SOME OF US COLLECT SCALE MODELS OF the cars that we've owned, though If we had the means, quite a few of us would love to collect them for real. In part that's what I'm looking at right now: an eclectic group of a 3-litre Capri S, Audi Quattro and Escort RS1600, all from Lawrence Tomlinson's formative years. The upper floor of this garage space houses clusters of cars that reflect Tomlinson's later passions. Tucked away at the back are four Le Mans race cars - three TVRS and a Panoz - while at the front are some tiny and rare Ginettas that represent the early history of the sports car company he bought in 2005.
'I wouldn't say I'm massively passionate about cars, just cars,' says Tomlinson, 'I like mechanical things, I like fixing things. Tomlinson was Born in Batley, West Yorkshire, in the mid-1960s. His mother packed biscuits at Fox's and his dad was a wagon driver. 'He was sort of a mechanic by necessity. He had a small haulage company, the trucks were always breaking down, so you kind of learn that you've got to keep things going. I've been quite good at just keeping things going, really!
Alongside the Capri, Escort and Quattro is a pristine 'flares and chairs' De Tomaso Pantera GT5. 'My poster car as a lad, explains Tomlinson. One car missing from this curated collection is a '60s Ford Consul Classic, the first car he drove. It had been his grandad's and for years had languished in a garage falling apart around it. Young Tomlinson played in it before having the idea of trying to get it going. 'It had been sitting so long the fuel tank was full of rust, so I got a one-gallon container and just screwed it to the roof: The 1500, pre-crossflow engine eventually fired up and Tomlinson drove the gravity-fed Classic around the fields, adapting to the lack of rear brakes.
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BMW M135 xDrive
The M135 has lost an and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
Audi S5
S5 by name, S4 by nature, is Audi's new mid-size petrol-powered saloon a step in the right direction?
Lamborghini Urus SE
Lambo's super-SUV gets a major mid-life overhaul, going hybrid in the process. Has it become any easier to like?
HALL evo OF FAME
The evo Hall of Fame was established to recognise the great and the good of our corner of the universe. Prepare to welcome this year's inductees
CIRCUIT DAY
After three days of assessing their behaviour on the road, it's time to head to the Circuito de Navarra to find out how our nine contenders respond when their handling limits are explored
EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024
Nine brilliant cars, from flyweight roadsters to bombastic supercars to a be-stickered estate(!), do battle on some of Europe's finest and most spectacular roads. Which will emerge victorious? Place your bets now.
Porsche Panamera GTS
It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?
Alpine A290 GTS
The new electric Renault 5 has won plenty of plaudits. Is the hotter Alpine version a car to win petrolheads' hearts too?
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop