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I make no secret of the fact that I’m a complete nerd when it comes to obscure cars and motoring might have- beens, but on a recent visit to London I was stopped in my tracks by a car I’d not seen in months, if not years. The car in question was a 1999 Daewoo Leganza, so why are you reading about it in Jaguar World, you might ask? Well, the answer is this.
With Jaguar producing some of the most beautiful cars in the world, it takes real courage to change them and few have been done so for the better. It’s for this reason why I’ve always been fascinated by modified Jaguars, especially those done in period, covering plenty in Jaguar World over the years.
Commissioned to photograph an Audi TT for another magazine, Paul compares the four-seat coupe with his own Similar to how Liverpool Football Club and my son’s under 16 team do roughly the same thing while also being totally different, the same could be said of the Jaguar XK8 and first generation of Audi TT. Although both are four-seat coupes, one is a big, purposeful and V8-engined GT and the other smaller with much of its DNA sourced from elsewhere.
Recent weather incidents have made the Sovereign an obvious choice for a seaside getaway. Of course it had to happen. My Range Rover’s air conditioning had to fail just before the most intense heat wave on record in Britain. And so once again I found myself using my Sovereign as daily transport. After all, you need aircon in weather like that. And that meant that when I needed a car for date night with my good lady, the Jaguar was at the front of the queue.
You can send the hate mail to the usual address, but I’ll come right out with it and admit that despite being an XJ-S fan I’ve often found the V12 cars rather underwhelming in standard form. The late 6.0-litre is a formidable beast but given its complexity and additional capacity I’ve frequently found myself wondering if the 5.3-litre offers a great leap over the late six-cylinder cars. Until now, that is.
The Bora was Maserati’s first ever midengined road car; the MC20 is its latest; but in between there have been several others. Maserati’s answer to the Ferrari Dino was a ‘baby’ version of the Bora whose mid-mounted engine was downgraded to a 2965cc V6 borrowed from the Citroën SM. In its top-spec ‘SS’ guise, the Merak boasted 220hp, a top speed of 153mph and 0-60mph in 7.0 seconds.
Our Italian correspondent, Matteo Licata, recalls how aluminium-bodied Fiat X1/9 prototypes were tested to destruction in… Nuneaton Blind ‘Ally’ This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Fiat X1/9, which was presented in Sicily in November 1972.
Alfa plus rusty Alfasud? This 1980s Glassfibre replacement body package was one solution. Story by Richard Heseltine OBSCURATI CURIOSITIES FROM THE AMAZING WORLD OF ITALIAN CARS Body conversions now comprise a significant sector of the British specialist car industry. Some are produced by kit car outfits, others by more highfalutin, cough, ‘coachbuilders’. Such reimagining is nothing new, though. Among the earliest such makeovers was the Alfa Plus which emerged in 1984.
The first Aston Martin of the modern Gaydon era but now verging on classic status, the DB9 is a tempting sports GT for not too much money. Here’s how to buy one.
In my previous report, I noted my dismay at how much rot was exposed after the Carrera’s bodyshell was blasted and that I had given Steve Kerti the nod to start cutting out the gangrene and commence restorative surgery. My next visit to Dunkeswell, Devon, home of Classic Fabrications (classic-fabrications. com), provided an even greater shock. Much of my beloved RS was gone!
Boy, was it hot at the weekend. Perfect weather for being out in the BMW with the roof down. Thing is, it had been garaged for three weeks since our last trip. It’s kept a couple of miles away in a lock-up, while the Boxster lives on the other side of my office wall. And something had slipped my mind. As we headed out, I was revelling in its refinement. Sure, it has one of the smoothest engines in existence, but I suddenly noticed the ride and the lack of underlying vibration.
The Integra has been driving better than ever this summer, and the air-con has proved an effective heatwave antidote. Now it’s time for some long-awaited TLC. Keeping on top of rust is a key part of DC2 ownership. This one has been well maintained, but the previously repaired rear wheelarches were starting to bubble up again when I bought the car. This had barely changed a year later, but a further year on, the driver’s side ’arch is looking considerably more troubling.
The Singer didn’t make it to the Brooklands British Car Day in April. I had reassembled the engine with its new valvegear (camshaft, rockers, valves, the lot), and fitted the torque reaction rod that I devised to cure the clutch judder in reverse gear. This was a total success, so reversing up my driveway was no longer a torture. But still the engine’s pep wasn’t what it should be, so we took my Rover 2000 TC instead. What to do next?
Sharp looks and excellent dynamics combined to make the original Ford Focus the family car of choice for enthusiasts. It still impresses today, as long as you bag a good ‘un… A NEW EDGE Words: Chris Randall Photography: Jeff Ruggles BUYING GUIDE: FORD FOCUS MK1 All you need to know when shopping for the critically acclaimed first-generation model Eminently usable, fantastic to drive and cheap to buy, the first-generation Ford Focus is fast becoming a fine modern classic choice.
It’s now 20 years since a new Ford made its debut in UK showrooms, but Sam Skelton isn’t about to break out the party hats. Iwant to start this column by apologising to everyone who has ever seen or experienced a Ford Fusion. It wasn’t my fault; I just think you are owed one, and nobody else is offering. It’s 20 years since this meretricious motor first crept into showrooms, and alarmingly only half that since its overdue demise.