Octane

I’VE BEEN IN this game – it’s too much fun to call it an industry – over 25 years now and still its propensity to reveal its mysteries, out of the blue, continues to astonish me. The classic car world has been an ever-growing entity for well over 50 years, and you would have thought that every discovery had been made, every bit of history mined and noted, but no, not a bit of it. And we have two fantastic examples this month to demonstrate that point. The first is the Marcos 1600GT. If I am a fan of anything as much as 1960s cars, it’s late-1960s music and cheesy 1960s British Invasion TV. I love everything about The Avengers, not least its French title of Chapeau Melon et Bottes de…

KARL LUDVIGSEN ‘Alfa Romeo conceived this car in the murkiest years of its history, during World War Two. I enjoyed the chance to lift the veil from the work of engineers such as Wifredo Ricart and Giuseppe Busso in that tough period.’ Read the full story of the recently rediscovered Alfa Romeo 12C Prototipo on pages 56-66. SAM CHICK ‘I have no military experience and can only imagine the vulnerability and bravery of those who drove and fought in these cramped, uncomfortable, nimble but ultimately fragile metal boxes. The trade-off between agility and protective armour quickly became apparent.’ Universal Carrier: pages 106-114. ROBERT COUCHER ‘Growing up with nimble sports cars such as Alfas, Lancias and Porsches, I now find my tastes changing towards larger cars that are entertaining but also refined and luxurious. It used to be…

Back in its Spring spot, the 79th Members’ Meeting served up a feast of Historic motorsport in West Sussex. Star cars were indubitably the selection of Porsche 956/962s, but crowds were entranced by everything from synchronised drifiting to David and Goliath saloon battles between Rowan Atkinson’s Jaguar MkVII and plucky Morris Minors. The debut AFP Fane Trophy for Frazer Nashes was red-flagged after a serious crash.…

28 April – 1 May Rallye de Durbuy Based in the pretty Belgian village of Durbuy, and with a Touring class for those who would prefer to enjoy the roads and the scenery without having to keep one eye on the stopwatch. zoutegrandprix.be 28-30 April Manx Classic On the Isle of Man, roads are closed to allow competition on the three traditional hillclimb courses, including the Sloc, which has recently been regraded and resurfaced. manxmotorracing.com 30 April – 1 May Donington Historic Festival Highlights of the Festival this time around will include the return of the Amon Cup for Ford GT40s, and a 30-car grid for the monstrous machines of Group C. doningtonhistoric.com 30 April – 1 May Keels & Wheels Beautiful old cars and boats share a stage at Lakewood Yacht Club in Texas. You’ll come away coveting all sorts of wooden things…

THIS COLLECTION could be described as a hidden gem among car museums. Hidden because many people won’t have heard of Caister-on-Sea, a tiny but charming village on the north Norfolk coast; a gem because there are many rare, unusual and interesting exhibits, as well as lots of more recognisable classics. It all began back in the mid-1960s, when Dr Peter Rowland Hill, founder of the Oakham Packing Company, bought Caister Castle. His interest in veteran and vintage cars was sparked by a display during an open day at Belvoir Castle in Nottinghamshire, and his first acquisition was a 1902 Napier, found in pieces under a boat in Brighton and subsequently restored. His collection was founded in 1966 and steadily grew, always housed at Caister Castle, with purpose-built buildings erected from the beginning,…

THERE HAVE ALWAYS been less-explored corners of the classic car world, where long-lost cars turn up after decades or hangars full of exotics are tantalisingly spotted and occasionally snapped. South America, Cuba and others have all had their moments, but nowhere has this happened more consistently than in the Middle East, where oil-rich collectors hoovered-up rarities and one-offs. However, while there is an unquantifiable amount still to discover, the Middle Eastern classic world is opening up. In recent years there have been major concours in Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia, while museums have opened in Sharjah (UAE), Abu Dhabi and Jordan. There’s also Iran’s Historical Car Museum and its display of cars owned by the former royal family before its ousting in 1979. Now a major new exhibition in Qatar is…