Octane March 2016

THERE ARE CERTAIN CARS that are so often talked about in ‘ah, but…’ terms. The Miura is one of those cars. Yes, we all want one but we hear, ‘Ah, but, of course, it’s terrible to drive’ and ‘Ah, but it’s really fragile’. And sometimes it’s easier to believe it, just as I have to kid myself that Keira Knightley is actually an awful person, and I wouldn’t really be interested if somehow she came knocking at the door… Well, I don’t know about the gorgeous Ms Knightley, but I do know that Lamborghini’s V12 is tough as old boots. And as for a Miura driving badly, it depends on how you look at it. Sure, it’s quite a stretch to the steering wheel, just as it is in most…

MIURA MEN When featuring a fabled supercar in its home country, you need the right men for the job. From leD: associate editor Glen Waddington, Italian correspondent Massimo Delbò, P400 owner Manfred Schweri, Valentino Balboni, Italian Lamborghini Club president Andrea Nicoletto and SV owner Andrej Friedman. Turn to pages 48-70. MATTHEW HOWELL Even Matthew is entitled to a break, especially a er being made the Guild of Motoring Writers Photographer of the Year for the second time. In this issue alone he shot Henry Ford’s house (pp82-88), the Lindner Nöcker E-type (pp118-124) and the Miuras. In fact, the only reason he’s not in the top picture is that he was behind the camera… ANDREW ENGLISH If you’re anything like us, you’d probably always been of the belief that getaway drivers…

OCTANEMERCHANDISE Suffering from the winter blues? From prints to magazine binders, Octanemight have just what you need to make yourself feel better. See www.octane-magazine.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 Look out for the current issue of Octane’s sister magazine Vantage, with a cover story that celebrates the relationship between Aston Martin and James Bond – including the DB10 from the new film Spectre. SUBSCRIBE TO OCTANE Have Octanedelivered hot off the press – or read the digital edition on your iPad, PC or laptop. See our special offer (pages 152-153) or search for ‘Octanemagazine’ in your…

TWO OF MOTOR SPORT’S greats have received honours from hm the Queen in the 2016 New year’s honours list. motorcycle and car racer John Surtees received a cBe (commander of the order of the British empire) for his long-term services to motor sport, while rally driver Paddy hopkirk was made an mBe (member of the order of the British empire) for services to motoring and to young people through his charitable work. While both these octogenarians were delighted to receive their awards from her majesty, many fans of Surtees believe he should have been knighted, arguing that he is the only man ever to hold world championships on two wheels and four. three of his contemporaries have received knighthoods: Jackie Stewart, Stirling moss and Jack Brabham. Surtees took motorcycle titles…

THE BUICK ROADMASTER that starred in Rain Manhas been restored for the film’s director, Barry Levinson, and will make its debut at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance on 16 March. Two Roadmasters were used in the making of the film, which stars Dustin Hoffman as autistic Raymond ‘Rain Man’ Babbitt and Tom Cruise as younger brother Charlie. One of the cars was kept for studio work, the other fitted with heavy-duty rear suspension to support the weight of camera and cameraman and used on location. It’s this latter, more important car that has been restored. The Buick was bought by Levinson at auction two years ago, and went through several restoration workshops before ending up at Connecticut-based F40 Motorsports, headed by Wayne Carini, star of TV’s Chasing Classic Cars. ‘We…

THIS YEAR’S London Classic Car Show will include a major feature stand by Octaneand sister magazine Evo, charting the history of the supercar from the Miura to the present day. Other attractions at the show, which takes place at London’s Excel during 18-21 February, include a tribute to the McLaren F1 and its creator Gordon Murray; a celebration of Group B rallying to mark 30 years since the series was banned; the Grand Avenue, which has doubled in size since 2015 and will feature parades of 60 classics from six different nations; and a Car Club Square, in which 25 car clubs will showcase affordable classics. This year’s show is twice the size of last year’s, with an extra hall and many more exhibitors. For information see www.thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk.…