On 3 May 1913 the world’s first 100 mph car was launched. A crowd of car enthusiasts gathered on Wattington Fell, Lancashire, England to witness this feat. That day defending champion Joseph Higginson made news around the world by driving his Vauxhall 30-98 in the annual hill climb. The Vauxhall success has continued for a century since that momentous day.
Alastair Sloane has been a newspaper journalist for 50 years this year. He has had all sorts of newspaper roles along the way, including editing two dailies. He was the motoring editor of the New Zealand Herald for 16 years from 1996 until 2012. He owns a 1968 VW Beetle. Best days at the wheel include doing part of the Land Rover Camel Trophy route in Papua New Guinea, driving a Nissan Patrol over earthquake-hit roads in Guatemala, and a Ferrari Italia 458 on Enzo’s old hill-climb road in Italy.
