Octane

Octane is the authoritative guide to the best classic cars in the world.

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Octane

IGNITION • EVENTS + NEWS + OPINION

COMING UP… • At the risk of sounding repetitive, please don’t take any dates as gospel without checking closer to the event. Thank you

LE MANS MUSEUM • Open for 30 years, the glittering 150-car collection by the track’s entrance is a scintillating stroll through its history

Replica scene erupts after Swedish ruling • Jaguar’s landmark court victory has huge implications for owners and builders of every type of replica classic

NEWS FEED • Concours celebrates Italy; Mr Vector and guru of gears; sales site expands; resto specialist rebrands; insurance for collectors; museum fire; special Landie; speed record project slows

Obituaries

World tour of the M25 • Covid curtailed MGA owner Charlotte Vowden’s grand plan

Tamiya RC model kits

TIDDO BRESTERS • This 66-year-old Dutchman is FIVA president but also had a 30-year career in the postal service and has a soft spot for VW Beetles

JAY LENO • The Collector

DEREK BELL • The Legend

STEPHEN BAYLEY • The Aesthete

ROBERT COUCHER • The Driver

Everyone needs good neighbours

SNAKE CHARMER • The Mk1 Shelby Cobra combines understated barchetta looks with brawny V8 muscle. Mark Dixon charts the restoration of an unusually original survivor

RACING WITH THE PROS • It’s 40 years since the end of the BMW M1 Procar championship. This is the legend of the world’s craziest one-make series

PROCAR HEAVEN • This is where BMW M1 Procars go when they die. Welcome to Fritz Wagner’s treasure trove

BLUE BLOOD • In the days immediately before Quattro, Fiat dominated the World Rally Championship – and competition begat a beguiling road car, as Glen Waddington discovers

THE SCARS OF LIFE • This 1940s French truck was rescued from a scrapyard and restored – while retaining its battle-worn patina

Silver screen machines • For those who feel they have seen it all before when it comes to books on motors in movies, here’s one that will let you turn your inner nerd up to 11

WAR HORSE • In a previous life this Ferrari 750 Monza battled its way to victories on road and track – and it has just won the most coveted honour in the concours world

Marek Reichman • He’s the man in charge of what new Aston Martins look like – yet he has a passion for Astons of the past, and he races in Historics, too, as Ben Barry discovers

BOY’S TOY • This 1932 Ford hot rod has military history, having once been the property of the key World War Two General, Sir Frederick ‘Boy’ Browninǵ. Greǵ Moss delves into its past

The uncomfortable truth • 1982 MORGAN 4/4

OCTANE’S FLEET • These are the cars – and motorbikes – run by the magazine’s staff and contributors

Decisions, decisions • 1978 JAGUAR XJ 5.3C & 2018 PROJECT 8

Cheap thrills • 1972 FIAT 500L

Steamy action • 1927 FORD MODEL T

Pegged out last summer • 1972 MOTO GUZZI V7 SPORT

OTHER NEWS

OVERDRIVE • Other interesting cars we’ve been driving

Wild Rover or Mild Rover? • RE-ENGINEERED & ORIGINAL-SPEC RANGE ROVERS

A cool take on the GT theme • 2020 POLESTAR 1

Hot Spurs • 2021 BENTLEY FLYING SPUR V8 & W12

CHUCK YEAGER • The movie-script life of a hillbilly who hit the heights, broke the sound barrier and was immortalised by Tom Wolfe

The Fisher Space Pen • They originally cost NASA under three bucks a pop and have been on every manned mission since Apollo

SIR JACKIE STEWART • …on watches, racing and his...