Everyone knows that great GT racer of the sixties, the Ford GT40. But does anyone remember the car that made it possible, the Lola Mk VI, or GT as it was more commonly named?

In the early years of that decade, makers of GT racers were slow to follow Formula 1 in designing mid-engined cars and Eric Broadley, founder of Lola Cars, decided to give it a try. The result was the Lola GT, the car that caught everyone by surprise in 1963. It was so good-looking and promised great performance too.

Lola entered it late for Le Mans that year and their rushed preparation meant that it failed to make the distance, although it was running amongst the leaders when it broke. The potential was obvious and we looked forward to the car challenging and perhaps beating the dominant Ferraris.

But it was not to be. Ford wanted to have a go at Le Mans and were working on a mid-engined design; but, when they saw the Lola, they dropped everything, bought the car and the services of its designer. Out of that deal came the Ford GT Mk I, a car that owed much to Broadley’s Lola GT. And the Mk I evolved into the GT40, of course.

So we never found out how good a racer the Lola would turn out to be. But it remains one of the prettiest cars ever to see the light of day!

Clive Allen

If I were asked which car I particularly fancy from today’s line-up, I would have to pick the Audi S3.

Not exactly today’s version, as I think they have spoiled its looks with the new grille, but one from five or six years ago.

It may seem a strangely conservative choice but my time of hungering after supercars is long gone; these days I think about cost and practicality as well as performance.

The thing about the Audi, apart from the reliability and solid build we have come to expect from the marque, is that it is so perfectly proportioned. To me, most modern designs look misshapen and more concerned with clever detail than overall impression, but the S3 is all of a piece, unfussy, thoroughly Germanic and well balanced.

It is no slouch in the performance stakes as well and everything adds up to a perfectly designed and sensible car. What more could one ask for?

And there is one more salient fact about the S3 that needs to be stated clearly and unashamedly: it looks absolutely fantastic in yellow!

By Clive Allen

Just as the news of the sale of Jaguar to Indian private equity company Tata comes through, we hear news that the fastest ever Jaguar is being launched.

Supercar Jaguar XK, billed as the fastest ever Jag

Yahoo News comments : “Jaguar has unveiled its fastest ever production car since the XJ220 supercar. The XKR-S is based on the standard Jaguar XKR, but a series of enhancements boost its performance and improve its focus as a drivers’ car.

“The supercharged engine produces 420bhp, the ECU recalibrated to allow the XKR-S to reach a maximum of 174mph and sprint to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds.

“Although there’s no boost in power, Jaguar promises that the 200 limited series run of XKR-S models will provide their drivers with greater thrills behind the wheel. ”

It looks a dream, but with American, now Indian, ownership it scarcely qualifies as an English classic any more.

What would Inspector Morse make of it all?

Brooklands — The Official Centenary History by David Venables is a stunning book to look at. It’s also the definitive account of this magical and historic place. Anyone who knows about motor racing will have heard of Brooklands in southern England.

The author, though, goes beyond the glories of its competitive past and looks at all aspects of Brooklands’ activities. This is a large subject, for it includes motocycle racing, land speed records, manufacturing and aircraft testing, stunts and scandals. It was a hotbed of engineering skills and innovation in its day.

A glance at the appendices tells it all : Outer Circuit lap records, long-distance race winners, maps of how Brooklands evolved over time, aircraft made there.

At the recent Brooklands Centenary Festival, more than 20,000 people visited, demonstrating its perennial appeal.