The first public appearance the car made after its discovery was at the Goodwood Revival in 2000, and it has since made several more appearances at the circuit. Over that time, Tom has tweaked the engine and suspension geometry, but in terms of its specification it’s still the same car that Jim Clark would have known. Aside from a race seat and rollcage for safety, the interior would have familiar to the Scot, too, complete with carpet and trim. It gives the car a 100kg handicap when compared to a similar race-prepared Speedster, but it also gives the car a wonderful character and maintains a sense of its important history.
What’s it like to drive? “Great fun and it’s pretty quick,” says Tom, “but like most 356s it’s a little tricky on the limit. But it’s a really good car to drive, I enjoy it. It’s not quite as quick as last time, but some other drivers have said it’s a bit slippery today.” And, despite the weight penalty of the full trim, it was the fastest 356 around Goodwood for three years, and also set the lap record for the model at Le Mans.
It’s somewhat poignant that the Tony Gaze Trophy, the race at Members’ Meeting in which the 356 was competing, took place 51 years to the day since Jim Clark’s untimely death at Hockenheim.