Octane October 2023

MY EMAIL TRAIL with Anton Raaymakers (above) goes back to 7 November 2019, when I was on the steering committee for the London Concours and, with the rest of the committee’s blessing, nay encouragement, invited the Dutchman to show his remarkable Jensen C-V8 MkIII at the event. He agreed, of course, but we all know what happened shortly afterwards and that is why it was only this June that Anton’s splendid GT finally graced the cricket pitch at the Honourable Artillery Company in the City of London. Anton dressed as James Bond, rather tangentially because Sean Connery owned a C-V8 in real life (rather than on screen), had a brilliant time, charmed absolutely everyone with his endless infectious enthusiasm and took home two major trophies. To put those awards in perspective,…

JAMES PAGE ‘Hugh Conway has long been a superb ambassador for Bugatti, and over the past couple of decades Darren Turner has done likewise for Aston Martin. Meeting both of them was a real treat – and the noise of that DBR9 will live with me for a long time.’ Darren Turner and the Le Mans Astons: pages 58-68; Hugh Conway interview: pages 110-114. NICK LISH ‘The Maserati 450S Costin Zagato is unmistakably unique inside and out. Admiring it driving towards me before sunset on a cool desert day is not something I will soon forget.’ Nick’s superb photography accompanies Marc Sonnery’s story of Maserati’s one-off Le Mans racer on pages 72-80. RICHARD CUNNINGHAM ‘Despite the trials and tribulations we experienced on this epic drive, it was the people one travels…

30 August – 2 September Salon Privé Spectacular Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire hosts one of the UK’s premier concours, following which the entries will be joined by a curated group of club cars. Classes this time honour Lamborghini and McLaren anniversaries, plus the Porsche 956. salonpriveconcours.com 1-3 September The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace Seventy of the world’s finest cars assemble at Hampton Court Palace. Special features include a display of iconic Le Mans racers. concoursofelegance.co.uk 2 September RADwood UK A celebration of ’80s and ’90s cars and culture, held at Bicester Heritage. Visitors are encouraged to dress in period style! radwood.com 2-3 September Beaulieu International Autojumble The enormous sale of motoring bits and bobs returns. beaulieu.co.uk 3 September Brooklands American Day Brooklands opens its gates to US-built…

CLASSIC CAR LOBBY GROUPS have welcomed a Government investigation into the workings of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which they claim is failing historic motorists. In mid-July, Richard Holden MP announced the independent review of the DVLA as part of a wider Government programme exploring the effectiveness and efficiency of public bodies. It is intended to ensure the DVLA can provide a licensing service to motorists and the public, and will be assessed on four pillars set by the Cabinet Office: efficiency, efficacy, accountability and governance. The move comes after senior members of both the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA) and Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs met with Holden, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport. Federation chairman David Whale and HCVA chair David…

Ayrton Senna’s former engineer has launched a road-legal ‘Can-Am’ car inspired by the McLaren M1A. The rear-wheel-drive Nichols N1A weighs just 900kg, boasts a naturally aspirated 7.0-litre V8 and a six-speed manual gearbox. Its mastermind is Steve Nichols (interviewed in Octane 178) and the first 15 examples will be an individually numbered series, each celebrating a specific victory of Steve Nichols’ McLaren MP4/4 Formula 1 car. Nichols was made lead designer at McLaren in 1987 masterminding both the MP4/3, which Alain Prost took to three victories, and the all-conquering MP4/4, in which Senna won the first of his three Drivers’ Championships and which triumphed in 15 out of 16 races in the 1988 season. He set up Nichols Cars in 2017 to create a true driver’s car. The result is…

Pearl Collection heads for Hampton READERS WILL be able to see some of the stars of Octane in the metal as this year’s Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court (1-3 September, concoursofelegance.co.uk) showcases cars from Fritz Burkard’s Pearl Collection. As well as the 1897 Prinetti & Stucchi Tricycle, ex-King Leopold III of Belgium Bugatti Type 59 and 2022 Bugatti Centodieci, the display will include 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, 1939 Maserati 4CL Monoposto ‘Works’, 1936 Bugatti T57S Atalante (above), a Park Ward-bodied 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental and the Abarth ‘La Principessa’. Explaining the impulses behind the eclectic selection, Burkard said: ‘We at the Pearl Collection love quirky and unusual models. We show them, we race them and we use them.’ Other concours themes include no fewer than ten…