Octane January 2016

I THINK WE’VE ALL FELT the frustration of rising values sometimes, when that car you’ve lusted after remains tantalisingly out of reach, whether that car is a Ferrari 250 or a Fiat 500. Just look at Porsche 911s, which have gone stratospheric recently, beyond all logic. There are plenty of others that, while hardly ‘cheap’, seemed reasonably priced for what they were. Like the Miura or, much further down the scale, the Alfa Romeo Montreal. And then you look away for a few moments, look back, and they’ve started to go crazy. Why do I mention this now? Because finally it felt like the right time to do justice to the greatest of the first-generation hot hatchbacks, which in the UK and Europe in particular changed the face of the…

JOHN SIMISTER ‘I tested the Golf and 205 GTIs when they were new, and have owned two of the latter. A decade ago you could buy either for a few hundred pounds, but now these genre-defining hot hatchbacks are hot property again. For me, revisiting this pair was pure joy.’ Find out what else John has to say on pages 66-76. JAMIE LIPMAN ‘I love the honesty of raw aluminium, and in this form it’s just sensory overload. There’s no question – this car is art. Very good art.’ Top photographer Jamie is talking about the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe we feature on pages 82-90 of this issue. And from behind the lens, he made some art of his own, too. Very good art. ANDREW ROBERTS ‘The Bentley was an…

OCTANEMERCHANDISE Christmas is just around the corner – need some gift ideas? From prints to magazine binders, Octane might have just what you need for the petrolhead in your life. 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 new issue of Octane’s sister magazine Vantage, which features 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…

THE VETERAN RACING hero Dan Gurney was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement trophy at the 2015 International Historic Motoring Awards. The affable and modest American was applauded by a packed house at the glamorous St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London for his prodigious driving skills, inspiring sense of sportsmanship, and life-long passion for innovation, both inside and outside of motor sport. Handing over the award, former racing team-mate Sir Stirling Moss spoke of his great respect for Gurney. Gurney’s accolade was the centrepiece of an evening during which the great and the good of the historic car movement were celebrated, and while not everyone could pick up a trophy, all nominees could truly be considered winners. Doing the honours on stage was the television sports presenter Steve Rider. For the…

Club of the Year SponSored by Footman JameS Benjafield’s Racing Club IndustrY supporter of the Year McPherson College Automotive Restoration Program MotorIng event of the Year SponSored by eFG private bank Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille Motorsport event of the Year SponSored by JaGuar CarS Porsche Rennsport Reunion V MuseuM or ColleCtIon of the Year Mercedes-Benz Museum personal aChIeveMent of the Year SponSored by Hero Julius Thurgood, HRDC publICatIon of the Year SponSored by HortonS bookS The Magnificent Monopostos: Alfa Romeo Grand Prix Cars 1923-1951 by Simon Moore raCe serIes of the Year SponSored by LiSter CarS Classic Endurance Racing rallY of the Year Royal Automobile Club 1000 Mile Trial restoratIon of the Year 1971 Porsche 917, Porsche Historic Motorsports, Weissach speCIalIst of the Year 3D Engineers tour of…

THE HERITAGE MOTOR CENTRE has announced more details of its expansion, along with a name-change to the British Motor Museum to reflect the improvements and its new Arts Council ‘Designated’ status, which confirms the national and international significance of its collections. There are two distinct projects underway, the first to the main museum area, utilising a £1.1-million investment from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. This will see a complete transformation to the museum, starting with an introductory gallery in the new visitor entrance, which will then flow into a revamped display area split into themed zones, including movie cars, prototypes and sports cars. Some of the cars will be displayed on plinths but the museum staff are keen to point out that the current ethos of allowing visitors to…