Blog posts
Taking on the Germans and British with a straight-six and a stately grille After the Second World War, most survivors had to pick up the pieces, rebuild and slowly pull themselves out of poverty. This meant transport had to be highly affordable, leading to smaller cars with smaller, four-cylinder engines. After some years, the straight-sixes began to reappear as luxurious alternatives to small inline-fours.
This 1964 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 has only just been returned to the road following a crash by the first owner when it was just three months old. We explore its unique past and take it for a drive. WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL WALTON Worth the wait60-YEAR E-TYPE RESTORATION - Crashed when just a few months old, this E-Type 4.2 was a multicoloured mess until being restored last year. Can you imagine how you'd feel if you crashed a three-month-old car?
The first of the petrol-engined XE models from 2015 to 2017 can now be found for sale from around £10,000, so is now the right time to buy one? Follow our guide to discover what to look for. WORDS ROB HAWKINS BUYING THE XE We bring you the essential info on the early petrol-powered models.
Overlooked for decades, this charming Daimler roadster makes a cost-effective alternative to an early Jaguar E-type – for now Words JAMES WALSHE Photography JOHN COLLEY Buying Guide Take a look at the innovative Daimler SP250 while it’s still a great value buy What to pay There is no real difference between A-, B- and C-spec cars in terms of value.
Whether being used by Aston’s then CEO or driven across Asia, this early V8 Vantage 4.3 has had a remarkable life. We look at its unique history and speak to the current owner who has no plans to retire the car. WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL WALTON EARLY V8 VANTAGE 4.
Discover what to look for and the costs involved in buying, owning and running a six-cylinder or V8-powered DBS. WORDS ROB HAWKINS IMAGES AMD ARCHIVE What to look for when buying one of the great-value classic Aston Martins, the DBS from 1967 to 1972 1967-1972 Aston Martin DBS BUYING GUIDE Manufactured between 1967 and 1972, the first generation of the DBS paved the way for a new style of Aston Martin that became a success well into the Eighties.
Although the name was unusual, the improvements made to the AMV8 in 1978 that resulted in the Oscar India were not. For the model’s 45th anniversary we explain why the changes resulted in one of the most attractive and important variations.
Looking and sounding far more exotic than the product of a double garage in Auckland, the Mini de Joux was the brainchild of one of New Zealand’s best automotive designers. Words and photography by Patrick Harlow PLAYING THE LONG GAMEKits and Pieces Ferris de Joux’s greatest hitIn 1973 Stephen, the owner of this featured Mini de Joux, went to a gravel hill-climb held at Hoopers Inlet on the Otago Peninsula.
The S stood for ‘Sport’ and the faster, more powerful and sharperhandling 911S duly delivered. We explore the history, tech, values and investment potential of the 2.0-, 2.2- and 2.4-litre cars. Written by Tim Pitt EARLY 911S INDEXPorsche Index: 911S Everything you need to know about the early 2.0-, 2.2- and 2.4-litre Porsche 911S, with key advice from experts HISTORY AND TECHUntil the Carrera 2.7 RS debuted in 1973, the S was the flagship of the 911 range.
The XK8 spearheaded Jaguar’s revival but the aluminium XK was a high-tech way to leapfrog the Germans. WORDS PAUL WAGER BUYING THE X150 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOWAll the info you need if you’re in the market for the advanced all-aluminium coupe. As the first all-new model to be released under Ford ownership, the original X100-generation XK8 was an impressive statement of intent fired across the bows of all the industry pundits who had forecast an immediate downturn in product in the pursuit of volume.
I have been reading JaguarWorld for a few years and thought I would offer my Jaguar story: I have been lucky enough to own three versions of the XJ range since 1999 and give my experiences/thoughts on all three. I first purchased a 1998 X308 (XJ8) LWB 4.0 Sovereign in Madeira with ivory leather when it was six months old, an ex-demo. In my view, this was the last of the great looking Jaguars, inside and out; it was a true limousine and drove smoothly with plenty of power.
It’s a quarter of a century since I first drove the X100 generation of XK when, as an aspiring motoring journalist, I was asked by a leading British car magazine to help with a twin test in Italy between the newly launched Maserati 3200GT and XKR (pictured). After flying to Rome and collecting a British Racing Green Jaguar, I had a fabulous 250-mile drive north to Maserati’s home of Modena where the shoot took place.
This dramatic grand tourer makes for a useable, beautiful, and very affordable classic. Words RICHARD DREDGE Photography JOHN COLLEY Buying Guide How to bag a Franco-Italian Peugeot 406 Coupé beauty from £800 Surviving examples of this stylish coupé are dwindling because of uncaring ownership and increasingly scarce parts, so if you fancy putting on your driveway, now’s the time to strike. The badge may be French, but Peugeot’s 406 Coupé is effectively an Italian exotic.
There’s something ineffably cool about comparatively unloved Ferraris. Whether it’s a 365 GTC4, most notable for not being a Daytona, the scallop-fuse-laged 612 Scaglietti or the behemoth FF, these are Maranello’s chorus line cars, rarely enjoying much of a moment in the spotlight. DRIVEN TO EXTINCTIONMuch the same can be said of the Portofino. It only seems like yesterday that it was being introduced to replace the bulky California T, but we have word that the factory will build no more.
Not long before this issue of 911 & Porsche World went to press, the motorsport world was shocked by the news of Ken Block’s passing. The rally driver, gymkhana star and ‘Head Hoonigan in Charge’ died near his ranch in Woodland, Utah, in a snowmobile accident. He was fifty-five. Block co-founded skateboarding and snowboarding footwear and apparel brand, DC Shoes, in 1994 and used his fortune to realise a long-held ambition to compete in international rallying.