, the 46th from last built,
set an auction record of 66,000: this was a
special-case exceptional car treated to a
60,000-plus restoration. Likewise another
1959 3.4, which made 51,750 at auction: this
had been specialist-restored as a Hawthorn
replica. Other than race cars, and ones with
proper period competition history, most Mk1s
are selling at auction below 20,000 and for not
much more in the trade. This reflects condition
more than true worth, as owners of really good
ones hold on to them; there arent many around.
Pay two-thirds for a 2.4, avoid the 2.4 auto.
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

This UK Supplied RHD Daytona (1 of 158 examples) is presented in its Original Colour Combination of Argento with Blu leather. Formerly part of one
of the nest collections in the world, the car is Matching Numbers, Classiche Certied and presented with its original tools and books. Recently totally
restored, this Daytona is a previous Concours winner and is presented in award-winning condition. POA
Additional Motorcars Available for Acquisition
Ferrari F40
Ferrari 512 BBi
Porsche Carrera GT
This iconic F40 left Maranello in October 1991 and was a

Diretta delivery car, which was collected from the factory
on Italian Export plates (still with the car) by its rst owner
and then exported to Kuwait. Having covered just 4,500
kms from new, this F40 has just undergone a major service
at DK Engineering, with a replacement fuel tank being
tted, cambelts changed, suspension dampers and turbos
overhauled. 899,995
This stunning RHD 512BBi was delivered new to South

Africa in 1983, where it remained until 2008. It has recently
been repainted to its original colour combination of Argento
over Nero. In 2013, the car received a major engine out
cambelt service and has also had the gearbox rebuilt and
a replacement clutch tted. The car is presented in
stunning condition throughout and is absolutely
on the button. 324,995
This interesting and highly desirable Basalt Black

example has had a recent no expense spared engine out
service. Throughout its life, the car has been regularly
serviced by Porsche Great Britain with all the invoices
present. The paintwork is complimented by a Dark Grey
leather interior. This Carrera GT also features factory tted
Air Conditioning. 474,995
Acquisition Consultancy
Sales
Service
Restoration to Perfection
Engine Building
Race Preparation
Rolling Road
For Acquisition Consultancy contact Jeremy or James Cottingham
Telephone: +44 (0) 1923 287 687 Fax: +44 (0) 1923 286 274 Email: info@dkeng.co.uk
Little Green Street Farm, Green Street, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, WD3 6EA - ENGLAND
Chorleywood Tube
Station - 2 mins.
Heathrow or Luton
Airports 20 mins.
M25 Orbital
J18 - 3 mins.
London City
Centre 20 miles.
www.dke.co.uk
A Cottingham Family Business.
Storage
Photo: John Retter
Competition | RestoRation | ConseRvation
Lister-Jaguar Prototype BHL 101 enjoying its first public outing

at the Goodwood Revival after a full restoration by
CKL Developments. The ten month restoration concentrated
on returning BHL 101 to factory specification whilst conserving
the originality of this important Lister. Race prepared with
a CKL built D-type engine producing 345 bhp and 430 Nm,
BHL 101 ran faultlessly in the Sussex Trophy.
01424 870600
sales@ckldevelopments.co.uk
www.ckldevelopments.co.uk
1966 Series 1 4.2 Jaguar Roadster 119,995

This stunning E-Type Roadster is an original factory RHD. It comes complete with factory hardtop and stand, original
tool kit and books. This lovely Jaguar is in fantastic condition and is a great investment opportunity.
1964 Coupe Series 1 3.8 Jaguar 110,000
1965 Coupe Series 1 4.2 Jaguar 95,995
Original factory RHD, just undergone bare

metal repaint. Matching numbers.
Original factory RHD, matching numbers.

Very original car. Great history le.
If youre looking to invest in your passion or seek a new home for a signicant motorcar,
please contact Adrian Hamilton, +44 (0)1256 765000 or ah@duncanhamilton.com
Duncan Hamilton & Co Ltd, PO Box 222, Hook, Nr Basingstoke, Hampshire RG27 9YZ, England | www.duncanhamilton.com
YOUR PASSION. OUR PROFESSION.

TM
Top row: 1932 Lincoln KB Sport Phaeton, 1931 Packard Dietrich, 1904 Cyklon Cyklonette, 1931 Cadillac V12 Convertible Coupe.
Second row: 1975 Lamborghini Urraco, 1955 Chevrolet Corvette, 1964 ASA 1000 GT, 1991 Ferrari Testarossa Spyder.
Third Row: 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C by Pur Sang, 1952 Mercedes Benz 300 Cabriolet D, 1936 Ford Coca Cola truck, 1971 ISO Fidia.
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, USA
+1.314.524.6000
HYMANLTD.COM
www.aston.co.uk
INVEST IN AN ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE LEGEND!

