CAFÉ RACER 76

Our favourite images of 2014

We’ve always been proud of our high-quality visual style here at Classic Driver – but in 2014, we wanted to set the bar even higher. Employing a variety of talented photographers, we’ve spent the last 12 months bringing you the world of classic cars from new and unconventional perspectives...

A Porsche 356 in an industrial atmosphere, photographed by Jan Baedeker. This image is proudly mounted on the wall in our UK office.

Nürburgring record-hunters at dawn: Porsche 956 and 918 Spyder, photographed by Stefan Bogner.

A thunderous start at the 72nd Goodwood Members' Meeting in March 2014, photographed by Tim Brown.

A fire-breathing Gullwing at the Tour Auto in April 2014, photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

There are moments in life when four wheels are simply not enough: Hiking through the wild Engadine with the incredible Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6. Photo by Jan Baedeker.

Classic Driver takes the Aston Martin DBS from 'The Persuaders!' for a final drive before it crosses the auction block. Photo by Simon Clay.

A Citroën DS 21 Chapron "Le Dandy" in the garage of Gallery Brummen. Photo by Steve Hall.

Vintage cyclists at the Tweed Run in London in May 2014, photographed by Amy Shore.

The heroes of the 'Ardennes Rollercoaster' at the Spa Classic in May 2014, photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

'Shades of Gatsby' at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in May 2014, photographed by Jan Baedeker.

Albert Spiess' Maserati 450S is 'Best of Show' at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014. Photograph by Rémi Dargegen.

Rendezvous with a very special Maserati 250S, photographed by Stefan Bogner.

The Heroes of the Hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June 2014, photo by Amy Shore.

A 'selfie' by our photographers Rémi Dargegen and Lucile Pillet during the Anjou Vélo Vintage in July 2014.

The forgotten Ferrari Daytona Shooting Brake, photographed by Amy Shore.

Drivers in a hurry at the start of the Le Mans Classic in July 2014, photo by Rémi Dargegen

Editor-in-Chief Jan Baedeker take a trip around Le Mans in a Martini-Porsche 911 Carrera RSR (right).

Is this Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8 really worth a million dollars? Well, it sold not long after our shoot. Photograph by Amy Shore

Bikes, beards and bikinis at the Wheels & Waves Festival 2014, photographed by Hermann Kopf.

Wet race at the AvD-Oldtimer-Grand-Prix in August 2014, photographed by Tim Brown.

Classics in the Pacific fog at the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance in August 2014. Photographed by Drew Phillips.

New World Record: Bonhams sold this Ferrari 250 GTO for $38 million. Photographed by Drew Phillips.

A nervous spiral through The Corkscrew at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2014, photographed by Drew Phillips.

A Ferrari 375 MM is voted 'Best of Show' af the Pebble Beach Concours 2014. Photographed by Tom O'Neal.

Steve Roberts told us why he bought James Bond's 'Casino Royale' Aston Martin DBS. Photographed by Amy Shore.

Which would you choose: Porsche 550 Spyder or 904 Carrera GTS? Photographed in September 2014 by Amy Shore.

'Golden Era' - a Ferrari 250 GT "Tour de France" and an alloy-bodied 275 GTB, photographed by Amy Shore.

Classics on Royal gravel: The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in September 2014. Photographed by Jan Baedeker.

The Chantilly Arts & Elegance in September 2014 was a stunning spectacle. Photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

Prêt à picnic: The styles of the 2014 Chantilly Arts & Elegance. Photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

Drivers on standby at the Goodwood Revival in September 2014, photographed by Amy Shore.

Pit-lane beauties at the Goodwood Revival 2014, photographed by Tim Brown.

A biker gang at the Goodwood Revival 2014, photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

'Spa Treatment' for a Ford GT40 at the Spa Six Hours in September 2014. Photographed by Tim Brown.

Through the Swiss Alps with a Lamborghini Miura and a Porsche 906. Photographed by Stefan Bogner.

Hypercar showdown: McLaren P1 meets Porsche 918 Spyder. Photographed by Steve Hall.

Bugatti Type 35 - the legend lives on. Photographed by Peter Aylward.

