PAUL WALTON
Motoring journalist, editor & photographer
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Who is Paul Walton?
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An experienced motoring journalist, editor and photographer since 1999, Paul has had articles published in a wide variety of outlets:
Alfa Romeo Magazine
Classic Cars
Classics Monthly
Classic & Sportscar
Goodwood FoS programme
The Jaguar Magazine
Jaguar Driver’s Club magazine
Ruoteclassiche
Audi Magazine
Classic Car Mart
Classic Jaguar
Goodwood Revival programme
BBC Grand Prix Preview
Mazda Magazine
Practical Classics
BBC Top Gear
Paul has also edited four motoring titles including
BBC Top Gear Test Drive Directory, Jaguar World,
Ultimate Supercar and Aston Martin Driver
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Photography portfolio
Aston Martin DB Mk III
Aston Martin Rapide & Bentley Flying Spur
Aston Martin DB4
BMW 318i
Aston Martin V8 X-Pack
Daimler Century
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Jaguar E-Pace
Jaguar E-type Series 1
Jaguar F-PACE SVR
Jaguar XJ12 & Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
Jaguar XJ-S police car
Jaguar XK8
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Lagonda
RenaultSport Megane
Mercedes Benz SL
Range Rover
Rover 2000TC & Triumph 2000
Saab 900
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Feature portfolio
Citroën 2CV in the Israeli desert
Classic Cars, April 2000
I FEEL like some intrepid Fifties adventurer as I look through the flat screen over the spare wheel at the arid desert, the sound of the rocks and stones bouncing off the wheel arches. The hot Middle-Eastern sun is beating down on me and there’s a taste of sand in my mouth. As we follow the rough track, the four-wheel drive is barely noticeable because all 2CVs can pass over uneven terrain thanks to their independent suspension and front wheel-drive. However, the other motor comes into its own when we’re facing a steep climb.
Gibbs Aquada in Monaco harbour
BBC Top Gear, June 2004
I EDGE my way forward, wary of crashing into the bigger yachts around me, as that would make me look more like Norman Wisdom than Pierce Brosnan. The speed limit is three knots in the harbour, but since the Aquada is steered by a jet that needs more power to squeeze through more water, you have to put your foot down to manoeuvre. It’s completely unnatural and I have one or two moments where I frantically dab-dab-dab at the brake pedal as I head for something solid.
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Jensen Nova
Classic & Sportscar, February 2007
FORTY YEARS on and it’s still handsome: sleeker, smoother and less aggressive than the car it’s based on – though the aluminium grille and twin headlamps are pure Interceptor. The red leather-lined interior is a blend of bespoke craftsmanship and off-the-shelf Smiths dials, as found in any British sports car of the era. It’s comfortable, beautiful and retains the character – and aroma – of a mid-Sixties Jensen despite having little to do with the West Bromwich factory.
Jaguar XJ13 at Goodwood FoS
Jaguar World, October 2013
I HAD promised myself beforehand to take it easy, that I am not a racing driver and my job is to simply exhibit the XJ13 and reach the top in one piece. But as I clear the bend, see the inviting section of the track ahead of me, I forget about the car’s value, uniqueness or importance and become consumed with a passion to simply go for it. So I throw caution to the wind and bury the throttle. As I do so, the XJ13 picks up speed instantly, the engine’s previous laziness now replaced by a delicious burst of power. As I race up the hill, the engine note becomes a fabulous wail right behind my ears.
Jaguar F-Type R on NC 500
Jaguar World, January 2017
ON THE right-hand side of the road, an area known as Fairmore, there is a deserted shepherd’s house, long since abandoned. Why was it left? The cold? The inhospitality of the area? Or because they couldn’t get a good TV reception? I’ll never know. Its quietness is a benefit to me on this section of the route; the road is wide and consists of long, open corners. Feeling like I’m the last man on earth, with no one around I can push the car hard. The V8 wakes up immediately, delivering all of its 550PS in an instant. Thanks to 50/50 weight distribution, the car feels perfectly poised and balanced.
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Ferrari F40
Ultimate Supercar, Autumn 2017
THE STEERING is immediate and fast and only the slightest of movements has me careering across the road with the speed of a kitten chasing a moth. This immediacy is helped by the car’s lack of weight, making the car feel more like a nimble sports car than a 200mph monster. With an open road ahead of me, I squeeze the throttle a little harder and grip the leather wrapped steering wheel for reassurance. Yet thanks to terribly Eighties turbo lag, there’s a pause longer than in a Harold Pinter play before the power arrives. When it does at around 2,500rpm, all hell breaks loose.
Jaguar XJ8 to Monaco
Jaguar World, May 2018
HAD WE been been driving around in an ancient Fiat that smoked more than Winston Churchill we might have raised a few eyebrows. But, as the old Jaguar glides across the hallowed tarmac, it blends in as easily as any Ferrari or Rolls-Royce. In my £25 suit and borrowed tie I could be the Earl of Northumberland down for a few days’ holiday on the Côte d’Azure. We sneakily park alongside a Phantom and Continental GT outside the Hotel de Paris where it still has the stance of the £50k saloon it once was.
