Classic Motoring Archives • Dylan Michael

auto journalist

Jul 01

by Dylan Michael in Classic Motoring, Racing 0 comments

A Tale of Two Saloons

Europe in the post-war period was a paradise for motor sport enthusiasts – regardless of your vehicle, chances were that you could race it, be it on a disused airfield, the public roads or a circuit.

Jul 01

by Dylan Michael in Cinema, Classic Motoring 0 comments

For me car boot sales these days are as much about rummaging through boxes of old toys as they are searching for interesting books, and of late, as my son shows an ever-increasing interest in all things both two and four-wheeled, my most valued quarry has become the Tonka toy.

Jun 15

by Dylan Michael in Cinema, Classic Motoring 0 comments

Giulia A Mano Armata

There aren’t terribly many boxy saloons that can pass for bona fide sports cars, and I’ve already written about most of those here already: the little Simcas, the Renault 8, and Fiats 128 and 131.

Jun 04

by Dylan Michael in Classic Motoring 0 comments

Rome in Kodak Instant Color

Writing this blog on a weekly basis it’s impossible to predict when or how inspiration will strike – if indeed it does – for while there’s much to be said for creative freedom, it can be tough on the indecisive.

Jun 02

by Dylan Michael in Classic Motoring 0 comments

Lancia’s ‘Lemon’

On one hand the seventies were a great time to buy something sporty and Italian – there were lots of makes and models to choose from, ranging from true exotica like the Maserati Merak, to pretty Spiders from Alfa and Fiat, plus everyday cars with a bit of poke, like the Giulia Sprint or the Sud Ti.

Jun 02

by Dylan Michael in Classic Motoring 0 comments

From Jet to Missile

The other evening I was watching a film called Le Pacha, directed by the late, great Georges Lautner. It’s a typical slice of sixties French policier action, with a couple of big heists, a coldblooded baddie and a slightly grumpy Jean Gabin as the weary cop on his trail,

Jun 01

by Dylan Michael in Cinema, Classic Motoring 0 comments

Soul Challenger

Perhaps it’s just morbid curiosity that draws my eye to the Obituaries page of the paper each morning, but regardless I find the well-lived lives of others truly fascinating.

Jun 01

by Dylan Michael in Classic Motoring, Racing 0 comments

Night of the Hunter

There’s a great book by racer-turned-journalist Innes Ireland, entitled Marathon in the Dust, which tells the eventful story of the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon.

Jun 01

by Dylan Michael in Classic Motoring 0 comments

Plastic Panther

A few months back, as you may recall, I was dispatched to the Footman James Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham, and though the day itself was somewhat hectic, it did give me a chance to meet some really nice people and see some really exciting cars.

May 31

by Dylan Michael in Classic Motoring 0 comments

Futuristic Anglings

Once upon a time, when Buck Rogers was on TV and I was a boy, there was a little Italian sports car, so small and angular, it appeared to have been conceived as an experiment in origami.