1 Minute Read

The UK's Best Auto Artists

Posted by - Tim Earnshaw on 19 April 2022
Categories: Advice

Here at Windrush classic car storage, we’ve been lucky enough to encounter some of the UK’s most talented auto art creators over the years. Taking inspiration from all things four-wheeled, their works are as head-turning and technically impressive as anything hanging on the walls of Tate Modern.

Whether you’re in the market for collectible car art, or just browsing, here are six of our favorite auto artists. Look out for examples of their work next time you visit our long term car storage facilities in London and the Cotswolds.

Speed Icons

Speed Icons

Joel Clark started out as a vinyl sticker-maker for race teams at Silverstone, and while this British artist went on to graduate from art college, worked at respected ad agencies and has earned kudos for his oil paintings, Speed Icons brings him full circle. “I’ve returned to the unique skill I learnt back at Silverstone, hand-cutting vinyl graphics for racing cars,” he says. “But now I’m hand-cutting vinyl to create artworks of iconic racing cars and liveries.”

With Joel setting out to recreate the blur of a car flashing past on a race track, the emphasis is on shapes, colours and patterns, rather than fine detail. Even so, creating each bespoke work is a painstaking process, demanding 30 hours of intense concentration, armed only with a scalpel, to cut out by hand the hundreds of hugely intricate colour shapes that make up the image.

Henry Falzon

Henry Falzon

Based in Malta, Henry’s goal is to “interpret the things I love”, and his art runs the gamut from beach scenes to local cyclists, rendered in anything from charcoal to pastel. For our purposes, however, the standouts are the artist’s hand-inked 4×4 reduction linocut prints, showcasing the mighty Land Rover.

Henry admits the linocut process is “laborious”, and that no two artworks are identical. But the quality of his 100% cotton materials is unparalleled and the sheer detail in his work is extraordinary, with some of our favourite prints even offering a close-up of the Landy engine bay.

Tim Layzell

Tim Layzell

Having sketched his first Bugatti aged just three, Tim Layzell’s career took off in 1995, when the 13-year-old won the British Racing Drivers Club’s prestigious Young Motoring Artist Award. He hasn’t looked back since, exhibiting his work everywhere from the Goodwood Revival to the Monaco Grand Prix.

Tim’s passion for the golden age of motorsport tends to inform his work. With a particular focus on the ’30s, he recreates historic encounters between Alfa Romeo and Bugatti, Mercedes and Auto Union, often on famed tracks like Donington and the Nürburgring. Inspired by the photography of the period, precision and realism are his calling cards – although he sometimes forks left into a thrilling pop art style that almost seems to be moving on your wall!

Popbangcolour

Popbangcolour

Few artists push the envelope like Ian Cook. Where others use a brush, the British painter relies on a fleet of remote control cars to skid across his canvases and create the pleasingly jagged representations of racing Minis and more.

Describing his work as “a friendly explosion of colour”, Cook has showcased his unique brand of performance art at events like the Bicester Scrambles and London Motorshow, always watched by huge crowds. He’s open to individual or corporate commissions, too, whether you choose his RC-rendered artwork or his equally ambitious continuous line drawings.

Road Race Rally

Road Race Rally

As champions of attention to detail, the Windrush classic car storage team salutes Road Race Rally for their equally fastidious approach. Whether it’s a dream machine or the pride and joy of your personal collection, simply send over a selection of photos and your artist will recreate the vehicle in exacting detail, right down to the seat fabric and stitching.

Road Race Rally’s flexible approach means it’s even possible to add text or specify backgrounds, making these bespoke artworks – which each take around 70 hours and up to 2000 digital layers – the perfect personalised addition to your garage or office.

Geoff Bolam

Geoff Bolam

Inspired by art deco and the undulations of post-war sports cars, Geoff Bolam’s brainwave was using oil paints on aluminium, rather than a traditional canvas. “These vehicles often had aluminium bodywork,” he explains, “so it felt very appropriate and opened up lots of possibilities to use the metal as part of the composition and to introduce a sculptural quality to my work.”

