Magneto magazine

10/09/2024

2024 Goodwood Revival saw another spectacular weekend take place at historic Motor Circuit. Here are ten of our highlights from...

09/09/2024

Say hello to the Ginetta Akula, the firm's first dedicated road car in years, celebrating 20 years under CEO Dr. Lawrence Tomlinson.

After five years of development, it's now available to order. UK pricing starts at £275,000.

Key features:

-- Mid-mounted 6.4-litre V8 engine: 600bhp, 670Nm torque
-- Carbon monocoque construction, 1190kg kerbweight
-- Performance: 0-60mph in 2.9s, 180mph+ top speed
-- Choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
-- Carbonfibre aerodynamic components
-- 50/50 weight distribution
-- Double wishbone suspension, adjustable damping
-- 100-litre fuel tank, 473-litre boot
-- Optional Race Pack includes carbon-ceramic brakes, six-point racing safety harnesses and racing apparel, including a racing suit, boots, gloves and underwear.

Full story at magnetomagazine.com

05/09/2024

Renault has revived its iconic 17 coupé as an all-electric restomod. Called the R17, the one-off machine was unveiled on 4 September at Renault's Maison5 experience centre in central Paris.

The striking retrofuturist machine, created in collaboration with French designer Ora Ïto, is touted as a "sculptural retake" of the 17 sports coupé that debuted in 1971. Renault plans to showcase the R17 at the Chantilly Arts et Elegance Concours from 12-15 September before displaying it at the Paris Motor Show from 14-20 October.

Despite its cutting-edge design, the car is underpinned by an original Renault 17 monocoque structure, along with the doors, windows, glazing, seals and underbody. The dimensions differ slightly, with the body widened by 17cm to improve roadholding. Extended arches house redesigned wheels. The frontal design features four rectangular headlights, while the rear boasts a futuristic light bar. A '70s-inspired Galactic Brown hue completes the exterior.

The interior reinterprets '70s design cues with modern materials and technology. Driver displays pay homage to the original instrument binnacles while offering increased functionality, complemented by a modern infotainment screen in the centre console. Alloy trim features throughout, while redesigned seats echo the original car's 'petal' structure, with interior design-inspired upholstery.

The biggest departure from the original is the 270bhp electric powertrain, replacing the anaemic four-cylinders of the classic 17. The R17 is expected to be rear-wheel drive, with its electric motor mounted to the rear axle, whereas the 17 favoured a more traditional front-engined, front-wheel-drive layout. A carbonfibre monocoque chassis helps keep weight to around 1,400kg.

Renault has confirmed the R17 will remain a standalone vehicle rather than a forerunner for production. This may surprise some, given the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the new Renault 5, reborn as an EV hatchback earlier this year.

04/09/2024

This 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Speedster has been named the winner of Peninsula Classics’ prestigious Best of the Best Award at a glamorous ceremony and dinner at the Peninsula Hotel in London.

The winning Duesenberg was selected from eight exceptional cars that have won significant awards at major concours events over the previous year: Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy; Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace, UK; The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance during California’s Monterey Car Week; Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace, UK; The Amelia and Cavallino Classic in Florida; and Cartier Style et Luxe at the UK’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

One of the most powerful and luxurious American cars of its era, the Duesenberg comes from the private collection of the late US Air Force Major General William Lyon, whose lifelong passion for automotive and aviation design prompted him to establish a museum celebrating both in Orange County, US.

This particular example was one of just 36 models out of 487 to be fitted with a supercharger and it was the only example delivered to Gurney Nutting’s senior coachbuilder (and namesake) John Gurney Nutting.

The other finalists were: the 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aerodyne by Voisin; a 1937 Bentley 4¼-litre Rothschild Sedanca Coupé by Gurney Nutting; the 1937 Bugatti 57S Roadster by Corsica; a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Spezial Roadster by Sindelfingen; a 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta by Pininfarina; a 1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Spyder by Frua; and the 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Superfast Coupé by Pininfarina (featured in Magneto issue 22).

Full story at https://buff.ly/3z7laac https://buff.ly/3z7laac

A 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Speedster has won the 2023 Peninsula Best of the Best award for the best concours car at a ceremony in London.

03/09/2024

The new Aston Martin Vanquish upholds a 25-year legacy as a V12-powered flagship grand tourer. Equipped with a 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine producing 824 bhp and 738 lb-ft of torque without any hybrid assistance, it boasts the most powerful series production engine Aston Martin has ever created.

