Month: May 2015

And then … more Lotus news from London. The newly refitted Lotus Brand Centre in Piccadilly, London, introduces an opportunity to learn more about Lotus and get closer to the company’s pure and lightweight sports cars in central London. Two of the company’s best-selling models are currently central to the showroom presence. The Elise 220 Cup and the Exige S take centre-stage. The new Lotus Evora 400, the fastest production Lotus ever, will be displayed later in the summer. The main area of the new Lotus store is dedicated to a fully interactive Lotus sports car configurator where customers can chose the specifications of their new Lotus, take a look at examples of the latest range of Lotus cars, the iconic Elise and stunning Exige. Customers are then referred to their nearest dealer – of which there are 179 around […]

Lotus Cars is delighted to welcome Hexagon Lotus as its new brand representative in prestigious South Kensington, London. Hexagon is not new to Lotus having been a Lotus dealer from 1964 to 1976. Their reintroduction offers customers two Lotus dealerships in London, from their Headquarters in East Finchley as well as South Kensington. Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Group Lotus plc, stated: “We are pleased to welcome Hexagon back to Lotus. This is a perfect partnership for us and the opening of Hexagon Lotus brings to an end a six year period where we have not had a Lotus dealership in London.” Paul Michaels, Chairman of Hexagon Classics said, “We decided to rejoin Lotus after nearly 40 years as we can see a very exciting future for Lotus and we want to be part of it. Many of our customers already appreciate […]

Often maligned, but seriously undervalued these days, the subject of our Video of the Week this week is the Triumph TR7. What we have here is a look back at the TR7 via an early episode of Top Gear. So while this is a contemporary view of the wedge, it is not a strictly historical one either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSJpaKQW5Jo The Triumph TR7 is a sports car manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company (which was part of British Leyland) in the United Kingdom. It was initially produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, but production moved to Canley, Coventry in 1978 and then finally to the Rover Solihull plant in 1980. The car was launched in the United States in January 1975, with its UK home market debut in May 1976. The UK launch was delayed at […]

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today announced the name of its forthcoming new car. The new model, an exciting and sensuous drophead, will be known as Rolls-Royce Dawn. The car was unveiled to representatives of the marque’s 130-strong global dealer network at the 2015 Rolls-Royce World Dealer Conference in Los Angeles, California today. “Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date,” said Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Chief Executive Officer. “Dawn is a beautiful new open-top motor car with a name that suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds – an awakening, an opening up of one’s senses and a burst of sunshine. It will be the most social of super-luxury motor cars for those beautiful people who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s social hotspots.” Rolls-Royce Dawn is the next step in […]

The Aston Martin Owners Club (AMOC) held its annual Spring Concours event – the blue riband of competitions for Aston Martin owners – on Sunday 10 May, with support from Aston Martin Works. The annual Spring gathering of Aston Martin owners from across the UK and further afield, was this year staged in the elegant grounds of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, just a few miles from the historic home of Aston Martin in Newport Pagnell. This year’s Concours was the largest to date with around 350 cars on show and was attended by Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer. For the first time, the Concours included a special class dedicated to the limited edition Aston Martin Works 60th Anniversary Vanquish. Five of the six Anniversary Vanquish models were entered in the event, with Aston Martin Works’ Commercial Director Paul Spires […]

In 1930, ‘Bentley Boy’ Tim Birkin claimed his aborted attempt on the Mille Miglia in his legendary Blower was due to a lack of “due preparation”. 85 years on, Bentley has ensured all plans are in place for a successful Blower run in the 2015 event. ‘Bentley Boys’ the Hon. Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin and Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato were to be the first British drivers to attempt the thousand-mile Italian test of endurance, in a supercharged ‘Bentley Blower’ known as the No. 2 ‘Birkin Blower’. According to contemporary media reports, however, ‘much disappointment was felt at the news of the Bentley withdrawal from the Brescia Thousand Miles Race’. This year, Bentley’s original 1930 4½-litre supercharged Blower is aiming to finish what its sibling never started, taking on the world-renowned cross-country route between 14 and 17 May. Director of Royal […]

