Mick Walsh From The Cockpit

As an avid reader of Car magazine, the writing of Leonard JK Setright always stood out for his erudite style and provocative opinions.

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I once made the mistake, during his later years, of accepting an invitation to share a test car, and have never been so scared because he took blind Spanish mountain roads with unyielding pace. But one comment that LJK made as I braced myself for the impending shunt really rang true: “My appreciation of any vehicle starts with steering. If that’s flawed, then it is damned.”

The two cars that captivated me most last year both had brilliant steering, with a light, responsive character that would match any single-seater. Reacquainting myself with an Elan S4 spoilt me for most other cars, but a debut drive in a De Tomaso Vallelunga, Italy’s first mid-engined production model, also impressed. Although they have contrasting layouts, the two share many common elements including Lotus-Ford Twin Cam engine, backbone chassis, glassfibre body and design direction by frustrated racers.