SALES
R E S TO R AT I O N
PA RTS
SERVICING
For sale
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a lovely factory LHD matching numbers, Manual example of the
DB6 MKI Coupe presented Silver with Black Hide, a timeless combination which
never fails to impress.
This DB6 MKI is being prepared by our workshops so it can be enjoyed by the next guardian and is sure
to give a great deal of pleasure for generations to come.
The DB6 was developed with the emphasis on more room for all, a true 4-seater, making it a great choice
for those wishing to share the pleasure of Aston Martin ownership with family or friends. At the same time,
no compromise was made in terms of performance or handling, ensuring that the DB6 adhered to the
Aston Martin core values of luxury and performance combined with stunning looks.
Red Row Beamish Co.Durham United Kingdom DH9 0RW Telephone +44 1207 233525 Fax +44 1207 232202
Email: sales@aston.co.uk
1952 ASTON MARTIN

DB2 DROPHEAD COUPE
POA
Built by Aston Martin at their Feltham Works this is an excellent example of the
charming DB2 Drop Head Coupe which was first supplied in 1952 before
returning to the factory in 1953 for the engine to be upgraded to Vantage
specification before the second owner, Captain P.B. Dodkins took delivery. The car
has had three owners since, with the last collector owner commissioning a large
amount of works since acquiring the car in 2004.
Originally built in Blue Haze, this example has in recent years been re-painted and
is now handsomely finished British Racing Green. The car also benefits from a
recent re-trim using tan hides, a new dark green mohair hood with matching
dark green wire wheels complete the period look. With a mileage understood to
be just 40,600, this excellent example also benefits from an engine and gearbox
re-build completed in 2015 by recognised Aston Martin specialists.
One of only 102 examples of this model built by Aston Martin between 1950 and
1953, this stunning motorcar is superb to drive and in beautiful condition, ready
to be enjoyed by the next custodian. Viewing is highly recommended.
1969 DB6 VOLANTE
650,000
1979 V8 VANTAGE
1981 V8 VOLANTE
149,950
1991 VIRAGE
www.nicholasmee.co.uk
Telephone: 0208 741 8822
Email: info@nicholasmee.co.uk
235,000
99,950
ESTABLISHED FOR 50 YEARS
1960 Aston Martin DB4 Series 1 (lhd)
20,532 miles | p.o.a.
Snow Shadow Grey with Red Leather. The car was originally supplied as a RHD model and has been converted to the desirable LHD
configuration. This Car is supplied with a large history file with photos documenting the maintenance.
2013 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster | 11,624 miles | 174,950
1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato | 4,000 miles | P.O.A
Iridium Silver with Black Nappa Leather and Black Soft Top. This is a 1 owner
car from new with many extras including Reversing Camera and Airscarf.
Silver with Burgandy Leather. Not since the iconic DB4 GT Zagato have
the two companies collaborated together. 1 of only 50 cars manufactured,
this is a future collectors car.
1991 Rolls Royce Corniche Convertible Mk III | 17,136 miles | 124,950
2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S Edition 1 | delivery miles | 139,950
Chrome Yellow with Magnolia Leather and Piped in Tan. The Series III
was introduced in 1989 with many improvements. It is believed that Rolls
Royce only made 452 of these cars in total.
Designo Diamond White with Black Nappa Leather. This Edition 1 version
of Mercedes new supercar comes with a Carbon Roof and AMG Dynamic
Package Plus Package amongst its many features.
www.williamloughran.co.uk
telephone: +44
(0) 1772 613 114
email: sales@williamloughran.co.uk
1965 Ferrari 275 Gtb alloy 6c
w w w. ta l a c r e s t. c o m
talacrest are the biggest and most experienced buyers of classic Ferrari in the world and have sold over $1 billion worth of
thoroughbred classic cars including eight Ferrari 250 Gtos, many prototypes and numerous other desirable road and race cars.
if youre in the market for buying or selling blue-chip, collector Ferrari classics then make talacrest your number one choice.
+ 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 3 4 4 3 0 8 1 7 8 | + 4 4 ( 0 ) 7 8 6 0 5 8 9 8 5 5 | j o h n @ ta l ac r e s t. c o m
number one in the classic Ferrari market
FERRARI 275 GTB & GTS
FERRARI 250 GT LUSSO
FERRARI DINO GT & GTS
FERRARI DAYTONA
ASTON MARTIN DB4
ASTON MARTIN DB5

CONVERTIBLE
ASTON MARTIN DB6

VANTAGE
BENTLEY R-TYPE
CONTINENTAL
LAMBORGHINI 400 GT
LAMBORGHINI MIURA SV
FACEL VEGA FV3B
COSTIN LISTER JAGUAR
JAGUAR MKI & MKII
JAGUAR E-TYPE
JAGUAR XK120, XK140 &

XK150
JAGUAR SS100
5 CARS IN STOCK
SERIES 3 FACTORY DEMONSTRATOR
2 CARS IN STOCK
ORIGINAL UNRESTORED, RHD
1 OF 4 RHD BUILT
1 OF 20 RHD BUILT
OVER 10 CARS IN STOCK
8 CARS IN STOCK
7 CARS IN STOCK
15000 MILES ONLY SINCE NEW
5 CARS IN STOCK
SPECIAL FACTORY ORDER
LAST CAR BUILT, ORIGINAL AND UNRESTORED
PERIOD LE MANS COMPETITION CAR
PERIOD BROOKLANDS COMPETITION CAR
OVER 20 CARS IN STOCK

INCLUDING PERIOD COMPETITION CARS
SELECTION FROM OUR CURRENT STOCK
OVER 100 CLASSIC ROAD & OVER 40 RACE CARS IN STOCK

8 SHOWROOMS, IN-HOUSE WORKSHOPS, RACESHOP, ENGINESHOP, MACHINESHOP, PAINTSHOP, TRIMSHOP
Monaco
Historique
Grand Prix
Winners
2012, 2014
Le Mans
Classic
Winners
2010, 2012
2014
Mille
Miglia
Finishers
11 Cars
2014, 2015
The Quail A Motorsport

Gathering
Winners
2013, 2014
Pebble
Beach
Concours
d'Elegance
Winners
2009 to
2014
Salon
Priv
Concours
d'Elegance
Best In Show
2015
Goodwood
Revival
Freddie March
Trophy Winners
2012, 2013,
2015
Goodwood
Revival
Fordwater
Trophy
Winners
2015
Goodwood
Revival
RAC TT
Celebration
Winners
2015
ASTON MARTIN DB6

