Cars

It seems incredible that Karen and I have been married 20 years this coming December. I tell you this not to get a flood of fluffy cards wishing us well, but to consider the whole question of anniversaries. This year, there seems to be a surfeit of dates that we should wave a flag at, some good but, sadly, others not so.

I was standing underneath it, getting a good view of an encouragingly corrosion-free underside, when I saw the forklift's prongs nosing towards me. I got out from under, to see a tidy-looking 1989 Jaguar I XJ 3.6 before me, surrounded by scrap cars.

Francis Stanislaus. It’s been a while since I thought of the guy. He was — is — a childhood friend, some years older than me. There are people you always remember from your early days. Many years later, if you’re lucky, you realise that your paths were meant to cross. Without them to nudge you in the right direction at a given crossroads in time, who knows how it all might have unfolded? Now, that can be a good thing or a bad one. And, growing up, there were more than enough people who believed the latter when it came to Francis.

What’s in your Garage? We meet a man with a mix of old and new BMWs. We meet one man who has had plenty of modern BMWs over the years, but has lately turned his attentions to some modern classics, along with an X5 for his wife… Words: Simon Holmes Photography: Steve Hall.

Unable to be in London, I watched the XE reveal in September using the live feed that Jaguar had arranged. It was a highly professional public launch quite unlike anything that has happened before – the appearance of the new car being preceded by a stage play featuring a young man from the Thirties who dreams of designing a new car.

Bitten by the bug. After reading about Affalterbach‘s fastest Mercedes-Benz as a child, this AMG super fan soon found himself behind the wheel of a C36 saloon - and two more stars have followed.

Porsche 911S 2.2 epic restoration. I wanted the look perfectly preserved, not restored. On the way to buy a Carrera RS replica, Neil Plumpton heard about a 911S 2.2 in need of love - he couldn’t resist. Words: Ben Field. Photography: Richard Pardon.

Epic restoration 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia SS. The roof had been walked on and half its rear wings were gone. Craig Jones hadn’t intended to buy an Alfa Romeo Giulia SS, but when he happened across this looking sad on a trailer, resistance was futile. Words MIKE RENAUT. Photography MATT RICHARDSON.

The Collector - I just don’t like small cars. Marcus Dean’s passion for XL-sized classics started with fine establishment names like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but when his attention crossed the Atlantic, his collection blossomed. Words: NIGEL BOOTHMAN Photography: LAURENS PARS.

1959 Bentley Continental S1 epic restoration – the owner wanted a nine-month deadline. The car however had other ideas. I sought it might be possible – if we were lucky. It took one Bentley specialist six years just to buy this car - then he was asked to do a total restoration in only nine months. Words: Nigel Boothman Photography: Laurens Parsons.

One life, two chassis and countless beautiful memories for its owners. Life cycle. The life story of a Lotus Elan Sprint S3. After Scottish tours, rallies, daily use, then decades waiting for a new chassis it didn’t need, this Elan finally found its savior. Words: Russ Smith Photography: Rory Game.

When it comes to a tingle factor, many feel that no Mercedes-Benz does it quite like a classic SL. And to make sure we don't short change you, this issue serves up no less than six of them, from a 300SL Gullwing to a 500SL from the R129 era. My part in it was to do the 190SL W121, our cover story, and what a joy it was, especially one this pristine.