NART FERRARI FORD FAIRMONT GT CITROËN RACER R46.95 incl VAT • April/May 2014 COOPER ALTERNATIVE SA’S MINI 1000S HOLDEN ROYAL ENFIELD Farewell to Australia’s legend Modern take on a classic Café Racer RALPH CLARKE | SOUTH AFRICANS AT LE MANS | LEON BAILLON FOR BOOKINGS 0861 11 9000 proteahotels.com REV IT UP! TO BOOK THIS & MANY MORE GREAT MOTORING SPECIALS VISIT proteahotels.com/motoring Durban is gearing up for the 3rd annual Top Gear Festival taking place on the 21st and 22nd of June 2014 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. The show features some of the most exotic, rare and expensive cars ever made, as well as the latest in motoring accessories and technology. Petrol heads will have the opportunity to test drive vehicles, watch daring stunts and presenter challenges and enjoy all day action at this massive motoring expo. Come and meet Clarkson, May, Hammond and the Stig at this year’s Top Gear Festival. What are you waiting for, book your stay now! 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PHDS 2926514 CONTENTS April/May 2014 HIGH OCTANE MR CONSISTENCY 04 Robert Coucher visits Retromobile 52 Kenya Safari Rally performer in Paris Leon Baillon GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER 10 An Easter Cape Citroën 56 Brutal 351 Ford Fairmont GT racing special AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS NEWS & EVENTS 62 Part fi ve of our BMW fi rst car project 14 Latest from the classic scene EVERYTHING KEEPS GOING RIGHT FERRARI FEVER 64 Toyota Corona record setter 22 The $27.5 Million NART 275GTB/4 Spider DREAM RACER 66 Building an Aston Martin DBR1 HOLDEN ON look-a-like 28 A fond farewell to Australia’s Holden SPICY PACKAGE ONCE IN A LIFETIME 70 Testing the latest Royal Enfi eld 32 A record turnout of Packards Café racer FILLING THE GAPS A BOX OF TRICKS 36 The 1000S, South Africa’s 74 Jake Venter recounts the history Mini Cooper alternative of manual gearboxes DOMINANCE, SPEED DIFFERENTIAL PASSION FOR SPEED 42 & DISAPPOINTMENT 78 All the action from February’s South Africans at Le Mans – Part 2 historic racing festivals OCTAGENARIAN LETTERS 48 Talking to motor industry icon 91 You have your say Ralph Clarke GEARBOX 94 Classifi ed adverts 22 www.cpca.co.za | April/May 2014 | 1 EDITOR’S POINT OF VIEW Publisher Zig Zag Publishing Editor Stuart Grant [email protected] Sub-Editor Thora Paver Art Director Ronel van Heerden www.nineninetynine.co.za Contributors Greg Mills, Robert Coucher, Mike Monk, Dave Hastie, Gavin Foster, Oliver Hirtenfelder, Roger McCleery, Jake Venter, Andre Stemmet, Adrian Pheiffer and Anthony Baillon. Advertising Sales Derek Hulse COME RAIN OR SHINE [email protected] 082 451 3899 ecord rainfall has hit the cars to have come out of Cape Town’s Marketing/Subscriptions & northern regions but Blackheath manufacturing plant. Accounts [email protected] miraculously most of the Although Australian derived, the 082 921 4583 motoring weekends have Ford Fairmont GT seen on page 56 seen some sunshine. We’ve can also be classified as a local lad. Northern Regions Sales Dave Hastie Rkicked off the year with some brilliant Coincidentally, Mike Monk took a trip [email protected] racing action, rallies and show days and down under recently and caught up 083 418 0372 by the looks of things it is only going with a bunch of Holdens – Australia’s Subscriptions, Advertising & to get better. Paging through the news home-grown brand, which recently Editorial section you’ll see the 33rd rendition announced its closure. [email protected] of Angela’s Picnic will soon play out, Greg Mills takes us into the second Stuart: 082 921 4583 Fax: 086 568 0193 then there are Pietermaritzburg Cars instalment of his South Africans at Le in the Park, the Knysna Show and the Mans series, David Pearson recalls an P.O. Box 987 Jukskeipark Jaguar Simola Hill Climb to name just Eastern Cape Citroën racer and from 2153 a few. So pack your picnic baskets and slightly further north we hear about take your classic for a spin – dodge the the Kenyan-based East African Safari potholes though. guru Leon Baillon. If you’ve ever needed a reason to Regulars like local motorsport, the justify your obsession with collecting next installment in the build of our old cars then take in Robert Coucher’s BMW 2002 Youth Project and classified bit on a NART Ferrari on page 22. No adverts are all here and we are proud amount of money stored under the to announce a tie-up with Battery bed would ever have earned this type Centre and Raylite where the ‘Letter The publishers makes every effort to ensure this magazine’s contents are