The first in a new line of “Alan Mann Legacy Edition” restomod models, the AMR ePower Mustang is heavily modified throughout to accommodate the new electric drivetrain, with uprated and lightweight suspension, brakes and other components to compensate for the extra weight of the battery. The overall package is just 100kg above the 1,298kg of the original factory car, according to AMR.

Alan Mann Racing will source an original car for buyers, or take an owner’s car, and then strip it down to the bare body, with the shell and mechanical components that are carried over replaced or refurbished, before the car is reassembled.

The rebuild involves a modernised interior featuring bespoke instruments and a touchscreen infotainment system, along with an uprated racing-spec chassis that includes new front and rear subframes to which the new ePower Mustang-specific parts are mounted.

Each vehicle takes around 1,000 hours to complete, depending on how much work is needed to restore the original body, and final assembly of the initial cars will take place at an engineering partner based in Philadelphia, America.

Amazingly, the US firm’s CEO has the same name as AMR’s director Henry Mann, though the two are not related.

“We not only share an automotive passion with our business partners, but we also share a name,” said AMR’s Mann. “Henry and his family have a 50-year history of manufacture, sales and service in the precision electronics and hi-tech lighting sector and have independently curated an extraordinary collection of modern and classic automobiles.”

More performance than the original

The British-designed ePower Mustang features two battery packs, one under the bonnet and one at the rear, for 50:50 weight distribution. The electric motor is up front but, as with the original car, power goes to the rear wheels via a Torsen limited-slip differential. The total output is a claimed 300bhp — more than even the most potent of the original Mustang’s factory engines, with that 4.8-litre V8 producing up to 271bhp.

The suspension is all new, with independent double wishbones featuring billet aluminium uprights all round, replacing the original’s steel front struts and rear leaf springs.

Stopping power is increased from the 1960s set-up, with ventilated front and rear discs with six-piston callipers in front and four-piston callipers behind. The system also includes regenerative braking, which reclaims some of the energy normally lost as heat back into the battery.

Owners will be able to travel up to 220 miles per charge of the AMR ePower Mustang’s 77kWh battery, AMR claims, and it features both AC and DC rapid charging, with a 20-80 per cent top-up taking 40 minutes.

According to the historic racing outfit based near Woking, Surrey, the Mustang was an obvious first car in the Legacy Edition series not only because of the Alan Mann Racing’s ties to the Ford brand but also because there are plenty of original examples out there: in the first two years of production alone, 1.3 million Mustangs rolled off the production lines in California, Michigan and New Jersey.

“We have been watching the incredible growth of so-called resto-mods with interest,” said Henry Mann, son of founder Alan Mann, and director of AMR.  “We’ve seen cherished cars that owners want to improve, and we’ve seen those that owners want to future-proof, and we believe our new 1960s Mustang Coupe meets both needs.

“We are tremendously excited to be growing our core expertise, as this effectively future-proofs our own business as legislation continues to tighten around the use of classic cars and combustion engines. 

“We will always love the sight, sound and smell of a finely-tuned internal combustion engine, but we recognise there may come a time when they are no longer viable.  We believe electrification is a good way to keep these fabulous cherished classics on the road.”

America only… for now

AMR says the cost to customers depends on how much work is involved in the restoration and final destination taxes, but a figure of “from £200,000” is quoted.

Sadly for British buyers, the extent of the changes to the original car mean that the AMR ePower Mustang falls foul of the DVLA’s points-based system for vehicle modifications, and as such is considered “Radically Altered”. That means it cannot retain the original registration and would be subject to an “Individual Vehicle Approval” test, which Alan Mann Racing is not considering at present. Instead, the components will be sent to Mann ePower Cars for final assembly and use in the America and other territories, where rules on vehicle modifications are more relaxed.

That is, Mann admits, unless his phone rings off the hook with UK-based orders. But his message to the DVLA is to “sort it out”.

“If you’re running a lot of torque through an old gearbox, it’s going to break eventually,” Mann said. “So we have to consider that in what we do, and that means IVA or type approval, or something. But I think it’s restricting what people like us would like to do.”

Related articles

• If you were interested in this story about the AMR ePower Mustang electric restomod, you might like to read about the Opel Manta being reborn as 145bhp electric restomod
• Healey by Caton review: Why this half-million-pound restomod is a little too authentic a classic car experience
• Did you know the electric classic car conversion industry is booming? Specialist Electrogenic says it has a two-year waiting list

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post Alan Mann Racing shows off electric Ford Mustang Mk1 restomod appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

I had sworn I wouldn’t become that guy… the competitive dad; the sad bloke going full Adrian Newey on what is, to all onlookers, a fun sideshow to the proper car races at the Revival.

But my stepmum had kindly offered to pay for some work on our family Austin J40, so that our 1958 car was working as well as it could, and I found that I had managed to secure the services of probably the best guy in the country for that job: Geoff Kirkman. And his work was stunning – retaining all the original parts but straightening axles, removing camber, eliminating any play in the hubs – and from there it had steamrolled a little. Why not have a look at other ways to maxmise our chances, I reasoned.

On Kirkman’s advice, I’d bought a new set of tyres as he’d spotted that the ones on the car were too small in diameter, and would therefore result in a lower top speed than the other cars on the grid.

The custom stickers for the car, including the race number and driver name, added to the mounting bills, and I’d also had to buy all the electrical components as the race regulations require the lights and horn to be working. I even purchased an Austin patch for Eva’s boiler suit (period-looking race overalls are required for the drivers). I don’t want to think about the total amount spent on getting everything ready to take part.

^{The Dron J40 (almost) ready for the Settrington Cup.}

It had started as a relaxed project; a fun way to get a Dron racing at the Revival again. My dad, Tony Dron, was a regular competitor at the event in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and won several times as a paid driver. The highlight was probably a hat trick of wins in the Sussex Trophy, from 2001 to 2003, behind the wheel of a beautiful Ferrari 246S Dino that still competes today (though had to settle for second in that race this year).

So the Settrington Cup gave us an opportunity to get our name back on the list of drivers at the Revival once more — an experience for the family, and hopefully some wonderful memories for Eva of when she took part in what many consider to be the world’s finest historic motor racing event.

Our J40 has been in the family for nearly 40 years. It was bought for my older sister Amy and me by our mum around 1984, though it was not in mint condition at that time and probably came from a fairground ride (many ended up on carousels).

Once I’d grown out of it, the poor thing was stuffed into the back of a garage and fell into even more disrepair. But a few years back, knowing the values had risen dramatically (good ones cost upwards of £4,000 these days) and perhaps with one eye on seeing his grandchildren in the Settrington Cup, my dad paid for the body to be restored professionally, using R Ransley Vehicle Restorations, who had done a fine job on his Austin Seven.

I tinkered with the hubs a little myself at that stage, with new parts from the then newly formed J40 Motor Co. (now the Austin Pedal Car Company), and got it running well enough. So I asked Eva if she’d like to write to the Duke of Richmond, owner of the Goodwood Estate and mastermind of the Revival, to ask for a place in the race. She did so without hesitation.

It’s when His Grace wrote back saying that we’d been allocated a spot in the race that I found myself firing off an email to Kirkman to secure his engineering services. If it could be made easier for Eva to drive, and improve her chances of a good result, why not? And I knew dad would want the car to be properly “sorted”, if possible; he was a perfectionist.

It all came together relatively late. I picked up the tuned running gear a couple of weeks ahead of the event and reassembled the car, and then battled to get the electrics working (curse you, horn circuit!). The car was ready to go only the day before scrutineering.

