Índice para March 2025 em Octane

OCTANE IS DELIGHTED to be an official media partner of the glittering new Italian event that is set to add a new dimension to the world’s leading concours. The magazine has joined forces with the Anantara Concorso Roma, which will make its glamorous debut in the Eternal City during 24-27 April. Conceived by top-tier collector and chairman of Anantara Hotels & Resorts’ parent company Minor International, Bill Heinecke, the concours is sponsored by UBS and will take over the heart of Rome. The Italian capital in spring will offer a uniquely bewitching backdrop for some of the finest Italian automotive masterpieces, with fewer crowds than in summer but still the lure of alfresco dining. The inaugural event promises a unique fusion of classic cars set against the city’s unparalleled cultural…

This year is the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, an album that marked their evolution from genius popsters to something more serious, even if I think being genius popsters is a very serious occupation. Stand-out track on an album where everything was stand-out was (Baby, You Can) Drive My Car, a sardonic account of gender prejudice in the matter of car use. And it’s powerfully suggestive of the hold that cars still had over the imagination in 1965. Today, a similar track would be Baby, You Can Use My ’Phone. Which, for me, has less resonance. Elegiacally, at about the time of Rubber Soul, Paul had a DB6, John a Rolls-Royce Phantom, Ringo a Facel-Vega II, and in 1967 George bought a Dino 246. It’s very clear to…

After nearly two decades of growth, the classic car market has been cooling over the last couple of years. That might be bad news for investors who divested their portfolios of colour diamonds a while ago and sank their money into collectable cars, but it’s very good news for anyone with an eye for a bargain buy. Data from insurance specialist Hagerty shows that every area of the market has seen a decline in values over the last five years and, in some categories, the drop over the last 12 months has been marked. Almost half of the models in the UK Hagerty Price Guide have fallen in value in the last year and most of the rest are static, with less than 8% of models on the rise. Most…

OCTANE RATINGS Investment potential 3, club/specialist support 4, ease of ownership 4 Under £20,000 MERCEDES W220 S600 Technical tour de force with a range-topping 5.8-litre, twin turbo, 36-valve V12. Rock bottom prices (£5000 or less) but potentially huge bills. Prices from £4000 Investment potential 2 Club/specialist support 3 Ease of ownership 2 £20,000-50,000 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD Epitome of the US ‘land yacht’ era, and built when Fleetwood still had cachet as a coachbuilder rather than just another GM model line. In its own way, sublime. Prices from £20,000 Investment potential 2 Club/specialist support 3 Ease of ownership 3 £200,000-500,000 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM BMW-led reimagining of what a Rolls-Royce for the 21st Century should be is the last word in road presence, comfort and serene refinement. Prices from £80,000 Investment potential 3 Club/specialist…

‘CRASHES? I’VE HAD a few,’ laughs Steve Saxty. ‘When I was a youngster and working at Ford, I barrel-rolled my Sierra GLS 4x4 into a field. Being so young, I simply went down the pub to join my friends afterwards. The car was re-shelled but the dealer ordered the wrong bodyshell, so it ended up as an XR4x4 lookalike with a GLS interior. Whoever bought that car later got a real mutant!’ It’s hard to imagine the urbane, late-middle-aged Saxty as a 20-something tearaway, but he’s always loved fast cars. And if anyone is an expert on the minutiae of classic Fords, it’s him: after a long career in the motor industry, he’s reinvented himself as the author of a string of beautifully produced books about Ford and, latterly, BMW…

ROBERT COUCHER Founding editor • 1955 Jaguar XK140 GLEN WADDINGTON Associate editor • 1989 BMW 320i Convertible • 1999 Porsche Boxster SANJAY SEETANAH Advertising director • 1981 BMW 323i Top Cabrio • 1998 Aston Martin DB7 Volante • 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLK200 MARK DIXON Contributing editor • 1927 Alvis 12/50 • 1927 Ford Model T pick-up • 1942 Fordson Model N tractor • 1955 Land Rover Series I 107in JAMES ELLIOTT Editor-in-chief • 1965 Triumph 2.5 PI • 1968 Jensen Interceptor • 1969 Lotus Elan S4 ROBERT HEFFERON Art editor • 2004 BMW Z4 3.0i DAVID LILLYWHITE Editorial director • 1971 Saab 96 • 1996 Prodrive Subaru Impreza MATTHEW HOWELL Photographer • 1962 VW Beetle 1600 • 1969 VW/Subaru Beetle • 1982 Morgan 4/4 BEN BARRY Contributor • 2007 Mazda RX-8…

