MOVIE AND TV STARS OF THE FOUR WHEELED VARIETY AT LANDROVERMAX!

Amazing Land Rovers from blockbuster movies and hit TV shows will be attracting the crowds at this year’s LANDROVERmax! held at Stoneleigh Park from 28th to 30th August.

Transferring from the big screen to the showground is the Land Rover 110 used in Tomb Raider and driven by Angelina Jolie who played the amazing Lara Croft. While Land Rovers have featured in many films, including The Ipcress File, The Italian Job and Get Carter, Tomb Raider (2001) really put the world’s 4x4 in the limelight as Lara went in search of hidden treasure.

Also being shown is the dramatic City-Cab from Sylvester Stallone’s 1995 film, Judge Dredd. Based on the forward-control (cab over the engine as opposed to having a bonnet like conventional Land Rovers), 31 examples were made for the film, which was set in 2139. Featuring an all-new body design for the film, bodies were made from glassfibre and were built by Land Rover.

From the small screen is Buster – a 1986 110 owned by Top Gear presenter and Land Rover fanatic Richard Hammond. His example, which began life as a 3.5-litre V8, now runs a heavy-duty 4.5-litre V8 pumping out more than 200bhp, as well as running equally tough suspension. And if that V8 doesn’t offer enough of a soundtrack, there’s a mind-numbing sound system providing the tunes.

According to Richard, he estimates that he has blown £70,000 on it: "It cost more than a new Range Rover and is more expensive to run than a Ferrari Enzo but I always drive it with a big grin on my face."

The biggest star of the show however is the SAS Desert Patrol 110 model, used by the British Army in Iraqi and Afghanistan campaigns. In theatres of war the Land Rover is a vital tool helping soldiers and they have served alongside military personnel down the decades, becoming well-loved for their reliability and strength.

Visit the website www.landrovermax.com for more info.

Coming soon in Veloce's SpeedPro Series! Land Rover Discovery, Defender & Range Rover – How to Modify Coil Sprung Models for High Performance & Off-Road Action
By Ralph Hosier

Buying a Range Rover, Discovery or Defender can be just the start of a wonderful adventure. This book shows the possibilities available to the owner, from big wheels and suspension lifts, under-body protection and tuning ideas, right up to how to convert the car into a high speed racer or an international expedition vehicle. With clear, jargon-free instructions, advice on events like family weekend green-laning, international expeditions and full-on competition, accompanied by colour photographs throughout, this is the definitive guide to getting the most from these exciting vehicles. More info.

ICONIC BATMOBILE TRIBUTE AT AUCTION

A tribute to one of the most iconic and distinctive film cars of all time, the Batmobile, will be a focus of attention at the inaugural Historics at Brooklands auction in Surrey on June 2, when a faithfully re-created car goes under the hammer alongside a prestige portfolio of more traditional, first-class classic motor cars.

For one of Historics’ investors, Mark Perkins, the Lot holds particular significance, as he has owned the car since 1988 and is reluctantly parting with it.

One of only three existing steel-bodied versions, Perkins’ Batmobile – complete with dashboard-mounted television, rear parachute pod and Batphone – is accompanied by an extensive clippings file, having made numerous promotional appearances, including the Batman stage show in the United Arab Emirates in 1993, and a number of showings alongside Adam West, star of the original Batman TV show.

Based on a Lincoln Continental chassis and built to a similar specification as the original car in the Sixties, the car was finally completed in 1988, following input from renowned custom coachbuilder, Bill Chaplin. The car is extremely reliable and frequently driven, and is offered with a full year’s MoT test certificate as well as a UK V5 registration document.

Mark Perkins explained his reluctance to let the car go; “Classic cars, and this one in particular, should be driven to be enjoyed, and I’ve loved taking it on the road over the years. However, my work with Historics at Brooklands will leave me little time to do so in the future, and so sadly it’s time someone else derived pleasure of ownership.”

For more information, and to attend the Historics at Brooklands auction on the evening of June 2, call 0800 988 3838, e-mail: auctions@historics.co.uk, or see the website, www.historics.co.uk. Entry by catalogue only, available prior to, or on the evening.

Press release & image source: Historics at Brooklands

If you like classic cars in TV & film you'll love Motor Movies – The Posters!

"Be warned: a peek and you could be hooked. ‘Motor Movies – The Posters!’ is a collector’s delight, any way you choose." – Overdrive

More info.

FERRIS BUELLER’S FERRARI UP FOR AUCTION AT BONHAMS

Ferrari 250GT Spyder California which featured in Hollywood film to be sold


A replica of the Ferrari 250GT Spyder California specially created for the 1986 Paramount hit film ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ is to be sold at Bonhams Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia auction at 11am on 19th April at the RAF Museum, Hendon.

Only around one hundred genuine 250GT Spyder California’s were created by Ferrari between 1958 and 1963. Existing examples are very rare and expensive so Paramount chose to commission and build a replica for filming purposes. The film, voted by readers of Total Film magazine the 23rd greatest comedy of all time, follows Ferris and two of his friends skipping high school for a day and borrowing the Spyder California from one of their fathers. A young Matthew Broderick stars as Ferris who fakes illness to miss school, and convinces his girlfriend Sloane and his best friend Cameron to have a day of fun before they head off to their different colleges. The Dean of the school doesn’t believe Ferris’ deception and also becomes embroiled in their adventures. The film, starring this iconic car, was a huge hit (grossing over $70million in the US) and Broderick was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Styled by Pininfarina, the classic lines of the car combine elegance and aggression, and it ranks alongside the Lusso as the ultimate expression of the Ferrari 250GT family. It was also a highly capable competition machine, as was demonstrated by Ginther/Hively winning their class at the Sebring 12 Hours in March 1958 on their way to finishing 9th overall, and Grossman/Tavano finishing 5th overall at Le Mans in June.

