Retro

Despite being a brilliant machine, the first M5 Touring couldn’t generate enough enthusiasm within BMW to launch a dynasty of rapid Bavarian wagons.

Prior to arriving at Thruxton Circuit in the ’Nash, the last time I’d spun a car was maybe 15 years ago. It wasn’t a pleasant experience: a left-hand-drive lorry pulled out on me on a dual-carriageway as I was overtaking, and it punted my 1986 Audi 100 into a complete 360. Possibly more than one rotation — I wasn’t keeping count — but, by amazing good fortune, there was a very low kerb and a wide verge, and the car pirouetted right around the lorry, bounced onto the grass and came to a halt. The nearside front door was stoved in, but the rest of the car was undamaged and I later bought a replacement door in the same colour and swapped them.

The Queen’s Daimler. Driving Her Majesty's first ever state car. This Daimler limousine was HM Queen Elizabeth Il’s first State car — back when she was still a princess. Glen Waddington tells a royal tale.

Once the company car of the world’s oldest surviving F1 driver, and the only one of its kind: James Elliott drives the Crayford Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 Estate.

At first glance it’s a 1930s Alfa 6 roadster. But looks deceive. Massimo Delbo unravels a very special project from the. 1960s, built by Alfa Romeo and Zagato.

Driving Enzo’s car of choice, the luxury 400 Superamerica. The luxury supercar that was Enzo's favourite. Enzo Ferrari famously built road cars only to pay for racing. But then he built a road car so luxurious it became his personal choice of transport. Matthew Hayward drives the Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico.

We drive a 58-year-old Jaguar S-Type that has averaged less than 600 miles a year to discover whether it feels and performs as well as its mileage suggests.

A scale-model Ford Thunderbird that Steve Richardson had as boy gave him a life-long yearning to try the real thing. Does it live up to the dream?

Editor Ben Klemenzson gets up close and personal with a British-based example of the all-new for 1970 Lincoln Continental. They don’t get bigger or heftier than this, so if you like your cars big and bouncy, you’ll love this Conti’…

There’s a small handful of Cords in Britain but, with the notable exception of Andy Saunders’ recent custom project, you’ve probably never seen one outside a museum. Trevor Cowell is going to remedy that, because he’s just overhauled one and fully intends to use it, as Zack Stiling found out…

This DB2/4 features coachwork by the Italian coachbuilder, Vignale, and was built in 1954 for the king of Belgium. After becoming derelict, it has recently been restored by marque specialist, Aston Workshop.

The convertible is a perfect expression of one version of the American dream and, for a lucky few, dreams do come true.

This Tojeiro-MG, the final car to emerge from thefabled Corsica coachworks, covered only 34 milesbefore 2003. Finally it is being driven as intended.

No, it’s not a Bugatti — it’s something considerably rarer. Mark Dixon drives the Yorkshire-built Bond, a unique survivor of one man’s dream.

By 1973, Gilbern had graduated from kit cars and was eying promising new markets with a big new coupé. Fate had other ideas – but today we drive the sole Invader MkIV prototype.