Bentley Motorsport is making final preparations for its toughest challenge since the start of its Continental GT3 programme, the ADAC Zurich 24-Hour Race, held on the most famous racetrack in the world – Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife. A pair of Works Bentleys will contest the race, joined by a third car entered by Bentley’s European Works-Supported operation, Bentley Team HTP. To perform against the extreme and unique demands of the world’s hardest endurance race, some highly experienced Nürburgring experts join the 2015 Bentley Boys. The first Works car will carry number 85, and feature a special and distinctive green livery based on that of the Bentley Speed 8 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003. The #85 car will be driven by the three British Bentley Boys – Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane – all of […]

In its 60th anniversary year Aston Martin Works played host to another hugely busy Bonhams Aston Martin Sale on Saturday, 9 May 2015, with £10.3m worth of rare and prized sports cars changing hands. The historic home of the great British luxury brand was the venue for the 16th annual Bonhams Aston Martin Sale, which saw around 50 classic Aston Martins sold. The annual sale is recognised as a globally-significant occasion for Aston Martin collectors and enthusiasts around the world. The 2015 event was the biggest to date, setting a sales total of £10,280,275 and witnessing a fascinating and diverse collection of Aston Martin-related automobilia go under the hammer in several hours of exciting and highly-charged bidding. Highlights of the day included the 1962 DB4 Series IV Vantage Convertible – originally the property of Sir Peter Ustinov – which sold […]

Over the next few days, I will be posting some pictures and impressions from the Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance that took place this past weekend in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Most of these pictures, such as the ones of the beautiful MGA that you see below, were taken by Leigh Gill of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This 1960 MGA Twin Cam Coupe is one of only 48 built in 1958 but not titled until 1960. It is owned by Bob and Lynn Wilson of Lisle, Illinois. Uncovered in garage in Wisconsin, where it had been carefully stored for 25 years, this beautiful car required only time, patience, love and a bit of touch-up paint to return it to its original charm.   Due to its highly unmolested nature, this car serves as a great example for those seeking orginality. Stay tuned for more […]

Luxury British sports car maker Aston Martin, along with its race team Aston Martin Racing, announced an ambitious five-car assault on the 2015 ADAC Zurich N24 endurance race at Germany’s infamous Nürburgring. Aston Martin Racing heads to the world-renowned endurance event on 16/17 May with a pair of works V12 Vantage GT3s, and has its sights set firmly on the outright race win in the top SP9 class. While Aston Martin has been racing at the annual Nordschleife event for a decade, 2015 is only the third time that its works race team has entered the top SP9 class for GT3 cars. In 2013, with the car running in the iconic blue and yellow livery of Aston Martin’s technical partner Bilstein for the first time, the team finished tenth after leading the gruelling race for more than half the running […]

General Motors has become the first car manufacturer in the world to produce 500 million vehicles, as Vauxhall in the UK – GM’s fourth largest market – celebrates 90 years of ownership by the US company. Commenting on the milestone achievement, Mary Barra, GM’s CEO, said: “During 2015, we expect to sell more than 1,000 new vehicles per hour, 24 hours per day. This adds up to nearly ten million vehicles, the most in our history. I look at this extraordinary volume as ten million opportunities to prove what kind of company we are and to say thank you.’ The landmark figure came 90 years after General Motors purchased Vauxhall in 1925 in what was the American company’s first overseas acquisition. Luton-based Vauxhall, which is Britain’s oldest surviving car manufacturer, quickly repaid GM’s investment and to date has sold nearly […]

