Many children of the Fifties and Sixties have fond memories of their family cars, but only a few have been lucky enough to inherit them as adults. Pete Valente is not among them – his father’s Cadillac was sold in 1978. This is the story of how it came home…
This Semi-Lightweight E-type has shrugged off 60 years of racing scraps and scrapes while retaining unbroken provenance – today we follow Protheroe, Vestey, Mansell and Unser into the driver’s seat.
Despite ruling Le Mans throughout the Fifties with five overall victories plus three second, two third and four fourth places, Jaguar’s dominance of the famous 24 Hours race came to an end in the early Sixties with a disappointing ninth place. When motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, introduced a new GT class for endurance racing from 1962 onwards, many privateers chose the new E-Type. The homologated version initially showed great promise with two examples finishing a strong fourth and fifth at 24 Heures du Mans in 1962 with the outfits of Briggs Cunningham and Peter Sargent.
Sixty years ago, Mercedes-Benz launched the ultimate luxury saloon. Today, we drive one and meet the men who sold, serviced and restored the 600s of the Sixties’ glitterati.
This prototype gives a glimpse into an alternate future for AC, had it not been consumed by America’s appetite for Shelby Cobras. Let’s find out if it was it good enough to change history.
Going fast comes down to a simple mathematical equation. When translated into automotive lingo, one part of that formula usually means that a reduction in weight will have a comparable reduction in the force required to accelerate or decelerate. For acceleration you add in additional horsepower, however, the way to get that balance usually means that at some point you need to introduce some weight reduction and start hacking away on a car.
No short cuts. No quick fixes. The painstaking, zero timed, concours condition restoration of John G Van Meewuen’s 1963 Corvette Sting Ray to its original Riverside Red glory is something to behold and all because of the remarkable attention to detail.
From blown diffusers to front-tyre-warming, toe-angle-adjusting steering columns, both born then banned in the past two decades, Formula One has been defined by relentless rule-bending engineering innovations since its inception. However, the most primal of them all doesn’t even hail from this century; it supersedes carbon fibre as F1’s go-to construction material in the 1980s.
2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the Mini Cooper S – and this example is the oldest survivor. Mark Dixon tells the story of a Mini that has truly lived a life.
Lesley Weller never considered herself a car enthusiast, but a Mercury Comet she saw in a TV show made a deep impression on her 13-year-old mind. After years of dreaming, ownership is now a happy reality.
This air-cooled aficionado has driven Beetles and 911s galore but the 356 is his missing link. Today he’ll complete the chain by driving his dream car, a 1963 Porsche 356B Super 90 Cabriolet.
Aston Martin fan Mark Palmer was tempted to fill his List with ten of Newport Pagnell’s finest – but honed his desire down to the Aston-Martin DB4. Can it deliver on his expectations?
With distinct 250 GTO vibes, this Ferrari is in some ways even more exotic. We get behind the wheel of a 250 GT-based reincarnation of a famous Drogo-bodied Ferrari 250 GTO.
The heart-warming story of a freshly restored 1963 Abarth 1000 Bialbero GT ‘Duck-Tail’, which still holds the world land speed record in the 1.0-litre class
