2019-06-01 Classic Cars

31

MONTH IN CARS

Events

JaguarSS100

TheuniqueJaguaraboveremained

unseenfor 30 yearsbeforebeing

revealed, partly restored, on the

Saica Classic Motor Sport stand in

the Madrid sunshine.

Originally a 1938 Jaguar SS100, it

was rebodied in the Art Deco style in

1945 by Swiss skiing champion turned

coachbuilder Willy Bernath. ‘The

car had been hidden away in a barn

since our Swiss client rescued it from

being scrapped 30 years ago,’ said

Saica’s Arturo Pardo. ‘It was in a very

poor state, the rear end having been

cut away after being damaged in an

accident, but fortunately we had a lot

of period photographs to work from

so were able to accurately rebuild

the car. We started work on the

projecta yearago,andare planning

tohaveit finishedby thisautumn.’

Renault 4

This wonderfully patinated Spanish-

built Renault generated a huge

amount of interest over the course

of the show. ‘It was built in 1963

by FASA in Valladolid, and it’s the

earliest one I’ve ever seen, said

owner Germán Vaquero. ‘A family

friend bought it when it was nine

months old, but he eventually parked

it up and forgot about it.’ The car

emerged from storage when its

owner died, and having spent 35

years in hibernation was incredibly

original – right down to the ultra-rare

factory jack, for which R4 fans at

the event were offering hundreds

ofEuros.Vaquerowasadamant,

however,that thelattershould

remainwiththecar,whichat €3000

didn’t seem expensiveforsucha

timewarp example.

Authi Victoria

Alejandro Caballero’s intriguing

three-box saloon is based on BMC’s

best-selling ADO16 series and was

produced in Pamplona by the

firm’s local subsidiary, Automóviles

Hispano Ingleses. Bought new in

1973 by Caballero’s parents, it shares

his garage with an MG1300 that was

also his mother’s. ‘Victorias were

once very commonplace here,

but few people these days know

how to work on the Hydrolastic

suspension. There are maybe 10 or

so still running.’ Although unrestored,

beneath its bonnet a freshly rebuilt

twin-carburettor A-series lurks.

Disguised in Madrid

Spanish rarities dominate, but a bizarre Jaguar steals the show at Classic Auto Madrid

Unique Swiss-bodied SS100 is

an ongoing restoration project

Charlie Whiting, the British motor sport official

best known for his role as Formula One race

director, has died aged 66, on the eve of the

2019 Australian Grand Prix at which he had

been due to officiate.

Growing up in the shadow of Brands Hatch,

Whiting studied mechanical engineering,

initially working as a mechanic for his brother

Nick as he competed in club motor sport,

before the pair went into business, preparing

Divina Galica’s Formula 5000 Surtees. Whiting

was hired as a mechanic by Hesketh in 1977

• his first job in Formula One – and with the
  team’s demise the following year, joined Bernie

Ecclestone at Brabham. Whiting soon became

Nelson Piquet’s chief mechanic, where he

oversaw the Brazilian’s first two World Driver’s

Championships, before being promoted to be

Brabham’s chief engineer.

In 1988, Whiting joined the FIA as chief

scrutineer, citing his experience helping to

engineer the infamous Brabham BT46B ‘fan

car’ as instrumental in knowing how to spot

rule-benders. He ascended to the position of

F1 race director in 1997, and also took it upon

himself to chair the sport’s various working

groups, guiding rules to balance safety,

racecraft and technological advancement.

Charlie Whiting, 1952-2019

Timewarp

Renault 4

Rare

Authi