MK1 VANTAGE VOLANTE
1 OF 29 RHD CARS BUILT. FULL MATHCING NUMBERS. TOTAL JD CLASSICS RESTORATION
@jd_classics
jdclassics@jdclassics.com
www.jdclassics.com
WYCKE HILL BUSINESS PARK, WYCKE HILL, MALDON, ESSEX, CM9 6UZ, U.K. +44 (0)1621 879579
MAYFAIR SHOWROOM, 26-28 MOUNT ROW, MAYFAIR, LONDON, W1K 3SQ. TEL: +44 (0) 207 125 1400
Limited Edition and Collectable Super Car Sales
T | 01483 338 901 E | sales@theoctanecollection.com A | Bramley, Surrey
www.theoctanecollection.com
FERRARI 458 SPECIALE APERTA
FERRARI 16M SCUDERIA
479,995
PORSCHE CARRERA GT
FERRARI 360 CHALLENGE STRADALE
289,995
PORSCHE 911 GT2 RS
575,000
PORSCHE 993 CARRERA CUP
PORSCHE 964 CARRERA RS
289,995
FERRARI 512 M
349,995
FERRARI 599 GTO
229,995
474,995
SOLD - SIMILAR REQUIRED
184,995
PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 2.7 MFI
PORSCHE 993 TURBO S
PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS 4L
159,995
239,995
PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS
289,995
FERRARI 458 SPECIALE
129,995
PORSCHE CARRERA GT
Suppliers of the finest, hand-selected, Classic & Sports Cars
About Graypaul Classic Cars

Welcome to Graypaul Classic Cars, the latest venture for the highly illustrious Graypaul name. Building on an
incredibly rich history and reputation for only the highest quality, Graypaul Classic Cars are the new old name in
classic and sports cars sourcing and selling the very best classic and sports cars regardless of brand or price.
Guiding Graypaul into this new era is Managing Director and truly passionate car enthusiast, Robin Simpson.
FEATURED VEHICLES:
FERRARI F50 (1996)

1,250,000
FERRARI F40 (1991)

850,000
FERRARI 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA (1972)

750,000
PORSCHE CARRERA GT (2005)

575,000
PORSCHE 911 (993) CARRERA RS LHD (1996)

250,000
FERRARI TESTAROSSA (1987)

185,000
Call Robin Simpson personally

on 07779 273001 or visit
www.graypaulclassiccars.com
to view the full
collection today.
PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS (2010)
185,000
MORGAN PLUS 4 (2015)

42,500
G R AY PA U L C L A S S I C C A R S L E N T O N L A N E N O T T I N G H A M N G 7 2 N R T E L : 0 1 1 5 8 3 7 8 0 2 8
2003 FERRARI ENZO

Rosso/Black Medium Sport Seats, Yellow Dial, Red Stitching Throughout,
Classiche Certified, UK Supplied, 10,000m FFSH, Perfect................................ POA
1989 FERRARI F40

