MIKE WELHAM'S CV reads like something by Ian Fleming. He joined the Royal Marines in 1963, specialised in canoeing, parachuting and combat diving, and went on to become a member of 21 SAS and Naval Gunfire Support 95 Commando RAR. Yet there's no sense of brag or bravado when you talk to him. He's good company, tells great stories and possesses the understated air of people who've been there, done that and quite probably blown up the T-shirt factory.
Given his background, I at least expected our interview to be in a darkened room somewhere and involve bright lights. In fact, we chatted with Mike sitting at his dining room table with some reassuringly normal flowery curtains behind him. It's all quite a contrast to his old day job that covered everything from mining enemy shipping to artillery spotting and beach reconnaissance, all of which depended on time, timing and his watch, as well as quite unnatural courage.
Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de Octane.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de Octane.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Pro route to faster lap times
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+
The power to corrupt
2024 Aston Martin Vanquish
Hyperactivate!
1967 Austin-Cooper MkII 998 by Crafted Classics Tuning Glen Waddington
De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood
IF THE MARQUE De Tomaso is mainly familiar to you through cars such as the Mangusta, the Pantera, maybe the Longchamps and, if you're next-level classic car geek, racers such as the P70, then the sheer variety to be found in this mammoth tome is going to come as something of a shock. There are literally dozens profiled here, and one or two will probably be news to even the most seasoned enthusiast.
The best watch in the world
We've been here, but it bears repeating these gems will soon be cheaper than a 1st class stamp
A star is reborn
This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
The gyroscopically stabilised Gyro-X blurred the line between reality and science fiction. Sam Glover takes the prototype for a spin
SAYONARA GT-R
After a remarkable 17-year career, the supercar-humbling Nissan GT-R bows out on a high
Shiro Nakamura
Nissan’s long-standing Chief Creative Officer became architect of the marque’s style-led revival… and is also known as ‘Mr GT-R’
LIGHT SPARKS
How does the electric Tesla Roadster compare today?