Aluminium is no easy option: the surface must first be etched with acids, then polished, sanded and brushed, while the painting and glazing process takes up to eight weeks. But with Bolam offering limited edition prints and open to individual commissions, this is some of the most collectible car art around.

Windrush classic car storage – keeping your pride and joy picture-perfect

Windrush long term car storage doesn’t just look the part, with eye-catching auto art decorating our facilities in London and the Cotswolds. We go deeper than our rivals, too, offering luxury car storage service that sets the industry standard.

Starting with Windrush’s renowned twelve-step induction process, we’ll safeguard your car for the duration of its stay with a model-specific maintenance programme that leaves no stone unturned. Finally, when your stay is over, all it takes is a call to our prestige car storage team – and we’ll make sure your vehicle is ready for you to turn the key.

Insist on Windrush for long term car storage that goes further. We’re ready to hear from you on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk

Get in touch
Call Cotswolds +44 (0) 1451 821 008
Call London +44 (0) 207 458 4418
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1 Minute Read

The Top 11 Green Cars

Read Article
At Windrush, we’re big advocates for green car storage – in every sense of the word. Take a…
Read Article
At Windrush, we’re big advocates for green car storage – in every sense of the word. Take a stroll through our long term car storage in London and the Cotswolds and you’ll find environmentally conscious features throughout, right down to the solar panels that help keep our facilities ticking over. More literally, too, nothing gets the Windrush team more excited than when we welcome a vehicle bearing the timeless green tint that evokes Britishness in excelsis. Here are our favourite marques and their green machines, chosen by the Windrush long term car storage team.      Bentley Old Number 10 The immortal Old Number 10 was no slouch under the bonnet, equipped with a ‘Supersports’ engine that might have seen it triumph at Le Mans in 1925 (had it not run out of fuel). But it’s that irresistible froggy finish that lives on in the memory – not the first car to take to the track in British Racing Green, perhaps, but undoubtedly one of the most iconic. TVR Griffith Fast, loud and over-engined, there’s a thousand reasons to choose a British bruiser from the Blackpool-founded marque. TVR has long had a reputation for its gonzoid finishes – who can forget the dodgem-style flip paint available for the Sagaris and T350? – but for timeless class that won’t go out of fashion, it has to be the Griffith in a classic racing green. Ford ‘Bullitt’ Mustang Steve McQueen was the undisputed King Of Cool, and his immortal chase through the streets of San Francisco in 1968’s Bullitt was practically a one-man PR campaign for green cars. No wonder Evo’s John Barker was frothing at the mouth when he was invited to test the 720bhp Bullitt Edition Mustang in June. Ford Focus RS Offered in the most in-your-face of greens, this hooligan hot hatch was nicknamed ‘Kermit’, for obvious reasons. Back in 2016, when Burton Power Performance souped up an RS to an obnoxious 430bhp @ 7500rpm for a Brands Hatch track day, it was probably the world’s fastest amphibian. BMW E39 M5 The stunning E39 M5 needs no introduction, but green was a BMW Individual paint option when new and an M car has never looked so classy. McLaren 570GT As the quintessential British motorsport marque, green is a no-brainer for the McLaren colour palette. There’s not a supercar on its books that doesn’t look more dashing with a splash of good old British racing – but the 570GT might be our favourite. Ferrari LaFerrari Officially, Ferrari never offered a green LaFerrari. But if you ask nicely, open an attaché case full of banknotes and remind them that you’re an international pop star – as Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay did back in 2014 – then the Italian marque will see what it can do. “I wanted to make a statement,” explained Kay said. “It gives the car a uniqueness and it deserves it.” Land Rover Rover’s original Series 1 of 1948 was an open tribute to the WWII jeep, and more than a half-century later, charging through the country lanes of Britain in anything other than a green Landy is cultural sacrilege.    Jaguar D-Type Launched in 1954, when the first example shipped to professional tennis player Curt Lincoln, the D-Type cut a dash with both its bottlenose silhouette and mouthwatering racing green finish. Quite simply, green is the colour for a D-Type, evoking impeccable race pedigree and perfectly complementing the flowing lines. Ferrari F355 What a difference a shade makes. Finished in the traditional hot red, the F355 was a brash racer straight from the bedroom walls of a ’90s teenager. Specify a green factory finish, on the other hand, and suddenly it became a sophisticated and demure gent-about-town. Lamborghini Miura Arguably the first supercar, the Miura upped the ‘look-at-me’ factor further still with its wonderful lime green finish. For both the styling and the shade, eyeballs were out on stalks whenever it took to the tarmac. Try Windrush’s green car storage (whatever colour you drive) At Windrush, we welcome a rainbow of vehicles to our long term car storage in London and the Cotswolds, but our ethos is always the same: to keep your pride and joy in the form of its life. From the twelve-stage induction process that welcomes your car in style, to the ongoing maintenance schedule that means it’s ready to drive out the moment you need it, this is prestige car storage done right. Get in touch with the Windrush team to talk about our long term car storage service. We’re ready to chat on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk
top-10-quietly-cool-cars-main-original-1642427317.jpeg?w=1024&h=683&scale
1 Minute Read

