Octane August 2023

IF THE ASTON MARTIN DB4GT Zagato isn’t Britain’s most expensive road car, then it must be there or thereabouts, presumably sparring with the XKSS for top spot in price and rarity. I can’t think of many others to rival the Ercole Spada-penned beauty that don’t have a significantly more racy bias. To see just one of these 20-off (if you ignore the seasonal raft of ‘Sanction’ cars) rarities anywhere, even static on a concours field, is a major event. So how about two of the lightened and tightened Zagato masterpieces doing what they were designed to do and being driven? And for good measure let’s do some of that driving on a beach in north-west England in spring, when the weather hasn’t yet decided whether it wants to cling on…

DAVID ROSCOE-RUTTER ‘Not one, but two! Incredibly beautiful GTs yet with a surprisingly raw sports car feel, these two very special Astons drew plenty of attention and were a dream to shoot. I’ll take one.’ David’s superb photography accompanies Glen Waddington’s Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato feature on pages 50-60. EVAN KLEIN ‘This was my first journey in an electric car. It was silent, it floated across the highway, we learned about the pitfalls of charging stations. When I got home, I started my Audi TT and noticed something odd… It vibrated. Oh yes, that’s the motor.’ Evan accompanied Mark Dixon along Route 66, photographing the Kia EV6 GT: pages 98-106. RICHARD HESELTINE ‘I waited years to get into the Abarth Spider. It was worth it. The car looked sensational and screamed its…

To take advantage of this month’s special offer and get three issues of Octane for £5, either visit octane.co.uk/subscribe or call +44 (0)330 333 9491 and quote code DJUN23 Buying your issue of Octane – new and old PRINT ISSUE  Octane is available at the usual branches of UK shops, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and independents, as well as WH Smith High Street and Travel. You can order the latest magazine or a back issue, delivered direct to your door, by visiting magsdirect.co.uk and searching for ‘Octane’. DIGITAL ISSUES Download the Octane Magazine app on Android or Apple and you will be able to enjoy the new issue. Alternatively you can source the digital edition via either Zinio or Readly. SUBSCRIBE You can find superb offers on print (order before…

Valletta Concours, 28 May The historic St George’s Square in the heart of the Maltese capital again hosted a wonderful display of 65 hugely varied vintage cars, classics and supercars, ranging from a one-owner-from-new Renault 6TL in the Preservation Class to a new Aston Martin Vantage F1 in Super Cars. An international panel – marshalled by Jeremy Jackson-Sytner and including Peter Stevens, Michael Quinn and Octane’s own James Elliott – judged the ten classes and declared the overall winner to be Chris Cachia’s flawless 1961 Jaguar E-type, which is rumoured to be heading to the UK for events this summer. Other class-winners vying for that top spot included Charles Zammit’s showrom-fresh 1983 BMW 320i, Joseph Grech’s 1957 Ford Thunderbird and Anthony Camilleri’s super-rare 1947 Sunbeam-Talbot 2 Litre DHC.…

29 June – 2 July Le Mans Classic The normally biennial Classic returns a year early to mark the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. lemansclassic.com 1-2 July The Ellis Journey A re-enactment of the first UK journey made by motor car, but two- and three-wheeled machines are welcome, too, as long as they were built before 1905. The 43-mile drive from Micheldever Station to Datchet is on Sunday, while on Saturday entrants display their vehicles at Norton Park Hotel, just outside Winchester. ellisjourney.co.uk 2 July Brooklands Motorcycle Day Classic and modern bikes flood the grounds of Brooklands and tackle the famous Test Hill. brooklandsmuseum.com 2 July Festival of the Dead The latest addition to the summer calendar is a show exclusively for cars made by defunct marques.…

AFTER YEARS OF the UK’s leading international concours overlapping, one of them has trimmed its event to bring some cohesion to the season. Along with the Cartier Style et Luxe during Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, Salon Privé and Concours of Elegance are unquestionably the UK’s blue riband events, but the two concours have always vied for enthusiasts and entrants’ attention during the same late-summer week. Salon Privé started at London’s Hurlingham Club in 2006 and moved to Syon Park for several years before settling at Blenheim Palace, near Oxford. Since then it has expanded hugely and, while the main event on the concours lawn remains an elite classic garden party, a host of activities has been added to the weekend menu to attract a broader audience. Concours of Elegance kicked off…