Month: May 2017

British luxury brand Aston Martin is set to return to contest the ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24-hours (N24) for the 12th year. The close to production specification Aston Martin Vantage GT8 that performed so well in last year’s N24, will again be tested to the absolute limit later this month when it competes on the infamous Nordschleife circuit, seeking the SP8 class win it almost claimed in 2016. 

It’s an age-old question and the subject of never-ending discussions between automotive enthusiasts: how many cylinders make for the best sounding engine? Could it be the mighty roar of a V12? The thunderous rumble of a V8? The smooth howl of a six cylinder? The crisp bark of a well-tuned four cylinder? Or, perhaps, the primal scream of a two-stroke V4 racing bike? The folks behind the Silverstone Classic are trying to find out. Watch this video to hear them all, make your decision, and then vote below. Which engine plays the best tune!? 4-cylinder, straight-six, V8 or V12 – you decide! .

Our video this week features a breed of car that just oozes the charm and style that exemplifies British Sports cars, the Jaguar XK120 and XK150. Along with the timeless E-Type, the XK line is still what flashes through many peoples mind when they think of a Jaguar. And who can blame them? The lines, the sound, the driving experience, are all pure art in motion. The video comes by way of the King Rose Archives.

A Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost, purchased new by famed billionaire Howard Hughes during The Roaring Twenties, captured Best of Show at the fifth anniversary of the Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance at Pinehurst Resort on Saturday. The Pinehurst Concours was just the second time the tan-bodied 1925 Rolls-Royce with black fenders and red spoke wheels had been shown since owner Guy Lewis purchased the car three years ago, which had been sitting in a Florida barn for more than four decades.

Richard “Dick” Knudson is well known as the co-founder of the New England MG T-Register and one of the guiding lights in the British car hobby. Additionally, he has written prolifically about the Sacred Octagon and its many accomplishments. Knudson will be one of 23 deserving individuals inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame on June 2, 2017.

Land Rover’s Halewood production plant in the UK has built 600,000 units of the Evoque in just six years, bringing Range Rover luxury and refinement to new customers around the world. Demand is still increasing for the pioneering luxury compact SUV that delivers critically-acclaimed design, desirability and all-terrain capability to the segment it created in 2011. To celebrate six years of success, Land Rover has announced a new Special Edition model. The Evoque Landmark is available in a vibrant Moraine Blue color – inspired by the turquoise lakes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Priced from £39,000* in the UK, the Special Edition will make its global debut at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on 10 May, when orders will open.

Aston Martin Racing was enjoying the taste of Spa-rkling wine, after taking victory at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps; the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. After clinching pole position in the qualifying session, the trio of Paul Dalla Lana (C), Pedro Lamy (P) and Mathias Lauda (A) drove a faultless race to convert their advantage into the race win. The result ensures a maximum haul of 26 points – including an additional point for pole position – and the lead in both GTE Am championships.

To say that Cecil Kimber is famous for his role in the formation and growth of the MG Car Company would be a bit of an understatement. To title him as just an “automotive engineer” would be even more so. Cecil Kimber was the creator and driving force behind what would become one of the best-loved car brands of all time. Cecil Kimber will be inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame this June. Cecil Kimber was born in South London on April 12, 1888.  At a young age, he became interested in vehicles and motorsport. He attention was originally drawn to motorcycles, but after an accident that badly damaged his right leg, Kimber made the switch from two wheels to four wheels.

Sir John Henry Douglas Whitmore, 2nd Baronet has passed away.  He was born October 16, 1937, and died April 28, 2017.  Whitmore was one of Britain’s leading drivers of the 1960s, best known for winning the 1961 British Saloon Car Championship and the European Touring Car crown four years later. He started racing in the late 1950s and came to prominence in GT racing with a Lotus Elite, acquired with the help of his friend Lotus F1 driver Alan Stacey.