^{Kirkman’s engineering efforts received the thumbs up from Eva during pre-Goodwood testing.}

I’d like to think the people who originally built our little pedal car some 65 years ago would have got a kick out of how much care has gone into it. The Austin J40 was built using off-cuts from the Austin car factory at a dedicated facility in Bargoed, Wales, between 1949 and 1971. The scheme was hatched as a means for disabled coal miners, whose lung diseases meant they could no longer work down the pits, to continue gainful employment.

It was a noble endeavour, and even more poignant for the Drons as dad had to retire from racing in 2011 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), specifically emphysema, and could no longer manage a lap of a circuit without gasping for breath. In 2021, his body finally gave up and he died in November that year. So while it was all a bit of fun at first, I suppose the notion that Eva would be competing in his honour began to weigh heavy.

^{Clockwise from left: Tony Dron pictured in his racing days; Tony celebrates a hat-trick of wins in the Ferrari 246S Dino at Goodwood Revival in 2003; a sticker on the family J40 dedicating Eva’s Settrington Cup effort to Tony.}

After Kirkman had agreed to do his part, I went from nonchalant to competitive alarmingly quickly. In the run-up to the Revival I continued to tell Eva, “We’re not there to win; it’s just about soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the experience,” but in my head I had become Enzo Ferrari — focused on providing her with a car that could claim victory.

I’m not the only one, it turned out. At a champagne reception for Goodwood Revival drivers, hosted at Goodwood House on the Thursday before the event (and to which even the Settrington Cup participants were invited), one other dad semi-joked, “Good luck, everyone. But not too much luck because my girl’s going to win!”

^{The Drons made plenty of friends in the Settrington Cup paddock and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, but when it came to the racing everyone took it seriously.}

Part of the appeal of the Settrington Cup, I discovered, is the camaraderie among the families taking part — and we’ll remain good friends with many of them — but there’s very definitely an undercurrent of competitive spirit.

The organisers take it seriously, too: just as with the full-sized racing cars, all J40s are scrutineered to check that no modifications have taken place to give the car and driver an unfair advantage. Extending the cockpit to allow taller drivers to take part is a big no-no, while adding non-original rose-joints or lightweight components are also banned. I was amazed to discover the scrutineers use templates to make sure the axles are properly set up, and not geared to increase top speeds.

^{Scrutineering for the Settrington Cup is comprehensive, and some cars do fall foul of the rules.}

The Settrington Cup involves two races, taking place on the Saturday and Sunday mornings. It has a Le Mans-style start, with cars lined up along each edge of the track and drivers standing in the middle, facing their vehicles. Grid positions are determined when the drivers turn up and “sign on”, by pulling a number out of a hat, and that position is reversed for the second race. When the flag drops the children run to their car, jump in and pedal like hell.

It’s open to any J40, even those built after 1966, and though it’s thought as few as half of the 32,098 cars built during the 24-year production run have survived, that still means a considerable number of eligible contenders are out there, and rotten ones are now being rescued and restored due to their surging values. Goodwood allows as many to take part as possible, making it the busiest grid of the whole Revival weekend; 70 cars raced this year.

It was also quite daunting for me, let alone Eva. Making sure we got through scrutineering was tense enough, but the competitors, I had noticed over the years, tend to be children from much more famous racing families. When the list of entrants was sent through I saw that Eva would be up against former F1 driver Karun Chandhok’s son, and other names stood out: Fisken; Franchitti; Turner; Buncombe; Verdon-Roe.

^{The busy grid included the young Kushant Chandhok, son of former F1 driver turned pundit Karun (left), and Luca Franchitti, whose parents are racing driver Marino Franchitti (pictured with Luca, right) and Holly Mason, daughter of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Luca was the overall winner of the 2023 Settrington Cup.}

I was also fully aware Eva might feel under pressure, so we took part in the official test day (yes, there’s a Settrington Cup test day) at one of Goodwood’s Breakfast Club meetings. That definitely helped settle her nerves and allowed her to meet some of the other competitors, a few of whom became friends and Eva looked forward to seeing them again over Revival weekend. As it was a busy event she also got a taste of what it’s like to pedal in front of spectators.

At the Revival itself, the races were most definitely lively, with crashes, pile-ups and dodgy driving. Eva showed a surprising level of determination, with a sprint pose before the flag dropped and teeth gritted right to the chequered flag.

^{The racing may not have been fast but it was certainly furious.}

How did she get on? From 64^th on the grid in race one she made it up to 41^st, despite a slow start and being held up in a jam at the chicane, half way along the course.

In race two she had a much better shot at a podium, starting from seventh. This time she made a clean getaway and was in a three-way fight for second place before having to yield at the chicane, and then found it impossible to get past the weaving number 110 car, who ended up claiming third, with Eva just behind.

As Eva’s mechanic I was back at the startline and hadn’t seen what was going on up the track, but other members of my family – and a few spectators, too – were spitting feathers at the injustice of the alleged blocking that had taken place.

^{In race two Eva couldn’t find a way past the driver running in third, who used every bit of road to keep her behind.}

Watching the replay I was also a little cross, I have to say, though according to the man in charge of Settrington Cup driving standards, “Weaving is allowed; it’s just when they go ‘full Verstappen’ and there’s contact that we get involved.” Plus I’m not sure how I’d have felt about a serious protest against another child’s behaviour… after all, what did we expect?

The overall result, though, is a combination of the race times from the two heats, and Eva was ranked 14^th out of the 70 cars, which we deemed a terrific effort.

^{Every parent of a child in the Settrington Cup can be rightfully proud of completing the race, in whatever position they finished.}

What’s more we do have wonderful memories to take away, if not silverware. When the dust settled we were just so pleased to have been involved, happy that our J40 is now in such great fettle, and deeply proud of our little girl. We know her grandpa would have been beaming, too. This one was for you, dad.

Photos: © Alex Goy; Peter Tarry; Jeff Bloxham; Beki Matthews; Will Dron; Tony Dron

Related articles

• If you enjoyed this features about taking part in the Settrington Cup, you might also want to check out The Little Car Company‘ reveal‘s scaled-down, road-legal Bentley Blower Jnr
• Also take a look at what happened when Dron’s J40 took part in the Junior Concours at Hampton Court
• Also, here’s our Goodwood Revival 2023 guide

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post Goodwood Revival’s cutest race? In reality the Settrington Cup is seriously competitive appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

Quite apart from being a glamorous car in itself, this particular Silver Cloud II was once in celebrity hands — none other than Oscar-winning actress and Italian superstar, Sophia Loren.

David Lorenz, founder of Lunaz said: “Every Rolls-Royce elevated by Lunaz has its own unique and fascinating story to tell, but few can match this exceptional Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, which was built in 1960 and first owned by the famous actress synonymous with elegance and style, Sophia Loren.

“In elevating this beautiful, historically-important classic to fully-electric power, we’ve remained absolutely faithful to its original spirit and purpose: to use the most advanced technology available to convey passengers in perfect serenity, privacy and comfort. Through this car, and other vehicles built through the Lunaz Hotel Programme, we’re enabling the world’s leading hotel and residence operators to add a new dimension to their guests’ experience.”

Hotel Programme panders to hotel guest needs

The Hotel Programme by Lunaz has already seen commissions come in for classic Rolls-Royce and Bentley models converted to EVs so that they can still be used in emissions-regulated city centres. One hotel has also commissioned a converted 1990s long-wheelbase Range Rover so that its clients could be driven off into the woods. For incredibly quiet picnics, one assumes. Loren’s Rolls-Royce is the first of the hotel programme cars to be completed.

