The James Bond-esque factory in Woking, Surrey, that houses the McLaren racing and automotive teams is known across the world for the supercars and top-level racers it produces. But often more fascinating are the people who develop and build these machines, and on 22 September, the second Cars and Coffee event at the Norman Foster-designed building was an opportunity to celebrate these talents and share their passions, harnessing that enthusiasm and establishing fresh human connections. And what a superbly eclectic turnout it was, with around 60 vehicles coming and going across the day. Here are just a few of their stories.
Jono Brookes
Director of F1 build, McLaren Racing
1964 FIAT 500D
This classic ended up being a 40th birthday present to himself, but Jono Brookes has always been interested in the model. "It's a simple, original city car," he enthuses, "I just love them. I drove my missus mad for about two years, looking every night for one to buy." Indeed, the lead to this car, one of three imported from Italy by its previous owner, came from his long-suffering other half.
"I've had it about six years and it was in very good nick," he says, "so I've had to do little to it. It's been well looked after and I'm pleased to say it has lived up to my dream. I don't use it as much as I should, because work gets in the way, so it doesn't do many miles. A few years ago we took part in the 500's 60th-anniversary celebration at the Goodwood Revival, which has been the highlight so far.
"It's for local trips around London where we live because, after all, it is a city car. When we're out in it, onlookers always stop, take pictures and wave. It just puts a smile on people's faces - and on ours."
Neil Oatley
Motorsport research director, McLaren Racing
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Denne historien er fra January 2023-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
