Like most car-related venues, the Classic Motor Hub, a renowned car sales and storage facility located just outside the Cotswold village of Bibury has an events program that runs from early spring to late autumn. It is nicely varied with everything from general meets for all with an interesting car, either at the weekend or a series of evening “Sundowners” , to those with specific themes which encompass a popular Italian Car day as well as others which concentrate on the age of the vehicle. The program is never quite the same from year to year, which also keeps things fresh. One of the 2024 events was styled as “Club Day” and when the details were published, it was clear that this was intended to appeal to cubs of all sizes who wanted a nice venue without having to do much in the way of their own organisation other than registering and then advertising the event. Whilst I did not do anything for the Abarth community, the local Queen Square (QS) Car Club, run by my good friend Dan Grazier did register, and so I decided to go along as a passenger with another friend, and member of that Club. As the day approached, we looked at the weather forecast with alarm, as it seemed like it was going to be very wet. And this time the forecast was not wrong. It chucked it overnight, and was still raining on the morning of the event. We made a decision to go, as the Classic Motor Hub does have two large barns full of cars for sale and a decent café, so we figured that even if there were other visiting cars, there would at least still be something interesting to look at. Suitably equipped with rain proofs and umbrellas, we set off:

ASSEMBLING AS A CLUB

The plan was for those cars booked through QS to meet at the Gloucester Services on the M5. When we arrived, we could not see any cars we recognised, so parked up, and waited in the car, as it was raining hard. Inevitably, when some of the rest of the group did appear a few minutes later, they went to a completely different part of the car park. We did head over to go and say hello and to ensure that we all left in the intended convoy. I grabbed a couple of photos at this point.

CLUB CARS

Duly arrived on site, there were already a few cars parked up, with distinct areas being allocated to the handful of Clubs who had reserved space. The rain had more or less stopped though the ground was very wet and soggy, so care was required while walking around. Thankfully, quite a few more cars arrived not long after we did, and soon the site was looking decently full. The weather steadily improved, too, so in the end there was quite a bit to look at, and there was no to do so from the shelter from an umbrella.

AC

Later in the morning, a sizeable collection of Cobra-style cars arrived, and they were all parked up in front of the main building. None of these are the original and rare (and valuable) originals form the 1960s but rather they are all more recent replicas from some of the many firms that have been producing such cars for some time.

ALFA ROMEO

The Alfa Romeo 4C is a two-seater, rear-wheel drive coupé with technology and materials derived from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, with a 1750 cc turbo petrol engine with direct injection, the “Alfa TCT” twin dry clutch transmission, and the Alfa DNA dynamic control selector. The 4C concept version was unveiled in the 81st Geneva Motor Show in March 2011, followed by the Mille Miglia 2011 parade, Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011,2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was displayed for the first time outside in Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2012. Compared to the production version, it is very similar, with the biggest differences being front lights, side vents and mirrors. The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept was voted the ‘Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year’ award by the readers of German magazine Auto Bild, and won the Auto Bild Design Award 2011. It was awarded the “Design Award for Concept Cars & Prototypes” by referendum of the public in Villa d’Este. The production car was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, followed by 2013 Essen ‘Techno Classica’, Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013, Moscow Raceway, 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The bare ‘4C000’ chassis was also shown at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Ordering of European models began in October 2013 at Alfa Romeo dealerships in Europe. As part of the Alfa Romeo 4C launch, Alfa Romeo Style Centre and Compagnia Ducale designed a 4C IFD (Innovative Frame Design) Bicycle, inspired by the Alfa Romeo 4C coupé. The vehicle went on sale in December 2013 and marketed in Europe, Asia and America. Production of the 4C began May 2013 at Maserati’s plant in Modena, with an expected production of up to 2500 units per year. It was the first mass-produced Alfa Romeo model to be sold in the US market since 1995 when the 164 sedan stopped being sold in the US. Production of the Alfa Romeo 4C was originally estimated to be over 1000 units per year, with an upper limit of 3500 units per year, depending on the quantity of carbon fibre chassis that can be built by the supplier Adler Plastic. Within the 3,500-unit quota, 1,000 units are earmarked for Europe. Delivery of the European Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition took place at Balocco (Vercelli, Italy) Test Centre. In 2018, the 4C coupe was discontinued for the North American market. The 4C Spider, however continued to be sold there for model year 2019 and model year 2020. In other markets, such as Australia and Japan, both the coupe and Spider continued. In late 2020, a new tribute-edition named the 4C Spider 33 Stradale Tributo was announced. The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo (Style Centre) and developed by Alfa Romeo. The chassis is composed of a central carbon fibre tub, with aluminium subframes front and rear. The carbon fibre tub is produced by TTA (Tecno Tessile Adler) in Airola, as a joint venture between Adler Plastic and Lavorazione Materiali Compositi.  The carbon fibre components that make up the chassis are cut using CNC technology. The entire carbon-fibre monocoque chassis (“tub”) of the car weighs 143 pounds (65 kg). Front and rear aluminium subframes combine with the tub, roof reinforcements and engine mounting to comprise the 4C chassis giving the vehicle a total chassis weight of 236 lb (107 kg) and a total vehicle curb weight of just 2,465 lb (1,118 kg). The 4C has a single carbon fibre body, similar to the body of many supercars. The outer body is made of a composite material (SMC for Sheet Moulding Compound) which is 20% lighter than steel. The stability is comparable to steel and better than aluminium. The 4C employs double wishbone suspensions at the front and MacPherson struts at the rear. The resultant weight distribution is 38% on the front and 62% on the rear axle. Wheels and tyres have different diameters and widths front and rear: 205/45 R17 front and 235/40 R18 back as standard, with optional 205/40 R18 and 235/35 R19. Both wheel options come equipped with Pirelli P Zero tyres. The 4C uses vented disc brakes on all wheels; Brembo 305 millimetres (12.0 in) on the front and 292 millimetres (11.5 in) on the rear. The car can stop from 100 km/h (62 mph) in 36 metres. To save weight and increase steering feel, the 4C has no power steering. Its center of gravity height, at 40 centimetres (16 in) off the ground, is 7 centimetres (2.8 in) lower than that of the Lotus Elise. The 4C uses a new all-aluminium 1,742 cc inline 4 cylinder turbocharged engine producing 240 PS at 6000 rpm. The engine has been designed for minimum weight. The engine’s combined fuel consumption 6.8 l/100 km (42 mpg‑imp; 35 mpg‑US). 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) acceleration is achieved in 4.5 seconds and the top speed is 258 km/h (160 mph), the power-to-weight-ratio being just 0.267 hp/kg (8.22 lb/hp) A journalist from Quattroruote car magazine demonstrated how the 4C accelerates from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) faster than 4.5 seconds. In race mode, with left foot on the brake pedal, if you pull the right shift paddle the engine will rev to 3500 rpm, but if you also pull the left paddle the engine will rev to 6000 rpm and 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) time will go down to 4.2 seconds. Italian car magazine Quattroruote published the lap time of 4C around Nürburgring. It lapped the ring in 8:04. The 4C is equipped with a six speed Alfa TCT Dual Dry Clutch Transmission, and can be operated via gearshift paddles on the steering wheel. It also has an Alfa ‘DNA’ dynamic control selector which controls the behaviour of engine, brakes, throttle response, suspension and gearbox. In addition to the modes already seen in Giulietta, the 4C has a new “Race” mode. The U.S. version of the 4C was introduced in the 2014 New York International Auto Show with the first 100 4C’s being shipped to the U.S. early July, with a total of 850 being shipped by the end of 2014. The U.S. model includes extra bracing and strengthening required to meet U.S. crash regulations (including aluminium inserts in the carbon fibre chassis), resulting in 100 kg (220 lb) of weight increase. This version also has new headlamps similar to those seen before in the 4C Spider version. In 2018, the 4C coupe was discontinued for the North American market due to US DOT NHTSA FMVSS 226 Ejection Mitigation. The regulation called for a progressive compliance date based on volume and, due to low volume, the 4C was allowed to continue until the last compliance date of 9/1/2017, thus all 2018 4C coupes in North America have build dates of 8/2017 or earlier. The 4C Spider, however continued to be sold in North America for model year 2019 and model year 2020. The Spider version of the 4C was previewed showing a pre-production prototype at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Sharing its engine with the Coupé version, the 4C Spider has different external parts such as the headlights, exhaust and engine hood, as well as a different roof section that features a removable roof panel. The North American spec 4C reflects a weight difference of only 22 lb (10 kg) (2,465 lbs vs. 2,487 lbs) for the Spider variant. Top speed is quoted at 257 km/h (160 mph) and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) at 4.5 seconds. The 4C Launch Edition was a limited and numbered edition, unveiled at the vehicle’s launch at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The vehicle came in a choice of four paint colours (Rosso Alfa, Rosso Competizione tri-coat, Madreperla White tri-coat or Carrara White matte). 500 examples were reserved for Europe/ROW, 500 for North America, 88 for Australia (Rosso Alfa and Madreperla White only), 200 to Japan and 100 for the Middle East. Note that the original press release cited 500 for North America, 400 Europe, and 100 ROW; however, the plaques on actual cars suggest that more were built and are the numbers referenced above. Distinguishing features of the Launch Edition were carbon fiber trim (including headlight housings, spoiler and door mirror caps), rear aluminium extractor with dark finishing, Bi-LED headlights, dark painted 18-inch front and 19-inch rear alloy wheels, additional air intakes on the front fascia, red brake calipers, racing exhaust system, BMC air cleaner, specific calibration for shock absorbers and rear anti-roll bar, leather/fabric sports seats with parts in Alcantara and a numbered plaque. Alfa Red coloured cars got matching red stitching on the steering wheel, handbrake, mats, handles and sports seats. In Europe the vehicle went on sale for 60,000 euros including VAT. The 4C Competizione is a limited edition version of the 4C introduced in the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, finished in matte Vesuvio Grey, with carbon details on the roof, rear spoiler, mirror caps, side air vents and headlight moulding. The run reportedly consisted of 108 units. The Japanese market received 25 units, and 10 units were assigned to Australia. The US-market received no Competizione editions. The car had a very mixed reaction. The UK press hated it at launch, but owners generally disagreed and loved it. A total of 9117 were built before production ceased in 2020.

ALPINE

The Alpine A110 is a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car introduced by French car manufacturer Alpine at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show in March 2017. Deliveries began in late 2017 for Continental European markets and in 2018 for the UK, Japan and Australia. Both its name and design refer back to the original Alpine A110 that was produced from 1961 to 1977. Based on an all-aluminium construction, the A110 is powered by a Nissan-derived 1.8-litre turbocharged gasoline direct injection 4 valves per cylinder inline-four engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission manufactured by Getrag. Developed by Renault–Nissan and reworked by Alpine engineers, the engine has an output of 252 PS at 6,000 rpm and 320 Nm (236 lb/ft) of torque at 2,000–5,000 rpm. According to Alpine, the A110 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 4.5 seconds, and has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The A110 was initially available in three trims: Pure, Première, and Legende. The Pure cars, the base trim, have 17-inch alloy wheels. The Première trim cars are technically the launch edition models limited to 1,955 units and were equipped with amenities such as forged alloy wheels, quilted leather Sabelt bucket sports seats, a reversing camera, and metallic blue exterior colour as standard. The Legende trim cars come with six-way adjustable sports seats, black or brown leather interior upholstery, an upgraded hi-fi sound system, and specially designed wheels exclusive to this trim. All of the three trims share the same powertrain and transmission. For the 2020 model year, The Pure trim level was replaced by the Alpine A110, with no other badging. The Légende was replaced by the Alpine A110 GT which employed the same engine as the A110 S.

ASTON MARTIN

Oldest of the post-war Astons on display was this DB2/4. This was the first new post-war Aston, and the first car to adopt the now legendary DB naming convention, reflecting the fact that in 1947 David Brown had bought the Aston Martin and Lagonda companies and incorporated them as Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.  Lagonda’s 2.6 litre dual overhead cam, straight-six engine, more powerful than the pushrod 1.9 litre unit in the Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports, was the main objective in Brown’s acquisition of the company. W. O. Bentley had supervised the engine’s design, which was largely by William (Willie) Watson, an engineer with the pre-war Invicta company who had collaborated on Lagonda’s pre-war V12 and also designed the short-lived post-war version. Work then started on producing a new car, which was called the DB2. This new model would utilise a version of the Lagonda engine in a shortened version of the tube-frame chassis designed by Claude Hill for the Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports, with a fastback coupé body designed by Frank Feeley. Three pre-production cars were entered for the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans. One, which would become the development car for the production DB2, had the Lagonda straight-6, while the four-cylinder Aston Martin 2-litre unit powered the other two. After six laps the Lagonda-powered car, driven by Leslie Johnson, retired with overheating caused by failure of the water pump. One of the 2-litre cars was in 4th place and running without brakes when it crashed two hours short of the finish, fatally injuring driver Pierre Maréchal. The other finished 7th, crewed by Arthur Jones and Nick Haines. A month later, the larger-engined car, driven by Leslie Johnson and Charles Brackenbury, finished 3rd in the Spa 24-hour race, where one of the 2-litre cars was driven to 5th by Nick Haines and Lance Macklin. For 1950 all three factory team cars were equipped with the Lagonda engine. At the 1950 Le Mans race the one driven by George Abecassis and Lance Macklin finished 5th, with Brackenbury and Reg Parnell bringing another home 6th, which won Aston Martin 1st and 2nd in the 3-litre class. Across the Atlantic, Briggs Cunningham drove his DB2 to 2nd in its class at the inaugural Sebring race meeting in December 1950. The factory team cars continued racing in Europe throughout 1951, including at Le Mans, where Macklin and Eric Thompson took 3rd overall, with Abecassis and Brian Shawe-Taylor 5th. David Brown soon embarked on a series of Aston Martins designed specifically for competition use, starting with the DB3. Meanwhile, the production DB2 debuted at the New York Auto Show in April 1950 and continued in production until April 1953, by which time 411 had been made. The first 49 had a chrome-framed front grille in three separate parts, and large rectangular cooling vents in the front wings. Subsequent cars had a one-piece grille with horizontal chrome slats, and no side vents. The single-piece bonnet was hinged at the front. At the rear of the fixed-head coupé (FHC) a small top-hinged lid gave access to the spare wheel, and luggage space was behind the front seats, accessible only from inside the car. Later in 1950, a Drophead Coupé (DHC) variant was introduced. At least 102 were built. In April 1950, an engine with larger carburettors, inlet camshaft the same as the exhaust (for increased duration), and higher compression ratio pistons (8.16:1) was made available. Aston Martin’s first Vantage upgrade option offered 125 hp. Initially the higher compression ratio made the engine unsuitable for the British market, as the postwar austerity measures of the early 1950s restricted UK vehicles to 72 octane “Pool petrol”. The first DB2 Vantage, LML 50/21, was delivered to, and raced by, Briggs Cunningham in the United States. A revised version of the DB2 was launched in 1953, called the DB2/4. It was available as a 2+2 hatchback, marketed as a Saloon, as a Drophead Coupé (DHC) and as a 2-seat Fixed Head Coupe. A small number of Bertone bodied spiders were commissioned by private buyers. A further update in 1957 created the Mark III, and this was produced until the launch of the DB4 in 1958.

Follow on to the DB7 was the DB9 (there has never been a car called DB8 – supposedly because people might have assumed this meant a V8 engine), and there was a nice example here. Designed by Marek Reichmann and Hendrik Fisker, the DB9 was first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show, in coupe form. It was widely praised for the beauty of its lines. This was the first model to be built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon facility. It was built on the VH platform, which would become the basis for all subsequent Aston models. The Aston Martin DB9 was initially launched equipped with a 6.0 litre V12 engine, originally taken from the V12 Vanquish. The engine produced 420 lbf·ft of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 444 hp at 6,000 rpm, allowing the DB9 to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 299 km/h (186 mph). The engine largely sits behind the front-axle line to improve weight distribution. Changes to the engine for the 2013 model year increased the power to 503 hp and torque to 457 lb-ft, decreasing the 0 to 60 mph time to 4.50 seconds and with a new top speed is 295 km/h (183 mph). The DB9 was available with either a six-speed conventional manual gearbox from Graziano or a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox featuring paddle-operated semi-automatic mode. The gearbox is rear-mounted and is driven by a carbon-fibre tail shaft inside a cast aluminium torque tube. The DB9 was the first Aston Martin model to be designed and developed on Ford’s aluminium VH (vertical/horizontal) platform. The body structure is composed of aluminium and composites melded together by mechanically fixed self-piercing rivets and robotic assisted adhesive bonding techniques. The bonded aluminium structure is claimed to possess more than double the torsional rigidity of its predecessor’s, despite being 25 percent lighter. The DB9 also contains anti-roll bars and double wishbone suspension, supported by coil springs. To keep the back-end in control under heavy acceleration or braking, the rear suspension has additional anti-squat and anti-lift technology. Later versions of the car also features three modes for the tuning: normal, for every-day use, sport, for more precise movement at the cost of ride comfort, and track, which furthers the effects of the sport setting. The Aston Martin DB9 Volante, the convertible version of the DB9 coupe, followed a few months later. The chassis, though stiffer, uses the same base VH platform. To protect occupants from rollovers, the Volante has strengthened windscreen pillars and added two pop-up hoops behind the rear seats. The hoops cannot be disabled and will break the car’s rear window if deployed. In an effort to improve the Volante’s ride while cruising, Aston Martin have softened the springs and lightened the anti-roll bars in the Volante, leading to a gentler suspension. The retractable roof of the Volante is made of folding fabric and takes 17 seconds to be put up or down. The Volante weighs 59 kilograms (130 pounds) more than the coupe. The coupe and Volante both share the same semi-automatic and automatic gearboxes and engine. The car was limited to 266 km/h (165 mph) to retain the integrity of the roof. Like the coupe, the original Volante has 420 lb/ft of torque at 5,000 rpm and a maximum power of 450 hp at 6,000 rpm. The 0 to 60 mph slowed to 4.9 seconds due to the additional weight. The DB9 was facelifted in July 2008, which mainly amounted to an increase in engine power, to 476 hp and a redesigned centre console. Externally, the DB9 remained virtually unchanged. For the 2013 model year revision, Aston made minor changes to the bodywork by adapting designs from the Virage, including enlarging the recessed headlight clusters with bi-xenon lights and LED daytime strips, widening the front splitter, updating the grille and side heat extractors, updating the LED rear lights with clear lenses and integrating a new rear spoiler with the boot lid. .On newer models, like the coupe’s, the Volante’s horsepower and torque increased to 517 PS (510 hp) and 457 lb/ft respectively. As a finale for the model, a more powerful DB9 was released in 2015, called the DB9 GT. This had 540 bhp and 457 lb-ft of torque at 5500 rpm, giving a 0 to 60mph time of 4.4 seconds and 0 to 100mph in 10.2 seconds, with the standing quarter mile dispatched in 12.8 to 12.9 seconds and a top speed of 183mph.

Following the unveiling of the AMV8 Vantage concept car in 2003 at the North American International Auto Show designed by Henrik Fisker, the production version, known as the V8 Vantage was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005. The two seat, two-door coupé had a bonded aluminium structure for strength and lightness. The 172.5 inch (4.38 m) long car featured a hatchback-style tailgate for practicality, with a large luggage shelf behind the seats. In addition to the coupé, a convertible, known as the V8 Vantage Roadster, was introduced later in that year. The V8 Vantage was initially powered by a 4.3 litre quad-cam 32-valve V8 which produced 380 bhp at 7,300 rpm and 409 Nm (302 lb/ft) at 5,000 rpm. However, models produced after 2008 had a 4.7-litre V8 with 420 bhp and 470 Nm (347 lb/ft) of torque. Though based loosely on Jaguar’s AJ-V8 engine architecture, this engine was unique to Aston Martin and featured race-style dry-sump lubrication, which enabled it to be mounted low in the chassis for an improved centre of gravity. The cylinder block and heads, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts, inlet and exhaust manifolds, lubrication system and engine management were all designed in house by Aston Martin and the engine was assembled by hand at the AM facility in Cologne, Germany, which also built the V12 engine for the DB9 and Vanquish. The engine was front mid-mounted with a rear-mounted transaxle, giving a 49/51 front/rear weight distribution. Slotted Brembo brakes were also standard. The original V8 Vantage could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds before topping out at 175 mph. In 2008, Aston Martin introduced an aftermarket dealer approved upgrade package for power and handling of the 4.3-litre variants that maintained the warranty with the company. The power upgrade was called the V8 Vantage Power Upgrade, creating a more potent version of the Aston Martin 4.3-litre V8 engine with an increase in peak power of 20 bhp to 400 bhp while peak torque increased by 10 Nm to 420 Nm (310 lb/ft). This consists of the fitting of the following revised components; manifold assembly (painted Crackle Black), valved air box, right and left hand side vacuum hose assemblies, engine bay fuse box link lead (ECU to fuse box), throttle body to manifold gasket, intake manifold gasket, fuel injector to manifold seal and a manifold badge. The V8 Vantage had a retail price of GB£79,000, US$110,000, or €104,000 in 2006, Aston Martin planned to build up to 3,000 per year. Included was a 6-speed manual transmission and leather-upholstery for the seats, dash board, steering-wheel, and shift-knob. A new 6-speed sequential manual transmission, similar to those produced by Ferrari and Lamborghini, called Sportshift was introduced later as an option. An open-topped model was added to the range in 2006 and then in the quest for more power a V12 Vantage joined the range not long after. All told, Aston produced 18 different versions of the model in a production run which continued until 2018, with a number of limited edition cars swelling the ranks.

During 2016, a handful of lucky customers were able to take delivery of one (or both) of a couple of very special versions of the Vantage offered, the GT8 and GT12, and an example of the latter was here. First of them was the Vantage GT12. This started out as the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 special edition when it  was  unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2015. The company said that they would only manufacture 100 cars. After a complaint from Porsche over the use of the “GT3” moniker, the car was renamed the Vantage GT12. It features a new iteration of the 6.0-litre V12 that produces 592 bhp and 461 lb/ft  of torque. It has a kerb weight of 1,535 kg (3,384 lb), and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. There were sufficient external alterations that you would know that you were looking at something very special. For the Vantage GT8, which was launched a year later, Aston decided to make more cars – 150 of them, which was 50 more than the GT12. The GT8 features the same 4.7-litre V8 as found in the base Vantage but with power now increased to 440 bhp, and has a top speed of 190 mph (310 km/h). The GT8 is available with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed Sportshift II automated manual transmission, and has a kerb weight of 1,510 kg (3,329 lb), a 100 kg (220 lb) reduction over the V8 Vantage S.

The latest and still current Aston Martin Vantage was unveiled on 21 November 2017 with production starting in June 2018, replacing the previous model which had been in production for 12 years. It introduced a new styling direction but this was not universally well received and the car had a hefty price increase over its predecessor. Muted press enthusiasm did not help and sales have been disappointing. Aston Martin have continued to develop the model with a number of new versions introduced, to try to improve demand. The Vantage AMR is a track-focused variant of the Vantage. The main highlight of the model is the replacement of the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission with a dog-leg Graziano Trasmissioni 7-speed manual transmission previously used on the V12 Vantage S. The AMR also comes with a driver-selectable AMSHIFT system which controls the throttle during gear shifting. A new limited-slip differential ensures linear delivery of power. The power-band of the engine is wider and the unit is designed to deliver 625 Nm (461 lb/ft) of torque from 2,000 rpm to 5,000 rpm. The use of a manual transmission and carbon-ceramic brakes reduce the weight by 95 kg (209 lb). New adaptive dampers with the section of Sport, Sport + and Track modes improve handling. Performance figures include a 0–97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 3.9 seconds, half a second more than the standard Vantage while the top speed remains the same as the standard model. Visual changes include 20-inch forged wheels as available on the Rapide AMR, new carbon fibre side vents and cooling vents present on the hood a sports exhaust system with quad tailpipes and racing bucket seats. Production of the AMR will be limited to 200 units worldwide. Available exterior colours for the AMR include Sabiro Blue, Pnyx Black, China Grey and White Stone. The final 59 cars will be finished in a Sterling Green exterior colour with Lime accents and will pay homage to the 1959 24 Hours of LeMans victory of Aston Martin. Once the production of the AMR ceases, the 7-speed manual transmission will become available on the standard Vantage. The vehicle went on sale in May 2019, with delivery set to begin in Q4 2019. Revealed in February 2020, the Vantage Roadster is a convertible version of the V8 Coupe with a fabric roof. The roof claimed to be the fastest of any automotive automatic convertible system, takes 6.7 seconds to lower and 6.8 seconds to raise and can be operated at speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The Vantage Roadster has a dry weight of 1,628 kg (3,589 lb). The F1 Edition is a version of the V8 Coupe and V8 Roadster commemorating Aston Martin’s return to Formula One after 61 years. The car features a fixed rear wing at the back, increased engine power to 535 PS (528 bhp), a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph), new 21-inch wheel rims, and a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration time of 3.5 seconds. The car is available in three colours: Aston Martin Racing Green, Jet Black, and Lunar White. A convertible version called the Roadster is also available. Delivery began in May 2021.

AUDI

The Audi S1 was Audi’s smallest S model car and a performance version of the Audi A1. The first variant (Typ 8X, produced from 2014 to 2018) has 228 hp derived from the Volkswagen group’s EA888 2.0 litre turbo four cylinder, and on demand Haldex Quattro four-wheel-drive. The 3-door S1 accelerates from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.8 seconds whereas the 5-door ‘Sportback’ variant takes 0.1 second longer at 5.9 seconds. Both models have an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

BENTLEY

Not sure about this one apart from it looking an impressive beast. The DVLA has it listed as a 1936 car, re-registered in 1999 on one of those horrible retro Scottish numbers BSL 668 (Clackmannanshire) with a engine of 4566cc (a 1952-55 R Type perhaps). I have seen it quoted elsewhere as a 1925 3 litre, but no mention of chassis or engine number.

The Arnage, a twin of the Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, was introduced in the Spring of 1998, the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980. This is a large car: over 5.4 metres (212 in) long, 1.9 metres (75 in) wide, and has a kerb weight of more than 2.5 metric tonnes. For a brief period it was the most powerful and fastest four-door saloon on the market. In a complete switch from tradition, whilst these cars had bodies built at the Crewe factory, the then owner, Vickers, decided that the car would be powered by engines built elsewhere. A number of potential engines were examined, including the GM Premium V engine, and a Mercedes-Benz V8 engine, before, in late 1994, Vickers selected a pair of BMW power plants. It was decided that the Rolls-Royce model  would use BMW’s naturally aspirated V12 engine while the more-sporting Bentley model would use a special twin-turbo version of the 4.4-litre BMW V8, which was developed by Vickers subsidiary, Cosworth Engineering. On its introduction in the spring of 1998, the Arnage was available as a single model with the 4,398cc twin turbo developing some 354 PS (349 bhp) and 420 lb·ft. During the takeover battle in 1998 between BMW and Volkswagen Group for ownership of Rolls Royce and Bentley Motors, BMW had threatened to stop supply of their engines if Volkswagen Group won. While the threat was later withdrawn in conjunction with BMW acquiring the right to manufacture the Rolls Royce marque at a new location, it was clear that Volkswagen could not accept the business and reputation risks associated with having their rival as a long-term business partner. Furthermore, customers were nervous about engine and part availability (of which there turned out to be no issue) and orders for new cars dropped precipitously. Volkswagen’s response was to prepare the old pushrod 6.75-litre 16-valve engine from the Turbo R for the Arnage, designed for the lighter and smaller BMW 32-valve V8 unit. Coupled with an outdated 4-speed automatic, the engine was extremely thirsty, and would not meet government-imposed emissions standards without hasty modifications. The revised version of the car was launched as the Arnage Red Label in October 1999. At the same time, but without the fanfare, Bentley made several minor modifications to the original BMW engined cars, and designated them as the “Arnage Green Label” for the 2000 model year. As part of the modification process, both Red and Green Label cars received stiffer body shells and larger wheels and brakes. The stiffer body shell was needed because of the extra weight of the British engine. The larger brakes were needed for the same reason. Despite the larger brakes, braking performance worsened with the extra weight of the 6.75 engine. The braking performance of the ’99 Green Label from 70–0 was 172 feet while the later Arnage T’s performance was 182 feet from the same speed. The PR department at Bentley pointed to customer demand as the driving force behind the reversion to the old two valve per cylinder 6.75-litre unit for the Red Label. This explanation appears to have been acceptable to all but a few of the motoring press who welcomed the return of the old unit after criticising the BMW motor as at best insipid and, at worst, underpowered. In reality, the outgoing BMW-powered Arnage was technically more modern, considerably more fuel efficient, and had 32 valves with double overhead camshafts, twin-turbo and Bosch engine management technology – as opposed to 16-valve, single turbo and a pushrod motor with less advanced engine management.  The Red Label’s increase in motive power shaved less than a second of the zero to 60 mph time. However, the BMW twin turbo unit remained noticeably more agile and responsive from a driver’s perspective, due to its more responsive DOHC engine, better weight balance(maintaining a 51.1/48.9 weight distribution) and almost 600 lb (270 kg) lower curb weight. Ultimately the Green Label was more reliable and significantly less expensive to service in the long term.  The key limiting factor of the BMW engine’s output was the ZF 5HP30 transmission which was not rated to handle more than the 413 lb·ft torque that the twin turbo engine was tuned to produce. In total only seven Arnage Green Label units were built, all of which were left-hand-drive versions. There was a final series of vehicles built in 2000 with the 4.4-litre BMW engine designated the Arnage Birkin, of which 52 units were produced and are distinguishable by their three-dial as opposed to five-dial instrument centre dashboard configuration. A long-wheelbase version of the Red Label was launched at the North American International Auto Show in 2001. The Green Label ended production in 2000. The Red Label models were replaced in 2002. In 2001, the Arnage RL, a long-wheelbase model, 9.8 in longer than the Arnage, was launched, the extra length added to the car at its rear doors and its C-pillar. With the standard Arnage model, the rear wheel wells butt up against the rear door frames, but with the RL they are a few inches further back. The overall effect is a larger rear area inside the car. Available only as a bespoke “Mulliner” model, each RL was customised to the desires of the buyer. The RL, however, was also the first of a new series of Arnages which would finally cure the Bentley Arnage of the reliability and performance deficiencies experienced following its forced deprivation of the modern BMW engines it was designed to use. The RL would also present a credible challenge to BMW’s attempts to revive the Rolls-Royce brand with its planned new model, the Phantom. The RL’s introduction saw the introduction of an entirely reworked version of the 6.75-litre V8 engine. Where the engine used in the Red Label was a quickly and less-than-completely-satisfactorily modified version of the Turbo RT’s unit, the RL featured an entirely reworked version of the old 6.75-litre V8. More than half of the engine’s parts were completely new, with Bosch Motronic ME7.1.1 engine management replacing the old Zytek system, and two small Garrett T3 turbochargers replacing the single large T4. This new engine developed 405 PS (399 bhp) and 616 lb·ft, and was said to be capable of meeting all future emissions requirements. Finally, the Arnage was powered by a modern twin-turbo unit with state-of-the-art electronic management system similar to the originally Cosworth-BMW unit developed for the Arnage in 1998. Perhaps ironically, what was essentially a new engine developed by Volkswagen Group engineers for the RL in 2001, was now producing the same sort of power as the original BMW V8 4.4 engine used in the first Arnage in 1998. Unfortunately, the development and testing of the revisions to the new engine were rushed by VW to meet regulatory requirements. As a result, the camshafts are prone to failure requiring extensive repair work to remedy In 2002, Bentley updated the Red Label as the series two Arnage R. This model was launched to contrast the Arnage T, which was developed to be more sporting. The Arnage R features two Garrett T3 turbochargers, as with the RL.The Arnage T, also from 2002, was claimed to be the most powerful roadgoing Bentley at its launch at the Detroit Motor Show. As with the Arnage R, there were twin-turbochargers, but tuned to develop 465 PS (459 bhp) and 645 lbf·ft. The Arnage T’s 0–60 mph time is 5.5 seconds; a top speed of 170 mph was claimed. The Arnage range was facelifted in 2005, with a front end resembling that of the new Continental GT. Production of the Arnage ceased in 2009.