Rosso/Red Sport Seats, Non Cat, Non Adjust, Sports Exhaust, Original Toolkit, Just
Serviced, 12,500m, Perfect..........................................................................795,000
CLASSICS
1965
1989
1972
1979
1984
1973
1960
1983
1973
1978
1988
1963
1962
FERRARI 275 GTB 6C Rosso/Black, Totally Restored & Race Prepared, Marcel Massini Report, Perfect.....................................................................................................................2,250,000
FERRARI F40 Rosso/Red Sport Seats, Non Cat, Non Adjust, Sports Exhaust, Original Toolkit, Just Serviced, 12,500m, Perfect....................................................................................795,000
FERRARI 365 GTB DAYTONA LHD Silver/Black, Air Con, Electric Windows, Original Toolkit & Books, 44,000m, Exceptional Condition................................................................ 595,000
FERRARI 512 BB Rosso/Black 1 Of Only 101 RHD UK Cars, Recently Restored By Ferrari, Only 21,000m, 1 Owner, Pristine...................................................................................... 350,000
FERRARI 512 BBi LHD Rosso/Rosso & Black Leather, Fully Restored, 11,800m From New, Perfect Condition Throughout........................................................................................ 300,000
FERRARI 246 GTS Rosso Chiaro/Black Leather, Electric Windows, Beautifully Restored, 1 Of Only 235 UK RHD Cars, 82,000m, Perfect ......................................................................... POA
ASTON MARTIN DB4 SERIES II RHD Chiltern Green/Beige, Completely Restored And Race Prepared, FIA HTP Ceritified, Amazing Condition...................................................399,950
LAMBORGHINI JALPA P350 TARGA Red/Cream, 1 of 35 RHD, Featured In Many Articles, Original Tools, Books & Spare Wheels, Award-Winning Example, 40,000m .......... 109,950
LAMBORGHINI URRACO P250 Orange/Cream & Orange, Extensive History File, Very Rare RHD, UK Supplied, 24,000m, Concours Condition..................................................... 99,950
PORSCHE 930 TURBO White/Tartan, Only 14,000m from New, 1 Owner, The Very Best Available ..................................................................................................................................... POA
PORSCHE 930 TURBO White/Blue Leather S/Seats, Limited Slip Differential, Fuch Black Alloys, 58,000m, Excellent Condition ................................................................................ 84,950
JAGUAR E-TYPE SERIES 1 3.8 ROADSTER RHD British Racing Green/Black Hide, Factory Hardtop, Wire Alloys, 80,000m, Beautiful................................................................... 129,950
PORSCHE 356 B CABRIOLET TWIN GRILLE Slate Grey/Red, Matching Numbers, Certificate Of Authenticity, Original Books, Huge History File, Exceptional Condition.......... 129,950
FERRARI & LAMBORGHINI
03
10
62
08
61
09
09
ENZO Rosso/Black Medium Sport Seats, Yellow Dial, Red Stitching Throughout, Classiche Certified, 10,000m FFSH, Perfect.............................................................................................. POA
599 GTO LHD Bianco Fuji/Nero Leather, Sat Nav, Carbon Fibre Engine Cover, Grigio Alloys, Yellow Brake Calipers, Racing Livery, Parking Sensors, 7,700m, Perfect.................499,950
458 ITALIA NOVITEC LHD PearlYellow/BlackSeatsStitchedYellow,SatNav,RCamera,CarbonInt&LEDs,SportsExhaust,CarbonRearWing,ManySpecialFeatures,7,000m,AsNew........129,950
599 HGTE Vinaccia/CuoioDaytonaE/Seats,SatNav,BOSE,CarbonFibreDrivingZoneIncludingS/Wheel&LEDs,CeramicBrakes,RedCalipers,ManySpecialFeatures,41,000mFSH,Perfect.............109,950
CALIFORNIA 2+2 TDF Blu/Sabbia Diamond Stitched, Sat Nav, AFS, Carbon Interior & LEDs, Carbon Rear Moulding, Magneride, Parking Camera, Massive Spec, 10,000m...104,950
GALLARDO SUPERLEGGERA Grigio Telesto/Nero, Sat Nav, Lifting Gear, Large Carbon Rear Wing, Transparent Engine Cover, Ex Eric Clapton & Signed By Valentino Balboni....... 129,950
GALLARDO LP560-4 E-GEAR Black Metallic/Black, Sat Nav, Lifting Gear, Transparent Engine Cover, 19 Calisto Alloys Painted Titanium, Black Calipers, 10,000m FSH, As New..............99,950
PORSCHE
05
97
03
CARRERA GT GT Silver/Ascot, Sat Nav, Full Fitted Luggage, Just Serviced, 7,000m, Immaculate Throughout .............................................................................................................. 550,000
993 TURBO 4 FACTORY X50 PACK Arctic Silver/Black Sports Seats, Carbon Interior, 3rd Brake Light, 26,000m, FPSH, The Very Best Available ..................................................149,950
996 GT3 CLUBSPORT Silver/Black Racing Seats, Front & Rear Roll Cage, A/C, Radio, CD, Special Features, 21,000m, As New....................................................................................79,950
OTHERS
56
15
NEW
61
09
11
PHANTOM BLACK EDITION Black/Black, Sat Nav, Sunroof, Black Ash Wood Veneer, Massive Spec, 1 Of Only 25, 20,000m, As New................................................................... 109,950
MERCEDES-BENZ AMG GT-S Magnetite Black/Black & Brown Nappa, Premium Pk, Drivers Assist Pk, AMG Night Pk, Dynamic Plus Pk, Massive Spec, 1,000m, As New.........127,950
MERCEDES-BENZ AMG GT-S Silver/Black & Red Nappa, Comand, Sports Exhaust, AMG Ride Control, 10 Spoke Alloys, Big Spec...........................................................................119,950
ASTON MARTIN RAPIDE Onyx Black/Sandstone Ventilated Seats, Sat Nav, Bang & Olufsen, Rear Entertainment, 20 Alloys, Massive Spec, 10,000m FSH, As New ....................69,950
ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE V8 ROADSTER Onyx Black/Cream Stitched Black, Sat Nav, Piano Black Veneer, 19 5 Spoke Alloys, Big Spec, 23,000m FSH, As New......................49,950
AUDI R8 5.2 V10 SPYDER Phantom Black/Light Grey Nappa, Sat Nav, Media Interface, Bang & Olufsen, Mag Ride, 7,700m FSH, 1 Owner ............................................................71,950
WE ALWAYS PAY MORE FOR YOUR CAR & WILL COLLECT TODAY
Telephone: +44(0)1283 762762
Follow us:
@TomHartleyCars
Email: info@tomhartley.com
TomHartley
www.tomhartley.com
SHOWROOM VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT
OPEN 7 DAYS: 9AM-9PM
O F F IC IAL FERRA RI DEALER
Meridien Modena
Ferrari 575 SuperAmerica 2005/55
Ferrari 575 Maranello F1 2004/04
Ferrari 458 Challenge 2013
11,000 miles, Rosso Corsa with Nero Leather

Interior, 19 Alloy Wheels with Red Brake
Callipers, HGTC Handling Package, Electronic
Suspension and Security System with NavTrak
ADR. Ferrari Classiche Certified.
329,995
23,000 miles, 19 Modular Rims with Aluminium

Brake Callipers, Argento Nurburgring Metallic with
Nero Leather Interior, Electronic Suspension, Fiorano
Handling Package, Electric Daytona Seats and
Security System.
122,995
Delivery miles, Bianco Avus with Rosso Sport

Cloth Interior, Forged Centre Nut Alloy Wheels,
CCM2 Carbon Ceramic Brakes, 1220kg in Weight,
570 BHP and 2015 Aerodynamic Package.
227,994
Ferrari ENZO 2004/54
Ferrari 512 TR 1992/K
Ferrari 430 Scuderia F1 2010/10
5,000 miles, 19 Alloy Wheels with Black Brake

Callipers, Rosso Corsa with Nero Leather
Interior, Electronic Suspension, Large Sport Seats
and Security System. Ferrari Classiche Certified.
1 Owner From New.
POA
9,500 miles, Rosso Corsa with Cream Leather

