With much made both then and now of Jaguar’s 1988 and 1990 victories of the Le Mans 24 Hours, its utter domination of the 1987 World Sportscar Championship has been largely forgotten. Yet it was arguably a much bigger achievement than winning a single, albeit 24-hour, race.
Want the looks and handling of a classic 911 Turbo without massive lag and the threat of leaving the road in corners? The 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Supersport could be just the Porsche for you...
Budget models rarely survive in significant numbers, not least because few owners were willing or able to invest money in maintenance and repair. Ian Macaulay's Yugo 513 has beaten the odds though, and is believed to be one of only two survivors in the UK.
And so we arrive at a notable benchmark on this journey: the Ferrari F40 was the first production car to exceed the magic ‘double-ton’. You could argue that the F40 owes its existence to healthy opportunism rather than a well-planned marketing strategy. Ferrari’s sales had faltered in the early 1980s, with fears that its products were turning ‘soft’ under Fiat’s corporate blanket.
Paul Davies is lucky enough to own two Italian rally legends: a Lancia Delta integrale Group A and a genuine Fiat Stilo Abarth Trofeo. We’re lucky enough to drive both in his homeland of Wales.
The Daimler 3.6 was once the pride of the pack; today, less than 50 remain taxed and in use. The flagship XJ40 is now a seldom seen scarcity… A rare beauty.
BMWs can be awfully confusing when it comes to their badging. Back in the day, a 323i E21 simply meant that it was a 3 Series body with a 2.3-liter engine. A E12 535i was the 5 Series body with a 3.5-litre engine — simple, right? M3s were all two-door coupes; except, they are four-door sedans now; and the M4 is now the M3 coupe; the 320i may have a 2.2-liter engine; and the 323i E21 could have the 2.5-liter — confused? Me, too. (And, perhaps, so is BMW!)
Ordering a brand-new Ferrari in 1987 was a unique experience, and travelling to Maranello to pick up the latest 328 GTB was next level for owner Roger Walker
Having previously put a Porsche 962C through its paces, Andrew Frankel finally gets to drive the sports racer that gave the Germans a mauling in 1987 – the Jaguar XJR-8. And this chassis was the wildest of all
Oldie But Goodie Being competitive in a classic car in a race series intended for modern cars takes skill and clever preparation. We track-test George Osborne’s V6-powered 75 at Silverstone to find out how. Story by Roberto Giordanelli
