ONESTEPFORWAR.D..

As the summer rolls on, we should be grateful that even if we've not been able to enjoy car shows this year, with the easing of lockdown we have been able to get our cars and trucks out and take them for a spin. For some, this may be the first time they've been able to use their classic American vehicle for that long-dreamed-of road trip - if you do, perhaps you'll discover another dimension to your vehicle that you never knew of before (and I don't mean sat on the hard shoulder, mulling over why hazard flashers weren't standard on American cars until well into the late Sixties!). I know from personal experience that long drives, like those that were possible in Scandinavia before the ferries from the UK to Sweden and Denmark were axed, brought an almost Zen-like feeling of being at one with one's vehicle as the miles were gobbled up and the car did exactly what it was designed for ... I'm not going to get all 'Easy Rider' on you, but trust me, try it - I can highly recommend it!

I was very sorry to hear of the recent passing of Stuart Bradbury. I first met Stuart when he was working at John Wolfe Racing and they became sponsors of the magazine's Car of the Year competition back in the late Nineties. Stu then went on to work for US Automotive and I often spoke to him on the phone when ordering parts for my cars. His friendly, welcoming voice must have surely been an asset to US Automotive and later his involvement in the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame brought him to the attention of many more people. It's people like Stuart who make the American car community (and drag racing community) in this country so special. He'll be sadly missed and our hobby will be all the poorer without him ...