Classic & Sports Car

the big picture

After WW2, interest in European sports cars escalated in California and new events included winter road rallies. Here, entrants on the Press-on-Regardless Rally refuel during the long night of 21 January 1951. As well as a strong entry of Brit imports, the event featured an exotic Talbot-Lago T150C SS ‘Teardrop’ by Figoni et Falaschi. Originally brought to the USA by Luigi Chinetti, chassis 90105 was owned by Tommy Lee and regularly run at dry-lake events; later owner John von Neumann drove it on the rally. This is just one of a remarkable collection of images featured in Weekend Heroes 2.0 (p152).…

welcome

Surely we have all played it? That game where you give yourself an imaginary multi-million-pound budget and put together a dream garage consisting of your favourite classics – for me always starting Ferrari 250GT SWB (obviously), AC Ace Bristol and Jaguar MkX. But how many of you have a piece of Japanese machinery nestling in that fantasy heated motor house? Just like when they first arrived on the mainstream global market as new cars, Far Eastern classics tend to be treated with a touch of scepticism at best, at worst sneering cynicism. The good news is that this can result in some bargain price-tags, as Andrew Roberts’ story on the Japanese pioneers reveals (p106). As a convert already, my dream list has traditionally included several, with the Toyota 2000GT very close to…

classic & sports car

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Alastair Clements alastair.clements@haymarket.com DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Marc McLaren marc.mclaren@haymarket.com DEPUTY EDITOR Jack Phillips jack.phillips@haymarket.com FEATURES EDITOR Greg MacLeman greg.macleman@haymarket.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lizzie Pope lizzie.pope@haymarket.com INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Mick Walsh mick.walsh@haymarket.com EDITOR AT LARGE Simon Taylor simontaylor@stoveboltspecial.com ART EDITOR Damon Cogman damon.cogman@haymarket.com SENIOR DESIGNER Mei Hau mei.hau@haymarket.com CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER John Bradshaw john.bradshaw@haymarket.com SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Will Williams, Luc Lacey PHOTOGRAPHERS James Mann, Olgun Kordal, Max Edleston EDITORIAL SECRETARY Olivia Pina olivia.pina@haymarket.com SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS Martin Buckley, Julian Balme, Alain de Cadenet, Jon Pressnell CONTRIBUTORS Martin Port, Paul Hardiman, Michael Ware, James Page, Giles Chapman, Malcolm McKay, Richard Heseltine, Jerry Wyszatycki, James Mitchell, Gaynor Cauter, Christophe Gaillard, Thierry Germain, Andrew Roberts, Graeme Hurst, Simon Charlesworth, Manuel Portugal ADVERTISING HEAD OF DEALER SALES Tahir Saleem HEAD OF CORPORATE SALES Jamie Hunter SALES TEAM Neil Dummer (Euro Account Manager), Claire Henderson (Dealer Account Manager), Dougal Macdonald (Business Development Manager), Nabila Moughal (Display…

maastricht’s tribute to the bygone greats

‘The Dutch event started back in 1994, when it was organised by a local football club, and quickly grew until it was taken over by MECC’ The European classic show season kicked off in style from 16-19 January in The Netherlands with InterClassics Maastricht’s dramatic special feature ‘Forgotten Classics: Epic Designs from the Past’. The diverse 24-car display of lost causes ranged from pre-war coachbuilt greats – headed by a magnificent 1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Castagna Roadster – to classics of recently forsaken names such as Saab, DAF and Datsun. Rarities included a 1951 Veritas 351 Nürburging with cabriolet bodywork by Spohn, a sexy 1952 Siata 208S 8C Rocco Motto Spider and a Pegaso Z-102 GT Berlinetta. But it was the highly original survivors that created the most interest, none more…

mick walsh’s maastricht star cars

HOT-HATCH SUPERCAR Swiss designer Franco Sbarro created many one-off Ferrari-based specials, none wilder than the Super Eight that made its debut at the 1984 Geneva Salon and was one of the highlights of the Speed 8 Classics stand. “It’s based on a 308GTB, and everything about the car is unique,” said Koen Heuts, who has had several Sbarro creations. “All of the bodywork was specially made, and the build quality is very high. It has the same wheelbase as a GTB but is lighter. When you start it up the noise is pure 308, and it feels very fast. I bought it direct from the Sbarro museum when it closed, and would love to keep it.” The price-tag was €95,000, but just imagine turning up at Ferrari events in this super-hatch! CONCOURS…

owners open 2020 in unison

One of the busiest days of the classic car calendar is also the first, as owners start the way they intend to go on and gather all over the country on New Year’s Day. Brooklands is perhaps the UK’s biggest, as a staggering variety descends on the historic venue. More than 1250 cars covering over a century of motoring blanketed the site and its famous banking this year. Among the oldest was a 1909 Mercedes Simplex Type 4 Speedster, a veteran of the Traversée de Paris, while Fords from both sides of the Atlantic were plentiful, with the modified Americana a typical draw. Just as packed was the town of Stony Stratford, near Milton Keynes, for the 11th running of its Vintage festival. Classic variety on two, three and four wheels lined…