Innholdsfortegnelse for #281 19-11 i Just Cars

The latest in a string of bespoke customer builds from Ferrari is the ‘P80/C’. Created for an anonymous client, the P80/C took four years to turn from brief to completion (the longest development time for any one-off project thus far), with Ferrari’s design, engineering and aerodynamics teams said to have worked hand-in-glove with the client through every stage of the process. Revealed in March, the P80/C has been described as an entirely new and modern take on the Ferrari sports prototype concept, with the client’s requested design features inspired by sports racers from the past, including the 330 P3/P4 and Dino 206 S, but the rest of the one-off was to make no concessions to the marque’s past. A thoroughly modern car, created purely for the racetrack and with significant…

Bonhams Goodwood members Meeting sale may not be the biggest auction on their calendar, but it always turns up some gems and this most recent sale, on 7 April, was no exception. Amongst an array of mainly British classics (Bentley, MG, Bristol, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, etc.), the top seller was a 1962 Aston Martin DB4. Unofficially known as ‘Series IV’ vehicles, DB4s built from September, 1961 to October, 1962, marked the fourth change to the DB4 since its introduction in 1958. A new grille treatment was the easiest way to define a Series IV, with other changes including recessed tail lights and a slimmer bonnet intake, but the running gear of a 3.7-litre six-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission remained unchanged. Originally delivered in the UK with California Sage paint and…

Proving the Beetle could be had in more than one shape, ‘Bugs’ of different types graced the prestigious Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance this year. Amongst the usual concours categories, the class for Custom Coachwork Volkswagen vehicles marked the first time the humble Beetle has been celebrated at the American concours event that’s usually devoted to high-end Ferraris, Porsches, Aston Martins, Duesenbergs, Mercedes, Cadillacs and more. Make no mistake, all those prestigious marques – and more – were there, along with special celebrations this year for the Jaguar XK120, Ferrari 250 GT SWB and the cars of Jacky Ickx, to name a few. However, the Amelia Island concours organisers have included a number of special categories in recent years, like movie cars and advertising mobiles, where non-traditional concours fare can be…

Australia’s most anticipated car auction in recent memory, Lloyd’s auction of the Gosford Classic Car Museum, was completed on the weekend of 6 - 7 April, with the event attracting more than 2,000 people on site and total sales of more than $20 million. Lloyd’s are claiming the auction achieved ten new sales records for Australian-made cars, including $58,000 for a 1949 48/215 and $165,000 for a 1975 Ford XB GT Falcon hardtop. Other Aussie sales included $94,000 for an HDT VC Commodore and $79,000 for a 2015 HSV Maloo. Of the approximately 150 automobiles on offer, late model European cars achieved good prices, including $270,000 for a 1992 Ferrari Testarossa 512, $340,000 for a 1999 Lamborghini Diablo SV and $650,000 for a 2016 Porsche 911R. The exception was a…

As this issue of JUST CARS goes on sale, Hyundai will – hopefully – still be in action at this year’s Targa Tasmania. The Korean carmaker announced back in March that they’d be fielding an entry in the annual tarmac rally as their first factory motorsport outing in Australia. The car entered is the i30N hot hatch and the driver is Brendan Reeves; a Hyundai development driver experienced in Australian rallying. Reeves’s sister, Rhianon Gelsomino, will serve as co-driver. Reeves is no rookie to Targa Tasmania, having first competed at the event a decade ago, with a best result of fourth outright in 2011 and victory in the Targa Showroom class the same year. Ahead of the i30N’s local debut in 2018, Reeves worked with Hyundai engineers to fine-tune the…

Since it was re-invented by promoters Andy and Donna Minas six years ago, the NSW Hot Rod and Custom Auto Expo has gone from strength to strength and this year’s expo is set to be even bigger. Held over two big days – 25 and 26 May – the 2019 expo will feature the cool rides you’ve come to expect, as well as a few surprises, as the show has witnessed the unveiling of some very cool cars in recent years. In 2018, Wasyl Rosati unveiled his ‘Black Diamond’ 1950 Mercury custom coupe that swept the field, including winning the sought-after ‘Top Car’ trophy. While the elite-level street machines and hot rods, like Rosati’s car and Martin Muscat’s ‘Bitchin’ ’32 Ford coupe, feature in the undercover display space, there’ll be…

At this year’s Historic Winton - on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May – the Mini’s diamond anniversary will see a big paddock display of Minis, with the iconic small car included in the traditional lunchtime parade, too. On the track, there’ll be a change to the class structure for this meet that should favour the Minis, while the regular card of historic touring car races will be augmented with a special ‘Mini Dash’ on Saturday 18 May. This Mini-only affair will see the nation’s fastest Mini drivers going door handle-to-door handle to decide who really is the Tiny Tintop Top Dog… SMALL CAR, BIG IMPACT British amateur racers knew a good thing when they first saw Alec Issigonis’ astounding Mini-Minor roll off the production line in 1959. The BMC…

Continuing a tradition that began in 1978, Chevrolet’s Corvette will serve as the Official Pace Car for this year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. A 2019 Corvette Grand Sport will lead the 33 Indy starters to the green flag for the 103rd running of the Great American Race this coming 26 May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Chevrolet is honoured to lead the way for the 500 once again,” said Steve Majoros, director of Chevrolet passenger car and crossover marketing. “The Grand Sport is a particularly excellent choice as its wide body and aerodynamic features are steeped in racing heritage.” The Grand Sport’s standard drivetrain of an LT1 6.2-litre V8 engine and 8-speed paddle-shift auto is unaltered for pace car duty – a package that puts out 343kW and 630Nm, with…

Changes in the Supercars calendar for 2019 have also brought a change to this year’s Historic Winton schedule. Previously, the all-historic event at the country Victorian circuit was held after the Supercar round (usually the last weekend in May), but with the Supercars round now occupying that slot, this year’s 43rd Historic Winton will be held beforehand, on the weekend of 18 – 19 May. Conducted by the Austin 7 Club with the assistance of the HMRAV, Historic Winton is one of the largest all-historic events in Australia, with 400 historic racing cars and motorbikes from the 1920s to the 1980s battling it out. Several competition classes will be in action, with most classes running multiple races across the weekend. SHOW AND TRADE Beyond the racing, Historic Winton also features…