BMW

First BMW that appeared here was the current generation X3M.

The M2 was first revealed in Need for Speed: No Limits on November 2015, before later premiering at the North American International Auto Show in January 2016. Production commenced in October 2015 and is only available as a rear-wheel drive coupé. The M2 is powered by the turbocharged 3.0-litre N55B30T0 straight-six engine producing 365 bhp at 6,500 rpm and 465 Nm (343 lb/ft) between 1,450–4,750 rpm, while an overboost function temporarily increases torque to 500 Nm (369 lb/ft). The M2 features pistons from the F80 M3 and F82 M4, and has lighter aluminium front and rear suspension components resulting in a 5 kg (11 lb) weight reduction. The M2 is available with a 6-speed manual or with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission which features a ‘Smokey Burnout’ mode. 0-100 km/h acceleration times are 4.5 seconds manual transmission models and 4.3 seconds for models equipped with the 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph) but can be extended to 270 km/h (168 mph) with the optional M Driver’s package. The M2 Competition was introduced at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show and succeeded the standard M2 Coupé. Production began in July 2018. The M2 Competition uses the high performance S55 engine which is a variant of the 3.0-litre twin turbocharged straight six engine found in the F80 M3 and F82 M4. The engine features a redesigned oil supply system and modified cooling system from the BMW M4 with the Competition Package, and also features a gasoline particulate filter in certain European Union countries to reduce emissions. Compared to the standard M2, the S55 produces an additional 30 kW (40 hp) and 85 Nm (63 lb/ft), resulting in a larger and more sustained power output of 405 bhp between 5,370–7,200 rpm, and 550 N⋅m (406 lb/ft) at 2,350–5,230 rpm. The 0-100 km/h acceleration time is 4.4 seconds for six-speed manual transmission models, and 4.2 seconds for models with the 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph), but the M Driver’s package can extend the limit to 280 km/h (174 mph) which is 10 km/h (6 mph) further than in the M2. The M2 Competition also has a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic strut bar, enlarged kidney grilles, and larger brake discs of 400 mm (15.7 in) in the front axle and 380 mm (15.0 in) in the rear axle. Because of the new engine and cooling system, the M2 Competition is 55 kg (121 lb) heavier than the standard M2 at 1,550 kg (3,417 lb) for manual transmission models and 1,575 kg (3,472 lb) for dual-clutch transmission models. Production recently ended in anticipation of the next generation car.

CITROEN

There is a long history to this car, but it was only really with the relaunch of the model to the UK market in 1974 when interest here took off. Sales of the 2CV were reinvigorated by the 1974 oil crisis. The 2CV after this time became as much a youth lifestyle statement as a basic functional form of transport. This renewed popularity was encouraged by the Citroën “Raid” intercontinental endurance rallies of the 1970s where customers could participate by buying a new 2CV, fitted with a “P.O.” kit (Pays d’Outre-mer—overseas countries), to cope with thousands of miles of very poor or off-road routes. Because of new emission standards, in 1975 power was reduced from 28 hp to 25 hp. The round headlights were replaced by square ones, adjustable in height. A new plastic grille was fitted. In July 1975, a base model called the 2CV Spécial was introduced with the 435 cc engine. Between 1975 and 1990 under the name of AZKB “2CV Spécial” a drastically reduced trim basic version was sold, at first only in yellow and with an untreated black roof. Slimmer bumpers with stick-on tape rather than plastic strips and no overriders were fitted. It also had the earlier round headlights, last fitted in 1974. In order to keep the price as low as possible, Citroën removed the third side window, the ashtray, and virtually all trim from the car, while that which remained was greatly simplified, such as simple vinyl-clad door cards and exposed door catches rather than the plastic moulded trims found on the 2CV Club. Other 2CVs shared their instruments with the Dyane and H-Van but the Spécial had a much smaller square speedometer also incorporating the fuel gauge, originally fitted to the 2CV in the mid-1960s and then discontinued. The model also had a revised (and cheaper-to-make) plastic version of the 1960s two-spoke steering wheel instead of the one-spoke item from the Dyane, as found on the Club. From the 1978 Paris Motor Show the Spécial regained third side windows, and was available in red and white; beginning in mid-1979 the 602 cc engine was installed.[58] In June 1981 the Spécial E arrived; this model had a standard centrifugal clutch and particularly low urban fuel consumption. By 1980 the boost to 2CV sales across Europe delivered by the 1973 Energy Crisis had begun to wear off and there was a whole new generation of superminis and economy cars available from European and Japanese manufacturers. Citroën itself now had the Visa available. Peak annual production for 2CVs was reached in 1974 (163,143 cars) but by 1980 this had dropped to 89,994 and by 1983 would stand at just 59,673. Nonetheless the car remained profitable for PSA to produce on account of its tooling and set-up costs being amortised many years before and it could share major parts with more popular or profitable models such as the Visa and Acadiane. As part of this rationalisation in 1981 the Spécial was fitted as standard with the 602 cc engine, although the 435 cc version remained available to special order in some European countries until stocks were used up. Also in 1981 a yellow 2CV6 was driven by James Bond (Roger Moore) in the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only. The car in the film was fitted with the flat-4 engine from a Citroën GS which more than doubled the power. In one scene the ultra light 2CV tips over and is quickly righted by hand. Citroën launched a special edition 2CV “007” to coincide with the film; it was fitted with the standard engine and painted yellow with “007” on the front doors and fake bullet hole stickers. In 1982 all 2CV models got inboard front disc brakes, which also used LHM fluid instead of conventional brake fluid—the same as was found in the larger Citroën models with hydropneumatic suspension. In late 1986 Citroën introduced the Visa’s replacement, the AX. This was widely regarded as a superior car to the Visa and took many of the remaining 2CV sales in France following its introduction. From 1986 to 1987 2CV production fell by 20 per cent to just 43,255 cars. Of that total over 12,500 went to West Germany and 7212 went to the UK. France was now the third-largest market for 2CVs, taking 7045 cars that year. It was estimated that Citroën was now selling the 2CV at a loss in the French market, but that it was still profitable in other European countries. The peak of 2CV sales in the United Kingdom would be reached in 1986, thanks to the introduction of the popular Dolly special edition (see below)—7520 new 2CVs were registered in Britain that year. This year saw the discontinuation of the Club, which was by then the only 2CV model to retain the rectangular headlamps. This left the Spécial as the only regular 2CV model, alongside the more fashion-orientated Dolly, Charleston and the other special editions. In 1988, production ended in France after 40 years. The factory at Levallois-Perret had been the global centre for 2CV production since 1948 but was outdated, inefficient and widely criticised for its poor working conditions. The last French-built 2CV was made on February 25. In recognition of the event, the last 2CV built at Levallois was a basic Spécial in a non-standard grey colour—the same shade as worn by the very first 2CVs. Production of the 2CV would continue at the smaller-capacity but more modern Mangualde plant in Portugal. In 1989 the first European emission standards were introduced voluntarily by a number of European nations, ahead of the legal deadline of July 1992. This meant that the 2CV was withdrawn from sale in Austria, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands—the latter one of the car’s largest remaining markets. That year the three leading markets for the 2CV were West Germany (7866), France (5231) and the UK (3200). The last 2CV was built at Mangualde on 27 July 1990—it was a specially-prepared Charleston model. Only 42,365 2CVs were built in Portugal in the two years following the end of French production. Portuguese-built cars, especially those from when production was winding down, have a reputation in the UK for being much less well made and more prone to corrosion than those made in France. According to Citroën, the Portuguese plant was more up-to-date than the one in Levallois.

You really don’t see the Dyane very often these days, so it was quite a surprise to find two of them here.  Launched on its home market in August 1967, it was, of course, a development of the Citroën 2CV, and was intended as an answer to the increasingly popular Renault 4, which after its introduction in 1961 had affected 2CV sales. The Renault 4 incorporated many ideas copied from the Citroën Traction Avant, but on a smaller scale. Like the Renault 4, the Dyane was designed from the outset as a hatchback with some other styling differences, such as conventional round headlamps set into the front wings with a squared stainless steel trim ring – as opposed to the old-fashioned separate units found on the 2CV – and stainless steel wheel embellishments as standard. It was often asserted that the Dyane was intended to replace the 2CV, and although this had been the original idea, by the time the car was launched it was positioned to fill a small niche between the manufacturer’s 2CV and Ami models. The 2CV had been developed and, in 1948, launched at a time of austerity and low wages. More than twenty years later, with the much more modern Renault 4 selling strongly against the Citroën offerings, it was thought that buyers must be ready for a less aggressively basic approach. During the years since 1948 production technology had become more streamlined, as auto-industry wages grew ahead of the overall growth in the French economy, and production of the 2CV was, by the standard of more recent models, a very labour-intensive process. At the time of the Dyane’s development, the Citroën design department was busy on updates of the key DS and Ami models: design of the Dyane was therefore initially subcontracted to the Panhard design department, Panhard’s non-military business having in 1965 been absorbed into Citroën’s car business. The Panhard team under Louis Bioner (who had designed every Panhard model introduced between the late 1920s and the mid 1960s) produced a proposal that at a detailed level proved controversial with Citroën’s design chief, Robert Opron: the car was significantly reworked ahead of launch. The Dyane’s Panhard associations are also reflected in its name, Panhard having registered a copyright on the name Dyane along with Dyna, Dynavia and Dynamic. At launch the car was offered with two levels of equipment and trim: The Basic “Luxe” and the slightly better equipped “Confort”. The “Confort” version was differentiated from the outside through the inclusion of hub-caps on the wheels.  The spare wheel and jack were mounted in a special cradle under the bonnet rather than both simply being placed loose on the floor of the luggage area at the back. The interior of the “Confort” was slightly less basic, with plastic moulded door panels rather than flat, vinyl covered hardboard. The steering wheel was less “rustic” than that which the less expensive “Luxe” version of the Dyane shared with the Citroën 2CV.  The extra 615 francs in the 1967 domestic market listed price for the Dyane “Confort” represented a supplement of just over 10% when compared to the list price for the more basic “Luxe”. As with the 2CV, the engine was air-cooled, with a hemispherical combustion chamber and flat-topped pistons. and for the first five months only the 2CV’s 425cc engine was fitted. The “Dyane 6” was announced at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1968, fitted with the Ami’s 602cc M4 engine. This came with an advertised maximum output of 28 bhp, supporting a claimed top speed of 71 mph, which was a useful improvement over the 21 bhp of power and the claimed top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) with which the Dyane had been launched. The 602cc engined Dyane did not replace the original 425cc engined car.  However, two months later, in March 1968, the 425cc unit was replaced, in a car now described as the “Dyane 4”, by an improved 435cc engine providing 26 bhp. The extra power came from changes including not merely the slightly claimed cylinder dimensions, as well as an extra 2 mm of carburettor diameter and a raised compression ratio. Although there was a price to be paid in terms of higher fuel consumption, the listed top speed went up to 105 km/h (66 mph) and acceleration was measurably less anæmic. In September 1968 the M4 was replaced by an improved 602cc engine featuring higher compression pistons and forced induction from the engine fan giving slightly more power. As with the 2CV and Ami, cooling air was ducted straight to the heater, giving excellent demisting and heating. Mechanical contact-breakers were mounted at the front of the camshaft and located behind the cooling fan. The Fan was mounted on a tapered shaft and secured with a bolt at the bottom of a deep tube (the top of which engaged the starter handle). As the location of the points was not obvious to the uninformed, there were often neglected. The Coil fired both cylinders simultaneously (wasting one spark) and the spark plug wear was faster than it ought to have been; 6000 miles was not uncommon for a spark plug. Cylinder heads were held on with three studs and barrels slipped over the pistons. No cylinder-head gasket was used, and since the wings unbolted in a few minutes, it was possible to remove the cylinder heads and barrels, change the pistons or piston-rings and reassemble the top end very quickly, using only a few tools. The Dyane was based on the same platform chassis as the 2CV, sharing its advanced independent front to rear interconnected suspension. This comprised a central springing unit, running fore-and-aft in a tube on each side; each suspension arm on that side was linked to the spring, by a tie-rod and a ‘knife-edge’ pivot-pin. Early cars did not have conventional shock absorbers. The squeak you hear from most 2CVs and Dyanes as they go by over bumps is due to lack of lubrication either inside the spring tubes or to the ‘knife-edges’. The front hubs kingpins need to be greased every 600 miles. Since this is often overlooked, the king-pins can be prone to wear, although some movement is acceptable. During the Dyane’s first full year of production, supported by the interest and marketing activity generated by new-car launch, 98,769 Dyanes were produced which meant that it was indeed produced, even at this stage, in greater volumes than the 2CV with just 57,473 cars produced. In 1969 the Dyane was again produced at a higher rate, this time with 95,434 units as against 72,044 for the older car. However, the 2CV refused to die, and with 121,096 2CVs produced in 1970, the older car was back in front. The Dyane soldiered on, with French production rates remaining more than respectable, for more than another decade. However, the Dyane’s annual volumes would never again beat those of the 2CV and the car was deleted in 1980, several years before its older brother ended production. Few further changes were made, though from 1969, the Dyane 6 did gain a third side window, and a new grille was fitted from 1976. Minor trim updates were made, but the car remained resolutely utilitarian, and even the limited edition models such as the Code D’Azur of 1978 could not get away from the fact, not that enthusiastic owners really wanted anything else. 1,443,583 examples were made, but survival rates are low, and this car is far rarer than the 2CV.

Also here was the Acadiane Van. This was derived from the Dyane and only available in left-hand drive, produced from 1977 to 1987. Production totalled 253,393 before being replaced by the Visa-based C15. Why Acadiane? Well, as Citroën had already used the prefix AK for its light commercials, so it was an obvious pun to name the AK Dyane “Acadiane”. There was no connection beyond the pun with the French-speaking region of Louisiana that is home to Cajun (Acadiane) cooking. The Acadiane differed from the Dyane on which it was based in having heavier-duty suspension, a slightly altered chassis and a rear-brake limiter whose action was dependent on the load. The Acadiane was also fitted with wind-down windows in the driver’s and passenger’s doors. The Dyane car had horizontally-sliding windows. The payload was approximately 500 kg (1,100 lb), but handling was impaired when fully loaded. The Acadiane was available in commercial (two-seater) form or as a “Mixte”, with sliding rear windows and a removable rear bench seat. Citroën and many other manufacturers continue to this day (Berlingo et al.) with the option of rear seats in a vehicle clearly designed as a commercial. The Mixte version also had a passenger sun visor, missing in the more basic commercial version. In line with many Citroën light commercials, the roof of the rear bodywork was corrugated to add extra rigidity at little cost. The Acadiane cruised on the flat comfortably and economically at 55 mph. Top gear in the four-speed box was usually referred to as overdrive. This had been so since the earliest days of the 2CV. In most circumstances it was best used as such. Progress could be maintained in top, but further acceleration was unlikely. As the motor thrived on revs, third made a perfectly good gear to get up to 80 km/h.

FERRARI

The next V12 engined Ferrari was the 599 GTB (internal code F141) a new flagship, replacing the 575M Maranello. Styled by Pininfarina under the direction of Ferrari’s Frank Stephenson, the 599 GTB debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2006. It is named for its total engine displacement (5999 cc), Gran Turismo Berlinetta nature, and the Fiorano Circuit test track used by Ferrari.  The Tipo F140 C 5999 cc V12 engine produced a maximum 620 PS (612 hp), making it the most powerful series production Ferrari road car of the time. At the time of its introduction, this was one of the few engines whose output exceeded 100 hp per litre of displacement without any sort of forced-induction mechanism such as supercharging or turbocharging. Its 448 ft·lb of torque was also a record for Ferrari’s GT cars. Most of the modifications to the engine were done to allow it to fit in the Fiorano’s engine bay (the original Enzo version could be taller as it would not block forward vision due to its mid-mounted position). A traditional 6-speed manual transmission as well as Ferrari’s 6-speed called “F1 SuperFast” was offered. The Fiorano also saw the debut of Ferrari’s new traction control system, F1-Trac. The vast majority of the 599 GTB’s were equipped with the semi-automatic gearbox, with just 30 examples produced with a manual gearbox of which 20 were destined for the United States and 10 remained in Europe. The car changed little during its 6 year production, though the range did gain additional versions, with the HGTE model being the first,  with a number of chassis and suspension changes aimed at making the car even sharper to drive, and then the more potent 599GTO came in 2010. With 670 bhp, this was the fastest road-going Ferrari ever made. Just 599 were made. The model was superceded by the F12 Berlinetta in 2012.

Effectively a mid-life update to the 360 Modena, the F430 debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. Designed by Pininfarina, under the guidance of Frank Stephenson, the body styling of the F430 was revised from the  360 Modena, to improve its aerodynamic efficiency. Although the drag coefficient remained the same, downforce was greatly enhanced. Despite sharing the same basic Alcoa Aluminium chassis, roof line, doors and glass, the car looked significantly different from the 360. A great deal of Ferrari heritage was included in the exterior design. At the rear, the Enzo’s tail lights and interior vents were added. The car’s name was etched into the Testarossa-styled driver’s side mirror. The large oval openings in the front bumper are reminiscent of Ferrari racing models from the 60s, specifically the 156 “sharknose” Formula One car and 250 TR61 Le Mans cars of Phil Hill. Designed with soft-top-convertible. The F430 featured a 4.3 litre V8 petrol engine of the “Ferrari-Maserati” F136 family. This new power plant was a significant departure for Ferrari, as all previous Ferrari V8’s were descendants of the Dino racing program of the 1950s. This fifty-year development cycle came to an end with the entirely new unit. The engine’s output was 490 hp at 8500 rpm and 343 lb/ft of torque at 5250 rpm, 80% of which was available below 3500rpm. Despite a 20% increase in displacement, engine weight grew by only 4 kg and engine dimensions were decreased, for easier packaging. The connecting rods, pistons and crankshaft were all entirely new, while the four-valve cylinder head, valves and intake trumpets were copied directly from Formula 1 engines, for ideal volumetric efficiency. The F430 has a top speed in excess of 196 mph and could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, 0.6 seconds quicker than the old model. The brakes on the F430 were designed in close cooperation with Brembo (who did the calipers and discs) and Bosch (who did the electronics package),resulting in a new cast-iron alloy for the discs. The new alloy includes molybdenum which has better heat dissipation performance. The F430 was also available with the optional Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brake package. Ferrari claims the carbon ceramic brakes will not fade even after 300-360 laps at their test track. The F430 featured the E-Diff, a computer-controlled limited slip active differential which can vary the distribution of torque based on inputs such as steering angle and lateral acceleration. Other notable features include the first application of Ferrari’s manettino steering wheel-mounted control knob. Drivers can select from five different settings which modify the vehicle’s ESC system, “Skyhook” electronic suspension, transmission behaviour, throttle response, and E-Diff. The feature is similar to Land Rover’s “Terrain Response” system. The Ferrari F430 was also released with exclusive Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 EMT tyres, which have a V-shaped tread design, run-flat capability, and OneTRED technology. The F430 Spider, Ferrari’s 21st road going convertible, made its world premiere at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. The car was designed by Pininfarina with aerodynamic simulation programs also used for Formula 1 cars. The roof panel automatically folds away inside a space above the engine bay. The conversion from a closed top to an open-air convertible is a two-stage folding-action. The interior of the Spider is identical to that of the coupé. Serving as the successor to the Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia was unveiled by Michael Schumacher at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. Aimed to compete with cars like the Porsche RS-models and the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera it was lighter by 100 kg/220 lb and more powerful (510 PS) than the standard F430. Increased power came from a revised intake, exhaust, and an ion-sensing knock-detection system that allows for a higher compression ratio. Thus the weight-to-power ratio was reduced from 2.96 kg/hp to 2.5 kg/hp. In addition to the weight saving measures, the Scuderia semi-automatic transmission gained improved “Superfast”, known as “Superfast2”, software for faster 60 millisecond shift-times. A new traction control system combined the F1-Trac traction and stability control with the E-Diff electronic differential. The Ferrari 430 Scuderia accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 202 miles per hour. Ferrari claimed that around their test track, Fiorano Circuit, it matched the Ferrari Enzo, and the Ferrari F430’s successor, the Ferrari 458. To commemorate Ferrari’s 16th victory in the Formula 1 Constructor’s World Championship in 2008, Ferrari unveiled the Scuderia Spider 16M at World Finals in Mugello. It is effectively a convertible version of the 430 Scuderia. The engine produces 510 PS at 8500 rpm. The car has a dry weight of 1,340 kg, making it 80 kg lighter than the F430 Spider, at a curb weight of 1,440 kg (3,175 lb). The chassis was stiffened to cope with the extra performance available and the car featured many carbon fibre parts as standard. Specially lightened front and rear bumpers (compared to the 430 Scuderia) were a further sign of the efforts Ferrari was putting into this convertible track car for the road. Unique 5-spoke forged wheels were produced for the 16M’s launch and helped to considerably reduce unsprung weight with larger front brakes and callipers added for extra stopping power (also featured on 430 Scuderia). It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 315 km/h (196 mph). 499 vehicles were released beginning early 2009 and all were pre-sold to select clients

Next up was the 458, of which there were examples of both the closed Coupe and the later Spider model. An all new design, the 458 Italia was first officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Once more, Ferrari advised that the model incorporated technologies developed from the company’s experience in Formula 1. The body computer system was developed by Magneti Marelli Automotive Lighting. The 458 came with a 4,499 cc  V8 engine of the “Ferrari/Maserati” F136 engine family, producing 570 PS ( 562 hp) at 9,000 rpm and 540 N·m (398 lb/ft) at 6,000 rpm with 80% torque available at 3,250 rpm. The engine featured direct fuel injection, a first for Ferrari mid-engine setups in its road cars. The only transmission available was a dual-clutch 7-speed Getrag gearbox, in a different state of tune shared with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. There was no traditional manual option, making this the fourth road-car after the Enzo, Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia not to be offered with Ferrari’s classic gated manual. The car’s suspension featured double wishbones at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear, coupled with E-Diff and F1-Trac traction control systems, designed to improve the car’s cornering and longitudinal acceleration by 32% when compared with its predecessors.The brakes included a prefill function whereby the pistons in the calipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied. This combined with the ABS and standard Carbon Ceramic brakes caused a reduction in stopping distance from 100–0 km/h (62-0 mph) to 32.5 metres. Ferrari’s official 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time was quoted as 2.9–3.0 seconds with a top speed of 340 km/h (210 mph).  In keeping with Ferrari tradition the body was designed by Pininfarina under the leadership of Donato Coco, the Ferrari design director. The interior design of Ferrari 458 Italia was designed by Bertrand Rapatel, a French automobile designer. The car’s exterior styling and features were designed for aerodynamic efficiency, producing a downforce of 140 kg (309 lb) at 200 km/h. In particular, the front grille features deformable winglets that lower at high speeds, in order to offer reduced drag. The car’s interior was designed using input from former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher; in a layout common to racing cars, the new steering wheel incorporates many controls normally located on the dashboard or on stalks, such as turning signals or high beams. At launch the car was widely praised as being pretty much near perfect in every regard. It did lack a fresh air version, though, but that was addressed with the launch of the 458 Spider at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. This convertible variant of the 458 Italia featured an aluminium retractable hardtop which, according to Ferrari, weighs 25 kilograms (55 lb) less than a soft roof such as the one found on the Ferrari F430 Spider, and can be opened in 14 seconds The engine cover was redesigned to accommodate the retractable roof system. It had the same 0–100 km/h time as the hard-top but a lower top speed of 199 mph. It quickly became the better seller of the two versions.

The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (Type F152) is a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer which debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and replaces the 599 grand tourer. The naturally aspirated 6.3 litre Ferrari V12 engine used in the F12 Berlinetta has won the 2013 International Engine of the Year Award in the Best Performance category and Best Engine above 4.0 litres. The F12 Berlinetta was named “The Supercar of the Year 2012” by car magazine Top Gear. The F12berlinetta was replaced by the 812 Superfast in 2017

Launched at the 2015 Geneva Show, the 488GTB followed the lead set by the California T in bringing turbocharging into a modern-day, mid-engined V8 Ferrari supercar for the first time. The engine is completely new when compared with its V8 stablemate, not only in components but also in feel and character. It is a twin-turbocharged 3902cc unit whilst that in the California T is 3855cc. In the 488 GTB, it produces 660bhp at 8000rpm and 560lb ft at 3000rpm. Both outputs are significant increases over the normally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 used in the 562 bhp 458 Italia and 597 bhp 458 Speciale, and also greater than the car’s biggest rival, the McLaren 650S. The torque figure of the 488 GTB is such that it also exceeds the 509lb ft at 6000rpm of the normally aspirated V12 used in the range-topping Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. The mighty new engine in the 488 GTB drives the rear wheels through a revised seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox derived from the 458. It features a new ‘Variable Torque Management’ system which, Ferrari says, “unleashes the engine’s massive torque smoothly and powerfully right across the rev range”. The gear ratios are also tuned to “deliver incredibly progressive acceleration when the driver floors the throttle”. The 488 GTB can crack 0-62mph in just 3.0sec, 0-124mph in 8.4sec and reach a top speed of 205mph. Its 0-62mph and 0-124mph times match the McLaren 650S’s, but the Woking car’s top speed is slightly higher at 207mph. The engine also accounts for the ‘488’ element of the car’s name, because each of the engine’s eight cylinders is 488cc in capacity when rounded up. The GTB suffix, standing for Gran Turismo Berlinetta, is a hallmark of previous mid-engined V8 Ferraris such as the 308 GTB. Not only is the new turbo engine more potent than the 4.5-litre V8 from the 458 Italia, but it is also more economical. Combined fuel economy is rated at 24.8mpg, compared with 21.2mpg in the 458 Italia, and CO2 emissions are 260g/km – a 47g/km improvement. Ferrari’s HELE engine stop-start system features on the 488 GTB. Developments on the dynamic side include a second generation of the Side Slip Angle Control system, called SSC2. This allows the driver to oversteer without intruding, unless it detects a loss of control. The SSC2 now controls the active dampers, in addition to the F1-Trac traction control system and E-Diff electronic differential. Ferrari says the result is “more precise and less invasive, providing greater longitudinal acceleration out of corners” and flatter, more stable behaviour during “complex manoeuvres”. Learnings from the Ferrari XX programme have also been incorporated into the 488 GTB, something that Ferrari says allows all drivers and not just professionals, to make the most of its electronic and vehicle control systems. It also claims the 488 GTB is “the most responsive production model there is”, with responses comparable to a track car. The 488 GTB has lapped Ferrari’s Fiorano test track in 1min 23sec – two seconds faster than the 458 Italia, and half a second quicker than the 458 Speciale. The dimensions of the 488 GTB – it is 4568mm in length, 1952mm in width and 1213mm in height – closely match the 458 Italia from which it has evolved. Its dry weight is 1370kg when equipped with lightweight options – 40kg more than the McLaren 650S. The new look, styled at the Ferrari Styling Centre, features several new aerodynamic features that improve downforce and reduce drag. Most notable is the addition of active aerodynamics at the rear through a ‘blown’ rear spoiler, where air is channelled from the base of the glass engine cover under the spoiler. This contributes to the 50% increase in downforce over the 458 Italia. Also new is a double front spoiler, an aerodynamic underbody, a large air intake at the front that references the 308 GTB, a diffuser with active flaps, new positioning for the exhaust flaps and new-look lights. The interior has been redesigned to be made more usable, including new switchgear, air vents and instrument panel. The multi-function steering wheel remains, while the infotainment system gets a new interface and graphics. The Spider followed the closed coupe model six months later, and supplies of that car are now reaching the UK. This is now the bigger seller of the pair, as was the case with the 458 models.

FORD

The Mark 2 Escort had a great career as a rally car back in the day and this has persisted through various rally schools and amateur events to this day.

