After a three-year absence, Race Retro was back in full swing at its familiar Stoneleigh Park venue from 24-26 February. Bringing together the cream of the historic motorsport industry in three indoor halls, plus two live rally stages in Stoneleigh's grounds, this year's event attracted an audience of more than 22,000 over three days, with big-ticket personalities present, 130 rally cars in action and some red-letter lots up for grabs at the on-site Silverstone Auctions sale.
Hall 2A's Live Stage was a major draw throughout the show, with Touring Cars star Jason Plato, FIA Ladies World Rally Champion Louise Aitken-Walker and British Rally Champion David Llewellin all fronting individual sessions on each day of the event.
The 'reawakened' BRM - with its stunning recreation of the legendary V16-engined P15 racing car taking pride of place on the stand fielded not only three members of the founding Owen family, but also former engineer Mike Pilbeam and ex-test driver Mike Wilds. The former gave a fascinating insight into BRM's focus on engine performance often at the expense of braking capacity while Wilds described being "sacked on the spot" by Stanley Owen for daring to suggest that the '70s P201 Formula One car would be a winner if he swapped its BRM V12 for a Cosworth V8.
Among the tuners and traders in Hall 2, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) displayed a recreation of John Bolster's legendary 'Bloody Mary' racer, albeit with the original's twin JAP engines swapped for V-twin Harley-Davidson power.
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Denne historien er fra May 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
