Blog posts
This issue, we are digging out trivia on the car which really put momentum behind Saab’s push upmarket – the 99 that they built from 1968 to 1987. Report: Simon Goldsworthy. Top Ten Trivia This issue we look at the gamechanging 99 (and 900) from Saab To really understand what a major role the Saab 99 played in the Swedish company’s development, we will have to take a few moments to whizz over their history.
The Porsche 959 A 200mph car that was easy to drive? Porsche invented the 21st century supercar in 1985 The Porsche 959 was the first modern supercar. It was the fastest production road car of its day and the first to approach 200mph in top speed (the claimed 197mph was independently verified). But that’s not why we’re celebrating it. Rather, it was a fast car that was easy to drive. Before its launch in 1985, powerful sports cars required skill, strength and occasionally heroics.
James Walshe takes an in-depth look at a British family favourite. Herald/Vitesse Guide Expert wisdom on how to assess and buy one of these little beauties. Hark the Herald!BUYER’S BRIEF Enjoy a Triumph not a disaster Why you want oneWas there ever a more uniquely styled Brit? The Herald represented a bold and beautiful new world away from the worthy, but traditional predecessors. That exotic design, by young Italian, Giovanni Michelotti, was a showstopper.
Hunting down a Lamborghini Miura ripe for restoration was about finding the best candidate, not the biggest wreck. That still left plenty for Iain Tyrrell’s team to do Words Nigel Boothman. Photos Jonathan Fleetwood. ‘It was bought as a project – and it hid plenty Filler-clad Miura rescued Epic RestorationIf you’ve bought a Ferrari Daytona from someone, and you can stay friends with them afterwards, that’s not a bad start to a working relationship.
It doesn’t get much better than the E30 M3, and this stunning project has been perfectly enhanced, making it a truly exceptional example of this performance icon. Words: Elizabeth de Latour Photos: Patrick Lauder. UTTERLY EPIC 2.5 E30 M3 GREAT WHITEDazzling 2.5 S14-powered E30 M3 Cars truly don’t get much more legendary or iconic than the E30 M3.
Even under German ownership, Škoda always felt like Volkswagen’s slightly eccentric Czech cousin. The range included dull but worthy vehicles – the kind of things driven by non-car people – but there was always an oddball or two. The likes of the Felicia Fun, Fabia vRS diesel and Yeti must have been conceived over a liquid lunch of Pilsner and debauchery. In 2006, Škoda unveiled the Joyster concept, which always sounded like something you’d find in an Ann Summers catalogue. Allegedly.
It has often been said that in the event of nuclear war, the only things that will survive are cockroaches and Mercedes-Benz W123s. Hopefully this theory will never be put to the test, but one thing is certain: few companies have been as consistent as Mercedes-Benz when it comes to developing thoroughly engineered cars. But W123s aren’t as bomb-proof as you might think.
The chances are that there’s an Aston Martin or two in your dream garage, but with marque values going through the roof in recent years, the only realistic way that you’re going to buy into the brand is with a DB7. It’s the Aston Martin that remains resolutely affordable to buy, if not necessarily to run. The DB7 is the car that saved the brand, because when it burst onto the scene in the mid-1990s, production from Aston’s Newport Pagnell factory had slowed to a trickle.
The 964 was the first 911 to utilise an active rear wing, but why is it there and how does it work? The 964 model, introduced in 1988, may have given the appearance that little had changed over the previous G-series model. In fact that was partly true for the design, which maintained the existing shape and gave it a clean up, smoothing bumpers, and adding an engine undertray.
The PDK double-clutch automatic gearbox is so good, the decision between manual or automatic can be quite a dilemma for 911s from 997.2 onwards. But where does that leave models that have the previous incarnation of automatic technology, the Tiptronic models? Are they tougher to sell, and take up valuable forecourt space? “In short, no,” says Philip Raby, of Philip Raby Specialist Cars. “We had two in lately, both 996; a Cab and a Coupe. Both sold within 24 hours,” he says.
Great things come in small packages – and affordable ones, too THE MARKET Buying Guide Zebra-patterned seats are a peculiar thing to be remembered for, but it’s one of the reasons the Honda Beat remains so widely adored 31 years after it was launched. Designed within the confines of the tax-beating ‘kei-segment’ city car regulations, this roadster was aimed squarely at the Japanese domestic market, pushing the very limitations of what could be packaged within such confining parameters.
It’s only original once. Long ago, Gary Bartlett’s original-paint E-type was green. Interview and portrait Paul Hardiman. This Jaguar E-Type Fixed Head Coupé was purchased new, in opalescent dark green with black trim, on 24 March 1966 by Don T Hughes of Grosse Point, Michigan. My guys knew I was looking for a 4.2 covered-light fixed-head E-type – but it had to be completely original. I was working at the GM design studio in Warren, Michigan, and one of my guys called me from Muncie, Indiana.
It is 30-years since the iconic E36 M3 made its debut. Is it more desirable than ever in 2022, and what do the experts think prospective buyers need to know? Words: Ben Barry. Buying BMW's modern classic M car in 2022...E36 M3 AT 30 Ten years ago, Munich Legends boss Dan Norris had a tidy E36 M3 saloon parked round the back of his workshops. “It was Techno Violet with about 40k miles and in pretty good condition,” he recalls.
The life and times of the West Bromwich answer to Aston Martin. Words: Paul Wager. 1966-1976 FACTS, FIGURES AND HISTORY ON THE GLAMOROUS ’70s GTJENSEN INTERCEPTOR DATABASE: Facts, figures and history on the stylish grand tourer which was built in West Bromwich using American muscle and Italian style. The story of Jensen Motors is a fascinating one, even without any mention of the Interceptor.
The M119 V8-powered SLs from the 129-series are among the greatest modern classic buys for those on a reasonable budget, combining robust quality with effortless performance and high-end cabin appointments. Words David Sutherland. Images Eric Richardson.