The hotel programme cars can be painted in specific colours, emblazoned with crests or logos and can be customised with cabin fittings for cigars, champagne, or even perfume. More functional items, such as privacy screens, communications systems, in-car infotainment and extra luggage space can also be included.

The Lunaz service even includes chauffeur training so that professional drivers can learn how best to handle these restomod EVs.

Classic Rolls design unchanged

Senora Loren’s old Roller has kept its classic styling, but Lunaz says that “Every surface, inside and out, has been modernised and upgraded.” The colour scheme is a two-tone finish, Shale on top with Rich Gold on the lower half. The wheel centres are painted to match.

Inside, the seats and doors are trimmed with sage-green leather, with the traditional burr walnut dashboard still in place. There are new carpets, provided by a company called Sedna using fabric woven from reclaimed nylon fishing nets with a backing made from recycled ocean plastics. These carpets are finished in a colour called Quartz and get a little owl detailing stitched into them.

Features Apple CarPlay and other mod-cons

While the classic looks endure, this Silver Cloud II has been brought right up to date elsewhere. Rear passengers get heated seats, an infotainment system that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and USB and USB-C charging points. Even the seat cushions in the back have been subtly altered to improve rear legroom without compromising on comfort.

Up front, the driver gets all-round parking cameras, a six-inch colour display screen, cruise control and an electronic parking brake.

Electric range of about 300 miles

As with all of Lunaz’s classic electric conversions, the electric motor and battery pack have been designed to fit into the space left by the original engine and its ancillaries, while the Rolls-Royce’s original 6.2-litre V8 engine has been removed and preserved, rather than being thrown away. This allows for the car to be returned to its original condition and power plant if any owners down the line should desire to do so. It seems unlikely that anyone will want to — as Lunaz puts it: “The original Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II was engineered for near-silent running, a characteristic the electric powertrain only serves to elevate and enhance.”

Lunaz hasn’t given any indication of how big a battery the Silver Cloud II uses, nor what kind of range it has, but previous similar conversions have used an 80kWh battery pack for a range of around 300 miles.

The price of this conversion has not been disclosed, but Lunaz previous Silver Cloud restomod was priced at around £350,000, while a larger Rolls-Royce Phantom — using a 120kWh battery — was sold for more like £500,000, so that’s the ballpark. The company is also now converting classic original Range Rovers in two forms — a ‘Town’ version with two-wheel drive, a 60kWh battery and relatively short range, and a ‘Country’ model keeping the four-wheel drive and a 90kWh battery for a circa 200-mile range.

All of the work has been carried out at Lunaz’s HQ near the Silverstone racetrack in Northamptonshire. “The growth of the Lunaz Group affirms the United Kingdom’s status as a leader in the development of clean-air automotive technologies. Firms like Lunaz which operate in the principles of the circular economy show that British industry can provide potent answers to the global need to transition to less impactful industrial practices,” said Lorenz.

Related articles

• If you enjoyed reading about the ex-Sophia Loren’s Rolls-Royce conversion, you might like to read why we weren’t enamoured by the Healey by Caton restomod
• Want to know more about Lunaz’s Aston Martin DB6 electric conversion? Click here
• And click here if you want to see our guide to all the car makers’ electric vehicle plans

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post Lunaz converts Sophia Loren’s Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud to electric power appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

How to watch Goodwood Revival on TV and online

It’s not just about looking the part, though, because it’s the cars and motorcycles of the era that are being celebrated in the best way possible – by racing them. Classic machinery from the likes of Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ford, MG and many more will be competing in a range of events that celebrate the circuit’s history.

Each day of the Revival will see a parade of more than 200 period motorcycles opening proceedings, with machines from the likes of Royal Enfield, Indian, Harley-Davidson, BMW, BSA, Triumph and more taking part. It’s part of a celebration of all things two wheels, because it’s also the 100th anniversary of BMW Motorcycles, 120 years of Harley-Davidson and 130 years of Royal Enfield.

This year the Revival celebrates the racing exploits of Carroll Shelby, who would’ve celebrated his 100th birthday this year. The US star blazed a trail as a driver – winning the 1959 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in an Aston Martin, alongside Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman – and as team boss of Shelby American Inc., which successfully raced AC Cobras and Ford GT40s through the 1960s, including more victories at Goodwood.

It’s not just Goodwood that is celebrating a 75th birthday, because Lotus has reached the same milestone. The Norfolk manufacturer founded by Colin Chapman will have a special showcase at the Revival, led by the Lotus 18 which Stirling Moss steered to the company’s first F1 victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1960. Cars driven by Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi are scheduled to make an appearance, too.

Plenty of famous faces descend on the Revival every year, and while we can’t guarantee who will be in attendance in 2023, the likes of former F1 drivers Jenson Button, Jackie Stewart and Damon Hill have appeared in the past. Celebrities from the worlds of TV and music will be in the crowds, too.

What races are taking place?

The Goodwood Revival will see 15 races on the timetable, with grids full of F1 cars, Le Mans racers, motorcycles and classic touring cars all lining up.

Freddie March Memorial Trophy

It’s the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Goodwood Nine Hours endurance race, and the Freddie March Memorial Trophy will consist of a grid full of period sports cars from the likes of Jaguar, Aston Martin, Austin Healey and Fraser Nash. There are driver swaps at the pit stops, while the racing takes place at sunset to make it a spectacular sight.

Goodwood Trophy

At the opening of Goodwood Circuit in 1948, the only racing cars available were pre-war machines, and this event celebrates those ‘Voiturette’ vehicles of the 1930s and 1940s, from makes such as Maserati, ERA, Alta and more.

Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy

Named after arguably the most famous motorcycle racer the UK has ever seen, this event sees famous faces from the worlds of MotoGP, World Superbikes, the Isle of Man TT and British Superbikes take to the track. The machinery alternates between the 1950s and 1960s each year, with 2023 seeing the latter era celebrated with bikes from MV Augusta, Honda, Suzuki, Norton and others.

Fordwater Trophy

It’s the 60th anniversary of the Porsche 911 and to commemorate, the Revival is hosting a one-make event for 30 early-era 911s which should deliver plenty of sideways action, thanks to the car’s rear-engined layout and skinny, grip-deficient tyres. This event also marks a new era for the Revival, with the whole grid being powered by 100 per cent sustainably sourced fuels, as a nod towards making the event an eco-friendly one.

St Mary’s Trophy

An annual favourite, the St Mary’s Trophy sees the best touring cars of the 1950s do battle this year. It will see machines large and small take part, with Jaguar MkIIs dicing with Austin A40s and Alfa Romeo Giuliettas, among others. It’s a two-part event, with the first race on Saturday contested by pro drivers from the world of modern touring cars, sports cars and even the American NASCAR series. Then the owners of the cars take to the wheel on Sunday for the final overall result.

Rudge Whitworth Cup

This year marks the centenary of the first running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 2023 Revival has a special event to celebrate the pre-war pioneers of the endurance classic. The race will last 30 minutes and feature a driver swap, while cars from Bentley, Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Talbot and Sunbeam should be on the grid.

Glover Trophy

Non-championship grand prix racing was a highlight during Goodwood’s later years, and this event celebrates the 1.5-litre single seaters that competed between 1961 and 1965. The likes of Stewart, Clark and Hill would take to the wheel for the Glover Trophy, and their modern-day equivalents will race cars from the likes of Lotus, Cooper and Ferrari.