Interior, Nero Dashboard and Rosso Carpets,
18 Alloy Wheels with Black Brake Callipers
and Security System with NavTrak ADR.
Ferrari Classiche Certified.
249,995
5,000 miles, Nero Daytona with Nero Tessuto

Interior, Large Carbon Fibre Racing Seats, NART
Racing Stripe in Grigio Corsa, Giallo Instrumental
Panel, 4 Point Safety Harnesses and Security
System with NavTrak ADR.
214,995
Meridien Modena
77 High Street, Lyndhurst,
Hampshire, SO43 7PB
Telephone: 02380 283 404
www.lyndhurst.ferraridealers.com
My customers and I have shared passion and enthusiasm for the

worlds most exciting and beautiful cars for more than 28 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 Schuette
AXEL SCHUETTE FINE CARS

best cars. best expertise. best service. since 1987
Original Lamborghini Miura SV, sold by AXEL SCHUETTE FINE CARS
BENTLE Y // BMW // FERR ARI // L AMBORGHINI // MA SER ATI // MERCEDES-BENZ // PORSCHE

AXEL SCHUETTE FINE CARS Germany Fon +49 5202 72000 www.axelschuette.de info@axelschuette.de
+44 (0)1420 479909

sales@4starclassics.com
www.4starclassics.com
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Porsche 993 Carrera RS
Porsche 964 Turbo 3.6
Porsche 356A 1600 Super Cabriolet
Porsche 996 GT3 Clubsport
Porsche 996 GT3
Jaguar E-Type Series II
Porsche 964 Carrera 4
Ford Escort RS Cosworth Lux
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II
Jaguar XJS V12 TWR
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI
Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
Ferrari 599 GTO
Porsche 993 RSR
Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
Jaguar XJS 6.0 V12 Convertible
239,995 An incredible 993 RS, with less

than 18k miles from new.
149,995 A perfect 356A, recent concours

restoration, with hardtop.
44,995 An excellent Carrera 4, Marine

Blue metallic with just 53k miles.
29,995 Rare, with just 29k miles.
POA One owner, low mileage.
229,995 A gorgeous Speed Yellow RS,

with just 18k miles from new.
79,995 A spotless GT3 Clubsport, with

less than 22k miles from new.
44,995 Outstanding and un-modied,

with 37k miles and an excellent history.
17,495 Un-modied, with just 26k miles.
POA Only 16k miles, with factory stripes.
204,995 A rare German-supplied 3.6

Turbo, in Amethyst with just 28k miles.
74,995 An impeccable GT3, with just 27k

miles and a detailed service record.
37,995 The iconic Sierra RS, un-modied

with just 10k miles from new.
SOLD Similar required.
FULL STOCKLIST AVAILABLE AT WWW.4STARCLASSICS.COM
159,995 A Maritime Blue 964 RS, with a

mere 20k miles from new.
64,995 An early Series II xed head

coupe, Regency Red with 84k miles.
37,995 A handsome Monza Red Evo II,

with a mere 36k miles from new.
+44 (0)1420 479909
Twitter
the natural Choice for Classic Porsche
01825 830424
911 S 2.4 Coupe Lhd
249,995
911 Carrera rS Lhd
249,995
911 Speedster (964)
199,995
911 S 2.0 Coupe Lhd
174,995
911 3.2 Carrera Speedster
149,995
911 turbo targa
124,995
911 e 2.2 Coupe Lhd
124,995
911 Supersport Coupe
65,995
911 Carrera 2 targa (993)
64,995
911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet (993)
49,995
Boxster Spyder
46,995
911 Carrera 2 Coupe (993)
59,995
at Paragon, 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

Paragon gB Ltd Five aSheS eaSt SuSSex tn20 6hY
1968 Italian Job Miura

Price: POA I Mileage: 11,800
1957 Mercedes 300SL Roadster

Price: 949,995 I Mileage: 53,300
1968 Aston Martin DB6 Volante

Price: 749,995 I Mileage: 106,300
This stunning Miura is now acknowledged to be

the actual car used in the iconic opening sequence
of the The Italian Job and has recently been
featured extensively in the media, including Octane.
Fantastically original and in show condition throughout.
This matching numbers early production 300SL is in

genuinely superb condition throughout, with mirrorlike paintwork and chrome. Restored to concours
standards by specialists, stunning from every angle
and great to drive.
This stunning DB6 Volante was originally supplied

in the UK and has extensive and interesting history.
Converted to LHD in 2003 but could be converted back
to original configuration for a nominal cost. In excellent
condition throughout and ready to enjoy.
1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

2005 Ferrari 575M F1 HGTC

2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder Special Edition

By far the most refined and driveable of the Countach

series, this 25th Anniversary edition has had only one
fastidious owner from new. In un-restored original
showroom condition throughout, with an excellent
service history. A rare find.
A stunning example of Ferraris ultra-rare 575M HGTC,

this sensational LHD thoroughbred has had one Italian
owner from new and is utterly immaculate throughout.
Full Ferrari service history and complete with all of its
original books and tools.
This stunning R8 was initially used as an Audi

demonstrator and has had only one private owner
since. One of only a handful of cars finished in satin
effect Suzuka Grey (a high cost option) this fully loaded
Special Edition has genuinely low mileage and full
service history.
1968 Fiat Dino Spyder

1995 Ferrari F355 Spider LHD

2001 Aston Martin Vanquish

The Dino Spyder is becoming increasingly collectable.

