Alex Hornoff
Octane|December 2022
Motul’s oil doctor by day, historic house renovator by night
Alex Hornoff

THIS YEAR, again, we took our mobile lab to Silverstone Classic and the Goodwood Revival to offer our oil analysis service for free to competitors and invited car club members. It’s in an old Renault school bus restored in the Motul livery. It reminds people that Motul has a great heritage. It’s one of the oldest oil brands in the world, registered in 1853.

When owners come to see me it’s like visiting the doctor. And if you go to the doctor because youre not feeling good, you often have to give a blood sample. In our case, of course, it’s an oil sample, and instead of revealing the condition of your liver, here we can discover the state of your engine without having to open it up!

The best time to take the sample is after the car’s been driven while the oil is hot so we provide owners with a syringe and a 30ml container. I give this to the lab technicians at the event, Severine or Nicolas, and they come up with the analysis. And then, as technical support manager, it’s my job to explain the results to the car owners.

At Silverstone Classic we had 67 tests, 27 of which gave not such good news. So I had to explain that something was not optimum. It makes for long days but I don’t find it tiring because it’s important that owners get the right explanation. If I do well with this, maybe they’ll quit old habits, improve maintenance and prevent damage across the season.

Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Octane.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Octane.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA OCTANESe alt
Jem Marsh
Octane

Jem Marsh

The hard-bitten Marcos boss was driven like few others and never knew when he was beaten. Thankfully

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
Vandamm House
Octane

Vandamm House

A Mid-Century Modernist masterpiece that was immortalised on celluloid - despite never actually existing

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
Making light
Octane

Making light

Alfa Romeo's post-war renaissance began with the 1900 saloon - and matured with Zagato's featherweight coupé version, as Jay Harvey discovers

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE
Octane

FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE

Is burgeoning classic car interest in the Middle East good for the global classic market? Nathan Chadwick investigates

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
Before the beginning
Octane

Before the beginning

This rare Amazon Green pre-production Range Rover is Velar chassis number 4. James Elliott charts its historically revealing factory restoration

time-read
9 mins  |
October 2024
Ben Cussons
Octane

Ben Cussons

As the outgoing chairman of the Royal Automobile Club hands on to his successor, Robert Coucher quizzes him about the evolution of this great British institution

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES
Octane

BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES

We gather five motoring masterpieces by avant-garde designer William Towns - and drive all of them

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2024
Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg
Octane

Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg

As the Audrain organisation grows, we take a look behind the scenes at the huge car collection that feeds it

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
Flying the Scottish flag
Octane

Flying the Scottish flag

Young Ecurie Ecosse driver Chloe Grant gets to grips with the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-type at Goodwood. Matthew Hayward is Octane's witness

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO
Octane

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO

Audi Tradition has unveiled the Auto Union Type 52 Schnellsportwagen - only 90 years since it was designed. Glen Waddington takes an exclusive ride with Hans-Joachim Stuck

time-read
9 mins  |
October 2024