Octane February 2023

By joining and supporting the HCVA, you’re investing to underpin a brighter future for classic motoring in the UK. Driving a classic is the ultimate expression of ‘reuse, repair, recycle’. It’s important to communicate that retaining an already manufactured vehicle is the epitome of ‘doing the right thing’ for the environment – for instance, electrifying your classic is usually not the most environmentally friendly action to take. Advances in environmentally-friendly liquid fuels will allow the internal combustion engine to be with us indefinitely – excellent news for those for whom a new electric vehicle is neither affordable nor practical. Our industry is highly skilled and a great career choice, which needs to be effectively communicated to today’s young people. There are some great initiatives already running, but they need to…

ONE OF THE GREATEST advances in the classic car world over the past 25 years has been the recognition that conservation and preservation are as important as restoration. When I started in this game, far longer ago than I would like to admit, everything expensive was automatically restored to the hilt. And beyond. There were boiled sweets everywhere. Of course, even then there were ‘eccentrics’ who ran around in valuable cars that proudly wore their wrinkles and scars, but they were very much a curiosity. Or VSCC members. Giving such cars a very public platform – and with it approval of their sometimes distressed state – came with the pioneering preservation class at Pebble Beach, which brought them into the mainstream and made it OK to age with dignity. And to…

JAY LENO ‘I spent about ten days in the hospital and now I’m back at the garage. The kindness expressed by Octane readers has been overwhelming. Best advice? Stay away from the flamin’ hot Doritos!’ Despite suffering facial burns while working on one of his prized classic cars, Jay hasn't skipped a beat – as his latest column proves. See page 47. PRESTON LERNER ‘Deciding to write about Lynn Park’s Cobras was easy. Choosing a specific car was the hard part. He owns competition cars and street cars, big-blocks and small-blocks, an FIA road racer and a Dragonsnake dragster. Dirtbag may not be the “best” of the bunch, but it’s got the best story.’ Find out more on pages 60-68. JUSTIN LEIGHTON ‘When I first saw an Ascari, it reminded me of…

To take advantage of this month’s special offer and get three issues of Octane for £5, either visit subscribe.octane-magazine.com or call +44 (0)330 333 9491 and quote code DDEC22 Buying your issue of Octane – new and old PRINT ISSUE Octane is available at the usual branches of UK shops, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and independents, as well as WH Smith High Street and Travel. You can order the latest magazine or a back issue, delivered direct to your door, by visiting magsdirect.co.uk and searching for ‘Octane’. DIGITAL ISSUES Download the Octane Magazine app on Android or Apple and you will be able to enjoy the new issue. Alternatively you can source the digital edition via either Zinio or Readly. SUBSCRIBE Superb offers on print (order before 13 January…

1 January Brooklands New Year’s Day Classic Gathering The UK’s biggest New Year’s Day meet, with more than 1000 classic cars, live music and a barbecue. brooklandsmuseum.com 1 January Vintage Stony Despite the name, this event in Stony Stratford always attracts mid-century and modern classics as well as vintage cars and bikes. Vehicles start leaving at 2pm, so don’t roll out of bed too late. vintagestony.co.uk 8 January Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble Enthusiasts blow away the cobwebs at the first Scramble of the year, enjoying displays of classic vehicles and poking around the workshops of the many specialists based at the site. bicesterheritage.co.uk 12-15 January Autosport International There’s something for fans of just about every motorsport discipline at Birmingham’s NEC, plus tyre-smoking shenanigans in the Live Action Arena. autosportinternational.com 12-15…

9-11 March WinteRace A field of 70 pre-’77 cars; an expertly plotted route through the Dolomites and part of Austria; and snow, snow and more snow. winterace.it 17-18 March Three Legs of Mann ‘Relentless action’ on the Isle of Man: crews will tackle 21 tricky regularity sections and 26 special tests on closed roads. heroevents.eu 17 March – 1 April The Africa Tour Cape Town to Johannesburg by 4x4 – the only sensible transport for a journey that includes a detour into the Karoo desert and eight game drives. bespokerallies.com 23-26 March Un Homme, Une Femme An event for couples that does away with all competitive elements to allow entrants to enjoy cruising along some beautiful routes in the South of France. happyfewracing.com 24-26 March Generations Rally Designed to introduce…