DrivesToday contributor and racing driver Tony Dron has sadly died following a long illness. He had an extensive career in journalism as a highly respected writer, editor and author. I first met him in the 1980s when he was the editor of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars. I was producing Bialbero magazine for the Fiat Twin Cam Register and we were awarded a prize for the best club magazine. Tony made the presentation of a Parker pen set, which I still have today. Tony’s writing was always meticulous and accurate in detail.
In addition to his writing, Tony was a professional racing driver of some note, driving for Porsche and later historic Ferraris. Perhaps his best results in later years came racing the Ferrari 246 S from the Leventis collection at Goodwood. I was fortunate to have had several passenger rides with Tony in the Leventis Ferrari 330 LMB at Silverstone and on the Nordschleife. His driving style was always precise and disciplined but blindingly quick.
Tony married Charis Whitcombe, who many readers will recognise as one of the team in the early years of Auto Italia. He is a great loss to Charis, his family, journalism and the motor racing community and we extend our condolences.
Disregard poorly wrapped smart cars with leopard print seat covers, eyelashes and fluffy wheel covers and pink is a nice colour that works well on the right car.
This is bland and doesn't embrace the colour. You could pick it up from the factory in lease spec and make it look like this within the same day. I reckon it'd have been beautiful in Porsche's frozen berry with black accents and a dark red interior. I'm sure a lot of people would find that gaudy but it's better than having no fun.
Rusty rear sub-frames are indeed rare, cracking around the four diff top mounting bolts being the more common mode of failure. The outboard and inboard subframes are identical and, therefore, interchangeable. XJ6/12 saloons also share the same component and the only minor difference you may encounter is the position of the exhaust mounting brackets. Usually, the alternative captive nuts are present and will simply require thread cleaning.
While on the theme, Terry points out that the corrosion was caused by fumes rising from an unsealed concrete surface (presumably recently laid). This can be likened to parking the car over a mild acid bath, or, indeed, grass. This problem is easily avoided by simply painting the floor, or laying some form of impervious floor covering, such as vinyl. Also, in the unlikely event of an oil leak, mopping up operations are also simplified.
I am currently restoring a 1994 JAGUAR XJS 4.0-litre coupe. I have just dropped the rear subframe out to change the shock absorbers and generally refurbish the rear end, having just replaced and rebuilt the front subframe. Similar to the front, the rear subframe is corroded in several areas and needs to be changed. I have access to several good pre-facelift rear subframes, but am not sure if they are interchangeable, particularly as the facelift cars have the outboard rear brakes. This is my sixth XJS and I have never come across a rotten rear subframe before because usually there is too much oil from diff’ leaks. However, the car was laid up under a car port for three years on an unsealed concrete hard standing and suffered badly from the alkali fumes rising from the concrete, so much welding was required. Thankfully, the car is excellent – both trim and mechanically – other than needing the suspension rebuilds. I would welcome your advice as to whether the rear subframes are interchangeable with those from prefacelift cars. Many thanks.
The twin test of an XJ-S versus a Chevrolet Corvette did not do justice to the Jaguar, especially since the example used for your feature is clearly a very special car. To begin with, it almost looks like new. The headlamps are the correct two-bulb pre-HE units, the carpet is unfaded and the bumpers show no sign of distortion, which all these cars now suffer from. Plus, with the power quoted as 300bhp, and looking at the fuel rail on the engine, it would suggest that it is one of the extremely rare P digital cars, which were only produced in 1980 and in very small numbers. It will have a compression ratio of 10:1 and used an onboard computer very similar to the later HE cars. Even Wikipedia does not cover these models, which should have a separate article.
I am a great fan of your magazine and have read every issue from the second edition of Jaguar Quarterly in 1988. I currently own seven Jaguars, the XJ-S being a particular passion. One of my cars was featured in the Autumn 1994 issue of Jaguar Quarterly: the XJ-S pick-up that I had converted, and which I still own, is on of Paul Skilleter’s article on New Zealand by XJ6. I also have a 1977 pre-HE manual.
Thank you for the recent Finishing Lines article on the fabulous Group 44 XJ-S.
I am pleased to say that XJR2, the first of the three Group 44 XJ-Ss, is still in fine health in my lock-up. I am hoping to be able to wheel her out for some events next year and that may even include some races. It is a magnificent car and anyone with any Jaguar in their blood should try to watch it live.
Keep up the good work. I still eagerly await every edition.
As we run towards the end of the year it’s time to look forward to a new one full of classic car indulgence
We’re in an indulgent mood this month, and not just because we’re looking forward to the year-end overload of food, drink and socialising. After last year’s hiatus, we were treated to the welcome November ritual of trudging NEC show halls packed with fascinating cars and fascinated people. While the event was a little thinner than we’re used to, the addictive buzz remained, and there was more than enough to see. As I aimed my old BMW south on the home-bound M6 afterwards I was clearly carrying some of that atmosphere with me as my head span with all of the gleaming paint and interesting conversations I’d taken in. A fine way to end the UK show season, one that will set me and thousands of others up to deal with the long months of winter.
