Classic Cars January 2018

Welcome This month’s anniversary feature reminds Phil of bright – more specifically, indigo – days chasing GTis in his Daimler To remind myself of what sister title Car thought of the new Jaguar XJ6 I lifted the March 1969 issue from our shelves. Apart from the three shillings price on the cover I was grabbed by the cover line, ‘A very, very British CAR of the YEAR’. Eight months after launch, Jaguar’s uncannily refined and fine-handling saloon was still attracting superlatives, and winning the votes of a jury drawn from seven countries summed up its impact. Car’s LJK Setright said, ‘To my mind the Jaguar is not merely remarkable for what it is, but also because it makes redundant all cars that cost more.’ This from the scholarly road tester…

To remind myself of what sister title Car thought of the new Jaguar XJ6 I lifted the March 1969 issue from our shelves. Apart from the three shillings price on the cover I was grabbed by the cover line, ‘A very, very British CAR of the YEAR’. Eight months after launch, Jaguar’s uncannily refined and fine-handling saloon was still attracting superlatives, and winning the votes of a jury drawn from seven countries summed up its impact. Car’s LJK Setright said, ‘To my mind the Jaguar is not merely remarkable for what it is, but also because it makes redundant all cars that cost more.’ This from the scholarly road tester who dug far deeper than most into the engineering virtues, or otherwise, of any car he evaluated. This great British achievement…

[ The List ] Your dream drive made real ‘Listen to that… it sounds like it could shatter glass’ Robin Healy has always dreamed of ‘driving slightly more interesting cars’. Will our Fifties glamour puss AC Ace tickle his long-held fancy? Words: ROSS ALKUREISHI Photography: ALEX TAPLEY ‘You can hear those three massive carbs suck in air like a bagpipe band on parade’ When I arrive at G&A Fabrications’ South West London premises, Classic Cars reader Robin Healy and his brother Tim are being shown around by apprentice Grace Roaf. Now it’s my turn, as proprietor Lawrence Kett greets me and begins my own tour. It’s decidedly old school, tight dimensions crammed with alloy and steel bodies in various states of undress lending it a womblike…

‘You can hear those three massive carbs suck in air like a bagpipe band on parade’ When I arrive at G&A Fabrications’ South West London premises, Classic Cars reader Robin Healy and his brother Tim are being shown around by apprentice Grace Roaf. Now it’s my turn, as proprietor Lawrence Kett greets me and begins my own tour. It’s decidedly old school, tight dimensions crammed with alloy and steel bodies in various states of undress lending it a womblike ambience, while the sound of multiple hammers on metal is pure pre-battle preparation Mordor. There are numerous Aston Martins, Ferraris and several AC Cobras, including a race-damaged 427. It’s a fascinating place, made more so by a glance at its website last night that showed some of the classic car royalty that’s passed…

ROBIN HEALY’S CAR CV Yorkshireman Robin’s has a penchant for old British (and occasionally Japanese) metal LAND ROVER SERIES 3 ‘In 1996 I bought a smart-ish looking Land Rover Series 3 locally for £2000, and took my first step towards classic motoring. My delight wore off as bits fell out, off and failed altogether resulting in a complete strip-down and a rebuild before selling it to the first eejit to offer money.’ TOYOTA MR2 ‘The arrival of the mid-life crisis required the purchase of a small sports car. My sleek blue 1999-model Toyota MR2 Mk3 was quite literally a breath of fresh air, and became a firm favourite for many months until a liaison with a patch of leaked diesel resulted in many pirouettes and made me realise we should…

LAND ROVER SERIES 3 ‘In 1996 I bought a smart-ish looking Land Rover Series 3 locally for £2000, and took my first step towards classic motoring. My delight wore off as bits fell out, off and failed altogether resulting in a complete strip-down and a rebuild before selling it to the first eejit to offer money.’ TOYOTA MR2 ‘The arrival of the mid-life crisis required the purchase of a small sports car. My sleek blue 1999-model Toyota MR2 Mk3 was quite literally a breath of fresh air, and became a firm favourite for many months until a liaison with a patch of leaked diesel resulted in many pirouettes and made me realise we should part.’ MG TD ‘Bought in 2013 for slightly more than my wife thinks I paid for it. Originally a US export,…