‘Originally built to deliver post. James used it to deliver chaos.’
James Hunt once took Ayrton Senna for a sideways thrash around Cadogan Square.
Not in a Ferrari. Not in a McLaren.
But in a battered old Austin A35 van, formerly owned by the Royal Mail.
Senna asked, ‘What’s that?’
By the night’s end, he was howling in the passenger seat with laughter.
Just two blokes, one van, and a lot of tyre smoke.
By the late ’80s, James Hunt’s main runabout was a red Austin A35 Van, a knackered ex-postal workhorse from the 1950s with as much refinement as a tin bath.
One evening, James went out to dinner with Ayrton Senna and Julian Jakobi in the posh surroundings of Cadogan Square.
After dinner, they strolled back to their cars. Senna, likely expecting a Jag or a Merc, pointed at Hunt’s crusty A35 and said:
‘What’s that?’
Hunt, being Hunt, tossed him the keys and said, ‘Get in.’
Cue tyre screeching, smoke, and laps of Cadogan Square in a two-man riot.
Senna loved it. It was mad, it was loud, it was barely legal.
So naturally, they became great mates.
Years later, after Hunt passed away, Senna reflected:
‘The bloke was an absolute lunatic… but what a great guy.’
‘Only James Hunt could convince Ayrton Senna to do doughnuts in a van designed for envelopes.’ Julian Jakobi