Sommaire pour January 2023 de Octane

THE APPROACH TO ensuring a future for the classic car hobby by attracting swathes of youngsters to the joys of classic and vintage motoring has taken a dramatic turn in recent years. Where once club AGMs were full of hand-wringing debates about how the old car world could appeal to those who never experienced it in period, now positive action is the preferred approach – and it is paying off. While the VSCC has always indoctrinated from birth, recently many more clubs and organisations (see right) have embraced its doctrine that the best way to make kids fall in love with old cars is to let them drive them. The latest addition to the roster of opportunities for youngsters to sample otherwise out-of-reach cars is a pioneering initiative from a…

If you grew up in Britain there’s a very good chance that you, your dad or your granddad owned a Mamod steam engine. They’ve been in production since 1937 and have never gone out of fashion with boys (and girls, but mainly boys) of all ages: who doesn’t like literally playing with fire and boiling-hot water? Mamod is a contraction of Malins Models, named after the founder Geoffrey Malins, and a huge range of steam-powered toys has evolved over the decades. At first they featured a static boiler feeding steam to an oscillating cylinder, which spun a flywheel, but these ‘stationary engines’ were soon followed by more exciting projects that included road rollers, marine engines for model boats, lorries, railway locos and even vintage cars. All propelled by steam. The…

Prometheus stole fire from the gods, who punished him for his creative impertinence. Ever since, creativity has been associated with theft. Or, at least, daring. The only definite thing about creativity is that it’s unpredictable. Beyond recognised frontiers of the intellect, there are no maps. Sources of inspiration vary. The artist Stanley Spencer, painter of beefy nudes, the Delacroix of the Thames Valley, took his inspiration from sniffing a lavatory bowl. More research is required to understand whether his best work was achieved before or after applying Harpic. Thomas Gainsborough arranged sprouts of broccoli to model the trees he painted in his Suffolk landscapes. Le Corbusier was inspired by ocean liners. Norman Foster gazed at the crosssection of a 747 wing before conceiving the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich. Terence Conran…

Appropriately, there’s a modern Mini Cooper (or, as BMW would have it, MINI Cooper) hard on our tail as we cross the M40 motorway and leave Banbury behind. A few minutes ago we were tucked up in a warehouse-like photo studio on one of its sprawling industrial estates, but now, after a long day photographing the car you see here, there’s time to spend a few minutes playing. Although this Mini Cooper S has a top speed of 95mph, its peppy-for-the-time acceleration is no match for the modern car’s, driven by a commuter who is clearly quite keen to get home. But then we arrive at the first of a series of sharp, 90º corners – and suddenly the balance of power changes… Yes, it’s all true. Everything you’ve read…

Our jury continues to evolve, with new expertise to consider our expanded tally of awards. This year they assessed entries in 18 categories while Octane readers voted for Car of the Year and the photographers. To ensure impartiality, any judge connected with a nominee refrained from voting in that nominee’s category. Each judge worked in private and ballots remained sealed. STEPHEN BAYLEY Design commentator and Octane columnist BRUCE MEYER Collector of vintage cars, motorcycles and racing cars CORRADO LOPRESTO Internationally renowned collector SANDRA BUTTON Chairman, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance CAROL SPAGG Founder of Historic Motor Racing News DAVID BOND Managing director of leading insurer Footman James BERTHOLD DÖRRICH Classic car addict and publisher of Octane Germany DOMINIC CHINEA Television presenter and craftsman, The Repair Shop DAVID WHALE President of the…

by Octane staff and contributors ‘On the surface, all the top ten car-buying red flags were waving’ I HAVE FORM when it comes to Lotus Elans. The reason is simple. It is a sports car so good that it makes even a tepid shoe like me resemble a highly competent driver, and it’s the best of its generation by a country mile. I know lots of Alfa Spider fans think otherwise – citing the Milanese’s thoroughbred engine and ’box as its main advantages – but, despite me being jealous of that fifth gear, a decent Elan will run rings round the Alfa on road or track. Doesn’t mean I don’t love the Alfa, which I do, but unless you are factoring in the inconvenient truths of side impact protection and…

WE’D NOT EVEN left our village when my son Harry said, ‘What’s that noise?’ Before I’d finished replying, ‘That’s the speedo cable whining, I’ll just take it off,’ we’d come to a standstill, not for the last time on the 300-mile-plus round trip to the Goodwood Revival. I’ve owned this car for 30 years so I know it pretty well. However, in the past four years it’s hardly covered any mileage and that’s not done it any good. Old cars need to be used, and this 60-year-old VW was living proof of what happens when they’re not. A month earlier I’d decided to give it a once-over and the list of jobs soon grew. The endless small tasks included sorting out wiring, fitting new CV gaiters, performing an engine and…

‘My Audi A2 daily driver has a nasty oil leak (plus I’m bored of driving it!) so the freshly painted Integra has been filling in. It’s performed admirably, as it always does’Matthew Hayward ‘A damp passenger footwell and steamy windows in the BMW Z4 remind me of my old Fabia. I suspect someone’s ripped the doorcard membrane’Robert Hefferon ‘My Audi TT is over 20 years old, but it’s been hauling me and my photo gear all over California and Nevada without complaint. Full story next month!’Evan Klein ‘First outing for me in the 1926 Delage after I’d been laid up in hospital for a while was a shopping trip to Tesco: old cars are meant to be used!’David Burgess-Wise Contact Vintage Tyres on +44 (0)1590 431051 vintagetyres.com…

REGULAR READERS MIGHT remember that I enjoyed a long-distance weekend with the latest Mercedes S-Class (Octane 232). Being diesel-powered, and despite weighing more than two tonnes, it provided supremely relaxing and comfortable transport over nearly 700 miles. On one tankful. With a bit of range spare. But while the S-Class represents the state of the traditional luxury-car art, here’s the future: Mercedes’ first designed-from-the-ground-up EV. And this is the fastest version of it, yours for around £160,000. That means it has AMG badging, so it’s something of a change from the usual massive-saloon-with-monster-V8 recipe. Yet the figures read similarly: 649bhp and 700lb ft thanks to two electric motors, so it’s all-wheel drive, too. And it does 0-62mph in 3.8sec. That’s 911 Carrera S territory. In a 2.7-tonne saloon. Slung within…

VISIT US AT octane.co.uk/subscribe to claim your special offer or call 0330 333 9491 using offer code P22XM Calls to 03 numbers will be charged at your standard local rate. This offer closes on 24th December 2022. The number of issues published in a 3, 6 or 12 month period will vary for each magazine. Discounts are based on the shop price of a single issue. The number of issues ordered will be displayed upon checkout. Offer only available on subscriptions delivered to UK addresses. All gift subscriptions will begin in January 2023. SCAN ME!…

I’ll declare a degree of self-interest here: the original 911 RS 2.7 is one of my favourite cars of all time, and this series of books has become a favourite go-to on the subject of the 911. Now it’s the turn of the RS under the spotlight, which is timely given that 2022 marked 50 years since the first 911 RS was launched. Like Berlin Motor Books’ other 911 publications, the price of this one isn’t exactly at the budget end of the spectrum, but it’s limited to 500 copies and is beautifully produced, printed on semi-matt art paper and presented in a slipcase. It runs to 322 pages and is written in German and English. You can take for granted superb photography, as well as authoritative text, plentiful spec…

Turbocharged V8 rather than a V12 notwithstanding, the last Ferrari conceived under Enzo’s watch couldn’t be anything other than significant. Thanks to its lightweight ethos, and being high-tech in construction yet without too much complication, it’s so much more than merely that. For many it’s the greatest Ferrari of all, with performance and handling that are as blade-sharp as its styling. Here Bluemel has gone about creating a definitive reference work, and it’s certainly very thorough indeed. He has sourced many under-the-skin photos as well as technical graphics, all of which illustrate how this composite-bodied car came together. They also show just how great a compromise owners were expected to make in order to extract their enjoyment: this was no GT. Instead, sliding Perspex ventilation flaps, work-out window winders and…

The person who gives his or her name to a company is often the one with the business acumen rather than the creative imagination to design the products. Such was the case with Schuco (Schreyer und Co), one of the most famous names in German toy-making. Established in Nuremberg in 1912, the firm took its name from its founder, Heinrich Schreyer, but it was his partner Heinrich Müller who came up with the ideas. Animals and figures that could walk, jump and perform acrobatics were joined in the 1930s by cars with clockwork mechanisms. Under the post-war Allied occupation, production resumed with the toys being marked ‘Made in US Zone Germany’. The Schuco ‘Radio 4012’ of 1955 packed a remarkable amount of mechanical wizardry into a toy just over six…

