Contributors

Thirty years ago an embryonic motoring journalist called RICHARD HESELTINE queued up to get into Silverstone for the first race of a new sports-racing formula Group C. He’s been in love with Martini-liveried Lancias ever since, so he couldn’t wait to hit Donington and orchestrate our unique five-car GpC test, under the lenses of photographer MATT HOWELL.

Matt also shot our Porsche 956/962 feature, but then was delighted to leave soggy England behind to capture Auto Unions at the sunny Monaco Historic weekend. A contrast with the studio shoot on the Nissan Delta Wing Le Mans entry, so secret he didn’t even tell us about it. Affer that it’s uphill all the way to the top of Pike’s Peak, his first visit to the US mountain sprint which makes our hillclimbs into molehills.

MAT OXLEY had a shorter journey to sample the new MV Agusta F4RR. With MV’s race heritage he had to take it to the Isle of Man, which he says is only a few miles across the water but “is like travelling back 30 years in time”. It’s on the if course that a 201hp road bike suddenly makes sense. A former if winner himself, Mat talks us round the scary circuit.

Talking of scary things, not content after the tragic end to his last boat, ED FOSTER is proposing to resume the aquatic option for the commute to work. It’s 11 minutes by scooter, and up to an hour and a half by Thames. If he doesn’t sink again. At least he didn’t have to leave London to view a remarkable collection of Alberto Ascari automobilia. We just hope that the salt-stained helmet which went into the Monaco harbour with the Italian ace isn’t a harbinger of Ed’s future maritime activities…