Month: March 2012

MG Motor UK at Longbridge, UK is to be opened up for guided site tours. Visitors will be given the chance to see the history of the site and all the latest technology side by side. The guided tour will take around two hours. Participants will visit Lord Austin’s office, moved many years ago but still let up as it was when he was still alive, and the MG Museum. Visitors will also be shown inside the huge state-of-the-art Technical Centre where 300 engineers work on new MG cars and components. In the Sales Centre the latest MG6 GT fastbacks and MG6 Magnette sports saloons are on view. . The tour does not include the car production area at the moment, but it is hoped to include this in the near future. B31 Voices will be going on the maiden […]

I rarely point out auctions on eBay. In fact, I don’t think I have ever done it before. But, this 1953 Lanchester is just too gorgeous and someone needs to buy it, fix it back up, take care of it, and love it like it deserves. Such a gorgeous car. I have absolutely no knowledge of this auction, car, or its owner. I have no vested interest in this. I just wish I could make that beauty mine! According to the auction, “The Lanchester car company was owned by Daimler. The last Lanchester made was in 1957. This car was imported a few years ago. It is right hand drive. It has a Delaware title. The car was on the Isle of Mann till 1998. [The seller] bought her with 16000 miles on her. If you are over 6 feet […]

Castrol has joined the MG KX Momentum Racing team as a partner sponsor as today the car was unveiled for the first time in full race livery. The announcement was made at a Media Day held at the Silverstone circuit. The news comes just days after MG Motor UK and Castrol established a new partnership. Castrol’s involvement complements the ‘dream team’ of drivers, constructors and sponsors set to challenge for the 2012 Dunlop MSA BTCC championship. Two MG6 GT cars will run in the all-new MG KX Momentum Racing team with double BTCC champion Jason Platoand rising star Andy Neate behind the wheels. The first race in the 10 round series is at Brands Hatch on April 1. The MG6 GT five-door fastback is the first all-new MG in 16 years. It is designed and engineered at MG Motor UK’s plant in Birmingham where […]

As British car manufacturing is enjoying a boom, one British manufacturer is warning about the lack of demand in the UK car market. Thousands of new jobs have been created by Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota amongst others, but sales of cars in the UK are actually falling. Most of the new jobs being created are satisfying demand from overseas car buyers, but MG is warning that something may need to be done to stimulate demand in the British car market. In 2011 new car sales fell by 4.4%. That trend has continued this year, meaning the thousands of new jobs in the British car industry are all to satisfy foreign demand. MG does not yet sell cars in Europe, instead choosing to re-establish itself in Britain first, and now it’s concerned that falling UK car sales could effect […]

The MG6 that will contest the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship has made its public debut during the annual season launch at Silverstone. The car, which will be run by Triple Eight under the MG KX Momentum Racing banner, was revealed in the Silverstone pit lane before taking to the track for tracking photos during the morning media launch in the hands of Jason Plato. With work still to be completed on the car to bring it up to full race specification, the team failed to take part in the afternoon test session, with the MG instead being loaded back into the transporter to allow the team to continue work ahead of the season opener at Brands Hatch at the end of the month. Double champion Plato will be joined in the two-car team by Andy Neate.

On April 22, this year’s Drive It Day to promote use of classic and interesting cars, Vauxhall is opening its Heritage Centre containing about 70 historic cars from all eras. There is free entry between 10am and 4pm, during which any classic car owners can partake of light refreshments and the opportunity to see one of the largest manufacturer’s heritage collections in the UK. Vauxhall’s Heritage Centre can be found on Park Street, Luton LU1 3HG, behind the main Griffin House headquarters on Osborne Road, where there is ample parking. The annual Drive It Day, which is organized by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, encourages owners and enthusiasts to take their own classic out on the road to celebrate motoring heritage at its finest. It was launched to celebrate the Thousand Mile Trial in 1900 in which 64 cars set […]

XKR-S Coupe and Convertible. Only 25 XKR-S Convertibles are scheduled to come to our shores, with an allocation of only 100 Coupes. All have sold out. Fortunately, even though all of the 2012 examples have been sold, this special sports car is a halo vehicle for Jaguar and is scheduled for a three-year production run. Both XKR-S models are propelled by an AJ – Gen III, 5.0-liter DOHC, 32-valve Roots-Type twin-vortex Supercharged V8 engine with spray-guided Direct Injection. The modified V8 engine produces 550 hp in a range from 6,000 to 6,500 rpm, while also generating 502 lb ft of torque from 2,500 to 5,500 rpm. It is positioned longitudinally up front. Both cars sit 10mm lower than the XKR, with increased spring rates fore and aft. Both cars share the same mechanicals and fuel economy. The engine’s driving force […]