The Ford Sierra is a mid-size car or large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 to 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was “Project Toni”. Its name came from the Spanish word for mountain range. The Ford Sierra was first unveiled on 22 September 1982 at the British International Motor Show hosted at the NEC in Birmingham, shortly followed by the Salon de l’Automobile in Paris on 30 September 1982. Sales started on 15 October 1982, replacing the Ford Taunus TC3 (UK: Ford Cortina Mark V). Its aerodynamic styling was ahead of its time and as such, many conservative buyers (including company car drivers) did not take fondly to the Taunus’s/Cortina’s replacement. This was also due to the fact that the Sierra was not available as a saloon, in contrast to the Taunus/Cortina. A saloon model debuted in 1987 with the introduction of the facelifted Sierra. It was mainly manufactured in Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, although Sierras were also assembled in Ireland, Argentina, Venezuela, South Africa and New Zealand. By 1978, Ford Europe was working on a new mid-range model to replace the Cortina/Taunus during the early 1980s, working under the codename “Project Toni”. Although still popular with buyers, the outgoing Cortina/Taunus was essentially a 12-year old design by the time of the Sierra’s launch; despite the TC2 shape launching in 1976, and the mildly reworked TC3/Mk5 three years later, both were merely a reskinned version of the 1970 TC/Mk3 with few major mechanical changes in that time. Ford’s future model policy and styling direction had already been shown with the Escort III two years earlier, in that its conventionally styled saloons of the 1970s would be replaced by hatchbacks with advanced aerodynamic styling. Ford had confirmed during 1981, a year before the Sierra’s official launch, that its new mid-range car would carry the Sierra name, signalling the end of the Taunus and Cortina nameplates after 43 years and nine generations respectively 20 years and five generations. In September that year, it had unveiled the Probe III concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show, hinting at what the new car would look like when the final product was unveiled 12 months later. At first, many found the design blob-like and difficult to accept after being used to the sharp-edged, straight-line three-box styling of the Taunus/Cortina, and it was nicknamed “the jellymould”. The shape served a purpose though, producing a drag coefficient of 0.34, a significant improvement over the boxy outgoing Taunus’s/Cortina’s 0.45. This aerodynamic design was key for reducing fuel consumption according to Ford, and was even used as compensation for the V6-engines. The interior was more conventional, although Ford took a page from BMW by angling the centre of the dashboard towards the driver. Sales were slow in the first months – the situation being exacerbated by heavy discounting by Ford dealers of surplus Cortina stock from the autumn of 1982 onwards, with more than 11,000 new Cortinas being registered in 1983. However in 1983, its first full year of sales, the Sierra managed nearly 160,000 sales in Britain, outsold only by the smaller Escort. Ford had also launched the more conservatively designed Escort-based Orion saloon that year, which found favour with buyers who would otherwise have been the Sierra’s target customers. In West Germany, it was proving very popular from an early stage; within months of its launch, it was reportedly achieving treble the number of sales that the Taunus had been attaining – though in West Germany, the Taunus had not been quite as popular or iconic as its Cortina equivalent had been in Britain. It was later in the Sierra’s life that the styling began to pay off; ten years after its introduction, the Sierra’s styling was not nearly as outdated as its contemporaries, even though all major competitors were newer designs, though the Sierra had been tweaked on several occasions and many new engines had been added. The most notable changes came at the autumn of 1987, with a major facelift and the addition of a 4-door saloon (UK: Sapphire). As other manufacturers adopted similar aerodynamic styling, the Sierra looked more normal. At its peak, it was Britain’s second best selling car in 1983, 1988 and 1989, and was still Britain’s fifth best selling car in 1992. Its best year was 1989, when more than 175,000 were sold. However, it was outsold by the Vauxhall Cavalier in MK2 form during 1984 and 1985, and then from 1990 until its demise by the MK3 Cavalier. Nevertheless, it comfortably outsold its second key rival, the Austin Montego, which was launched in April 1984. Between 1985 and 1988, the Sierra faced fresh competition in Europe from the likes of the Renault 21 and Peugeot 405, while Japanese carmaker Nissan was producing its Bluebird model in Britain from 1986. Early versions suffered from crosswind stability problems, which were addressed in 1985 with the addition of “strakes” (small spoilers) on the rear edge of the rubber seals of the rear-most side windows. These shortcomings saw a lot of press attention, and contributed to early slow sales, when it was outsold by its key rival the Vauxhall Cavalier in 1984 and 1985. Other rumours that the car hid major crash damage (in part true, as the new bumper design sprung back after minor impact and couldn’t be “read” to interpret major damage) also harmed the car’s reputation. This reached near-hysterical heights in its early months on sale, with UK press making a report that Ford would reintroduce the previous Cortina model out of desperation. These reports were swiftly denied by Ford. However, sales began to rise during 1983, and it finished as Britain’s second best selling car behind the Escort. After being outsold by the Cavalier for the next two years, it regained its lead of the market sector in Britain during 1986, and a refreshed range (with more engine options as well as the introduction of a saloon) enjoyed a surge in sales from 1987, though the MK3 Cavalier finally outsold it in 1990. Even in 1992, the Sierra was still Britain’s fifth best selling car. It was nicknamed “the salesman’s spaceship” on account of its status as a popular fleet car in Britain. In contrast to the Sierra’s groundbreaking exterior design, its drivetrain was conservatively engineered, retaining rear-wheel drive and the same engines and transmissions as the Cortina/Taunus which were effectively 12 years old as they were first used on the TC1/MkIII generation in 1970. Much of this was done to appease the important fleet market which was wary of complexity. However, there was much modification; for example the engines were fitted with breakerless ignition, improved carburettors and the option of fuel injection, whilst 5-speed transmissions were now available. Most competitors were already switched to front-wheel drive around that time. Ford claimed however this set-up was required to offer V6-engines, which had to contribute to the Sierra’s driving comfort. New for the Sierra was a diesel engine, although the engine itself wasn’t new at all. Similar to the Ford Granada, Ford used an “Indenor”-engine which was designed by Peugeot in the 1950s. While the Granada was offered with 1.9, 2.1 and 2.5 diesels, the Sierra unit had a displacement of 2.3 litre. This engine was replaced only in 1989 by an all-new 1.8 litre turbodiesel, developed by Ford itself. The Sierra had a four-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a five-speed as option but standard on the 2.3D and 2.3 V6. At a time when the rival Vauxhall Cavalier was offered with a five-speed, this led to some critics commenting that the Sierra was somewhat underpowered. In the mid-1980s, many smaller cars (some even two segments smaller) featured five-speed gearboxes as standard. The chassis, however, was more sophisticated than the Cortina/Taunus, with fully independent suspension on both axles. The rear suspension was essentially carried over from the Granada, with trailing arms and coil springs mounted on a tubular sub-frame which also provided location for the final drive/differential housing driving the axle shafts. The front suspension dispensed with the Cortina/Taunus’ double wishbones in favour of a scaled-up version of the Fiesta and Escort/Orion’s layout with MacPherson struts, lower locating arms and anti-roll bars. One of the most striking design features of the Sierra was its closed front panel instead of a grille, which was later also to be found on the 1985 Ford Taurus. The air intake was situated below the front bumper, making the Sierra a so-called ‘bottom breather’. The headlights were integrated in this front panel while the indicators were mounted in the bumper within a combined unit with the foglights. However, this set-up was only present on the top-of-the-line “Ghia”-trim as well on the later introduced XR4i sport model. The other Sierra models had a more traditional front end with a two-bar grille between the headlights, being unpainted on the base model. These models had the indicators in the bumper as well, although being slimmer but wider and without the foglights. Both the Ghia and XR4i had wide headlights with two lenses while the other models had smaller lights with a single lens. For the 1985 model year, all the lower-spec models, except the base model, adopted the Ghia and XR4i’s front grille and headlight treatment. However, the second lens of the lower-spec models had no actual light within it. On the Ghia and XR4i this lens contained additional high beam lamps. The South-African XR8 model’s front end was similar to the XR4i’s but featured a small grille between the headlights. The rear lights of the Ghia, as well as the very early XR4i’s, were the same shape and layout as other models, but featured tiny horizontal black strakes on the lenses to give the impression that they were smoked. The car was replaced by the Mondeo in Europe in April 1993, though stocks lasted for about two years afterwards. The Sierra remained a popular second-hand buy and common sight on British roads until well beyond the year 2000.

The Ford Escort RS Cosworth is a sports derivative and rally homologation special of the fifth generation European Ford Escort. It was designed to qualify as a Group A car for the World Rally Championship, in which it competed between 1993 and 1998. It was available as a road car from 1992–96 in very limited numbers. Ford developed the car around the chassis and mechanicals of its spiritual predecessor, the Sierra Cosworth to accommodate the larger Cosworth engine and transmission, whilst clothing it in Escort body panels to make it resemble the standard car. Designed under the guidance of Rod Mansfield and John Wheeler of Ford’s SVO department, the styling was carried out during 1989, a year before the standard Escort was launched, by Stephen Harper at MGA Developments in Coventry. The spoiler was added by Frank Stephenson, who originally proposed a three-deck piece. The body tooling was created by coachbuilders Karmann at their facility in Rheine, Germany, where the cars were manufactured. Changes were made to the engine management system and a new turbocharger was fitted. Permanent four wheel drive with a 34/66% front/rear split came courtesy of an uprated five speed gearbox as used in the Sierra Cosworth. Recaro sports seats came as a standard fitment. Later production models were available without the oversize tail spoiler although by far the majority were still ordered with it. Like its Sierra predecessor, they are commonly nicknamed “Cossie” by enthusiasts. The car’s top speed was 150 mph, which rivalled lower-end supercars including the Audi Quattro, BMW M3, Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra, and comfortably outperformed traditional “hot hatchbacks” like the Volkswagen Golf GTI. It was much faster than the 126 mph which the Escort RS2000 and earlier Escort RS Turbo were capable of. Two versions were produced. The initial 2,500 units were “homologation specials” used to get the FIA accreditation for entry into the World Rally Championship. They were fitted with a Garrett T3/T04B turbocharger. Among these initial units, a handful were badged as Motorsport versions, these lacked certain refinements such as a sunroof and sound deadening. The initial cars included features that, although they made the Cosworth a more effective car, did not enhance it as a road vehicle, and once the rules were satisfied Ford attempted to make the car less temperamental and easier to drive under normal conditions. The second generation, starting production from late 1994, were fitted with a Garrett T25 turbocharger, a smaller unit which reduced turbo lag and increased usability in everyday driving situations. With these later models, the ‘whale tail’ spoiler became a delete option. . The Escort Cosworth was a rare car, with 7,145 vehicles produced from the start of production on 19 February 1992 until the last car rolled out of the factory on 12 January 1996.

JAGUAR

The second generation of the XK debuted in 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, styled by Jaguar’s chief designer Ian Callum. The X150’s grille was designed to recall the 1961 E-Type. The XK is an evolution of the Advanced Lightweight Coupé (ALC) introduced at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The XK features a bonded and riveted aluminium chassis shared with the XJ and body panels, both a first for a Jaguar grand tourer. Compared to the XK (X100), the XK (X150) is 61.0 mm (2.4 in) wider and is 162.6 mm (6.4 in) longer. It is also 91 kg (200 lb) lighter resulting in performance and fuel consumption improvements. Unlike the X100, the X150 has no wood trim on the interior offered as standard equipment. The interior featured steering column mounted shift paddles. A more powerful XKR version having a supercharged variant of the engine was introduced in 2007. The XK received a facelift in 2009,[10] with minor alterations to front and rear lights and bumper designs, together with the introduction of a new 5.0-litre V8 for both the naturally aspirated XK and the supercharged XKR. The interior also received some changes, in particular the introduction of the XF style rotary gear selector mated to the new ZF automatic transmission. The XK received a second and more minor facelift in 2011 with new front bumper and light design, which was presented at the New York Auto Show. A higher performance variant of the XKR, the XKR-S, was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012. The XKR-S gained an additional 40 bhp over the XKR bringing the 0-60 mph acceleration time down to 4.4 seconds and the top speed up to 300 km/h (186 mph). A convertible version of the XKR-S was introduced in 2012. Production of the XK ended in July 2014 without a replacement model.

MASERATI

After producing BiTurbo based cars for 17 years, Maserati replaced their entire range with a new model in July 1998, the 3200 GT. This very elegant 2+2 grand tourer was styled by Italdesign, whose founder and head Giorgetto Giugiaro had previously designed, among others, the Ghibli, Bora and Merak. The interior design was commissioned to Enrico Fumia. Its name honoured the Maserati 3500 GT, the Trident’s first series production grand tourer. Sold mainly in Europe, the 3200 GT was powered by the twin-turbo, 32-valve, dual overhead cam 3.2-litre V8 engine featured in the Quattroporte Evoluzione, set up to develop 370 PS (365 hp). The car was praised for its styling, with the distinctive array of tail-lights, consisting of LEDs, arranged in the shape of boomerang being particularly worthy of comment. The outer layer of the ‘boomerang’ provided the brake light, with the inner layer providing the directional indicator. The car was also reviewed quite well by the press when they got to drive it in early 1999, though it was clear that they expected more power and excitement. That came after 4,795 cars had been produced, in 2001, with the launch of the 4200 models. Officially called the Coupé and joined by an open-topped Spyder (Tipo M138 in Maserati speak), these models had larger 4.2 litre engines and had been engineered so the cars could be sold in America, marking the return to that market for Maserati after an 11 year gap. There were some detailed styling changes, most notable of which were the replacement of the boomerang rear lights with conventional rectangular units. Few felt that this was an improvement. The cars proved popular, though, selling strongly up until 2007 when they were replaced by the next generation of Maserati. Minor changes were made to the model during its six year production, but more significant was the launch at the 2004 Geneva Show of the GranSport which sported aerodynamic body cladding, a chrome mesh grille, carbon fibre interior trim, and special 19-inch wheels. It used the Skyhook active suspension, with a 0.4 inch lower ride height, and the Cambiocorsa transmission recalibrated for quicker shifts. The exhaust was specially tuned to “growl” on start-up and full throttle. The GranSport was powered by the same 4244 cc, 90° V8 petrol engine used on the Coupé and Spyder, but developing 400 PS (395 hp) at 7000 rpm due primarily to a different exhaust system and improvements on the intake manifolds and valve seats. A six-speed paddle shift transmission came as standard. The GranSport has a claimed top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h) and a 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) time of 4.8 seconds.

MAZDA

The Mazda MX-5 (NC) is the third generation of the Mazda MX-5 manufactured from 2005 to 2015. At its introduction in 2005, it won the Car of the Year Japan Award and made Car and Driver’s 10Best list from 2006 to 2013. The NC is the first MX-5 generation to feature a retractable hardtop variant, with its roof being able to fold and unfold in 12 seconds without sacrificing trunk space. The exterior styling by Yasushi Nakamuta resembled the original design, but unlike the update from NA to NB, which was mostly a nose/tail/interior change, the NC shares no components with the NB, except for the fender-mounted turn signal lights on non-U.S. models (and rear differential internals). The chief designer of this model generation was Moray Callum. The 2003 Mazda Ibuki concept served as a preview of the new model. The suspension changed from a four-wheel double wishbone setup to a front wishbone/rear multilink setup, shared with the Mazda RX-8. Technologies including traction control and stability control were added to increase driveability. According to Car and Driver, the NC has a skidpad number of 0.90g. For the U.S., the engine was the 16-valve, 2.0 L MZR LF-VE DOHC I4, producing 170 bhp and 190 Nm (140 lb/ft) of torque coupled to either a 5-speed or a 6-speed manual transmission or 158 bhp with the optional 6-speed automatic transmission. A limited-slip differential was available with the 6-speed option. In Australia, the 2.0 L MZR was offered, rated at 158 bhp and 188 N⋅m (139 lb/ft) of torque and the 6-speed transmission and LSD are standard. In Europe, two engines were offered: the 2.0 L MZR LF-VE rated at 158 bhp and 188 Nm (139 lb/ft) of torque, coupled to the 6-speed manual transmission; and a new 1.8 L MZR L8-VE, rated at 126 bhp and 167 Nm (123 lb/ft), coupled to the 5-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic transmission, with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, was optional. A test by Car and Driver magazine revealed a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 s for the 2.0 L U.S.-spec NC. Manufacturer figures for the European-spec model are: 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.4 s for the 1.8 and 7.9 s for the 2.0. As of this generation, the car no longer complies with Japanese law’s maximum exterior width dimension for the mid-size vehicle tax class, making Japanese buyers liable for additional costs for ownership. In July 2006, Mazda debuted a Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT) version of the NC with a two-piece folding hardtop, named MX-5 Roadster Coupé in Europe, Roadster Power Retractable Hard Top in Japan, and MX-5 Miata Power Retractable Hard Top in the U.S. and Canada. Designed by Webasto and constructed of polycarbonate, the top requires 12 seconds to raise or lower, and the first models were delivered to customers in late August 2006. The hardtop adds 36 kg (79 lb) to the weight of a comparably equipped soft-top, without diminishing trunk space when retracted. The PRHT omits the soft-top’s storage compartments behind the seats to accommodate the folding roof mechanism. Performance times are slightly affected with the weight increase, with the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time increased to 9.6 s for the 1.8 and 8.2 seconds for the 2.0. Thanks to better aerodynamics, though, top speed is increased from 196 km/h (121.8 mph) to 200 km/h (124.3 mph) for the smaller-engined model and from 210 km/h (130 mph) to 215 km/h (134 mph) for the 2.0. These figures are for the European- versions. The MX-5 facelift was unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and Science Museum in London, and later at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. The Japanese model went on sale on December 9, 2008 at Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealers. Major changes concern the restyled front which now incorporates elements from Mazda’s newer models like the larger grille and new head and fog lights. Further restyled elements include the side skirts, rear bumper and the tail lights. The soft-top Touring and Grand Touring models feature a mesh grille bordered by a chrome frame. The hardtop Roadster Coupe now features a mesh grille bordered by a chrome frame and chrome elements inside the headlamps and outer door handles. The instrument panel gained darker features and redesigned graphics for the gauges. To create more leg space in the cabin, a protrusion from the door pockets was eliminated. The 2.0 L; I4 engine was rated 167 bhp at 7,000 rpm and 190 Nm (140 lb/ft) at 5,000 rpm for the 5-speed manual transmission, 158 bhp at 6,700 rpm with the fuel cut-off at 7,200 rpm and 190 Nm (140 lb/ft) at 5,000 rpm for the automatic transmission. Engine redline was raised by 500 rpm to 7,200 rpm in manual model and fuel cut at 7,500 rpm. The suspension and gearbox have been fine-tuned; with the latter offering smoother shifts and an automatic transmission will be introduced in Europe for the first time.

The fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 was unveiled in 2014 and has been in production since 2015. An updated model was introduced in 2019 and is visually identical to the pre-update model; it has been designated as series “ND2” due to an engine upgrade to 181 bhp and several other improvements around the car. The ND generation introduced a Retractable Fastback (RF) variant that features a rigid roof and buttresses that give the silhouette a more coupé-like appearance than the soft top convertible. The fourth generation MX-5 has received several accolades such as the 2015-2016 Car of the Year Japan Award, the 2016 World Car of the Year Award, Car and Driver’s 10Best list from 2016 to 2019, and the Red Dot Best of the Best Award in Product Design 2017. In addition, the car is the basis for the Fiat 124 Spider and Abarth 124 Spider.

McLAREN

A heavily revised version of the 12C was announced in February 2014, called the 650S, with revised bodywork, upgraded engine and other technical improvements. In April 2014, McLaren announced the end of production of the 12C. The 650S is the core model in the Super Series, designed and developed to give the enthusiast driver the ultimate in luxury, engagement and excitement. Fitted with the award-winning 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine producing 650PS (641bhp) and 678Nm (500lb ft) of torque, it is a no compromise open-top high performance supercar with optimised levels of performance, handling and driver enjoyment. The secret of its success is its carbon fibre MonoCell chassis, which needs no extra strengthening to provide the necessary rigidity or safety when developing a convertible. This keeps any weight increase to a minimum, meaning the McLaren 650S Spider offers all the enjoyment and driver appeal of the fixed-roof sibling – but with the added appeal of roof-down driving. The 650S Spider is fitted with an electrically retractable hard top, which can be automatically raised or lowered on the move in less than 17 seconds. Building on the success of the MP4 12C, with which it shares much, the 650S series, first seen at the 2014 Geneva Show has proved very popular, helping to establish the brand as a serious rival to the established supercar players. Production ended when the even faster (and costlier( 720S arrived in 2017.

MINI

Issigonis’ friend John Cooper, owner of the Cooper Car Company and designer and builder of Formula One cars, saw the potential of the Mini for competition. Issigonis was initially reluctant to see the Mini in the role of a performance car, but after John Cooper appealed to BMC management, the two men collaborated to create the Mini Cooper. The Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper debuted in September 1961. The 848 cc engine from the Morris Mini-Minor was given a longer stroke to increase capacity to 997 cc increasing power from 34 to 55 bhp. The car featured a race-tuned engine, twin SU carburettors, a closer-ratio gearbox and front disc brakes, uncommon at the time in a small car. One thousand units of this version were commissioned by management, intended for and designed to meet the homologation rules of Group 2 rally racing. The 997 cc engine was replaced by a shorter stroke 998 cc unit in 1964. In 1962, Rhodesian John Love became the first non-British racing driver to win the British Saloon Car Championship driving a Mini Cooper. A more powerful Mini Cooper, dubbed the “S”, was developed in tandem and released in 1963. Featuring a 1071 cc engine with a 70.61 mm bore and nitrided steel crankshaft and strengthened bottom end to allow further tuning; and larger servo-assisted disc brakes, 4,030 Cooper S cars were produced and sold until the model was updated in August 1964. Cooper also produced two S models specifically for circuit racing in the under 1,000 cc and under 1,300 cc classes respectively, rated at 970 cc and a 1,275 cc both had a 70.61 mm bore and both were also offered to the public. The smaller-engine model was not well received, and only 963 had been built when the model was discontinued in 1965. The 1,275 cc Cooper S models continued in production until 1971. Sales of the Mini Cooper were: 64,000 Mark I Coopers with 997 cc or 998 cc engines; 19,000 Mark I Cooper S with 970 cc, 1,071 cc or 1,275 cc engines; 16,000 Mark II Coopers with 998 cc engines; 6,300 Mark II Cooper S with 1,275 cc engines. There were no Mark III Coopers and 1,570 Mark III Cooper S.

MORGAN

NOBLE

Follow on to the Noble M10, the M12 was a two-door, two-seat model, originally planned both as a coupe and as a convertible. All M12s were powered by modified bi-turbocharged Ford Duratec V6 engines. There was a full steel roll cage, steel frame, and G.R.P. (fibreglass) composite clam shell body parts. Although looking to be track derived, the M12 was street-legal, ready for both road and track. The M12 has no anti-roll bars on the car, allowing for a comfortable feel. The coupe evolved through four versions of Noble cars, with the 425 bhp M400 as the ultimate version of the M12, following the first 2.5 litre 310 bhp car, the 352 bhp 3 litre GTO-3 and the GTO-3R. The car was sold in the US, where it proved quite popular, with 220 GTO-3Rs and M400s sold there. US production rights were sold in February 2007 to 1G Racing from Ohio. Due to high demand of these cars, 1G Racing (now Rossion Automotive) released its own improved car based on the M400, named Rossion Q1. Another company which is also producing a model developed from the M12 is Salica Cars 1 with their Salica GT and Salica GTR.

PEUGEOT

In 1999, Peugeot Sport unveiled the 206 WRC, and it competed for the first time in that year’s World Rally Championship, with French tarmac veteran and long-time marque stalwart Gilles Panizzi narrowly failing, against a resurgent reigning champion in Mitsubishi’s Tommi Mäkinen, to win the Rallye Sanremo. The car was soon a success, however, and won both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships in 2000, Peugeot’s first such accolades since their withdrawal from the WRC after Group B was banned after the 1986 season, and achieved in the hands of Panizzi, Francois Delecour and Mäkinen’s successor as drivers’ world champion, Marcus Grönholm. For 2001, Grönholm competed alongside two refugees of SEAT’s exit from the championship at the end of 2000; compatriot Harri Rovanperä and the French 1994 world champion, Didier Auriol. Rovanperä and Auriol each contributed single wins, on Swedish Rally and Rally Catalunya respectively (the former to be a sole career win for the Finn, and the latter victory helped by assorted problems for the blisteringly quick debuting Citroën Xsara WRCs), before Auriol left the team at the end of the season. Grönholm, meanwhile, suffered sufficient reliability woes in the first half of the year such that he could manage no higher than fourth overall in the series, although Peugeot did fend off Ford, with a 1–2 result by the two Finns on the season-ending Rally of Great Britain to successfully defend the constructors’ championship title. In 2002, Grönholm – despite now being paired in the factory line-up with defending 2001 champion from Subaru, the Briton Richard Burns – led Peugeot to a repeat of the WRC title double aboard his 206 WRC. His dominance that year was compared to Michael Schumacher’s dominance of Formula One. In summary, Peugeot won two drivers’ championships, in 2000 and 2002, and three manufacturers’ titles in a row between 2000 and 2002. However, by 2003 the 206 WRC was beginning to show its age and was less effective against the competition, notably the newer Xsara WRC and the Subaru Impreza WRC, so it was retired from competition at the end of the season, to be replaced with the 307 WRC, albeit, unlike its predecessor, based not on the production version’s hatchback, but its coupé cabriolet body style. The Peugeot 206 WRC was awarded the Autosport “Rally Car of the Year” in 2002, preceded by the Ford Focus RS WRC and followed by the Citroën Xsara WRC. In 2002, Peugeot GB created the Peugeot 206 Cup, a one-make rally championship aimed at young drivers. The championship was created to help young drivers develop their careers. The cars were built by Vic Lee Racing and drivers such as Tom Boardman, Luke Pinder and Garry Jennings all drove in the championship.A similar championship also existed in France. This is a road-registered car produced in tribute to the WRC cars.

PORSCHE

The 911 continued to evolve throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, though changes initially were quite small. The SC appeared in the autumn of 1977, proving that any earlier plans there had been to replace the car with the front engined 924 and 928 had been shelved. The SC followed on from the Carrera 3.0 of 1967 and 1977. It had the same 3 litre engine, with a lower compression ratio and detuned to provide 180 PS . The “SC” designation was reintroduced by Porsche for the first time since the 356 SC. No Carrera versions were produced though the 930 Turbo remained at the top of the range. Porsche’s engineers felt that the weight of the extra luxury, safety and emissions equipment on these cars was blunting performance compared to the earlier, lighter cars with the same power output, so in non-US cars, power was increased to 188 PS for 1980, then finally to 204 PS. However, cars sold in the US market retained their lower-compression 180 PS engines throughout. This enabled them to be run on lower-octane fuel. In model year 1980, Porsche offered a Weissach special edition version of the 911 SC, named after the town in Germany where Porsche has their research centre. Designated M439, it was offered in two colours with the turbo whale tail & front chin spoiler, body colour-matched Fuchs alloy wheels and other convenience features as standard. 408 cars were built for North America. In 1982, a Ferry Porsche Edition was made and a total of 200 cars were sold with this cosmetic package. SCs sold in the UK could be specified with the Sport Group Package (UK) which added stiffer suspension, the rear spoiler, front rubber lip and black Fuchs wheels. In 1981 a Cabriolet concept car was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Not only was the car a true convertible, but it also featured four-wheel drive, although this was dropped in the production version. The first 911 Cabriolet debuted in late 1982, as a 1983 model. This was Porsche’s first cabriolet since the 356 of the mid-1960s. It proved very popular with 4,214 sold in its introductory year, despite its premium price relative to the open-top targa. Cabriolet versions of the 911 have been offered ever since. 911 SC sales totalled 58,914 cars before the next iteration, the 3.2 Carrera, which was introduced for the 1984 model year. Coupe models outsold the Targa topped cars by a big margin.

During the 1990s, Porsche was facing financial troubles and rumours of a proposed takeover were being spread. The signature air-cooled flat-6 of the 911 was reaching the limits of its potential as made evident by the 993. Stricter emissions regulations world wide further forced Porsche to think of a replacement of the air-cooled unit. In order to improve manufacturing processes, Porsche took the aid of leading Japanese car manufacturer Toyota whose consultants would assist in the overhaul of the Zuffenhausen manufacturing facility introducing mass production techniques which would allow Porsche to carry out production processes more efficiently. Porsche had realised that in order to keep the 911 in production, it would need radical changes. This led to the development of the 996. The sharing of development between the new 911 and the entry level Boxster model allowed Porsche to save development costs. This move also resulted in interchangeable parts between the two models bringing down maintenance costs. The Porsche 996 was a new design developed by Pinky Lai under Porsche design chief Harm Lagaay from 1992 to 1994; it was the first 911 that was completely redesigned, and carried over little from its predecessor as Porsche wanted the design team to design a 911 for the next millennium. Featuring an all new body work, interior, and the first water-cooled engine, the 996 replaced the 993 from which only the front suspension, rear multi-link suspension, and a 6-speed manual transmission were retained in revised form. The 996 had a drag coefficient of Cd=0.30 resulting from hours spent in the wind tunnel. The 996 is 185 mm (7 in) longer and 40 mm (2 in) wider than its predecessor. It is also 45% stiffer courtesy of a chassis formed from high-strength steel. Additionally, it is 50 kg (110 lb) lighter despite having additional radiators and coolant. All of the M96 engines offered in the 996 (except for the variants fitted to the Turbo and GT2/GT3 models) are susceptible to the Porsche Intermediate Shaft Bearing issue which can potentially cause serious engine failure if not addressed via a retrofit. The 996 was initially available in a coupé or a cabriolet (Convertible) bodystyle with rear-wheel drive, and later with four-wheel drive, utilising a 3.4 litre flat-6 engine generating a maximum power output of 296 bhp. The 996 had the same front end as the entry-level Boxster. After requests from the Carrera owners about their premium cars looking like a “lower priced car that looked just like theirs did”, Porsche redesigned the headlamps of the Carrera in 2002 similar to the high performance Turbo’s headlamps. The design for the initial “fried egg” shaped headlamps could be traced back to the 1997 911 GT1 race car. In 2000, Porsche introduced the 996 Turbo, equipped with a four-wheel-drive system and a 3.6-litre, twin-turbocharged and intercooled flat-six engine generating a maximum power output of 420 bhp, making the car capable of accelerating from 0–60 mph in 4.2 seconds. An X50 option which included larger turbochargers and intercoolers along with revised engine control software became available from the factory in 2002, increasing power output to 451 bhp. In 2005, Porsche introduced the Turbo S, which had the X50 option included as standard equipment, with the formerly optional Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) composite ceramic brakes (PCCB) also included as standard. In 2000, power output on the base Carrera model was increased to 300 bhp. 2001 marked the final year of production for the base Carrera 4 Coupé in narrow body format. In 2002, the standard Carrera models underwent the above-mentioned facelift. In addition, engine capacity was also increased to 3.6-litres across the range, yielding gains of 15 bhp for the naturally aspirated models. 2002 also marked the start of the production of the 996 based Targa model, with a sliding glass “green house” roof system as introduced on its predecessor. It also features a rear glass hatch which gave the driver access to the storage compartment. Also in 2002, the Carrera 4S model was first introduced.