The car, estimated in this auction at £30,000-40,000 is ready to drive, so why not snap it up and have your own “day off.”

Source: www.bonhams.com/cars

DODGE CHALLENGER IN VANISHING POINT

A Dodge Challenger R/T was famously used in Vanishing Point - the 1971 action-road movie starring Barry Newman.



New! Dodge Challenger & Plymouth Barracuda – Chrysler's Potent Pony Cars, a brand new book by Dodge specialist Peter Grist is an in-depth look at the highly collectable and much sought after cars that captured the imagination in the 1960s and 1970s when they featured as stars of both the big screen and drag strip.

This new book follows a chronological journey through the development of pony cars from the 1960 Valiant onwards. Fascinating design concepts and evolution are incorporated, featuring all sub-series and models. The book boasts 375 mainly colour pictures, including fresh new photos of original vehicles and rarely seen archive pictures and period adverts.

Click here for more info about the book.

LE MANS 1971 STEVE MCQUEEN CAMERA CAR

An interesting commentary about the Porsche 908 camera car by Steve McQueen on the set of cult movie Le Mans.

Stock News! Porsche 908 – The long distance runner By Jörg Thomas Födisch, Jost Nesshöver, Dieter Rossbach, Harold Schwarz and Rainer Rossbach is now in print and available to buy!



The most famous racing drivers drove it, and, for a long time, it was a guaranteed winner for Porsche: Now, finally, the first comprehensive work about the 908 has been published in the English language. The authors portray the fascinating history of the Porsche 908 racing car, and clearly explain its complex technology. Racing history is fully documented, and detailed statistics enable the reader to quickly look up all of the racing data. In addition, there are little-known anecdotes and contemporary reports from eye-witnesses and drivers. A wealth of contemporary, previously unreleased images evoke the fascinating atmosphere and excitement of the great seventies racing era.



Excerpt from the book:

In the mid-1960s, McQueen got the idea to make a racing movie. The

formula was a simple one: the film would be about a race car driver and

a single race. He would be the driver, the race would be the legendary 24

Hours of Le Mans. Both were to be genuine; McQueen would actually

enter the Le Mans race.

McQueen spared no effort in preparing himself for the event. In

late 1969, he bought a retired 908 works racer, which had been rebuilt in

Zuffenhausen as a Flounder. After three local sports car races in California,

the car was entered in the 12 Hours of Sebring. McQueen’s co-driver was

Peter Revson (February 27, 1939-March 22, 1974), one of America’s top

drivers. In 1971, Revson would become Can-Am Champion; in 1972 and

1973, he was a Formula 1 McLaren works driver, winning two Grands

Prix. In 1974, Revson was killed while testing a Formula 1 Shadow.

Just before Sebring, McQueen was injured in a motocross accident,

and had to start the race with his left foot in a cast. Nevertheless, both he

and Revson were extraordinarily fast. After the works 917s and Ferrari’s

512S entries experienced numerous technical problems and accidents, in

the last hour of the race it looked like McQueen and Revson had a chance

for an outright win. The very idea that a racing actor could humiliate the

world’s elite drivers of sports and prototype cars was too much to bear for

Mario Andretti in the last surviving works Ferrari. The Italian-American

pulled out all the stops, and succeeded in catching the McQueen/Revson

Porsche in the final minutes of the race, relegating them to second place.

Later, Andretti spoke of this win as the one that brought him the greatest

satisfaction, even though McQueen was more celebrated for his second

place finish than Andretti was as winner!

Three months later the actor did not appear at Le Mans after all; the

film company vetoed his entry. The star of the film could only experience

the real race as a spectator. His 908/02, converted to a camera car, was

driven by Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams. According to the script,

Steve McQueen, aka ‘Michael Delaney,’ drove a Gulf blue Porsche 917

short-tail to second place. But that’s another story ...





See images from the book on the Veloce flickr page!

Buy it now with credit card/paypal.

LAMBORGHINI MIURA BIBLE NOW IN STOCK!

Very pleased to announce the much anticipated Veloce book the Lamborghini Miura Bible by Joe Sackey is now in print.

The ONLY book on the Lamborghini Miura to be published in the past twenty six years – and enthusiasts agree it is long overdue. Written by a world-renowned authority on the subject, featuring, among other things, a never-before-published factory chassis production register, technical illustrations, studio-supplied images and exclusive interviews with the designers of the car: this is essential reading for any Lamborghini fan.

and what better way to celebrate the release of this book than to enjoy the opening sequence from the cult movie The Italian Job from 1969 with Matt Munro singing "On Days Like These" as a Lamborghini Miura glides through the Alps. Unfortunately, it can't be said that 'No Miuras were harmed during the making of the film' and the squeamish may want to look away at the end of this clip!

The Miura used in the Italian Job may have been ill-fated but the new Veloce book provides a must have companion at a much more affordable price than the real thing!



click here for more info about the book

SMART2VENICE ITALIAN JOB

A smart owner has masterminded his own fundraising mission to Italy making over £5,500 for charity.
Nathan Kift, who was accompanied by his step-brother Craig Jackson, drove his 2003 smart fortwo pulse coupé over 2,100 miles to Venice and back in aid of Gloucester Royal Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
The duo were inspired to take on the seven-day driving marathon after Nathan’s son spent time in the care of the SCBU.
The smart fortwo was said to have performed superbly, especially when it came to fuel economy and crossing the Alps.

Find out more about smart cars in the Veloce book the little book of smart by Paul Jackson.
A fascinating tale, told succinctly and in an entertaining style, and complemented by full colour photography throughout. Click here for more info.