It is Spring, a time of rebirth and renewal, and time to revive a venerable classic, the MGB. The Video Of The Week for this first Wednesday in May is from the series “Classic Car Rescue”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWZD3qxZ32s Classic Car Rescue, a series produced by Blink Films, has entrepreneur and car specialist Mario Pacione teaming up with automotive manager and technical engineer Bernie Fineman to restore six iconic cars, including a Jaguar, Porsche, Mini Cooper and Mustang. In each episode, Pacione and Fineman search scrapyards, wastelands and backyards for broken-down rust-buckets with potential. The pair go to work to bring each car back to its former classic car glory. With a deadline and a tight budget, they work tirelessly in order to impress an expert valuer for a glittering price tag at the official presentation. In this episode, the 3rd in […]

Are you aware of the British Transportation Museum‘s efforts to raise funds to buy and refurbish a building?  The British Transportation Museum was founded in 1998 by Dick Smith, Mike Edgerton, and Mike Smith as they began to sketch out a museum concept for the education and preservation of British Transportation in America. The Museum is celebrating its 17th Anniversary in 2015. The British Transportation Museum is an all volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable educational institution established to collect, preserve, and interpret through exhibits the heritage of British built transportation vehicles utilized in the United States. The focus is to foster learning, appreciation, insight and a useful understanding of the role of British transportation vehicles in American life. This involves the collection and preservation of vehicles, parts, photographs, memorabilia, books and any and all articles that illustrate British modes of transportation […]

Aston Martin Lagonda today announced that with the leadership of its major shareholders, it has arranged additional committed funding of £200 million, enabling the 102-year old luxury sports car manufacturer to develop significant new luxury models that will drive the future of the company under its strategic business plan. The additional capital investment comes in the form of £200 million of preference shares; £100 million of which were issued on 29 April 2015 with the remaining £100 million – already subscribed for – to be issued in the next twelve months, and will further expand the previously announced investment plan. This major investment in new luxury models is at the core of Aston Martin’s strategic vision. Under the plan, the company will expand into the luxury GT crossover market with the introduction of a new vehicle based on the DBX […]

There is a very good story over the King 5 News site out of Seattle, Washington, about the MG Club of Victoria, Australia. The group now consisting of five of the British built sports cars is on its way to Canada next, then Alaska. “Four months in this car is the best way to go,” said Sue Slater, the group’s blogger. Having first shipped their 40- to 50-year- old cars by container ship from Australia to Chile, the group’s been on an incredible driving tour from the tip of South America to finally ending in Skagway in the next few weeks. Their trip started on January 5. The oldest car was built in 1961, the newest in 1978. Considering the 20,000-mile long trip, repairs have been necessary and ranged from the expected electrical glitches to blown head gaskets to bad […]

British sports and luxury car manufacturer Jaguar has assembled a team of high profile stars from the worlds of music, entertainment, fashion, design and motorsport as it prepares to compete in the legendary Mille Miglia celebratory tour from 14-17 May this year in Italy. The exciting line-up of drivers for the Jaguar Heritage Mille Miglia team features household names including Example (aka Elliot Gleave), David Gandy, Jodie Kidd, James Martin and Charley Boorman. The Jaguar Heritage team will cover more than 1,000 miles from Brescia-Rome-Brescia in nine of the marque’s most celebrated models. These iconic Jaguar cars will be put through their paces on the gruelling route, which takes place over four punishing but unforgettable days starting in Brescia, heading to Rimini, Rome, Parma and then back to Brescia. Crowds lining the Mille Miglia route will get to see examples […]

Jaguar Land Rover launched its new Land Rover Heritage division at the Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany a few weeks ago. Body, trim and extended servicing items are available for Range Rover Classic, while for Range Rover P38 and Discovery 1 and 2, Land Rover Heritage supplies salvage and extended service parts to ensure customers’ cherished cars are maintained to the highest possible standard. For Series l, ll and lll, selected Land Rover Heritage Parts are available and the brand will gradually reintroduce more original part numbers – all made using original tooling methods and all items supported under warranty*. Land Rover Heritage forms part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division and has been created to support the brand’s passion in nurturing and preserving its rich heritage of vehicles and supporting its loyal customer base across Land Rover’s […]