Whilst its precursor, the 924, had received largely positive reviews, it was criticised by many including Porsche enthusiasts for its Audi-sourced engine and although the Turbo model had increased performance, this model carried a high price, which caused Porsche to decide to develop the 924, as they had with generations of the 911. They re-worked the platform and a new all-alloy 2.5 litre inline-four engine, that was, in essence, half of the 928’s 5.0 litre V8, although very few parts were actually interchangeable. Not typical in luxury sports cars, the four-cylinder engine was chosen for fuel efficiency and size, because it had to be fitted from below on the Neckarsulm production line. To overcome roughness caused by the unbalanced secondary forces that are typical of four-cylinder engines, Porsche included two counter-rotating balance shafts running at twice engine speed. Invented in 1904 by British engineer Frederick Lanchester, and further developed and patented in 1975 by Mitsubishi Motors, balance shafts carry eccentric weights which produce inertial forces that balance out the unbalanced secondary forces, making a four-cylinder engine feel as smooth as a six-cylinder. The engine was factory-rated at 150 hp in its U.S. configuration. Revised bodywork with wider wheel arches, similar to that of the 924 Carrera GT, a fresh interior and upgrades to the braking and suspension systems rounded out the major changes and Porsche introduced the car as the  944 in 1982. It was slightly faster (despite having a poorer drag co-efficient than the 924), the 944 was better equipped and more refined than the 924; it had better handling and stopping power, and was more comfortable to drive. The factory-claimed 0-60 mph time of less than 9 seconds and a top speed of  130 mph which turned out to be somewhat pessimistic,  In mid-1985, the 944 underwent its first significant changes. These included : a new dash and door panels, embedded radio antenna, upgraded alternator, increased oil sump capacity, new front and rear cast alloy control arms and semi-trailing arms, larger fuel tank, optional heated and powered seats, Porsche HiFi sound system, and revisions in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration. The “cookie cutter” style wheels used in the early 944s were upgraded to new “phone dial” style wheels (Fuchs wheels remained an optibon). 1985 model year cars incorporating these changes are sometimes referred to as “1985B”, “85.5” or “1985½” cars. For the 1987 model year, the 944 Motronic DME was updated, and newly incorporated anti-lock braking and air bags. Because of the ABS system, the wheel offset changed and Fuchs wheels were no longer an option. In early 1989 before the release of the 944S2, Porsche upgraded the 944 from the 2.5 to a 2.7 litre engine, with a rated 162 hp and a significant increase in torque. For the 1985 model year, Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo, known internally as the 951. This had a turbocharged and intercooled version of the standard car’s engine that produced 220 PS at 6000 rpm. In 1987, Car and Driver tested the 944 Turbo and achieved a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds. The Turbo was the first car using a ceramic port liner to retain exhaust gas temperature and new forged pistons and was also the first vehicle to produce identical power output with or without a catalytic converter. The Turbo also featured several other changes, such as improved aerodynamics, notably an integrated front bumper. This featured the widest turn signals (indicators) fitted to any production car, a strengthened gearbox with a different final drive ratio, standard external oil coolers for both the engine and transmission, standard 16 inch wheels (optional forged Fuchs wheels), and a slightly stiffer suspension (progressive springs) to handle the extra weight. The Turbo’s front and rear brakes were borrowed from the Porsche 911, with Brembo 4-piston fixed calipers and 12-inch discs as ABS also came standard. Engine component revisions, more than thirty in all, were made to the 951 to compensate for increased internal loads and heat. Changes occurred for the 1987 model year. On the interior, the 1987 944 Turbo for North America became the first production car in the world to be equipped with driver and passenger side air bags as standard equipment. A low oil level light was added to the dash as well as a 180 mph (290 km/h) speedometer as opposed to the 170 mph speedometer on the 1986 model Turbos. Also included is the deletion of the transmission oil cooler, and a change in suspension control arms to reduce the car’s scrub radius. The engine remained the same M44/51 as in the 1986 model. In 1988, Porsche introduced the Turbo S. The 944 Turbo S had a more powerful engine (designation number M44/52) with 250 hp and 258 lb·ft torque (standard 944 Turbo 220 hp and 243 lb·ft. This higher output was achieved by using a larger K26-8 turbine housing and revised engine mapping which allowed maintaining maximum boost until 5800 rpm, compared to the standard 944 Turbo the boost would decrease from 1.75 bar at 3000 rpm to 1.52 bar at 5800 rpm. Top speed was factory rated at 162 mph. The 944 Turbo S’s suspension had the “M030” option consisting of Koni adjustable shocks front and rear, with ride height adjusting threaded collars on the front struts, progressive rate springs, larger hollow rear anti-roll/torsion bars, harder durometer suspension bushings, larger hollow anti-roll/torsion bars at the front, and chassis stiffening brackets in the front frame rails. The air conditioning dryer lines are routed so as to clear the front frame brace on the driver’s side. The 944 Turbo S wheels, known as the Club Sport design, were 16-inch Fuchs forged and flat-dished, similar to the Design 90 wheel. Wheel widths were 7 inches in the front, and 9 inches in the rear with 2.047 in offset; sizes of the Z-rated tyres were 225/50 in the front and 245/45 in the rear. The front and rear fender edges were rolled to accommodate the larger wheels. The manual transmission featured a higher friction clutch disc setup, an external cooler, and a limited slip differential with a 40% lockup setting. The Turbo S front brakes were borrowed from the Porsche 928 S4, with larger Brembo GT 4-piston fixed calipers and 12-inch discs; rear Brembo brakes remained the same as a standard Turbo. ABS also came standard. The 944 Turbo S interior featured power seats for both driver and passenger, where the majority of the factory-built Turbo S models sported a “Burgundy plaid” (Silver Rose edition) but other interior/exterior colours were available. A 10-speaker sound system and equalizer + amp was a common option with the Turbo S and S/SE prototypes. Only the earlier 1986, 250 bhp prototypes featured a “special wishes custom interior” options package. In 1989 and later production, the ‘S’ designation was dropped from the 944 Turbo S, and all 944 Turbos featured the Turbo S enhancements as standard, however the “M030” suspension and the Club Sport wheels were not part of that standard. The 944 Turbo S was the fastest production four cylinder car of its time. For the 1987 model year, the 944S “Super” was introduced, featuring a high performance normally aspirated, dual-overhead-cam 16-valve 190 PS version of the 2.5 litre engine (M44/40) featuring a self-adjusting timing belt tensioner. This marked the first use of four-valve-per-cylinder heads and DOHC in the 944 series, derived from the 928 S4 featuring a redesigned camshaft drive, a magnesium intake tract/passages, magnesium valve cover, larger capacity oil sump, and revised exhaust system. The alternator capacity was 115 amps. The wheel bearings were also strengthened and the brake servo action was made more powerful. Floating 944 calipers were standard, but the rear wheel brake circuit pressure regulator from the 944 turbo was used. Small ’16 Ventiler’ script badges were added on the sides in front of the body protection mouldings. Performance was quoted as 0 – 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and a 144 mph top speed due to a 2857 lb weight. It also featured an improved programmed Bosch Digital Motronic 2 Computer/DME with dual knock sensors for improved fuel performance for the higher 10.9:1 compression ratio cylinder head. Like the 944 Turbo, the 944S received progressive springs for greater handling, Larger front and rear anti-roll bars, revised transmission and gearing to better suit the 2.5 litre DOHC higher 6800 rpm rev limit. Dual safety air bags, limited-slip differential, and ABS braking system were optional on the 944S. A Club Sport touring package (M637) was available as was the lightweight 16 inch CS/Sport Fuch 16×7 and 16×9 forged alloy wheels. This SC version car was raced in Canada, Europe and in the U.S. IMSA Firehawk Cup Series. Production was only during 1987 and 1988. It was superseded in 1989 by the ‘S2’ 944 edition. The 1987 944S power-to-weight ratio was such that it was able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds thus matching the acceleration of its newer larger displacement 3.0 litre 944 S2 sibling. In 1989 the 944S2 was introduced, powered by a 211 PS normally aspirated, dual-overhead-cam 16-valve 3.0 litre version of the 944S engine, the largest production 4-cylinder engine of its time. The 944S2 also received a revised transmission and gearing to better suit the 3.0 litre M44/41 powerplant. The 944S2 had the same rounded nose and a rear valance found on the Turbo model. This was the first example of the use of an integrated front bumper, where the fender and hood profiles would merge smoothly with the bumper, a design feature that has only now seen widespread adoption on the 1990 onward production cars. Performance was quoted as 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds with a top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) via manual transmission. A Club Sport touring package (M637) was also available. Dual air bags (left hand drive models), limited-slip differential and ABS were optional. Series 90 16-inch cast alloy wheels were standard equipment. In 1989, Porsche released the 944 S2 Cabriolet, a first for the 944 line that featured the cabriolet body built by ASC-American Sunroof Company at Weinsberg Germany. The first year of production included sixteen 944 S2 Cabriolet for the U.S. market. For the 1990 model year, Porsche produced 3,938 944 S2 Cabriolets for all markets including right-hand drive units for the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. This car was raced, including the British championship that was called the Porsche Motorsport Championship. Production was during 1989, 1990, and 1991. The 944 S2 power-to-weight ratio was such that it was able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. In February 1991, Porsche released the 944 Turbo Cabriolet, which combined the Turbo S’s 250 hp engine with the cabriolet body built by ASC-American Sunroof Company at Weinsberg Germany. Porsche initially announced that 600 would be made; ultimately 625 were built, 100 of which were right-hand drive for the United Kingdom, Japanese, Australian, and South African market. None were imported to the U.S. and The Americas. In early 1990, Porsche engineers began working on what they had intended to be the third evolution of the 944, the S3. As they progressed with the development process, they realised that so many parts were being changed that they had produced an almost entirely new vehicle. Porsche consequently shifted development from the 944 S/S2 to the car that would replace the 944 entirely, the 968. The 944’s final year of production was 1991. A grand total 163,192 cars in the 944 family were produced between 1982 and 1991. This made it the most successful car line in Porsche’s history until the introductions of the Boxster and 997 Carrera.

Much rumoured for some time, the Cayman GT4 was officially launched at the 2015 Geneva Show, positioned to sit  between the Cayman GTS and the 911 GT3. By the time of the official unveiling, the car was supposedly sold out many times over, though more recently it has become apparent that at least some Porsche dealers have been holding onto cars claiming that the first purchaser changed their mind, and then offering them to those who did not get one of the allocation a year ago, at vastly inflated prices. If true, this is very sharp practice indeed, but seems to be the sort to tricks that are becoming increasingly common as enthusiasts are being fleeced in the name of extra profit. For a starting price of around £65,000 in the UK, the lucky customer would get a car which used used a stiffened and strengthened Cayman bodyshell as a starting point, but lowered by 30mm . Porsche say that in fitting as many GT parts as possible, they did not make it out of a Cayman GTS, but rather they produced an entry-level mid-engined GT3 car. That sounds like PR spin to me, as of course the car does use an awful lot of parts from the regular Cayman. However, plenty is changed, too. There is a reworked version of the Carrera S’s 3.8-litre flat six engine, producing 380bhp at 7400rpm and 310lb ft at 4750-6000rpm, hooked up to a modified version of the Cayman GTS’s six-speed manual gearbox. A PDK dual-clutch automatic was considered but rejected, meaning the Cayman GT4 is manual only. This is enough to mean that the 0-62mph sprint takes 4.4sec and the top speed is 183mph, with combined fuel economy of 27.4mpg and CO2 emissions rated at 238g/km. The front axle and suspension are borrowed from the 911 GT3 and the rear axle and forged aluminium double wishbone suspension are completely new. Dampers are taken from the 911 GT3. The electric steering system from the 911 GT3 does make it onto the Cayman GT4 but is given new software. Stopping power is provided by standard steel brakes, or optional carbon-ceramics from the 911 GT3. The forged 20in alloy wheels were new and are shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. The rear 295/30 ZR20 tyres are bespoke, but the front 245/35 ZR20s were borrowed from the 911 GT3 as they were “a perfect match”. design-wise, the goal was to create a “zero lift car”, but thanks to the extensive aerodynamic and cooling package on the car – which includes a front splitter, a larger front grille and increased frontal air intakes, side air intakes, not one but two rear spoilers and a fully functional diffuser – the Cayman GT4 produces as much downforce at speed (100kg) as the 911 GT3. Every single part on the Cayman GT4 has a functional use. Other design features include  “cool” black glass on the front and rear lights, blackened twin central exhausts and quality stitching on the twin lightweight bucket seats, taken from the 918 Spyder, as small details adding to that ‘want factor’. Despite all the extra equipment, the Cayman GT4 weighs no more than a Cayman GTS, tipping the scales at 1340kg dry. You could delete items such as the sat-nav and air-con to save weight, but few customers did, just as with the 911 GT3 RS were just 2% of buyers deleted the air-con. Inside, the steering wheel was new. The sports seats were trimmed in both leather and Alcantara. Standard equipment included bi-xenon headlights, a sports exhaust system, a Sport Chrono Package with dynamic engine mounts, the Porsche Torque Vectoring system, a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear and the Porsche Stability Management system. On the options list were items such as carbonfibre-reinforced, plastic-backed seats for the two-seat interior. These weigh just 15kg each and were inspired by the 918 Spyder. A customised version of the Sport Chrono Package was offered, as is a Club Sport Package. Initially it was declared that production would be very limited, but Porsche soon relented and far more were built than had originally been declared.

RENAULT

In response to Lancia’s rallying success with the mid-engined Stratos, Renault’s Jean Terramorsi, vice-president of production, asked Bertone’s Marc Deschamps to design a new sports version of the Renault 5 Alpine supermini. The distinctive new rear bodywork was styled by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. Although the standard Renault 5 has a front-mounted engine, the 5 Turbo featured a mid-mounted 1,397 cc Cléon-Fonte with fuel fed by Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger OHV 2 valves per cylinder Inline-four engine placed behind the driver in mid-body in a modified Renault 5 chassis. In standard form, the engine developed 160 PS at 6000 rpm and maximum torque of 221 Nm (163 lb/ft) at 3250 rpm. Though it used a modified body from a standard Renault 5, and was badged a Renault 5, the mechanicals were radically different, the most obvious difference being rear-wheel drive and rear-mid-engined instead of the normal version’s front-wheel drive and front-mounted engine. At the time of its launch it was the most powerful production French car. The first 400 production 5 Turbos were made to comply with Group 4 homologation to allow the car to compete in international rallies, and were manufactured at the Alpine factory in Dieppe. Many parts later transferred to the Alpine A310, such as the suspension or alloy wheel set. The R5 Turbo was conceived with dual intent, promoting the sales of the common R5 and being homologated in the FIA group 3 and 4 categories of the rally championship (today WRC). All the motorsport derivatives were based on the Turbo 1. The factory pushed the engine output up to 180 PS for the Critérium des Cévennes, 210 PS for the Tour de Corse, and by 1984 as much as 350 PS in the R5 Maxi Turbo. Driven by Jean Ragnotti in 1981, the 5 Turbo won the Monte Carlo Rally on its first outing in the World Rally Championship. The 2WD R5 Turbo soon faced the competition of new Group B four-wheel drive cars that proved faster on dirt. There are several victories throughout the early 80’s in the national championships in France, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, and Spain, many victories in international rallies throughout Europe, with wins in iconic rallies such as Monte-Carlo. After the factory ceased support, it lived a second life being developed by many teams and enthusiasts to compete in regional championships and local races in which it was ubiquitous and reached many success for almost 20 years. At the time of retirement, the newly created historical categories allowed these cars to return to international events and competitions, living a third life. For these reasons it has accessed to a legendary status and has a huge fan base.

In 1999 Renault presented the first officially branded RenaultSport Clio, this was the third Clio produced by the RenaultSport division succeeding the Clio 16V and Clio Williams. This new Clio, the 172 was based on the 3 door Clio II shell however had numerous features over the standard car including wider arches, restyled bumpers, side skirts and 15-inch OZ F1 alloy wheels. Power was delivered by the F4R730 engine, a 2.0-litre 16-valve Inline 4 engine with a Variable valve timing (VVT) system via a dephaser on the intake camshaft pulley. The engine was a modified version of the F4R used in models such as the Laguna and Espace and was modified by Mecachrome to deliver a power output of 172 PS. Power was delivered to the wheels via a JC5-089 five-speed manual gearbox. The 172 also featured interior changes over the standard car including Half Leather, Half Alcantara seats embossed with the RenaultSport logo and the car also came standard with manually controlled Air Conditioning. A limited edition of the Phase 1 172 was produced and known as the Clio 172 Exclusive. This was limited to 172 units, all 172 of this “Exclusive” edition were 296 Scarab Green, featured BBS alloy wheels and a full leather interior as opposed to the half-leather half Alcantara seats featured in the standard car. In 2001 the interior and exterior of the Clio II were face-lifted, the Clio RS followed suit shortly after. This facelift of the Clio 172 included redesigned front and rear bumpers, the front bumper falling in line with the style of the face-lifted Clio II. The rear bumper was now less rounded and featured a strip of ABS plastic effectively splitting the bumper into two. The lights, bonnet and boot lid were also matched to the face-lifted Clio II. The interior was also changed to closer match that of the face-lifted Clio II, the seats were slightly revised however still featured the same Half Leather, Half Alcantara fabrics and the embossed RenaultSport logo. One new feature that the Phase 2 172 featured was automatic climate control as opposed to the manual air-conditioning featured in the Phase 1. The dashboard featured Silver interior trims and the steering wheel included a plastic insert featuring the RenaultSport logo. The gear shifter was changed from the metal ball featured on the Phase 1 to a Leather wrapped shifter with a silver coloured insert on the top. The Phase 2 172 also featured increased equipment including automatic Xenon headlights and headlight washers, Rain Sensing wipers a six-disc CD changer, and it also included side-impact airbags integrated into the seats. The 15-inch OZ F1 alloy wheels were also replaced with a 16-inch Alloy Wheel of Renault’s own design. The facelift of the 172 also brought about a number of changes to the engine of the car. A revised version of the F4R used, the F4R 736, this featured a revised cylinder head with the exhaust ports being approximately 30% smaller than those featured on the Phase 1 172. The airbox was also redesigned to be much more square than the original airbox. A revised version of the JC5 gearbox, the JC5-129 was introduced in this version of the Clio 172, which revised JC5 featured a shorter final drive to counter the increased weight of the face-lifted 172. The catalytic converter, which on the PH1 172 had been dual barrel was reduced to a single barrel and featured 2 lambda sensors, one before and one after the catalytic converter. The biggest change to the PH2 172 over the PH1 was the introduction of an electric throttle. This meant the Idle Control Valve of the PH1 was no longer required leading to a minor redesign of the intake manifold. In 2002 Renault released the 172 Cup, which bore the chassis code CB1N and was known by Renault as the “sport lightweight version”. The vast majority of cars were produced in D43 Mondial Blue (metallic) with a limited run of around 90 cars being produced in 640 Iceberg Silver (metallic). The Cup, originally built for Gr.N homologation of the Clio 172 was differentiated from the “non cup” 172 by its lack of many of the luxuries included in the regular car. Instead of the leather / Alcantara seats instead the same style seat was upholstered in a durable but low-cost fabric, the automatic Xenon headlights were replaced by manually controlled halogen units and the washer jets replaced with blanks. The rain sensing wipers and solar reflective coated windscreen were also omitted from the 172 Cup. However the car had features not before seen on a production version of the 172, which included lightweight 16-inch Speedline Turini alloy wheels, matte blue door strips, ABS plastic “Cup” front splitter and a restyled “Cup” rear spoiler. The dash strips which were silver on the regular car were painted to match the outside of the car. One of the main features of the 172 Cup was its significant weight saving, having a kerb weight of 1021 kg, making it the lightest of 172 versions produced. This was achieved by the removal of a majority of sound deadening from the car alongside thinner glass to reduce weight even further. One large difference was also the lack of air conditioning which was a standard fit component on the regular 172, which typically led to the cup producing more power due to the engine having less ancillaries to drive. This however was reintroduced as an optional extra later in the production run of the Cup. The 0–60 time of the 172 Cup was officially marketed by Renault as being 6.5 seconds; however AutoCar Magazine reportedly timed the 0–60 at 6.2 seconds which if this were the case would make the 172 Cup the second fastest road going Clio produced at the time of this article, second to only the V6. Many enthusiasts regard the 172 Cup as the last “hardcore” hot hatch due to its lack of anti-lock brakes; the car also featured modified suspension which gave it a wider track thanks to modified wishbones, the car also sat lower than standard and featured stiffer shocks and springs, the suspension geometry was revised to suit these components and to mean that the steering response was increased, this also lead to an increase in oversteer thanks to the lack of weight and revised geometry. Due to the lack of ABS the brake bias of the car was fixed by way of disconnecting the rear axle compensator, within the UK this often lead to the cars failing the MOT test, VOSA eventually issued an advisory to prevent this from happening. 2004 marked yet another refresh of the Clio II. The inserts of the headlights were changed from Black to Grey, new wheels styles were introduced and new colour options were added with others being dropped. The basic design of the car stayed the same with only minor changes. The Six-Disc CD changer was dropped as standard equipment however was still available as a cost option. This refresh marked the introduction of cruise control and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment. The Clio RS featured a lot more changes than the regular Clio. The engine was again revised and became the F4R 738. The difference between the F4R 738 and F4R 736 was a revised oil breather setup meaning the intake manifold found on a 172 would not fit a 182. Thanks to a number of other changes this engine produced 182 PS . This increase in power was thanks to the addition of a 4-2-1 Manifold and high flow 200 cell sports catalytic converter. The spare wheel well was removed and replaced with a flat floor to make way for the new dual exit exhaust featured on the 182. Minor revisions were made to the interior, the perforated texture of the Alcantara on the seats now featured white dots. The car also featured a new 8 spoke wheel design which came in Silver on a regular car and Anthracite on a “Cup Packed” car. The rarest optional extra available was the Carminat Sat-Nav which was fitted to very few cars. However, the unit wasn’t a popular option due to its high cost and rumoured poor performance compared to aftermarket options. The “Cup” Front Splitter and “Cup” Spoiler originally fitted to the 172 Cup made a reappearance as a cost option known as the Cup Style Pack. This was one of two cup packs available, the other being the Cup Chassis. This Cup Chassis pack included a strengthened hub with 60mm spacing on the strut bolt holes as opposed 54mm on non cup packed cars. The Cup Chassis also featured lowered suspension with stiffer shocks and springs and an anthracite version of the standard alloy wheels. The Clio 182 could also be ordered in a more race focused than ‘base’ RS model called “Cup Specification”, this was available in just two colours, J45 Racing Blue and D38 Inferno Orange, however came as Standard with the Cup Chassis and Cup Style Pack. The 182 Cup lacked the automatic Xenon headlights and headlight washer jets, climate control (rear footwell heater vents were also removed), illuminated sun visors, Solar Reflective Windscreen and Automatic Wipers. The leather / Alcantara seats were replaced with cloth items and the rear bench was downgraded to match. The engine cover and sill plates were removed and the steering wheel was downgraded to no longer include the RenaultSport Logo or rubber thumb grips. Carpet and headlining were downgraded to basic specification and even the documentation wallet was changed from faux leather to cloth. Sound deadening was removed from the 182 Cup, the horn was downgraded from a twin to single unit and the interior light no longer included a map reading function. Despite all of these reductions in specification the 182 Cup was still considerably heavier than the previous 172 Cup, meaning this version of the Clio II RS was considered one of the least desirable versions. The final version of the Clio 182 was known as the 182 Trophy. This version was based on the 182 Cup and featured the same strengthened hubs with 60 mm bolt spacing. Originally only 500 cars were to be produced for the UK market however an additional 50 were produced to be sold in Switzerland. At the time, believing there was no market for this version of the Clio, the Marketing Department of Renault France failed to order a 182 Trophy. The 182 Trophy included 16 Inch Speedline Turini Alloy wheels as seen on the 172 Cup, the Spoiler from the Clio 255 V6, Recaro Trendline seats and exclusive 727 Capsicum Red Paint with Trophy Decals lacquered onto the Side skirts. Each car had an individually numbered plaque on the base of the driver’s seat. The biggest difference however between the 182 Cup and 182 Trophy was the inclusion of Sachs Remote-Reservoir dampers. The basic principle of a Remote-Reservoir damper is that because there is a separate reservoir for the gas or oil which fills the shock they can either be of a reduced length or can house a longer rod, this means that the sizing of the shock can be optimised for the application in which it is being used. These changes definitely made a big difference to the 182 Trophy and have led to its being heralded as one of the best hot hatches of all time and it won Evo Magazine’s “People’s Performance Car of The Year” 2005, whilst also beating off rivals such as the Lamborghini Gallardo and other exotica in an Evo Magazine Group Test. AutoCar Magazine’s front cover from 5 July 2005 simply stated “World’s Greatest Hot Hatch”.

SUBARU

Subaru introduced the “New Age” Impreza, the second generation car, to Japan in August 2000, and it arrived in Europe towards the end of that year. Larger in size compared to the previous iteration, the sedan increased its width by 40 millimetres (1.6 in), while the wagon notably increased by just 5 millimetres (0.2 in)—placing the two variants in different Japanese classification categories. The coupe body style from the first generation did not reappear for the new series, and the off-road appearance package that included contrasting-coloured bumpers did carry over forward. Marketed as a separate model line, this North America-only variant was, as before, badged the Outback Sport. Naturally aspirated flat-four (boxer) engines comprised the 1.5-litre EJ15, the 1.6-litre EJ16, the 2.0-litre EJ20, and the 2.5-litre EJ25. Turbocharged versions of the 2.0- and 2.5-litre engines were offered in the WRX and WRX STI models. STI models featured a more powerful 2.0-litre (2.5-litre outside of the Japanese market) turbocharged engine. WRX models featured a 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer engine until 2005, after which they switched to the 2.5-litre turbocharged engine. As with the first generation, the turbocharged STI variants were available in numerous specifications with a myriad of limited edition variants sold. The bug-eyed styling was not well received, and Subaru had two further attempts at the front end, neither of which was entirely successful, either, but enthusiasts were happy to overlook the gawky looks because the way the car drove. Subaru issued yearly updates to the STI, tweaking cosmetics and equipment levels, and also improving performance and handling. The car was replaced in 2007 by the third generation Impreza, widely regarded as inferior in many ways to this version

TRIUMPH

Successor to the TR3a, and code named “Zest” during development, the TR4 was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the previous TR sports cars, but with a modern Michelotti styled body. The TR 4 engine was carried over from the earlier TR2/3 models, but the displacement was increased from 1991cc to 2138 cc by increasing the bore size. Gradual improvements in the manifolds and cylinder head allowed for some improvements culminating in the TR4A model. The 1991 cc engine became a no-cost option for those cars destined to race in the under-two-litre classes of the day. Some cars were fitted with vane-type superchargers, as the three main bearing engine was liable to crankshaft failure if revved beyond 6,500 rpm; superchargers allowed a TR4 to produce much more horse-power and torque at relatively modest revolutions. The standard engine produced 105 bhp but, supercharged and otherwise performance-tuned, a 2.2-litre I4 version could produce in excess of 200 bhp at the flywheel. The TR4, in common with its predecessors, was fitted with a wet-sleeve engine, so that for competition use the engine’s cubic capacity could be changed by swapping the cylinder liners and pistons, allowing a competitor to race under different capacity rules (i.e. below or above 2 litres for example). Other key improvements over the TR3 included a wider track front and rear, slightly larger standard engine displacement, full synchromesh on all forward gears, and rack and pinion steering. In addition, the optional Laycock de Normanville electrically operated overdrive Laycock Overdrive could now be selected for 2nd and 3rd gear as well as 4th, effectively providing the TR4 with a seven-speed manual close ratio gearbox. The TR4 was originally fitted with 15×4.5″ disc wheels. Optional 48-lace wire wheels could be ordered painted the same colour as the car’s bodywork (rare), stove-enamelled (matte silver with chrome spinners, most common) or in matte or polished chrome finishes (originally rare, but now more commonly fitted). The most typical tyre originally fitted was 590-15 bias ply or optional radial tires. In the US at one point, American Racing alloy (magnesium and aluminium) wheels were offered as an option, in 15×5.5″ or 15×6″ size. Tyres were a problem for original owners who opted for 60-spoke wire wheels, as the correct size radial-ply tyre for the factory rims was 155-15, an odd-sized tyre at the time only available from Michelin at considerable expense. Some original TR4 sales literature says the original radial size was 165-15. The much more common 185-15 radials were too wide to be fitted safely. As a result, many owners had new and wider rims fitted and their wheels re-laced. The new TR4 body style did away with the classical cutaway door design of the previous TRs to allow for wind-down windows (in place of less convenient side-curtains), and the angular rear allowed a boot with considerable capacity for a sports car. Advanced features included the use of adjustable fascia ventilation, and the option of a unique hard top that consisted of a fixed glass rear window (called a backlight) with an integral rollbar and a detachable, steel centre panel (aluminium for the first 500 units). This was the first such roof system on a production car and preceded by 5 years the Porsche 911/912 Targa, which has since become a generic name for this style of top. On the TR4 the rigid roof panel was replaceable with an easily folded and stowed vinyl insert and supporting frame called a Surrey Top. The entire hard top assembly is often mistakenly referred to as a Surrey Top. In original factory parts catalogues the rigid top and backlight assembly is listed as the Hard Top kit. The vinyl insert and frame are offered separately as a Surrey Top. Features such as wind-down windows were seen as a necessary step forward to meet competition and achieve good sales in the important US market, where the vast majority of TR4s were eventually sold. Dealers had concerns that buyers might not fully appreciate the new amenities, therefore a special short run of TR3As (commonly called TR3Bs) was produced in 1961 and ’62. The TR4 proved very successful and continued the rugged, “hairy-chested” image that the previous TRs had enjoyed.  40,253 cars were built during production years. Most were sold new to the US, but plenty have returned, and it is estimated that there are not far short of 900 examples of the model in the UK at present.

TVR

The Chimaera was originally intended to replace the Griffith but sufficient demand for both of the models led TVR continuing them. In 1994, TVR introduced the Chimaera 500, a high performance derivative of the Chimaera. The BorgWarner T5 manual transmission replaced the Rover LT77 unit on the rest of the range. A new alternator, power steering and a single Vee belt were fitted to improve reliability. The 4.3 litre engine option was replaced by the 4.0 litre High Compression option. The Chimaera was mildly updated in 1996. Updates included a rear bumper shared with the Cerbera, push button doors with the buttons located under the wing mirrors, a boot lid shared with the Cerbera and the replacement of the front mesh grille with a horizontal bar. The GKN differential was also replaced by a BTR unit. A 4.5 litre model was added to the lineup in 1997. It was originally intended to be fitted with the AJP8 V8 engine but due to the engine not being ready on time, a bored version of the Rover V8 was used instead. In 1998, the rear light styling and the number plate mounting angle was updated while the base 4.0 litre model was discontinued. In 2001, the Chimaera was again facelifted and now featured the Griffith’s headlights as well as seats from the Cerbera. The Chimaera was succeeded by the Tamora in 2002.

VOLKSWAGEN

Final car of note here was my friend Dan Grazier’s recently acquired 7.5 generation Golf R.