Whitsun Trophy

One of the fastest classes to race over the Revival weekend, the Whitsun Trophy grid comprises Ford GT40s, Lola T70s and McLaren M1As and M1Bs, with these rumbling V8-powered machines barely able to keep within the confines of the Goodwood Circuit.

Lavant Cup

For this year’s Lavant Cup, the grid will be made up entirely of Ferrari GTs from the 1960s, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Graham Hill winning the RAC TT at Goodwood. It’s likely to be one of the most expensive races of the weekend, as multi-million pound 250 GTOs, SWBs and LMs do battle.

Chichester Cup

The Formula Junior class was a breeding ground for future grand prix stars, and this race is dedicated to those small single seaters that raced between 1960 and 1963.

Richmond & Gordon Trophies

Early grand prix cars are celebrated in this race, where front-engined Maserati 250Fs, Ferrari 500s and Lancia D50s duke it out with mid-engined revolutionaries, led by the British Cooper marque.

RAC TT Celebration

The RAC Tourist Trophy is one of the flagship racing trophies to be awarded in UK motor racing, and between 1960 and 1964 it was raced for at Goodwood. This race is exclusively for closed-roof sports cars, and the grid comprises Ferraris, Corvettes, AC Cobras, Porsche 904s and Jaguar E-Type Lightweights for wheel-to-wheel action.

Sussex Trophy

The final race of the weekend is another sports car celebration, this time of the late 1950s. Expect Le Mans racers from the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lotus and of course Jaguar C-Types and D-Types galore.

Settrington Cup

One slightly leftfield event at Goodwood is the Settrington Cup, a race for junior drivers in vintage Austin A40 pedal cars that takes place on the start/finish line.

What else is happening at the Goodwood Revival?

There’s more to the Revival than just the racing, and to celebrate the event’s standing as a look back to the past, Goodwood has established an initiative called Revive & Thrive. This harks back to the post-war mentality of ‘make do and mend’ and is encouraging people to reuse and recycle old clothes that are suitable for the Revival paddock. This could be anything from dusting off an old suit to making your own dresses or accessories, just as long as it has an element of sustainability about it.

The Revive & Thrive Village will feature plenty of stalls, while talks and presentations will help attendees make the most of their own sustainability ambitions.

Funfair and music

Lots of events take place “over the road”, which is across the bridge from the track, including a fairground, roller rink and classic movies. Stages feature live big bands and swing music for those who like to jive and jitterbug.

Revival Car Show

If you come to the Goodwood Revival in a car from the golden era of the circuit, i.e. a pre-1966 or tax-exempt car, then you’ll be able to take advantage of complimentary parking. This will create its own car show, as a wide variety of machines line up in the period paddock.

Freddie March Spirit of Aviation

Before racing, Goodwood was an airbase during World War II, and this event is a concours competition for pre-1966 aircraft, held at Goodwood Aerodrome, within the confines of the circuit itself. Plane and helicopter flights will also be available to paying punters.

Bonham’s Goodwood Revival sale

On Saturday 9 September, Bonham’s will hold an auction featuring a variety of cars and memorabilia. The auction doesn’t cover Revival-period cars exclusively, although there are plenty of cars from that era included. Highlights include a 1973 Martini Porsche 911 3.0  RSR prototype, the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally class-winning Aston Martin DB2/4 co-driven by Maurice Gatsonides (the man behind Gatso speed cameras), plus a range of classic Land Rovers, Aston Martins from all eras, and historic racing-ready sports cars from the likes of Jaguar and Austin Healey – there’s even a 1952 AEC double-decker London bus going under the hammer.

Goodwood Revival dress code

As ever, period dress from 1948 to 1966 is encouraged, so anything along the lines of a WWII-era armed forces outfit, Teddy Boy get-up or a simple Tweed suit and hat or flat cap won’t look out of place on men.

For women, a Land Girl outfit, mini skirt combo or 1950s dress will work. But being creative earns extra points, and there’s usually a newspaper photographer or two taking photos of the best-dressed visitors.

Turn up in modern clothes and you’ll stand out for all the wrong reasons, and it rather spoils the ambience.

How much are tickets?

Both the three-day pass and general admission tickets for Friday and Saturday are all sold out, while tickets for Sunday are extremely limited at the time of writing. Single-day admission for Sunday starts from £96, with under-12s admitted free.

Grandstand tickets are sold out for Saturday and Sunday, but Friday grandstands are from £48.

Grandstand tickets are still available for Saturday and Sunday from £75.

There’s not a huge amount of racing happening on Friday beyond the Freddie March Memorial Trophy, but the “over the road” activities will be getting into their stride that evening, so it’ll still be fun if you can’t get there any other day.

Click here to see the available Goodwood Revival tickets.

Where is the Goodwood Revival?

The Revival takes place at Goodwood Motor Circuit, just down the road from the Duke of Richmond’s house in West Sussex. It’s located just outside Chichester, around 60 miles from London.

How do I get to Goodwood without driving?

For those not keen to contend with traffic queues and parking, trains run regularly from London Victoria to nearby Chichester, though there are services too from Brighton and Portsmouth.

From Chichester station, a Stagecoach bus runs from the station to the racing circuit between 7am and 11pm each day, with tickets available on board.

Some people take taxis, either from Chichester station or from home. If you wish to do so, the drop off and pick up point is the entrance to car park D, on Kennel Hill near to the New Road roundabout.

What are the opening times?

Music, dancing and other activities begin “over the road” at 4pm on Thursday, finishing at 10pm.

For the rest of the Revival, gates open at 7.30am, and everything shuts down by 10pm, apart from Sunday when events “over the road” finish at 9.30pm.

Free car parking opens from 7am.

How to watch Goodwood Revival on TV and online

The 2023 Goodwood Revival will be shown live on ITV4 from 6pm to 8pm on both Saturday and Sunday of the event, with highlights from the day’s action. But if you don’t want to miss a beat, it’s being streamed live all weekend on the Goodwood Road and Racing YouTube channel – watch it here!

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Related articles

• If you’re interested in the Goodwood Revival, take a look at our guide to the 2023 Silverstone Classic
• You might like to check out everything that happened at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Here are the fastest five hillclimb cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post Goodwood Revival 2023 guide: Here’s what to see and do at the fastest fancy-dress party on Earth appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

Based on the 1929 4½-litre Supercharged No. 2 team car in Bentley’s own collection, the new shrunken “city car” from The Little Car Company is described as a “recreation of the most famous Bentley in the world.”

With a 20bhp electric motor and a top speed of 45mph, the Blower Jnr will offer tandem seating for two and a dedicated luggage space. It’s also expected to cover around 65 miles on a single charge.

While the Bugatti Baby, Aston Martin DB5 Junior and more recent Ferrari Testa Rossa J are all impressive machines capable of being driven by adults at similar speeds, the Bentley Blower Jnr is The Little Car Company’s first road-legal product.

About the same footprint as a Volkswagen Up!

According to The Little Car Company, the Blower Jnr is “the most sophisticated city car ever built,” with materials designed to match the original and neat methods of hiding the car’s pure-electric powertrain. The charging port, for example, is incorporated into a mock-up of the original car’s supercharger housing.

Although it’s built by The Little Car Company, the hand-crafted Blower Jnr will be anything but small, measuring 3.7m long and 1.5m wide. That gives it roughly the same footprint as a Volkswagen Up!, although the VW is a tad shorter and wider.