1967 Ford Transit ‘Freedom’ Camper Brightwells, online, UK 3 December, brightwells.com Do you fancy a classic camper that isn’t a Volkswagen? It’s fair to say the original Transit is of significant cultural importance in the UK, and this professional camper conversion – carried out in period – makes an intriguing alternative. The interior is extremely well preserved while the exterior has been repainted. When you look at the price of an equivalent ‘Splitty’, the £ 10,000-12,000 estimate on this Transit seems like great value. 1939 Brough Superior 3.5 Litre H&H, Buxton, UK 30 November, handh.co.uk Although Brough is better known for its Superior motorcycles, the company produced around 85 luxury cars. This delightful 3.5 Litre Dual Purpose DHC was one of them, and is thought to be the last. Fitted…

DEAN SMITH ‘Something about the Maserati’s grille lodged the whole car in my heart: what a wonderful shrink-wrapped piece of design. Which applies equally to the Mini Cooper S, if for entirely different reasons’ Dean shot the stunning Maserati A6G/54 Zagato on pages 58-66, as well as the Mini Cooper S cover star on pages 46-56. MASSIMO DELBÒ ‘I always admired the African rally-raid pilots and drove the Range Rover-Audi Proto on a hot day in a sand quarry. By the end, my eyes were red and my muscles ached. At 91 years old, the 24-time Paris-Dakar veteran Franco De Paoli was clearly made of different raw material.’ Find out more on pages 68-74. ASTON PARROTT ‘It’s so much rarer than the Ferrari 575M on which it’s based, and subtly…

The William Medcalf track-day is not the only way that youngsters can sample classic cars – and hopefully get hooked on them – sometimes even before they can legally drive on the roads. Here are some more options: Starter Motor (startermotor.co) This Bicester-based charity’s entire mission is to secure access to classic cars for younger people in the knowledge that a good number will become hooked and secure the future of the hobby for another generation or two. The charity maintains a fleet of cars that is loaned to young people to drive and enjoy. It also supplies ‘learning’ cars to colleges and hosts driving days where owners bring along cars for the youngsters to try. British Motor Museum (britishmotormuseum.co.uk) The British Motor Museum at Gaydon has partnered with Young Driver, founded…

There’s nothing quite like opening the throttle of a steam-powered vehicle and feeling the massive torque pushing you forward, like the hand of God. FO Stanley – he and his identical-twin brother were the brains behind Stanley Steamer automobiles – set a record with his wife Flora on board his 1899 Locomobile. The Stanleys had sold out to Locomobile and then bought the company back for something like ten cents on the dollar. They were nothing if not shrewd businessmen. And on 31 August 1899 a Locomobile became the first automobile to conquer Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England at 1916m. It did it in half the time of a horse. If not the first automobile publicity stunt, it was certainly one of the most famous. I thought…

The expression ‘giant killer’ has become hackneyed these days, but back in the mid-Sixties it certainly applied to John Cooper’s ‘reimagining’ of his friend Alec Issigonis’ revolutionary small car. During the Swinging Sixties the diminutive Mini-Cooper beat thoroughbreds including Porsche 911s, Renault Alpine A110s, Lancia Fulvia HFs and even Lotus Cortinas. Between 1960 and ’71, Minis won 32 top-level rallies, five British Touring Car championships and everything else besides. Not bad for a tiddler. As you will read elsewhere, the most famous Minis were the Cooper S models that won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, ’65 and ’67. Minis finished first, second and third in ’66 as well but they were disqualified because of some trumped-up infringement about headight filaments, which then allowed Citroën to weasel the win. In…

‘And did you at any point think about just giving up?’ Even with rally headphones and mic, I feared my co-pilot might not hear my loaded question, because only the constant involuntary chattering of my teeth was stopping my jaw from locking up. He did. ‘Not for a second,’ he said, as he gripped the wheel with added zeal and ploughed on through near-zero visibility, falling trees and icy rain as a once-in-a-generation storm battered Italy’s Apennine mountains. My question was prompted by ex-airline pilot Robert Blakemore’s shivered comment that he had only once driven through such extreme adverse conditions, on the Mille Miglia. Yet this was in mid-September on the 32nd Gran Premio Nuvolari, though we were in the same Aston Martin 2 Litre Speed with aeroscreens and no…