CLASSIC MOTOR HUB CARS

The back part of the main building is used as a combination of storage facility and workshop, and this area is not generally open to the public, but today a part of it was, and there were a number of cars on show here. Holding the fort here was Charles Trevelyan, former Chair of the Bugatti Owners Club, and owner of a number of fabulous vintage and classic cars, and his son Piers was also here to answer questions and to talk to visitors.

1958 Austin Healey Sprite: Launched in Monaco shortly after the Principality’s 1958 Grand Prix, the Austin-Healey Sprite was intended as a small, cheap sports car that would fit into BMC’s range beneath the larger MGA. It started a dynasty that would provide countless enthusiasts with affordable, fun motoring – a brief that it still fulfils more than 60 years later. Under the stewardship of Geoffrey Healey – son of Donald – the original Sprite featured bodywork that was designed by Gerry Coker, and its distinctive headlamps soon led to it being given the ‘Frogeye’ nickname. Barrie Bilbie’s chassis design made use of unitary construction, and the engine was a twin-carburettor version of the 948cc A-series unit that was also found in the Austin A35 and Morris 1000. Rack-and-pinion steering was used, the suspension was by coil springs and wishbones, and the live rear axle featured quarter-elliptic springs and lever-arm dampers. In 1962, a redesigned Sprite was introduced that did away with the ‘Frogeye’ styling, and an MG Midget-badged variant made its debut. As well as the facelift, the engine was enlarged to 1098cc during the Mk2’s production run and front disc brakes fitted. Over the years, the engine capacity was increased to 1275cc, but production of the Austin Sprite came to an end in 1971. Its MG Midget sibling lived on until 1980. Its fine handling and an engine that was ripe for modification meant that Sprite made a good competition car. Perhaps its most famous successes came at Sebring in Florida, with a class one-two-three in the 1959 12 Hours, which was followed by a class win and second overall (with Stirling Moss at the wheel) in the 1960 4 Hours. Supplied with in-depth notes, history and specification details – all painstakingly hand-written by its owner – this Austin-Healey Sprite offers a unique and exhilarating take on the original car’s ‘back to basics’ sports car formula. The logbook records the first owner of chassis number AN5-3479 as being Christopher Cheek of Richmond, Surrey, and it was registered 802 SMG on 8 October 1958 – the first year of Sprite production. At that point, the car was yellow and fitted with the standard 948cc A-series engine, and after Mr Cheek it passed to Mervyn Mitchell in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. By the 1980s, the Sprite had been fitted with the 1275cc engine and four-speed gearbox from an MG Metro, as well as front disc brakes to replace the original drums. It had also been repainted red. The car was purchased by the current custodian in July 2015, and was immediately entrusted to MG performance specialist Frontline Developments. The first job was to fit an Ashley bonnet – a popular period modification that replaced the distinctive ‘Frogeye’ front end with a lighter and more streamlined panel by Ashley Laminates. A Honeybourne Mouldings hard-top was fitted, Avo telescopic dampers and an anti-roll bar were installed at the front, and the inlet and exhaust manifolds were replaced. But that was just the beginning… In 2016, a Revotec fan was fitted, a Quaife limited-slip diff was specified with a 3.9:1 final-drive ratio, and stronger halfshafts were installed. The following year, the engine was upgraded to Frontline’s 1380cc fast-road specification. An alloy cylinder head from Moss was fitted, the crankshaft was balanced and the flywheel lightened. The dynamo was replaced with an Accuspark Dynamator alternator and an alloy radiator was installed. Minilite alloy wheels were fitted and the front brake discs were increased from 8in to 9in. At the rear, 8in discs replaced the drum set-up. The power output from the modified engine is quoted as being 90bhp at 6000rpm, and it drives through a Frontline five-speed gearbox. The full specification is documented in the history file, and over the subsequent two years the owner covered another 5000 exhilarating miles in the car, which is now being offered for sale by the Classic Motor Hub. The Austin-Healey Sprite was already a fun little sports car in factory specification, but the well-chosen and beautifully engineered modifications on this example have turned it into a genuine ‘pocket rocket’ boasting chassis upgrades that will enable its new owner to exploit every last bit of its extra horsepower.

Bentley 3 litre: The 3 Litre was the company’s first model, first shown in 1919 and made available to customers’ coachbuilders from 1921 to 1929. It was conceived for racing. The Bentley was very much larger than the 1368 cc Bugattis that dominated racing at the time, but double the size of engine and strength compensated for the extra weight. The 4000 lb (1800 kg) car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, with drivers John Duff and Frank Clement, and again in 1927, this time in Super Sports form, with drivers S. C. H. “Sammy” Davis and Dudley Benjafield. Its weight, size, and speed prompted Ettore Bugatti to call it “the fastest lorry in the world.” The 3 Litre was delivered as a running chassis to the coachbuilder of the buyer’s choice. Bentley referred many customers to their near neighbour Vanden Plas for bodies. Dealers might order a short cost-saving run of identical bodies to their own distinctive design. Most bodies took the simplest and cheapest form, tourers, but as it was all “custom” coachwork there was plenty of variation. The 2,996 cc straight-4 engine was designed by ex-Royal Flying Corps engineer Clive Gallop and was technically very advanced for its time. It was one of the first production car engines with 4 valves per cylinder, dry-sump lubrication and an overhead camshaft. The four valve SOHC Hemi design, with a bevel-geared shaft drive for the camshaft, was based on the pre-war 1914 Mercedes Daimler M93654 racing engine. Just before the outbreak of the war Mercedes had placed one of the winning Grand Prix cars in their London showroom in Long Acre. At the suggestion of W.O. Bentley, then being commissioned in the Royal Naval Air Service, the vehicle was confiscated in 1915 by the British army, dismantled at Rolls-Royce and subjected to scrutiny. A notable difference to both the Mercedes and the aero engines was the cast-iron monobloc design, and the fully Aluminium enclosed camshaft, which greatly contributed to its durability. But having the valve-head and block in one-piece made for a complicated and labour intensive casting and machining. This was a feature shared during that time by the Bugattis which the car was later to compete with. The engine was also among the first with two spark plugs per cylinder, pent-roof combustion chambers, and twin carburettors. It was extremely undersquare, optimised for low-end torque, with a bore of 80 mm and a stroke of 149 mm. Untuned power output was around 70 hp, allowing the 3 Litre to reach 80 mph. he Speed Model could reach 90 mph; the Super Sports could exceed 100 mph. A four-speed gearbox was fitted. Only the rear wheels had brakes until 1924, when four-wheel brakes were introduced. There were three main variants of the 3 litre and they became known by the colours commonly used on the radiator badge. There was a definite rule controlling badge colours but astonishingly it has since been established that given “special circumstances” the factory would indeed supply a “wrong” colour. Blue label was the standard model with 117.5 in wheelbase from 1921 to 1929 or long 130.0 in wheelbase from 1923 to 1929. The Red label used a 5.3:1 high compression engine in the 117.5 in wheelbase chassis and was made from 1924 to 1929. The Green label was made between 1924 and 1929 and was the high performance model with 6.3:1 compression ratio and short 108 in wheelbase chassis. 100 mph performance was guaranteed. As well as 3 Experimental cars, Bentley produced 1088 examples of the 3 litre, and the Speed Model numbered 513 and there were 18 Super Sports.

Bentley 4.5 litre: Bentley replaced the 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to 4.5 litres. As before, Bentley supplied an engine and chassis and it was up to the buyer to arrange for their new chassis to be fitted with one of a number of body styles, most of which were saloons or tourers. Very few have survived with their four-seater coachwork intact. WO Bentley had found that success in motorsport was great publicity for the brand, and he was particularly attracted to the 2 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, the inaugural running of which took place 26–27 May 1923, attracting many drivers, mostly French. There were two foreign competitors in the first race, Frank Clement and Canadian John Duff, the latter winning the 1924 competition in his personal car, a Bentley 3 Litre. This success helped Bentley sell cars, but was not repeated, so ater two years without success, Bentley convened a group of wealthy British men, “united by their love of insouciance, elegant tailoring, and a need for speed,” to renew Bentley’s success. Both drivers and mechanics, these men, later nicknamed the “Bentley Boys”, drove Bentley automobiles to victory in several races between 1927 and 1931, including four consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and forged the brands reputation. It was within this context that, in 1927, Bentley developed the Bentley 4½ Litre. Two cylinders were removed from the 6½ Litre model, reducing the displacement to 4.4 litres. At the time, the 3 Litre and the 6½ Litre were already available, but the 3 Litre was an outdated, under-powered model and the 6½  Litre’s image was tarnished by poor tyre performance. Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin, described as “the greatest British driver of his day” by W. O. Bentley, was one of the Bentley Boys. He refused to adhere strictly to Bentley’s assertion that increasing displacement is always preferable to forced induction. Birkin, aided by a former Bentley mechanic, decided to produce a series of five supercharged models for the competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; thus the 4½ litre Blower Bentley was born. The first supercharged Bentley had been a 3-litre FR5189 which had been supercharged at the Cricklewood factory in the winter of 1926/7. The Bentley Blower No.1 was officially presented in 1929 at the British International Motor Show at Olympia, London. The 55 copies were built to comply with 24 Hours of Le Mans regulations. Birkin arranged for the construction of the supercharged cars having received approval from Bentley chairman and majority shareholder Woolf Barnato and financing from wealthy horse racing enthusiast Dorothy Paget. Development and construction of the supercharged Bentleys was done in a workshop in Welwyn by Amherst Villiers, who also provided the superchargers. W.O. Bentley was hostile to forced induction and believed that “to supercharge a Bentley engine was to pervert its design and corrupt its performance.” However, having lost control of the company he founded to Barnato, he could not halt Birkin’s project. Although the Bentley 4½ Litre was heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,583 lb), and spacious, with a length of 172 in and a wheelbase of 130.0 in, it remained well-balanced and steered nimbly. The manual transmission, however, required skill, as its four gears were unsynchronised. The robustness of the 4½ Litre’s latticed chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine. The engine was “resolutely modern” for the time. The displacement was 4,398 cc. Two SU carburettors and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos were fitted. The engine produced 110 hp for the touring model and 130 hp for the racing model. The engine speed was limited to 4,000 rpm. A single overhead camshaft actuated four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder. The camshaft was driven by bevel gears on a vertical shaft at the front of the engine, as on the 3 Litre engine. The essential difference between the Bentley 4½ Litre and the Blower was the addition of a Roots-type supercharger to the Blower engine by engineer Amherst Villiers, who had also produced the supercharger. W. O. Bentley, as chief engineer of the company he had founded, refused to allow the engine to be modified to incorporate the supercharger. As a result, the supercharger was placed at the end of the crankshaft, in front of the radiator. This gave the Blower Bentley an easily recognisable appearance and also increased the car’s understeer due to the additional weight at the front.  A guard protected the two carburettors located at the compressor intake. Similar protection was used, both in the 4½ Litre and the Blower, for the fuel tank at the rear, because a flying stone punctured the 3 Litre of Frank Clement and John Duff during the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, which contributed to their defeat. The crankshaft, pistons and lubrication system were special to the Blower engine. It produced 175 hp at 3,500 rpm for the touring model and 240 hp at 4,200 rpm for the racing version, which was more power than the Bentley 6½  Litre developed. Between 1927 and 1931 the Bentley 4½  Litre competed in several competitions, primarily the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first was the Old Mother Gun at the 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven as a prototype before production. Favoured to win, it instead crashed and did not finish. Its performance was sufficient for Bentley to decide to start production and deliver the first models the same year. Far from being the most powerful in the competitions, the 4½ Litre of Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin, raced neck and neck against Charles Weymann’s Stutz Blackhawk DV16, setting a new record average speed of 69 mph; Tim Birkin and Jean Chassagne finished fifth. The next year, three 4½ Litres finished second, third, and fourth behind another Bentley, the Speed Six, which possessed two more cylinders. The naturally aspirated 4½ Litre was noted for its good reliability. The supercharged models were not; the two Blower models entered in the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans by Dorothy Paget, one of which was co-driven by Tim Birkin, did not complete the race. In 1930, Birkin finished second in the French Grand Prix at the Circuit de Pau behind a Bugatti Type 35. Ettore Bugatti, annoyed by the performance of Bentley, called the 4½ Litre the “fastest lorry in the world.” The Type 35 is much lighter and consumes much less petrol. Blower Bentleys consume 4 litres per minute at full speed. In November 1931, after selling 720 copies of the 4½ Litre – 655 naturally aspirated and 55 supercharged – in three different models (Tourer, Drophead Coupé and Sporting Four Seater, Bentley was forced to sell his company to Rolls-Royce for £125,175, a victim of the recession that hit Europe following the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Bugatti 5 Litre Type 18: The Bugatti Type 18, also called the Garros, is an automobile produced from 1912 through 1914. Produced shortly after the start of the business, the design was something of a relic. It had much in common with the cars Ettore Bugatti had designed for Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik but with the radiator of the Type 13. Only seven examples were built, and three are known to survive. Power came from a large 5.0 L (5027 cc) straight-4 engine with 3 valves per cylinder and a single overhead camshaft. This large engine had a 100 mm bore and very long 160 mm stroke, so it could only rev to about 2400 rpm. Power was transferred through a multi-plate metal-on-metal clutch to a 4-speed with reverse manual transmission. Two chains – one exposed each side outside of the main chassis rails – drove the rear wheels, with the factory providing three sets of rear wheel chain sprockets, which meant the maximum speed was close to 160 km/h (100 mph)

Bugatti Type 23 Brescia: This is a Type 23 Brescia. An evolution of the earlier Type 13, Bugatti capitalised on its success by producing this full-production postwar Brescia Tourer. It used the multivalve Brescia engine, and 2,000 examples were built from 1920 through 1926, making it the first full-production multi-valve car ever made.

Maserati 200S

Triumph TR3

There are two large “barns” which comprise the cars which are on sale. Some have been for a long time, but others come and go pretty quickly, so whenever you visit, you can be pretty sure that there will be some new to see and that was the case on the case on this occasion, only a few weeks after I had last been here:

Aston Matin DB4

1964 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV GT Spec: When the Aston Martin DB4 was launched in 1958, it marked the beginning of a new era for the British marque. John Wyer was dissatisfied with the styling of an initial 1956 prototype for the proposed ‘next generation’ of Aston Martin, and insisted that the company should turn to an Italian design house. A deal was therefore done with Touring of Milan, from which Aston Martin also licensed the Superleggera method of lightweight construction, which involved using a framework of small tubes on a rigid platform chassis.  Touring’s crisp, clean shape was fitted around a new 3.7-litre six-cylinder engine that had been designed by Tadek Marek. Suspension was via coil springs and wishbones at the front, with a live axle at the rear. Rack-and-pinion steering was fitted in place of the steering box used on the earlier DB2 series, while disc brakes were used all round. The DB4 was regularly updated throughout its production run, from the 1958 Series I to the Series V of late 1962. From 1961 onwards, there were also the options of a convertible body style and the more powerful Vantage model. In addition, there was the short-wheelbase, competition-focused DB4 GT, which was introduced in autumn 1959. Only 95 of these lighter, more powerful models were built, and they were successfully raced in period by the likes of Stirling Moss, Innes Ireland and Jim Clark. When John Bolster tested one for Autosport magazine, he recorded a 0-60mph time of 6.4 seconds, a top speed of 152mph, and concluded that the DB4 GT ‘must be placed high on the list of the world’s most desirable Grand Touring cars.’  This beautifully presented Aston Martin DB4 Series IV was rebuilt to full GT specification by marque specialist Goldsmith & Young, since when it has been maintained regardless of cost. Chassis number DB4/813/R was first registered on 10 February 1962, with the same number that it still wears today – SGR 404. Finished in Black Pearl with red trim, it was sold new to Levey’s Wallpaper Stores Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne. In February 1964, it was acquired by a new owner who was based in London, and the original log book records its ownership history up to the early 1970s. Its conversion to GT specification was carried out during 2011-12, and involved far more than just upgrading the mechanical components. The car was shortened by five inches to match the dimensions of the GT, and the boot floor was changed to GT spec, with the spare wheel mounted over a 100-litre polished-aluminium fuel tank.  The six-cylinder engine was initially bored out to 4.2 litres and fitted with a twin-plug cylinder head. The twin Lucas DMBZ6A distributors were converted to Lumenition electronic ignition with original copper-core HT leads, and triple Weber 45 DCOE carburettors were fitted. A remote oil-filter conversion was added, plus a full-flow oil cooler with braided hoses. More engine work was then carried out by RS Williams in late 2022. The extensive rebuild involved taking the capacity up to 4.7 litres, and a dyno test showed that it was producing 349bhp at 5500rpm and 379lb ft of torque at 4000rpm. It drives through a David Brown four-speed synchromesh gearbox. Considerable thought was given to chassis modifications. Koni SP2 front dampers were fitted, while a telescopic conversion was carried out at the rear. In order to reduce body roll while cornering, the rear roll centre was altered via a lower Watt link centre pivot, and an upgraded anti-roll bar was fitted at the front. Solid steering-rack mounts were also specified. The braking system benefits from Girling four-pot calipers front and rear, and there’s a GT-spec twin master cylinder pedal box, with bias bar. Inside, there are Ridgard RS4 racing seats with Securon four-point harnesses, plus mounting points so that a six-point cage could be installed. A Stack electronic tacho has replaced the original mechanical unit, there’s a mohair headlining, and a battery isolator switch has been added. Now presented in Light Grey with red leather interior, the DB4 has been de-bumpered and the mounting holes deleted. Lightweight polycarbonate rear quarter-windows and rear screen have been installed, although the owner decided to retain framed glass windows for the doors, he specified period correct lightweight polycarbonate rear quarter-windows and screen along with 16in chrome wire wheels to be fitted. Having been used sparingly since its restoration, this Aston Martin DB4 is offered for sale in exceptional condition and with an extensive history file that includes its original build sheet and service record, plus a photographic record of its rebuild. The painstaking way in which it was converted to GT specification is apparent in every detail, and the result is a superb example of this highly sought-after British sports car.

1967 Aston Martin DB6: The DB6 was the ultimate development of a bloodline that began in 1958 with the DB4 and which, for many enthusiasts, still defines the classic Aston Martin. Although it retained the basic Touring styling of the DB4 and DB5, the DB6 featured an extended wheelbase and a higher roofline in order to provide more room in the rear. It also introduced a redesigned rear end, with a Kamm-style ‘cut off’ and a spoiler that reduced lift and gave the DB6 a link to Aston Martin’s Project 215 racer. The Tadek Marek-designed 3995cc straight-six engine was carried over from the DB5, in either triple-SU specification or as the triple-Weber Vantage. A Powr-Lok limited-slip differential, chrome wire wheels and automatic transmission were offered as no-cost options. Beneath the skin, there was rack-and-pinion steering and independent front suspension, with a live rear axle and Watt linkage. Girling disc brakes were fitted all round, and a five-speed manual gearbox was standard fitment. The DB6 was launched at the 1965 London Motor Show and was offered in both coupé and open-top Volante forms. At just under £5000, it was more expensive than the DB5, but Motor began its road test of a Vantage model by stating that it was ‘superior in every way’ to its predecessor. The magazine recorded a 0-60mph time of 6.1 seconds – Autocar managed 6.5 seconds during its own test – and 100mph came up in only 15 seconds. The maximum speed Motor could achieve was 147mph, slightly short of the figure that Aston Martin claimed. A Mk2 version was introduced in 1969 – with wider wheels and optional fuel injection – and the model remained in production until late the following year before finally being discontinued. First registered on 3 April 1967, this Aston Martin DB6 was originally supplied by Arnold Wilson Ltd in Leeds to a Mr Heaton of Heaton Fluids Ltd. He soon put some serious miles on his new grand tourer, with service records showing that it had covered just over 24,000 miles by July 1969. There are Esso Service record sheets attesting that the car was regularly serviced during 1969 all the way until December 1972 having covered 79,400 miles. By the time the DB6 was put through the MoT test in December 1978, it was showing 89,038 miles. Shortly after that, it was acquired by Harry Hennis, who was based in the north-east of England. After running the Aston for a short period, Hennis parked it in his parents’ garage – and there it stayed for more than 25 years. In the mid-2000s, Hennis – who was an engineer – brought the DB6 out of storage and started a thorough restoration. He stripped down the car to a bare shell and used various marque specialists as and when required, but didn’t keep many of the receipts because he didn’t want his wife to know how much he’d spent! The work was completed by 2007 but Hennis couldn’t bring himself to drive the Aston because he knew that, if he did, he wouldn’t be able to sell it. He was reluctantly forced to part with it only because he was retiring to a cottage in Scotland and there was no room to store it. The DB6 was therefore acquired by the current owner in September that year and trailered back to his home in Hereford. After he had put about 2000 miles on the car, he entrusted it to marque specialist Four Ashes in Stratford-upon-Avon so that an extensive check-over and service could be carried out. The work totalled more than £4000 and included a replacement radiator, reconditioning of the brake servos, and the fitment of electronic ignition. In 2015, the same owner had the DB6 stripped to bare metal and resprayed in the same shade of Dubonnet Rosso in which chassis number DB6/3004/R had left the Newport Pagnell factory almost 50 years earlier. The Aston retains its original engine (400/3017) and even its original black leather upholstery, which is now beautifully patinated. More recent work has included the front bumper being rechromed, the left-hand window motor being replaced, and a new headlining being fitted. Now reluctantly being offered for sale after 15 years and more than 10,000 enjoyable miles, the current owner willing to downsize his collection, this Aston Martin DB6 has had only three owners from new and is a highly original car that has been very well cared for in recent years.

1970 Aston Martin DBS : Intended as a replacement for the iconic Touring-designed series of DB4, DB5 and DB6, the DBS marked a change in direction for Aston Martin when it was launched in 1967. There was supposed to have been more in the way of continuity, but unfortunately Touring went out of business after producing two prototypes. In-house designer William Towns was therefore given the job. He produced a modern, sharp, square-edged design that set the template for the subsequent V8 models and helped to establish the accepted ‘look’ for a big Aston throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The DBS should have been powered by a V8 engine from day one, but Tadek Marek’s new 5.3-litre unit wasn’t ready in time, so Aston Martin carried over the 4-litre six-cylinder engine from the DB6. It was available in either standard 282bhp SU-carburettor form, or as the 325bhp Vantage, which used Weber carburettors. A handful of cars were also produced with the Brico electronic fuel-injection system. Drive was via a ZF five-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed Borg-Warner automatic, and the rear suspension employed a de Dion set-up rather than the DB6’s live axle. The DBS V8 eventually joined the six-cylinder model in 1969, the same year in which the DBS starred alongside George Lazenby in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. When Autocar tested a V8-engined car in 1971, it recorded a top speed of 161mph and summed up the model with the words: ‘Tremendous performance, superb brakes, excellent handling’. The two models ran alongside each other until 1972. The six-cylinder DBS was then dropped and the bigger-engined car morphed into the V8, which would be the mainstay of the Aston Martin range into the 1990s.  This Aston Martin DBS is an extremely rare example and is one of only 15 six-cylinder DBS cars that were fitted with fuel injection. Offered on the DB6 MkII and the DBS between 1969 and 1971, the system was the first all-British electronic set-up and had been developed by the Coventry-based Brico company. Only when Brico was sold to Lucas – which had its own mechanical injection system – did Aston Martin revert to offering only carburettors on the DBS.  The guarantee for chassis number 5579/R was issued on 1 May 1970 and it was sold via Lazenby Garages to its first owner, a Mr Stanwell of Boston in Lincolnshire. The car was fitted with an automatic gearbox and finished in Azzurro Blue with Dark Blue Connolly leather interior. Its factory build sheet doesn’t record any further owners, but in the late 1980s it was one of four cars that were bought from a private collector in Wales by Northamptonshire-based Maurdon Motors. It was then kept – unused – in the company’s own collection until being sold to its next custodian in 1993.  The DBS changed hands again in 2001, and by 2016 it was decided to treat it to a full restoration. The work was carried out by marque specialist Richards of England and involved stripping the car back to bare metal. Once the necessary bodywork repairs had been carried out, it was initially resprayed in Bahama Yellow before it was decided to go with the original shade of Azzurro Blue instead. The attention to detail even extended to retaining the red enamelled ‘FI’ badges in the front wings. The six-cylinder engine – number 400/4561/SFI – was rebuilt and enlarged to 4.2 litres. The manual gearbox, which had replaced the automatic unit that the car had originally been specified with, was also rebuilt. Such was the fastidious nature of the whole project that over £200,000 had been spent by July 2018. The restoration was completed the following year and is fully documented in a hardback book that is covered in the same leather that’s been used for the Aston Martin’s interior. More recent work has included a differential rebuilt in May 2023 and all invoices have been kept in the extensive history file, which also includes the factory build sheet and MoT certificates going back to the early 1980s. It’s thought that this Aston Martin DBS is the only fully restored, six-cylinder, fuel-injected example in the world. Not only is it still in outstanding condition following its three-year rebuild, it represents an opportunity to acquire a rare piece of marque history.

1987 Aston Martin V8 Zagato Volante: Aston Martin’s line of V8 models can trace it roots to 1969 and the launch of the William Towns-designed DBS V8. That car subsequently morphed into the V8 and progressed through various incarnations, all of which featured Tadek Marek’s enduring 5.3-litre V8 engine. The styling was subtly tweaked along the way, while mechanical changes included a switch from fuel injection to less-troublesome Weber carburettors for the 1973 Series 3. After just about surviving a period of economic turmoil in the mid-1970s, Aston Martin took until 1978 to introduce the Series 4, which would be known as the ‘Oscar India’ model and lasted until the launch of the fuel-injected Series 5 in 1986. A Vantage model was added in 1977 and offered supercar levels of performance in a luxuriously appointed, old-school British design. In fact, when Car magazine ran a 1984 group test, a Vantage proved to be faster from 0-100mph than the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, Porsche 911 Turbo and Lamborghini Countach. The X Pack variant was launched at the 1986 British Motor Show and included upgraded cylinder heads and internals, plus a quartet of Weber carburettors, helping to boost the power output to well over 400bhp. The ultimate specification, however, could be obtained by asking Aston Martin to enlarge the 5.3-litre Vantage X Pack to a monstrous 6.3 litres.  During the mid-1980s, the V8 model helped to rekindle the relationship between Aston Martin and legendary Italian design house Zagato, the two companies having first worked together on the iconic 1960 DB4 GT Zagato. The V8 Zagato was announced in 1985 and finally unveiled a year later, when its angular, muscular lines attracting a flurry of orders.  Zagato handcrafted the aluminium body panels in Italy and also redesigned the interior, and the brochure called the car ‘the supreme expression of the art of high performance’. It stated that only 50 would be built, but total production reached 52 coupés and 39 Volante. This Aston Martin V8 Zagato Volante is unique in that it is the only right-hand-drive example to feature the 6.3-litre X Pack Vantage V8 engine. The upgrade was carried out at the Newport Pagnell factory when the car was only a few months old, and is fully documented in its history file. This Volante Zagato was ordered via Stratton Motor Company (Norfolk) Ltd, with the first owner paying his £25,000 deposit on 1 July 1987. At that point, it was thought that chassis number 30031 would be ready in September 1988, but it took until November 1989 for it to be delivered. It was finished in Gladiator Red with a Parchment interior and Burgundy piping, plus Beige carpets.  The final invoice was issued on 18 October 1989 and shows that the Aston Martin Volante Zagato was very much in the ‘reassuringly expensive’ category, with a final on-the-road price of £190,549. Having been first registered on 5 March 1990, the car was back at Aston Martin’s Service Department that July so that the standard 5.3-litre engine could be converted into 6.3-litre Vantage X Pack specification. The original factory invoice is included in the history file and shows the extent of the work, from replacing the fuel injection with Weber carburettors to installing a Vantage Zagato bonnet assembly and nose panel. The front and rear suspension was also stripped out and upgraded with a specially prepared handling kit, while a large-bore exhaust system with straight-through rear pipes was fitted – a job that also involved modifying the rear valance. The conversion cost almost £20,000 in labour alone, not including the necessary parts, and is documented in the paperwork with a certificate signed by Aston Martin Chairman Victor Gauntlett and Service Manager Kingsley Riding-Felce. The standard car was already fast, but the 6.3-litre X Pack conversion moves this particular example onto another level of performance. Now being offered for sale in ‘as new’ condition having covered only 1450 miles, this Aston Martin Volante Zagato retains its matching-numbers status and has just been extensively recommissioned at a cost of more than £20,000.

1988 Aston Martin V8 Volante PoW/Ecurie Ecosse: Aston Martin has long been a master of bespoke specification and tailoring cars to the exact requirement of the individual customer, and this V8 Vantage Volante is the perfect example of that. During 1987, the British marque had produced a unique Volante to the special order of HRH Prince Charles, now King Charles III, who was drawn to the extra performance of the Vantage but was put off by its extrovert bodywork. Gifted to him by Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain, his car therefore combined the relatively restrained styling of the standard V8 Volante with the Vantage engine and suspension, plus a host of individual touches throughout. Not surprisingly, Aston Martin’s clients were soon asking for something similar. Among them were the McCaig brothers, who owned the famous Ecurie Ecosse racing team. Best known for twice winning the Le Mans 24 Hours during the 1950s, the Scottish outfit had been revived in the mid-1980s and was involved in Aston Martin’s AMR1 Group C programme. For their bespoke cars, the McCaigs started with the V8 Vantage Volante. They retained that model’s ‘flip tail’ rear end and blanked-off front grille, but elsewhere applied the ‘less is more’ approach that had been used on the Prince of Wales’s car. That meant deleting the Vantage’s front spoiler, reprofiled wheelarches and sill extensions. In total, only three were built to this specification: two for the McCaig brothers and one for another client. This particular example – chassis number ‘15665’ – is the second of those. A 2010 letter from Aston Martin confirms that it was built as a Vantage Volante and – quoting from a note in its factory records dated 29 April 1988 – states that the following work was carried out prior to the car being delivered to Aston Martin Sales Ltd in London: ‘Removing Vantage Volante side skirts and front spoiler. Cutting away fabricated wheelarches as requested. Prepare and respray reworked areas. Installing front and rear under-valances to suit, incorporating stainless steel side finishers.’  In the concluding words of that 2010 letter: ‘This means the bodywork was altered to represent PoW [Prince of Wales] specification.’ After being sold by Brooks in May 2000 at its inaugural Aston Martin Works Service auction, the Vantage Volante was treated to a bare-metal respray from its original Suffolk Red to Welsh Green, and the Tan upholstery was piped green to match. Also, its Vantage-type ‘blanked’ front panel was replaced with a normal Volante-style mesh grille.  Its comprehensive history file is testament to how well maintained this Vantage Volante has been throughout its life. There are invoices from the likes of Aston Martin Works Service, RS Williams and Nicholas Mee, and it benefits from an unleaded engine conversion that was carried out at Newport Pagnell, plus the addition of a factory handling kit. The file also includes the original warranty certificate and certificate of ownership – both dated 13 May 1988 – as well as the original book of service vouchers. Now being offered for sale, this ‘Ecurie Ecosse’ V8 Vantage Volante is an extremely rare and highly collectible example of this muscular British grand tourer.