These past two years have forced us to think differently about many things and one positive legacy is the realisation that we have all too easily taken the things that matter to us for granted, or put off enjoying them for another day. That event that sounds so good, really must go one year. That car that I’ve always fancied, I’d like to own one at some point, or at least have a drive so I can tick it off the list. Well, the time to start ticking is now, and I recommend drawing up a list that covers the full spectrum of driving experiences, from raw roadsters to cool cabriolets, spiced-up saloons and more. We’re all naturally drawn to certain genres of car – for me it was always powerful, multi-cylinder grand tourers – but so many of the great joys of life can only be found by dragging ourselves outside of our comfort zones to where new favourites are waiting. Our seven bucket list choices each illuminates all that’s appealing about its own genre, presenting a richly textured set of experiences to explore.
If you’re struggling to try, buy or borrow any, you could always put yourself forward for one of our List features.
Have a great break and a better 2022.
The new year brings an imperative to explore a wider range of classics
Just a small correction on the 250SWB Ferrari article written by Ton Roks. He mentions the dark blue car of Moss and Hill at Le Mans now owned by Ross Brawn, when in fact that car is owned by Clive Beecham, the 1961 Rob Walker car. Brawn’s car is the 1960 version.
The Ferrari 250SWB’s extended exhaust tailpipe trims (The Racer That Didn’t) were branded SNAP (Scarico Negativo Aria Pressione or Exhaust Negative Air Pressure) and were fitted to Ferraris in 1959 and 1960. They were sold in the UK with the sales slogan, ‘Ferrari Fit SNAP and So Should You.’ The concept was one of reducing back pressure in the exhaust system. Concentric tubes included a lozenge-shaped slit in the outer tube wall where air could enter at high speed, causing a vortex at the tip of the exhaust pipe and supposedly sucking engine gases out. I bought one and fitted it to my Mini – but although it looked great, I don’t remember any advantage whatsoever in either performance or fuel consumption. They are still sold at £1500 each (you need four for the restoration), but I guess that this is small beer if you own a 250SWB.
It isn’t often that a new Range Rover arrives. While most new cars have a shelf life of around six years, Land Rover has managed to stretch out the current model’s life to almost a decade, by the time the latest car – L460 – goes on sale next spring. And while most cars get a mid-life facelift halfway through, Professor Gerry McGovern OBE – Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Creative Officer, to give his full titles – believes in careful evolution, with a series of changes made over a number of different model years, allowing the customer to be carried along the design journey.
I won’t spoil the big reveal on, however, Land Rover’s design team really deserve a big pat on the back for the latest car. There’s so much more to the styling than at first acquaintance, with little touches that really surprise and delight. Like the absence of seals around the windows, the tighter shut lines and the gorgeous simplicity to the rear end. It isn’t until you see the old L405 model and the brand new L460 side-by-side that you begin to notice the differences between the two cars. Like how intricately jewel-like the new headlights are, and the way that they intersect with the front grille.
I had the pleasure of having the new car presented to me by Production Design and Quality Director, Andy Wheel, who went into some detail about how difficult it usually is to get the proportions right on standard and long wheelbase vehicles. It isn’t quite as easy as adding a few centimetres into the rear doors, and the hard work of the design team has paid off, as you will be hard pushed to differentiate the two from each other, aside from an ‘L’ badge on the extended car. For the first time in the flagship car’s history, there’s a choice of five- and seven-seats, and when they say seven seats, they mean seven proper seats, with space to spread out, even for those taller than six foot!
At the launch of L460, the workers at Solihull are starting off building just with petrol and diesel engines. While the D300 and D350 straight six diesel units with mild hybrid technology are familiar, the P530 twin-turbocharged V8 petrol unit is a brand-new, heavily modified BMW-sourced powerplant that has been uprated to cope with the kind of punishment that every Land Rover has to go through before it can be put on sale to true off-road fans. Next year, a pair of plug-in hybrid engines will arrive (P440e and P510e), this time paired to a six-cylinder petrol unit, rather than the 2.0-litre four-cylinder affair from before, boosting refinement enormously. And in 2024, a pure electric drivetrain will go on sale, delivering the most diverse range of powerplants in a Range Rover, ever.
It is with great sadness that the Vogue badge is retired, and that’s due to licensing issues in some markets with the magazine of the same name. Instead, this time around, versions of the Range Rover will simply be called SE, HSE, Autobiography and First Edition in all countries.
Full-size luxury classics have been the orphans of the classic car world, but their unique appeal is growing.
Stars of film, music and industry spend fast-paced lives racing between helipads, parties, appointments and romantic liaisons in a dizzying blur of wild V12 supercar fury, right? In the public imagination maybe. Reality for such exotic machinery is a life of air-conditioned storage, punctuated by rare trips out for a spot of posing. The greatest jeopardy is not somersaulting off the edge of a hillside road after an intoxicant-fuelled party, but having the wrong detailing products applied by the hired valeter. To arrive at those appointments fresh and ready to perform, life’s high achievers will waft in air-conditioned, air-suspended luxury.
