Hope you enjoyed the barbecue. You have my sympathies, as I know what it’s like to be the resident ‘car man’ at a social event. I tend to give deliberately vague responses when friends or family ask me to recommend a new car. It’s like leaning against an open door – you can’t win! Anyway, I’m not sure if I can put your mind at rest, but I’ll give it a go. I read the Autocar interview with Rachel MacLean, the minister responsible for transport and decarbonisation. I think your Polestar chum is referring to a comment made about classic cars, rather than petrol and diesel cars in general. Specifically, this quote: ‘It’s important to be clear that while we’re phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, at this stage we don’t have any plans to actually ask people to remove existing or classic or older cars from the road.’ The vague part is ‘at this stage’. This suggests that changes could be in the offing. MacLean continued: ‘The existing policy is that obviously we won’t be allowing any new [petrol or diesel] vehicles to be sold [beyond 2030], but those existing vehicles can continue. It’s quite important, so hopefully I can say this and reassure people.’ Phrases like ‘existing policy’ and words like ‘hopefully’ do not inspire confidence. The chances are we’ll have a different government and a new set of ministers long before the 2030 ban, so a lot can, and probably will, change. In truth, the existing government is still looking at the legislation and infrastructure. The current charging network is nowhere near adequate for current needs, let alone the expected demand in 2030. Electric cars are too expensive, but only the bravest politician would price petrol and diesel cars out of the market without hefty incentives for electric adoption. Then there’s the millions of pounds and jobs generated by the classic and used car industry – this cannot and will not disappear overnight. I don’t doubt that diesel and petrol car drivers will face tougher penalties before 2030. I’d also expect more cities to ban anything other than zero emission cars from their centres to improve air quality. And don’t think for one minute that electric car drivers will have things their own way. You can expect existing purchase and tax incentives to be removed or reduced once we reach a certain tipping point. Personally, I wouldn’t rush into the purchase of an electric vehicle just yet. The Polestar 2 is a very good electric car, but it costs £40,000. EVs remain hideously expensive for the private motorist. Meanwhile, petrol and diesel cars have never been safer, more economical, or as well-equipped as they are in 2021. Have I reassured you, Dave? Maybe not, but I’d encourage you to avoid making any rash decisions. Just stick another sausage on the barbecue and chill out! Best regards.
Few automotive scenes can boast restomod projects as high-profile and as ambitious as those inhabiting the Porsche world. At the very top of the pile are the likes of 964-based builds from established brands, such as Singer, but no matter the budget and irrespective of base model, the desire from enthusiasts to personalise and resurrect an otherwise derelict Porsche seems stronger now than ever. And that’s saying something, considering Porsches have served as the perfect platform for personalisation ever since the launch of the 356. Indeed, in this issue of Classic Porsche, not only will you read about some of the most exciting lesser known restomods (including the 356 Outlaw pictured here) to recently break cover, you’ll also learn about a super-early 356 reimagined by one of Porsche’s first motorsport customers and credited as the inspiration for the 550 Spyder.
One of the most recognised Porsche restomodders is self-styled Urban Outlaw, Magnus Walker, but even he knows where to draw the line as far as choosing a car to restore to custom specification is concerned. Proving the point, we’ve pointed a camera at 901 (the original name for the 911) chassis no.300174, one of the first examples of Porsche’s evergreen six-cylinder flagship assembled. A genuine 1964 car presented in unrestored condition, this is one of the rarest historically significant Porsches in existence, being one of only sixty-four surviving examples and carrying all its original mechanical equipment. Little wonder Walker decided to veer away from modifying the car.
Expert advice on how to enjoy a stress-free restomod Porsche project greets you across the following pages. We hope the information on offer proves useful. Maybe we’ll be featuring your build in Classic Porsche before long?!
Hope you enjoyed the barbecue. You have my sympathies, as I know what it’s like to be the resident ‘car man’ at a social event. I tend to give deliberately vague responses when friends or family ask me to recommend a new car. It’s like leaning against an open door – you can’t win! Anyway, I’m not sure if I can put your mind at rest, but I’ll give it a go. I read the Autocar interview with Rachel MacLean, the minister responsible for transport and decarbonisation. I think your Polestar chum is referring to a comment made about classic cars, rather than petrol and diesel cars in general. Specifically, this quote: ‘It’s important to be clear that while we’re phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, at this stage we don’t have any plans to actually ask people to remove existing or classic or older cars from the road.’ The vague part is ‘at this stage’. This suggests that changes could be in the offing. MacLean continued: ‘The existing policy is that obviously we won’t be allowing any new [petrol or diesel] vehicles to be sold [beyond 2030], but those existing vehicles can continue. It’s quite important, so hopefully I can say this and reassure people.’ Phrases like ‘existing policy’ and words like ‘hopefully’ do not inspire confidence. The chances are we’ll have a different government and a new set of ministers long before the 2030 ban, so a lot can, and probably will, change. In truth, the existing government is still looking at the legislation and infrastructure. The current charging network is nowhere near adequate for current needs, let alone the expected demand in 2030. Electric cars are too expensive, but only the bravest politician would price petrol and diesel cars out of the market without hefty incentives for electric adoption. Then there’s the millions of pounds and jobs generated by the classic and used car industry – this cannot and will not disappear overnight. I don’t doubt that diesel and petrol car drivers will face tougher penalties before 2030. I’d also expect more cities to ban anything other than zero emission cars from their centres to improve air quality. And don’t think for one minute that electric car drivers will have things their own way. You can expect existing purchase and tax incentives to be removed or reduced once we reach a certain tipping point. Personally, I wouldn’t rush into the purchase of an electric vehicle just yet. The Polestar 2 is a very good electric car, but it costs £40,000. EVs remain hideously expensive for the private motorist. Meanwhile, petrol and diesel cars have never been safer, more economical, or as well-equipped as they are in 2021. Have I reassured you, Dave? Maybe not, but I’d encourage you to avoid making any rash decisions. Just stick another sausage on the barbecue and chill out! Best regards.
Nice new look for classic BMW design
GO YOUR OWN WAY
Few automotive scenes can boast restomod projects as high-profile and as ambitious as those inhabiting the Porsche world. At the very top of the pile are the likes of 964-based builds from established brands, such as Singer, but no matter the budget and irrespective of base model, the desire from enthusiasts to personalise and resurrect an otherwise derelict Porsche seems stronger now than ever. And that’s saying something, considering Porsches have served as the perfect platform for personalisation ever since the launch of the 356. Indeed, in this issue of Classic Porsche, not only will you read about some of the most exciting lesser known restomods (including the 356 Outlaw pictured here) to recently break cover, you’ll also learn about a super-early 356 reimagined by one of Porsche’s first motorsport customers and credited as the inspiration for the 550 Spyder.
One of the most recognised Porsche restomodders is self-styled Urban Outlaw, Magnus Walker, but even he knows where to draw the line as far as choosing a car to restore to custom specification is concerned. Proving the point, we’ve pointed a camera at 901 (the original name for the 911) chassis no.300174, one of the first examples of Porsche’s evergreen six-cylinder flagship assembled. A genuine 1964 car presented in unrestored condition, this is one of the rarest historically significant Porsches in existence, being one of only sixty-four surviving examples and carrying all its original mechanical equipment. Little wonder Walker decided to veer away from modifying the car.
Expert advice on how to enjoy a stress-free restomod Porsche project greets you across the following pages. We hope the information on offer proves useful. Maybe we’ll be featuring your build in Classic Porsche before long?!