The bursting 308-page bumper June issue of Classic & Sports Car goes on sale in the UK today (7 May), with the headline act a stunning collection of five game-changing supercars. Elsewhere, Mick Walsh gets to grips with an incredible Delahaye 135 CS, while the original BMW CSL Batmobile is pitted against its later namesake. One of Morgan’s rare Plus Four Pluses gets taken for a run, and Lancia takes on Citroën and Triumph in the battle of the 1970s performance saloons.
The Lamborghini Miura moved the goalposts of the world’s automotive aspirations in the 1960s, and with each decade that has passed another young pretender has taken up the mantle. We’ve gathered together five of the very best supercars ever built, from the original king of the hill through to Ferrari’s 365BB and the technological wizardry of the Porsche 959, McLaren F1 and world-beating Bugatti Veyron Supersports.
We’ve dedicated a huge 32-page supplement to this £10m group, plus we offer an insight into some budget alternatives for us mere mortals with more modest tastes, but the same love of speed.
The past meets the present again in our BMW straight-six head-to-head, as the incredibly capable E46 M3 CSL shares a secluded stretch of tarmac with the car that started it all – the E9 CSL. Two more wildly different cars you would struggle to find, yet the passage of time has revealed more similarities than you may imagine.
Stepping back further to 1936, Mick Walsh guides an amazing timewarp Delahaye 135 CS through Staffordshire’s sweeping backroads, never seeming far from Montlhery Circuit Routier and the eight-hour battle for France’s honour in which the car once took part. The only example of its type to remain safe from modification throughout its history, it truly is a time capsule from one of the most exciting and evocative epochs of motor racing.
Beneath the lithe fibreglass exterior of the Morgan Plus Four Plus lies the beating heart and chassis of a much more conventional Morgan. Long overlooked by fans of the Malvern brand, the 26 EB Plastics-bodied cars are now in high demand, with our test car recently achieving a six-figure sum at auction. Richard Heseltine discovers what makes the Plus Four Plus such an acquired taste, as well as such a brilliant drive.
Those who enjoy a slightly larger car will be drawn to a saloon triple test, as the battle lines are drawn between Lancia’s 2000IE Berlina, Triumph’s 2500PI Mk2 and the sumptuous Citroën DS23 EFI Pallas. With values ranging from just £6000 through to £25,000, there’s something to suit every taste and budget – but which is the pick of the bunch? Andrew Roberts tests the performance and usability of these three leading fuel-injected models.
Back on the track, the fantastic Lotus Eleven ‘Breadvan’ that you may have seen plying its trade at the 72nd Goodwood Members’ Meeting is sampled by James Mitchell. The original special was the result of a change in racing regulations in the early ‘60s and, thanks to the dedication of its owner, plus hotshoes Joe Twyman and Ollie Bryant, its spirit lives on in this stunning recreation.
For the ultimate in Teutonic luxury, look no further than the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 twin test. Both Coupé and Cabriolet variants are put through their paces as Martin Buckley delves deep into the history of the sometimes misunderstood model, from its beginnings in the late ‘60s through to 1971.