Greeting one’s followers with eyes out on stalks and shirt plastered to your back with sweat doesn’t create the right impression. James Hunt ran a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, as did baseball star Reggie Jackson and the Kennedys favoured Lincoln’s fourth-generation Continentals in assorted forms.
Don McLean has had two Bentley Arnages. Eddie van Halen and Sylvester Stallone had Lamborghini LM002s, giving the outrageous-looking but civilised ‘Rambo Lambo’ its nickname, and the notorious Kray twin gangsters liked a Jaguar MkX for its ability to exude an air of successful businessman, laced with a hint of menace in case anyone disagreed.
Of course, all of that luxury can make such cars intimidating to own as they tumble down the secondhand market into the hands of owners on sub-superstar incomes, shedding value like autumn leaves. Until, that is, they start to be appreciated for their uniquely pampering classic appeal. That’s where we come in, armed with the right knowledge and the urge for a different kind of classic car experience. Lamborghini LM002 values underline how more buyers are thinking big, and the other real estate in our test is becoming more expensive, but they still represent appealing value compared to their lesser-sized contemporaries.
Time to indulge ourselves.
Such decadence comes at a price, one that’s worth paying.
The process of replacing any automotive design that’s achieved ‘legend in its own lifetime’ status during a lengthy career is fraught with danger. When the car in question is as upmarket and prestigious as a Rolls-Royce, however, the stakes are even higher. How will fans of the long-running original react to its successor? In the case of the 2000-model Corniche, the risk was reduced by the fact that five years had passed since the previous generation had met its demise. Time is a healer, as the saying goes, and the gap between the old and new Corniche was an advantage. What made the Corniche V (as it’s now generally referred to) particularly interesting, however, was its role as the last new Rolls-Royce from the marque’s historic Crewe headquarters. That it was also the only Rolls-Royce launched during Volkswagen’s brief custodianship of the marque adds a further touch of historical significance. The Corniche V was, of course, short-lived. And with fewer than 400 examples built in total, it was a rare sight even when new. But it can still be deemed a success, bringing a classic name back to life for one final fling. In this issue of Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver, we get to experience what is surely one of today’s finest survivors, so check out the full story that starts on page 10. Meanwhile, don’t forget we’re offering some great subscription deals right now, not only saving you money but also guaranteeing direct delivery of every issue of your favourite magazine. Wherever you live in the world, all you need to do is visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/RRB to see the latest offers in your particular region. Oh, and if you’ve missed any copies over the last year or two, you can use the same link to order back issues – again available worldwide, with free postage for anyone in the UK. Enjoy!
It will come as no surprise that, being obsessed with cars, the Octane team spends plenty of time discussing the motors we would like to snap up while we still can, preferably when they are right at the bottom of their ‘depreciation curve’. Of course, all too often such discussions end with an internet search and the realisation that prices have bounced and we have already missed the boat. Possibly even more often, furious activity is followed by a cooling-off period and then it all turns out to have been a flight of fancy anyway.
We are all guilty of this, though associate editor Glen Waddington is in a different league — it is a very good thing he isn’t so fickle in real life — and I’ll bet plenty of you are, too. One day we might be salivating over Lada Nivas and Fiat X1/9s, the next strangled bad-taste Corvettes and Renault Twingos. Obviously, even the Octane old ’uns still like a bit of power beneath their feet, so cars with a bit of pep tend to come to the fore, whether the tepid hatches that seem unwittingly to have become my speciality (Alfa 145 Cloverleaf and Ford Focus ST170) or the JDM specials that Matthew Hayward is always ogling. Oh, and the hot Renaults. All of them. Always. For everyone.
Either way, these listings lustings usually tend towards the modern classics, perhaps simply because there are so many still to bottom out in a less mature market, maybe because we all mentally categorise them as a cheap daily driver to enjoy while we are still permitted to, or it might just be that there is such a glut of brilliant millennial drivers’ cars out there that can be picked up for a relative song today.
There are advocates for every one, of course, but all of us (even Glen) keep coming back to the Porsche Boxster, a mere 25 years old but already the saviour of the company and a sports car watershed, This is a car that would be no less impressive if launched today, yet can be bought for the price of the cheapest new car on sale.
Sure, plenty would prefer a Cayman S, but the extra spend is as hard to justify as for a Rover P5B coupe over a saloon, The Boxster ticks all the boxes for us and we reckon now is its moment, so that is why we celebrate it this month. If it doesn’t tick all your boxes, don’t worry: we have some alternative suggestions that might.
The replacement for the Lotus Elise being an EV was always going to upset some, but Lotus boss Matt Windle is confident that the Type 135 will deserve the hallowed emblem. He said: “I know some people won’t like it, but we’ve always been innovative and looked for the best solutions. There’s a lot of references to what Colin Chapman would have made of it. He was pretty agnostic to powertrains; he just wanted the one that gave the best performance, and that’s what we will do. These cars will be fun to drive and will be a premium product which moves Lotus into a different era.”
Just before we went to print with this issue of Classic Porsche, Historics Auctioneers contacted us with details of a star-studded line-up of classic Porsches due to go under the hammer at the firm’s Ascot Racecourse auction on Saturday 25th September. There’s a 1986 Carrera 3.2 Supersport (lower estimate £85k), two 1989 928 S4 (one offered without reserve, the other with a lower estimate of £25k), a 1996 993 Cabriolet (£45k) and a 2001 986 Boxster S loaded with Tiptronic transmission (another lot without reserve), but the Porsche bound to generate most interest at the sale is the classic 911 Turbo (930) upgraded to RUF BTR specification using original RUF parts.
Those that know Porsche, know RUF. Headed by Alois Ruf Jr, the company takes the blueprints for already formidable driving machines and turns them into psychotic hooligans, usually using blank ‘bodies in white’ Porsche chassis to create its own cars (RUF is recognised as a standalone manufacturer in Germany). Historically, the Pfaffenhausen concern has offered conversion kits to owners of factory Porsches, and though the company was founded as a general service garage by Alois’ father in 1939, vehicle production began in earnest in 1983 with the first car to bear a RUF chassis number: a 3.4-litre 911 Turbo-based model pushing out 369bhp through a RUF developed five-speed manual gearbox. It wasn’t just about raw power, though. Twin-spark ignition, bespoke harnesses, seats and steering wheel formed part of the package, cloaked in bespoke RUF BTR (the nameplate standing for Group B Turbo RUF) bodywork.
The early left-hand drive RUF BTR pictured here is powered by the RUF 3.4-litre flat-six (with single-plug ignition) and is believed to be one of between seventy and eighty BTRs bearing an original Porsche chassis number. First registered in 1979 as a standard 930, the car was significantly upgraded to BTR specification by the then authorised RUF importer to Japan, Ishida Engineering, in 1985.
To confirm as much, Alois Ruf Jr’s team has supplied official RUF correspondence confirming the originality of all RUF parts and modifications used to transform the car into what you see here. Finished in Grand Prix White, it makes use of a RUF five-speed gearbox, staggered Speedline seventeen-inch forged five-spokes (with painted red centres), a RUF quad-tailpipe exhaust, a RUF manually adjustable boost controller, a full RUF body kit (front bumper with integrated oil cooler, a vented rear bumper, deeper side skirts and bespoke engine lid), 935-style door mirrors, a RUF embossed steering wheel and matching gear lever, a RUF-badged instrument cluster, RUF lightweight floor carpets, RUF-specified twin-tone Recaro bucket seats, custom safety harnesses and an Ishida Engineering build plaque attached to the glovebox.
A Certificate of Authenticity from Porsche outlines the car’s original specification, with further documentation from Alois Ruf Jr’s team highlighting all modifications. Registered for road use in the UK, recently serviced and with a full twelve-month MoT, this purposeful RUF is excellent as is, or as a starting point to further develop into a 911 capable of embarrassing much newer sports cars. The lower estimate is £85k. Visit the Historics Auctioneers website at historics.co.uk.
In recent years, RUF owners have been discovering one another like never before, helped by the efforts of RUF Automobile UK in bringing like-minded fans of the brand together at popular Porsche shows. Want to register your interest? Hit rufautomobile.co.uk and make contact.
Sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming, the number of challenges facing American vehicle owners in this country, from the introduction of E10 petrol (petrol with 10% ethanol content, designed to lower carbon emissions) to the rollout of smart motorways.
Of course, in truth, there’s often more brouhaha and drama around these things than is probably necessary. For those afraid of the arrival of E10 fuel there are additives and the availability (for now) of petrol with no ethanol in it (Esso Synergy Supreme) or only 5% (many of the premium/non-regular fuels). Long term it’s possible to convert engines that are currently not suitable for E10 with new hoses and so on.
Smart motorways? That’s slightly more problematic, although I have noticed that I prefer to travel on these at times I know will be quieter – just as well most American car shows are on a Sunday morning, small blessings and all that! I think the long and short of it is, as American vehicle owners, we haven’t, by the nature of our cars or trucks, chosen the easiest vehicles and as such we’re used to having to go the extra mile in the pursuit of that ownership. But boy, is it worth it when you get behind that wheel, turn that key, hear that rumble and drop the lever into ‘D’ and hit the road!
This month we’ve got our usual smorgasbord of vehicles; some may raise a few eyebrows, like the 1950 Ford whose owner thinks it may have a little too much patina, or the six-pot full-size Pontiac that epitomises the ‘same, but different’ ethos of Canadian cars. Everyone raves about the late-Sixties/early-Seventies Mopars, but what happened afterwards? We rediscover the forgotten Mopars of the mid-Seventies/early- Eighties and find out if they really were as bad as common folklore makes out (no!).
