Month: February 2016

The E-Type that turned heads at the 1961 Scottish Motor Show has been brought back to its former glory by world-leading restorers Classic Motor Cars (CMC) and will feature centre stage at CMC’s stand (C40) at the London Classic Car Show on February 18-21. Chassis No. 15 was the fifteenth right-hand drive fixed head coupe E-Type to leave Jaguar’s production line in 1961 and was used as a press car at the Scottish Motor Show held at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, in November that year. The car then moved on to private ownership and went missing for decades until CMC discovered it in a barn in Cernay, France, in late 2013. Exactly 2,956hrs were spent restoring every nut and bolt of this E-Type at CMC’s modern workshops in Bridgnorth, saving as much of the original car as possible and bringing […]

Style and performance go hand-in-hand with the latest Bentley offered for sale by William Medcalf Vintage Bentley, world-renowned authority in all things vintage Bentley.  Any future owner will also get a touch of period luxury with their new car, as it also comes with a set of Louis Vuitton luggage. The two suitcases are made to fit on the rear luggage rack of this pristine and majestic car, and are in immaculate condition. The matching cases are held firmly in place by bespoke metal fastenings front and rear, and come with immaculate leather covered handles and metal catches and hinges. Perhaps more importantly, the 1931 8 Litre Bentley comes with a long racing pedigree that includes a selection of course records and class wins over an illustrious competing career. It is a perfect example of the high-end vehicles offered for sale […]

José Mourinho has mastered the art of high-speed drifting and full throttle ice driving on a 60km frozen lake at Jaguar Land Rover’s extreme testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden. The sporting icon was testing a high-performance Jaguar F-PACE S as part of an extreme driver training experience just 40 miles from the Arctic Circle. In 2017, the Jaguar Ice Drive Experience will be available to customers from all over the world.

UPDATE: Comments and the contest are now closed because we have a winner! Yes, out of all the entries Frank Stabler was selected through a random drawing to receive the prize. Congratulations Frank! Last year, at Sir Stirling Moss‘s suggestion, Porter Press reprinted their most popular Scrapbook documenting his amazing 1955 year which of course included the Mille Miglia win and first GP victory. And we are having a contest to give one away. The 1955 Stirling Moss Scrapbook is now back in stock to commemorate sixty years of this crucial year for the racing driver. The first of a series of Stirling Moss scrapbooks which now includes as separate volumes 1926-54, 1956-60, and 1961, the 1955 Scrapbook evokes memories of the heyday of classic motorsport. We covered this book when it came out back in July, and were sent one […]

The 2016 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour has been won by the McLaren 650S GT3 of customer team Tekno Autosports in one of the hardest fought battles in the history of the event. On its debut outing at the iconic Mount Panorama, the 650S GT3 claimed the clean sweep over the course of the weekend with pole position, fastest lap, overall race win and a new lap record. The trio of Alvaro Parente, Shane Van Gisbergen and Jonathon Webb triumphed in the battle of strategies which saw five different manufacturers lead the race over the 12 hours. A record-breaking qualifying session saw the four examples of the 650S GT3 qualify within the top six, with pole position in the Pro-Am class for customer team Objective Racing and overall pole position and a new lap record for Van Gisbergen and the […]

MG Motor UK is celebrating a great start to 2016 with a 132% increase on January sales after 313 vehicles were registered last month. Figures released today from The Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that last year MG sold 135 cars in January. This year, due to growing awareness in the brand and a range of great deals, the manufacturer has seen a percentage change of 131.85%. In December, popular offers such as the £2,000 minimum part-exchange contributed to MG finishing the year with a surge in sales. The offer was continued for another month and finished on 31st January. Matthew Cheyne, MG’s Head of Sales and Marketing said, “We are thrilled to see that our great offers have contributed to so many more people choosing an MG. We hope that through raising awareness of the new […]

The City Magazine – the largest freely-distributed luxury lifestyle title in the City of London – will be the media partner for the 2016 Caterham Academy. Targeting the discerning audience that works within the world’s leading financial hub, The City Magazine features big-name interviews and focuses on the finer things in life, including food, fashion, watches, motoring, sport and travel.

You may be constantly looking for different holiday experiences but has glamping ever been on your vacation radar? If the answer is no, the folks at the National Caravan Council (NCC) think it should be. Glamping, or glamourous camping, is not only trendy according to the NCC, it lets you enjoy the great outdoors in style. There are many types of accommodation for glampers, whether it’s a wacky wigwam, a dome with an astronomical view or a beautiful bell tent; there is something for everyone. Hideaway Haven

Following the most successful season for McLaren GT, with the 650S GT3 winning on each of the four continents it competed on, 2016 will see more cars competing in more championships across the world. Plans for Factory Drivers Rob Bell and Alvaro Parente are now finalised along with confirmation of the signing of Côme Ledogar to the works line up. In addition, the recently-announced Driver Academy is further strengthened with Colin Thompson joining for the 2016 season. The announcements coincide with confirmation that the 650S GT3 will line up as part of an impressive display at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show alongside the three-tier model range from McLaren Automotive for the first time. Joining the Factory Driver line-up for the 2016 season is 24-year-old Côme Ledogar. The young Frenchman made the switch from single-seater racing at the end of 2011, […]

Bentley Motors’ first works entry Le Mans 24hr car will be playing a starring role at the London Classic Car Show this February. This incredibly important piece of Bentley’s motorsport history will be making a public appearance at the London Classic Car Show, where Georgina Riley will be taking the wheel. Georgina is a member of the Bentley Belles racing team – a four-strong all-female historic racing team that has competed in the likes of the Mille Miglia, the Le Mans Classic and the Benjafield’s 24 hours race in Portimao.

With more than 1,000 of the world’s finest historic competition cars racing on the famous Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, no fewer than 10,000 iconic cars from yesteryear on display in the infield paddocks and in excess of 100,000 visitors lapping up the magical nostalgic atmosphere, the annual Silverstone Classic is firmly established as the ultimate celebration of classic cars. In 2016, for the first time, the hugely popular three-day festival is offering an exciting new opportunity for an organisation to share in the success as the glittering event’s official charity partner.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars debuts Ghost Eternal Love this evening at the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing. Embodying the theme of love, the new Bespoke collection is exclusively designed for the China market, coupling modern design elements inspired by the white swan with remarkable Rolls-Royce craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. Leon Li, Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars China, explained the significance of the latest design, “The Ghost Eternal Love demonstrates to our customers the unparalleled creativity of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke team while it meets the needs of our customers for exclusive personalisation. Embodied in this latest masterpiece is the emotional inheritance of the Rolls-Royce brand, a representation of our undying passion for creating the best cars in the world. More than this, it symbolises the Chinese New Year gift to customers from Rolls-Royce.” Ghost Eternal Love Collection The swan design, […]

British Motor Heritage (BMH) will have two stands at Race Retro – its regular one in Hall 2 and another one opposite dedicated to Piloti shoes – the latest addition to the company’s ever-expanding Motoring Classicsrange of online automotive parts, accessories and lifestyle products. The Main stand (No.B6) will feature details of: BMH’s extensive selection of replacement panels and bodyshells for such popular British classic cars as the Mini and MGB; bodywork and mechanical race parts for the MGB; Zircotec heat treatments; and the aforementioned line-up of products available direct from www.motoringclassics.co.uk that spans everything from car covers to clothing and model cars to Moto-Lita steering wheels.

Our video this week is humbly titled “MGB Movie” and traces the development of the MGB from its replacement of the venerable MGA in 1962 all the way through MGs decline and the resurgence with the MG RV8 in 1993. It is easy to forget today how important the MGB was during its time. If you go to a British car show this weekend, who can blame you for getting a bit tired of the rows on rows of Bs? Hey, don’t blame the messenger.  I have a 1977 B roadster now, have had numerous models and vintages of convertibles and GTs, and absolutely love them. But, even I can get a bit tired of the umpteenth over “restored” B with a Weber carb, headers, electronic fuel pump, alloy valve cover, stone-guard headlight covers, and modern digital radio. We are justified […]

Aston Martin will celebrate the opening of a brand new dealership this summer when Aston Martin Bristol opens its doors to customers in the south-west of the UK. The new dealership – located in Cribbs Causeway, close to Junction 17 of the M5 motorway – is the first Aston Martin dealership for the Dick Lovett Group. Aston Martin Bristol will cover the entire south-west of the UK, offering new and used Aston Martins for sale, along with a full service centre, creating more than 20 new jobs in the process. The new 27,000 sq ft showroom will offer the full range of sports cars and customers will have the opportunity to activate ‘Q by Aston Martin’ on all new purchases to create a unique configuration for their car. Like every Aston Martin dealer, the new business will offer an unrivalled […]

The 2016 National Austin 7 Rally will be held on Sunday 3rd July in the grounds of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Gates will open at 9am. This year’s theme will be ‘Austin 7 Sports & Racers’ and there will be a special display of some rare and interesting examples. They will be joined on the rally field by a huge variety of other Austin 7 models and a great selection of trade stands catering for all Austin 7 needs. One of the joys of the marque is the ready availabilty of spare parts, making it one of the easiest and most affordable of pre-war cars to own. The Austin 7 is one of the most recognisable and well-known of pre-war cars. Generations grew up owning and driving the little ‘Motor for the Millions’. Austin themselves produced sports versions […]

The British Motor Corporation’s (BMC) 1100 and 1300 model range was amongst the most successful in the Corporation’s history, selling more than 2.1 million of all types between its introduction in 1962 and its demise in 1974. Worldwide, the BMC 1100 was sold under eight different marque names and in two-door saloon, four-door saloon, two-door estate, and five-door hatchback forms – and very nearly as a van as well. In Britain, it was the country’s best-selling car between 1962 and 1971, being beaten just once (in 1967) by the Ford Cortina. The BMC 1100 and 1300: An Enthusiasts Guide by James Taylor looks at the design and development of a model range that at the time confirmed BMC as a pioneer of new automotive ideas and had a profound impact on other manufacturers. It covers not only the full standard […]

MG will enter the highly competitive compact SUV segment in Europe with the new GS in June, 2016. Originally unveiled last year in Shanghai, the vehicle will be ready, in its final form, for the 2016 London Motor Show, where it premiere on May 6.   Dynamic. Sporty. Modern. Three words given to the MG car designers before putting pen to paper. From those first sketches, which were pinned to the wall of the Birmingham based design centre, the MG GS was born and this June it launches in the UK.