Editorial

I have to confess to a sense of déjà vu looking at a couple of the articles in ClassicInside this week. There’s another ‘most powerful diesel on the planet’ story, from Audi this time and one wonders what BMW and Mercedes will come up with to counter that, and dear old Alfa Romeo are showing the 8C Competizione at the Paris Motor Show later this month and (at last) you may well be able to order one.

Concerning the diesel story, well done Audi but one can only imagine a fairly small market for such a behemoth, and as far as the 8C goes I have liked this car from the word go and I think it would be fantastic for the great Milanese manufacturer to return to the Grand Touring arena it abandoned in the late ’50s. Wouldn’t it make a nice racing car too? And Alfa know a thing or two about serious International competition having won countless saloon car championships in recent years.

Looking out on a pleasant early autumn day in England what better car to savour a bit of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ than Aston Martin’s DB9 Volante? You can read below how we got on in one of the world’s most desirable drop-tops.

Until next week, when I hope to be able to tell you of some adventures on the high seas - rather than the high road.

Steve Wakefield Managing Editor sw@classicdriver.com