Jaguar XKR-R
Jaguar World, August 2021
HELMET ON, harness clicked into place, I turn the key and 4.0 V8 erupts into life with a roar. After putting the ‘box into first and starting to slowly move forward towards the track entrance, the small info screen in the speedo begins to continuously flash GEARBOX FAULT and INCORRECT PART FITTED. Nothing to worry about, just the result of Special Vehicle Operations not changing the car’s ECU to recognise the manual transmission. As I squeeze the throttle for the first time, I hope to god the second one doesn’t mean me.
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Electrified Jaguar E-type Series 1
Jaguar World, December 2021
AFTER I ease the gear lever into drive and gently squeeze the throttle, the car starts to move almost silently. It’s an odd, disconcerting feeling as if the car is being propelled by gravity. Or magic. With an empty road ahead of me, I press the pedal harder, resulting in an instant and surprisingly brutal acceleration. Not only is it stronger than that of a standard E-type 3.8, but without the original Moss ‘box, it’s also smoother. I simply point the car where I want to go, press the throttle and it sets off like a jet.
WHILE I need to acknowledge the Vauxhall is modified and therefore not an accurate example, in terms of ride, build quality and overall character, I’d still put the Ford ahead. I couldn’t help but smile as it scrabbled through the busy streets while its comfort, practicality and drivability makes it as usable today as when Frankie was telling us to relax.
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THE 2.6-litre straight-six pulls strongly, more so than the 105bhp unit, needing little persuasion to deliver its chunky power. This is matched by the familiar and distinctive gruff exhaust note that fills the cabin but is never too obtrusive. With direct steering and limited body roll, it’s easy to imagine the car racing in California all those years ago.
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Jaguar E-type Series 2
WHEN THE current owner bought this E-Type Series 2 open-two-seater, Harold Wilson was half way through his second premiership, Rod Stewart was at the top of the hit parade with Sailing, Jensen Motors had just entered receivership and the Ford Cortina was the UK’s best-selling car. In other words, a long time ago.
Jaguar XK150 3.4S FHC
AFTER I hit the starter button, the 3.4-litre XK unit bursts into life with its typical twin cam enthusiasm. With the road ahead of me long, straight and empty, I bury the throttle into the thick red carpet, the straight six engine responding the moment I do so. The action of my right foot results in a sudden burst of speed that’s considerably harder than any model with the standard 3.4-litre engine.
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IT’S A larger, harder and more complicated question than deciding which restaurant to eat at and whether to have a starter or leave room for dessert. If you’re looking for a handsome, powerful and now affordable Aston Martin, which should you choose out of a late DB7 Vantage 5.9 or an early V8 Vantage 4.3?
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Jaguar XJC Supercharged
DUE TO the damp roads of this wintry day I’ll admit to not exploring the car’s potential to the full but even squeezing the throttle a fraction results in a hard and instant acceleration. Push too far, though, and no matter the gear or the speed the wheels will still spin which might prove the car’s brutality but also scares the living daylights of me.
AFTER MANUALLY changing down using the steering wheel mounted paddles before pushing the pedal even closer to the carpet, the big 5.0-litre V8 responds instantly, rewarding me with a mind-bending hard surge of power. I’ve never been in a fighter jet but I imagine this is what flying one must feel like, although rather than just a payload of air-to-air missiles, I can also carry the weekly shop.
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WITH THE gap between the cliff face either side narrowing again I instinctively back off a little. Even with the front splitter and rear spoiler trying to push the car down plus the usual array of modern driver aids stopping me from getting crossed up, with so much power in such wet conditions, I’m well aware if I’m too heavy with the throttle the car will snap away faster than I could correct it.
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Aston Martin DB9
AFTER I come barrelling over the crest of a hill, the road now stretches out ahead of me like a never-ending grey ribbon that cuts through the barren countryside like my Scalextric track once did on my parents' living room floor. With this being the top of the moor, I can see for miles, but I have no time to enjoy the view. This challenging of roads requires all of my attention.
Jaguar E-type Series 3
ALTHOUGH THE E-type Series 3 is often thought of more as a grand tourer, a precursor to the luxurious XJ-S that arrived in 1975, judging by this former Coombs example it’s every bit exciting as the earlier straight six models. Not does only does the V12 feel smoother than warm honey dripping off a spoon, but its eager, needing little persuasion to deliver its 266bhp.
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Aston Martin Vantage GT8
WITH A clear road ahead of me, I squeeze the throttle as far as I dare, the V8 responding the moment I do. The resultant acceleration is hard and uncompromising, the car surging forward with eagerness that is missing from even a Vantage S. At 6,000rpm, the already baritone growl starts to fill the cabin with something straight out of Le Mans.
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Jaguar F-TYPE R
I EVENTUALLY come to the tightest bends of the road, known locally as Stepin Turn, a fast right- and left-hander. As I approach the curves, I again change down to third with the column-mounted paddles, the ZF-sourced gearbox reacting the moment I do. Thanks to the perfectly weighted steering, I’m able to line the big coupe up for the first corner with the same accuracy as a sniper.
PHOTO BOOKS
PAUL IS offering motoring enthusiasts a personalised book dedicated to their pride and joy, what he’s calling AUTO BIOGRAPHY.
This gives owners the opportunity to experience the excitement of a professional photoshoot plus a bespoke history of their car.
Paul’s words and photographs are then brought together in a beautifully-presented 11in x 8in, 22-page book (other sizes available at extra cost) hardbound book.
Prices start at £299 for a photoshoot, rising to £499 for the full AUTO BIOGRAPHY service (all prices excl. VAT).
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