Retro

Retro cars road test

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1936 Squire LWB by Ranalah

A true supercar of its day, the Squire was literally a schoolboy’s dream — and it was all over by the time its creator was 26 years old. Mark Dixon drives one of the seven cars that were made

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1972 Dino 246 GT

Do you have to be a Jinancier to buy a derelict Dino and restore it as a daily driver? Well, yes as it turns out, but there are lessons for all of us here.

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1967 Triumph TR5 PI - Driving the first TR5 off the production line, Press Car Number 5

Triumph prototype CP-2-0 was the first TR5 off the Canley assembly line and cautious owners have preserved its originality ever since. We drive Britain’s first fuel-injected production sports car

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1955 Chevrolet Two-Ten Townsman

This 1955 Chevrolet Two-Ten Station Wagon is a wonderfully original example. But as owner Russell Schacter discovered, even the simplest cars sometimes need a little bit of mechanical fettling…

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1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster W198 II

If you had to provide a list of the ten most beautiful cars ever made – you would be absolutely spoiled for choice. Hell, pick up any issue of Retromotive and you would be shuffling, salivating, then re-shuffling some more, probably changing your list several times before reluctantly handing over your final cut

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1974 Bolwell Nagari Convertible Mk VIII

This Series 8 Bolwell Nagari came to George May some thirty-four years ago. In fact he rebuilt it from a wreck. A young George put so many new parts into the car that it might have been easier to start from scratch. Since then it has never been in an accident, has never had a respray, and has never been driven in the rain.

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1968 Howmet TX35

Engine noise: that is what gets you “in the feels” when you watch any form of motorsport at trackside. The sound does not just hit your eardrums. It goes right through you, buzzing your insides and firing off happy endorphins. Certain engine howls mean an involuntary dropping of the jaw or smile across the dial

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1966 Jaguar XJ13

Historic racer and classic collector Aaron Lewis is a driver first and foremost. The business of restoration, he says, can be frustrating

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1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia

The impact of the Second World War could be felt across the globe. In the automotive sector, many factories were shut down or even destroyed. Quality materials used prior to WWII were in short supply and the day-to-day operations of once thriving companies were struggling across the board. Custom and small coachbuilders like Bertone, Pinin Farina (the company was renamed Pininfarina in 1961

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1955 Jaguar HWM-1

Two cars have been 'HWM 1 The second was the last racer the company built… and it’s still competing. Sam Hancock tries it

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1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn-Kurier W29

This year’s winner Octane captures the winning Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn-Kurier at Pebble Beach; David Burgess-Wise uncovers the story behind it

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1951 Jaguar XK120 SE FHC

It's now 70 years since Jaguar introduced both the XK 120 fixedhead coupe and the SE model, cars that set the standard for future models. We discover a fascinating history awaits when we drive the very last example produced.

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Awesome 1972 Volkswagen Double Cab-commercial

When Wayne Murray bought this ’1972 Double Cab Pick-Up Bay as an unfinished project, he knew nothing of the headaches he’d face later on. Still, having spent the last eight years on a meticulous restoration, there’s no doubt it was worth all the grief

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1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0

In production for just two years, the Carrera 3.0 is rare, yet it stands as a cornerstone of the 911 dynasty, consolidating the impact-bumper generation and a bulwark for its SC and Carrera 3.2 successors

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