Octane December 2018

WHAT IS IT about Aston Martin that renders otherwise razor-sharp businessmen incapable of making a rational decision? For most of its 100-year-plus history, Aston Martin has been a sickly child nursed by a series of tycoons who, in strictly financial terms, really should have known better. The answer, of course, is emotion. Obviously not just the levels of emotion that would make most of us part with a few quid for a good cause, but the amount that persuades steely-eyed industrialists to lay absolutely everything on the line in order to sell beautiful cars to the public at a loss. And, if you think about it, the fact that this didn’t just happen once, but repeatedly, is really something unique. Let’s face it, if these saviours had applied the same…

ROBERT COUCHER ‘Sadly, I never quite met the sartorially extravagant Victor Gauntlett but I do know his flamboyant son Mark, currently the VIP sales manager at Aston. He and I have a running joke about who’s driven more (classic) Zagatos. I am ahead with a couple under my belt, so I’m the reigning Zag Slag…’ DAN TRENT ‘I was sad to hear of the death of Brabus founder Bodo Buschmann but the news coincided with rediscovery of a recreation of a special one-off Mercedes 190 built by the tuner. I can think of no better tribute to the man, his vision and his outrageous machines than this classily executed embodiment of ’80s excess. HUGH FRANCIS ANDERSON ‘Having studied the Second World War at university, and with a love for motorcycles,…

The Mediterranean isle of Corsica first held an International rally in 1956 and is a favourite on the WRC calendar, where it is dubbed ‘the rally of ten thousand turns’. The companion historic event was created by José Andreani in 2001 for cars from 1947 to 1990 and this year attracted 265 competitors, who tackled 17 special stages and covered 840km. Special guest was six-time Tour de Corse winner Didier Auriol in his Sierra Cosworth. The ’94 World Rally Champion came second. IN ASSOCIATION WITH…

It kIcked off with a slightly ironic Germany-does-Eurovision performance in which drummers hammered a new Panamera to unique percussive effect, but the stars of Porsche Sound Nacht were the 12 landmark cars that ranged from 1948’s 356-1 to the latest 919 Spider Le Mans car via 917, Moby Dick and more. Now in its eighth year, the evening was the climax of Porsche’s 70-year celebration events, and had moved for that purpose from the Porsche Museum (which could house only 911 invited guests) to the Porsche Arena, for an audience of nearly 4000. For more than three hours, Porsche enthusiasts were entertained as each car was driven into the arena in turn while the drivers, engineers and competition managers most associated with it were interviewed. Then the best bit. The…

Bloodhound axed, and other sad stories Several blows in the past month have underlined the fragile nature of our industry, including the news that the Bloodhound SSC project had gone into administration. It requires a £25m injection to resume its mission to run a jet car at 1000mph in 2020. Masterminded by Thrust legend Richard Noble and due to be piloted by Andy Green of Thrust SSC fame, the project had already been tested at 200mph before funds dried up after a decade of work. More bad news came from the Donington Collection Museum, which is set to close after 45 years. The number of Grand Prix cars gathered by founder Tom Wheatcroft had thinned drastically as the family sold them to raise funds to save the circuit, but loans…

FEW NAMES CARRY as much weight in the world of motorsport as Cosworth, and on 28 September the company opened its Northampton factory doors for a special 60th anniversary celebration. An excellent selection of cars from Cosworth’s history littered the car park, with big names from the company’s past and present in attendance. Co-founder Mike Costin spoke about the early days, MD of Powertrain Bruce Wood covered more recent successes, and CEO Hal Reisiger outlined the company’s (big) plans. After Costin and Keith Duckworth founded Cosworth in 1958, it moved to a 39-acre site in Northampton, where it remains to this day. Milestones include the four-valve Cosworth DFV F1 engine (1967), road-going BDA (1969), Indy 500-winning turbocharged DFX unit (1978) and the turbocharged YB engine, which powered the Group A…