Steve Cropley
Old circuit thrives as a newer one dies
MONDAY
Most of my 400 ‘ordinary’ Christmas miles were happily accomplished in a Land Rover Discovery, a machine I’ve driven relatively little since the 2017 model change, though I did manage plenty of miles in its predecessors. At times over Christmas there were eight cars parked in our Gloucestershire yard – counting sons’ and their girlfriends’ vehicles – yet the Disco was always the default choice. It’s simple to jump into and drive, effortless on the road, great for seeing interesting sights over Cotswold stone walls, and big enough for anything you’re likely to take out or bring home. I enjoyed every mile.
Biggest point of interest was seeing how much JLR has achieved with engine downsizing, for which the company gets too little credit. Practically every Disco I’ve driven in 15 years has had a diesel V6 of 2.7-plus litres but this one had a Wolverhampton 2.0 four-pot engine. That still has generous outputs of 237bhp and 369lb ft but turned an impressive 37mpg, a clear 10mpg (or 37%) better than my slower 2.7 back in the day. It was smooth and quiet, too, also properties for which I reckon the latest engines deserve more credit.
WEDNESDAY
To Brooklands, just inside London’s orbital M25, for the annual New Year’s Day classic car jamboree where new records were set for cars displayed and bodies through turnstiles. Made two grave errors: failed to take an old car (last year Ford loaned us a superb Capri) and arrived too late to avoid the queues. Yet nothing could quell the warmth I feel for my car-loving fellow men and women at times like this. If you’ve been a bit isolated over Christmas in a cloying clump of non-car family, here’s your antidote. As ever, Brooklands was happy to entertain vintage car flat-cappers, Maxi owners, hot-rodders, old motorbikers (in both senses) and anyone in between. The home of British motorsport, 112 years old next birthday, loves us all.
THURSDAY
The happy new year will have to roll on without one venue: the Rockingham racing circuit near Corby, which has closed for the last time. It’s always horrible when such things happen, and I have special memories of this spectacular oval track and its inner road circuit. For one thing, I set the first lap record (unofficial) for an Autocar story while Rockingham was still a building site. My car was an Audi Allroad and the lap time was just under 16 minutes, as I recall.
Also watched Colin Mcrae demonstrate his supreme skill and versatility by driving through an Ascar field from the back in his very first race. And I took part in early Autocar track days there. Have particular memories of two venerable gents circulating at stately pace in a late 1960s Sunbeam Alpine, setting records for wailing tyres, spectacular body roll and the width of their smiles.
❝ Brooklands, 112 years old next birthday, loves us all ❞
SATURDAY
Reactions to my recent interview with Frank Stephenson, the BMW Mini designer, give a vivid insight into the world of design criticism that I suppose practising professionals must cope with every day. One critic called the piece “a shameful PR regurgitation” on the grounds that Ian Callum had done the Ford Escort Cosworth (Stephenson did the “biplane” rear wing) and Fiat’s Roberto Giolito is also credited for the latest Fiat 500. Another critic – from the car design press, no less – reckoned my piece was “wonderful”. Hard to know what to think. Reminds me what Land Rover’s Gerry Mcgovern often says about design credit and design opinion: “Success has many fathers,” he reckons. “Failure is a bastard.”