RESTORING ANY CAR is one of the most creative things anybody can do. It’s not just about nuts, bolts and engine building. The upholstery and trim are the parts you touch and feel, and often best reflect its period. The 1968 Mustang GT390’s interior is such a case. Its vinyl-covered seats with distinctive ‘Comfortweave’ inserts and chrome buttons just scream ‘1960s’. My GT is a factory-original Highland Green car and virtually identical to the Bullitt Mustang with the GT Equipment Group and Power Disc Brakes options. Both cars were built just four weeks apart at San Jose in early 1968, but one big difference between them was the colour of the interior. While the Warner Brothers’ car had the Black Vinyl Bucket Seats, mine had the Red Decor Bucket Seats…

Porsche x Head 106 Series ski It’s good to be the boss: over the past couple of years, Porsche’s head of design, Michael Mauer, has occasionally been bunking off to ski with brand ambassador Aksel Lund Svindal, the former Olympic downhill and Super-G champion. On one trip the two men started kicking around ideas for a new freeride ski, and with the help of the team at Head the pair have made their concept a reality. The 106 Series makes extensive use of rattan and flax – natural and sustainable materials not tried by Head before – but these are allied to high-tech graphene in a ski that is at once lightweight and stable. £1470. shop.porsche.com Nodus Duality II It uses the same Miyota 9015 movement as the original Duality…

MARKET COMMENTATORS LIKE me love nice, neat boxes to file cars away in. ‘Pre-war’ is a great example, as if all cars built worldwide throughout the 1920s and ’30s are inextricably linked, their values rising and falling together like flotsam on the tide. They don’t, obviously. Like any big group there are winners and losers, and in the last few years the difference between the top and the bottom has become significantly more marked. At the pinnacle of the market, some retain the lustre that made them so desirable when new. They combine extraordinary design with elegant engineering, and wear sporting history of the highest level. These cars, including the 6C and 8C Alfa Romeos, WO Bentleys, Bugattis, supercharged Mercedes-Benz and Delahayes, were the cream of the crop 90 years…

In Victorian Britain, children were generally expected to be seen and not heard, but on 27 May 1844 hundreds of people packed into the hall at the Hanover Square Rooms in London to listen to a 12-year-old. Joseph Joachim, from Hungary, had been invited by the Philharmonic Society to play the solo part of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, and the boy gave a performance described in The Morning Post the following day as ‘beyond all praise’. Joachim became one of the world’s most famous violinists, and the owner of some of the world’s finest violins – including a dozen crafted by the revered Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari. The instrument shown here, made by Stradivari in 1714, was acquired by Joachim in 1849, and he used it for the next three decades.…

In 1965, when a new Aston Martin DB5 was priced at £4412, the Ferrari 330 GT, one of the few alternatives in the niche luxury 2+2/close-coupled four-seater sports GT sector, would have set you back £6522. In other words, the Aston, which had already made its James Bond screen debut in Goldfinger, was two-thirds the price of the Ferrari. These days it’s the other way round, with the more plentiful Ferrari 330 GT pitched at around two-thirds the value of a DB5, yet despite this inversion there’s a strong argument that in 2025 the DB5 still represents value and opportunity. Barring artefact cars directly associated with either the Bond franchise or with significant celebrity ownership, higher-grade DB5s are today trading at £700,000-plus, with stand-out highly-specced examples fresh from top-level restorations…

