Tag: Legend
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Bloody Heroes: Juan-Manuel Fangio
Introduction Last time on Bloody Heroes, Juan-Manuel Fangio was briefly discussed as a mentor to Sir Stirling Moss’, but he was more than just that. He was nicknamed by many as El Maestro (“The Master”) and seen as a father figure to Moss. We will be looking at how he earned that title and what…
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Bloody Heroes: Stirling Moss Part 2
It was a victory Stirling Moss himself described as his “greatest win”, and is a record that still stands to this day; over 1000 miles on unfamiliar public roads, with spectators spilling onto the course and the possibility of death looming over every twist and bend, Moss managed to complete the Mille Miglia in just…
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Bloody Heroes: Stirling Moss Part 1
If you have even the faintest interest in cars or motorsport you will have heard of Stirling Moss; of the 529 races he entered during his racing career, he won almost half, with 212 victories between 1948 and 1962. Often described as “the greatest driver never to win the World Championship”, he won 16 Formula…
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Perfectly Ridiculous: The Lagonda
Retrofuturism is defined as ‘the use of a style or aesthetic considered futuristic in an earlier era’. The wedge-shaped Lagonda, festooned with touch-sensitive buttons and CRT screens instead of speedometers, perfectly fits this description. The two tonne, 5.2-metre long behemoth was, in many ways, ridiculous when it was released in 1976, but in others, it…
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The OG WRC Champ: Alpine’s A110
Launched in 1961, the rear-engined, air-cooled, rear-wheel drive Alpine A110 shared many similarities with the iconic Porsche 911, which would be unveiled two years later. However, the A110 is by no means “just a French 911”, as this sexy little coupe would go on to become a legend in its own right. The A110 was…
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A Day at Silverstone Classic
It was a bright and early start to Sunday as I headed to meet photographer and fellow Mechanist, Tom Hains at the Mile End tube station. From there we would be headed to this year’s Silverstone Classic, one of the best automotive events in the UK. Tom had hinted at the possibility of our ride…
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Permanent Ludicrous Mode: The V550
The 90s was a wild time; Tim Berners-Lee had just invented the World Wide Web, Will Smith was still The Fresh Prince, and Aston Martin decided to hand build what would become the most powerful production car in the world, the V8 Vantage V550. During the 90s, Ford had their Budweiser-drinking, burger-munching, American flag-saluting hands…
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Honda’s Greatest Experiment
From what started out as little more than a Honda Civic with some fancy styling in 1983, to the VTEC-enhanced chariot of innovation that it became with the release of the SiR model in 1989, the Honda CR-X is one of the company’s automotive highlights. What’s more, it’s a car that is eager to strip…
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„Only Flying is better“
The slogan was used by Mercedes-Benz to introduce the successor of the 300SL Gullwing, the 300SL Roadster. In 1957 open-top two-seaters were incredibly popular which lead to the decision to convert the legendary W198, Gullwing, into its roadster version. The production of Mercedes’ new highlight started in 1957 and ended in 1963. The main frame…
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Italian Ecstasy at Le Mans
No need to introduce the stunning and brilliantly engineered 1965 Le Mans winner, but we will give you a bit of history anyway. 3.3L V12 with 320hp, 5-speed transmission, independent suspensions, coil springs and 4 disc brakes… This could be the description of a modern fast car if it wasn’t for the small displacement relative…
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Endurance legends never die…
The Ford GT40 was born from the ambition of Henry Ford II who wanted to have a Ford at Le Mans, but there is another side to the story… In 1963, Enzo Ferrari was interested in selling to the Ford Company, at the condition that he remained in control of Ferrari’s Motorsport division. Ford did not agree…