Octane April 2022

SOMETIME IN THE middle of Lockdown 16, Octane received a press release about the most googled cars during the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. Typically, it was the sort of thing a PR company pops out at 9am on a Monday morning for its client, before ticking the box and getting on with the next job; the sort of largely contrived, slightly circumspect and unsubstantiated email that may spark a bit of conversation in the office (though such a thing didn’t exist at that stage, obviously) and will then be promptly forgotten. Its chances of being reproduced at any length in any serious media were pretty much zilch. But one detail stuck with me, and it was that the soaraway winner (if you could believe the data) was the Citroën…

ANDREW MORGAN ‘I’d thought about some clever lighting for this lovely DS, putting in some shapes and shadows. But it was soon obvious that it was best to keep my photography simple, not to fight the design but to let it speak for itself. That’s why it’s an icon and eternally chic. It really is its own work of art.’ The beauty of the Citroën DS: pages 52-64. STEPHEN ARCHER ‘I’ve been immersed in the Aston world from birth, and the DB3S really taught me about beauty and design. No other sports car of its period comes close to its delicate beauty, which is matched by its driving prowess. To share the story of David Brown’s personal DB3S is especially rewarding.’ Find out more on pages 66-76. JOHN SIMISTER ‘Encountering the wonderful…

Being run for the first time under its new management – Canossa Events – the 31st showpiece Ferrari festival in Florida majored on 75 years of Ferrari and 60 of the 250 GTO, at The Breakers in Palm Beach. The event included a track day for concours entrants, plus a Tour d’Eleganza, while the 150-strong concours included at least one car from each year of Ferrari production. A 1966 Ferrari 365 P Speciale (chassis 8971) won the Granturismo category, while a 1964 250 GTO (chassis 5573 GT) was judged the outstanding Ferrari competition car.…

3-5 March Sydney Harbour Concours d’Elegance Swifts, the famous Gothic Revival mansion in Darling Point, again welcomes some of the finest cars in Australia to its lawns, and hosts a Halcyon Auctions sale. sydneyharbourconcours.com.au 3-5 March WinteRace A field of 50 pre-1977 cars, an expertly plotted route through the Dolomites, and snow, snow and more snow. winterace.it 3-6 March Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Back in its usual March slot, and you can expect the usual world-class field of classics, too – plus a host of new activities on the Saturday, including a Concours d’Lemons and slot car racing. ameliaconcours.org 9-12 March Coppa delle Alpi Brescia to Bressanone via some of the best mountain roads in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. 1000miglia.it 11-13 March Antwerp Classic Salon Delage and the Jaguar E-type…

IN THESE TROUBLED days, opening any new museum is to be applauded. The new Royal Logistics Corps Museum is therefore worthy of a standing ovation, since it is a fine addition to our many wonderful places to go. This bright, new facility brings to life the story of the Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) and its predecessors supplying, feeding, supporting and transporting the British Army through the centuries. The Corps is the largest in the Army and is the result of the merger of a number of support arms in 1993, and it is responsible for moving soldiers, materials, motor vehicles, tanks, ammunition, fuel, food and other supplies. Keeping pace with and supplying an advancing army has never been easy and, without the RLC, the Army could not operate. The Corps’…

A RASH OF ANNOUNCEMENTS on show dates and themes in the past month has prompted a wave of optimism that the 2022 classic car season will return to something closely resembling ‘normal’. It may not be quite as bursting at the seams as 2019, but already we know that we will be welcoming back many key events after a two-year sojourn, seeing many rescheduled events return to a more traditional slot on the calendar and adding some new dates to the diary. Even those previously forced to take place behind closed doors are throwing those doors open again. In the UK there is much to be celebrated, including the launch of several new events. In London, a ‘concours de vente’ will be laid on by the people behind Salon Privé. Taking…