2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG One £3,000,000 One of the 275 high-tech Mercedes hypercars, optioned with eye-catching Motorsport Styling Package. As close to a road-going modern F1 car as (lots of) money can buy. top555.co.uk (UK) 1930 Invicta 4.5-Litre ‘Low Chassis’ Type S, €375,000 These wonderful cars get their name, and unusually low stance, from mounting the rear axle above the chassis. This one was converted from a ‘high chassis’ during a full rebuild in 2010. centurylimited.eu (DK) 1954 Kaiser Darrin 161 Convertible, $97,500 America’s second glassfibre car after the 1953 Corvette, and one of only 435 produced. This is an older restoration in a particularly bright shade of (period correct) Pine Tint, with matching interior. gullwingmotorcars.com (US) 1965 Alfa Romeo 2600 Coupé $89,500 AUD Australian delivered, matching-numbers example of the…

JULIAN BALME ‘1950s and ’60s Californian road racing introduced me to a stellar cast of characters. Dave MacDonald was famed for his legendary driving for Shelby American, Max Balchowsky for his audacious junkyard specials. Hollywood script-writers couldn’t make this stuff up.’ Dave MacDonald Corvette: pages 114-120. JOHN-JOE VOLLANS ‘Classic models pulled back into the orbit of their original manufacturers are often special, but upon hearing that Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera was restoring a Maserati 3500 GT without compromise, I couldn’t book a flight to Milan fast enough. The results were well worth the journey.’ Find out more on pages 74-82. NATHAN CHADWICK ‘I’d always admired BMW’s E30 M3 for its looks, competition success and chassis balance, but felt disappointed by its engine. Alpina’s introduction of the gloriously soulful straight-six could have corrupted everything…

The contenders for the Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award 2024 have been revealed. Ardent concours watchers will already have a pretty good idea of the contenders, which are automatically the Best of Shows from a selection of the world’s most prestigious concours d’elegance. Last year’s winner was crowned at the freshly opened flagship Peninsula Hotel in London; for this year’s tenth anniversary, the ceremony will return to its traditional slot at the Peninsula Paris on 3 February, which is on the eve of the Rétromobile event. ‘We are delighted to highlight this line-up of truly exceptional motorcars, which exemplify an astonishing level of beauty and performance,’ said The Hon Sir Michael Kadoorie, chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, and co-founder of The Peninsula Classics Best of…

Like many car enthusiasts, I’ve developed a fascination with watches, especially those tied to the release of a new car. The very first car I bought that had a watch coincide with its purchase was my McLaren F1. I did not purchase the car new; it was about six years old at the time and it was being sold on consignment by McLaren. The original owner turned out to be a very nice British gentleman. ‘Any chance I could get the watch that came with it?’ I asked him. ‘No problem,’ he replied, and kindly mailed it to me. I was so excited about the car I forgot about the watch and put it in a drawer. Turns out this TAG Heuer 6000 is one of only 64; it’s made…

‘Ii’s the economy, stupid!’ as one of Bill Clinton’s advisers put it before his presidential win in 1993. Some readers become exercised when we include ‘It’s economics, ergo politics, in these pages, but we do so only when it has a direct impact on our classic car world. With the new government elected to power in July, the Chancellor continued to talk the British economy down – even though there were signs of it picking up a bit after 14 years of mismanagement under the previous lot – until her budget speech in October. Since when, put simply, there has been less spare cash to splash on classic cars. Or restaurants. Or on the High Street. Or on holiday. Nope, it’s energy bills and taxes. So the spring has gone…

OCTANE RATINGS (out of 5) Investment potential 3, club/specialist support 3, ease of ownership 4 £20,000-50,000 VW GOLF MK2 RALLYE Wide arches, Syncro four-wheel drive, G-lader supercharger and rectangular headlamps. Double the price of a GTI when new, a holy grail for Golf fans now. Prices from £20,000 Investment potential 4 Club/specialist support 3 Ease of ownership 3 £50,000-200,000 RENAULT 5 TURBO Wild rally special with mid-mounted turbo four. Fast, nervy and brimming with appeal. Appreciating, but surely nowhere near their peak yet. Prices from £65,000 Investment potential 4 Club/specialist support 4 Ease of ownership 3 £200,000-500,0000 PEUGEOT 205 T16 Peugeot’s Group B rally car, with mid-mounted 1.8-litre turbo four. Only 200 road cars were made, adding exclusivity to the homologation-special cachet. Prices from £235,000 Investment potential 4 Club/specialist support…

