The brand-new issue of Classic & Sports Car goes on sale in the UK today (2 April), and it’s bursting at the binding with incredible classic content. We kick things off by proving that in a fast-paced booming market you can still bag a classic bargain, including the Frogeye and Mondial. Then the Alfa Romeo 8C meets the car it inspired – the Straight Eight Triumph Dolomite – before we embark on a trip down memory lane, returning a Salon E-type to Geneva. A guide to historic rallying offers plenty of hands-on advice, while two three-car tests focus on a group of MG’s last exports and a trio of sensible, yet strangely alluring saloons.
This month’s cover star is the Austin-Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite, one of the best classic bargains to be had for Ford Focus money. And it isn’t alone – we also take an in-depth look at the Ferrari Mondial, Triumph GT6 and Audi quattro, plus four other cheap-as-chips classics that you probably haven’t considered. Think you could get your dream car for less than £20k? Don’t worry – we also suggest the best way to spend the change.
Fans of pre-war classics will likely share Mick Walsh’s deep affection for the beautiful Alfa Romeo 8C, which we put head-to-head with one of the British wonders that it inspired – the Donald Healey-designed Triumph Dolomite. In what may be the first meeting of the two models, both straight-eight roadsters are put through their paces to see just how much – or how little – the Milanese design was improved in Coventry. Find out which we’d take racing at Le Mans, and in which we’d carry on to the South of France.
A second show car also features in this month’s magazine, this time one of the two Jaguar E-types used to launch the model to the world at the 1961 Geneva Salon. The famous example started life as a roadster, later being used to develop the first coupé. It now lives in Switzerland, so we took it from its underground hideout in Zurich back to the banks of Lake Geneva, via an extended – and stunning – road trip through the mountains.
Intrigued by the resurgence in popularity of navigational rallies, James Page and Greg MacLeman pay event specialists HERO a visit in Wales for some first-hand experience on the maps. A wonderfully restored 1968 Porsche 911T is their chosen rally car, which is taken on a hammer-down drive along the coast while trying to navigate a tricky section from the gruelling Le Jog. Discover what it takes to win a similar event by those who have been there, plus everything you need to know to take your first steps in historic rallying.
British Leyland’s 1980s creations have long been derided, but three of the best – the Maestro, Montego and Metro – now have a loyal following. Simon Charlesworth returns to Cowley, spiritual home of the Montego and Meastro, to discover why cars that are bursting with character have failed to fire the imagination of most classic car enthusiasts.
Step back in time 30 years from the Maestro to the workhorses of the British motoring industry: the Morris Oxford, Hillman Minx and Austin A40 Somerset. On paper, there isn’t much to choose between these three family saloons, but each provides a unique take on mid-Century motoring with its own distinct flavour. Jon Pressnell compares the 1265cc sidevalves with 1476cc flatheads to see which of our nostalgic collection makes the most sense today.