In Memoriam: Tony Dron
DrivesToday contributor and racing driver Tony Dron has sadly died following a long illness. He had an extensive career in journalism as a highly respected writer, editor and author. I first met him in the 1980s when he was the editor of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars. I was producing Bialbero magazine for the Fiat Twin Cam Register and we were awarded a prize for the best club magazine. Tony made the presentation of a Parker pen set, which I still have today. Tony’s writing was always meticulous and accurate in detail.
In addition to his writing, Tony was a professional racing driver of some note, driving for Porsche and later historic Ferraris. Perhaps his best results in later years came racing the Ferrari 246 S from the Leventis collection at Goodwood. I was fortunate to have had several passenger rides with Tony in the Leventis Ferrari 330 LMB at Silverstone and on the Nordschleife. His driving style was always precise and disciplined but blindingly quick.
Tony married Charis Whitcombe, who many readers will recognise as one of the team in the early years of Auto Italia. He is a great loss to Charis, his family, journalism and the motor racing community and we extend our condolences.
Disregard poorly wrapped smart cars with leopard print seat covers, eyelashes and fluffy wheel covers and pink is a nice colour that works well on the right car.
This is bland and doesn't embrace the colour. You could pick it up from the factory in lease spec and make it look like this within the same day. I reckon it'd have been beautiful in Porsche's frozen berry with black accents and a dark red interior. I'm sure a lot of people would find that gaudy but it's better than having no fun.
Rusty rear sub-frames are indeed rare, cracking around the four diff top mounting bolts being the more common mode of failure. The outboard and inboard subframes are identical and, therefore, interchangeable. XJ6/12 saloons also share the same component and the only minor difference you may encounter is the position of the exhaust mounting brackets. Usually, the alternative captive nuts are present and will simply require thread cleaning.
While on the theme, Terry points out that the corrosion was caused by fumes rising from an unsealed concrete surface (presumably recently laid). This can be likened to parking the car over a mild acid bath, or, indeed, grass. This problem is easily avoided by simply painting the floor, or laying some form of impervious floor covering, such as vinyl. Also, in the unlikely event of an oil leak, mopping up operations are also simplified.
I am currently restoring a 1994 JAGUAR XJS 4.0-litre coupe. I have just dropped the rear subframe out to change the shock absorbers and generally refurbish the rear end, having just replaced and rebuilt the front subframe. Similar to the front, the rear subframe is corroded in several areas and needs to be changed. I have access to several good pre-facelift rear subframes, but am not sure if they are interchangeable, particularly as the facelift cars have the outboard rear brakes. This is my sixth XJS and I have never come across a rotten rear subframe before because usually there is too much oil from diff’ leaks. However, the car was laid up under a car port for three years on an unsealed concrete hard standing and suffered badly from the alkali fumes rising from the concrete, so much welding was required. Thankfully, the car is excellent – both trim and mechanically – other than needing the suspension rebuilds. I would welcome your advice as to whether the rear subframes are interchangeable with those from prefacelift cars. Many thanks.
Very nice seats
Not enough justice
The twin test of an XJ-S versus a Chevrolet Corvette did not do justice to the Jaguar, especially since the example used for your feature is clearly a very special car. To begin with, it almost looks like new. The headlamps are the correct two-bulb pre-HE units, the carpet is unfaded and the bumpers show no sign of distortion, which all these cars now suffer from. Plus, with the power quoted as 300bhp, and looking at the fuel rail on the engine, it would suggest that it is one of the extremely rare P digital cars, which were only produced in 1980 and in very small numbers. It will have a compression ratio of 10:1 and used an onboard computer very similar to the later HE cars. Even Wikipedia does not cover these models, which should have a separate article.
I am a great fan of your magazine and have read every issue from the second edition of Jaguar Quarterly in 1988. I currently own seven Jaguars, the XJ-S being a particular passion. One of my cars was featured in the Autumn 1994 issue of Jaguar Quarterly: the XJ-S pick-up that I had converted, and which I still own, is on of Paul Skilleter’s article on New Zealand by XJ6. I also have a 1977 pre-HE manual.
In fine health
Thank you for the recent Finishing Lines article on the fabulous Group 44 XJ-S.
I am pleased to say that XJR2, the first of the three Group 44 XJ-Ss, is still in fine health in my lock-up. I am hoping to be able to wheel her out for some events next year and that may even include some races. It is a magnificent car and anyone with any Jaguar in their blood should try to watch it live.
Keep up the good work. I still eagerly await every edition.
As we run towards the end of the year it’s time to look forward to a new one full of classic car indulgence
We’re in an indulgent mood this month, and not just because we’re looking forward to the year-end overload of food, drink and socialising. After last year’s hiatus, we were treated to the welcome November ritual of trudging NEC show halls packed with fascinating cars and fascinated people. While the event was a little thinner than we’re used to, the addictive buzz remained, and there was more than enough to see. As I aimed my old BMW south on the home-bound M6 afterwards I was clearly carrying some of that atmosphere with me as my head span with all of the gleaming paint and interesting conversations I’d taken in. A fine way to end the UK show season, one that will set me and thousands of others up to deal with the long months of winter.