IT’S THE ENGINE that dominates before we’ve even had a chance to taste the upper half of the rev-range. Even with the sports exhaust, the Superamerica is much more subdued than the V8-powered Ferrari F430, but the highly complex cocktail of induction howl fighting with the chatter of the valvetrain leaves you in no doubt that its 5.7-litre quad-cam V12 is a mighty power unit. It responds instantly to any throttle input and the Superamerica sniffs out overtaking opportunities mercilessly. The 60kg weight penalty means nothing to a car with such a surfeit of power, and the gentle tweak up to 533bhp means the Superamerica rips towards its 199mph maximum with undiminished ferocity. Ferrari claims this is the fastest convertible in the world, which might come as a surprise to…

The classic and historic vehicles industry is uniting with collectors, owners and enthusiasts of all ages to create a powerful, unified voice at this critical stage in the history of this great British success story. We’re working to create a set of industry-wide consumer standards, encouraging younger people into the industry and looking to communicate clearly the rich heritage and benefits of a successful classic and historic vehicle sector to a wider and more diverse audience. Our communications team are also successfully countering myths and misconceptions that currently exist around the world of classic and historic motoring. All of our activities are directly aimed at ensuring that we have the freedom to enjoy our classics for many years to come. As a new campaign group we’re already getting noticed, and…

CLASSIC INSURANCE SERVICES Classic Insurance Services arranges insurance for private collectors and specialist motor traders, and is trusted to protect its customers’ rarest and most valuable vehicles and collections. An expert team ensures that an unrivalled level of personal customer service is at the heart of the business, and Client Managers can arrange flexible, personalised cover that can be adapted to meet a customer’s specific needs. For all policies, you’ll have a direct mobile number and email address for your dedicated Client Manager – meaning that, whatever you need, simply get in touch and they’ll help. The private client team has years of experience arranging insurance for collections of rare and valuable vehicles, ranging from single high-value cars to large, globally renowned collections. For motor traders, CSI has specialist policies…

ROBERT COUCHER International editor • 1955 Jaguar XK140 ANDREW ENGLISH Contributor • 1962 Norton Dominator• 1965 Aston Martin DB5• 1967 Triumph GT6 GLEN WADDINGTON Associate editor • 1989 BMW 320i Convertible• 1999 Porsche Boxster SANJAY SEETANAH Advertising director • 1981 BMW 323i Top Cabrio• 1998 Aston Martin DB7 Volante MARK DIXON Deputy editor • 1927 Alvis 12/50• 1927 Ford Model T pick-up• 1942 Fordson Model N tractor• 1955 Land Rover Series I 107in• 1966 Ford Mustang 289 JAMES ELLIOTT Editor-in-chief • 1965 Triumph 2.5 PI• 1968 Jensen Interceptor• 1969 Lotus Elan S4 ROBERT HEFFERON Art editor • 2004 BMW Z4 3.0i JOHN SIMISTER Contributor • 1960 Singer Gazelle conv• 1961 Saab 96• 1972 Rover 2000 TC• 1989 Mazda MX-5 Eunos MATTHEW HOWELL Photographer • 1962 VW Beetle 1600• 1969 VW/Subaru…

SHOCKINGLY, it’s been two years since PDF 666, my 1955 107in Land Rover, was moved from storage in a farm’s open barn to a more secure unit a few miles away. I’m ashamed to say that it’s no nearer being on the road again now than it was then. My guilt was further stoked when the nice people at the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, based in the Close Encounters-style circular museum at Gaydon, invited me to see how they produce their famous Heritage Certificates. They asked if I had a vehicle that could be used as a subject for research, and PDF 666 was the only one that fitted the bill. Richard Bacchus, the senior certificate officer, gave me a personal tour of the archive, which houses material for…

by Octane staff and contributors IT’S ALL TOO easy to imagine that Volvo estates are stodgy, square and slow. Maybe it’s just a British perception, but it’s based on a snapshot from the history of this Swedish icon. Sure, the 240 generation was perhaps over-inspired by Volvo’s experimental safety cars of the early 1970s, although it certainly had a USP. Yet here we have, in the 1800ES, a shooting brake to rival the Scimitar GTE, maybe even the Lynx Eventer, a car more about style than practicality. Though it isn’t exactly fast, it couldn’t be any less stodgy or square. And while the turbocharged 850 T-5R is (quite literally) square, well… You get the gist. Oldest first. This 1800ES dates from 1972, one of only 8077 built during 1972-73, the…

