Retro

Retro cars road test

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1954 RA4 Vanguard - Ultra-rare Kiwi Formula Libre racer restored

Most of us have heard of Bruce McLaren. But the RA4 Vanguard also hails from New Zealand – and deserves to be better known.

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1950 Citroën Light 15

Martyn Dennis is no stranger to pre-war classics, but until now he hadn’t had the opportunity to drive a Citroën Light 15 – so we’ve put that right.

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Final 1974 Jaguar E-Type, chassis 1S/2872

Not only is the final E-Type the last example of this iconic model but it also represents an end of an era for Jaguar. To mark the 50th anniversary of its assembly, we look at the car’s background before explaining its place in the company’s history.

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1928 Mercedes-Benz 26/120/180 S-Type Sports Tourer driving the supercharged supercar of its day

This most Germanic of motor cars has a particularly British back story, as Mark Dixon finds out.

Editor's comment
RICHARD PEARCE

‘Doing our best to dodge the springtime showers, we rolled out the almost centuryold Mercedes-Benz 36/220 and positioned it in the crisp sunlight. At this point, the beauty of the car did all the hard work – it was almost impossible to take a bad photo.’ Richard’s superb photography accompanies Mark Dixon’s feature.​
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1967 Jaguar 420G

Andrew Lobb has fond childhood memories of a Jaguar 420G. Today he rekindles them as we put him behind the wheel of one. ‘Ambience like a Bentley, at a fraction of the price’.

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Driving a right-hand drive 1959 Porsche 356 A T2

A right-hand drive Porsche 356 A T2 is rare enough, but this rather lovely example was delivered new to Kenya in 1959 and has pretty much travelled the world ever since...

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1907 Fiat 130HP Corsa

This monstrous Fiat 130HP was driven to victory by Felice Nazzaro in the 1907 French Grand Prix. Massimo Delbò dons his goggles and gathers his courage.

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1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet by Vignale

This Vignale-bodied 212 Inter was owned by one of the first privateers to campaign Ferraris in motor sport. It’s in the UK after a 50-year absence – a chance for us to drive back to the early days of the marque.

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1937 Alvis Speed 25 Offord

Is this unique Alvis Speed 25 the finest-looking British car of the Thirties? It has a strong claim to that title, and after years of careful refinement, it’s one of the best to drive, too.

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1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Frua Spyder

After a singularly determined restoration, this Maserati A6GCS by Frua won Best of Show at the 2023 Concours of Elegance. James Elliott drives a super-rare 1950s deity.

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Fully restored 1965 Porsche 911

We track down a fully restored 1965 Porsche 911, one of the earliest of its kind. Having celebrated 60 years since the first 911, what’s it like to drive in 2024?

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1974 Saab 99 EMS Turbo

After Turbo Technics helped to engineer the Saab 99 Turbo, the boss bought one of the two test cars. Now, 45 years later, it’s fully restored and ready to show how it changed motoring forever.

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1957 model-year Porsche 356 A Speedster

The unsullied looks and low mileage of this 356 A Speedster caught the eye of former McLaren Formula One team manager, Alastair Caldwell. His first act on buying it? To drive seven thousand miles around Europe and North Africa, taking in two classic rallies along the way...

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1969 Plymouth GTX

Gary Simpson’s 1969 Plymouth GTX isn’t just a lairy Mopar muscle car – it’s also family transportation and after a succession of slightly less family-friendly Mopars, this one seems to offer the best of both worlds…

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