OCTANE RATINGS Investment potential 3, club/specialist support 5, ease of ownership 4 Under £20,000 PORSCHE 928 S4 Sublime Porsche GT. Great value, even allowing for inevitably high costs of ownership. ‘Criminally under-appreciated,’ says Osborne. Prices from £12,000 Investment potential 3 Club/specialist support 3 Ease of ownership 2 £20,000-50,000 FIAT DINO COUPÉ Handsome Bertone styling with a Ferrari V6 up front, and it was the Mafia’s motor in The Italian Job. ‘Film star cars will always nudge ahead,’ says Jolly. Prices from £22,000 Investment potential 3 Club/specialist support 3 Ease of ownership 3 £50,000-200,000 MASERATI SEBRING One of the most handsome two-plus-two coupés of the 1960s, with 3.5-litre, 3.7-litre and ultimately 4.0-litre straight-six power. Prices from £100,000 Investment potential 3 Club/specialist support 4 Ease of ownership 3 Over £500,000 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL…

EVER SINCE THE beginning in 1962, small BMWs have formed a core part of Alpina’s focus. The first part was a dual carburettor for the 1500 and, when the firm moved into building complete cars in the 1970s, the 3-Series played a crucial role in its development. The Sachsenring circuit hosted the launch of the latest B3 and B4 GT models (see Overdrive, page 130), the end-of-line special editions that will kiss goodbye to Alpina as we know it, before the brand is absorbed into BMW. It’s also the perfect opportunity to try out Alpina’s best takes on each generation of 3-Series. A4/3 E21 (1976 - 1977) When BMW launched the first 3-Series, Alpina offered a range of tuning packages based on the M10 2002tii four-cylinder engines carried over into…

‘Took the XK140 to visit Merlin McCormack, of Duke of London fame, in sunny Brentford and I also popped in to see his father, Lance (‘Romance of Rust’), further along the banks of the Thames. I love a London drive!’ Robert Coucher ‘Christmas was almost ruined thanks to a dodgy tail-light seal on my Peugeot 306. Thankfully I noticed the puddle of water in the boot before it seeped into the bag of freshly wrapped presents’ Matthew Hayward ‘The Moretti Sportiva beguiles and frustrates in equal measure. I’ve made quite a few long-ish drives in it now but it seems to be running really rich’ Richard Heseltine ‘The Porsche Carrera RS is now back on its wheels and attention has turned to refitting the glass, upholstery, electrics and all the…

IT WAS A FRIDAY evening in the UK but ten o’clock in the morning in New York and Sotheby’s was busy selling Heuers. Lots of Heuers. Everything from a wonderful LCD Chronosplit to a rare Monaco ‘Dark Lord’ ref. 74033N (silly name – lovely watch). The feverishly awaited headline watch was a Heuer Monaco worn by Steve McQueen on the set of Harry Kleiner’s Le Mans in early 1970. If you’d asked me before the sale about the $500,000 to $1m estimate, I’d have called it miserably – or, more likely, enticingly – low. After all, in 2020, the Monaco that McQueen gave Haig Alltounian, his mechanic, fetched $2,208,000. And we know from Aurel Bacs’ sale of Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona for near-as-dammit $18m in 2017 that watches with a…

29 January-1 February Mecum, Las Vegas, USA (motorcycles) 30 January SWVA, Poole, UK 1 February RM Sotheby’s, Stuttgart, Germany 4-5 February RM Sotheby’s, Paris, France 5-7 February Mathewsons, online 6 February Bonhams, Paris, France 7 February Artcurial, Paris, France 8 February Barons, Southampton, UK 12 February H&H, Buxton, UK 14-15 February Manor Park Classics, Runcorn, UK 15 February Broad Arrow Auctions, San Francisco, USA Morris Leslie, Errol, UK 16 February Iconic Auctioneers, London, UK (motorcycles) 19 February Brightwells, online 22 February Iconic Auctioneers, Stoneleigh Park, UK 23 February Dore & Rees, Shepton Mallet, UK (motorcycles) 27-28 February RM Sotheby’s, Miami, USA 1 March Historics, Ascot, UK 1-2 March Classicbid, Stuttgart, Germany 6-7 March Gooding & Company, Amelia Island, USA 7-8 March Broad Arrow Auctions, Amelia Island, USA 8 March Barons,…