Our photo, above, shows just one cover from the 16 titles in this series of pocket-sized softbacks, which are available singly or at a heavily discounted price for the whole set. Each one comprises about 70 pages, and every page contains a period advert with an accompanying caption; the titles run in chronological order from 1900-1909 to the one shown here, 1980-1999. Together, they add up to a collection of over 1000 adverts that will delight anyone interested in illustration or popular culture.…

Great Drivers would be in this specialist’s top 20 motoring books of all time. It’s a Japanese publication, which means it’s on great paper and has super production quality, and it contains the most wonderful images of circuit racing (not just F1) by photographer Akira Mase. The book covers the period of the late ’70s into the early ’80s and it captures the era in a uniquely stunning way – Japanese photographers seem to have a way of viewing things that’s different from their European counterparts. More than 200 pages are filled with beautiful images, not just of racing cars but portraits of drivers, shots of the crowds, pit scenes and more. Each driver is profiled separately, with caption info in English and Japanese at the back of the book,…

On 27 September 1946, Geoffrey de Havilland Jr was killed in the cockpit of his experimental de Havilland DH 108 as it neared the sound barrier. His neck was broken as the aircraft oscillated violently, before the wings folded and the DH 108 disintegrated. The next year, when Bell Aircraft felt ready to attempt a supersonic flight with its rocket-powered X-1, test pilot Slick Goodlin was understandably less enthused than his bosses. Apparently he told them he’d take the controls only if paid a bonus of $150,000, plus danger money for any time spent flying over Mach 0.85. Goodlin’s reluctance ultimately didn’t matter, because the X-1 programme was taken over by the US Air Force and 24-year-old World War 2 ace Chuck Yeager was selected to pilot the X-1–on his…

1980 TOYOTA FJ40 LAND CRUISER, $92,000 Restored to an extremely high standard, this Land Cruiser is quite literally better than new. It boasts air conditioning, and trick suspension by ‘Old Man Emu’. It’s basically ready for anything. hymanltd.com (US) 1991 MAZDA MX-5 LE MANS POA Mazda built 24 of these eye-catching special editions, complete with BBR turbo kit, to celebrate the 787B’s Le Mans victory. This one has 90k miles, and retains all the correct details. thehairpincompany.co.uk (UK) 1973 DE TOMASO PANTERA GROUP 4 ¤ 295,000 Only 12 lightweight Panteras were built by the factory for Group 4 racing, but this 500bhp car has been prepared to the same spec by specialist Braun Motorsport for use in Historics. Looks fun! thiesen-automobile.com (DE) 2004 TOYOTA CENTURY AUD $54,995 Yes, this is…

Just so you know, this column is being lovingly crafted on my birthday. I mention this because I am a bit indisposed at the moment. I have been in this state since what one might euphemistically describe as a ‘boating incident’ recently left me with 18 staples in my right shin bone. I wouldn’t mind so much, but I hadn’t so much as broken the skin since my car turned turtle on the banking, at north of 200mph, during the 1992 Daytona 24 Hours. Even then, I looked more banged up than I was. There was a lot of blood, but only because I had just bitten through my lip. Anyway, I am currently in a comfortable chair with my leg propped up. I shall, of course, milk sympathy from…

presented by Octane IT ASTONISHES ME how, even in their twelfth year, these fantastic awards continue to evolve and grow exponentially. Of course, they are the only truly global recognition of endeavour in our industry, and they are by far the most prestigious accolade for enthusiasts and ‘the trade’ alike. Yet they represent so much more than that: they also acknowledge the people, manufacturers and organisations that do so much to support our world, even if they’re not directly involved in it. We like to think that we have pioneered a little bit, too. The Historic Motoring Awards were the first to introduce a category specifically for apprentices, and that category in particular has breathed new life into the event. This very special honour happens only through the tireless work…

