Octane September 2022

WHAT APPEALS to me most about this issue of Octane is that there are some really heartwarming human stories to complement the cold mechanicals of the cars. After all, the sensible thing would have been just to do a photoshoot of Filippo Sole’s beautifully restored 1930 Lancia Dilambda in Italy (not a word to the beancounters, but originally that’s exactly what we planned – and did). Except that this unquenchable enthusiast then hatched a madcap plan to dash 3000 miles coast-to-coast across the USA in the car, accompanied by Octane’s indefatigable Italian correspondent Massimo Delbò and gifted photographer Evan Klein. And that took things to a whole different level. It introduced not only adventure, but also jeopardy and, well, people into the story of the car… and that in turn gives…

RICHARD MEADEN ‘We gatecrashed Hall & Hall’s BRM trackday to drive the MGC GTS Lightweight. The spectacular gathering of Grand Prix machines included the deafening BRM V16 Continuation, yet the MG got plenty of attention. As well it should, being the BMC Competitions Department’s final car.’ Works Sebring MGC: pages 76-84. TIM BEAVIS ‘Looking at old race photos from your childhood can never be called a chore and putting these images out as social history was always the hope. We have now completed two books from EV Starr’s archive, and the process has been a joy to be involved with.’ See exclusive extracts on pages 108-114. PAUL HARMER ‘The more elegant streets of London are always a superb backdrop for the best classic cars – and they don’t come much more special…

Sports racers charge into the twilight for (almost unbelievably) the first running of this blue riband event since 2018. Some 750 cars took to the track over the 24 hours as, thanks to the unique format, six different and hugely varied grids each had three races. The crowds were back in force as well for this tenth running of the festival, with organisers saying that more than 200,000 fans had flocked to La Sarthe to see it. Best of all, instead of the usual two-year gap between Le Mans Classics (when Covid doesn’t interfere), it will be back in 2023 for a special outing to celebrate the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours.…

5-7 August Copenhagen Historic GP Flat-out fun in the Danish capital on an unusual 2.6km street circuit, with a good variety of cars and some famous faces; the pro-am race pairs enthusiast drivers with the likes of Tom Kristensen. chgp.dk 6-7 August VSCC Prescott Hill Climb The quintessential English vintage car meet sees 250 pre-war machines charge up the 880-yard course that was established by the VSCC all the way back in 1938. vscc.co.uk 6-12 August Bonneville Speed Week Speed freaks from around the world bring their hopped-up machines to north-western Utah and floor it on the sun-baked Bonneville Salt Flats. scta-bni.org 12-14 August AvD Oltimer Grand Prix The forbidding Nürburgring provides a tough challenge for cars spanning seven decades of motorsport history. oldtimergrandprix.com 12-21 August Monterey Car Week Car…

‘BROOKLANDS? Been there. Done that.’ Well, that might well be, but Brooklands is one of those places that never stands still. Apart from having a unique vintage atmosphere, Brooklands is always looking to improve itself and to welcome visitors back, knowing there will be new features to make it all worthwhile. Strangely, one of Brookland’s new features is one that isn’t there! To explain, the historic hangar on the race circuit’s finishing straight has moved, opening up the wide concrete track to the great benefit of the events days, when the museum’s exhibits are released to run up to the Members’ Banking and back, free of obstacles. The staff take pleasure in watching the faces of previous visitors who look up this straight and invariably light up broad smiles at…

MORE CARS FROM the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s, better access to the 1.9million objects it houses, and – eventually – a new, iconic building are all part of the National Motor Museum’s plans for the next few years. Fifty years ago, the NMM opened its doors for the first time. Having begun as a small display of just five veteran cars in the front hall of Lord Montagu’s Palace House, Beaulieu in the New Forest, the collection expanded to became a hugely popular visitor attraction and the NMM was formally opened in a brand-new building on 4 July 1972. Half-a-century on, it is bursting at the seams – every one of its 290 cars is on display, not least because there’s nowhere else to store them – and plans are…