Octane January 2018

WHAT A JOY it is to be kicking off my time at Octane with a wonderful Viola Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona on the cover. If any car in any colour better epitomised its era, or captured the swagger of what so many consider to be the last truly iconic front-engined GT, it is hard to think of it. Confession time: for years I was one of those philistines that happily uttered the words ‘truck’ and ‘Daytona’ in the same sentence. This was not motivated by some kind of inverted snobbery or jealousy, it was simply that it seemed an entirely reasonable description for the examples that I had driven (briefly) up to then, and the car-stifling circumstances in which I had done so. But then, inevitably, I got behind the…

MARK HALES ‘It’s such a pure, uncorrupted experience. Perfect distribution of minimal weight, simple unstressed engine, the best gearshift ever, no power assistance, no aerodynamics and very little grip from skinny tyres. It always leaves you feeling you should have gone faster, which is of course entirely up to you.’ Hales on Formula Ford: PAGES 114-122. PAUL HARMER ‘I’ve always been scared rigid by cars like this Bentley. Hugely visceral, very quick, and you know it doesn’t like to stop or change direction. In comparison, the Formula Fords were perfect. I just wanted to jump in and drive one.’ Paul shot the ‘house-find’ Bentley and the Formula Ford 50th anniversary for this issue. See PAGES 88-94 and 114-122. JOHN SIMISTER ‘It seems unfair that the clever people who build concept…

ON 20 OCTOBER the last ever car to be fully assembled in Australia rolled off the GM Holden production line in Elizabeth, a suburb of Adelaide where cars had been made since 1963. It was a red V8-engined Commodore SS-V Redline sedan, a car that epitomised the brawn and muscle for which Aussie V8s were once proudly famous. It was the final nail in the coffin for car manufacture in Australia, a coffin that had its lid hoisted into place more than four years ago. On 23 May 2013, Holden’s arch-rival Ford announced it was pulling the plug on building cars in Australia. That was also the day when the Holden VF Commodore – which would become Australia’s last homegrown car – was launched to the media. As communications director…

THE UTE ‘Ute’ is short for Utility, a pick-up vehicle based on a car, and is an Australian way of life. Ford Australia designer Lew Bandt commercialised it in the early 1930s. FORD XY FALCON GTHO PHASE III Arguably the best-ever Aussie muscle car, the 1971 Phase III had a hi-po 351ci Cleveland a8 and four-speed manual ’box. They sell for up to AUS$1 million today. BOLWELL NAGARI Built for four years from 1970 as coupé or convertible, the Ford a8-powered Nagari was devised by brothers Campbell and Graham Bolwell. It’s an Aussie legend. GOGGOMOBIL DART Just 10ft long and 345kg in weight, the glassfibre-bodied Dart was made by Bill Buckle during 1959-61 and propelled by the German marque’s 300 or 400cc two-stroke. HOLDEN MONARO A model name first used…

Paul Newman’s Rolex is world’s priciest watch The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona originally worn by Paul Newman sold for $17.8 million (£13.5 million) at New York’s Phillips Auction House in October, after a 12-minute bidding war between two buyers. It’s the most expensive watch ever sold at auction. The ‘Winning Icons – Legendary Watches of the 20th Century’ sale saw 50 timepieces head to the block, but none quite as significant as this Rolex (pictured above), which Newman gave to his daughter’s then-boyfriend in 1984. New Ferrari Classiche Authorised Workshops Ferrari has nominated 48 dealerships worldwide, including nine in the UK, as Ferrari Classiche Authorised Workshops, allowing them to carry out the certification and maintenance of cars over 20 years old. They are offered direct factory support, and must keep a…

‘I take my hat off to anyone who writes. It’s hard graft’ Damon Hill, after receiving an RAC Motoring Book of the Year award for his autobiography ‘We don’t want to be Ferrari or McLaren; this is more of a special vehicles operation’ Gordon Murray outlines his plans to put a new iStream sports car into production ‘We’re going to turn back the clock; it’s going to be a driver’s car in the way that the McLaren F1 was in ’92’ Murray again on the sports car his company will build ‘I can reassure classic car enthusiasts that under this government there will be no moves to curtail their absolute freedoms to use and enjoy their vehicles just as they do now’ Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling addressing…