Limited to just 1000 units per year, the Vanquish starts at £333,000, with first deliveries expected later this year. Read the full story at magnetomagazine.com.

02/09/2024

Yesterday, a stunning 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III by Inskip was crowned Best of Show at the 2024 .

The last Rolls-Royce to be launched prior to WWII, the Phantom III was also the last model to have significant input from Henry Royce, who passed away just a year into the car’s development at the age of 70.

This particular example is fitted with what is believed to be unique Inskip coachwork and is one of only two Convertible Coupé bodied cars. Often called a Henley, it was first delivered to colonel Joseph Samuels of Rhode Island. It later belonged to Dr. Hamilton Rice, a surgeon and Harvard professor of geographical exploration, and his wife Eleanor Widener Rice, a Titanic survivor.

The current owner acquired it in 2009 and had it restored by Sargent Metal Works in Vermont, just before going on to win first in class at the 2016 Rolls-Royce Owners Club meet and third in class at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Photos: .photography

01/09/2024

Good morning from day three of the . Do come and say hello at the Magneto stand!

31/08/2024

Magneto has a stand at this year's , we're here all weekend and would love to talk cars with you!

If you visit the stand you can also get 25% off subscriptions and you'll receive a £100 Swissvax gift voucher that you can use to purchase top quality car care products.

We're also selling the Concours of Elegance event programme, as well as discounted back issues and our Pebble Beach and Concours Year books.

31/08/2024

Yesterday at the , editor David Lillywhite presented Magneto's Art of Bespoke Award to the Jaques family's 1927 Bentley 3-Litre Boat Tail Speed Model.

Magneto's Art of Bespoke prize is awarded to the one-off or low-volume car that best demonstrated the unique attributes and appeal of coachbuilt automobiles.

The 3-Litre was Bentley's first car and this particular example, chassis TN1564, features Martin Walter coachwork and was first purchased by Francis Ronald Lambert Mears and was registered to his barracks in India.

It then passed through the hands of several owners during the next 20 years, before finding one family who kept it safe for more than 50 years until Chris Jaques contacted them directly and managed to purchase it. It has never been on the open market. Sadly, Chris passed away before the car could be finished, and his wish was for the family to complete it.

At some point it had been painted British racing green, but the original cream colour was still evident in places, and had now been replicated during an extensive three-year restoration. The 2024 Concours of Elegance is the first time the car has been seen in more than 60 years.

29/08/2024

The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu's restoration of Sir Henry Segrave's Sunbeam 1000hp land speed record car has entered a new phase...

29/08/2024

Highlights from Salon Privé's new MotorAvia event, which kicked off this year's concours, showcased the latest aircraft from Citation, Bell, King Air, Cessna, and Boeing alongside the newest supercars in a vibrant party atmosphere.

Featuring a stunning lineup of cars and aircraft, live music, and gourmet food stations, MotorAvia was a well-received addition to Salon Privé—an event that has consistently evolved and expanded since becoming a staple of the collector car calendar in 2006.

28/08/2024

The 1961 Beatnik Bandit and Dodge A100 Deora are the latest to be inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register.

27/08/2024

Sad news last weekend as we learned that hot-rod pioneer, So-Cal Speed Shop founder, WWII veteran, and SEMA co-founder Alex Xydias passed away aged 102.

Alex led a truly remarkable life filled with record-breaking achievements and inspired generations of hot rodders and enthusiasts. We will be publishing his full obituary on buff.ly/3SXoJEP.

25/08/2024

https://buff.ly/475yVmk

New 920bhp Lamborghini Temerario makes its debut during Monterey Car Week 2024 – twin-turbocharged V8 plug-in hybrid offers top speed of 210mph.

24/08/2024

The Alfa Romeo Navajo was the last of five concepts built on the chassis of the 33 Stradale designed by Marcello Gandini for Bertone. The wedge-shaped concept debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1976 and was heavily influenced by aerodynamics and science fiction.

Although it was never put into production the Navajo informed many of the design trends of the 1980s and also boasted forward-thinking features such as an active front splitter and rear spoiler that could be operated both manually and automatically.

So what of the Navajo’s legacy? The Carabo 33 Stradale concept is lauded as an epoch-shifting shape – it set the supercar template as we know it now. The Navajo isn’t quite as heralded, although this could be because the cars that perhaps drew the greatest influence from it are somewhat polarising – the exotic strand of automotive brutalism. After all, its name came from the Apache tribe that balanced elegance and aggression, a central theme of that style.

