Author: Paul Hardiman

Paul Hardiman has written for a variety of British car magazines since 1983. His motorsport career includes racing in the Goodwood Revival and navigating everything from an A35 to a 300SLR. He has been SCM’s English-car specialist since 2007.

1962 Bentley S3 Continental Drophead Coupe

One of the most notable characteristics of this car is that it was bought new by Eddie Fisher, who was married at the time to Elizabeth Taylor. It is easy to imagine this impossibly glamorous couple cruising the streets of Los Angeles and, especially, Las Vegas, between the casinos sparkling […]

1967 Aston Martin DB6 Volante

First shown at the London Motor Show in October 1965, the Aston Martin DB6 proudly followed in the footsteps of its predecessor, now famous for starring alongside James Bond on the silver screen. The drop-top DB6 Volante was released a year later. Adding the thrill of open-air motoring to an […]

1973 Ford Escort 1600 Mexico

The Ford Escort Mexico was introduced in November 1970 and was so named because of Ford Motor Company’s victory in the World Cup Rally, which started in London on April 19, 1970, and finished some 16,000 miles later in Mexico. Originally, Ford intended to use Escorts with the Twin-Cam or […]

1971 Trident Clipper Coupe

The Trident Clipper started out as a Trevor Fiore styling exercise commissioned by TVR and exhibited at the Geneva Salon in 1965. When the Blackpool-based sports-car maker went through one of its many financial crises, the Clipper project was acquired by Bill Last, one of its dealers. Early Clippers used […]

1931 Invicta 4½-Litre S-Type Low-Chassis Sports “Scout”

In an era when most cars stood tall, the 4½-Litre S-type Invicta, with its dramatically lowered chassis, caused a sensation. Few sports cars before or since have so looked the part. The Invicta Company’s origins go back to 1924, when Noel Macklin and Oliver Lyle, both of whom had motor-industry […]

1961 Aston Martin DB4GT “Lightweight”

The sixth-from-last Aston Martin DB4GT, chassis number 0169R, is one of only nine cars completed to lightweight specification by the factory, as evidenced by the accompanying copy guarantee form, which lists the body type as Saloon (Lightweight). Despite its tremendous rarity and value, the DB4GT remains a popular entrant at […]

1926 Bentley 3 Litre Red Label Speed Model Tourer

Leading marque authority Clare Hay’s definitive work, Bentley — The Vintage Years, records that chassis PH1469 was completed in April 1926 and was first owned by JWC McLaren. The car left the factory fitted with engine number PH1470 (the same as it has today) and was registered as GD 2250. […]

1965 Aston Martin DB5 Bond Movie Promo Car

The third of just four “Goldfinger” DB5 examples built, this Aston Martin is a fabulously rare example of what author Dave Worrall termed “The Most Famous Car in the World,” as he titled his 1993 book on the subject. Quite simply the most iconic car of all time, DB52008R is […]