Top 10 Quietly Cool Cars

Read Article
As automotive connoisseurs, we’ve all been guilty of drooling over a car in the street that our friends…
Read Article
As automotive connoisseurs, we’ve all been guilty of drooling over a car in the street that our friends and family just don’t get. We all stare at a Ferrari and can hear a Lamborghini approaching without even seeing it, but only those in the know glance back at a Citroën all others would pass by. Here, Windrush’s classic car storage experts choose ten cars that have the cool factor – but only to those who know. Citroën C6 In the past, Citroën offered quirkily cool cars in abundance (SM, CX Safari, BX to name but a few), but that dwindled away in the recent past… until the C6 executive saloon arrived in 2005. The C6 was luxurious, well-designed, stuffed to the gills with kit and had a style that many prestige manufacturers would be proud of. Hydroactive suspension meant it could be raised and lowered (a famous Citroën trait) while providing a magic carpet ride. Drive one today and you’ll still cut a dash, so striking is its design. A true French masterpiece. Volvo XC70 A Volvo estate has always had a classless charm, meaning you would not be surprised to find one on the streets of Chelsea, outside a rambling country pile or outside a suburban new build. In 2007, Volvo raised the game – and the car – with the off road 4WD XC70, which is basically a jacked-up V70 estate with some hardwearing exterior trim, chunky tyres, and the capability to not just get you to the point-to-point, but probably get you around most of the course as well. Many other cars do the 4WD thing better, but a mud-covered XC70 parked in the village shows the driver as a person of impeccable taste. VW Touareg V10 Volkswagen stormed into the SUV market with the luxurious and desirable Touareg 4×4 in 2002, immediately rubbing shoulders with the top-level offerings of the time. In 2003 VW decided to offer the Touareg with a monstrous 5.0 V10 diesel engine, producing 309bhp and 553nm of torque, making it the most powerful diesel engine available at the time. Styling-wise, the Touareg looked like any other model, with no visual clues on show other than a discreet V10 badge on the boot. Costly to buy and costly to run, one has to applaud those brave enough to order such a car, and what a delight it is to see one on the road – or pulling into our classic car storage – today. Porsche 924 Known to many as the Porsche with a van engine, the 924 has long been the runt of the Stuttgart litter, and it’s true, the 2.0 petrol engine had origins that can be traced back to a VW van. However, as with many cars, time has been kind to the 924 and it’s now seen as being a rather cool way to get about. What was once seen as ‘dull’ looks now seem understated and sharp. Being regarded as disposable for many years also means good ones are rare (and becoming expensive to buy). True, it’s not fast, but it handles like a Porsche and today the 924 is a very acceptable way to arrive, particularly in S or Turbo specification. BMW E60 550i ‘Q car’ is a term used to describe a car that has performance beyond its looks, and the 550i may well be the finest example of this to have been offered from a showroom. Sure, you could order an M5 for show and go, but the 50i could be specified in very mundane levels of trim, meaning what might seem like a lowly model at first glance, will soon leave you at the lights as it flexes its 4.8 V8 with nigh on 370bhp. Arguably the coolest 550i spec is an SE trim level Touring (estate) that has been de-badged. Comfortable, with space for the family and discreet enough to be ignored by the boy-racer crew, it is the ultimate fast car for those who don’t want to be noticed. Honda Prelude (4th generation) We already know Honda knows how to make a decent performance car (take the S2000, NSX and Integra Type R as your evidence), but the 91-96 generation of Prelude is right up there. The one you want is the 2.2 VTEC with 4-wheel-steering and a high-revving 182bhp. Those of you old enough to remember will have fond memories of legendary CAR magazine motoring journalist L.J.K. Setright regularly stating that a Prelude was all the