Size aside, though, the Blower Jnr is designed to be a “faithful homage” to the real Bentley, with a similar chassis including leaf springs and period-correct dampers, as well as disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.

The electric motor is mounted at the rear of the car, while the batteries and electronics are housed under the floor.

Carbon fibre and aluminium in its construction

The Blower Jnr’s bodywork is made in two sections, with the rear comprising a carbon-fibre frame covered in impregnated fabric, while the bonnet is made with aluminium. There’s a central driving position, with space for a passenger behind and an optional bespoke weekend bag that fits in what looks like the fuel tank.

The Little Car Company has even repurposed some of the original switchgear and dials, with the fuel pressure pump recreated as a drive mode selector, while neutral and reverse are selected using a lever that looks like the original Blower’s ignition advance control. A battery charge gauge, meanwhile, mimics the original ammeter.

However, some modern touches have been fitted, including a USB charging point and a dual-function display with navigation and a reversing camera.

Made in collaboration with Bentley

The car has been created in collaboration with Bentley, and it is intended to honour the company’s own Blower, UU 5872, which is the second of four supercharged “team” racing cars developed by Sir Tim Birkin and his firm. The cars competed in 12 races, including the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans, where UU 5872 failed to win but proved itself to be the fastest car on the day.

The first 99 examples of the Blower Jnr will be First Edition models that honour the Bentley-owned vehicle with Blower Green paint, a Union Flag on the sides of the body and Dark Green Lustrana Hide upholstery.

The steering wheel will also be rope-bound, while the side panel and radiator carry the period-correct racing number and there will be numerous First Edition badges.

California’s Monterey Car Week provides the backdrop for the Blower Jnr’s reveal, and the car will make a number of appearances at the event. Production will begin next year, with the 99 First Edition models expected to cost £90,000 plus local taxes.

Related articles

• If you were interested in the new scaled-down replica of the Bentley Blower, you might find it entertaining to read about Clarkson bringing a Bentley on holiday
• You might also be interested in knowing more about the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid
• Or read our review of the Bentley Bentayga EWB

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post The Little Car Company reveals scaled-down, road-legal Bentley Blower Jnr appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

But for some, BMW and its M cars are more associated with straight-six powerplants, originally found in cars such as the M1 and M5. Now German tuning firm Manhart has combined the two, by taking an E30 M3 and stuffing it with a six-cylinder unit to create the MH3 3.5 Turbo restomod — where a classic machine is updated with more modern running gear.

Engine from the world’s fastest production saloon

However, Manhart hasn’t just stuck any old BMW straight-six under the M3’s bonnet, because the MH3 features the 3.5-litre turbocharged unit from the Alpina B7 S Turbo. That car was based on the E28-era BMW 5 Series (still following), and could lay claim to being the world’s fastest production saloon when new back in the early eighties, with a top speed of 162mph.

For the Manhart MH3 3.5 Turbo, the tuning firm has taken this unit, producing around 325bhp and 243lb ft as standard, and boosted it with a new turbocharger and intercooler for maximums of 399bhp and 479lb ft.

It also comes with a bespoke Manhart exhaust system, while power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox and a Drexler limited-slip differential with oil cooler.

To help drivers deal with traction in slippery conditions, Manhart has also fitted a manual boost controller in the form of a rotary knob located just ahead of the gear lever.

Full chassis makeover

As well as updating the engine, Manhart’s restomod has mechanical revisions that include a coilover suspension kit made by H&R to the tuning house’s own specifications, while red Brembo brake callipers grip drilled discs front and rear, with the rears featuring floating callipers. The wheels are Manhart’s own design, measuring 19in in diameter, with widths of 8.5in up front and 9.5in at the rear.

The dark matt green wrap covers largely original bodywork, save for the bumpers and rear wing. There’s a carbon-fibre front splitter and a rear wing in the same material that emulates that of the M3 Sport Evolution.

Dark tinted rear lights add a subtle look at the back, but this is offset by the bright red pinstripes for the front and rear bumpers, as well as the lip of the front splitter and rear spoiler.

Inside, the cabin has been kept largely original and is finished in red leather for the seats and door cards. There’s a wooden Manhart-branded gear knob and the small blue controller for the turbo boost, while the driver’s side central air vent has been replaced by a period-style digital display that shows boost pressure and temperatures.

Prices for the Manhart MH3 3.5 Turbo treatment haven’t been listed but E30 owners can make enquiries via the tuner’s website, but original E30s sell for upwards of £50,000 so Manhart’s work will be a significant chunk on top of that.

Related articles

• If you were interested in Manhart’s interpretation of the E30 BMW M3, you may like to read that the Singer all-terrain competition study is a rally-ready Porsche 911 restomod
• Take a look at our review of the Subaru WRX STi-based Prodrive P25
• Hear the Lancia 037-inspired Kimera EVO37 in video

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post German tuning firm creates 1980s BMW M3 restomod with nearly 400bhp appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

The Silverstone Festival (formerly the Silverstone Classic) is the Northamptonshire circuit’s answer to both the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival, combined. It’s a weekend where you can watch incredible racing cars of all eras genuinely slugging it out — not just driving parade laps — on one of the UK’s most historic and famous racing circuits.

The cars on track run the gamut from the 1920s all the way up to screaming modern Formula One cars, while in the paddock there’s a proper family-friendly atmosphere and even music provided by some of the best live acts around.

This year will be a particularly special one for the Silverstone Festival as it’s the 75th birthday of the track itself — the doors here first opened in 1948. So, the top-line race is going to be one of the most important.

What’s on at the 2023 Silverstone Festival?

1. A race for the originals

The headline act will be the Special 75th Anniversary Grand Prix Trophy, which is open to front-engined Grand Prix cars of the 1940s and 1950s. The race will commemorate the original 1948 International Grand Prix, and will feature two of the cars that actually raced at Silverstone 75 years ago — Frenchman Phillippe Étancelin’s front-row starting Talbot Lago T26 and John Bolster’s ex-Prince ‘Bira’ Birabongse of Siam’s ERA R5B which finished sixth.

2. Modern Le Mans

If older cars aren’t your thing then get trackside for the Masters Endurance Legends races, which will feature Le Mans cars from 1995 right up to 2016. This year the grid will include three of the mighty V12 diesel-engined Peugeot 908s — the car that scored an emotional win for Peugeot in 2009 — as well as the amazing Gulf-liveried Lola-Aston Martin, whose V12 petrol powerplant makes one of the best noises ever.

3. Classic sports cars

The International Trophy for Classic GT Cars, which is open to pre-1966 cars, should provide some of the best racing of the weekend, with cars ranging from the mighty V8-engined AC Cobras, to Porsche 911s, Aston Martins, Ferraris and even MGs all rubbing doors and sliding on the way out of corners (or on the way into corners if you mean the Cobras).

4. Touring car mayhem

Speaking of close racing, that’s the stock-in-trade of Touring Cars and there’s a grid full of classic saloons for the MRL Historic Touring Car Challenge, including the — literally — fire-breathing Ford Sierra Cosworths from the 1980s. Do not miss these races.

5. Formula One

Of course, any F1 event is going to be a major draw, and at the Silverstone Festival you’ll be able to see the Masters Racing Legends taking to the track with a grid of 3-litre Formula one cars, dating from 1966 up to 1985. The field includes classic racers from Lotus, Williams, McLaren and Ligier and the noise from all those V8 and V12 engines will be worth the entry fee alone.

6. F1 on display

If F1 cars racing on the track aren’t enough, you’ll also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the greatest Formula One cars of all time in the Paddock. Those will include Alain Prost’s title-winning 1993 Williams-Renault FW15C — one of the most technologically advanced F1 cars of all time — and a line-up of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes racers from his championship winning years of 2014 to 2020.

Mercedes test driver Esteban Gutiérrez will be putting in hot laps in Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes W04. That’s all part of the F1 Fan Zone, which will also feature simulators, wheel change challenge and big screen coverage of (Max Verstappen surely winning the) Dutch GP.

7. Feel the noise

We’ve already mentioned the astonishing noises that you’ll hear from historic Formula One and sports car racers, but hands-down the loudest and most brain-melting sound will come from the BRM V16 Continuation.

• Hear the fearsome BRM V16 grand prix engine fire up in dyno testing

This is a meticulous, newly-built tribute to the original BRM, which was in 1950 the UK’s great hope for taking on the likes of Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari. It used an amazing 1.5-litre, supercharged, 16-cylinder engine which sadly proved way too complex and unreliable at the time. Even true racing greats like Juan Manuel Fangio couldn’t tame it fully.

While unsuccessful, it remains one of the best-sounding engines of all time though, and when it passes by at high speed, you’d swear the air itself was being ripped apart. Worth the price of entry all on its own.

8. Important anniversaries

Away from the track, there will be some beautiful classics to drool over. The Porsche Club of Great Britain will be out in force to help celebrate the 75th birthday of the brand, while other anniversaries being marked will include 120 years of Ford, 100 years of Triumph, 75 years of Lotus, 70 years of the Chevrolet Corvette and the 50th birthday of the Caterham Seven.

8. Nascar

For anyone who got really excited by the sight (and sound) of Jenson Button’s Nascar Camaro racing at Le Mans this year, the Silverstone Festival has your next fix — the Days Of Thunder demos, featuring 200mph American stock car racers dating from 1990 to 2015. If you know your Kurt Busch from your Bobby Labonte, this is for you.

10. Funfairs, live music and entertainment

If you’re keen to see all the cars and racing, but the rest of the family is looking doubtful, reassure them that the Silverstone Festival has a bit of something for everyone.

There’ll be live music each evening as usual, this year including performance from ABC, Sugababes and McFly.

The great Terry Grant will be entertaining all-comers with his stunt show in the Shift and Drift Zone, while there’s also the Foodie Fest with celebrity TV chefs, and Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat pop-up shop featuring produce from his now-famous farm.

11. Classic car auction

Classic car auctions can be dangerous to the health of your bank balance, so be careful how much you wave your hands around as Iconic Auctioneers (which used to be known as Silverstone Auctions) will be selling off not just a collection of the late, great Colin McRae’s rally cars, but also a pair of Ford Capris that featured in classic 1980s action TV series, The Professionals.

When is the Silverstone Festival 2023?

The Silverstone Festival is being held across the bank holiday weekend of August 25-27.

How do you get to the Silverstone Festival?

Well, fairly obviously it’s at the Silverstone racing circuit, which is near the town of Towcester in Northamptonshire. You can drive there in about an hour from Birmingham or just under two hours from London.

If you want to leave the car at home, there are bus shuttles from both Milton Keynes and Northampton. You can also get a train from London Euston, Birmingham New Street and Northampton Rail Stations to Wolverton, which is the nearest station to Silverstone (about 10 miles away), and get a taxi from there — though bear in mind they may be in high demand.

What is the best day to go to the Silverstone Festival?

Sunday is going to be the big day, with the climax of all the big races for the most famous cars, and the demo laps by the BRM V16 and the Mercedes W04. However, given that tickets for Friday are so much more affordable, and it’s likely to be a quieter day in terms of crowds, we’d suggest that’s the best day to go and soak up the atmosphere.

What is the race schedule for the Silverstone Festival?

How much are tickets?

A three-day ticket will cost you £150 but a Friday entry ticket is £69 (you can get also in after 4pm on Friday for the evening entertainment only, for £25). Saturday and Sunday tickets both cost £99 each (£45 for after 4pm), but the good news is that anyone under the age of 16 can go for free (though you still have to order a ticket).

Visit https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/silverstone-festival/ticket-types

Can I camp at Silverstone Festival?

The best way to experience the Festival — if the weather’s good — is to camp. Tickets for Silverstone Golf Club camping have already sold out but there are other local campsites that have availability.

For future reference, at Silverstone a pitch for a small tent or compact motorhome or caravan costs £85 for a standard site, or £125 for a larger one. There’s an extra large pitch for £305, which is for anyone who wants to bring a motorhome. The prices include showers, electric connections, wifi and more.

Visit https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/silverstone-festival/camping for more info.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Related articles

• After reading about this year’s Silverstone Festival, you may like to read about the Ten best classic car shows and events in the UK for 2023
• Also check out when Jeremy Clarkson attended the first ever Goodwood Festival of Speed (1993)
• Here are Driving.co.uk’s greatest minds in motorsport

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post Silverstone Festival 2023 guide: The themes, cars, race schedules, ticketing info and more appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

1. Goodwood Revival

• When? 8-10 September
• Where? Goodwood Motor Circuit, Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0PH
• How much? 3-day admission: £245 (grandstands only from £48); Friday – £75; Saturday – £106; Sunday – £96
• Find out more at Goodwood website

Many enthusiasts, especially classic car lovers, prefer the Goodwood Revival to the Festival of Speed. The 1940s, 1950s and 1960s fancy dress and music, classic air displays and period buildings help transport visitors back in time as much as the cars themselves.

The Goodwood Revival returns from 8-10 September, and this year the event that celebrates the golden age of the Goodwood motor circuit is marking the 75th anniversary of the opening of the West Sussex track. Beautiful classic cars will rocket their way round the high-speed circuit in much-loved races including the St Mary’s Trophy, Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration and the Settrington Cup children’s pedal car race, with more events to be confirmed.

This year will also see a tribute to motorsport legend Carroll Shelby, creator of the AC Cobra and Shelby Daytona Coupe, with famous cars from Shelby’s extraordinary career in attendance.

Early bird tickets are available, and it’s still possible to get a full-weekend ticket. However, at the time of writing there are only a limited number of day tickets available for Friday and Sunday, with Saturday now sold out.

2. Salon Privé

• When? 30 August – 2 September
• Where? Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PS
• How much? Day tickets from £175 for children; from £350 for adults
• Find out more at Salon Privé website

As the très chic name would suggest, Salon Privé is one of the most well-to-do events on the motoring calendar. People get dressed up in their loveliest finery, head to a palace in Oxfordshire and discuss their love of classic cars.

Last year’s Best of Show award at the Concours d’Elegance event went to a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT TdF Berlinetta by Zagato and before that to a stunning 1938 Mercedes 540K Cabriolet, giving some idea of the calibre of classics on display.

General entry tickets and hospitality packages are available now from the Salon Privé website.

3. Concours of Elegance

• When? 1-3 September
• Where? Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT8 9AU
• How much? Day admission: Adults – £50; Children (5-16): £25; Family ticket: £100 (2 adults, up to 3 children under 16 years)
• Find out more at Concours of Elegance website

Another high-end event, coinciding with the Blenheim Palace Salon Privé. The Hampton Court will feature strong displays from some of Britain’s single-marque car clubs such as the Mercedes, Ferrari, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Jensen owners’ clubs, the best examples of which will be selected to go forward to the main concours event.

And just in case you thought it was all priceless Porsches and affluent Astons, Driving.co.uk’s editor, Will Dron’s pint-sized entry won an award in 2020.

