Few people have clocked up more miles in early cars than Austin Bromley, but the Ford Model T, which celebrates its 110th birthday this year, seems to prompt such adventures. From veteran motorcycles to Camaro drag-racers, Bromley has eclectic tastes, but the Model T remains a favourite. For him, motoring with friends on North American back-roads is automotive heaven.
Even Pikes Peak has been conquered in the 2.8-litre, 20hp legend – a challenge that took 3½ hours. Other epic runs have included a 3000mile European adventure over the Pyrénées to Barcelona, along the coast to Italy via Monaco and back over the Alps. For an introduction to driving a ‘Tin Lizzie’, I couldn’t think of a better place to start than Bromley’s Surrey backyard.
The controls initially puzzle me, but only because my brain is programmed to conventional layouts. Austin patiently explains the brilliant planetary gearbox, and twice clarifies the operation of the three floor pedals – with far left a type of clutch, reverse in the middle, and right a transmission brake. An outer lever doubles as a brake, but its main purpose is really to disengage the gears, while the throttle is operated via a lever mounted on the steering column. Had I come to the Model T in 1908, with no prior driving experience, it would be easier to operate – particularly because there’s no need to double-declutch.
Denne historien er fra April 2018-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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Denne historien er fra April 2018-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring