As we round the next bend, the spires and steeples of a great château rise from behind a thicket of trees high above the road, and for a moment I feel like Alain-Fournier’s Le Grand Meaulnes, stumbling through the forest and gazing upon the fairytale palace of his love Yvonne de Galais.
The world of publishing has changed a lot since the 1970s. Print was king, magazines had the ear of manufacturers, and office parties resembled the last days of Rome. As a journalist who started his career after the turn of the millennium, though, I was convinced that the epic tales of trans-European derring-do recounted by the likes of Mel Nichols had gone the same way as the liquid lunch: consigned to the history books and dog-eared copies of Car. Then I received a call from a reader who had a problem that he thought we might be able to help with: how to get a 1971 Porsche 911 targa from central Italy to the UK in three days.
Of course, we jumped at the chance, especially when we realised that Mugello Circuit, just a few hours north of his Italian pad, would host a huge Porsche Festival the day after we arrived.
The 911 targa hasn’t always been as desirable as it is today. Like the ‘Sabrinas’ of the MGB and the open headlamps of the Series 1½ E-type before that, the 911 targa fell foul of US Federal Regulations – or at least the threat of them. Concerned that a ‘proper’ convertible would be outlawed in the States, Porsche opted to add a brushed-stainless-steel rollover bar that, to many eyes, detracted from the organic lines of the tin-top 911. But the passing of time has been kind to the targa and, far from spoiling an already pretty car, the tall hoop and glasshouse combination imbue the open version with its own character, in the process creating a model that was perfectly suited to grand touring.
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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Denne historien er fra December 2017-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