4. Old Ford Rally & Rootes Heritage Day

• When? 23 July
• Where? British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire, CV35 0BJ
• How much? Adults: £14.50; Children: £9; Family: £40
• Find out more at British Motor Museum website

Who doesn’t love an old Ford? The British Motor Museum at Gaydon is running its annual celebration of all pre-1995 Fords, from Anglias to Zodiacs. If the sight of hundreds of Cortinas, Escorts, Granadas, Sierras and even a Model T or two sounds appealing, then Gaydon is the place to be on 23 July. Tickets give visitors access to the fabulous British Motor Museum too, which is worth a visit any day of the year. Clubs already confirmed to attend the show include Deuces of Britain and a collection of 1932 Fords, while the XR Owners Club is bringing 30 vehicles from Ford’s XR range.

Running at Gaydon alongside the Ford event is the Rootes Heritage Day for fans of cars built by the Rootes Group (Hillman, Singer and Sunbeam) and later, Chrysler Europe (Chrysler, Talbot and Simca).

If Fords and Hillmans aren’t your cup of tea, the museum runs events throughout the year such as the Classic & Vintage Commercial Show (June 10-11) and BMC & Leyland Show (July 9), so it’s worth checking its calendar to see what’s on if you are at a loose end one weekend.

5. Silverstone Festival

• When? 25-27 August
• Where? Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, NN12 8TN
• How much? 3-day admission: £135; Friday – £69; Saturday – £95; Sunday – £95
• Find out more at Silverstone Festival website

The Silverstone Festival promises a fun weekend this summer with food tents aplenty, camping, three nights of live music and historic motorsport. There’ll be on-track racing of all kinds, including pre-1966 touring cars and 3-litre Formula 1 cars from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, and much more.

Stepping away from the track action, thousands of classic and modern cars will come together from car clubs around the country.

Tickets are already on sale from the Silverstone Festival website.

6. Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional

• When? 29 July
• Where? Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne, PE10 0LY
• How much? £25 per vehicle plus £2.54 online booking fee (Classic & Unexceptional tickets and Motorcycle tickets sold out). This ticket does not enter your vehicle to the Concours, which must be applied for separately via the Hagerty UK website
• Find out more at Hagerty website

The Festival of the Unexceptional won’t be for everyone and you’re more likely to see an old Vauxhall, Renault or Rover than a rare Ferrari, Lamborghini or Jaguar. Last year’s winner was Samuel Allan and his 1994 Vauxhall Astra Merit 1.4.

The event, which rather humorously refers to itself as the Concours De l’Ordinaire, celebrates cars that were the “workhorses of their day… that are now so rare” — mainly hatchbacks, saloons and estates sold between 1968 and 1998. It has become a bit of a cult hit and will undoubtedly spark waves of nostalgia in any petrolhead of a certain generation, as they walk around saying either, “I used to own one of those” or “My dad used to own one of those”.

Hagerty, the organiser of the event, has confirmed that the event will take place at the end of July and a horde of ordinary-looking cars will congregate on the grounds of the beautiful Grimsthorpe Castle, a 16th century property in Lincolnshire. Last year’s special guest and judge was the Wheeler Dealers TV star, Mike Brewer, though this year’s VIPs are still to be announced.

Below are the events you’ve already missed

7. London Concours

• When did it take place? 6-8 June
• Where? The Honourable Artillery Company, Armoury House, City Road, London, EC1Y 2BQ
• Find out more at London Concours website

The London Concours is organised by the same people as the Concours of Elegance and is pitched as an “automotive garden party in the heart of the City of London” — think champagne and a sea of Panama hats.

This year the London Concours celebrated 50 years of the Porsche 911 RS by gathering together 50 examples that allowed visitors to chart the evolution of the car and savour a visual history of Porsche performance.

For the third year running, the final day of the event brought together a collection of 50 supercars from Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Koenigsegg, Pagani, Lexus, Honda and Toyota.

Other features on display included some of the world’s most aerodynamic cars, golden age coupés from the 1950s and 1960s and 60 years of Lamborghini.

8. Festival of the Dead

• When did it take place? 2 July
• Where? Burghley House, Stamford, PE9 3JY
• Find out more at the Festival of the Dead website

It might sound like something from a horror movie, but Festival of the Dead is actually an interesting car show that brings together an eclectic collection of vintage and classic cars, retro and everyday drivers, and custom and exotic cars. The catch is that all the cars on display are from car makers that no longer exist. Think British classics such as Wolseley, Hillman and Austin, sports cars such as TVR and DeLorean and European obscurities such as Saab, Heinkel and Trabant. Tickets are available now and you’re still welcome even if your car doesn’t meet the criteria. You’ll just be asked to park in a different section away from the main show area…

9. Heveningham Concours

• When? 8-9 July
• Where? Heveningham Hall, Halesworth, IP19 0PN
• Find out more at Heveningham Concours website

Taking place in the glorious grounds of Heveningham Hall, the Heveningham Concours is now regarded as among the UK’s best annual car and aeroplane shows. This year’s event had a Le Mans theme, hosting two very 1990s racing cars – the Mercedes CLK LM and Porsche 911 GT1 Evo. These two were joined in a display of over 50 other iconic vehicles on the garden terraces, while aeroplane enthusiasts explored a dozen or so historic propeller aircraft on display nearby. Visitors also enjoyed the action on Horsepower Hill, a ‘drag race’ along a parkland road.

10. Goodwood Festival of Speed

• When did it take place? July 13-16
• Where? Goodwood Motor Circuit, Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0PH
• Find out more at Goodwood website

The event that is to many the star of the calendar of British motoring events took place on July 13-16, though the Saturday was cancelled due to forecast extreme winds. This year’s event celebrated 100 years of the Le Mans 24 Hours race, with many Le Mans-winning cars and drivers creating a truly memorable weekend that no Le Mans 24 Hours fan will have wanted to miss.

The Festival of Speed is always a magnificent showcase of both the most modern machinery and priceless classics, on static display and in action on the hillclimb or rally stage, which gives attendees the chance to see some truly legendary cars up close.

F1 teams and drivers from the past and present often attend, and plenty of famous faces can be seen milling around, too.

Goodwood has already announced that the 2024 edition will run 11-14 July.

Related articles

• If you enjoyed our list of the best classic car shows and events in the UK for 2023, you might want to read the eight cars you can get for under £5,000 chosen by the designer of the McLaren P1
• Hagerty, organiser of the Festival of the Unexceptional, has named its classic car investments for 2021
• Classic car electric conversion is on the rise – we visited one specialist to find out why

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post Ten best classic car shows and events in the UK for 2023 appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

The car was built as an after-hours project between 2003-2007 and was designed to meet the GT1 endurance racing regulations of the time, with eyes set on competition in the Le Mans 24 Hours. However, a change in regulations where manufacturers had to build 350 cars per year — well above Koenigsegg’s annual production numbers, even today — meant that the project never went further than development drives.

With the project cancelled, the car came into the ownership of Bard Eker, Koenigsegg’s largest shareholder and former powerboat racing champion.

Subsequently the car has only been seen occasionally (though does feature in the Forza Horizon series on the Xbox games console) and has been dry stored with engine maintenance runs twice a year to keep it in good condition. The car is so original that it’s still fitted with the slick tyres that it ran on while it was still in development.

About 600bhp and only 1,000kg

The CCGT was based on the CCR production model of the period, while featuring performance upgrades from the CCX which replaced it.