This lovely example was imported to the UK in 1988,
has benefited from a recent specialist engine overhaul
and has been extremely well maintained. In excellent
condition and driving beautifully.
This desirable manual one owner LHD F335 is

attractively finished in black with black interior, a colour
scheme which suits the Spiders crisp lines particularly
well. The car drives exactly as it should and will be sold
with a fresh cambelt service.
An extremely well presented and well maintained V12

Vanquish. Stunning in Grigio Titanium with Charcoal
and Light Grey interior. Recently benefiting from a
high quality respray and a full service from the Aston
Workshop. A great driving investment.
1939 Bentley 4 Litre (Overdrive)

Sedanca Coupe by James Young
1962 Bentley
S2 Continental Coupe by H.J.Mulliner
1955 Bentley
R Type Continental Coupe by Franay
1963 Bentley
S3 Continental Six Light Flying Spur
by H.J.Mulliner
We offer the finest facilities for the sale and

service of Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor cars
1962 Rolls-Royce
Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe
by H.J.Mulliner (Left Hand Drive)
For further information and complete stocklist

please telephone or email us at the addresses below
S A L E S
S E R V I C E
T R I M M I N G
R E S T O R A T I O N
125 Harlequin Avenue, Great West Road, London TW8 9EW, UK

Tel: 020 8847 5447 Fax: 020 8560 5748
www.frankdale.com Email: info@frankdale.com
French ofce: Christian Teissier, 8 Avenue J.Bordeneuve, 47300 Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, Bordeaux France Tel: 0033 55 340 3470 Fax: 0033 55 340 3481 christeissier@yahoo.fr
Japanese Ofce: Mr Kiyoharu Wakui, Kuruma Doraku 2-10-11, Yayoi Bunkyo Ku, Tokyo, Japan Tel: 0081 33 81 16 170 Fax: 0081 33 81 66 175 kuruma.doraku@nifty.com
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it to us by post or email. You can include up to 30 words in your ad and more
thereafter at 50p per extra word.
Please note: the January 2016 issue (on sale 25 November) deadline is
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Berks SL6 3AN, UK. carsforsale@octane-magazine.com
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Advertisers using OCTANE reach the most distinguished collectors and classic car enthusiasts worldwide
1990 AC Cobra Lightweight
The last of six genuine, original Lightweights (flat dash,

no heater or screen vents, no headrests etc) that I
personally ordered from AutoKraft/AC Cars in 1990.
Uprated suspension, 1965-type MkIII dash with Smiths
instruments, satin stone-guards, large-capacity fuel
tanks, Avon CR6 ZZ 15in tyres, driver and passenger
harnesses etc. Factory handbuilt, blueprinted 345bhp
302ci engine. Right-hand drive. Rod Leachs Nostalgia.
Tel: +44 (0)1992 500007; email: info@rodleach.com (T).
1989 Alfa Romeo Spider 1.6
1988 Alfa Romeo Spider S3 2000
Black, c90,000 miles. RHD. Current owner 16 years.

Regularly maintained, much history. Used regularly over
many summers with overhauls by specialist Bonello.
Bodywork/underneath largely original except for some
inevitable welding on sills and floor over the years. MoT
July 2016. Pepperpot wheel upgrade, seats recovered in
leather, gearbox reconditioned 2009, suspension work,
springs all sloppiness taken out, carbs set up, runs
great. 6000. Tel: +44 (0)7714 327715.
Red, 42,000 miles. Exceptional condition. All original

parts and originally converted to RHD by Bell & Colvill.
8000. Tel: +44 (0)7949 873340.
Earley Engineering Limited

Alvis Specialists
+44 (0)1981 250 244
earleyeng@aol.com
Visit our new website
www.earleyeng.com
| Servicing
| Chassis engineering
| Restoratons | Engine builds
1968 Alfa Romeo Spider 1300 Junior
White, 107,500 miles. An original factory RHD car,

winner of many concours awards, current AROC
champion. Mine for the past 11 years; body, interior,
mechanicals in superb order, many thousands of pounds
spent to bring it up to this condition, massive history file
back to mid-80s, this is the best Spider Junior in the UK.
32,000. Tel: +44 (0)7775 756207.
1981 Alfasud Sprint Veloce
White. Upgraded to 33-spec 1700cc engine with outboard

discs and rear handbrake. A lot of welding done and
some panels were replaced. The engine was rebuilt and
had new Webers fitted. It goes very well but I have lost
enthusiasm and it needs an owner who will complete
the job; basically it needs some TLC. Offers over 4000.
Tel: +44 (0)1483 225669.
| Upgrades
| Coachbuilding
| Sales
| Bodyshop
1990 Alfa Romeo Spider S4 2.0
Metallic burgundy, black leather, mohair hood with

tonneau. Rare high specification, imported from
Germany in December 1996. Converted to RHD by Bell
& Colvill. Comprehensive service history. Fine original
condition, low mileage. MoT to March 2016. 13,950.
Tel: +44 (0)1935 816822 (Dorset, UK).
007 definitive bond numberplate
Privately owned since issue, now surplus to

requirements. On retention, available immediately.
Sensible offers considered. Tel: +44 (0)7710 467605,
email simon@barnesandrobson.com
For more classic and performance cars for sale visit www.classicandperformancecar.com
The Original
Parts Specialist!
www.ahspares.co.uk
Tel: 0044 (0)1926 817181
The Healey Masters