Gandini would be the main proponent of this through the 1980s – the rear wheelarch treatment can be seen on the Citroen BX and Renault 21 Turbo, while the wraparound lighting would be a feature of his Maserati Shamal design that bid farewell to the 1980s. He wouldn’t be the only one; you can perhaps see elements of the Navajo in Robert Opron and Antonio Castellana’s Alfa Romeo SZ.

But perhaps the biggest legacy was the Navajo’s impact on science fiction itself. The greatest tribute can be seen in Blade Runner’s Spinners – one even wears an Alfa Romeo script…

23/08/2024

This October, RM Sotheby's will auction Rudi Klein's secretive Junkyard Collection of iconic classics from the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz.

For the uninitiated, Rudi Klein was a German immigrant who arrived in the US in the late 1950s and, after a spell as a butcher, started selling European classic cars through his scrapyard on the hinterlands of Los Angeles. The collection, preserved untouched since Klein’s passing in 2001, has long been rumoured to include some of the rarest cars ever; its precise contents have been shrouded in mystery, because his personal collection was kept hidden from view for more than 50 years.

RM is yet to reveal exactly what treasures the auction will include, although it has picked out the 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Caracciola, one of 29 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwings (pictured below) and the unique 1967 Iso Grifo A3/L Spider Prototype by Bertone.

Even a cursory glance at the images provided thus far reveal at least three Lamborghini Miuras, a Ferrari 365 GTC/4 (well, three-quarters of one), a multitude of Porsche 356s and 911s, a Facel Vega, at least two further 300 SLs and a multitude of mangled SLs in Pagoda and R107 form. We’ve put some of these images in a gallery below.

The full Junkyard Collection catalogue will be going online in September. The October auction will include parts as well as complete automobiles. For more information head to magnetomagazine.com

21/08/2024

Looking back at a difficult Monterey Car Week auctions season – the post-COVID era highs are truly over, with challenging sales for all the auctioneers involved.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom - check out our full review of all the major Monterey sales at buff.ly/3SXoJEP for more.

Magneto magazine - the award-winning classic and collector car quarterly that celebrates the very best cars and events from around the world.

20/08/2024

Sad news at the end of Monterey Car Week as the 1979 Ford Probe I Ghia concept car owned by the Scott Grundfer Company was destroyed in a fire while being transported from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

The wedge-shaped concept was being transported on a trailer along the freeway when a passing motorist alerted the driver, an employee of Scott Grundfer, that the trailer had caught fire. Upon stopping, the driver found the blaze had unfortunately spread too far to save the vehicle. At present, the cause of the fire is unknown.

The vehicle was the first in a series of five Ford Probe concepts and made its public debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1979. It was based on the Fox-body Mustang platform and was designed by Ford’s chief designer Don F. Kopka alongside Carrozzeria Ghia.

Its space age bodywork was the result of extensive wind-tunnel testing and yielded a record-breaking drag coefficient of 0.25cD, putting it between a modern Toyota Prius (0.27cD) and a Tesla Model 3 (0.23cD). Beneath its innovative bodywork was a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine that developed around 170bhp.

The Scott Grundfor Company plans to return the destroyed car to its collection, placing it alongside its other Ghia/Ford-bodied concepts.

19/08/2024

In an article published last week, we discussed with Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance chairman Sandra Button the possibility of a 'preservation' car winning Best of Show.
On August 18, this became reality when Fritz Burkard's 1939 Bugatti Type 59 Sports, winner of the Prewar Preservation class, claimed the top prize. This marks a shift in concours events, favouring originality over pristine and perfectly restored classics.

This rare Bugatti Type 59 factory racer boasts a rich history, including René Dreyfus's 1934 Belgian Grand Prix victory and royal ownership by King Leopold III of Belgium. Part of Fritz Burkard's Pearl Collection, it also claimed the FIVA Trophy for Best Preserved Pre-War Car at the 2022 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.

18/08/2024

Andreas Wuest's 1975 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 Croisette Shooting Brake by Felber was crowned the winner of the Magneto Art of Bespoke Award at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.

It was originally shown at the 1975 Geneva Motor Show and was converted to a Shooting Brake by Swiss Ferrari dealer Felber shortly after, who is thought to have had Michelotti design the conversion. It's the only one built and includes a TV, fridge and an ice detector on top of the dashboard. It's lived in Switzerland until this year.