These past two years have forced us to think differently about many things and one positive legacy is the realisation that we have all too easily taken the things that matter to us for granted, or put off enjoying them for another day. That event that sounds so good, really must go one year. That car that I’ve always fancied, I’d like to own one at some point, or at least have a drive so I can tick it off the list. Well, the time to start ticking is now, and I recommend drawing up a list that covers the full spectrum of driving experiences, from raw roadsters to cool cabriolets, spiced-up saloons and more. We’re all naturally drawn to certain genres of car – for me it was always powerful, multi-cylinder grand tourers – but so many of the great joys of life can only be found by dragging ourselves outside of our comfort zones to where new favourites are waiting. Our seven bucket list choices each illuminates all that’s appealing about its own genre, presenting a richly textured set of experiences to explore.
If you’re struggling to try, buy or borrow any, you could always put yourself forward for one of our List features.
Have a great break and a better 2022.
The new year brings an imperative to explore a wider range of classics
very cool idea
Nice job for next gen RR
Swapping 250 SWB ownership
Just a small correction on the 250SWB Ferrari article written by Ton Roks. He mentions the dark blue car of Moss and Hill at Le Mans now owned by Ross Brawn, when in fact that car is owned by Clive Beecham, the 1961 Rob Walker car. Brawn’s car is the 1960 version.
Exhaustive detail
The Ferrari 250SWB’s extended exhaust tailpipe trims (The Racer That Didn’t) were branded SNAP (Scarico Negativo Aria Pressione or Exhaust Negative Air Pressure) and were fitted to Ferraris in 1959 and 1960. They were sold in the UK with the sales slogan, ‘Ferrari Fit SNAP and So Should You.’ The concept was one of reducing back pressure in the exhaust system. Concentric tubes included a lozenge-shaped slit in the outer tube wall where air could enter at high speed, causing a vortex at the tip of the exhaust pipe and supposedly sucking engine gases out. I bought one and fitted it to my Mini – but although it looked great, I don’t remember any advantage whatsoever in either performance or fuel consumption. They are still sold at £1500 each (you need four for the restoration), but I guess that this is small beer if you own a 250SWB.
CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
It isn’t often that a new Range Rover arrives. While most new cars have a shelf life of around six years, Land Rover has managed to stretch out the current model’s life to almost a decade, by the time the latest car – L460 – goes on sale next spring. And while most cars get a mid-life facelift halfway through, Professor Gerry McGovern OBE – Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Creative Officer, to give his full titles – believes in careful evolution, with a series of changes made over a number of different model years, allowing the customer to be carried along the design journey.
I won’t spoil the big reveal on, however, Land Rover’s design team really deserve a big pat on the back for the latest car. There’s so much more to the styling than at first acquaintance, with little touches that really surprise and delight. Like the absence of seals around the windows, the tighter shut lines and the gorgeous simplicity to the rear end. It isn’t until you see the old L405 model and the brand new L460 side-by-side that you begin to notice the differences between the two cars. Like how intricately jewel-like the new headlights are, and the way that they intersect with the front grille.
I had the pleasure of having the new car presented to me by Production Design and Quality Director, Andy Wheel, who went into some detail about how difficult it usually is to get the proportions right on standard and long wheelbase vehicles. It isn’t quite as easy as adding a few centimetres into the rear doors, and the hard work of the design team has paid off, as you will be hard pushed to differentiate the two from each other, aside from an ‘L’ badge on the extended car. For the first time in the flagship car’s history, there’s a choice of five- and seven-seats, and when they say seven seats, they mean seven proper seats, with space to spread out, even for those taller than six foot!
At the launch of L460, the workers at Solihull are starting off building just with petrol and diesel engines. While the D300 and D350 straight six diesel units with mild hybrid technology are familiar, the P530 twin-turbocharged V8 petrol unit is a brand-new, heavily modified BMW-sourced powerplant that has been uprated to cope with the kind of punishment that every Land Rover has to go through before it can be put on sale to true off-road fans. Next year, a pair of plug-in hybrid engines will arrive (P440e and P510e), this time paired to a six-cylinder petrol unit, rather than the 2.0-litre four-cylinder affair from before, boosting refinement enormously. And in 2024, a pure electric drivetrain will go on sale, delivering the most diverse range of powerplants in a Range Rover, ever.
It is with great sadness that the Vogue badge is retired, and that’s due to licensing issues in some markets with the magazine of the same name. Instead, this time around, versions of the Range Rover will simply be called SE, HSE, Autobiography and First Edition in all countries.
Full-size luxury classics have been the orphans of the classic car world, but their unique appeal is growing.
Stars of film, music and industry spend fast-paced lives racing between helipads, parties, appointments and romantic liaisons in a dizzying blur of wild V12 supercar fury, right? In the public imagination maybe. Reality for such exotic machinery is a life of air-conditioned storage, punctuated by rare trips out for a spot of posing. The greatest jeopardy is not somersaulting off the edge of a hillside road after an intoxicant-fuelled party, but having the wrong detailing products applied by the hired valeter. To arrive at those appointments fresh and ready to perform, life’s high achievers will waft in air-conditioned, air-suspended luxury.