car anyone really needed. When a factory-standard 2.2 is seen on the road, one has to marvel at the technical wizardry packed within, and the fabulous drive it offers. Being a Honda, it’ll run forever, too. Audi S6 V10 (2006) Much like the BMW E60 550i, the Audi S6 is another wolf in sheep’s clothing, and you’ll need to know your model specs to appreciate what the S6 offers. Tucked under the unassuming bonnet is a 40-valve, 5.2 V10 petrol engine with 429bhp derived from the engine found in a Lamborghini Gallardo, and all there is to show for it is a pair of tiny V10 badges on the wings. Big wheels (to accommodate the big brakes) and some large exhausts are about the only other visual clues over a regular A6, and even the V10 is (sadly) muted so you’ll not be seen or heard. Still, it’s a car that oozes cool, a real car for those ‘in the know’ and your family will love you for it (“My Dad’s car is a Lamborghini”). Mercedes 500E (W124) If you’ve ever flown into Germany, you will be familiar with the Mercedes-Benz W124 E-Class as a stack of them are parked outside airports as taxis (often with a million kilometres on the clock). But the humble 124 became a legend in 1990 when Mercedes launched the 500E. Much like the Audi S6 above, the 500E was discretion personified with subtly flared wheel arches and wider versions of the standard Merc ‘8-hole’ alloy wheels the most obvious statement of its intent. Produced in collaboration with Porsche, the 500E came with a 322bhp V8, brakes from the 600SL, lowered suspension, wider track, and sports seats. 0-60 came in 6 seconds and the top speed was in excess of 160 mph. Only 10,479 were built, so the 500E remains a very special car today – and it’s always a talking point when this model arrives at Windrush’s luxury car storage facilities. MG ZT 260 While the MG ZT was based on the Rover 75, it had one model that stood head and shoulders above the rest, due to it being fitted with a 4.6 V8 taken from the Ford Mustang GT. Power wasn’t huge at just 252bhp, but the Mustang unit has so many off-the-shelf performance parts available that tuning them was a simple affair. While the ZT was most often specified as a saloon, we think the estate model provides the ultimate in coolness, with discreet practicality and that noisy Mustang V8 powering the rear wheels only. Those that spot the quad exhaust pipes may realise it’s a fast car, but few will know your ‘old man’ MG packs American muscle. Subaru Forester Choose any Forester and you’ll have a cool car, but go for a turbo petrol engine and it’s sub-zero. With true go-anywhere potential (ask any farmer) and all the know-how of a world rally champion manufacturer, it really does offer the perfect daily transport. The 2006-2008 Forester XT came with a 2.5 flat-four turbocharged engine producing 208bhp and was a rally car for the family, but it’s relatively easy to find a Japanese market-only STi model here in the UK too, thanks to good numbers being imported. The STi looks every inch the rally stage hero and comes with a 2.5 turbo engine taken from the Impreza WRX STi with 261bhp. Not discreet, but you need to be committed to owning one, and whenever the Windrush team welcomes a Forester to our long term car storage, we can’t help but smile in appreciation. Loud or subtle, every vehicle is welcome at Windrush long term car storage At Windrush classic car storage, we’re just as committed to flash supercars as soft-spoken dark horses. We know every vehicle that arrives at our classic car storage facilities in London and the Cotswolds is someone’s pride and joy – and for the duration of your car’s stay, it’s ours, too. Trust our experts to settle your car in with the industry-leading twelve-step induction that ticks boxes you didn’t even know existed. Then enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing our long term car storage experts are on the case, monitoring and maintaining your vehicle until the moment you’re ready to turn the key. Windrush’s long term car storage teams are friendly, flexible and ready to hear from you. Drop us a line on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk
hybrid-ev-storage-at-windrush-1-main-original
1 Minute Read