Jaguar Land Rover has responded to today’s publication of the UK Government’s consultation on improving air quality. Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, said: We welcome the consultation recognising the fundamental difference between older vehicles which contribute to air pollution and clean, new diesels which are part of the air quality solution. Our latest Eu6 diesel engines are among the cleanest in the world. Highly efficient diesel particulate filters now capture 99.9% of all particles, and we are making further emissions improvements with every new model year vehicle. Pollutant emission levels for new diesels are comparable to the equivalent petrol engines, but with CO2 emissions that are around 20% lower. Our customers demand greater fuel economy all the time, and new diesels deliver that. Customers can be reassured that Jaguar Land Rover is continuing to invest in cleaner […]

David Townsend, the artist behind Sports Car Art, has come out with some beautiful 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. Some of them have been done in partnership with Moss Motors, and while Moss is carrying the MG, Triumph, and Austin-Healey, David is directly offering the Cunningham E-Type Jaguar, XKSS, C and D-Types, AC Cobra MKI, and the Austin-Healey 3000 Works Rally car. The puzzles are $59.95, build out to a full 18″ x 36″, and come in a really nice flip-top box.The puzzle quality/construction is of good quality cardboard and once constructed they would also look very nice framed. David began working on British cars as a youngster. From his first car—a ‘61 Morris Minor—through a succession of British iron including several MGBs, a Triumph TR3, Austin-Healey Sprite, Jaguar 3.4 MK1 and various other assorted vintage cars, his appreciation for these machines has […]

A Life in Car Design by Oliver Winterbottom gives a unique insight into design and project work for a number of leading companies in the motor industry, including Jaguar, Lotus, TVR and General Motors.

The gloves are off this weekend, as Aston Martin Racing prepares itself for its latest Spa-rring match; the 6 Hours of Spa-Franchorchamps. With the FIA World Endurance Championship field set to take on the circuit’s world-famous corners, including Pouhon, Blanchimont and the iconic Eau Rouge, Team Principal Paul Howarth is confident of a strong performance to add to the team’s vital championship points scored at Silverstone last time out.

MG Motor UK officially unveiled its all-new compact SUV – the MG XS – at the London Motor Show earlier today (4th May). Featuring the latest in driver technology, in-car infotainment and next-generation vehicle design, the new model offers a glimpse of the future for MG’s iconic model range. Expected to arrive in dealerships in late 2017, the MG XS will be available in two engine derivatives and either automatic or manual transmission. The manufacturer’s first car to be marketed under a different name in the UK than China, the MG XS has been specifically developed to suit market demand for a competitively-priced, family-friendly compact SUV. 

From his position as Competition Director for Standard-Triumph in the United States, R.W. “Kas” Kastner was the guiding influence and prime instigator for the company’s success, essentially writing the book on how to successfully race cars on a budget and setting the standard for others in the industry to follow. He will be inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame on June 2, 2017. Kastner’s experience in the automotive industry spans over 50 years. He has particular experience in the field of performance vehicles and automotive racing and racing team management. Triumph powered cars still participate annually in the appropriately named Kastner Cup.

As an airman in the United States Air Force, Robert “Bob” Johns parlayed his amateur success into a position as a Triumph works driver, including stints at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Bob Johns will be inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame on Friday, June 2. Bob Johns was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, and began working in his father’s auto repair shop at the age of twelve, which fueled his interest in racing. By age nineteen, he was full-fledged, fast-car crazy. In fact, he attended the last two original-course races at Watkins Glen in 1951 and 1952. These races instilled in him the auto racing fever.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, today reported April 2017 U.S. sales: Jaguar sales were 3,230 units, a 197 percent increase from 1,087 units in April 2016; Land Rover sales increased slightly to 5,211 units; Jaguar Land Rover April U.S. sales for both brands hit 8,441 units, a 35 percent increase from 6,275 units in April 2016; making it the best ever Jaguar Land Rover April sales month (previous best was 8,216 units in 2002). Year to date, Jaguar Land Rover is up 24 percent in the United States. We are thrilled to have had a record-setting April sales month for Jaguar Land Rover based on a strong product offering and our dedicated retailer network. The Jaguar F-TYPE and Land Rover Discovery Sport had an outstanding sales month and continue to contribute to the brands’ growing sales momentum. — Joe Eberhardt, […]

Our Video of the Week for this first week of May comes via Aston Martin. Watch an incredible celebration of Aston Martin’s heritage, bringing together 28 very special Aston Martins with a combined value of £65 million in a film produced to celebrate the transfer of ownership of the three super hangars at St Athan. The Aston Martin Vulcan was the first car to turn a wheel at the site of the British luxury carmaker’s second UK manufacturing plant at St Athan in South Wales recently, signaling the start of the redevelopment of the former MOD site into a state-of-the-art facility. The appearance of the Aston Martin Vulcan though was just the start of an incredible celebration of Aston Martin’s heritage, which brought together 28 very special Aston Martins with a combined value of £65 million in a film produced […]