17/08/2024

There's just one day to go until the jewel in the crown of Monterey Car Week: the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. We can't wait to see which car will come home with the Best of Show crown.

In the meantime, you can read the inside story on the incredible restoration of last year's winner, the Mercedes-benz 540K Special Roadster owned by Jim Patterson: https://buff.ly/3yJixLg

We talk to Don McLellan of RM Auto Restorations for the full restoration story behind the Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster...

14/08/2024

One of just seven Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spyders is currently up for sale with Belgian dealer . This particular example was the last of the seven built and won the prestigious Design Award at the 2016 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Based on the underpinnings of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, the Disco Volante was styled by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera and inspired by the experimental Disco Volante sports racing cars of the early 1950s.

The car has only had one owner during the course of its lifetime. It’s finished in stunning Rosso Seducente paintwork over black leather and has just 6350km on its odometer.

Accompanying the Alfa Romeo is a book showing photographs of the various stages of production as well as a car cover and a set of matching luggage. Price is on request.

13/08/2024

US car designer Tom Meade played with fire when he challenged the Modenese automotive elite with his Ferrari V12-powered Thomassima III, later immortalised as a scale model.

We drive Meade's curvaceous one-of-a-kind creation in issue 23, available now via our online store, link in the bio.

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12/08/2024

Essentially uniforms worn by drivers while competing, race suits have changed inexorably over the years. In issue 23 we charted their evolution from '60s overalls to protect from grime, through to today's sponsorship 'billboards'.

11/08/2024

Perhaps unkindly, when you mention you’re having a go in a TVR Tuscan people screw their faces up and enquire how good your life insurance is

10/08/2024

It's Lancia, it's Ferrari, it's Martini... all combined in the same car. It should be a legend, yet somehow it never sparkled. Just why did the Lancia LC2 fall so short of its tobacco-liveried Porsche rival in 1980s Group C racing?

We got behind the wheel of this 800bhp machine to find out back in issue 9.

📷 .de.jager

09/08/2024

As one of only six D-types contested by Scottish racing team Ecurie Ecosse, XKD 561 wears its well documented competition history with pride. In a stunning example of automotive archaeology, a recent bare metal stripdown revealed the story of this unique Jaguar -- and of the people who drove, repaired and restored it through the years.

Read the fascinating feature in Magneto 23, available now (link in the bio).

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08/08/2024

Monterey Car Week 2024 gets underway on August 9, kick-starting one of the most important weeks of the automotive calendar. There is a dizzying array of events – ranging from major sales, to motor sport festivals and concours contests that it can be a little overwhelming.

If you're attending Car Week this year or want to follow all the action as it happens then head to our website for a full preview of everything that's going on. We hope to see you there!

07/08/2024

This 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB California Spider was the first example ever built and it's due to be one of the headline cars auctioned during Monterey Car Week. It will be offered for sale on August 17 by RM Sotheby's and boasts of pre-auction estimate of $16m-$18m.

Chassis 1795GT is the first of only 56 examples to roll off Maranello's production line and was first seen in public at the Geneva Motor Show in 1960.

It was showcased in Geneva with Grigio paintwork over red leather interior and is one of only a handful of cars fitted with a competition-spec Colombo V12 from the factory. Other desirable features include coveted closed headlights and what is believed to be a unique dashboard layout.

After Geneva it was returned to the factory to have its interior retrimmed in black leather before being sold to its first owner, John Gordon Bennett.

1795GT was then exported to the US in 1963 where it has remained until the present day. It is offered with full Ferrari Red Book certification and has passed through the hands of just four owners.

The August 17 sale represents the first time chassis 1795GT has ever been offered for auction and we wouldn't be surprised if it makes its way into our Top 50 Most Expensive Cars Ever Sold at Auction rankings, which you can view online at magnetomagazine.com, link in bio.

06/08/2024

Disco Volante, Godzilla, Moby Dick, Rote Sau... who doesn't love a great automotive nickname! For car enthusiasts, these epithets are so intrinsically linked to their respective icons that no further identifiers are required. And so it is with the Mercedes-Benz W198 300 SL, a car so synonymous with its flügeltüren (wing doors) that, despite an aviary of imitators appearing over the past 70 years, it is the only one known by all as the Gullwing.

For issue 23, what started as a simple tribute to the 70th anniversary of the 300 SL quickly escalated, and before we knew it, the 300 SL had been joined by five other gullwing-door Mercedes, four of them concepts.

Issue 23 is available now at magnetomagazine.com, link in bio.