BRSCC Race Day - Oulton Park

Another trip to Oulton! The weather was beautiful (a rare event for a Bank Holiday weekend these days!) and the action exciting with lots of cars and teams from Scotland making an appearance at the Cheshire circuit.

Championships on the day:

• Teekay Couplings Production GTI Championship
• Celtic Speed Scottish Mini Cooper Cup
• BIGProfile SRCC Sports 2000 Championship
• Scottish Classic Sports and Saloon Championship
• Avon Tyres Formula Ford 1600 Northern Championship - Post 89
• BRSCC Alfashop Alfa Romeo Championship
• Avon Tyres Formula Ford 1600 Northern Championship - Pre 90

I don't think I've ever seen so many Alfa 145s in one place! The Golf GTI championship was great too, it was surprising to see the 8 valvers happily mixing it up in amongst those with 16. Aside from the racing, it was nice to see an MG RV8 parked up - not a common sight at all - and I spent a good few minutes drooling over a white Porsche 356. Although the 911 is my favourite car of all time I think I could be convinced that a 356 would be a worthy substitute! Spot-of-the-day though has to be the Alfa Romeo SZ. Such brutal lines yet somehow so beautiful.

Full picture set here, and below are some highlights.

BMW E23 732i

You know how it is, you're out driving around with your girlfriend when you spot a distinctive shape out of the corner of your eye whilst passing a car park at 30mph... "Hold on juuuuust one second", as you quickly turn the car round where possible to dive in for a look. If she didn't know that this is something that happens regularly when you're behind the wheel then she does now. Snap, snap with the camera as you roll past with the window down, and then you're back on your way wherever you're going.

Well, that's how it is for me anyway. It's in my blood, I can't help it!

This beautiful E23 7-Series was caught yesterday. I can't remember the last time I saw one anywhere outside of the BMW Museum in Munich. I'd have awarded myself more points for a pre-facelift, but I think the unusual hue of this one balances things out. Plus it was a 732i when I'd have been expecting the full-fat 3.5.

A lovely barge, perfect for wafting along the motorway. It would look dwarfed now next to a new 5-Series or any modern large 4x4 but it still has massive road presence. Another of the many, many cars on my "want" list.

BARC Championships - Oulton Park

Saturday, 6th April 2013

My first (but hopefully not last!) visit to Oulton for 2013. I love it there.

Championships on the day:

• Legend Cars
• SVG Motorsport Pre 93 Touring Cars and CTCRC Pre 2005 Touring
• Thermex Classic Saloons and Historic Touring Championship
• Performance car.uk.com Classic Thunder
• CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Championship
• Autoglym Pre '83 Touring Cars
• Burton Performance Blue Oval Saloon Series

Lots to see for the retro enthusiast! Of course the interest isn't all on the track, I spied a beautiful Porsche 912 milling about and a black Ford Escort RS1600i lurking in the paddock area. Most interesting car of the day for me was the Ford Maverick Grabber, I'd heard of them but never actually seen one before.

Click for the full gallery. Some highlights below:

The Citroen Visa

The "Satellite Pod" dashboard

Interior trim

The bodyshell undergoing immersion in an electrophoretic tank

The Opel Kadett C Coupe

One of the best-looking mainstream Coupes of all time, in my opinion. The mini skirt certainly adds to the photo.

Fiesta Firefly : A Bright New Style Setter

The Fiesta is a good-looking and lively performer which has captivated enthusiasts throughout Europe.

Now Ford's Special Project engineers have taken a look at it with a view to adding even more personality and visual appeal, they've designed the Firefly!

It's a Special Edition car with a real sporting appeal, good looks, low running costs and an attractive low initial price.

The Fiesta Firefly is very distinctive with a three-colour body side tape stripe and 4.5" body coloured wheels.

Choose a really dashing body colour from Strato Silver, Signal Red, Terracotta or Cordoba Beige.

The Firefly combines the zip of the 950 (40 BHP) or 1100 engines with the 'S' suspension to give a car that really handles well.

Sporty Performance; definitely unsporting price!

Call in at your Ford Dealer for a test drive and see what fun the Firefly can be.

From the moment you settle down in the 5 position adjustable seat and grasp the 4-spoke Ghia steering wheels you'll know it's the car for you.

Admire the styling inside with its colour-keyed 'Chevron' fabric trim and outside black finish Rocker panels, locks, handles and window surrounds.

Enjoy the sound of the Ford push button P21 radio, the convenience of the intermittent wipe/electric screen washers and passenger door mirror.

But most of all know that you're going to have a car which combines spirited performance with a low price.

The Rover SD1 Production Line

I wonder if any of the cars in this picture have survived?

Vintage Motorsport wallpaper

How cool?

Fiat Croma cutaway

Tipo Quattro exposed!

Mk1 VW Golf bodystyling at the 1984 Essen Motor Show

Now that is a body kit!

The 1957 Vauxhall Victor

Salute the Victor

Latest and greatest in Vauxhall value

New, right from the road up, the Victor heralds a new generation of cars... lower, swifter, more efficient. The low roofline of the Victor is only 58 inches high! Though built so low to the road, headroom is generous and ground clearance ample. This very modern design pays big dividends in easy driving. Weight is kept low and there is a new flat-ride suspension system. So the Victor shows remarkable reluctance to roll on corners. Sure-footed safety is designed right into the Victor.

Powered by a new, deep-skirt 'square' engine, the Victor is very much a top gear car - with swift, smooth top gear acceleration from walking pace into the middle seventies.

This top gear flexibility cuts petrol consumption, too. Because the Victor's 'square' engine performs so efficiently throughout its whole speed range, it puts the Victor far ahead of its class for all-round fuel economy.

Full panoramic windscreen

Three's company in the front or rear seat of a Victor when one is a child. There's no less than 52 inches of hip room in this roomy four seater!

Wide panoramic rear window

These youngsters show how much room there is in the rear seat of a Victor. Put a grown-up between them and they've still got fidget room.

Mercedes Benz SLC wind tunnel testing

Testing a Mercedes in a wind tunnel. The ribbons show how air is flowing over the body, and can indicate regions of turbulence.

Mk1 Ford Fiesta on the paint line

What price a freshly painted brand new bodyshell nowadays?

Datsun Stanza

I know I must have seen a 3-door when they were current - there was a large Nissan dealer just a few miles away and the marque was everywhere around here. But any Stanza is a rare sight these days, and every one I recall seeing has had five doors.

When did you last see one?

1980 Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Wind tunnel testing.

Testing the doors resistance against side impact.

Testing of the seat belts.

Testing the roofs resistance in roll-over accidents.

A mechanism testing the resistance of the bonnet.

Dashboard.