Classic Cars September 2020
Classic Cars is the original classic car magazine. It defined the world of classic motoring 40 years ago and still does it today. Every issue is put together by our team of classic car experts and enthusiasts. Using the best expert writing and photography, the magazine helps you experience what it's like to drive, keep and restore the classic cars of days gone by. We bring the stories and people behind the cars to life - showing you how to buy, keep and enjoy your cars. Every issue of Classic Cars is packed with: - Road tests - Drive stories - Expert buying advice - News and events coverage Classic Cars is the original classic car magazine.
in this issue
welcome september 2020 issue 566
While playing it safe has become the new normal in so many aspects of life, I’m getting a picture of barely suppressed urge to roll the dice when it comes to classic car buying. Up and down the country, we haven’t let government restrictions stop us hunting for cars and buying them, even if that means doing so remotely, sight unseen. Under any circumstances, scouring magazines and websites for inspiration and information around what we could buy next is a thrill, and hunting down the right car even more so; right now, it’s heightened to fever pitch. We’ve seen success after success with remote auctions and it’s a measure of just how irrepressible our passion for cars is. The more challenged we are, the more determined we become to enjoy them…
‘it’s madness but in a good way. it’s amazing what this car can do’
Two GT40 Mklls feature prominently in the recent Hollywood racing epic Le Mans ’66 - or Ford v Ferrari for our American readers - but neither are Fords, and both were recently constructed by US firm Superformance. A leader in continuation cars, the company creates GT40s whose components are at least 85% interchangeable with those fitted to the Blue Oval originals, and that carry legal rights to the GT40 name. Superformance machines also wear ‘GT40P’ chassis numbers - just like their Sixties predecessors - and can be added to the Shelby World Registry. They’re a faithful evocation and offer a more accessible way to experience the GT40 legend. One such GT40 is sitting outside the Sussex workshops of Le Mans Coupes, the Superformance UK agent. Arron Nichols is visibly entranced; today…
arron’s dream drive list
TVR Tuscan ‘I saw Swordfish and the look, the flip paint, just stuck with me. And it’s got no driver aids with strong construction’ Lancia Delta Integrale ‘Spent a lot of my youth watching rallying and playing the video games. Wherever it was, the Integrale was always fast’ Chevrolet Corvette C1 ‘I love the scallops on the front wings and the C1 looks like it’s doing 80mph standing still’ Austin Healey 3000 ‘It’s mutual between my wife and I – we’re always drawn to one we see at our local car shows’ Ford GT40 ‘Always fancied one to just pop to the shops for some milk, then take onto the track’ Jensen Interceptor The 6.3-litre engine appeals - and it’s a looks thing tool’ BMW 850CSI ‘It’s a V12 with pop-up headlights. Come on, what more…
2016 superformance gt40
Engine 5686cc V8, ohv, electronic fuel injection Power and torque 450bhp @ circa 6500rpm, 491lb ft @ circa 6000rpm Transmission Quaife five-speed manual transaxle with limited-slip differential, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion, unassisted Suspension Front: independent with unequal length wishbones, H&R coil springs, Bilstein dampers and anti-roll bar; Rear: independent with trailing arms, unequal length lateral arm, H & R coil springs, Bilstein dampers and anti-roll bar Brakes Wortec servo-assisted discs front and rear Weight 1100kg (2425lb) Performance 0-60mph: sub-40sec; Top speed: 180mph-plus Fuel consumption 22mpg Cost new From £142,000 plus VAT…
‘20 looking good for the ‘02
I bet you didn’t know there are only 106 BMW 1602s registered with the DVLA? The market may favour the more powerful 2002 but the surprisingly small survival rate of the 1602 could alter that. The purity and minimalism of the 1602 reminds me of early Porsche 912s - chaste, unadorned Germanic efficiency - and that’s a vibe that’s hot at the moment. And let’s not forget that this base-spec four-cylinder helped propel BMW from a left-field regional German carmaker to a global automotive powerhouse. The 1602 spawned the 2002, 2002tii, 2002 Turbo and the wildly successful 3 Series. This is an influential landmark car. Launched in 1966 as a shortened, affordable version of BMW’s frumpy Neue Klasse models, the 1602 was an instant hit, particularly in the United States. BMW had…
ask quentin
XJ12C or pre-HE XJ-S? I’m considering buying a Jaguar XJ12C or Daimler Double Six Coupé after many years admiring them but, as is often the case when window-shopping classic car websites, I’ve been distracted and am now also tempted by the pre-HE XJ-S. The XJ-S is the cheaper option but which is the better long-term option financially? David Siegal You may have missed the boat on the XJ12C and Double Six Coupé because they’re performing very strongly now and sell quickly. A good pre-HE XJ-S is still less than £20k and is better value. I’d look for the earliest you can, ideally 1976 or ’77 in totally unmodified and stock condition. If you can find one of the rare manuals - only 385 were built - it would be worth paying £35k, because…