Hybrid & EV Storage at Windrush

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At Windrush, we continually monitor the automotive market to ensure we offer the highest levels of service at…
Read Article
At Windrush, we continually monitor the automotive market to ensure we offer the highest levels of service at our classic car storage facilities in London and the Cotswolds. We recently introduced a special storage fuel to eliminate the issues caused by increased ethanol content present in modern E10 fuel, and our experts have also been monitoring the increasing demand for covered car storage for EV and hybrid enthusiast vehicles. Covered car storage for a new generation Windrush had its first taste of hybrid supercars when the Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and the Ferrari LaFerrari launched in 2013, with many owners of these cars choosing us for covered car storage. Today we have the likes of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, McLaren Speedtail, Aston Martin Valkyrie and Lamborghini Sian following in their footsteps, all featuring the latest in hybrid technology. The age of the EV It’s not just hybrids, either, as pure EV cars make inroads into the supercar market, offering shattering performance and stunning looks with unrivalled acceleration and impressive top speeds to please the purest of driving enthusiasts. Many mainstream EVs offer supercar performance at a sportscar price point, with a number of sports-orientated models currently available offering a tempting option to those seeking an environmentally friendly – but still fast – car. In addition, a number of classic cars are now being converted to EV powertrains, giving classic looks with modern performance. These converted cars also have the ability to meet stricter emissions restrictions imposed within many major cities around the world, not least in London which plans to expand the ULEZ boundaries currently in force. Whatever the roots of your electric vehicle, however, it’s vital to take an informed approach to EV storage. The importance of expert hybrid and EV storage Right from the start, Windrush has always set the bar with our traditional classic car storage. But we’ve also been entrusted with complex hybrid supercar storage for a number of years now, and have the knowledge and in-house equipment to care for your performance hybrid during long term car storage. In addition, we are perfectly suited to pure EV storage for long periods, being experienced in protecting battery life and performance while not in use. Our stringent check in and check out processes have also been adapted to accommodate the latest vehicles, ensuring complete peace of mind for owners who choose Windrush’s hybrid and EV storage. For more information on our hybrid and EV storage service, drop the Windrush team a line on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk
  • the-top-11-green-cars-main-original-1637316890.jpeg?w=1024&h=682&scale
    1 Minute Read

    The Top 11 Green Cars

    Read Article
    At Windrush, we’re big advocates for green car storage – in every sense of the word. Take a stroll through our long term car storage in London and the Cotswolds and you’ll find environmentally conscious features throughout, right down to the solar panels that help keep our facilities ticking over. More literally, too, nothing gets the Windrush team more excited than when we welcome a vehicle bearing the timeless green tint that evokes Britishness in excelsis. Here are our favourite marques and their green machines, chosen by the Windrush long term car storage team.      Bentley Old Number 10 The immortal Old Number 10 was no slouch under the bonnet, equipped with a ‘Supersports’ engine that might have seen it triumph at Le Mans in 1925 (had it not run out of fuel). But it’s that irresistible froggy finish that lives on in the memory – not the first car to take to the track in British Racing Green, perhaps, but undoubtedly one of the most iconic. TVR Griffith Fast, loud and over-engined, there’s a thousand reasons to choose a British bruiser from the Blackpool-founded marque. TVR has long had a reputation for its gonzoid finishes – who can forget the dodgem-style flip paint available for the Sagaris and T350? – but for timeless class that won’t go out of fashion, it has to be the Griffith in a classic racing green. Ford ‘Bullitt’ Mustang Steve McQueen was the undisputed King Of Cool, and his immortal chase through the streets of San Francisco in 1968’s Bullitt was practically a one-man PR campaign for green cars. No wonder Evo’s John Barker was frothing at the mouth when he was invited to test the 720bhp Bullitt Edition Mustang in June. Ford Focus RS Offered in the most in-your-face of greens, this hooligan hot hatch was nicknamed ‘Kermit’, for obvious reasons. Back in 2016, when Burton Power Performance souped up an RS to an obnoxious 430bhp @ 7500rpm for a Brands Hatch track day, it was probably the world’s fastest amphibian. BMW E39 M5 The stunning E39 M5 needs no introduction, but green was a BMW Individual paint option when new and an M car has never looked so classy. McLaren 570GT As the quintessential British motorsport marque, green is a no-brainer for the McLaren colour palette. There’s not a supercar on its books that doesn’t look more dashing with a splash of good old British racing – but the 570GT might be our favourite. Ferrari LaFerrari Officially, Ferrari never offered a green LaFerrari. But if you ask nicely, open an attaché case full of banknotes and remind them that you’re an international pop star – as Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay did back in 2014 – then the Italian marque will see what it can do. “I wanted to make a statement,” explained Kay said. “It gives the car a uniqueness and it deserves it.” Land Rover Rover’s original Series 1 of 1948 was an open tribute to the WWII jeep, and more than a half-century later, charging through the country lanes of Britain in anything other than a green Landy is cultural sacrilege.    Jaguar D-Type Launched in 1954, when the first example shipped to professional tennis player Curt Lincoln, the D-Type cut a dash with both its bottlenose silhouette and mouthwatering racing green finish. Quite simply, green is the colour for a D-Type, evoking impeccable race pedigree and perfectly complementing the flowing lines. Ferrari F355 What a difference a shade makes. Finished in the traditional hot red, the F355 was a brash racer straight from the bedroom walls of a ’90s teenager. Specify a green factory finish, on the other hand, and suddenly it became a sophisticated and demure gent-about-town. Lamborghini Miura Arguably the first supercar, the Miura upped the ‘look-at-me’ factor further still with its wonderful lime green finish. For both the styling and the shade, eyeballs were out on stalks whenever it took to the tarmac. Try Windrush’s green car storage (whatever colour you drive) At Windrush, we welcome a rainbow of vehicles to our long term car storage in London and the Cotswolds, but our ethos is always the same: to keep your pride and joy in the form of its life. From the twelve-stage induction process that welcomes your car in style, to the ongoing maintenance schedule that means it’s ready to drive out the moment you need it, this is prestige car storage done right. Get in touch with the Windrush team to talk about our long term car storage service. We’re ready to chat on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk
  • top-10-quietly-cool-cars-main-original-1642427317.jpeg?w=1024&h=683&scale
    1 Minute Read