As insurance partner to Octane, Classic Insurance Services is delighted to be the headline sponsors of the Historic Motoring Awards, celebrating excellence throughout the classic and performance car sector. The awards will share some of the world's most unique performance cars and as a specialist insurance provider for high-value vehicle collections, we appreciate the importance of protecting unique pieces of automotive history. Rod Mitchell, founder and brand ambassador of Classic Insurance Services, explains: "We specialise in insuring rare and high-value vehicles and the specialist motor trade. Our clients require a personalised service, flexibility and discretion. Our ability to meet these needs are what sets us apart from other players in the market." "Classic Insurance Services have taken care of my insurance needs for over 10 years and I've been very…

A WHILE AGO my Jaguar developed an annoying rattle. It seemed to be coming from the right-hand side front, so I had a good poke around, thinking it might be something loose in the suspension. But the suspension components on the Jaguar are all massive and associated noises are usually heavy clonks, whereas this rattle was more of a tinkle. It would come and go, and was at its worst driving over cobbled streets. It was irritating, but also a worry because something that should be tight had worked itself loose. So I hopped back into the XK and drove half a mile down the road to my local garagiste, Graeme Hunt Limited. Discreetly tucked away in a mews in Battersea, Graeme’s emporium is actually the largest classic car dealership…

NO, NOTHING TO do with carburation here; the Beemer has Bosch fuel injection. It has had an ignition problem, too, which I’ll come back to. I’m also aware that the plane in the pic has a propeller, so please forgive the artistic licence with the heading. It seemed appropriate, however, given that I flew with a friend to Le Touquet for lunch. Round my neck of the woods, it doesn’t get much more jet-set than that. The plane is a Rockwell Commander, belonging to my pal Lawrence Rippon. He bought it during his business career to make life hopping about Europe easier and more interesting. He describes it as ‘a large estate car with wings’ and it’s all quilted leather within. Since he retired he has become a flying instructor,…

TWO TRUTHS: Woking isn’t famous only for The Jam, and motoring journalists always preach about good steering. It’s something that many manufacturers have lost sight of, or at least conveniently pushed to one side in the search for more efficient electric power steering set-ups. And so, upon hearing that the new hybrid McLaren Artura had retained a hydraulically assisted rack, I breathed a sigh of relief. It gets things off to a great start. It might be a little bit difficult to believe but, despite the numerous models delivered over McLaren’s first 11 years as a fully fledged manufacturer, this represents the first all-new supercar it’s built since the MP4-12C was launched in 2011. The Artura is based on a new carbonfibre tub, which is lighter and stronger than the…

THERE’S SOMETHING refreshing about the way Panerai has (mostly) stuck to its knitting. The firm (at least, various incarnations of it) has been making oversized waterproof watches for divers since the 1930s. Over the years case diameters have expanded and contracted while they’ve determinedly kept on making watches you can see from space. The Florence-based firm quickly realised that even dinnerplate dials were no good unless you could see them in the underwater murk and dark, so set about developing a way to make them glow. The original luminous compound they developed – Radiomir – was heady stuff, made from radium bromide (hence the name), mesothorium and zinc sulphide. As you’ll know if you read previous editions, this is splendid if you want to see your watch in the dark…

This is quite a coup for Alvis historian David Culshaw: the first book to list every Alvis chassis and (where known) registration mark, with follow-ups about the owners of selected cars from every period. Some of the latter are fairly predictable – WW2 flying ace Sir Douglas Bader had a succession of four Alvises – but others are less expected: ukelele-strumming George Formby owned at least three. Alvises that have appeared on TV, in movies or magazines are also spotlighted, and lots of photos help leaven the lists.…

Long-time Octane readers with exceptionally good memories may remember that Tony Dron raced a Montier-prepared Model T Ford at the 2010 Le Mans Classic; this self-published softback charts the story of French engineer and Ford dealer Charles Montier, and the cars he modified for customers and for competition. It’s incredibly well-illustrated with black-and-white and colour photos, and has chapters on surviving cars and on period advertising. The book’s layout is basic but extremely readable – and it’s great value.…