IT’S SUCH A PRIVILEGE to have worked on so many iconic vehicles over the years, whether that has been at Porsche, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz or Tesla. Historic race cars are something I’ve always had a fascination for. There’s really nothing more exciting than gentleman's racing! To combine that aspect into the business serves both head and heart. It’s really never a chore to come to work.
I’m usually up between 6am and 6:30 to check my emails, particularly those from customers overseas, such as the US, which will have come in overnight. We enjoy breakfast together as a family, then I drop off my son and daughter at school and college.
First business of the day is the morning start-up meeting, a punchy 20 minutes or so discussing the top issues across the company. All the departments design, engineering, manufacturing, classic racing will know if there are any issues and what we have to do to resolve them. Then COO Tony Smith and I guide the team or knock over any obstacles to getting the job done. But the teams are so good, they’re talented, they keep pushing. We’re 180-plus-strong, from design engineers to toolmakers, CNC programmers and composite specialists and so on.
This story is from the January 2023 edition of Octane.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2023 edition of Octane.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Pro route to faster lap times
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+
The power to corrupt
2024 Aston Martin Vanquish
Hyperactivate!
1967 Austin-Cooper MkII 998 by Crafted Classics Tuning Glen Waddington
De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood
IF THE MARQUE De Tomaso is mainly familiar to you through cars such as the Mangusta, the Pantera, maybe the Longchamps and, if you're next-level classic car geek, racers such as the P70, then the sheer variety to be found in this mammoth tome is going to come as something of a shock. There are literally dozens profiled here, and one or two will probably be news to even the most seasoned enthusiast.
The best watch in the world
We've been here, but it bears repeating these gems will soon be cheaper than a 1st class stamp
A star is reborn
This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
The gyroscopically stabilised Gyro-X blurred the line between reality and science fiction. Sam Glover takes the prototype for a spin
SAYONARA GT-R
After a remarkable 17-year career, the supercar-humbling Nissan GT-R bows out on a high
Shiro Nakamura
Nissan’s long-standing Chief Creative Officer became architect of the marque’s style-led revival… and is also known as ‘Mr GT-R’
LIGHT SPARKS
How does the electric Tesla Roadster compare today?