Everybody asks. My quickest-ever a McLaren F1 in 1993 but fastest through a time trap a 1963 AC Cobra Ninian Sanderson had just driven to third place at Le Mans with Peter Bolton. Roger Bell and I tested it at the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) proving ground. We used MIRA every week and its electronic timer on the inner road circuit credited me with 183mph (294.5kph). Alas The Motor’s technicians’ slide-rules couldn’t believe it.

At Le Mans it had been doing 160mph (257.5kph) on Mulsanne at 5,500rpm. That’s around 29mph (46.7kph) per 1000rpm, so had it been able to pull 6,500rpm (which I had) with rather blunt aerodynamics it would have been 189mph (304.2kph). Since the axle ratio had been slightly changed discretion suggested that 183mph be excluded from my feature. Maybe it was only 175mph but in 1963 that still felt quick.

On the MIRA banked circuit we managed just short of 140mph (225.3kph), about 22.5mph (36.2kph) per 1000rpm, through another electronic trap. Maurice Rowe took a fine picture of Roger lifting the Cobra’s inside wheel on one corner.

Came across PH 39 again in 1990, when I was writing for The Sunday Times. It had exchanged its light green paint for red with a white stripe and Nigel Hulme took it in on the Ecosse Historic Motor Tour of Scotland. It had gained an extra air intake, and the wheels were different, but the jacking points looked much like those it would have had for the 24 Hours’ race.