Greeting one’s followers with eyes out on stalks and shirt plastered to your back with sweat doesn’t create the right impression. James Hunt ran a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, as did baseball star Reggie Jackson and the Kennedys favoured Lincoln’s fourth-generation Continentals in assorted forms.
Don McLean has had two Bentley Arnages. Eddie van Halen and Sylvester Stallone had Lamborghini LM002s, giving the outrageous-looking but civilised ‘Rambo Lambo’ its nickname, and the notorious Kray twin gangsters liked a Jaguar MkX for its ability to exude an air of successful businessman, laced with a hint of menace in case anyone disagreed.
Of course, all of that luxury can make such cars intimidating to own as they tumble down the secondhand market into the hands of owners on sub-superstar incomes, shedding value like autumn leaves. Until, that is, they start to be appreciated for their uniquely pampering classic appeal. That’s where we come in, armed with the right knowledge and the urge for a different kind of classic car experience. Lamborghini LM002 values underline how more buyers are thinking big, and the other real estate in our test is becoming more expensive, but they still represent appealing value compared to their lesser-sized contemporaries.
Time to indulge ourselves.
Such decadence comes at a price, one that’s worth paying.
Corniche reinvention
The process of replacing any automotive design that’s achieved ‘legend in its own lifetime’ status during a lengthy career is fraught with danger. When the car in question is as upmarket and prestigious as a Rolls-Royce, however, the stakes are even higher. How will fans of the long-running original react to its successor? In the case of the 2000-model Corniche, the risk was reduced by the fact that five years had passed since the previous generation had met its demise. Time is a healer, as the saying goes, and the gap between the old and new Corniche was an advantage. What made the Corniche V (as it’s now generally referred to) particularly interesting, however, was its role as the last new Rolls-Royce from the marque’s historic Crewe headquarters. That it was also the only Rolls-Royce launched during Volkswagen’s brief custodianship of the marque adds a further touch of historical significance. The Corniche V was, of course, short-lived. And with fewer than 400 examples built in total, it was a rare sight even when new. But it can still be deemed a success, bringing a classic name back to life for one final fling. In this issue of Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver, we get to experience what is surely one of today’s finest survivors, so check out the full story that starts on page 10. Meanwhile, don’t forget we’re offering some great subscription deals right now, not only saving you money but also guaranteeing direct delivery of every issue of your favourite magazine. Wherever you live in the world, all you need to do is visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/RRB to see the latest offers in your particular region. Oh, and if you’ve missed any copies over the last year or two, you can use the same link to order back issues – again available worldwide, with free postage for anyone in the UK. Enjoy!
Fancy a bit of internet window shopping?
It will come as no surprise that, being obsessed with cars, the Octane team spends plenty of time discussing the motors we would like to snap up while we still can, preferably when they are right at the bottom of their ‘depreciation curve’. Of course, all too often such discussions end with an internet search and the realisation that prices have bounced and we have already missed the boat. Possibly even more often, furious activity is followed by a cooling-off period and then it all turns out to have been a flight of fancy anyway.
We are all guilty of this, though associate editor Glen Waddington is in a different league — it is a very good thing he isn’t so fickle in real life — and I’ll bet plenty of you are, too. One day we might be salivating over Lada Nivas and Fiat X1/9s, the next strangled bad-taste Corvettes and Renault Twingos. Obviously, even the Octane old ’uns still like a bit of power beneath their feet, so cars with a bit of pep tend to come to the fore, whether the tepid hatches that seem unwittingly to have become my speciality (Alfa 145 Cloverleaf and Ford Focus ST170) or the JDM specials that Matthew Hayward is always ogling. Oh, and the hot Renaults. All of them. Always. For everyone.
Either way, these listings lustings usually tend towards the modern classics, perhaps simply because there are so many still to bottom out in a less mature market, maybe because we all mentally categorise them as a cheap daily driver to enjoy while we are still permitted to, or it might just be that there is such a glut of brilliant millennial drivers’ cars out there that can be picked up for a relative song today.
There are advocates for every one, of course, but all of us (even Glen) keep coming back to the Porsche Boxster, a mere 25 years old but already the saviour of the company and a sports car watershed, This is a car that would be no less impressive if launched today, yet can be bought for the price of the cheapest new car on sale.
Sure, plenty would prefer a Cayman S, but the extra spend is as hard to justify as for a Rover P5B coupe over a saloon, The Boxster ticks all the boxes for us and we reckon now is its moment, so that is why we celebrate it this month. If it doesn’t tick all your boxes, don’t worry: we have some alternative suggestions that might.
The replacement for the Lotus Elise being an EV was always going to upset some, but Lotus boss Matt Windle is confident that the Type 135 will deserve the hallowed emblem. He said: “I know some people won’t like it, but we’ve always been innovative and looked for the best solutions. There’s a lot of references to what Colin Chapman would have made of it. He was pretty agnostic to powertrains; he just wanted the one that gave the best performance, and that’s what we will do. These cars will be fun to drive and will be a premium product which moves Lotus into a different era.”
