defining car culture 023PLAYERS CLASSIC
Nathan Powney’s
Nova from issue 407Soleman Peer’s Mk3 has
had a makeover since its featureGaz Volga
No matter how much effort you put into a car,
it can be hard to stand out on the showground
when there are other builds based on the same
platform – Mk1 Golfs, for example, or S-body
Nissans. One way to sidestep this issue is to buy a
car that pretty much no-one in the country owns,
or would even recognise. We absolutely loved
the incongruous sight of seeing this obscure
Russian beast sitting on the Goodwood lawn,
with a constant stream of people walking past
saying ‘That’s cool, what the hell is it?’. The answer
is that it’s a 1978 GAZ-24 Volga, a robust Soviet
barge that was sold with either a 2.2-litre four-pot
or a 5.5-litre V8 (we don’t know which this one
has, but we really hope it’s the latter). It wasn’t
extensively modified; indeed, it was probably one
of the least modded cars at the show, simply
sitting low over Rover P5B wheels. But it was
unique, and it confused people, and we like that.
RB Sunbeam
Some properly next-level retro thinking here. The Talbot
Sunbeam’s become such a rare sight on the roads that most
people don’t really know what it is; for those who do, their
knowledge of the model often begins and ends with the
celebrated Lotus Sunbeam variant. But just check out this
lunatic creation: it’s positively dripping in custom carbon fibre
touches, and the interior’s been pared back to a position of
no-nonsense functionality – with an absolutely enormous
transmission tunnel. Why? Well, peep under the bonnet and
you’ll find a colossal Nissan RB straight-six, packing a Holset
turbo the size of your face and spoiling for a rumble. This little
Talbot is seriously angry. Stand back, it’ll have your leg off.How did that get in there?