Engine Punk

Get it on! Ooaawwwah! (Photo : Hilary Beale) If you like T Rex, you'll love T Rextasy. I saw them at Tavistock Wharf last year and would have seen them there again earlier this year except that on that very night The Damned were playing I'm not a great fan of tribute bands per se but T Rextasy cut the mustard. Actually, I don't like mustard. Custard's much more palatable. Danielz is the jiving pixie reincarnated (Photo : Hilary Beale) You're not going to see Bolan again in this life so Danielz makes a very worthy substitute. He looks and sounds just like Bolan and musically the whole band cannot be faulted. But being good musically isn't enough. Do these guys rock?. Yes they do! All it takes is a few opening notes of each song and the crowd can't stay still. Most of us know all the words to the sings and T Rextasy respond favourably to requests. And T Rextasy sound like T Rex, too (Photo : Hilary Beale) I went with a big gang ...

The demonstrator of the Continuation Series at the Goodwood Revival this year One idea that I'm currently working on in one of my books is the idea of digitised automobiles and motorbikes - you design them on a computer or request a replica GT40 or something and then a molecular workshop makes one in double quick time for you. From the Alvis spares specialist and restoration experts Red Triangle you can now get a brand new Alvis 4.3 litre tourer. This car was introduced at the wrong time as 77 cars that had been sanctioned by the board were never built as World War Two intervened. Post war Britain was happy for any sort of car and so those 77 cars were never built - until now. I saw the demonstrator at the Goodwood Revival earlier this year and was immediately struck by the craftsmanship - this is a handbuilt automo. I was also intrigued by the idea of making this kind of replica. It's not really a replica! Red Triangle have provided spares to Alvis owners for yea...

The Rialtopless gives you fun and fresh air on three wheels If you are like me and mourn the passing of VT No. 109 the Old Spot Piglet , you may - also like me - be heartened to see that its spirit lives on in a pair of modified Reliant Rialtos (Rialtoes?). These machines competed in the 2012 Edinburgh Trial and although considerably smarter than the Old Spot Piglet - which isn't saying a lot to be frank - they may have some way to go to match it for competitiveness. Not a great picture but you get the idea. I didn't see this machine later in the day but here it is at the start of the Edinburgh trial at Tamworth, not far away from where it was made. I notice a blue tarpaulin draped over the roll bar so maybe there were some regrets about removing the roof as the intrepid crew of Bernard Pugh and Michael Stead fought there way through heavy rain to the start. I bet they didn't mind a few days later, though. The weather improved dramatically. The running gear is st...