Just before we went to print with this issue of Classic Porsche, Historics Auctioneers contacted us with details of a star-studded line-up of classic Porsches due to go under the hammer at the firm’s Ascot Racecourse auction on Saturday 25th September. There’s a 1986 Carrera 3.2 Supersport (lower estimate £85k), two 1989 928 S4 (one offered without reserve, the other with a lower estimate of £25k), a 1996 993 Cabriolet (£45k) and a 2001 986 Boxster S loaded with Tiptronic transmission (another lot without reserve), but the Porsche bound to generate most interest at the sale is the classic 911 Turbo (930) upgraded to RUF BTR specification using original RUF parts.
Those that know Porsche, know RUF. Headed by Alois Ruf Jr, the company takes the blueprints for already formidable driving machines and turns them into psychotic hooligans, usually using blank ‘bodies in white’ Porsche chassis to create its own cars (RUF is recognised as a standalone manufacturer in Germany). Historically, the Pfaffenhausen concern has offered conversion kits to owners of factory Porsches, and though the company was founded as a general service garage by Alois’ father in 1939, vehicle production began in earnest in 1983 with the first car to bear a RUF chassis number: a 3.4-litre 911 Turbo-based model pushing out 369bhp through a RUF developed five-speed manual gearbox. It wasn’t just about raw power, though. Twin-spark ignition, bespoke harnesses, seats and steering wheel formed part of the package, cloaked in bespoke RUF BTR (the nameplate standing for Group B Turbo RUF) bodywork.
The early left-hand drive RUF BTR pictured here is powered by the RUF 3.4-litre flat-six (with single-plug ignition) and is believed to be one of between seventy and eighty BTRs bearing an original Porsche chassis number. First registered in 1979 as a standard 930, the car was significantly upgraded to BTR specification by the then authorised RUF importer to Japan, Ishida Engineering, in 1985.
To confirm as much, Alois Ruf Jr’s team has supplied official RUF correspondence confirming the originality of all RUF parts and modifications used to transform the car into what you see here. Finished in Grand Prix White, it makes use of a RUF five-speed gearbox, staggered Speedline seventeen-inch forged five-spokes (with painted red centres), a RUF quad-tailpipe exhaust, a RUF manually adjustable boost controller, a full RUF body kit (front bumper with integrated oil cooler, a vented rear bumper, deeper side skirts and bespoke engine lid), 935-style door mirrors, a RUF embossed steering wheel and matching gear lever, a RUF-badged instrument cluster, RUF lightweight floor carpets, RUF-specified twin-tone Recaro bucket seats, custom safety harnesses and an Ishida Engineering build plaque attached to the glovebox.
A Certificate of Authenticity from Porsche outlines the car’s original specification, with further documentation from Alois Ruf Jr’s team highlighting all modifications. Registered for road use in the UK, recently serviced and with a full twelve-month MoT, this purposeful RUF is excellent as is, or as a starting point to further develop into a 911 capable of embarrassing much newer sports cars. The lower estimate is £85k. Visit the Historics Auctioneers website at historics.co.uk.
In recent years, RUF owners have been discovering one another like never before, helped by the efforts of RUF Automobile UK in bringing like-minded fans of the brand together at popular Porsche shows. Want to register your interest? Hit rufautomobile.co.uk and make contact.
Nice colour
Reasons to be cheerful...
Sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming, the number of challenges facing American vehicle owners in this country, from the introduction of E10 petrol (petrol with 10% ethanol content, designed to lower carbon emissions) to the rollout of smart motorways.
Of course, in truth, there’s often more brouhaha and drama around these things than is probably necessary. For those afraid of the arrival of E10 fuel there are additives and the availability (for now) of petrol with no ethanol in it (Esso Synergy Supreme) or only 5% (many of the premium/non-regular fuels). Long term it’s possible to convert engines that are currently not suitable for E10 with new hoses and so on.
Smart motorways? That’s slightly more problematic, although I have noticed that I prefer to travel on these at times I know will be quieter – just as well most American car shows are on a Sunday morning, small blessings and all that! I think the long and short of it is, as American vehicle owners, we haven’t, by the nature of our cars or trucks, chosen the easiest vehicles and as such we’re used to having to go the extra mile in the pursuit of that ownership. But boy, is it worth it when you get behind that wheel, turn that key, hear that rumble and drop the lever into ‘D’ and hit the road!
This month we’ve got our usual smorgasbord of vehicles; some may raise a few eyebrows, like the 1950 Ford whose owner thinks it may have a little too much patina, or the six-pot full-size Pontiac that epitomises the ‘same, but different’ ethos of Canadian cars. Everyone raves about the late-Sixties/early-Seventies Mopars, but what happened afterwards? We rediscover the forgotten Mopars of the mid-Seventies/early- Eighties and find out if they really were as bad as common folklore makes out (no!).