Visit our website or call today to order
our latest Big Healey Catalogue
Tel: +44 (0)1543 472244
www.bighealey.co.uk
1995 Bentley Turbo R
Orderednewbyex-Benetton/RenaultF1teambossFlavio
Briatore with matrix grille, chrome wheels, privacy glass,
leather headlining etc. 6.75-litre and 386bhp. 69,000
miles. Outstanding condition. Rod Leachs Nostalgia.
Tel: +44 (0)1992 500007. Email: info@rodleach.com (T).
1965 Austin-Healey V8
Restored BJ8 Phase 2 with Ford 289ci V8 and other

upgrades. 60,000. Please call +44 (0)1420 23212, or
visit www.rawlesmotorsport.co.uk (T).
Chrysler 1936 Imperial Sedan
36.500
For more information please contact me
FRANK KENNIS. Tel: +31 622 420 766
or email: info @KennisCars.nl
www.kenniscars.nl
1963 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIIA
Finished in a very attractive gunmetal grey and white

two-tone livery. The car is in very good condition, having
been lightly used and well stored. It performs well and
an early test drive is recommended. Original right-hand
drive. 65,000. Please call +44 (0)1420 23212, or visit
www.rawlesmotorsport.co.uk (T).
DeSoto 1936 Airflow S2 Limousine

28.500
For more information please contact me
FRANK KENNIS. Tel: +31 622 420 766
or email: info @KennisCars.nl
www.kenniscars.nl
1949 Ford F1
Original athead V8, four-speed gearbox. Mechanically

excellent. Runs very well. Original condition. 15,000.
Tel: +44 (0)7773 167884, Suttonhundreds@hotmail.com.
1965 Ford Cortina
2980. Antti Kaartinen. Visit

www.classicandperformancecar.com/94588.
c a r s for sa le
CLASSIC & PERFORMANCE CAR
THE WORLDS GREATEST CARS FOR SALE...
www.classicandperformancecar.com
1994 Jaguar XJS 4.0 Convertible
1988 Ferrari 328 GTS AUS delivered, books, history,

excellent condition
In stunning British Racing Green with dark brown

hood, colour-coded headlamp surrounds and grille,
contrasting cream leather trim; a total of 12 stamps in
the service book accompanying its mileage of 44,000;
all the Jaguar refinements youd expect from the
flagship car. Outstanding condition and a real
head-turner. 32,950 Tel: +44 (0)1435 863800,
www.clarkesjaguar.co.uk (T).
1969 Jaguar E Type Series 2 LHD, comprehensive history,

black with red leather
1986 Ferrari Mondial rare RHD Cabriolet with books
and interesting history
For all things Mercedes-Benz sl 107.

sales | service | hire | Parts | cars Bought
www.theslshop.com 0844 414 2116
1994 Light Car Company Rocket
1996 Ferrari 512M
Red with cream hide, red carpets. Demo plus one owner.
44,000 miles with history from order to date. One of
the 41 UK-delivered cars. POA. Tel: (0)1428 606616,
www.rardleymotors.com (T).
Gordon Murray designed, chassis 18 of 47, same owner

last eight years. 20,000 miles, recent engine refresh,
fully maintained, stunning car. 87,500. Tel: +44 (0)7584
171096 or email charliecraft@hotmail.com (T).
MASTER RESTORATION
TECHNICIAN REQUIRED
1973 Dino Ferrari 246GTS
DK Engineering are looking to recruit a senior

technician for our thriving Restoration Department.
Applicants must possess the required experience and skill-set
associated with this role. Attention to detail is essential to help achieve
absolute perfection (references required).
Please forward CVs to: HR@dkeng.co.uk
DK Engineering, Little Green Street Farm, Green Street,

Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, WD3 6EA
www.dkeng.co.uk
Red with black hide, dark red carpets. History from

new. One of the 235 supplied to the UK from only
258 RHD cars made. POA. Tel: (0)1428 606616,
www.rardleymotors.com (T).
LANES CARS
Specialist buyers and

sellers of Etype
Jaguars
contact
Martin Lane
www.lanescars.co.uk
Call 01922 749244

1937 Morgan Super Sports
Matchless air-cooled V-twin three-wheeler barrel-back.

Fully restored at renowned Chris Booth Morgans, body
and paintwork at P&A Wood, serviced and pre-sale
checked by Verralls vintage, veteran & classic MCs.
Invited to Ardingly MC show and then up for offers for
sale (agreed insurance valuation of 75,000). Email:
geoffreygeorgeweiner@virginmedia.com or call: +44
(0)1273 622722 or +44 (0)7890 836734 (no texts please).
2008 Porsche 911 Convertible
Midnight Blue, grey leather, auto, only 22,000 miles,

FSH, exceptional for year. 34,950. Adrian Blyth.
Tel: +44 (0)1428 608255, www.adrianblyth.com (T).
PORSCHE WANTED
01440 714 884
1986 Porsche 924 Lux
Wild and wacky 924 Lux, only 107,000 miles from new
with extensive history. Lowered with 16in Boxster
Alloys, nothing subtle about it, but just think of the fun
factor! 4500. Please contact Info@type2detectives.com,
tel: +44 (0)1638 743211 (T).
1968 Porsche 911 ST
1995 Porsche 993 C2 Manual Coup
Factory supplied road car from new. Correct numbers

and only two owners. Expensive but very rare. Tel: +44
(0)1386 700403, www.unit56.co.uk (T).
RHD. Finished in Grand Prix White with classic grey

leather, optional genuine Targa split-rim wheels and full
service history. A rare opportunity to acquire the last of
the air-cooled 911s in a rare classic colour combination.
POA. Shipping arranged worldwide. For this and other
fine Porsches please visit www.paul-stephens.com (T)
1984 Porsche 911 Targa
Time-capsule 911 3.2 Targa. Period AZEV wheels,

