MY FIRST MEMORY OF CARS IS BEING ON 'M the rear shelf of my dad's Ford V8 coming back from Goodwood,' says Tiff Needell, the lilting, nasal tones as instantly recognisable now as they've always been. 'I only went in it two or three times before the car died in the mid-'50s. I've no idea why he had it. In the garage at home we had this amazing Lancia, which got hit by a dump truck in Feltham gravel pits when Dad was there with his boat. We used to sit behind the wheel as kids, dreaming. Dad did the first two Members' Meetings [at Goodwood], a couple of sprints. I think he had an Alvis. I have a results sheet somewhere-1948, 49. It's all Dad's fault: he was lured to Brooklands, then I was dragged off to Goodwood. It wasn't a chore...
'I don't think Dad ever owned another car after the Ford, because Mum became the car owner - we had three Austin Rubys on the trot, which she bought for £10 a time, and then inherited my grandad's Morris 1000, which I learnt to drive in. Then I bought my own Morris 1000 Traveller when I was 18, which then towed my racing car when I won it...
We're getting slightly ahead of ourselves, though. Talking with Tiff is as entertaining and as engrossing as you'd imagine, but what familiarity with the public persona might mask is just how normal a background he came from - which makes it all the more amazing that he once attempted to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix. 'I am the kid on the terraces, clinging to the dream, but with no money it was never going to happen until I won that car in the magazine. I was going to be a civil engineer...'
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Evo UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Cupra Formentor Abt
It's farewell to the original Cupra Formentor with an Abt-tuned run-out package. It's a quietly excellent car; just a shame about the price...
Renault Sport Clio 200 Turbo
This misguided departure from the French brand's hot hatch heritage saw the Clio fall from grace
REBIRTH OF AN ICON
The Kalmar 9X9 is a modernday reinterpretation of Porsche's game-changing 959 supercar, with a carbon body and up to 917bhp. And evo is helping to develop it
Volkswagen Golf GTI
The underachieving Mk8 GTI gets a shot at redemption with the new, revised Mk8.5 version. Is it the leap forward it needs to be?
BEST BUYS
FAST FORDS FROM THE CORTINA TO THE ESCORT AND THE FIESTA, Ford is responsible for some of the most popular cars in British history. But alongside these everyday machines it has also produced a stream of desirable driver's cars.
HY AND DRY
The switch to electric power means an early exit for Hyundai N's brilliant ICE hot hatch duo. We go for a farewell drive in the 120 N
SEXY BEAST
The Vanquish name is back for Aston Martin's latest seriesproduction flagship, with a stunning new look and simply brutal performance from an 824bhp twin-turbo V12
THE JOY OF DRIVING
From mastering the everyday commute to unlocking the full potential of your performance car, our new series will help you become safer, more confident and ultimately more skilled behind the wheel
TINY DANCER
You haven't seen a Mini dance like this before, but then you haven't seen a Mini with a 4-litre M Power V8 under the bonnet and rear-wheel drive. Introducing Vini...
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Grandaddy to the Temerario and the car that transformed Lamborghini was the brilliant, V10-engined Gallardo. We get reacquainted with a Lambo legend