Power comes from a naturally aspirated 5-litre V8 engine producing around 600bhp before the GT1 regulation air restrictor had been fitted, while a kerb weight of less than 1,000kg is recorded.

Special equipment onboard includes carbon disc brakes, a carbon fibre and Kevlar chassis, carbon-Kevlar bodywork, pushrod suspension and a sequential gearbox fitted to a magnesium transaxle. Gear shifts are operated via steering wheel paddles.

This one-off model should be much sought after by enthusiasts, while the car will be eligible for the Masters Endurance Legends Series for old GT1 racers if the lucky buyer wants to see what the car will do in competition. Whoever buys it will need to have deep pockets, because Bonhams has disclosed an estimate in the region of £3-4m.

More rare racing machinery

The Koenigsegg leads a wide variety of cars offered for sale in the auction.

Other racers include a Force India-Mercedes Formula One car from 2009, a Tyrrell-Renault F1 car driven by grand prix commentator Marin Brundle in 1985-1986, plus the Lotus Type 107C racer as driven by Johnny Herbert in the 1993 and 1994 F1 seasons.

Also available is an ex-works Audi Sport Quattro S1 Group B rally car driven by the late Hannu Mikkola, a rally-prepped 1973 Porsche 911T, plus a 1962 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight and 1971 Porsche 911 S/T, both of which will be ready for historic racing competition.

Elsewhere, road cars are heavily represented in Bonhams’ sale, with the leading lot likely to be a 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT formerly owned by Peter Sellers. Its estimated value is £2.2-2.6m.

A special edition of the most recent Ford GT is on offer as well. The Holman Moody Heritage Edition model shares its livery with the third-placed car in the Ford GT40’s famous one-two-three in the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, is coloured gold with a red nose and features plenty of exposed carbon fibre. The UK-registered car that’s up for auction is expected to fetch up to £1.1m.

A further highlight is the oddly-named ‘Bussink GT S Speedlegend’. This model from 2019 is in fact a one-off Mercedes-AMG GT S ‘speedster’ that was built by HWA, the team responsible for Mercedes competition cars and Black Series models.

This version lacks a windscreen but has a roll bar and buttresses behind the headrests for a unique look.

Other lots include a Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 Edition, an SLR ‘Crown Edition’, plus an SLR Roadster, while a wide variety of Aston Martins are also on offer, including one of 120 Lagonda Taraf four-door saloons.

Cars from Jaguar, Porsche, Lotus and UK sports car maker AC are also offered, and there’s even a replica of the world’s first car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, going under the hammer. Registration plates and other memorabilia complete a sale featuring 241 lots in total.

The auction starts at 11am on Friday, 14 July and can be watched live at bonhams.com, which is also where you need to go to register to bid.

Related articles

• If you were interested in the Bonhams auction at Goodwood, you might be interested to read that Peter Sellers’s Lotus Elan was also sold this year
• An Audi Quattro sold for a record price of £163,125 at auction
• Did you hear that Alain Prost’s Ferrari F40 went up for auction earlier this year?

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post One-of-a-kind Koenigsegg could fetch £4m at Goodwood Bonhams auction appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.

Best known as the getaway car for Sellers’ character Pearly Gates in the 1963 comedy crime film The Wrong Arm of the Law, the Aston featured in a famous high-speed car chase through Uxbridge Moor, with a Wolseley 6/90 police car in pursuit.

The Aston was driven by Sellers for the ‘hero shots’ while the more fast-paced action was filmed with Aston Martin dealer Ken Rudd — who appeared in the film as a gangster extra — behind the wheel. Rudd’s dealership, KN Rudd in Worthing, had taken delivery of the car as a demonstration model.

The DB4 — registered 41 DPX — was used in many of the film’s action scenes, though another example was used in what is arguably the film’s most memorable set piece, when it performs a jump over a bridge.

Sellers, a well-documented car collector with a penchant for British marques, owned the car for some time, and acquired the DB4GT around late 1961 to early 1962.

Documentation shows that the car was serviced at Aston Martin Feltham. There, Sellers befriended Richard Williams, whom he hired to take care of his considerable car collection, which had expanded to around 80 vehicles by the time he was 39. Williams would go on to found the renowned restoration business RS Williams.

This particular DB4GT was equipped with many unique features, including aluminium bezels around the headlights, two air scoops and an additional scoop for the oil cooler. It is also noted as being the only DB4GT fitted with a 4-litre GT engine, after the car’s original 3.7-litre unit was damaged during filming.

Perspex rear windows and sloping headlight covers were also added.

While most of the 75 GTs in production-spec had their rear seats removed in favour of a carpeted shelf, the example used in the film still had its original rear seats – used by actor Lionel Jeffries in his role as Sellers’ accomplice in the film’s getaway scene.

DB4GT developed for competition

In standard specification, the DB4GT was a worthy competitor to the likes of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB. The 3.7-litre engine developed 302bhp and the car was capable of a top speed of over 150mph.

Performance was further improved thanks to a 12-plug head, triple Weber carburettors and weight-saving magnesium body panels.

“The DB4GT was bred to compete and gained immense success on the racetrack in both national and international competition. It’s arguably Aston Martin’s finest road car and is right up there as the ultimate 1960s GT,” said James Knight, senior car consultant for Bonhams.

“This example is in great condition, has a wonderful provenance and is offered for sale from a committed Aston Martin enthusiast. It really has all the credentials to be one of the most coveted examples.”

Sellers’ cars likened to ‘metal underwear’

Sellers owned the car alongside many other classics of the era, including Lotuses, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and a Buick. He was famous for changing cars quickly, often sending some models back after only a day or two of ownership. This led to comedian Spike Milligan dubbing Sellers’ cars “metal underwear”.

After Sellers’ ownership, the Aston was owned by numerous enthusiasts, including Gerry Keane, former chairperson of the Aston Martin Owners’ Club. The car was then completely rebuilt, the body and chassis receiving specialist attention from Bodylines, before being resprayed in Goodwood Green in 2002.

The car is particularly well-known within Aston Martin circles, having appeared in the car makers’ original press photographs, as well as featuring on the front covers of numerous classic car publications.

The DB4GT will head to auction alongside other classics, such as a 1961 Porsche 356 Super 90 Cabriolet and a 1964 Aston Martin DB5, both expected to sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Sellers’ Aston will be showcased on July 13 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale preview, before going under the hammer on July 14.

Related articles

• After reading about the auction of Peter Sellers’ Aston Martin, you might be interested to read that his Lotus Elan was also sold this year
• An Audi Quattro sold for a record price of £163,125 at auction
• Did you hear that Alain Prost’s Ferrari F40 went up for auction earlier this year?

Latest articles

• 
  Peugeot e-308 review 2023: An electric family car desperate to stand out from the family
• 
  Grand Theft Auto VI trailer reveals some of the copycat cars we can expect to drive in ‘biggest video game of all time’
• 
  Brexit tariff delay for British-built electric vehicles
• 
  Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric 2024 review: Clean-living estate has the manners, but at a cost
• 
  Best-selling cars 2023: The UK’s top 10 most popular models
• 
  Could Alfa Romeo be about to make a dramatic return to Le Mans?
• 
  7 best windscreen covers to buy in 2023-24
• 
  Toyota previews new electric crossovers amid commitment to multi-fuel future
• 
  First reviews are in after troubled Tesla Cybertruck finally gets handed out to customers

The post Peter Sellers’s Aston Martin could fetch £2.6m at auction appeared first on Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times.