Octane April 2017

AN INTERESTING and deeply animated conversation over breakfast at Rétromobile: the subject was ‘continuation cars’, given that Jaguar Land Rover Classic chose the event to show off its XKSS, while Aston Martin Works was present to chat about its DB4 GT project. The protaganist was a seasoned, highly respected historic car dealer from mainland Europe, who gave an impassioned plea against such machines. He argued strongly that the factory built a certain number of cars in the day, and that’s how it should be, regardless of how many were intended to be built – poor orders, fires, etc, notwithstanding. More importantly, in this argument, such cars do not have ‘stories’, and the way this particular dealer works is to sell ‘a story with a car attached’ (and he really does,…

DAVID TRIMAYNI ‘There was a time when Formula 1 without Bernie Ecclestone was as unthinkable as Formula 1 without Ayrton Senna. Now he has departed, and vengeful critics vilify without fear. But, as with the passing of any great era, what a character achieved is a far better barometer of their worth than are their failures.’ Turn to pages 114-116. TIM ANDRIW ‘Brooklands instantly conjures mental images of vintage cars and planes, banking and racing. On arrival I’m shown a fenced-off piece of concrete, but I’m ready for the challenge as sun breaks through the morning mist. That’s the art of making the apparently ordinary look special.’ See Tim’s extraordinary pictures on pages 94-102. GILIS CHAPMAN ‘Any gloriously pointless car is bound to get my attention, and the gold-plated Amex…

WE ALL LOVE the Le Mans Classic, but it’s not a continuous endurance race because cars race for just 2hr 9min each in total, over three races. Full endurance races for pre-war cars are rare indeed, and the one planned by Chris Lunn of the Benjafields Racing Club should be a cracker. It’s inspired by the Brooklands 500 races run from 1929 to 1937, initially over 500 miles but reduced to 500km for the final event. Lunn’s version, which has the enthusiastic blessing of the Brooklands Museum, is called the Benjafield 500 Challenge, and the idea is for the winning car to break the 500-mile barrier between the race’s start at 9am on Sunday 15 October and its finish eight hours later. ‘The first Brooklands 500 was held on 12…

Steel pressed to be new FBHVC president Lord Steel of Aikwood, known to most as the former Liberal party leader David Steel, is the new president of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs. He becomes the Federation’s second president after Edward, Lord Montagu. Lord Steel is a longtime classic car enthusiast; he has competed in six Monte Carlo Historic rallies, has advised organisers on setting up international rallies, and is a driving force in the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group. Henry Ford museum gets a better, but longer, name The Henry Ford museum has always seemed to sell itself short, given that this amazing collection of US social history and scientific endeavour has always been about much more than just the motor industry. On 23 January the Dearborn-based museum,…

The Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club, Jaguar Classic and the Windsor and Eton Rotary Club will hold ‘one of the largest single gatherings’ of Jaguars at Windsor Castle on Saturday 6 May. A parade of 250 Jaguars, spanning every model produced, will drive through Windsor town centre and into the castle’s quadrangle for Royal viewing, before display in the nearby Frogmore cricket ground. Included will be a C-type, a D-type, the original XJ13 and the young Endeavour Morse’s Mk1. A further 1000 cars will line the Long Walk up to the castle, backed by food stalls and trade stands. The event, which will raise money for the Prince Philip Trust Fund, will finish with music and entertainment at Windsor racecourse.…

‘It’s a romantic notion... that some future little Gurney will touch the shiny skin of an Eagle racing car somewhere sometime and be proud of his ancestry’ Dan Gurney at the opening of ‘The Eagles Have Landed: Dan Gurney’s All American Racers’ at Petersen Automotive Museum. ‘It’s a little gem of historical Renault passion’ Alpine managing director Michael van der Sande to Octane on the relaunch of the much-loved French car brand. ‘Ferraris are rocking right now’ Occasional Octane contributor Harry Metcalfe on news that the revised F12 will have 800bhp. ‘The best car I ever had was a Daimler Barker Special Sports – which I sold for £100’ The Rt Hon the Lord Steel of Aikwood (David Steel) on previous car loves, at his appointment as president of the…