Axon's Automotive Anorak: The 70th anniversaries you won't have remembered

As if to prove the point, this year a couple of legendary sporting marques celebrate landmark 70^th anniversaries, with these set to be much in evidence at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (29 June-02 July).

The first of these is Ferrari, founded in 1947, with the revered Maranello sporting marque being celebrated by Goodwood, as well as its own first special 70^th anniversary models, fitted with commemorative badging on its 2017 Model Year range.

In the same year, on this side of the Channel, entrepreneurial machine tool and tractor maker David Brown acquired one of Britain’s already-established and long-respected sporting car manufacturers; Aston Martin. Brown responded to a classified ad placed in The Times in 1947, and bought the Company for just £20,500. He went on to launch a legacy of now-legendary DB models.

Ferrari and David Brown-era Aston Martins weren’t the only welcome new arrivals on the motoring scene in 1947, however. Three other significant makes and models also debuted 70 years ago; a trio of which have particular significance to me, as I own, or have owned, examples of all three.

The first is the pioneering and now sorely-missed Swedish ‘interesting’ car brand Saab. This established aircraft maker recognised that demand for its fighter planes was liable to diminish significantly after the hostilities of World War II ceased in 1945.

With demand for personal transport in Sweden (and the world) set to rocket post-war, Saab developed and launched is first passenger car model – the aircraft-inspired two-stroke 92 – in 1947, with the marque going on to become arguably the most innovative of any post-war car maker, pioneering roll-over protection, passenger seat belts, mass-produced turbocharging, daylight running lights, heated (and ventilated) seats, asbestos-free brake linings, high-level third brake lights, headlamp wash/wipe, ‘moose test’ crash protection, and so on; all features now commonplace on the modern cars we drive today.

Over the years I have had over 100 Saabs, from a 1972 96 V4 that I bought as a spotty youth, to an iconic black 99 Turbo Combi Coupe, with the whale tail spoiler and cool ‘Inca’ alloys, aged 21, and on to a long succession of 900s, 9-3s, 9000s and 9-5s when I work for Saab in Product Strategy and Planning, and PR, for almost 15 years. I am currently Saab-less, and much the sadder for it, so actively now looking for a tidy 900 T16S three-door, if you happen to know of a nice example...

Another 1947 marque that I have strong personal connections with is Bristol Cars, owning two models from this quiet and discrete specialist English luxury car maker; a 1951 401, and a 1972 411 S3 V8 – proper cars! 

Like Saab, Bristol has its roots in aviation and solid engineering prowess, and also like Saab, is a largely forgotten, misunderstood and very Marmite car marque.

Since delivering its first model in 1947 – the pre-war BMW 327-derived 400, the very first car on the Goodwood motor circuit in 1948 – Bristols have sold in small numbers, appealing to the discerning motorist that appreciates the fine engineering, refinement and performance, qualities that the new Bullet model is expected to carry over in spades when deliveries the first of the 70 examples being built – one for each year of Bristol’s existence – begin later this year.

The final vehicle very close to my heart that also enjoys its 70^th birthday in 2017 is the iconic Citroen HY, the cunning corrugated metal van that used to grace every market square in France, and can now be found at the Goodwood Revival, and countless other events, being used to supply hungry spectators with baguettes, coffee, pizza, crepes, and so on. In my admittedly bias opinion, the Citroen H-van is a perfect example of functional industrial design; a cleverly-engineered vehicle, built to fulfil the purpose of being a spacious and versatile low-speed load-lugger, a task in which it excels.

I own a totally original, unrestored 1957 example, bought many years ago in the Camargue from a sheep farmer that had travelled less than 27,000 kilometers in it in its first 50 years! The Citroen moves at a glacial pace, much to the chagrin of the traffic queue that often forms behind me, but handles like a Mini Cooper, with its very low centre of gravity aiding its entertaining, sporting handling (seriously, I kid you not) meaning that you can fly around corners and roundabouts without having to lift off, which is advisable as maintaining momentum is a must in an H-van! 

So, happy 70^th Saab, Bristol, the Citroen HY, the Aston Martin DBs, and of course Ferrari, for giving us petrol heads three score years and ten of motoring pleasure!