Editorial

Neither the written word nor silver screen have done justice to motor-racing. I am reminded of this as the Classic Driver 'Cars for Sale' database has recently included an original Formula Junior car from the 1960's film "Grand Prix". It's easy to make fun of the national stereotypes in this, and all the other, films on the subject. The fiery Italian, the brooding Frenchman. Japanese and Germans? Serious and technically superior obviously, and the British? Slightly eccentric with cloth caps, pipes and gundogs featuring large. To be fair to Hollywood, (they are financing it after all), for it to be an International hit, and for home-market consumption, the winner is usually American. Steve McQueen's "Le Mans" epic is a possible exception, mainly because there is little story and most of the action is from the 1970 race with real cars, not 'Barzinis' or suchlike.

That's the problem. With a Napoleonic sailing adventure, say, the author or screenwriter's natural inventiveness can run riot; and no-one can criticise it for failing to represent events writ large in people's recent memory. Any made-up car manufacturer just sounds silly, as do the key players which invariably include all the familiar aforementioned characters, together with the girlfriend/mistress (French or Italian obviously)/wife, the bullying team manager, the bankrupt car manufacturer and the team-mate blackmailed to smuggle wristwatches out of Switzerland.

Yes, car-based films such as "The Italian Job", "Vanishing Point" and "Two-Lane Blacktop" are excellent celebrations of the fascination that is performance motoring. But if anyone out there can recommend either a book or a film on the subject that does not select from the drop-down list of the usual clichés I would be interested in knowing what it is.

My personal favourites are the documentaries from the Sixties and Seventies such as "The Speed Merchants", a review of 1972's sports-car season. Mind you Mario Andretti wins a few races and I think Vic Elford can be seen sporting a cap, so perhaps Hollywood got it right all along?

Steve Wakefield
Managing Editor

This week in Classic Driver

NEWS

Team Maranello Concessionaires - 3rd at Brno retains championship lead for British team

Despite the fact that the majority of TMC’s four drivers were experiencing their first visit to the Automotodrom Brno this past weekend, Jamie Davies and Tim Mullen achieved an excellent third position. Unfortunately, despite showing potential class-winning pace all weekend, car 89, driven by Kelvin Burt and Darren Turner, suffered a gear linkage failure shortly after the half-way point which cost the car six la...

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EVENTS

2003 Mille Miglia won by Argentine Bugatti T23

The winners of this year’s Mille Miglia come from Argentina, the Sieleki and Hervas pairing, second the previous year behind Cané and Galliani. The number 14, suitably a 1923 T23 Brescia, eventually triumphed with a points tally of 13,902...

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4th Modena Cento Ore Classic 2003 - Photo Gallery

The fourth running of the Modena Cento Ore Classic took place from 10 to 13 May 2003. The route led the mainly Ferrari drivers through the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. The programme covered eleven special stages, as well as four races on the well-known circuits of Fiorano, Mugello, Santa Monica and Imola...

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AUCTIONS

Bonhams 26 May 2003 Review - "Les Grandes Marques à Monaco"

Successful first-time auction for Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and Porsche GT1 road cars. New record price for Maserati 3500GT Spider and Ferrari 275GTB/4 in EUR5.25 million (£3.77 million) Sale at Bonhams’ 14th annual Sale in magical Monte Carlo...

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17th May 2003 - Auction Review - Bonhams Jameson Collection Part III at Beaulieu

Good prices were realised for the final part of Bonhams’ Sale of the extraordinary collector Edwin C. Jameson Jr’s model and car collection at Beaulieu. A lot of pre-sale interest resulted in the 1969 Volkswagen Type 2 Microbus De Luxe achieving £12,075, while top price inevitably went to the 1929 Bentley Speed Six 6 1/2-litre Le Mans-style Tourer - £240,200...

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3rd June 2003 Barons at Sandown Park, Esher Preview

Barons’ auction next week at the Sandown Park Exhibition Complex, Esher Surrey is an all-British affair and includes entries to suit all pockets from starter-classic MGBs to a selection of Jaguar E-types including an original Signal Red model that has been featured extensively in the specialist UK press. To choose an auction highlight, however, honours are split between the unique Rover P3 Graber Convertible and an outstanding 1937 MG SA...

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15th June - Goodmans Auction in Sydney, Australia

“There is little doubt that the manufacturers would be entitled to claim this as the world’s fastest production saloon, yet it is as silent as the average town carriage.” So said John Eason Gibson, writing in the quintessentially English ‘Country Life’ magazine on the debut of Bentley’s R-Type Continental model. The Australian Auction House Goodmans have an example of what is fast becoming a ‘must-have’ amongst the quality collectors at their June 15 Auction in Sydney...

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FEATURES

The Lynx Effect - Attention to Detail

Most people will be familiar now with the work of Lynx, based at St Leonards, near Hastings, on the South Coast of England. Their reputation as the world’s foremost restorers of Jaguar’s C, D and lightweight E racing cars goes before them and many will have read articles on the yellow ex-Yamaha Ford GT40 and the awesome 725bhp Virage Turbo...

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colour Obsidian Black
interior colour Java Leather
drive RHD
type unknown
mileage 16 km / 10 m
year 1/1998
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country United Kingdom


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Ferrari 250 Sefac SWB

This has to be the ultimate and most important 250 SWB in the world. 1st in class and 3rd overall 1961 Le Mans Noblet/Guichet. 1st overall Monza, Coppa Inter Europa. This car is finished in silver and is in magnificent condition throughout and available immediately.

colour Silver
drive LHD
type Coupe
year 1961
Cassis No. 2689
price P.O.R.
country United Kingdom

Dealership:



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