Nardi steering wheel, lots of history. Very usable 911.
33,000. Please contact Info@type2detectives.com, tel:
+44 (0)1638 743211 (T).
Porsche 911S Targa Evocation RHD
Finished in Signal Orange with houndstooth interior and

just completed, this stunning Targa has classic style
combined with more modern features and performance.
For this and other fine classic Porsches please visit
www.paul-stephens.com (T)
2002 Porsche Boxster 2.7
Arctic Silver, black leather, 73,000 miles, superb

history, outstanding for year. 6950. Adrian Blyth.
Tel: +44 (0)1428 608255, www.adrianblyth.com (T).
2011 Porsche Cayman R
Platinum Silver, Sport chrono package, only 4150 miles,

recently serviced, one owner, genuine reason for sale.
42,000. Tel: +44 (0)1395 514820.
MASTER TECHNICIAN
REQUIRED
1962 VW 23-Window Samba
Fully restored, no expense spared. Completion

scheduled for December 2015. POA. Please contact
Info@type2detectives.com, tel: +44 (0)1638 743211 (T).
DK Engineering are looking for a Ferrari Service

technician to join the thriving team at their state of
the art facilities in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire.
A Ferrari based background is preferred, ideally with recent experience
in the marque. Attention to detail is essential.
Please forward CVs including references to: HR@dkeng.co.uk
1976 Porsche 911 2.7 Targa
Concours narrow-body Targa with less than 5000km

since nut-and-bolt restoration. Italian-supplied new,
now UK registered. LHD. Superb car. 59,995. Tel: +44
(0)1424 893362, www.mrspeedlux.com (T).
1964 VW Beetle
Honest, gently patinad car with slightly sun-bleached

paint on roof and bonnet. Californian import with a new
1641cc twin-carb engine, disc brakes and recent new
interior. A beautiful-looking car. 14,995. Please contact
info@type2detectives.com, tel: +44 (0)1638 743211 (T).
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Day in the life
IntervIeW Rachael clegg photography mick m c caRRon, daniel waRd
my brother
follows us in a van
loaded with water
and extra coke
Daniel Ward
The London-Brighton Veteran Car Run regular reveals

what its like to drive the oldest car on this storied event
e usually wake at 4.30am

on the day of the Run always
the first Sunday in November
but this year were able to have
a lie-in, which means we can snooze until 5am!
After our lie-in theres very little time for
breakfast; our 1888 Truchetet is a steampowered machine and prepping it for the days
exertions is a lengthy process. The pressure has
to be just right the whole engine has to
be warmed through with steam before its
properly run up, and if the steam comes into
contact with anything cool it will condense and
contract rapidly.
The startline in Hyde Park begins to get a bit
crazy at about 6am, so its good to get there
early. But as the Truchetet is the oldest car in the
field, were waved away first a real privilege
and with a head-start we hope to get to
Croydon before the traffic builds.
At first light the flag goes up and were off.
There are lots of shenanigans at the start, such
as the tearing up of the red flag a symbolic act
commemorating the repeal of the Locomotive
Act (or Red Flag Act) in 1896. The Run is a
wonderful event, and the sight of all the cars
setting off is quite something. The earlier

machines in particular are beautiful as they
travel down Serpentine Road carrying candles
in the dawn light.
We always make an effort to wear period
clothing for the Run. Theres nothing worse
than someone driving a Victorian car wearing
a bright orange nylon jacket; its terrible for
photographs and simply doesnt look right.
And I make a point of driving a different car
every year, unless that car doesnt finish, in
Above and below
Daniel Ward driving a 1900 MMC in 2007; this years mount,
an 1888 Truchetet the oldest car in the field, and thus
the first to be flagged away from the startline.
which case I drive it again the following year.

So for 2015, as the principle goes, Im driving
the Truchetet, which failed to finish last time:
I drove it for seven hours as we had to keep
stopping to lubricate all the parts and then we
blew the bloody boiler at Redhill. A steam pipe
went BANG right on the high street. The road
was on fire with hot coke! Were hoping for
better luck this year.
No two steam cars are the same. They all
drive differently, but its not just the driving
that you have to worry about just keeping the
thing moving can be a lot of work.
One of the major challenges of the Run is
dealing with all the traffic lights, which have
mushroomed in recent years, and in a steampowered car it can be especially tricky. When
you come to a stop the pressure builds and if
the safety valve blows off you lose the lot, and
then have to build pressure before you can set
off again. And these days, with all the shops
open on a Sunday, theres so much more traffic
than there used to be.
There are steam service points all along the
route but we also have back-up in the guise
of my brother, who follows behind in a van
loaded with 1000 litres of water and extra coke.
Ive been doing the London-Brighton Run
for 31 years now, and I was brought up with
veteran cars. My father bought a Vinot &
Deguingand for 75 when he was a medical
student in 1946. He borrowed half the money
from his uncle to buy it and Im not sure he
ever paid him back. We loved that car; my
brother and I would spend hours playing on it
when we were young. We still have it.
Driving a machine like the Truchetet is very
involving, but its also huge fun. Back in 1888 a
successful 12-mile journey would have been
cause for celebration, and here we are pushing
the car to go five times as far in modern traffic!
After the event I usually load up and drive
home to Yorkshire, but this year I will be
attending the Veteran Car Club Annual Dinner
in Brighton. I wont be missing that, whatever
happens on the Run.
The Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run takes
place on 1 November with the first start from Hyde Park
at 06:54. See www.veterancarrun.com for more.
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1984 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 3.2 TARGA SPORT
1990 PORSCHE 964 CARRERA 2
1960 JAGUAR MK2 3.8 OVERDRIVE
1978 MERCEDES 450SEL 6.9
1966 MINI MOKE
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