1927 Bentley 3/8 litre: From victory at Le Mans to the patronage of royalty and aristocracy alike, it was the 3 Litre that laid the foundations for the Bentley marque. The first model to be offered by WO Bentley’s new company from its launch in 1919, it used a four-cylinder monobloc engine that was advanced for its time and featured 16 valves, an overhead camshaft and twin plugs per cylinder.  Various combinations of chassis and engine tune were offered from the beginning of 3 Litre production in 1921 through to its replacement by the 4½ Litre in 1929. The majority were the Blue Label model, which was offered with a wheelbase of either 9ft 9½in or 10ft 10in, and had a single Smiths carburettor. The Red Label Speed model used only the shorter 9ft 9½in chassis and featured a higher-compression engine running on twin ‘sloper’ SU carburettors. And finally there was the Green Label Supersports model, which was built in tiny numbers on a 9ft chassis and was guaranteed to offer 100mph performance. Motor racing was part of the Bentley story from the very beginning, and in 1923 Frank Clement and John Duff drove a 3 Litre in the first running of the Le Mans 24 Hours. They returned in 1924 and won outright – the first of Bentley’s six victories at La Sarthe, and the first inkling of the ‘Bentley Boys’ legend that would take hold throughout that decade. The last Le Mans win of that era came in 1930, the same year in which the marque announced its 8 Litre model. Powered by a 7983cc, straight-six engine, it was Bentley’s flagship offering, and promised a peerless blend of performance and refinement. When The Autocar tested WO Bentley’s personal 8 Litre, it said that it was ‘motoring in its highest form … on performance alone it stands right in the forefront as an equal, at least, of any other car in existence.’ Only 100 examples of the 8 Litre were built before the company was acquired by Rolls-Royce in late 1931. Almost from day one, enthusiasts have been putting Bentley’s larger engines into the British marque’s nimble 3 Litre chassis. This exhilarating car follows in their wheeltracks and has been built in the very finest tradition – and to an extremely high standard. During the mid-1990s, historic racer Peter Gooch commissioned renowned marque specialist Neil Davies Racing to create something that would be ideal for driving down to the Mille Miglia in Italy, or that he could drive to a race meeting at venues such as the Nürburgring. Gooch already owned a Bentley 4½ Litre, and raced a Cooper-Bristol and Maserati 250F, so he had exacting standards. The basis for the project was a 3 Litre rolling chassis that was missing its engine and body. Records show that chassis number HT1634 was originally registered in September 1927 as a ‘Red Label’ Speed model with saloon coachwork by Freestone & Webb, and it was given the same registration that it still carries today – YT 155. NDR retained the chassis’ standard wheelbase, but the crossmembers were modified and moved back, and the engine was mounted three inches lower in the chassis in order to bring down the centre of gravity. For the same reason, the front springs were ‘flattened’ and outrigger rear spring mountings used. The dry-sump engine was built up around an original 8 Litre block. The crankshaft was counterbalanced and converted to shell bearings, while lighter, stronger con-rods and pistons were specified. A new inlet manifold was also manufactured in order to carry the triple 2in SU carburettors, and a modern diaphragm clutch was fitted. The front and rear axles are standard 3 Litre, while a 3:1 diff ratio gives relaxed, effortless high-speed cruising. The brakes were converted to hydraulic operation, and thick Mintex brake linings were specified in order to reduce fade. Tim Hastings, from H&H Coachworks in Henley, built the rakish two-seater sports body to Gooch’s requirements. Quick-release filler caps are used all round, while the windscreen – with nickel-plated surround – is a copy of an original Speed Six Vanden Plas screen. Inside, the mahogany instrument panel carries a mixture of original Bentley instruments and other period gauges, plus switches that are said to come from a Lancaster bomber. Not long after it was completed, it was featured in Classic Cars magazine. ‘On the open road, the Bentley is a barnstormer,’ wrote Malcolm McKay. ‘Touch the accelerator and, with a fantastic, guttural roar, [it] leaps forward.’ Now being offered for sale, this remarkable Bentley 3/8 has had only two owners since Peter Gooch, and in 2018 it returned to NDR for further work that included an engine rebuild. The combination of an 8 Litre engine and agile 3 Litre chassis makes it a fast, well-sorted road car, and exactly the sort of sensational ‘hybrid’ that a thrill-seeking enthusiast might have built in period.

1961 Bentley S2 Continental Drophead Coupe MPW: With great presence and an air of luxurious elegance, plus an ownership history that includes a society host and a celebrated British actor, this is a truly exceptional example of the iconic Bentley S2 Continental. The factory build records show that chassis number BC6CZ was delivered to Park Ward on 15 February 1961 so that it could receive its Drophead Coupé coachwork, and the completed car was supplied to Weybridge Autos Ltd on 6 July. It was finished in Ming Blue with Off White interior – the same colour combination in which it’s presented today – and its first owner was the society owner of the celebrated Hotel Skindles, Giulio Trapani. Skindles had become famous for tea dances on the riverside lawns, where a monkey called Chico lived in a willow tree and stole spectacles and earrings from unwary guests. Visitors in this period included King Hussein of Jordan, Bette Davis and the Marx Brothers. During the 1960s, the hotel became involved in a notorious political sex scandal when it was used for trysts by the Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, and his lover Christine Keeler. The Bentley then passed through four other owners before being acquired in March 1968 by Ron Moody, who had recently finished filming his iconic performance as Fagin in Oliver! – a big-screen adaptation of Lionel Bart’s stage musical, which was based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. When the film was released in late 1968, Moody won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for his depiction of the criminal ringleader. Despite a long and successful career on stage and screen, as well as writing musicals and even novels, he would remain most closely associated with the role of Fagin. Moody bought the Bentley from HR Owen for £4650, and the history file includes the bill of sale, plus comprehensive correspondence relating to his time with the car. Although he ended up keeping his cherished S2 for almost half a century, it was used only sparingly in later years and was eventually sold via Bonhams in 2014 – the year before Moody passed away at the age of 91. At the time of its sale, the Bentley was said to be ‘in need of attention’ and it was duly taken to Royce Engineering. The brake system was rebuilt, the fuel system and power steering were overhauled, a new exhaust, propshaft and gearbox seals were fitted, the radiator was recored, the cooling hoses replaced and the engine block flushed.  Since then, the Bentley has been painstakingly brought up to its current condition. A further round of work in 2015 included an overhaul of the heater system, and the owner covered 4000 enjoyable miles in the car, included visits to the Goodwood Revival, Henley Regatta and Royal Ascot. In 2017, it was treated to a bare-metal respray by Viking Coachworks. Any corrosion that was discovered in the body was cut out and new sections meticulously fabricated, before it was resprayed in its original Ming Blue – the paint having been specially formulated with the correct 1960s grade of aluminium flecks. At the same time, the external brightwork was removed, taken apart and triple-chromed, and the rear springs were re-tensioned. The chassis itself was found to be rust-free. In total, the owner spent more than £80,000 on the Bentley during his time with it, and post-respray work included a new hood as well as an interior overhaul. The car was then sold to its next custodian, who’s continued in the same vein. Recent invoices from renowned specialists such as Frank Dale & Stepsons show that almost £30,000 was spent during 2022-23, with the result that this Bentley S2 Continental is now being offered for sale in superb condition. It comes with the original handbook, service book and manual for the power-operated hood, plus service records going back to the 1960s, as well as maps and memorabilia from Ron Moody’s extensive road-trips in the UK and on the continent. Then as now, there would be few finer ways in which to travel.

1999 BMW M3 Convertible (E36): When the E36 BMW M3 was launched in late 1992, it was designed to be a much more versatile car than the homologation-special, track-focused E30 M3. The E36 also replaced its predecessor’s four-cylinder engine with the 3-litre, six-cylinder S50B30 – a smooth, sonorous and powerful unit that won universal praise. The engine featured individual throttle bodies and produced 286bhp at 7000rpm – enough to fire the M3 to 60mph in just over five seconds – but in late 1995 the facelifted Evo model was introduced. The updated S50B32 engine had a capacity of 3.2 litres, a higher compression ratio, a double VANOS system that offered variable valve timing on both inlet and exhaust, and a power output of 321bhp. This latest engine was mated to a six-speed gearbox developed from that used in the E34 M5, while chassis upgrades included stiffer springs and dampers, plus quicker steering. Ventilated disc brakes were fitted all round and body styles included saloon, coupé and convertible. From 1997 onwards, there was the option of a Sequential M Gearbox (SMG) that enabled the driver to make clutchless sequential changes, as well as choosing between Sport and Economy modes. In 1997, Car and Driver magazine named the E36 M3 the ‘best-handling car at any price’ and Car magazine recently stated that ‘body control is a step on from the E30 and the quicker steering, strong traction and more locked-down feel give a sharper, more immediate feel’. BMW produced a number of limited-edition E36 M3s, including the LHD-only, homologation-special GT, the UK-market Evolution Imola Individual, and the US-only Lightweight. Production of the saloon model came to an end in December 1997, with the coupé lasting until 1998 and the Convertible until December 1999. The E36 was then replaced by the next generation of M3, which was based on the new E46 model. Built during the final year of E36 production, this BMW M3 Evo is a rare low-mileage Convertible that has had only two owners from new. Supplied to Jacksons BMW on the Channel Island of Jersey on 9 June 1999, it was specified with the Individual package that enabled owners to choose from a range of custom colours and trim options. In this case, the M3 was delivered in Brilliant Red with Grey leather. Its service book is full of stamps from the supplying dealer, from the 1200-mile running-in service in October 1999 all the way up to 2010, by which time it had covered 23,090 miles. From then until 2014, it was serviced by independent marque specialists and the mileage rose to 29,491 miles. The BMW was sold to its second owner in 2015, and was then kept in Estepona in southern Spain until being transported to the UK in 2022. It was used only sparingly during that time, as demonstrated by the fact that it had still covered just 31,920 miles when it went through its MoT test on 19 March 2022. This BMW E36 M3 Convertible is being offered for sale complete with its original tool kit, a full set of documents and manuals, and a matching hardtop. Being an Evolution model, it features the sublime 3.2-litre straight-six engine, which produces 321bhp and drives through a six-speed manual gearbox. Michelin tyres are fitted all round. For many years, the E36 has been an underrated choice of M3 but it’s now starting to attract a strong following, and this is a rare opportunity to acquire a well-maintained, low-mileage example.

1953 Cooper-Alta Formula 2: As the 1953 season approached, 23-year-old Stirling Moss was already firmly established as one of motor racing’s rising stars. The ‘Boy Wonder’ had won the Tourist Trophy twice, was the dominant force in 500cc Formula 3, and had even demonstrated his peerless versatility by finishing second on the Monte-Carlo Rally. One of his co-drivers on that gruelling event had been John Cooper, an engineer and Autocar journalist 199who is not to be confused with the John Cooper who built successful racing cars at Surbiton on the outskirts of London. John ‘Autocar’ Cooper approached Moss in late 1952 and suggested that, along with Ray Martin and Alf Francis, they develop and build a single-seater to Formula 2 specification for Moss to race. His plan was to use a chassis supplied by John ‘Surbiton’ Cooper, but with modifications including front suspension that employed double wishbones and coil springs instead of the standard Cooper transverse leaf spring. There would also be Girling disc brakes up front, while at the rear was a de Dion tube with double radius rods on both sides, a Watt linkage, coil springs and inboard drum brakes. Moss had initially suggested sourcing a 2-litre six-cylinder Maserati engine, but the Italian marque would sell them only a complete car. Instead, they approached British firm Alta and acquired one of its four-cylinder, twin-overhead-camshaft, 1970cc engines. This would run on twin Weber 45 DOE carburettors and be mated to a modified Alta gearbox. It quickly became clear that the modifications specified by ‘Autocar’ Cooper were so extensive that it was easier to simply obtain the relevant tubing from Surbiton rather than a complete chassis. This would then be built up by Ray Martin and Alf Francis – and by now there was only 12 weeks to go before the car’s intended debut at Goodwood. Despite the fact that it constituted almost a completely new car, Martin and Francis had the chassis ready after only eight weeks, and off it went to Cooper at Surbiton to receive its body panels. The engine, however, arrived with only 11 days left and was immediately found to be bigger than the dummy unit that the team had been sent. In order to fit it in, they had to move the steering gear, which affected the geometry. Not until the early hours of race day – Monday 6 April – was the car finally lowered onto its wheels. They then discovered that it didn’t fit the transporter, but nonetheless it had been delivered to Goodwood by mid-morning. Moss raced in the seven-lap Lavant Cup that day and, despite starting from the back of the grid, came through to finish seventh after a dice with Ken Wharton (Cooper-Bristol) and Bobby Baird (Ferrari). The car’s next outing came in front of a huge crowd for the International Trophy at Silverstone on 9 May. Moss finished a close second in his heat behind the winning Maserati of ‘Toulo’ de Graffenried – the two men shared fastest lap – and then made a blistering start in the final. He briefly led before being overhauled by faster cars and was running sixth when a pit stop to take on more fuel dropped him to ninth at the finish. Two weeks later, on 25 May, Moss and the Cooper-Alta Special were at the first post-war meeting to be held at the compact Crystal Palace circuit in south London. The Coronation Trophy comprised a 10-lap heat in which Moss finished fourth and then a 10-lap final in which he battled with Whitehead’s Cooper-Bristol before taking the chequered flag in fifth. The ambitious little team then headed off to the continent and the Eifelrennen, one of the most prestigious non-championship races of the season. Held over the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife on 31 May, it attracted a strong entry from across Europe. De Graffenried won again in dreadful conditions, while Moss – who had won that weekend’s Formula 3 race – had to settle for sixth place after being held up in the early stages by the Ferrari of Kurt Adolff. At the end of June, the Cooper-Alta was entered for the Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts, a Formula 1 race that was also open to Formula 2 machinery and which was held on the majestic Normandy road circuit. Giuseppe Farina and Mike Hawthorn finished first and second for Ferrari, but Moss lost first gear on the opening lap and finished down in tenth place. His final outing in the Cooper-Alta Special came a week later, on 5 July, in the French Grand Prix at Reims. As had been the case the previous year, the 1953 World Championship was for 2-litre  Formula 2 machinery and the race around the high-speed circuit – which had recently been modified to bypass the village of Gueux – would be a battle royal between Ferrari and Maserati. By the time Mike Hawthorn took a famous victory for Maranello, just pipping the Maserati of Juan Manuel Fangio, Moss had long since retired. The flywheel disintegrated and the clutch housing, as he later put it, ‘burst asunder’, resulting in a nasty gash on his leg. The team then decided that the best way forward was to put an Alta engine in a standard Cooper chassis, and the Special was therefore retired from front-line competition. During 1954-55 it was used by Ferodo for brake testing, and in 1956 it took part in sand-racing in Jersey. There is also a photograph showing it back in England in 1957, when it was raced at a very wet Snetterton by a JS Read. The Cooper-Alta Special later went into the Doune Motor Museum in Scotland, Lord Doune having acquired the car in late 1968. It stayed there for three decades until being bought by Bugatti specialist and historic racer Ivan Dutton. John Lloyd then bought it from Dutton and, after a restoration carried out by Neil Davies Racing, the Cooper-Alta made its debut in historic racing at Brands Hatch in 2002. ‘The design has fantastic potential,’ said Davies at the time. ‘Almost straight out of the box at its Mallory first test it handled beautifully, and I reckon it can beat all the Cooper-Bristols.’ The car was entered for that year’s Monaco Grand Prix Historique and continued to race in historics with its next custodian, Dave Clewley, who bought it from Lloyd in 2007. Clewley, a well-known figure on the Vintage Sports-Car Club scene, went on to race the Cooper-Alta Special with the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association and at events such as the Goodwood Revival and the Nürburgring Oldtimer Grand Prix.

1914 Delage Voiturette: This charismatic Delage is a faithful recreation of the car in which Albert Guyot won the 1908 Grand Prix des Voiturettes.  Held on 6 July – the day before the Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France – the race comprised six laps of the demanding, 47-mile Circuit de la Seine-Inférieur. The triangular route started in Dieppe before heading south-east to Londinières, north to Eu, and then south-west back to Dieppe.  Orléans-born Guyot was the son of a locksmith and was an early agent for Delage. He had a long and successful racing career, including five appearances in the Indianapolis 500, and following World War One he drove for the works Duesenberg Grand Prix team. Such was his standing in France that he was awarded the coveted Legion d’Honneur. The 1908 Grand Prix des Voiturettes attracted a strong entry that included the Lion-Peugeot cars of Jules Goux and Georges Boillot, but Guyot took a comfortable victory in five hours, 45 minutes and 30 seconds. That was seven minutes ahead of second-placed Louis Naudin, who drove a Sizaire-Naudin powered by a 1963cc single-cylinder engine. The basis for this recreation of Guyot’s winning car was the complete rolling chassis of a Delage Type AM. The chassis, gearbox, back axle and other major components are therefore all from an Edwardian-era Delage – chassis number 6626. The build was entrusted to two extremely well-respected names in the Edwardian-car world: Hughie Walker and his father Mark, who is well-known for the spectacular way in which he drives his Land Speed Record 200hp Darracq. After studying numerous period photographs, they built a body that closely replicates the one fitted to Guyot’s car. In place of the single-cylinder engine that powered Guyot to victory is a rare Edwardian-era 3.7-litre, four-cylinder Chevrolet unit, complete with a three-port cylinder head. Its overhead-valve, crossflow arrangement gave the Walkers scope for considerable performance improvements, and it now features new, balanced, pressure-fed crankshaft and rods, plus a new oil pump. A new camshaft with increased lift and modern timing has been fitted, plus new valves, valve springs and pistons, and the compression ratio has been raised to 7:1. The original four-speed gearbox was totally rebuilt (a spare gearbox is included with the car), while the back axle had a new crownwheel and pinion made in order to give gearing of 30mph per 1000rpm.  Following its completion in 2023, the Delage was raced by its owner at the Vintage Sports-Car Club’s Mallory Park meeting. The car then received an invitation to the 2024 Goodwood Members’ Meeting, where it competed in one of the weekend’s most popular races – the SF Edge Trophy. Driven by Hughie Walker, it qualified in sixth place on the 25-strong grid, following which Walker drove an impressively committed race, at one point out-braking his father’s Darracq into Woodcote during a spirited dice. The Delage crossed the line in sixth position, right on the tail of Duncan Pittaway’s ‘Beast of Turin’ – the FIAT S27. Now being offered for sale at the Classic Motor Hub, this highly evocative and front-running Delage is perfectly finished for a car of this pioneering era, with its brush-painted bodywork sporting the same number 1 that Guyot’s car wore at Dieppe. With its complete set of original Edwardian brass lighting, it is UK road-registered and makes an extremely usable and exciting road car. It has a conventional modern pedal layout with the throttle on the right, and mounting the tuned Chevrolet engine in a lightweight chassis has given it superb performance. Parts for the robust four-cylinder unit are still available in the US. This GP Delage is eligible for many events in the UK, Europe and the USA, including Vintage Sports-Car Club meetings as well as high-profile races such as the SF Edge Trophy, where it has already shown itself to be extremely competitive. Should the new owner wish to participate, the car could potentially be a fantastic entrant to the SF Edge race at the 2025 Goodwood Members Meeting.

1978 Ferrari 512 BB Koenig: What do you do when your brand new 1978, 360bhp Ferrari 512 BB just isn’t quick enough? As far as problems go it’s a pretty nice one to have to be fair. It sure as hell beats the myriad mundane issues that we mere mortals have to deal with on the regular. A leaky tap perhaps, or too much rain when it’s mid-June maybe. Certainly not super car performance woes. Despite being a distinctly first world problem there is a rather simple solution, however. You make a call to a certain Mr König at Koenig Specials and he transforms your already impressive whip into an unhinged psychopath on wheels by strapping not one, but two turbochargers to its 5-litre, flat-12 engine. Madness or genius? We’ll let you decide, but we know which side of that particular fence we’re cheering from, and it rhymes with gastrocnemius. People have been tuning cars and slapping on muscular body kits for decades, both professionally and at home in garages and workshops around the world but nobody was really tweaking super cars and exotics back in the ’70s. It was believed that these bastions of brake horsepower were untouchable, already at the peak of performance, so there wasn’t any point in further fettling. That was until Willy König decided that his very own, brand new 1974 Ferrari 365 BB was a little, how shall we say, underwhelming. Sure, OK Willy, whatever you say. If any one of us were to jump into a factory fresh 365 BB in period that certainly wouldn’t be our first thought. Or one hundred and first for that matter. But König was used to speed having raced various cars since ’61, beginning with a Cooper acquired from F1 driver Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips. Over the ensuing decades, König would continue to race in many high profile races, and indeed cars, including the Ford GT40 and BMW M1 Procar series, to name just two examples and it was this knowledge and experience of racing, as well as the intimate relationships forged with professional racing teams, engineers and designers that provided the necessary know how when it came to tuning. Beginning as a hobby with the aforementioned 365 this love of tuning would flourish into a full blown company in ’77 with the founding of Koenig Specials. König had gone from fitting crude modifications to a bona fide tuning house and it wasn’t long before others came knocking wanting similar tweaks to their cars, including numerous celebrity endorsements, and the company would branch out to include the likes of Mercedes, Porsche and BMW, among others. Opinion was divided, however. Some thought what Koenig Specials (we’ll be using the official company name from here on out) was doing was sacrilegious, akin to painting sunglasses on the Mona Lisa or adding a pair of boxers to Michelangelo’s David and Enzo Ferrari famously had them legally remove all prancing horse badges from its cars once modified stating that they were no longer Ferraris. However you feel about things though you can’t deny it was a bold move by a company that produced some bold cars, including this particular 1978 Ferrari 512 BB, available from our good friends at the Classic Motor Hub in the heart of the Cotswolds. Martin Chisholm and the amazing team there have built up a reputation for excellence and have been selling the cream of the classic crop for years so it comes as no surprise that a car like this should be up for grabs. A period twin-turbo conversion by Koenig Specials this Ferrari 512 BB represents the height of what Willy and engine-builder Franz Albert were offering at the time. Three performance levels were available for the 512 BB, ranging from ‘subtle’ mods that increased power to around 370bhp and a 450bhp option with Mahle pistons and modified cylinder heads, through to the full fat experience that added twin turbos, Mahle pistons, a racing exhaust, and fuel injection in place of the original carburettors that boosted power to well over 600bhp. And that’s exactly the treatment applied to this car, which means a top speed of 206mph and 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds! Not only that but Vittorio Strosek produced a fibreglass body kit to beef up the car’s looks. From flared wheel arches and side air intakes to front and rear spoilers it’s an imposing beast, not to mention rare, with there being only around 50 examples thought to have been produced with few of those being top spec versions such as this. Converted to Koenig specification in 1982 this incredibly low mileage 512 BB has recently undergone reconditioning work at Modena Engineering and is in superb condition throughout. Koenig Specials as a company may now be a shadow of its former self but the cars that it breathed on will forever be a wonderfully exciting glimpse into the world of tuning and what’s possible to achieve should you have the will, no matter the muse or canvas.

1996 Ferrari F355:

1933 Frazer Nash TT Replica: Between 1924 and 1954, when production effectively ceased, approximately 450 Frazer Nash cars were produced, of which 350 were pre-war ‘Chain Gang’ models. Of these, 85 had the most popular TT Replica style of bodywork, which was offered between March 1932 and 1939. The TT Replica was based on the cars that contested the 1931 Tourist Trophy Race, though none of the three cars entered actually finished the event. In 1932 the cars fared better, one finishing 2nd in class. Frazer Nash used a number of different proprietary engines, the TT Replica being fitted with the 1½-litre, four-cylinder, overhead-valve Meadows 4ED engine; the 1,660cc six-cylinder, twin-overhead-camshaft Blackburne engine; and the 1½-litre, four-cylinder, single-overhead-camshaft Gough engine. However, it should be noted that the factory undertook the manufacture of individual cars to order and various combinations of engine and chassis were produced. Although the chain drive is highly unusual, for a motor car of the period, a chain is more efficient than almost any other form of power transmission and the Frazer Nash system was one of the best. While the TT Replica was sold as an all-round performer, it did not achieve significant success in major circuit races. The model’s record in the International Alpine Trials of 1932, 1933 and 1934 is, however, outstanding and equalled by few makes, no doubt due in part to its ability to negotiate the tight Alpine passes under full power. In the 1932 event two cars were entered and lost no marks, while in 1933 a TT Replica was the only car entered not to lose marks. In 1934, four of the team’s six cars were un-penalised. From its adventures on the Alpine Trial during the 1930s to its long-term ownership in the hands of the same enthusiast family, this Frazer Nash TT Replica wears its illustrious history with pride. With period success on the Alpine Trial and a continuous ownership history, this is an extremely well-known car in Frazer Nash circles. Now being offered for sale for the first time in more than 50 years, it must be one of the best and most original TT Replicas in existence.

1954 Jaguar XK120 FHC:

1954 Jaguar XK140: Introduced in 1954 as the replacement for the XK 120, the Jaguar XK 140 retained the outline of its famous predecessor while adding various refinements and updates. It holds a coveted place in the affections of marque cognoscenti, with many arguing that it’s the best of all the XKs thanks to its blend of 120 style and 150 practicality. Among the external changes was a revised radiator grille with fewer vertical slats, plus more substantial bumpers. The engine was moved forwards and the interior was redesigned in order to give occupants a little extra room, but the two-piece windscreen remained. Mechanical revisions included telescopic dampers in place of lever-arm units, plus rack-and-pinion steering instead of the old recirculating ball set-up. Beneath the bonnet was the same 3.4-litre engine found in the XK 120, but in a heightened state of tune. The standard XK 140 produced 190bhp, while the SE model gained a cylinder head to C-type specification and was good for 210bhp. The latter was designated XK 140 MC in North America, and it was to this vital market that most XK 140s were exported. When Karl Ludvigsen tested an XK 140 in the US for Sports Car Illustrated, he concluded: ‘This latest revision of a time-tested machine is notably improved in the handling and braking departments, and this, together with its smooth and surging power, make it a delight to drive at high speeds over long distances on fast, winding roads.’ The same three body styles were offered as on the XK 120 – Roadster, Drophead Coupé and Fixed-Head Coupé – with production being split roughly equally between them. In total, 8937 XK 140s were built before it was replaced by the XK 150 in 1957. This Jaguar XK 140 Roadster has just emerged from a painstaking restoration and is beautifully presented in its original colour combination of Birch Grey with red interior. Chassis number 800003 was completed on 26 November 1954 and was the third right-hand-drive XK 140 Roadster to be built. This variant was by far the most rare of all the XK 140s, with only 73 being built between 1954 and 1956. In contrast, 480 Drophead Coupés and 839 Fixed-Head Coupés left the Browns Lane factory in right-hand-drive configuration. The XK 140 was dispatched on 15 December 1954 and supplied via Henlys London to the Halls dealership in Finchley, on the northern outskirts of the capital. The car’s original registration number of 505 EHX – which it still wears almost 70 years later – was issued in Middlesex. Little is known of the XK 140’s early history, but it was acquired by the current owner in 1969. He then stored it for several decades until it was in need of a total restoration. This has been carried out over the past three years, with the Jaguar being returned to its former glory. The bodywork was entrusted to Lee Thompson at ML Classics Ltd in Warwickshire and the car was then taken to T&T, which is based near Nuneaton, so that it could be resprayed in Birch Grey. Hamptons Coach Trimming took care of the interior, which is superbly finished in red, and Classic Engineering Works did the engine machining work that was required. Photographs show that, at some point before the XK 140 had gone into storage, it had been fitted with a triple-carburettor set-up, but it is now running on the correct twin SUs. Now at The Classic Motor Hub and offered for sale for the first time in more than 50 years, this Jaguar XK 140 Roadster is a very rare and extremely early right-hand-drive example.

1964 Jaguar E Type Semi-Light Weight: The early 1960s were a golden period for GT racing, with the Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheelbase and GTO going up against the Shelby Cobra, Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato and Jaguar Lightweight E-type. They were raced by skilled privateers and established aces alike, and between 1962 and 1965 they did battle in the International Championship for GT Manufacturers – the World Sports Car Championship in all but name. The Jaguar E-type was first raced at Oulton Park in April 1961, with Graham Hill taking his Tommy Sopwith-entered car to victory. The new British challenger offered stern competition to its rivals, which was little wonder considering that the E-type was the ultimate development of a bloodline that started with the XK 120 and continued via the Le Mans-winning D-type. It used a monocoque centre section with a subframe carrying the engine and front suspension. At the rear, independent suspension was fitted at a time when many of Jaguar’s rivals still employed a traditional live axle, and disc brakes were used all round. Beneath the long bonnet was a triple-carburettor, 265bhp, 3.8-litre straight-six engine. Through that first season, the E-type won races in the hands of top drivers such as Hill, Roy Salvadori and Michael Parkes, while Ferrari responded to the threat by developing the fabled GTO for 1962. In turn, Jaguar fought back with a short run of 12 Lightweight E-types for the following season. These featured an aluminium monocoque and an engine with an aluminium block rather than the standard cast iron, while developments included fuel injection and, later, a ZF five-speed gearbox. During 1963 in particular, a Lightweight E-type was more than a match for a Ferrari GTO in British circuit racing – particularly the famous John Coombs car, which was regularly raced by Graham Hill. In 1964, it was also raced by a young Scotsman who was beginning to make a name for himself – Jackie Stewart. Although it was always first and foremost a road car, the Jaguar E-type had a stellar period competition career and has gone on to be mainstay of the historic-racing scene. Supplied new to North America as a standard Roadster, this Jaguar E-type has been converted into a competition car of the highest standard and evokes the look and specification of the legendary Lightweight models that were built by the factory in the 1960s. Race-prepared by renowned Market Drayton-based specialist Valley Motorsport, for Jon Minshaw, the E-type features a highly tuned all-alloy engine that is suitable for events such as Peter Auto’s Sixties Endurance series. The 3.8-litre straight-six is running on triple Weber 48 DCO3 carburettors, plus a six-branch exhaust manifold that runs into a side-exit pipe. A cast-iron engine that would be suitable for road-based events is also available, and both engines are covered by current HTP papers. The gearbox is the correct 1964-spec Jaguar four-speed manual, driving through a Salisbury Powr-Lok limited-slip diff. The fire-extinguisher system, seat, harness and fuel cell are all still ‘in date’, while the specification includes a heated windscreen and a high-amp alternator that is ideally suited to endurance racing. This E-type was developed with the Spa Six Hours very much in mind and extra ‘pod-style’ front lights are available. The suspension, wheel bearings and braking system have all recently been rebuilt. The front suspension is fully adjustable in terms of dampers, geometry and ride height, while anti-roll bars are fitted front and rear. The car is running on Avon tyres – 225/60 at the front and 245/60 at the rear. Having been built into competition specification, this Jaguar has been raced all over Europe by some of the best-known names on the historic scene. E-type maestro Jon Minshaw raced it in the Graham Hill Trophy at Goodwood’s 74th Members’ Meeting, and later in 2016 he shared it with long-time co-driver Phil Keen in the Gentlemen Drivers race at the Zolder Masters Festival. After being acquired by enthusiast Martin Halusa, the E-type continued to feature at the sharp end in events such as the Espiritu de Montjuic at Barcelona, the Silverstone Classic and the Spa Six Hours. During this time the specialist team at High Tech Motorsport in Kidderminster have prepared the car to the highest level, irrespective of cost to ensure reliability and competitiveness. Now being offered for sale with current HTP papers until 2026, this Jaguar E-type Semi-Lightweight has been prepared to exacting standards and is eligible for the greatest events in historic motorsport, from all of those listed above to the Le Mans Classic, Jaguar Classic Challenge and Modena Cento Ore.

