Octane

FORGET THE WAILING and gnashing of teeth over Ford resuscitating the Capri name in a way that many enthusiasts feel is inappropriate: that is a mere skirmish compared to the all-out war that greeted Porsche going water-cooled. Very little else was talked about for months and, while most of the new-car magazines bravely sat on the fence, for a long time they didn’t have to worry about filling their Letters pages, which spilled over with virulently expressed, largely negative opinions. Hell, there hadn’t been as much collective fury among enthusiasts since Porsche went front-engined. Yes, there is a theme there, which speaks volumes about Porsche, purity and the petrolheads that are devoted to the marque. After all, if your manufacturing schtick is creating a formula so perfect that it barely…

SAM CHICK ‘Sometimes photographers must sketch and search for the “right” heights and angles to best capture a car. Not so with the flowing lines and forms of the Alfa Giulia SS, which were a joy to capture. Scaglione’s genius was never in doubt.’ Sam’s beautiful photographs illustrate Peter Tomalin’s story on pages 86-94. JAMES NICHOLLS ‘Bristols have always been very special to me due to the rarity and “Britishness” of the marque. When the opportunity came to own such a special one, it was a project that was hard to turn down – especially as I found it in Australia.’ Bristol 408: driving the former press car. Turn to pages 100-104. PAUL GRIFFIN ‘From the times of friends running cars together on a pint-and-a-pie basis to today’s pure financial investment, the fractional ownership of classic cars…

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ModaMiami 1-2 March Phillip Sarofim’s Aston Martin Bulldog (Octane 234 and 256) won the People’s Choice award at this stunning event, already feeling so mature that it is almost unbelievable that it is only in its second year at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. As well as the concours and RM Sotheby’s auction, which included more lots from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (see Markets, page 160), there was the Moda Classic scenic drive, plus parties every evening. Yet the Sunday was the main show, with hundreds of cars and thousands of visitors. A huge highlight was the Mercedes-Benz Classic cars on show and in action, including a 300 SLR (W196 S) and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren ‘Stirling Moss’ edition. The 2026 ModaMiami will take place from 28 February to…

old. This year’s event begins with scrutineering at Monza Circuit, where crews will drive some practice laps before they head to the official start at Lake Iseo. milano-sanremo.it 28-30 March Generations Rally Based in Harrogate and designed to introduce youngsters to the joys of endurance rallying, this event is exclusively for multigeneration crews. rallytheglobe.com 1-5 April P800 NorCal Rally Conceived by the folks from the Petersen Museum, and this year running between Arroyo Grande and beautiful Lake Tahoe. petersen.org 3-6 April The Flying Scotsman Pre-’48 cars cross the North York Moors and the Pennines before tackling the Scottish portion of a route that finishes, in keeping with tradition, at Gleneagles. hero-era.com 5 April VSCC Spring Start The VSCC kicks off its racing season at Silverstone Circuit, where there will be a guest grid for 1950s sports cars courtesy…

South African 4x4 Adventure 4-15 March 2026 Classic Grand Touring’s sixth South Africa 4x4 Adventure is a guided, self-drive tour. Limited to ten couples, it starts in Cape Town, traverses the Karoo desert, and takes in the Garden Route and the winelands of Paarl and Franschhoek before heading back to Cape Town. CGT promises ‘rustic luxury’ in hotels, game reserves and safari lodges. classicgt.co.uk Three Legs of Mann 13-15 March 2026 The sixth edition of this gruelling event (at top), based at the Palace Hotel and Casino in Douglas. It starts at the iconic TT Grandstand and delivers a challenging mix of closed-road tests and punishing regularities. Organisers say: ‘It’s Rally of the Tests – cranked to the extreme.’ hero-era.com Classic Route 66 100th anniversary tour 20 June – 15 July 2026 An escorted tour…