Octane September 2023

THIS IS, IN EFFECT, the second draft of this column. You see, I had in my mind a treatise on how the Toyota 2000GT had been tuppence ha’penny when I got into this game (rather longer ago than I would care to admit) yet now ranks alongside the aristocracy of European classic cars in desirability. Then I actually checked the then and now price guides and a very different picture emerged. Maybe that’s why I/we so seldom fixate on values: to my mind they are a useful barometer to the shifting sands of desirability, but how many noughts they boast is simply not important to me. Also, I appear to be rubbish at it! Anyway, I have no idea where I got the idea that the Japanese GT was about £15,000…

ROBERT COUCHER ‘Maybe it’s just the association with the ever-so-delightful Japanese actress and Bond Girl, Akiko Wakabayashi, that I have always been smitten by the enigmatic Toyota 2000GT. I thought it was to do with the way the wing mirrors followed the line of her exotic eye make-up. I now know more.’ Read more of Robert’s thoughts on pages 56-64. OLIVER BROOKWELL ‘I found the Iso Rivolta really interesting. I’d never heard of one before and something about a V8-powered Italian muscle car is just cool. I really liked the lines of the body, and the lacquered, ageing paintwork really suits the car and tells a story.’ Oliver’s photography accompanies James Elliott’s words on pages 84-92. STEVE SUTCLIFFE ‘The notion of space is very different at the southernmost tip of Chile, where…

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 DJUL23 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…

Le Mans Classic, 29 June – 2 July The 24 Hours may have been marking its centenary in grand style, but there was no less pizzazz at the 11th running of its classic little brother, the brainchild of Peter Auto. With 235,000 spectators, the crowds were up 18% on the last running in 2022. On the track were more than 800 historic race cars split into six recurring grids that ran from 4pm on the Saturday, through the night and on until 4pm on the Sunday. Star drives came from Emmanuel Collard in a Pescarolo C60, while dawn proved the perfect time to watch the thunderous Group C grid in which Ivan Vercoutere and Ralf Kelleners triumphed in a Porsche 962. Ford GT40s completely dominated their grid, with Diogo Ferrao…

28-30 July Oulton Park Gold Cup The packed grids at Oulton Park will boast an array of single-seaters, sports cars and saloons, and there will be a special display celebrating the life of Jim Clark, who won his first F1 title 60 years ago this year. oultonpark.co.uk 30 July Rally of the Giants The All American Auto Club heads to Stonor Park, bringing with it some cars rarely seen on this side of the pond. allamericanautoclub.com 30 July 70 Years of Corvette at the Petersen Museum All Corvettes and Corvette-powered cars are welcome at this special ‘cruise-in’ organised by the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles to mark the 70th anniversary of Chevrolet’s iconic sports car. petersen.org 4-6 August Copenhagen Historic GP Over 40,000 spectators turn out each year to watch…

SPECTATORS AT THIS year’s Le Mans Classic were treated to a true spectacle as 71 vintage Bentleys from the Benjafields Racing Club descended on the Circuit de la Sarthe. The occasion was a special centenary race to celebrate the marque’s rich heritage intertwined with that of Le Mans. In true Bentley Boys style, the Le Mans experience wasn’t just confined to the track, but was accompanied by a flurry of activity that took the club from the UK to Le Mans and back again. Following a celebratory lunch, HRH Prince Michael of Kent flagged the cars away from London’s Royal Automobile Club. The convoy of Bentleys then dashed across the Sussex countryside towards an overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, via a supper stop at Cowdray House. The following day, residents…