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David Brown to celebrate exclusive Speedback GT’s one-year anniversary

11 March, 2015

David Brown Automotive, Britain’s premier, 21st-century coachbuilder, unveiled their Speedback GT at the Top Marques show in Monaco last year. To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Speedback GT’s successful launch, David Brown will be showcasing the car at the prestigious Retro Classics in Stuttgart, Germany.

The Speedback GT is a clear modern classic, styled upon the timeless lines of the Aston Martin DB5. David Brown, the businessman behind the car, owns one and, though he wanted to sort out the car’s issues, he found that he couldn’t take away from its classic character. The solution to this problem was to design and build a modern version, with classic lines and character, and modern reliability and comfort.

This is achieved through the chassis and running gear of a Jaguar XKR convertible (chosen for its pre-strengthened chassis), powered by the supercharged, five-litre V8 and six-speed automatic. The coach-built body comprises a blend of old and new techniques — a clay model was handcrafted initially, and a scan was made, allowing a lifesize computer rendering to be produced. According to this precise rendering, a wooden buck was made, allowing the bespoke, alloy body panels to be precisely hand-formed.

“Since the car first appeared a year ago, we have had a very strong response in Germany,” said David Brown. Several early orders for the Speedback were from the German market, and David Brown is aware that many of the Speedback’s qualities resonate with affluent German enthusiasts, making Retro Classics the perfect place to commence their 2015 show programme. Retro Classics showcase the finest classics, and modern vehicles, to a discerning crowd between March 26–29, at the Stuttgart Landesmesse. 

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.