    Top 10 Quietly Cool Cars

    Read Article
    As automotive connoisseurs, we’ve all been guilty of drooling over a car in the street that our friends and family just don’t get. We all stare at a Ferrari and can hear a Lamborghini approaching without even seeing it, but only those in the know glance back at a Citroën all others would pass by. Here, Windrush’s classic car storage experts choose ten cars that have the cool factor – but only to those who know. Citroën C6 In the past, Citroën offered quirkily cool cars in abundance (SM, CX Safari, BX to name but a few), but that dwindled away in the recent past… until the C6 executive saloon arrived in 2005. The C6 was luxurious, well-designed, stuffed to the gills with kit and had a style that many prestige manufacturers would be proud of. Hydroactive suspension meant it could be raised and lowered (a famous Citroën trait) while providing a magic carpet ride. Drive one today and you’ll still cut a dash, so striking is its design. A true French masterpiece. Volvo XC70 A Volvo estate has always had a classless charm, meaning you would not be surprised to find one on the streets of Chelsea, outside a rambling country pile or outside a suburban new build. In 2007, Volvo raised the game – and the car – with the off road 4WD XC70, which is basically a jacked-up V70 estate with some hardwearing exterior trim, chunky tyres, and the capability to not just get you to the point-to-point, but probably get you around most of the course as well. Many other cars do the 4WD thing better, but a mud-covered XC70 parked in the village shows the driver as a person of impeccable taste. VW Touareg V10 Volkswagen stormed into the SUV market with the luxurious and desirable Touareg 4×4 in 2002, immediately rubbing shoulders with the top-level offerings of the time. In 2003 VW decided to offer the Touareg with a monstrous 5.0 V10 diesel engine, producing 309bhp and 553nm of torque, making it the most powerful diesel engine available at the time. Styling-wise, the Touareg looked like any other model, with no visual clues on show other than a discreet V10 badge on the boot. Costly to buy and costly to run, one has to applaud those brave enough to order such a car, and what a delight it is to see one on the road – or pulling into our classic car storage – today. Porsche 924 Known to many as the Porsche with a van engine, the 924 has long been the runt of the Stuttgart litter, and it’s true, the 2.0 petrol engine had origins that can be traced back to a VW van. However, as with many cars, time has been kind to the 924 and it’s now seen as being a rather cool way to get about. What was once seen as ‘dull’ looks now seem understated and sharp. Being regarded as disposable for many years also means good ones are rare (and becoming expensive to buy). True, it’s not fast, but it handles like a Porsche and today the 924 is a very acceptable way to arrive, particularly in S or Turbo specification. BMW E60 550i ‘Q car’ is a term used to describe a car that has performance beyond its looks, and the 550i may well be the finest example of this to have been offered from a showroom. Sure, you could order an M5 for show and go, but the 50i could be specified in very mundane levels of trim, meaning what might seem like a lowly model at first glance, will soon leave you at the lights as it flexes its 4.8 V8 with nigh on 370bhp. Arguably the coolest 550i spec is an SE trim level Touring (estate) that has been de-badged. Comfortable, with space for the family and discreet enough to be ignored by the boy-racer crew, it is the ultimate fast car for those who don’t want to be noticed. Honda Prelude (4th generation) We already know Honda knows how to make a decent performance car (take the S2000, NSX and Integra Type R as your evidence), but the 91-96 generation of Prelude is right up there. The one you want is the 2.2 VTEC with 4-wheel-steering and a high-revving 182bhp. Those of you old enough to remember will have fond memories of legendary CAR magazine motoring journalist L.J.K. Setright regularly stating that a Prelude was all the car anyone really needed. When a factory-standard 2.2 is seen on the road, one has to marvel at the technical wizardry packed within, and the fabulous drive it offers. Being a Honda, it’ll run forever, too. Audi S6 V10 (2006) Much like the BMW E60 550i, the Audi S6 is another wolf in sheep’s clothing, and you’ll need to know your model specs to appreciate what the S6 offers. Tucked under the unassuming bonnet is a 40-valve, 5.2 V10 petrol engine with 429bhp derived from the engine found in a Lamborghini Gallardo, and all there is to show for it is a pair of tiny V10 badges on the wings. Big wheels (to accommodate the big brakes) and some large exhausts are about the only other visual clues over a regular A6, and even the V10 is (sadly) muted so you’ll not be seen or heard. Still, it’s a car that oozes cool, a real car for those ‘in the know’ and your family will love you for it (“My Dad’s car is a Lamborghini”). Mercedes 500E (W124) If you’ve ever flown into Germany, you will be familiar with the Mercedes-Benz W124 E-Class as a stack of them are parked outside airports as taxis (often with a million kilometres on the clock). But the humble 124 became a legend in 1990 when Mercedes launched the 500E. Much like the Audi S6 above, the 500E was discretion personified with subtly flared wheel arches and wider versions of the standard Merc ‘8-hole’ alloy wheels the most obvious statement of its intent. Produced in collaboration with Porsche, the 500E came with a 322bhp V8, brakes from the 600SL, lowered suspension, wider track, and sports seats. 0-60 came in 6 seconds and the top speed was in excess of 160 mph. Only 10,479 were built, so the 500E remains a very special car today – and it’s always a talking point when this model arrives at Windrush’s luxury car storage facilities. MG ZT 260 While the MG ZT was based on the Rover 75, it had one model that stood head and shoulders above the rest, due to it being fitted with a 4.6 V8 taken from the Ford Mustang GT. Power wasn’t huge at just 252bhp, but the Mustang unit has so many off-the-shelf performance parts available that tuning them was a simple affair. While the ZT was most often specified as a saloon, we think the estate model provides the ultimate in coolness, with discreet practicality and that noisy Mustang V8 powering the rear wheels only. Those that spot the quad exhaust pipes may realise it’s a fast car, but few will know your ‘old man’ MG packs American muscle. Subaru Forester Choose any Forester and you’ll have a cool car, but go for a turbo petrol engine and it’s sub-zero. With true go-anywhere potential (ask any farmer) and all the know-how of a world rally champion manufacturer, it really does offer the perfect daily transport. The 2006-2008 Forester XT came with a 2.5 flat-four turbocharged engine producing 208bhp and was a rally car for the family, but it’s relatively easy to find a Japanese market-only STi model here in the UK too, thanks to good numbers being imported. The STi looks every inch the rally stage hero and comes with a 2.5 turbo engine taken from the Impreza WRX STi with 261bhp. Not discreet, but you need to be committed to owning one, and whenever the Windrush team welcomes a Forester to our long term car storage, we can’t help but smile in appreciation. Loud or subtle, every vehicle is welcome at Windrush long term car storage At Windrush classic car storage, we’re just as committed to flash supercars as soft-spoken dark horses. We know every vehicle that arrives at our classic car storage facilities in London and the Cotswolds is someone’s pride and joy – and for the duration of your car’s stay, it’s ours, too. Trust our experts to settle your car in with the industry-leading twelve-step induction that ticks boxes you didn’t even know existed. Then enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing our long term car storage experts are on the case, monitoring and maintaining your vehicle until the moment you’re ready to turn the key. Windrush’s long term car storage teams are friendly, flexible and ready to hear from you. Drop us a line on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk
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    Hybrid & EV Storage at Windrush