Jaguar E type Coupe

1936 Lagonda Rapier: Lagonda was founded by Wilbur Gunn and made a name for itself before World War One by winning the 1910 Moscow-St Petersburg Reliability Trial. Based in Staines, just west of London, it also experimented with innovations such as monocoque construction and anti-roll bars. The marque started to focus its attention on sporting models during the 1920s, and its greatest motor-racing achievement came in 1935, when the M45 Rapide of Johnny Hindmarsh and Luis Fontés won the Le Mans 24 Hours. It was with one eye on competition use that the Rapier was developed during 1933 and the prototype was first shown at that year’s Motor Show. It was based around a twin-overhead-camshaft, 1104cc four-cylinder engine that was designed by Tim Ashcroft, ran on twin SU carburettors and was impressively high-revving for its day. The specification was completed by an ENV pre-selector gearbox and extremely effective 13in Girling brakes. About 300 Rapiers had been built by the time Lagonda went into receivership at the end of 1935. The company would be rescued by Alan Goode, but the rights to Rapier production and all the remaining components had passed to a new firm called Rapier Cars Ltd, which had been set up by Ashcroft, former Lagonda director Bill Oates and Nevil Brockelbank. These cars were badged Rapier and were assembled in Lagonda’s old service depot in Hammersmith. The engines were slightly smaller at 1087cc and a supercharged version was introduced in 1936, but production of the Rapier-built cars ended in 1938. This handsome Lagonda Rapier has competed in Vintage Sports-Car Club events in the UK as well as being raced on the continent, and has recently benefitted from the fastidious care and attention of its engineer owner. RSU 278 was part of a large collection of Rapiers that was owned by Elliot Elder. Most of them had been dismantled, and such was the case with this particular example. It was rebuilt in 1989 by Brian Fidler, a well-known enthusiast of pre-war cars. Most Rapiers were fitted with four-seater tourer bodies by Abbott of Farnham, but about a dozen were given two-seater bodies built by EJ Newns – a Thames Ditton-based coachbuilder that was later known as Eagle Coachworks. Geoff Henderson duly built a beautifully crafted and accurate aluminium copy of the Newns body for RSU 278. The Rapier was later acquired by Lagonda enthusiast Roger Seabrook, who used it in VSCC competitions – the car twice won its class at the historic Prescott hillclimb. It also competed in France, at the Chanteloup hillclimb and the popular race meeting around the Angouleme street circuit. On each occasion, the Rapier was driven there and back rather than being trailered. During this period, the rear axle was rebuilt with a new 4.55 crownwheel and pinion, and the leaf springs were stripped, lubricated and bound in Denso tape. Originally 1104cc, the engine was rebuilt around a 1470cc block with Jaguar con-rods, Fletcher-Jones high-compression pistons, buffer-ended inlet manifold, and a four-branch exhaust manifold. The current owner acquired the Rapier in February 2020 and has worked on the car with great care and attention. His work has been painstakingly documented and includes tidying up the under-dash wiring, as well as stripping the clutch and replacing the release fork. In order to improve the gear selection, he replaced the gearlever indent plate and took particular care to synchronise it with the indent plate on the gearbox, with the result that changes are now much more positive. A Kigass pump was fitted in order to improve cold-starting, the Simms magneto was replaced with the correct BTH unit, and a Fletcher-Jones spin-on oil filter conversion was carried out. Inside, legroom has been improved by fitting a Bluemels steering wheel in place of the original Frank Ashby wheel, which has been retained. The steering box was rebuilt in order to reduce play and the modern Wipac headlamps were replaced with period-correct Lucas L165s. The ride quality has been improved thanks to the use of uprated Andre Hartford dampers and a thermostatically controlled electric fan has been fitted. The attention to detail extended to the fitment of a battery isolator switch behind the passenger seat and the installation of a lead that can be connected to a CTEK battery charger. Now being offered for sale with the Classic Motor Hub, this Lagonda Rapier is in the ideal specification for both road and competition use, and comes with an in-depth history file that includes a record of all work carried out with the current owner. It’s a beautifully sorted example of this rare British sports car.

1951 Land Rover Series 1: Few cars can claim to be genuinely revolutionary, but the Land-Rover is most definitely one of them. In the aftermath of World War Two, Rover’s chief designer Maurice Wilks – perhaps inspired by using a Jeep on his farm in Anglesey – came up with a vehicle of unmatched ‘go anywhere’ versatility. When it was launched in 1948, the Land-Rover used an 80in wheelbase and a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which drove through a four-speed gearbox and a two-speed transfer box. Although it featured four-wheel drive, early cars had a freewheel unit that disengaged the front axle from the transmission when coasting. The sturdy box-section chassis was made out of steel, but the body panels were aluminium – a decision originally taken because of post-war steel shortages. One of the keys to the Land-Rover’s appeal was its use of Power Take-Off points that enabled owners to run machinery from it, and it was an immediate success both in crucial exports and at home. The Series 1 was regularly updated during its production run. The 1.6-litre engine was enlarged to 2-litres in 1951, and in subsequent years more wheelbase options were added – all the way up to the late 109in long-wheelbase model. From 1957, there was also the option of a diesel engine. Although the basic outline remained unchanged, there were detail visual changes along the way. From 1951, for example, the headlamps came ‘through’ the grille rather than being set behind it. There were also different body styles – an early Tickford Station Wagon proved to be short-lived, but a factory version was introduced in 1954. Military orders were soon pouring in, and Land-Rovers were even pressed into service for the royal family – both during official events and for private use. A revised Series 2 was launched in 1958 and Land-Rover eventually grew to the point where it became an individual marque in its own right. Production of the ‘Series’ models and the subsequent Defender ran continuously until 2016, by which time just over two million of these remarkable vehicles had been built.  Painstakingly restored by its owner – a mechanical engineer – this Land-Rover Series 1 is a rare UK-market survivor. Built on 3 January 1951, it was given the Gloucestershire registration KDF 672 and sold via Steels Garages in Cheltenham.  The first owner listed in its logbook is Reginald Reed, who lived in Mitcheldean on the western fringes of Gloucestershire. By 1980, it was only a few miles down the road in Lydbrook with new custodian Michael Prior, and between then and 2015 it passed through three more Gloucestershire-based owners.  In May 2015, the Land-Rover was acquired by an enthusiast based in Stratford-upon-Avon. By that time, it had been dismantled and was in need of a complete restoration, but the original 1.6-litre petrol engine was still fitted. Other major components are also thought to be original – the carburettor and wheels are date-stamped to when the car was built, the axles feature the correct batch number, and even the distributor mount and interior gauges are correct for this age of Land-Rover.  Among the very few deviations from standard specification following the restoration is the fact that the seats have been retrimmed in leather – something that was offered in the period Tickford Station Wagon variant. The chassis was galvanised but it was decided that the body panels were beyond repair. New inner and outer wings were sourced, plus door tops and tailgate, but the bonnet was retained – and the old panels have been kept with the car. Even the original bolts were cleaned up and reused where it was safe to do so, and the correct Lucas 700 headlamps were sourced.  The gearbox, front and rear axles, and engine were all rebuilt. The latter received hardened valve seats plus – among other components – new pistons, bearings, camshaft, timing chain, seals and gaskets, valve guides and core plugs.  The result is a superbly presented example of the highly coveted Land-Rover Series 1 80in that is being offered for sale on the open market for the first time since the 1980s having been restored with fastidious attention to detail. There is now a strong following for these iconic vehicles, and with most right-hand-drive survivors being cars that were exported new to Australia, this represents a very rare opportunity to buy an early UK-market Series 1.

1967 Lotus Elan 26R ex Bob Hayhurst: When it was launched in 1962, the Elan was crucial for Lotus. The outgoing Elite had been a critical success but a financial failure, and it could ill-afford to repeat that experience. The lightweight ethos championed by founder Colin Chapman would be retained, but whereas the Elite used a glassfibre monocoque, the Elan featured a steel backbone chassis. Onto this was mounted a GRP body, while beneath the bonnet there was a Ford-based Twin Cam engine that was originally 1498cc, but which would be enlarged to 1558cc during 1963. There was independent suspension all round, disc brakes, and rack-and-pinion steering, and when Autocar tested an early Elan it commented on the car’s ‘almost uncanny cornering power’. The Elan remained in production until 1973, developments along the way including the 115bhp SE model, the 126bhp Sprint, the addition of a fixed-head coupé, and a Plus 2 model that featured a larger body and rear seats. During the model’s production run, Lotus enjoyed huge success in Formula 1, and it was one of its former works drivers – Mike Spence – who was instrumental in the creation of the Elan BRM. In 1967, Spence had joined BRM, which already had close links with Lotus thanks to building competition-spec engines for its cars. Spence and BRM engineer Tony Rudd came up with a plan to buy Elans in kit form, with the body in primer. An upgraded engine would be fitted in place of the standard unit, which offered 115bhp in Series 3 SE form. With modifications including a gas-flowed cylinder head, bigger inlet valves, an increased compression ratio, different camshafts, revised Weber carburettors and a four-branch exhaust manifold, the BRM engine produced 130bhp, with the option of 140bhp if even hotter cams were specified. These special Elans were then finished in BRM’s dark green livery with orange bumpers and sold through Spence’s Lotus dealerships. Sadly, the project ended when he was killed during practice for the 1968 Indianapolis 500, but the Elan BRM had received rave reviews. When Paddy McNally tested one for Autosport, he recorded 0-60mph in 6.8 seconds and said that ‘the effect of 130bhp changes the whole nature of the car … when the extra horsepower is added, so is a great deal of excitement’. In 1967, Lotus main dealer Mike Spence Ltd. created the Elan BRM special edition which most notably offered a tuned engine and unique colour scheme. At the time, Mike Spence was in his second season as a works BRM F1 driver having spent three years with Team Lotus earlier in the decade. Accordingly, Spence was uniquely positioned to make his concept for a Lotus-BRM crossover a reality. BRM had of course already supplied tuned engines for several Lotus competition cars to include the Elan 26R and 47, Following the death of Jim Clark at Hockenheim in April 1968, Spence re-joined Lotus for that year’s Indianapolis 500. However, he was fatally injured during practice when his four-wheel drive, gas turbine-powered Lotus 56 hit the wall and one of the car’s front wheels struck Spence’s head. As a consequence of the tragedy at Indianapolis, the Elan BRM project was quickly abandoned. Although over 20 engines had been completed, only around ten to twelve cars were actually completed. Presented in the trademark BRM colour scheme of Dark Green with Blaze Orange bumpers, this particular example was frequently hillclimbed by its first owner, Bob Hayhurst, who retained it until 1987. Today, this super little Elan has undergone a complete restoration to include installation of a new Lotus backbone chassis. Importantly, the original chassis is offered as part of the package. Even in standard form, the Lotus Elan is renowned as being a high-water mark in sports car history, but this particular example is even more special thanks to its status as one of the ultra-rare Elan BRM models. It’s thought that only about 10 of these were sold in period, and this is car number 006. It was delivered in kit form to its first owner – RJ Hayhurst – in August 1967 and registered 11 TE. Bob Hayhurst was a keen racer and used the Elan BRM in numerous events around the north of England, including the Baitings Dam hillclimb. He kept the Lotus until 1987, when he sold it to his nephew, Mike Gregson, who re-registered it KBV 787F. With Gregson being based overseas, the car spent a long time in storage during his ownership, and when it was acquired by a new owner in 2010, they decided to embark on a full restoration. The rebuild was carried out by Lotus specialists Ken and Neil Myers, with the remit being to retain as much of the car’s impressive originality as possible. The respray was done by Alan Rigarisford, who was in charge of the Mike Spence Ltd paint shop in 1967 and would have painted the Elan when it was new! Such was the painstaking nature of the work that the colour was matched against a can of the original Dockers paint, and checked against an ex-Mike Spence BRM Formula 1 car. The restoration is fully documented in a photo book that accompanies the Elan BRM. It notes that the car features the standard gearbox rather than the optional close-ratio unit, but that it has the optional 3.55 differential. It also states that, when corrosion was discovered on the steel backbone chassis, the decision was taken to replace it with an original Lotus-built chassis that was supplied by Tony Hills of Kelvedon Lotus. Once restored, the Elan BRM was displayed at the famous Donington Collection between August 2011 and the museum’s closure in 2018, with the car’s owner regularly visiting in order to drive the car and stay on top of its maintenance. More recent work has included the fitment of a New Old Stock steering rack, new driveshaft couplings, and a suspension overhaul that was carried out by Neil Myers. This Lotus Elan BRM is now being offered for sale with an exceptional history file that includes the book of service vouchers, the owner’s handbook, and period documents from Mike Spence Ltd that include specification options and price lists. Not only does it look highly evocative in BRM colours, it also drives superbly – fully justifying the Elan’s reputation for peerless handling and sounding great thanks to the throaty bark from its Twin Cam engine.

1947 Maserati A6GS Monofaro: The Maserati A6GCS is the last true Maserati. In 1947 the Maserati brothers Ernesto, Bindo and Ettore, now released from their contract with the Orsi family packed up their tools and left to form OSCA with their sights set on building lightweight, fast racing cars. Before they left however, they had time for one last masterpiece, the Maserati A6GCS Series I. Designed in conjunction with lead technical engineer Alberto Massimo, the car was officially called the 2000 Sport after the powerful 1978cc straight-6 under the bonnet. Styled by Medando Fantuzzi, the Monofaro or single headlight was initially designed to have a coupé body but the Maserati brothers, forever focussed on weight saving instructed Fantuzzi to design a lighter “Siluro” or torpedo body featuring cycle-wing fenders to protect the open wheels during racing. The Maserati brothers, perhaps aware this was the last car they would design for the company that bore their name, paid particular attention to the development of the Monofaro. The car was a mechanical masterpiece featuring double wishbone suspension across a low-slung tubular frame chassis with the engine mounted to a 4-speed gearbox. The resulting car was a force to be reckoned with, taking the fight to the more powerful Ferraris also racing at the time. The Monofaro raced predominantly in Formula 2 races where the greats such as Alberto Ascari, Stirling Moss and Tazio Nuvolari battled week in, week out at race meetings all over Europe. The first Monofaro made its debut in 1947 at a Modena sports car race where Ascari and Luigi Villoresi came first and second. In 1948 Maserati Monofaro chassis number 2007 left the Modena factory gates and began its racing career as a works factory car. The car competed on behalf of the Maserati team in European races before being renumbered by the factory in 1949 to chassis 2010 as was a fairly regular occurrence in period. However, by this time the factory had begun development of the A6GCS Series 2 and so sold the car to an Italian businessman named Giuseppe Vianini. Before WWII Giuseppe Vianini had established a successful business in Argentina as a motorcycle dealer and through his business became involved with AC Argentina Equipe who sponsored promising Argentinian racing drivers to come to Europe. One such driver they sponsored was Juan Manuel Fangio who had proven himself on dirt and gravel long-distance races across South America. These races were far removed from the Grand Prix races held in Europe which were considered the pinnacle of competition racing and so in 1947 Fangio moved to Europe to continue his racing career. Having seen Fangio race in South America Guiseppe Vianini was eager to get the young Argentinian into his Monofaro and began leveraging his contacts with AC Equipe Europe to get Fangio into his Monofaro. For the 1949 Rome Formula 2 race Fangio lined up in chassis 2010 against the dominant Ferrari 166Cs. In reality the Ferraris were always going to win with double the cylinder count but the Maseratis of Fangio and Benedicto Campos provided the only credible opposition. For the 1952 season Vianini, eager to get involved with the South American Maserati dealer network imported the A6GCS to Argentina where he sold the car to Carlos Lostaló. Lostaló continued to race chassis 2010 in the local races around Buenos Aires. At some point in the early ‘50s Lostaló removed the engine and gearbox from “2010” and fitted a Ford V8 engine and continued to race the car throughout the 1950s. The original engine and gearbox went into storage. The car we offer here is a hand-crafted Maserati A6GCS Monofaro featuring a Siluro body fitted with the original engine and gearbox from chassis 2010, the car driven by 5-time Formula One World champion Juan Manuel Fangio. The engine and gearbox lay in storage for a considerable length of time before being acquired by the car’s current owner who himself stored the drivetrain until recently deciding to commission a replica chassis and body around the original engine.

1971 Mercedes 280 SL “Pagoda”: As a replacement for the famous W198 300SL and the 190SL, the Mercedes-Benz W113 had big shoes to fill when it was launched in 1963. Based on the platform from the W111 saloon, it was styled by a team that included Paul Bracq and Béla Barényi, who was responsible for the concave hardtop that gave the model its ‘Pagoda’ nickname. The new SL was powered by a range of fuel-injected six-cylinder engines, having been introduced as the 2308cc 230SL. The short-lived 2496cc 250SL was produced from late 1966 to early 1968 and gained all-round disc brakes, while the final evolution was the 2778cc 280SL, which was introduced in late 1967.  There was a choice between a four-speed automatic gearbox or a four- or five-speed manual, and air-conditioning was usually specified for cars sold in North America. More than half of 280SL production was exported there. Steering was via a recirculating-ball set-up, while the suspension combined double wishbones at the front and a low-pivot swing axle at the rear. The W113 was intended to be more of a safe, comfortable Grand Tourer than a sports car, and when Road & Track tested a 280SL in 1968, it said that ‘in matters of handling, brakes and ride, the SL is still one of the outstanding cars of the day’. The magazine concluded that ‘it is a well-proven, reliable car and the quality of its execution is a delight to the connoisseur of fine automotive machinery’. The 280SL lasted until 1971, when it was replaced by the new R107 model, but the W113 remains a high point in the long history of the Mercedes SL and a coveted style icon.  Once described by classic Mercedes expert Roger Edwards as being one of the finest 280SLs he’d ever seen, this is a beautiful example of the German marque’s supremely stylish two-seater. Built in September 1970 and sold new to Mr. Michael L Bergman of Lyons, Colorado, it was specified with a manual gearbox and very rare limited-slip differential, plus of course its ‘Pagoda’ hard-top which accompanies the car on a purpose built stand. Mr Bergman kept the 280SL until the late 1970s, when it passed to Larry Fitzsimons – another Colorado resident. In 1988, Fitzsimons commissioned a Denver-based Mercedes specialist, Austria Motors, to rebuild the engine and, two years later, the gearbox as well.  The car changed hands in 1992 and again in 1998, when it was bought by a collector and enthusiast who lived in Denver. He had the 280SL’s bodywork stripped to bare metal and resprayed in its original colour of Light Ivory. There is a photographic record of this work in the car’s extensive history file, and it shows how solid the bodywork had remained. The US-market bumper overriders were removed, European-spec headlamps were fitted, and in 2000 the Mercedes was shipped across the Atlantic when the owner moved to the UK. All of the power-sapping US emissions controls were subsequently removed from the six-cylinder engine, and the car’s paperwork confirms that the car has been fastidiously maintained since then, with no expense spared. The rear suspension rubbers were replaced at 79,000 miles, a new propshaft coupling was fitted at 81,000 miles, and at 84,000 miles it received new hoses and belts, a stainless-steel exhaust and a new brake master cylinder. New front brake discs, fuel hoses and a gearbox oil seal were installed at 91,000 miles, and in January 2024 a brand-new mohair hood was fitted at a cost of more than £4000. Now being offered for sale, this matching-numbers Mercedes 280SL Pagoda is in exceptional condition throughout and is presented with its original handbook, Becker radio and tool kit. It even still has the original stickers on the boot lid for oil level and tyre pressures, and represents a peerless blend of elegant styling and engineering excellence.

1949 MG TC: This MG TC is a charming example of one of the Abingdon marque’s most significant models, and its long-term owner says that it’s been a ‘much loved and enjoyed car’. The factory production record for chassis number TC8293 shows that it was built on 28 March 1949 and fitted with XPAG engine number 8757, which has stayed with the car ever since. It was first registered on 6 April, and exported to an owner in Switzerland. The MG would remain there for more than 70 years, passing through several enthusiast owners until being acquired by its current custodian in 2010. During his time with the car in Switzerland, the TC was maintained, serviced and stored through winter with Pichler GFG AG in Gstaad. In addition to its classic-car services, Pichler is an agent for the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bentley and Bugatti. The MG was used for a number of rallies in Switzerland, with photographs on file showing it in idyllic Alpine countryside. When the owner bought a second home in the Cotswolds, he brought the car back to the UK in 2021 and it was given the registration PXS 303. Now being offered for sale at the Classic Motor Hub, this MG TC is the archetypal British sports car of its period. Sit behind the Bluemel’s Brooklands steering wheel and the rev counter is positioned in front of you, the speedometer (in kilometres per hour) is over to the left, while the stubby gear lever sits beneath the dashboard. There is a fine view down the bonnet and the windscreen can be folded flat, leaving just aero screens. It all adds up to an attractive, sporting two-seater that has been fastidiously maintained by its current owner.

1949 MG TC Gammon Racer: The early post-war years were when the foundations were laid for the present-day British motor industry. Budding constructors such as Colin Chapman, John Cooper and Eric Broadley cut their teeth as racing got under way again, often making use of the plentiful disused airfields that were suddenly available. It was also an incredibly fertile period for specials-builders, and one of the most successful of that era was Peter Gammon with his MG-based racer. Originally built in 1949 as a very late-production MG TC and registered LBP 150, his car was raced at Goodwood the following year in standard specification by its first owner, an RE Molyneux. It was then bought by Gammon from its second owner, Michael Orr, and underwent a significant transformation during 1951. Gammon fitted a lightweight aluminium body with cycle wings, and a 1497cc engine was installed. The car was looked after by Surrey-based Barwell Engineering and the engine was prepared there by John Lucas, who had previously worked for Weslake. The four-cylinder unit ran on twin SU carburettors, and featured a high-lift camshaft and a gas-flowed cylinder head with oversize valves. Bernie Rodger was Barwells mechanic and chassis specialist, and he later went on to design the chassis for the Peerless car. The frame on the Gammon Special was strengthened and adjustable rear dampers were used they were controlled via a knob on the dashboard. Gammon went on to achieve a huge amount of success with the car. Among countless podium finishes were three wins at Silverstone in 1952, plus one at Thruxton. The following year, he won at Silverstone, Goodwood and Snetterton, and claimed the Motor Sport Silverstone Trophy as well as the Egerton Challenge Trophy. He also won that years Performance Cars 1500cc Trophy, and in third place in the standings was Colin Chapman. So impressed was the Lotus founder that he invited Gammon to race one of his Mk6 cars. Gammon transferred the tuned MG engine into his Mk6 and raced it through 1954. In September of that year, he advertised both the Lotus-MG (£850) and the Gammon Special (£450) for sale in Autosport. The latter was bought by Jimmy Blumer, who would go on to race in the 1964 Le Mans 24 Hours in a works Sunbeam Tiger. He raced the Gammon Special in 1955 but his results are unknown, apart from winning a sprint at Sherburn in May. Blumer then sold the car to Arthur Grayson, who was based in Redcar in north-east England, and from Grayson it passed in the summer of 1957 to John Swift. In a 1976 letter, Swift recalled that he raced and hillclimbed it at venues such as Barbon, Catterick, Croft, Charterhall and Silverstone. “I had an enormous amount of fun with the car,” he wrote, “which I raced on the proverbial shoestring”. He explained that “it would pull 6100rpm, which is about 102mph on the Club Circuit at Silverstone” before he had to brake for Woodcote corner. It would apparently out-accelerate Healey Silverstones, AC-engined Aces and Triumph TR2s, and while he recalled it being less competitive against the new Lotus Eleven, it was a source of delight to lap XK120s and MGAs! Swift paid £295 for the Gammon Special and sold it for £375 to someone that he remembered only as Lambert. By then, he had modified the bodywork to include a then-fashionable Connaught-type egg-crate grille and repainted the car British Racing Green. Subsequent owners included Dick Deasey, Brian Chapman, Ted Walker (of Ferret Fotographic fame) and Ken Dalziel, before it was bought in 1975 by MG enthusiast Dave Saunders. He later said that it was in “a rather sorry state” and the car was put away for 20 years until Saunders embarked on a full restoration in the late 1990s. It was while he was researching the car and looking for photographs to use as reference material that he approached Ted Walker to ask if he had any period images of it, only to discover that Walker himself had owned it in the early 1970s. Saunders meticulously rebuilt the car to Gammon-era specification in time for it to take part in the 1999 Goodwood Revival. He then raced it extensively in historic meetings around Europe, from Silverstone, Oulton Park and Donington Park to the Nürburgring, Dijon and Assen. Now being offered for sale by The Classic Motor Hub for the first time in almost 50 years, the Gammon Special is one of the fastest and best-known post-war MG-based specials. It comes with a wealth of period photographs and later correspondence documenting its fascinating history, and perfectly evokes a halcyon period in British motor racing.

1959 MG MGA Roadster: Presented in its original colour of Iris Blue, this MGA Roadster is the archetypal British sports car of the 1950s and has been meticulously looked after during the long-term ownership of its current custodian. First registered on 10 August 1959, 839 WMV is an early example of the 1600 model and was built as a right-hand-drive car for the UK market. The current owner bought the MGA in July 2009, after the previous keeper had carried reportedly out a comprehensive restoration of both the bodywork and mechanical components. In late 2014, the engine was rebuilt to original specification by Wards Engineering in Rugby, a process that included fitting a new crankshaft. At the same time, the owner took the opportunity to replace the original four-speed gearbox with a Ford Type 9 five-speed unit, which was supplied by Hi-Gear Engineering in Derbyshire. In April 2016, following the discovery of some slight corrosion on the nearside front wing, the decision was taken to entrust the MGA to Rugby Classics. They replaced the nearside front and rear wings and restored the inner wings and sills at the same time. Any replacement panels that were required were UK-made in steel. Some well-chosen upgrades have been made along the way, including electronic ignition, an alternator conversion, an oil cooler, Spax adjustable dampers on the rear, and drilled front brake discs. More recent work has included the installation of a new petrol tank and radiator, and in 2022 the combined brake and clutch master cylinder was replaced. Having covered more than 21,000 miles in its current 15-year ownership, this MGA 1600 is now being offered for sale with an extensive history file that includes a wealth of invoices and photographs. It’s a beautiful example of this charming, practical and enduring sports car, and is ready to be used and enjoyed by its next owner.

1965 MG Midget: From 1962 until 1965, the World Sports Car Championship was contested by GT cars rather than sports-racers, and throughout that period the Division I category for the smallest-engined cars was dominated by Abarth. Among those taking the fight to the Italian squad was the BMC Competitions Department, which entered the 1965 championship with its MG Midget. Now being offered for sale for the first time in 20 years, 6 GRX represents a very rare opportunity to acquire an MG Midget that was built and raced by the works BMC Competitions Department during that halcyon period in the 1960s.

1962 MG MGB BMC Works Sebring 12 hours Racer: Not only has the MGB become one of the most popular and enduring classic cars ever built, it was an unsung hero of the 1960s motorsport scene, with an impressive competition record. Introduced in 1962, more than 500,000 MGBs left the factory over the course of its 18-year production run – in both roadster and GT coupé form. A more practical and modern car than the MGA it replaced, it featured monocoque construction and carried over the B-Series engine that had been used in its predecessor. It was enlarged from 1622cc to 1798cc and, in standard roadgoing form, produced 95bhp on twin SU carburettors. The model’s superb motorsport career included class victory in both the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monte Carlo Rally. A works-entered car driven by Julian Vernaeve and Andrew Hedges won the 1966 Marathon de la Route, while further class wins were scored at the Targa Florio and the Spa 1000Km. Various updates were applied during the model’s long production run, which lasted until 1980, and the MGB continues to inspire a faithful following to this day. The 1964 Sebring 12 Hours was the second round of that year’s World Sportscar Championship and attracted a stellar entry of GT cars and sports-prototypes. While overall victory went to the Ferrari 275 P of Mike Parkes and Umberto Maglioli, this MGB crossed the line third in class after a faultless performance in the famous race. It was one of three MGBs – one red, one white and one blue – that had been entered for the endurance classic by Kjell Qvale, a West Coast BMC distributor based in San Francisco. His competition department was run by Joe Huffaker, who prepared the three cars with upgraded parts that had been sent over by the MG Competition Department in Abingdon. The red car was based on a very early MGB – body number 000114. Originally shipped to the US in July 1962, it had incurred salt-water damage in transit and couldn’t be sold, so Qvale decided that it would make the ideal basis for a race car. MG sent lightweight aluminium body panels – wings, doors, bonnet and boot lid – as well as four Special Tuning engines. These were stripped by Huffaker when they arrived in San Francisco and rebuilt with new camshafts and pistons, while the cylinder heads were ported and bigger valves installed. Other competition-spec parts included a glassfibre hardtop, close-ratio gearbox, and dual fuel tanks with a quick-release filler, while the red car was the only one of the three to get magnesium wheels rather than steel wires which are still with the car today. Driven at Sebring by Ed Leslie and Jack Dalton, it raced as number 47 and was fastest of the three Qvale-entered MGBs during practice. It had stiff opposition from Porsche in its class, but ran like clockwork around the punishing airfield circuit. Leslie/Dalton finished a superb 17th overall and third in class. Following the race, ‘number 47’ was sold to BMC dealer Ernie Rodrigues, whose son Gary wanted to start racing. He did so extensively over the next few years, even though the aluminium body panels had to be removed in order to for it to run in SCCA events. Fortunately, these were put into storage at Hollywood Sports Cars – a decision that would pay dividends decades later. During Rodrigues’ ownership, the MGB appeared on The Tonight Show with James Garner while he was promoting his film Grand Prix, and it was eventually sold in 1968 to Buzz Moore of Lafayette, California. Moore continued to race the car with the SCCA, and it competed until the end of the 1970s in the hands of subsequent owners Randy Sharp and John McEwen. Most of its later appearances were at Laguna Seca and Sears Point, before McEwen sold it in 1979 to former racer and MG specialist Butch Gilbert. During the 1990s, Gilbert embarked on a full rebuild of the MGB and contacted Hollywood Sports Cars to see if they had any photographs of the car, since they used to look after it. They said they could do better than that, and retrieved from storage the factory-supplied aluminium body panels that they’d kept since the mid-1960s. Only the front-left wing was missing, but Gilbert painstakingly restored the MGB to its 1964 Sebring specification. Even though the original engine had been removed, he sourced and rebuilt a correct, early, three-bearing MGB engine. He fitted it with a 1962 cylinder head and all of the period competition modifications were replicated. The freshly restored car appeared at the 2003 Monterey Historics meeting, and the following year it returned to Sebring, where it was reunited with Qvale and Ed Leslie – both of whom signed the car’s dashboard. After being sold to a UK-based enthusiast and crossing the Atlantic, the MGB was treated to an engine and gearbox rebuild, and the car has subsequently competed at the Goodwood Revival and the Le Mans Classic. Now being offered for sale, this well-known MGB boasts race history at the very highest level and is eligible for some of the world’s finest historic events. It has a valid HTP and a huge file that includes period photographs from Sebring, the official published records from that race, its old SCCA logbook, and magazine articles that tell the full story of this historic and significant car.

