Ten of the Best – Car & Classic Lookback

It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it? A lot has been going on, and not all of it good. However, here at Car & Classic we have been doing our utmost to bring you the very best content that we can. When it’s been safe to do so, we’ve been out photographing cars for editorial features, and we have even started to go out and film again (more on that in a future post). With that in mind, Chris Pollitt, our Head of Editoral, and Dale Vinten, our Staff Writer, have each rounded up five of their favourite articles from the last twelve months. Maybe you saw them first time around and you want to read them again, or maybe you missed them, in which case you’re in for a treat! It’s been a smashing year of classic car content, and we hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as we have enjoyed writing it.

Chris’s Picks

1) Help The Aged – January 27th

Okay, so I won’t hide the fact that this car belongs to my boss, but that’s not the point. The thing I love about this story, and what made it so much fun to write, is the incredible journey this Rover P5B has been on. Once, when new, it was no doubt the talk of the town. Then, as the years rolled by, the future looked bleak. The rust set in, the neglect built up and soon it was looking like a wreck. In fact, it was so bad that the local banger racers were sniffing around it. Until, that is, Tom grabbed it. He saw potential, not a ruin. He got it back on the road, he’s had the oily bits completely re-worked and refurbished and now the car lives out in Italy, where it’s still in regular use. It’s just a wonderful, fascinating story.

2) Citroën DS – Video Saved the Classic Old Car – February 10th

Look, I’ll level with you, this is here partly because I’m still super proud of that Buggles inspired title. But don’t worry, the story has merit, too. This Citroën DS was the first car we auctioned for Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars. I’m lucky enough to be friends with one of the hosts of the show (Paul) but even so, I had never seen the inner workings of it. It was fascinating to see a complete, full-scale business operating for no other reason than to restore cars for the show. No TV magic, just a team of skilled guys and an awful lot of hard graft. And it showed when it came to the car. This DS has to be one of the best out there. A truly top class restoration by every measure.

3) Arrested Development – Rover P6 Prototype – July 14th

I’m a sucker for an old Rover (I own an 800) so this car naturally piqued my interests. It was another one for our auction platform, but more than just a car to sell, it was one I really wanted to see in the metal. What this car is, is a genuine prototype car from when Rover was developing the V8 version. It was fitted with experimental engines, it was flown out to America to test the functionality of a potential air-conditioning system, it was brought back to the UK, it was left to fall into disrepair, and then it was rebuilt. The rebuild took it back not to factory specification, but ‘testing’ specification, and there is a wealth of history to support its journey. A truly special, and truly fascinating car.

4) Morgan CX-T Driven – A Ride on the Wild Side – October 18th

As the Editor, I really should capitalise on my position and actually go out and drive some stuff. But then, when I pass up the opportunity and let someone like Mark Smyth have a go on my behalf, it makes sense as to why – it’s refreshing to read the thoughts and opinions of someone new, and someone excited to be behind the wheel. And Mark most definitely was when he got to go and play in the dust with Morgan’s frankly bonkers CX-T – a sort of Dakar, soft road, rugged Plus 4, if you will. I love the feature for the depth, but also the sheer excitement of it. Mark was genuinely interested in the development of the car, and he was giddy at the notion of driving it, and that shows. It makes it a wonderful piece to read.

5) Five Military Vehicles that Shaped the World – November 10th 

Dale’s piece on military vehicles is one of those ‘must read’ kind of things. It’s a truly fascinating piece, one that spills from two wheels to four, heavy machinery to light. Think of a military vehicle and you think of a tank, or a Jeep. But there were so many more vehicles doing their part for both allied and enemy forces. And we’re talking about vehicles that have been largely forgotten, despite being so very important to whoever was using them. It’s a captivating look into the world of vehicles built for purpose, for pure function… for battle. It’s knowledge we should all take the time read and retain, given the significance of what’s being told.

Dale’s Picks 

1) Four Must-Ride Routes for Summer – May 14th

All of us here at Car & Classic have a passion for pretty much anything with four wheels that is advanced in years but a number of us, myself included, also have an affection for (some may call it an obsession with) bikes. Not only do we love to drive but we also love to ride and so when Jim Blackstock dropped his list of great motorcycle riding routes my interest was well and truly piqued. Not only is it a great article but it also includes handy maps linking you to the actual routes listed. It came along just at the right time too after months of lockdown restrictions and it was just what us bikers needed for inspiration to get back on two wheels and hit the road. It even inspired me to write a similar driving roads feature.

2) BRM – The History of a British Legend – July 21st

This was an interesting one for me because from the age of ten I grew up in and around Bourne in Lincolnshire. As a matter of fact I still have friends and family there. I was always dimly aware of the town’s motor racing history but I had never delved much deeper into the subject matter than idle chat and so it was fascinating to finally give it my full attention and discover just how impressive a company BRM was and how rich its heritage is. What BRM managed to achieve in Formula One is frankly staggering and it’s astonishing what a small bunch of dedicated engineers from a quiet market town in the Fens could accomplish. Quite the legacy.

3) It’s All About Trust… – September 1st

It’s fair to say that Chris and I have a lot in common, especially when it comes to classic cars. It’s part of what makes working at Car & Classic such a brilliant job and so reading his article on trusting our own classics was like he was inside my head and it resonated with me. We’re both in the same boat when it comes to owning and maintaining a somewhat temperamental but overreachingly coveted modern classic car so I really do understand what he was getting at. We have regular catch-ups where the conversation will invariably turn to said cars and so I get it –  I can empathise when things don’t go right but also sincerely revel in the reflected joy when they do.

4) Nature Vs Nurture – Choosing Our Classic Cars – October 4th

This particular feature was close to my heart as I lost my Dad in 2017 so it was a real joy to look back at some of the vehicles he had owned over the course of his life and how those particular cars and bikes may have in some way inspired me when it came to my choices of both two and four-wheeled toys. It was an interesting premise for an article but it was also heartening to be able to include him in some small way in my writing. And boy did he have some cracking machines. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree it would seem.

5) Recognising the Rare – Obscure ’90s Supercars – October 11th

When I was a kid Top Trumps were all the rage and I absolutely loved them. I have no doubt that they not only inspired me but also further fuelled my passion for everything automotive. I had great fun looking back at some of those obscure supercars that would appear in certain packs of the popular card game whilst delving a little deeper into their respective stories. Those bonkers, one-off creations that would cause our collective jaws to hit the ground amid gasps of amazement at the 0-60 and top speed figures printed underneath deserve to be remembered and remembered fondly.