Octane

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

The right crowd

FEATURING

20 YEARS OF ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH • Inside story of Newport Pagnell’s gamechanger, from those who designed and built it

Octane

Goodwood Revival Meeting

COMING UP… • Time to put away the Panama hat and red trousers and crack out the long johns and rally jacket as the tough get going

London Science Museum • Transport plays a big role in the capital’s celebration of engineering and science

Fresh assault on modern classics • London is leading the way, but all UK enthusiasts should fear ULEZ

The fightback • Resourceful owners are finding ways to keep enjoying their cars

NEWS FEED • New Aston museum to open; Michelotti centenary exhibition; VSCC welcomes ‘modern’ cars; slower pace for world’s fastest man; more Mokes; 70 years of Mercedes SL; hillclimb revival

Any other business…

Obituaries

As much design as a Porsche • Reliant designer Andy Plumb has restored his rare Robin

Brand new roads

Stefan Marjoram • Photographer, artist and film-maker who started doing animation for Aardman but is now deeply embedded in the classic world

JAY LENO • The Collector

DEREK BELL • The Legend

STEPHEN BAYLEY • The Aesthete

ROBERT COUCHER • The Driver

Answering the call to Audi

DELIVERING THE DREAM • Do you have to be a financier to buy a derelict Dino and restore it as a daily driver? Well, yes as it turns out, but there are lessons for all of us here

CHANGE IN THE AIR • The last days of air-cooling were no dead end for Porsche. The 1992 Carrera RS 3.6 and 1995 Carrera RS 3.8 show how the 911 continued evolving to the end. Hang on tight…

Young blood • A true supercar of its day, the Squire was literally a schoolboy’s dream – and it was all over by the time its creator was 26 years old. Mark Dixon drives one of the seven cars that were made

THE SEARCH FOR THE SUPERSONIC • As the culmination of 25 years of research, the real story surrounding the Fageol Supersonic can finally be told – by its custodian, Mark R Brinker

CANNONBALL! • As the Lamborghini Countach celebrates its 50th anniversary, Octane tracks down the star of one of the greatest petrolhead movies of all time: The Cannonball Run

Mohammed Ben Sulayem • The FIA presidency is up for renewal in December. Time to find out about this rally-winning candidate – and his 21 Mercedes-Benz 600s…

A lesson from history • Built two years before the Wright Brothers made their inaugural flight, this remarkable De Dion Bouton has been in the hands of the same family ever since. Andrew English is our tillerman

OCTANE GIFT GUIDE • Thirty-three pages of stuff we’d love to find under the tree this year

The best track day in the world • 1955 JAGUAR XK140

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

OCTANE’S FLEET

Slip-sliding away • 1966 FORD MUSTANG 289

Do sweat the small stuff • 1968 JENSEN INTERCEPTOR

Lady in red • 1975 ALFA ROMEO GT JUNIOR

Time to rack up some miles • 1986 FORD SIERRA RS COSWORTH

OTHER NEWS

Sense of Pride • 1997 KIA ELAN & 1992 KIA PRIDE

Less than electrifying • BENTLEY BENTAYGA HYBRID

Phil Walters, aka ‘Ted Tappett’ • He could have been an F1 contender but for the trauma of Le Mans 1955

Jetex • A fully functioning rocket boost for your kids’ models didn’t raise a Health and Safety eyebrow in the 1940s

Seiko Observatory Chronometer • What looks like ‘only an old Seiko’ is a veteran of the great chrono...