1960 Morris Mini Minor: Very early examples of the ground-breaking Mini are particularly sought after, and few survivors will be as original as this exceptional 1960 Morris Mini-Minor. When it was launched in 1959, the Mini revolutionised the small-car market in the same way that the Austin Seven had done more than 30 years earlier. Perhaps it was little wonder that the car was initially sold under the Austin Seven name, as well as the Morris Mini-Minor, before becoming known as simply the Mini. Conceived as a way of offering an economical and practical small car in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis and subsequent petrol rationing, the Mini’s genius lay in its packaging. Designed by a team led by Alec Issigonis, it was only 10ft long but featured room inside for four people, thanks to the fact that the four-cylinder engine was mounted transversely and drove the front wheels – a simple but hugely effective layout that would set the template for all small cars. In the Mini, the four-speed gearbox was in the sump and shared the engine’s oil supply, and there was even innovation to be found in the suspension system. Alex Moulton came up with a design that used compact rubber cones instead of conventional springs, and although it was replaced by a fluid-based Hydrolastic system in 1964, the ‘dry’ rubber cones were fitted again from 1969 onwards. Space was maximised inside thanks to the use of sliding windows, while the doors were opened via a pull-cord rather than a handle. It was a spartan arrangement that reflected Issigonis’s desire that the Mini should be simple family transport – or a car ‘for the district nurse’, as he put it. However, its compact dimensions and ‘wheel at each corner’ stance gave it superb handling, and enthusiastic drivers quickly realised it could handle more power. The standard car was launched with an 848cc engine, which would be enlarged to 998cc, 1098cc and then 1275cc. From 1961 onwards, there was also the option of the Mini Cooper, which was conceived by racing-car constructor John Cooper and introduced with a tuned 997cc engine plus front disc brakes. Two years later, the 1071cc Cooper S came along, and these ‘hot’ Minis enjoyed huge success in international motorsport, particularly rallying; between 1964 and 1967, a Cooper S won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in four years. Although it became an enduring symbol of the 1960s – whether buzzing through rally stages or pottering down high streets – Mini production lasted until 2000. Countless variants were produced, from saloons to estates and panel vans, and not only is it consistently ranked as being among the most significant cars ever made, it remains one of the most beloved. Built during the first full year of production, it was invoiced to its first owner – Miss E Muxlow of Sleaford in Lincolnshire – on 1 October 1960. Miss Muxlow bought it via Holland Bros Ltd, the local BMC distributor, which had a garage on Carre Street, Sleaford. The original invoice is still part of the car’s remarkable history file and shows that the Morris Mini-Minor cost her a total of £558 9s 8d, against which she was offered £75 as part-exchange on her old car. An accompanying receipt shows that Miss Muxlow paid the balance on 2 November 1960, and the file even includes the car’s Maintenance Service Voucher Book. This records regular servicing during its early years, up to 17 March 1965, when it had covered 5990 miles. It’s thought that the Mini remained in the Sleaford area even after it had passed to subsequent owners in the 1980s and beyond. It was used sparingly – it has still covered only 19, 000 miles – but its ‘timewarp’ condition is testament to the fact that it has obviously been diligently maintained. The paintwork, for example, is original, as are the front and rear subframes. The 848cc engine has never been removed and the bodywork has never been welded. The interior is also untouched and charming early touches abound, such as the floor-mounted starter button. The car even comes with the optional wicker baskets that offered extra storage beneath the rear seats in the compact cabin. Now being offered for sale at the Classic Motor Hub, this Morris Mini-Minor comes with a Driver’s Handbook, a copy of the AA Members Handbook for 1966-67, and the original Unipart anti-freeze sticker is even still in the windscreen. It represents a rare chance to acquire an unrestored, perfectly preserved and totally original example of this timeless classic.

1961 Porsche 356 C Cabriolet:

1971 Porsche 911 2.2 T: Over the course of nearly 60 years, the Porsche 911 has won legions of fans thanks to its blend of performance, engineering quality and clean design. It has been developed into countless variants since production began in 1964, using the basic template from the earlier 356 – a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine, but now with six cylinders rather than four. The 2+2 layout was also carried over, and the styling was largely the work of ‘Butzi’ Porsche, son of company founder ‘Ferry’ Porsche. Development was rapid. In 1967 came the 160bhp 911S, the base-model 110bhp 911T, the limited-run competition-spec 911R, and the option of a Targa roof. The model was also proving itself in competition: the late Vic Elford won the 1967 European Rally Championship, Pauli Toivonen did likewise in 1968, and 911s took a hat-trick of victories on the Monte Carlo Rally between 1968 and 1970. In an attempt to tame the on-the-limit handling, the wheelbase was extended by just over two inches in 1969 – the same year in which the 911E was introduced as a ‘mid-point’ in the range, sitting between the entry-level 911T and the more powerful 911S. While the T was fitted with carburettors, the E and S both featured a fuel-injected version of the flat-six, which was initially 2 litres before being upgraded to 2.2 litres for 1970. It was enlarged once again for the 1972 model year, this time to 2.4 litres, and US-spec 911Ts gained fuel injection. From the 1974 model year onwards, the 911’s styling was changed to incorporate the impact bumpers demanded by regulations in North America, and the revised ‘G series’ models marked the beginning of a new chapter in the car’s long and illustrious history. When Car & Driver magazine gathered a complete set of 911s in 1969, it was the 125bhp T that turned out to be everyone’s favourite. The road-testers included racing driver Mark Donohue, and they all appreciated the model’s torque and usability, while commenting on the overall balance from a car that wasn’t much slower than its more-powerful 911E and S siblings. Delivered on 11 March 1971, the Porsche 911T being offered for sale here was shipped to the USA via the port of Baltimore, and its first owner was Charles Owen of Alexandria, Virginia, on the banks of the Potomac. Optional equipment included a five-speed gearbox, air-conditioning – which added $748 to the $6495 list price – and chromed steel wheels. The car was also specified with the Appearance Group option, which added a selection of visual elements from the range-topping 911S. The 911T had been sold to Mr Owen by Joe Heishman’s Porsche dealership in Arlington, and the original service books show that it was maintained there until at least 1976, by which time it had covered just over 34,000 miles. It was still in Virginia in 2002, albeit now in the ownership of a Centreville-based enthusiast. At 45,000 miles, he had the original 2.2-litre, flat-six engine rebuilt, at which point a complete set of new pistons was fitted. The Porsche was then exported to the UK and first registered here in March 2005. Its new owner soon had it inspected by an independent specialist, with the result that a round of mechanical work was carried out that included a new crank pulley and fanbelt. The gearshift mechanism and front brake calipers were rebuilt at the same time, and the floorpan was Waxoyled. More recently, the seats have been retrimmed. This is a well-presented example of the 5-speed Porsche 911T, which has its original engine, a known history and a comprehensive file that includes the original service books. It represents exceptional value for money in the coveted world of ‘pre-impact bumper’ 911s, which have become particularly sought-after thanks to the purity of their design.

1935 Riley MPH 14/6: Like Aston Martin and MG, Riley was keenly aware of the promotional and engineering value of motor racing, and for 10 years following the introduction of its four-cylinder Nine model, it was a mainstay of the competition scene. With its high-mounted twin camshafts, inclined overhead valves and hemispherical combustion chambers, the Nine engine was ripe for tuning. The Brooklands Speed Model not only won its class in events such as the Brooklands Double Twelve and the Index of Performance at Le Mans, it won the 1932 Tourist Trophy outright. Adding two more cylinders to the Nine engine enabled Riley to develop a series of sporting ‘sixes’. They included the MPH, the prototypes for which were based on the works cars that had been campaigned in the 1933 Tourist Trophy. This latest model used a chassis that was underslung at the rear and featured a wheelbase of 8ft 1.5in, and three engines would be offered during its short life – 1458cc, 1633cc and 1726cc. Two gearboxes were offered – a close-ratio manual or a pre-selector – and 18in Dunlop tyres were specified. Suspension was via semi-elliptic springs front and rear plus Duplex Hartford dampers. ‘To the open-air-loving motorist with sporting tendencies,’ wrote The Autocar in 1934, ‘this new Riley MPH should prove singularly attractive.’ In the 1934 Le Mans 24 Hours, two works-entered MPH models finished an amazing second and third overall, beaten only by the Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 of Luigi Chinetti and Philippe Étancelin. Despite that success for the six-cylinder car, the next generation of competition Riley was represented by the four-cylinder TT Sprite. Riley produced only a short run of roadgoing MPHs alongside the racing variants. With its sporting bodywork and low-slung stance, it has – as noted writer Mick Walsh put it when he drove an MPH for Classic & Sports Car magazine – ‘the aura of a British Alfa Monza’. Little wonder it’s become such a coveted choice of 1930s sports car. Riley achieved immense competition success during the inter-war years and, with its rakish styling and six-cylinder engine, the MPH model was, in effect, a racing car for the road. Exclusive and expensive in period, it remains one of the Coventry marque’s most famous models. This particular car is ‘MPH No 7’ – chassis number 44T 2255. It was first registered on 19 November 1935 by Stanley Hodgkinson of Botleigh Grange – a large manor house near Southampton. The Riley was therefore issued with the Southampton registration AOT 855. That initial registration came almost a year after the main batch of MPH cars. Marque specialist Robin Cameron, writing in his reference work Riley MPH, suggests that ‘2255’ could originally have been supplied to Riley distributor Hector Dobbs, who was based in the outskirts of Southampton and regularly bought racing models and other special Rileys from the factory. After remaining unregistered during its brief time with Dobbs, it’s thought he sold ‘2255’ to Hodgkinson and the original MPH body was replaced by a more-spacious body made by Bertelli – a coachbuilding company that was run by Enrico Bertelli and which supplied bodies to Aston Martin, which was based next-door to its premises in Feltham, Middlesex. Although AOT 855 was advertised for sale in the mid-1960s as being ‘one of two’ with Bertelli coachwork, Cameron has written that the second car is, in fact, likely to have been one of the works Gamecocks used in the Alpine Trial. If correct, that makes AOT 855 the only MPH to feature a Bertelli body.  In the February 1939 issue of Speed magazine, the MPH appeared in the background of a photograph that was taken in the workshops of Thomson & Taylor – the Brooklands-based engineering firm that built Land Speed Record cars as well as the chassis for the famous ERA racing cars, which used Riley-derived engines. AOT 855 was offered for sale during the late 1940s by dealer Blake & Co in Liverpool, by which time it was black. Riley Register records then show that, through the late 1950s and early 1960s, it was owned by N Ashurst, AA Heard and CM Ross.  In 1962, the MPH was sold via Chiltern Cars to a Mr Lowdell of Tring in Hertfordshire. His ownership was brief, and later in the year it was back with Chiltern Cars before passing to Tony Fitch of Falcon Hall, Wormley. In 1964, Mr Fitch sold the Riley – which was then British Racing Green – to Donald Beatty of Walnut Creek, California. Early the following year, he wrote to the Classic Car Club of America requesting that the MPH be considered for membership and included a detailed description that included the engine number (14T 2255). After initially being refused, the request was granted in early 1966.  The Riley returned to the UK in 1974 via well-known London dealer Dan Margulies, who sold it to Fuad Majzub. Iranian-born Majzub was a wealthy businessman who had a large collection of cars, and in 1976 he entrusted the Riley to Automobile Restorations so that it could be rebuilt – a process that was never completed. The car was kept in storage and shown, still incomplete, at the 1984 Riley Register Coventry Rally. When Fuad passed away, the MPH passed to his son Julian – a keen historic racer and founder of Blockley Tyres. It was then acquired by a new owner in 2004 and he treated the Riley to a full concours-standard restoration, after which he enthusiastically campaigned it in Vintage Sports-Car Club events. Now being offered for sale by the Classic Motor Hub, this well-known Riley MPH comes with an extensive file that meticulously documents its history and includes correspondence and receipts going back to the 1960s. With its crisp six-cylinder engine and pre-selector gearbox, it is a stylish, fast and extremely usable 1930s sports car that’s eligible for a wide range of events and represents a rare opportunity to acquire a genuine MPH.

1920 Rolls Royce 40/50 HP “Silver Ghost”: First introduced in late 1906, the Rolls-Royce 40/50hp was the model that established the marque’s reputation as the builder of ‘the best car in the world’. It went into production in 1907 and lasted until 1926, and was made in both the UK and the USA – the latter at Rolls-Royce’s factory in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 40/50hp was originally fitted with a 7-litre straight-six engine, which featured a seven-bearing crankshaft and pressurised lubrication system, and the model was soon proving itself via its impressive performance in reliability trials. In 1907, one car covered 15,000 miles under official RAC observation – a total that including taking part in the Scottish Reliability Trial – and its only involuntary stop during that period was when a petrol tap shook itself closed on rough roads.  Registered AX 201, that particular car was called ‘the Silver Ghost’, a name that would retrospectively be applied to the entire 40/50hp range after it had been replaced by the Phantom. The engine was enlarged to 7.5 litres from 1910, and the following year a 40/50hp famously drove from London to Edinburgh and back using only top gear – a remarkable demonstration of the car’s flexibility. Early reports mentioned not only that, but also the model’s overall quality, smoothness and refinement. Taking part in such trials generated invaluable publicity, but also helped to improve the model throughout its production life. After a disappointing showing in the 1912 Alpine Trial, for example, Rolls-Royce returned the following year with cars featuring a four-speed gearbox in place of the old three-speed unit, improved cooling and bigger brakes. At the time, the brakes operated on the rear wheels only. Not until the early 1920s did front brakes – complete with servo assistance – become available. The modifications made to the successful 1913 Alpine Trial cars were then carried over to the production cars in the shape of the sporting Alpine Eagle Speed Model, and a total of nearly 8000 Silver Ghosts were built during the course of its life. As the car that established the foundation upon which the Rolls-Royce legend was built, it is still revered more than a century later. Beautifully finished in grey with a contrasting red interior, this extremely handsome Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost is one of the highly desirable Alpine Eagle Speed Models.  Its extensive history file documents its early days in impressive detail. Ordered on 24 March 1919, chassis number 10CW was ‘received on test’ on 21 February 1920. It was then dispatched to JB Ferguson, which was based on Chichester Street in the centre of Belfast. Founded by Joseph Bell Ferguson – brother of tractor pioneer Harry – the company was, according to a 1921 article in the Belfast News Letter, the sole distributor for Rolls-Royce in Ireland. It was also a coachbuilder that bodied a number of 40/50hp chassis, and it duly fitted four-seater tourer coachwork to 10CW. On 23 November 1920, the car was delivered to its first owner – a JH McGugan, who was also based in Belfast. It was sold the following year to a Mr Sandford, and then to a Mr Langford, both of whom lived in London.  The chassis cards for 10CW note that it was sent to the Rolls-Royce Cricklewood depot on various occasions during this period, including a visit in August 1921 for routine engine servicing. The Silver Ghost was then shipped to the US via the SS Missouri, a note on the chassis cards suggesting that this happened in August 1922. Records held by the Rolls-Royce Foundation show that, in 1932, it was sold by LI Dimm to Al Gross of Long Island, and that at some point it was fitted with a ‘sedan limousine’ body that was built by the Brooks-Ostruk company of West 66th Street in New York.  The Rolls-Royce was later stored for more than 40 years in an open-fronted barn before being rescued in 1977 by marque enthusiast Arthur Knapp. Although he didn’t embark upon a restoration, Knapp saved the car from further deterioration and it was eventually bought by Malcolm Tucker in November 2007.  In an article for the RREC’s Silver Ghost Register in November 2013, Tucker wrote: ‘The condition of 10CW reflected the time the car spent at the mercy of the Mid-West weather; scorching summers and icy winters. The Brooks-Ostruk body had suffered badly … the aluminium panelling was corroded badly, and the steel wings were disappearing fast. The doors and main body frame had stood up well, however. The chassis and mechanical components appeared to have avoided serious corrosion, and were at least 95 per cent complete.’ The car was brought back to the UK and a full restoration was started in March 2008 by Mike Knowles of Ro-Ben. Due to Knowles’s ill-health, the work was taken over by AJ Glew in September 2013. A close replica of the original Ferguson body was built by Western Coachworks, while Trevor Hirst of Christchurch fabricated a new set of wings and bonnet sides. The Silver Ghost retained its original engine (J171) and was given the UK registration number RR-7492 in March 2016, following a painstaking restoration that had cost more than £230,000. More recently, AJ Glew carried out a further round of restoration work after the car had suffered an accident, with the result that this Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost is being offered for sale in exceptional condition throughout. With its engineering pedigree and effortless performance, it is rightly considered to be one of the finest – if not the finest  – cars of its time.

1931 Talbot AO75/90: Designed by Swiss-born engineer Georges Roesch, the Talbot 14/45 had proved to be an immediate success when it was launched in 1926, to the extent that its sales helped to save the struggling marque. Three years later, its six-cylinder engine was stretched to 2276cc for a run of larger and more powerful ‘18hp’ models. The first of these was the 75, which was introduced in 1930 on the same basic chassis as the 14/45. Surrey-based dealer Fox & Nicholl soon recognised this car’s sporting potential, so Roesch raised the compression ratio and carried out other engine modifications in order to boost power and create the 90 model, which achieved great success at Brooklands and Le Mans. The chassis for these 18hp cars was produced in two different wheelbase options – 9ft 6in and 10ft – while bodywork was supplied by a number of different coachbuilders. The bare chassis was priced at £425, with catalogued bodies including the 2/3-seater ‘double dickey’ at £525 and the drophead saloon at £600. These cars formed the mainstay of the Talbot range into the mid-1930s, with upgrades along the way including the replacement of the ‘silent third’ gearbox with a Wilson pre-selector unit. As the company’s catalogue put it at the time: ‘The Talbot has won a wide circle of firm friends in every section of the community to whom the superb fitness of this thoroughbred motor has special appeal’.  When parent company Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq got into financial difficulties in the mid-1930s, Talbot was taken over by the Rootes Group. As the decade progressed, the famous ‘Roesch Talbots’ would be increasingly diluted by the use of components from other Rootes marques and Roesch eventually left the automotive industry, his legacy secure thanks to the brilliant cars he left behind. The Georges Roesch-designed Talbots of the 1930s are among the most desirable British cars of their time thanks to their competition pedigree and reputation for engineering excellence. This particular Talbot 75/90 adds to that with a fascinating ownership history that begins with an order placed at the 1930 London Motor Show by renowned racing driver Major AT Goldie Gardner. Essex-born Gardner was a veteran of the First World War who had started racing at Brooklands during the mid-1920s. He later enjoyed a long association with MG, lapping Brooklands at over 120mph in a single-seater K3, and was also a prolific record-breaker. During the early 1950s, by which time he was more than 60 years of age, he set 43 speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats.  Gardner’s Talbot was chassis number 29518, which was fitted with engine number 236. It was supplied via Warwick Wright and registered GO 8057 on 25 March 1931. The unique four-seater tourer coachwork was by KC Bodies and it’s thought that Fox & Nicholl then upgraded this 75 model to high-performance 90 specification at the request of Gardner. At some point during 1931, Gardner sold the Talbot via Fox & Nicholl to 19-year-old John Harris, whose family owned a construction company that specialised in building golf courses. A fine golfer himself, Harris went on to become a golf-course architect of considerable renown and designed hundreds of courses all over the world.  Harris would keep GO 8057 for 45 years, and in 1965 he wrote to Motor Sport magazine to say that the Talbot ‘has taken me in complete safety for more than 200,000 miles and I have never had an anxious moment due to the road-holding’. He also noted that the car had received two overhauls, one in the mid-1930s and the other 20 years later. The 1950s work was carried out by Fox & Nicholl and included an engine rebuild in which new inlet and exhaust manifolds, a single downdraught SU carburettor and a Scintilla magneto were fitted. In 1955, Harris took the car to an event at Goodwood so that it could be driven by Georges Roesch himself. Harris reported that Roesch was impressed with its performance and Cecil Clutton – President of the VSCC – wrote to Harris thanking him for making the Talbot available, saying that ‘it made all the difference having such a perfect example’. In 1976, Harris sold the car to Peter Pollard, who had the interior retrimmed as close as possible to the original colours by local firm EJ Baker & Co. He also carried out various other repairs in time to use GO 8057 for the Silver Jubilee Rally at Ascot in 1977.  Pollard used the car sparingly over the next couple of decades, and in the early 2000s he decided to strip down the chassis until only the main body section was attached. The engine was rebuilt by noted specialist IS Polson and the bodywork was repainted, and in 2016 this highly eligible car was entered into the Concours of Elegance at Windsor Castle. Now being offered for sale by the Classic Motor Hub, GO 8057 is an exceptional and well-known Roesch Talbot that boasts impeccable provenance and comes with an extensive history file that includes a wealth of evocative period photographs – plus invoices that go back to the 1950s work carried out by Fox & Nicholl. This charismatic Talbot still features its original coachwork, engine and ‘silent third’ gearbox, and has real presence both on the road and at rest. The upgrade to 90 specification has given it strong performance and it makes an exhilarating road car, particularly when the small windscreen is folded flat. As long-term owner John Harris put it, ‘There is some real character in the Roesch Talbots.’

1938 Talbot-Lago T23 “Baby”: Italian-born Antonio Lago had already led a fascinating life by the time he was brought in to help rescue Automobiles Talbot SA, which was in serious financial trouble by the early 1930s. The entrepreneurial Lago would end up acquiring the business himself following the collapse of parent company Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq, and in the years either side of the war, his revitalised Talbot-Lago concern built an enviable reputation thanks to a combination of stylish road cars and motorsport success.  In the latter part of the 1930s, Lago – working with engineer Walter Becchia – introduced an updated range of models that featured an array of different wheelbases and engine options. The 4-litre T23, for example, was offered as the short-wheelbase ‘Baby’, the mid-length ‘Major’ and the long-wheelbase ‘Master’. It featured independent front suspension and a Wilson pre-selector gearbox, both elements that were carried over from earlier, pre-Lago Talbots. The T23 was offered with coupé or cabriolet coachwork, and famous owners included racing driver Philippe Étancelin, who was given one in 1938 as payment for being part of the works team. Lago knew well the importance of motorsport in terms of publicising a marque, and in 1937 his cars won the Tourist Trophy at Donington Park and the French Grand Prix at Montlhéry. Talbot-Lago continued building cars after the war, initially with the 4.5-litre T26, then the 2.6-litre Baby, and finally the 2.4-litre, four-cylinder T14. There was more motorsport success, too, thanks to the T26C, which notched up significant victories in both Grand Prix events and sports car racing. It wasn’t long, however, before sales plummeted and Lago found himself coming under increasing financial pressure. The marque limped through much of the 1950s before being sold to Simca in 1959, a sad end for a name that had briefly belonged in the same sentence as the likes of Bugatti and Delahaye. It’s thought that this Talbot-Lago T23 was delivered new in 1938 to racing driver Louis Rosier, alongside a T150 SS Coupé by Figoni et Falaschi. French ace Rosier would go on to serve with the Resistance during the war, before establishing himself as one of the leading drivers of the late 1940s and early ’50s. Although he was an excellent Grand Prix driver, his most famous success came in sports cars, when he won the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours in a Talbot-Lago T26 GS. He drove the endurance classic almost single-handed, his son Jean-Louis completing only a couple of laps as his co-driver. This T23 three-position cabriolet was constructed on the short-wheelbase ‘Baby’ chassis and features a 4-litre, six-cylinder engine driving through a Wilson pre-selector gearbox. Built at the Talbot-Lago factory at Suresnes, the bodywork was designed by Giuseppe Figoni, of renowned coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi. As such, it features trademark Figoni details such as the ‘teardrop’ front and rear wings – the Italian maestro was also responsible for the sublime Talbot-Lago T150 ‘Teardrop’ coupés. Although little is known about the early life of this T23 cabriolet, it was later restored over the course of 20 years by Andre Lapines. A mechanical engineer and marque enthusiast, Lapines rebuilt it from the ground up, paying particular attention to originality. As part of the process, he rebuilt the six-cylinder engine and Wilson gearbox, and the finished car was said to be ‘show quality’. In 1996, it was acquired by Jack Stromers of Monterey. For the first part of its journey to California, he drove it some 800 miles through Europe, including crossing the Alps. It was then sold to a Dutch collector in 2004 and returned to Europe, where it won its class at the 2010 Concours d’Elegance at Paleis Het Loo. This Talbot-Lago T23 has continued to win concours prizes with subsequent owners, and is offered for sale in exceptional condition, from the leather and wood in the stylish cockpit to the flowing lines of its coachwork. It’s easy to see why these Suresnes-built cars have become so coveted.

1952 Talbot T15 “Baby”: In the late 1940 and early 1950s, Talbot-Lago was renowned for its luxury road cars and successful racing cars. The marque’s T15 ‘Baby’ was intended to complete the range by offering a less-expensive, smaller-engined alternative – and this car is a very rare survivor. Talbot-Lago first used the ‘Baby’ name on a range of six-cylinder models during the 1930s and revived it following the Second World War. With the T26C proving to be a winner in Grand Prix racing and at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the expensive 4. 5-litre T26 acting as its flagship road car, the four-cylinder T15 ‘Baby’ was intended to ‘meet the demands of a large number of customers looking for a classy car with medium power [and] easy and inexpensive maintenance’ while still ‘possessing to the highest degree the traditional qualities of the brand’. This was nonetheless an expensive car produced in relatively small numbers and, with various options on offer, very few T15s are exactly the same. Its 2. 7-litre twin-cam engine produced 120bhp and there was the choice of a four-speed synchromesh gearbox or a Wilson pre-selector. The independent front suspension employed coil springs, while semi-elliptic leaf springs and hydraulic dampers were used at the rear. Talbot-Lago claimed that the T15 ‘Baby’ was the ‘fastest, most pleasant to drive and safest’ car in its class, but production of all models at the Suresnes factory fell sharply after reaching 433 in 1950, and the last T15 ‘Baby’ was built in 1953. The post-war landscape was very different to the 1930s and, like a number of famous top-end marques, Talbot-Lago struggled through the 1950s – especially in a French market that heavily taxed large-engined cars. Owner Antonio Lago – who had acquired the rights to the French Talbot business in the mid-1930s following the collapse of the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq combine – put the company up for sale in 1958 and the following year it was acquired by Simca. More than 60 years later, Talbot-Lago remains an evocative name thanks to its impressive engineering, extravagantly styled road cars and international motor racing success. Built in April-May 1952, voiture numero 121660 was not delivered to Garage Parc Monceau – Talbot-Lago’s main Paris agent – until a year later. It’s thought that one reason for the delay might have been due to the fact that it was a well-specified De Luxe model, with extras such as a sunroof and heater making it more expensive than usual and therefore harder to sell. It was registered 2056 BZ 75 in the name of the Societe des Ancien Ets Gillot, and on 21 October 1955 the car went back to Garage Parc Monceau in order to have its engine and clutch replaced. Talbot-Lago had suffered a spate of crankshaft failures on the original 2. 7-litre engine, and therefore offered owners a free exchange for an upgraded 2. 5-litre unit – as also used in the glamorous T14 Lago Sport model. The more robust later engine featured a five-main-bearing crankshaft rather than three, and the exchange is recorded in a hand-written note on this car’s factory build sheet. On 25 April 1957, ownership of this ‘Baby’ passed to the Paris-based Societe SOFIGRAG, and three years later it briefly returned to Garage Parc Monceau. From there, it was sold in April 1960 to a new owner who registered it 322 DG 78 in the départment of Yvelines, to the west of Paris. Meticulous research included in the T15’s history file shows that it was next owned by a solicitor from Quimper, near the Atlantic coast in France’s north-east corner, and registered 860 FR 29. Then, in 1964, the car went back to Paris and was registered 5239 QH 75 after being bought by Pierre Coffi – and remarkably he would keep it for the next 48 years. In February 2012, the Talbot-Lago was bought by a British owner who lived in Kent. He treated it to a thorough recommissioning process, registered it 171 YUN, and sold it a few months later to an enthusiast who went on to enjoy it for the next 10 years. Now being offered for sale at the Classic Motor Hub, this Talbot-Lago T15 is a rare example of this elegantly understated French car. With softer suspension than its larger-engined stablemates – plus high gearing and a strong engine – it’s a comfortable, practical and stylish choice of 1950s saloon.

As is almost always the case, I am glad we looked beyond the wet and soggy start to the morning and even largely ignored the more worrying aspects of the forecast, making a decision to head on out, as the weather did ease up, more cars came along and were able both to enjoy these, the attractions of the Classicv Motor Hub and then to stop off for a late lunch at a nearby establishment.