Le Mans Classic 3-6 July The mammoth must-do event for Brits and others in which it is essential to convoy to the Circuit de la Sarthe in classic cars with pals and preferable to camp, though seeking comfort (and especially a shower) elsewhere is understandable. There are near-endless options, from club trips to many professionally organised packages. lemansclassic.com/en/ Midnight Sun Rally 11-12 July Dating back to 1950, this is Sweden’s biggest historic rally and one of Europe’s finest. For 2025, routes for both day-long stages will run around Katrineholm in Sörmland, based from Katrineholm and Ericsbergs Slott. midnattssolsrallyt.com Traversée de Paris 20 July The recently held January edition, organised by the Vincennes en Anciennes Club and hosting some 700 teams in a wide range of vehicles over 30 years old,…

This column is being lovingly crafted only a few days into 2025. My last trip before Christmas was to an end-of-season Porsche ‘do’ in Frankfurt. I remember these events when they used to celebrate all the various Porsche Cup champions from around the world. The works drivers would be in attendance by way of decoration because we didn’t have much to do. I hadn’t been to one of these shindigs for aeons and things have changed quite a bit in the interim. It was all very plush, and I was in town along with Roger Penske and Norbert Singer for a little Q&A session. We were there to discuss the Porsche 917. I had doubts beforehand that anyone would be interested in hearing us chat about Ye Olden Times, but…

OCTANE RATINGS Investment potential 3, club/specialist support 3, ease of ownership 3 Under £20,000 HONDA S2000 Screaming VTEC engine and sharp style for about £17k. Values have been on the rise over the last year so bag a good one now before they’re all out of reach. Prices from £10,000 Investment potential 2 Club/specialist support 3 Ease of ownership 3 £50,000-200,000 ALFA GIULIETTA SPIDER Delectable looks and a sublime driving experience. ‘A car that makes a trip to the grocer’s feel like a lap of the Targa Florio,’ says Osborne. Prices from £30,000 Investment potential 3 Club/specialist support 5 Ease of ownership 4 £200,000-500,000 PORSCHE 356 CARRERA ‘Go for the later 2.0-litre with disc brakes,’ says Page. ‘Well-built and great to drive, if a bit tricky on wet corners. Well-supported…

OCTANE RATINGS Investment potential 4 club/specialist support 3, ease of ownership 4 Under £20,000 ASTON DB7 V12 VANTAGE Eye-catching V12 DB7s surely can’t get cheaper. ‘These look like incredible value right now,’ says James Banks. ‘Some examples auctioned for under £15,000.’ Prices from £15,000 Investment potential 4 Club/specialist support 4 Ease of ownership 3 £20,000-50,000 PORSCHE 911 TURBO (996) ‘An extraordinary car to drive,’ says Banks. ‘Still hugely capable and engaging. Check rust and big-ticket items: gearbox, engine and suspension.’ Prices from £24,000 Investment potential 5 Club/specialist support 4 Ease of ownership 4 £50,000-200,000 FERRARI 512 BBi ‘Always in the shadow of the iconic Testarossa, with styling that’s a little more awkward,’ says Banks. But great value for a mid-engined flat-12 Ferrari. Prices from £160,000 Investment potential 4 Club/specialist support…

ROAD TRIPS ARE measured in miles. One hundred miles is a good day out; 1000, a pleasant week’s touring. Ten thousand? That’s the stuff of continent-crossing epics: real bucket list stuff. So, what hope for a road trip of less than 6000 metres? Well, that all depends on the context. For years, my classic car passion had been swept up in the pursuit of distance. I’ve crossed Africa in a trusty Porsche 944, journeyed from Europe to Singapore in an all-American Corvette and, most recently, in 2018, travelled the length of the Americas in a TVR Chimaera (see Octane 182). But on my return from Patagonia at the end of that 27,000-mile trip, I felt as though I’d taken this style of travel as far as I could, if you’ll…

