One he made earlier
Congratulations on 700 issues and thank you so much for the fantastic 700th issue. I remember my first copy of CAR, back in 1969, featuring the then new Ford Capri. I’ve pretty much bought every single issue since then, and was very pleased to contribute some ‘scoop’ illustrations of a new Aston while at college in the ’80s. Given that your magazine has been such an influence on my life, I couldn’t have been more thrilled to see the Lotus Elise finishing a close second as your choice for the best car in CAR’s history. Not only that, the car you tested was the car I actually once owned. I wish I could tell you something clever about the choice of spec but at the time it was the best I could afford!
So I’m quite happy to finish runnerup to the F40 and agree with this choice – on the condition you arrange for me to drive one! Good luck with the next 700.
Julian Thomson, Jaguar design director
Nothing wrong with the Elise’s spec, Julian – Gavin, Ben and Chris loved it. Let’s see what we can do about that F40 drive… BM
Going to need a bigger podium
Thanks for the 700th issue. It’s the kind of issue CAR always does best, simply because of the fantastic history behind the magazine.
The subscriber in me led me to one of my favourite CAR issues – the 50th anniversary special of October 2012 – and the statistician in me thought I’d compare the 50 greatest cars in that issue with the seven favourite cars in the 700th issue.
The conclusion? The F40 rose an astonishing 26 places from 27th to first, knocking the 911 off top spot which I guess shows that CAR doesn’t take the
Stevenage’s fastest yoghurt knitter easy option when it comes to opinions!
Anyway, I’m already looking forward to the 60th anniversary issue in two years, and in particular where the F40 features then in the list of great cars. Simon Hull
The race to be green
Mark Walton’s November column on Lewis Hamilton was spot-on. Lewis as a sportsman is a national treasure, and should be recognised as such. But he does spout some sanctimonious claptrap. If so concerned about the planet, why does he continue in an industry that in 2019 announced an 11-year plan to be carbon neutral? Eleven years!! Why so long? I’m sure one of the most technologically advanced sectors in the world can do better than that. The CO2 footprint of F1 with all its logistics, manufacturing and consumables must be enormous!
Lewis needs to look closer to home, cut out the ‘knit your own yoghurt’ nonsense and become an eco warrior within his F1 glasshouse first!
Gareth Morgan
The greats
I saw the news of your 700th edition and hurried off to buy it. I have to admit I was somewhat surprised by being greeted by such a slimline 700th – not so much a bumper edition as a bumperette. Having said that, I was impressed that you managed to condense the story of 700 editions into just 35 pages, and find space to mention past contributors such as LJK Setright, George Bishop, Russell Bulgin, Mel Nichols, et al.
However, perhaps a little more space would have allowed a new generation to enjoy the quality of their writing, I’m sure there are some gems in your archives. Hoping that we’re all still around for the 1000th.
Chris Ballantine
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris. As you point out, space was the issue. Fortunately anyone keen to read more can head to carmagazine.co.uk for a wealth of stories. For example, search ‘CAR magazine Bulgin’ and you’ll be spoilt for choice, with everything from his essay on the simple joys of the Renault 4 to his legendary ‘Thanks but no thanks’ first drive of a Porsche 911. BM
Cogito ergo sum
I’ve been reading and subscribing to CAR for over 40 years now. Your 700th issue was a trip down memory lane. I remember reading LJK Setright’s original article in Latin. Would it be possible for you to re-print this? I’d enjoy translating it again. Some of his other articles are still very relevant today, and worth reading.
David Earl
One of the great privileges of working at CAR is ready access ⊲