An exclusive meeting of Porsche 356 Pre-As in October 2014. Photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

Chandeliers and classic cars: A visit to the Régis Mathieu collection. Photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

A rare Jaguar XK140 with Zagato coachwork. Photographed by Amy Shore.

The last Vulcan Bomber is able to fly. Photographed by Amy Shore.

Fuelling a passion: Visiting Gipi Motor in Brussels. Photographed in November 2014 by Rémi Dargegen.

Not even Google had heard of this Porsche 911 HLS. Photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

Find of the century to end the year: A staggering collection of 60 barn-find cars! Photographed by Rémi Dargegen.

NO MARGIN FOR ERROR

No Margin For Error is a 10 minute mini-documentary covering the 1957 Pikes Peak Race, it was produced by Socony Mobil as a promotional piece but it stands today as one of the best films about the 1957 Pikes Peak we’ve come across.

via SILODROME

From ski champion to Rolex ambassador – the Jean-Claude Killy story

Jean-Claude Killy wasn’t just a champion skier. Three Olympic gold medals and two World Cup victories made him an international ski hero in the 1960s, but Killy was also fairly successful as a racing driver – and in television and films. There’s even a Rolex named after him…

The heartthrob of Grenoble

Jean-Claude Killy was an outstanding downhill skier and, in the 1960s, the main style icon of the sport. His biggest claim to fame – three Olympic gold medals – came at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, which are better remembered as the ‘Killympics’. Always smartly dressed and fashionable, the then-24-year-old Killy twisted the female athletes in the Olympic village around his little finger. The ice princess and Olympic gold medallist Peggy Fleming recalls, “Jean-Claude was not only a great skier, but also an exceptional romantic. On top of that he’s French, which makes him the perfect man.”

The playboy and the jet-set ladies

One can well imagine how the charismatic downhill star with his French accent flew into the hearts of the jet-set ladies. Even though his reputation as a playboy preceded him, in 1972 Killy met the love of his life, actress Danielle Gaubert, while filming the (not very successful) movie ‘Snow Job’. The couple married a year later and lived happily with their three children (two of them adopted from her first marriage), until Gaubert’s early death from cancer in 1987.

A life in the fast lane

The now 71-year-old Killy lived his life in the fast lane, in the truest sense of the expression – and not just on the snow. Besides skiing, there was his exceptional talent and enthusiasm for motorsport. Ferdinand Piëch, head of the Porsche development department at the time, carefully noted the young athlete’s sporting achievements and engaged him to drive in the 1967 Targa Florio, the great Sicilian endurance road race. Together with the famous Formula 1 photographer and journalist Bernard Cahier, the pairing drove a works Porsche 911 S to victory in the GT class..

From the piste to Le Mans

With this success in Italy proving Killy’s driving skills, he then teamed up with Le Mans winner Jean Guichet to drive again for Porsche at the 1000-kilometre race at the Nürburgring. In their red Porsche 911 T (registration SE 8330) they took 26th place overall – a very decent result in a race that pitted them against the likes of the Ford GT40, Lola T70 and the all-powerful Porsche 908. We also find the name Killy on the start list of the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours. Together with Bob Wollek, Killy started the race in a Renault Alpine, but unfortunately the team didn’t finish. This was to be the skier’s last major race appearance. From then on, Killy dedicated himself to winter sports, including his work on the International Olympic Committee.

A man and his Rolex

But that's not all: we’ve all heard of the Rolex Daytona ‘Paul Newman’ and the Rolex Explorer II ‘Steve McQueen’ – both timepieces named after legends of the 20th Century. But the fact that there is a Rolex called the ‘Jean-Claude Killy’ is less well known. Yet the former professional athlete was in many ways a more important figure to Rolex than Paul Newman or Steve McQueen, who were never officially brand ambassadors, whereas Jean-Claude Killy was the face of Rolex for many decades. Several advertisements see him with various models on his wrist and his relationship with the normally reticent brand was so close that Killy was eventually appointed to the Board of the Swiss watch-maker. Even today, Killy doesn’t seem to give a thought to retirement. As you can probably guess, we’re rather in awe of this versatile hero.

Photos: Getty Images