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    At Windrush, we continually monitor the automotive market to ensure we offer the highest levels of service at our classic car storage facilities in London and the Cotswolds. We recently introduced a special storage fuel to eliminate the issues caused by increased ethanol content present in modern E10 fuel, and our experts have also been monitoring the increasing demand for covered car storage for EV and hybrid enthusiast vehicles. Covered car storage for a new generation Windrush had its first taste of hybrid supercars when the Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and the Ferrari LaFerrari launched in 2013, with many owners of these cars choosing us for covered car storage. Today we have the likes of the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, McLaren Speedtail, Aston Martin Valkyrie and Lamborghini Sian following in their footsteps, all featuring the latest in hybrid technology. The age of the EV It’s not just hybrids, either, as pure EV cars make inroads into the supercar market, offering shattering performance and stunning looks with unrivalled acceleration and impressive top speeds to please the purest of driving enthusiasts. Many mainstream EVs offer supercar performance at a sportscar price point, with a number of sports-orientated models currently available offering a tempting option to those seeking an environmentally friendly – but still fast – car. In addition, a number of classic cars are now being converted to EV powertrains, giving classic looks with modern performance. These converted cars also have the ability to meet stricter emissions restrictions imposed within many major cities around the world, not least in London which plans to expand the ULEZ boundaries currently in force. Whatever the roots of your electric vehicle, however, it’s vital to take an informed approach to EV storage. The importance of expert hybrid and EV storage Right from the start, Windrush has always set the bar with our traditional classic car storage. But we’ve also been entrusted with complex hybrid supercar storage for a number of years now, and have the knowledge and in-house equipment to care for your performance hybrid during long term car storage. In addition, we are perfectly suited to pure EV storage for long periods, being experienced in protecting battery life and performance while not in use. Our stringent check in and check out processes have also been adapted to accommodate the latest vehicles, ensuring complete peace of mind for owners who choose Windrush’s hybrid and EV storage. For more information on our hybrid and EV storage service, drop the Windrush team a line on info@windrushcarstorage.co.uk
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