Twisted logic arrives 'down south': Dealer news

Land Rovers outside Twisted showroom in London
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• There is a part of London that will, for the foreseeable future, be a little part of Yorkshire. Twisted, the Thirsk-based modifier of old Land Rover Defenders, has a new showroom in Kensington’s Radley Mews, above. “We needed a presence here,” said sales manager Rob McDougal as he drove us through a rush-hour jam in a T-V8. “But this traffic’ll tek some gettin’ used to.”

• In its production run from 1950-58, just 25 Lancia Aurelia B20 GTs were built right-hand drive for the UK – and Fast Classics in Horsham, West Sussex has one for sale at £189,995. The Aurelia was designed with racing in mind; in 1951 a practically standard model finished second in its first race – the Mille Miglia. This ’58 Aurelia is the sportiest version with a 2.5-litre V6 giving 112 bhp.

• Another right-hand-drive rarity is a Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio, below, at Shrewsbury’s The Ashtree Collection. This is the connoisseur’s Countach; 150 were made, and 22 were RHD. This red, 1977 manual, £POA, is a trapezoidal time warp – one of the finest of its kind.

Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio

• Penske-owned UK car dealership Sytner Group has run an internal Elite Technician Challenge, which was entered by 500 staff. The prize? A trip to the IndyCar Detroit GP. Thirty-nine finalists had to diagnose car faults and give a solution. There were 13 winners. “It’s recognition for hard work,” said human resources project manager Francesca Summers.

DVLA has announced its banned reg plates for 2022. More than 300 were ditched for their potty-mouthed connotations, but Covid configurations like CO22 RNA and CO22 ONA are also out.