Octane October 2019

ALL MY LIFE I have been a sucker for great feats of endurance and derring-do. And I really mean all, from Charles Lindbergh to Franky Zapata. The appeal, I suppose, is not so much the reminder that some people just have more vision, more stamina and more sheer bloodymindedness than the rest of us, but that there are those who are still prepared to push the very boundaries of human ambition to the limit, and all too often beyond. Obviously, the more bizarre challenges often stand out – crossing a choppy English Channel in a pair of Amphicars en route to the Frankfurt motor show, parachuting to Earth from Space – but sometimes the greatest endeavours happen on the most traditional of battlefields. I never miss an opportunity to mention…

DALE DRINNON ‘Some stories gel with a single phone call; some turn into virtual careers… and returning the Bugatti EB110 LM to Le Mans took me a decade. The owner and I had an idea, and we worked it, endlessly. As a tribute to the mad, sad, noble EB110 affair, this is my pride and joy.’ See how this epic unfolded on PAGES 128-136. DANIEL BEVIS ‘It was a real pinch-me moment getting the incredibly rare, last-of-breed Bristol Fighter and Marcos TSO in the same place at the same time and driving them back-to-back. Inevitably, it rained torrentially almost all day, but thankfully they were much friendlier than you might think!’ A memorial to two lost marques, PAGES 164-172. DREW GIBSON ‘Luckily for me the world’s most important Ferrari is…

The Silverstone Classic 26-28 July With 109,000 visitors, 21 races featuring over 1000 competitors and just about every formula imaginable, the Silverstone Classic is exciting enough without the downpours (aka ‘traditional British summer’) that make spectating miserable and magnificent in equal measure as pilots and cars are tested to the limit. This picture shows Japanese ace Katsuaki Kubota in the spectacular Lotus 91/7 leading… well, your guess is as good as ours! PEKING TO PARIS MOTOR C€ALLENGE, 2 JUNE – 7 JULY With the average daily distance being 400km and the longer ones 650km, there can be no greater test than HERO’s revival of the epic 1907 rally. Entrants ranged from 1907 Contal Mototri tricycle (above) to 1975 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow; Gerry Crown and Matt Bryson (below left) won outright…

29 August – 2 September Lime Rock Historic €estival Morgan – 110 this year – will take centre stage at the concours, while on-track there’ll be a grid to mark 50 years of US Formula Ford. limerock.com 30 August – 1 September Rømø Motor €estival You’ll need an invite to take part in the beach races on this Danish island, along with a pre-war car or bike and period attire – but anybody can go along and watch. romomotorfestival.dk 31 August – 1 September Bo’Ness Revival A weekend of hillclimb action 20 miles west of Edinburgh. Most keenly anticipated is the Jim Clark Celebration Class, open to cars owned or raced by Clark. bonessrevival.co.uk 1 September Shere Hill Climb Some 180 eclectic cars head for the Surrey Hills to tackle…

MORE THAN 50,000 Citroënistes from around the globe travelled to the small French town of La Ferté-Vidame to celebrate the marque’s 100th anniversary, in what the company called ‘The Gathering of a Century’. Approximately 4200 classic Citroëns made the pilgrimage to the grounds of the ruined château, home to the company’s top-secret test facility used during the development of the Citroën 2CV. Every era of Citroën’s past was well represented, although DS and Traction models – neatly arranged to mimic the twin-helical-gear logo – dominated. 2CV numbers were also healthy along with strong attendance from ‘Big Citroën’ communities, including what must be the largest single gathering of SM, CX, XM and C6 ever seen. Xavier Crespin, managing director of L’Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS, had a hand in the event from…

.naugural street drive for Hispano Suiza 5armen Less than a year before customer cars are due to be delivered, the Hispano Suiza Carmen has taken to the streets of its home city, Barcelona. The electric car, referred to by its maker as ‘a fully electric hyperlux grand tourer’, was piloted by members of the company, and cruised a series of well-known landmarks and hotels. Hispano has been working hard since the car’s Geneva debut, and the model apparently now has completely new suspension, plus reduced weight and increased rigidity thanks to the use of carbonfibre. Miguel Suqué Mateu, Hispano Suiza president, said: ‘We are extremely proud of our long heritage, which dates back to our beginnings on the streets of Barcelona in 1904. This legacy and the style icons of…