Retro

Retro cars road test

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1965 Toyota Sports 800

The Toyota Sports 800 is as small in size as it is big in stature, but its significance is only appreciated in its homeland. Could it have succeeded outside Japan had its makers been braver? We encounter two-cylinders of pure fury and try to keep a straight face.

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1973 Austin Allegro 1300 Deluxe

The Allegro is the ultimate anti-style statement – which pleases Colin Corke greatly

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1955 Škoda 1200

Fancy owning classic Škoda built in the days when the Iron Curtain hung heavily over Eastern Europe? Then look no further as this rare 1200 is looking for a new home.

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1977 VAZ 2102 Lada 1500ES Estate

How a pair of Ford enthusiast brought a forlorn and forgotten Lada 1500 back to life and thanks to their attention to detail, this top of the range model is a gem.

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1964 Lotus Elan 26R that kick-started Jackie Oliver’s career

As he heads into retirement, former F1 driver and team owner Jackie Oliver recalls the Lotus 26R that kick-started his stellar career.

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1927 Salmson GS8 Brooklands

This ultra-rare 1927 Salmson GS8 Brooklands racer might be compact but, as Zack Stiling finds, it’s no angel to drive.

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The brand new 1967 Alvis 3.0-Litre Graber Super Coupé

Not a restoration but a brand new car: this is the Alvis Graber Super Coupé, and Mark Dixon drives it exclusively for Octane

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1963 Auto Union 1000 SP Roadster

Kevin Newman and Rich Briggs-Price have a wonderful collection of extremely desirable cars, but it is this Auto Union 1000 SP that remains closest to Kevin's heart.

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1953 Vauxhall Velox

Mick Johnson was handed a large pile of boxes when he took on a Vauxhall Velox in 2014, but he has turned it into a beautiful car. Phil Homer tells the story, and speculates as to why so few of this marque and model survive.

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1935 SS 1 Airline Saloon

Although it used a chassis and engine sourced from Standard, it can still be argued the S.S.1 was Jaguar’s first car. We explain its history before driving an example of the rare Airline model from 1935

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Driving a Fifties F1 paddock fixture - Tony Vandervell’s 1956 Bentley S1 Continental

Patriotic Vanwall Formula 1 boss Tony Vandervell favoured Bentley road cars. We try his 1956 S1 Continental – an ultra-rare manual gearbox example, and the last Bentley he owned.

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1950 Chrysler Town & Country Newport Coupé

Built for one year, the Chrysler Town & Country Newport Coupe was the last of marque’s true ‘woodies’. We drive one in the UK, and we’re stirred by its sense of wanderlust.

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1955 Plymouth Savoy

Usually when some Arthur Daley type rattles off a story about one lady owner, that’s your cue to run a mile. Not this time, though, and this Plymouth’s new owners can barely believe what a fine survivor they’ve ended up with…

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1968 Lincoln Continental Coupe

Classic American meets one lucky chap and his bargain of a full-size American luxury Lincoln that proves you can get into Yanks on a budget, with a bit of luck, a bit of technical know-how… and a spirit of derring-do!

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1981 DeLorean DMC-12

John DeLorean’s bid to make a car in his own image famously ended badly, but has history painted the DMC-12 unfairly? We drive one and find out.

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