correct. All material of return. of the Month’ wins a new battery. Get published in Classic and Performance Car Africa We carry on our South African those keyboards going, or pens for is copyright and unauthorised reproduction is forbidden. The opinion of contributors, as theme by looking at the lesser-known that matter and send them off to me published, are not necessarily the opinions held by the publishers or editors of Classic and performance Mini, the 1000S; Mike at [email protected] or P.O. Box 987 Performance Car Africa. The publishers and editors make no representations, nor do they give Monk catches up with Ralph Clarke, Jukskeipark 2153. any warranties, guarantees or assurances, for any goods or services advertised herein. the man behind the development of the 1000S and so many legendary Stuart www.cpca.co.za | April/May 2014 | 3 HIGH OCTANE FRENCHRobert Coucher hops onto the 300km/h Eurostar fast train at London’s St Pancras International station and is in Paris just over two hours later for the best classic car show in France. Actually, one of the best classic car events in the world. AffaIR 4 | April/May 2014 | www.cpca.co.za Robert Coucher was born in Cape Town but has lived in London since 1988. Previously the editor of Classic Cars and the Bentley magazine, Robert started Octane magazine ten years ago and it now sells around the world to discerning motoring enthusiasts and racers. www.octane-magazine.com he French are somewhat Retromobile in Paris. The Paris Expo no less than six exciting themed pragmatic when it comes at Port de Versailles has, for 39 years, displays. The centrepiece was the 100th to older cars. They simply been the start of the year’s enjoyment anniversary of WW1, depicted by the get rid of them and of classic and performance cars from fabulous La Centenaire de la Grande purchase new Renaults, America to Japan. Held in the modern, Guerre (Centenary of World War 1) TPeugeots and Citroëns without brutalist exhibition centre on the which included a number of Renault emotion. A visitor’s dream is to enjoy outermost reaches of Paris under the tanks. They had to be driven into the driving down tree-lined routes nationale peripherique (orbital) motorway, Retro hall because tanks are rather difficult with cute Citroën 2CVs and Renault remains one of the best classic car shows to push. Also on display was French 4s coming the other way. Also, maybe in the world. commander General Joffre’s 1915 an old boy on his bicycle with onions Enter the capacious Hall 1 and you Renault ES 40 limousine which he used slung around his neck. But classics like are transported back in time. The when based at Taittinger’s Castle La Citroëns Tractions are all but invisible large manufacturers always create the Marq for the Battle of Champagne. in France, leading you to assume the most fantastic show stands. This year Renault, Citroën, Peugeot, Porsche French don’t have a robust classic car celebrated 50 years of the Renault 8 Classic and Mercedes Benz Classic all movement like we have in Britain and Gordini and a number of examples had impressive stands but Swiss car America. And the cyclists are all clad in in bright blue were on display. They dealer Lukas Huni’s superb, 14-car strong hi-viz Lycra and all seem to ride brand look so small and boxy these days but Lancia retrospective was outstanding, new racing bicycles. The Frogs love their giant killing intent is evident including Lambda, Aprilia, Astura, nouvelle technologie. with massively cambered rear wheels, the only original D24 Competition But every year the international spotlights, stripes and racing numbers. Barchetta, Aurelia, Flaminia, Fulvia HF classic car season kicks off at This year, Retromobile featured and an ice white Stratos. www.cpca.co.za | April/May 2014 | 5 HIGH OCTANE Youngtimer classics are coming into Exotic Ferrari, Hispano Suiza, Delage, €29 million. Its star motor car was their own. The cars of the fantastically Delahaye and Bugattis are always a undoubtedly the 1931 8-litre Gurney wealthy Indian maharajas were well great attraction at Retromobile, and no Nutting Bentley. At the Grand Palais displayed – they actually kept Rolls- less than 12 Mercedes-Benz Gullwings in central Paris, Bonhams auctioneers Royce going during the late Twenties were available to buy at top money achieved €17 million with a world and early Thirties – under palm trees (around €1 200 000 each), but it is all record price of €1 850 000 for its 1968 and included the Dutch Louwman these smaller stands which are so Ferrari 275 GTB/4 and RM also hit Museum’s Swan Car and Cygnet fascinating.