Editorial

First of all a very Happy New to all our subscribers, I hope everyone is suitably rested and refreshed from the holiday break. Judging by the torrent of press releases coming from the major car manufacturers they are intent on building on what in the UK was (yet another) bumper year for new car sales. This week’s Classic Inside has news from Bentley on a special run of Arnage Ts to celebrate their Le Mans success, while Aston has announced some revisions to the range-topping Vanquish. Interesting to note that this is from manufacturers with overflowing order books on their newest models, the Conti GT and DB9 (remember the AMV8 is strictly-speaking a ‘concept’ until formally given the go-ahead by Ford).

We had great fun putting the Maserati Quattroporte ‘Car of the Week’ piece together, just reading the specification and glancing at the full list of options available gets the automotive juices going. It really does look an alternative to the company’s own Coupé, not to mention the German opposition – whose styling and quality control is not what it has been in the past.

Interest in the performance 4x4 sector shows no sign of abating and Land Rover has used the Detroit Show to unveil its Range Stormer concept car. One of the glossy British monthlies trumpeted, ‘Who’d buy a Porsche Cayenne now?’ A trifle previous I would suggest, the Porsche isn’t the most attractive car in a sector not noted for styling subtlety but it is more acceptable to your Editor’s eyes than Solihull’s latest offering. The current Range Rover has developed into an elegant (albeit very big) car, not doubt the ‘productionising’ process of the Range Stormer (if indeed it goes into the further stages of development) will rub some of the sharper styling edges off it.

January is of course the time for New Year’s resolutions. Having been taken to task recently for not including sufficient ‘Classic’ material to warrant our title, I promise to do better in 2004.

Steve Wakefield Managing Editor sw@classicdriver.com

THIS WEEK IN CLASSIC DRIVER

Bentley at Detroit 2004 - New Arnage T-24 and RL Mulliner announced

Detroit January, 2004. Bentley Motors announces a limited run of special Bentley Arnage Ts - the T24 - to commemorate Bentley's historic sixth win in the Le Mans 24-hours. In addition, its new flagship, the Arnage RL by Mulliner, is launched, a car the company claims is a 'sumptuously appointed sporting saloon without equal'...

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The Great British Autojumble, NEC, Birmingham UK
11th January 2004

InterClassics Show, Maastricht, Belgium
9-11th January 2004

Russo and Steele Collector Automobile Auction, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
23-24th January 2004

Barons Classic, Collectors, Thoroughbred and Sports Car Auction, Esher UK
2-3rd February 2004

Christie’s Sale at Retromobile, Paris, France
14th February 2004

Retromobile, Paris, France
13-22nd February 2004

International Historic Motorsport Show 2004, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, UK
20-22nd February 2004

H&H Classic Auctions, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, UK
21st February 2004

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