SHE’S FINALLY BACK from rehab. It’s been quite the year but at least she’s home. Sometimes it’s hard to stay optimistic and we wonder why we’re doing this. From the bodyshop she went straight to the Alfa shop. She was so dirty, covered in bodyshop mess, you wonder how one shop could get one car so filthy. Now, however, she’s in a safe place. It was a Tuesday when we pulled her onto the lift. A chill in the air, even here in Los Angeles. It was suspension day. I stood back and helped when I could, because I’m good at cleaning things. Springs, shocks, tie-rods, front end bushes, heavy-duty sway bar, steering box seal – and, at the rear end, shocks, springs, new trailing arm bushes, trunnion bar bushes.…

In all the hoo-hah since the revitalisation of the Alpine marque with the new A110 in 2017, it’s been largely forgotten that it was originally a joint project with British sports car maker Caterham. The idea was that each company would offer its own version of the car: Alpine’s was codenamed AS1 and Caterham’s was C120, the latter intended to make inroads into the profitable Asian market and built as a hatchback rather than as a booted coupé like the Alpine. A further British connection was the use of nine Lotus Exige-based test mules for the early Alpine prototypes. As we now know, despite getting quite far along the development track, Caterham’s involvement ceased well before the A110 was launched. It’s a fascinating story, told in detail in this massive,…

£8,760,354 ($11,086,250) 2014 Pagani Zonda LM Roadster RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE, 1 December £3,426,504 ($4,336,250) 2017 Pagani Huayra BC Roadster RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE, 1 December £2,093,042 ($2,648,750) 2022 Aston Martin Valkyrie RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE, 1 December £1,604,106 ($2,030,000) 2017 Lamborghini Centenario LP770-4 Roadster RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE, 1 December £1,460,182 ($1,825,000) 2023 Rimac Nevera Time Attack Sotheby’s Motorsport, Indiana, USA, 19 December £1,368,759 (€1,650,500) 2024 Aston Martin Valour Collecting Cars, Nice, France, 29 December £1,159,618 ($1,467,500) 2019 McLaren Senna RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE, 1 December £1,103,340 ($1,400,000) 2005 Porsche Carrera GT PCARMARKET, Quebec, Canada, 16 December £937,374 ($1,186,250) 2014 McLaren P1 RM Sotheby’s, Dubai, UAE, 1 December £935,183 ($1,185,277) 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo by Kaege Retro Bring a Trailer, California, USA, 12 December The top ten data is…

THE MC12 has a lot going for it, even compared with the Ferrari Enzo with which it shares much of its DNA: an astonishingly successful racing history, tiny production numbers and a sublime Giugiaro-designed body. Maserati’s return to motorsport for 2004 was a major milestone, the factory having stepped back from racing after Fon de Portago’s 1957 crash that also did for the Mille Miglia. Fast-forward to 1999: Ferrari had just taken full control of Maserati and the decision was made to return to racing. The Trofeo Light, a 4200-based GT, was first, but another car was prepped for its debut in FIA GTs: the MC12 GT1. Powered by a naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 producing 580bhp, it took six FIA Team Championships, two FIA GT Constructors’ Championships and six Drivers’…

THIS YEAR MARKS our 15th and, like all good teenagers, we are growing – again. Our Foxfield’s farm base in Lancashire is mercifully big enough; our new showroom, offices and hospitality suite will be open in March, so watch out for more on that. With everything from a 1908 Brasier to the latest Porsche 992 Targa 4 GTS, we have something to scratch every automotive itch. With my own roots in pre-war cars, the number of pre-war first-time buyers we had in 2024 was reassuring, and we had our best sales year to date. It seems that analogue is fashionable (but I knew that already). Sales of cars with a strong history have been particularly notable, both pre- and post-war. People love to be part of a good story. Best buy…

WHAT TO PAY Always a good value prospect, and loved by its community, its prices have remained fairly static throughout the recent peaks and troughs. Standard saloons in serviceable condition start from around £6000, with open-topped cars kicking off closer to £8000. The best examples tend to peak at around £15,000. For something a little sportier, there are plenty of Ulster replicas out there. Expect to pay from £15,000 for a usable rep up to £30,000 for a fully restored car. Although there are still lots of well-loved Sevens in existence, owners tend to keep them for decades at a time. It’s worth engaging with the clubs, even before you buy one, as good cars tend to stay within the community. LOOK OUT FOR Bodywork is the most important aspect…