Month: May 2018

A 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud supplied new to Prince Chula of Thailand is to be sold by international car auctioneers Coys at their Chiswick House sale in just over a weeks’ time. Prince Chula along with his cousin Prince Bira were motorsport aficionados and were well known and respected racers. Prince Chula always favored blue colors and this car is no exception. The cabin was designed to match the exterior with blue hide, piping and carpets as well as a champagne bar. The car estimated at £65,000-£85,000.

Valencia will play host to the second round and next two races of McLaren Automotive’s FIA accredited Pure McLaren single-make international race series which lands in Spain this weekend. It follows the first round at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of April and is the second of six rounds of the series that visits some of the most iconic tracks across Europe.

Our video of the week this go around is actually more of a series. But since I can’t put the entire series in here (can I?) I will choose just one. The series is Britain’s Greatest Machines hosted by Chris Barrie and produced by The National Geographic Channel. The series, of which there were two seasons for a total of eight episodes, shows the technological progress of the 19th and 20th centuries from a British point of view. Each episode covers one decade. The episode I am choosing for this week’s feature is the first – Season 1, Episode 1, and showcases the 1930s. Note that the episodes do not go in order. This technological achievements highlighted in this first episode include the De Havilland Dragon Rapide, Sentinel S6 Steam Wagon, Morris Eight & Cat’s Eye, LNER Class A4 Locomotive, […]

The Capital Triumph Register hosted its 21 st annual British car and motorcycle show, Britain on the Green, at Gunston Hall in Lorton, VA, on April 29, 2018. With over 200 cars registered for the event, the show is one of the larger British car shows, as well as one of the first of the season, in the Washington, DC, area. The featured model this year was the Triumph TR250, celebrating the 50th year since its introduction in 1968. This year a 1954 Allard K2 owned by Robert Morris took Best of Show honors. In addition to special awards, participants’ choice awards were made in nearly 30 categories. Additionally, the Capital Triumph Register is proud to have hosted the Hagerty Youth Judging Program again this year. In the program sponsored by Hagerty Classic Car Insurance, young people ages 8-14 are […]

A new magazine, 100 percent dedicated to Lotus, is now available in newsagents. Absolute Lotus aims to share the passion this unique marque generates, with each issue covering new cars, historic cars, motorsport and Lotus people. In its 70th anniversary year, Lotus remains true to the philosophy of founder Colin Chapman. With seven decades of innovation both on the road and the race circuit, there is an endless supply of fascinating and entertaining material for the new title. Meanwhile, the marque’s future looks brighter than ever under the ownership of Geely.

Aston Martin has commenced production of the new Vantage, the most sporting model in the luxury carmaker’s series production range.  With the first Vantage coming off the British brand’s Gaydon production line today, deliveries to customers will commence later this month. Aston Martin President and CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, said: Today marks an exciting moment for the entire company and an important day in the history of Aston Martin. The outgoing Vantage was the single most successful model in Aston Martin’s history and we believe its successor will surpass that.  We will do this by retention of our important existing owners and through repositioning of the car, create new customers in new countries.  The new Vantage ticks all the boxes for a luxury sports car and unashamedly aspires to be the best in its segment.  With the imminent launch of the DBS Superleggera, we are on […]

Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb looks forward to welcoming Formula E to the world famous Worcestershire race track as GKN Driveline is bringing the Panasonic Jaguar Racing ABB FIA Formula E Championship team’s race car, the Jaguar I-TYPE 2, to the historic venue for its public UK debut on August 12. GKN Driveline is bringing the Panasonic Jaguar Racing ABB FIA Formula E Championship team’s race car, the Jaguar I-TYPE 2, to the historic venue for its public UK debut on August 12. The UK debut coincides with the 113th anniversary of the first hill climb at Shelsley Walsh, combining the ultimate in modern electric vehicle technology with the famous motor racing course.

Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman received the ‘Design Hero’ award at this year’s annual Autocar Awards. The much-anticipated awards, held at Silverstone Circuit, recognizes the automotive industry’s high achievers and celebrates the cars that have achieved top grading by the magazine’s road testers during the last 12 months.

The TVR Griffith will make its London debut this week as it takes to the stage at the London Motor Show (17-20 May). TVR’s all-new sports car will be joined by several of the brand’s legendary heritage models, as part of the Built in Britain display. Visitors to the London Motor Show will be able to see the new TVR Griffith close up, as the new model makes its first major public outing since its launch at the Goodwood Revival in September 2017. Throughout the event, members of TVR’s team will be on hand to talk to interested visitors about the new Griffith in detail.

Speed and performance expert Jamal Hameedi has left Ford Performance to become part of the Jaguar Land Rover SVO. According to his new LinkedIn profile, his title is listed as Engineering Director, SVO at Jaguar Land Rover. On one of his social media threads, Hameedi said: After an incredible 27-year career at Ford Motor Company, it is time for something new! I am moving to England to join Jaguar-Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations creating amazing vehicles, such as the SV coupe.

The New Rolls-Royce Phantom has been presented with a ‘Five-star Car’ accolade at the Autocar Awards 2018, which celebrates the best cars produced in the automotive industry over the past year. Introduced over 80 years ago, the famous Autocar road test remains one of the most thorough and exacting assessments to which a new car can be subjected. The New Phantom is one of just two cars to be awarded five stars in 2018.

When Rolls-Royce announced three years ago that it would launch Cullinan, it did so in the knowledge that its customers around the world had asked it to build “The Rolls-Royce of SUVs”, with luxury, performance, and usability not seen before in the SUV market. Many of these customers were younger, very successful high-net-worth individuals who are heavily engaged in the experience economy, and wanted a Rolls-Royce that would take them to the ends of the Earth in ultimate luxury. Automotive mobility has always been a fast-moving and dynamic business, with new concepts – such as SUVs – appearing with great regularity. But those new concepts need to be perfected in order to be adopted by those customers who will accept no compromise – the patrons of true luxury. Hence the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Cullinan at a glance The most anticipated car […]

The legendary Aston Martin Vantage V600 has been reborn in the form of a customer commissioned limited run of all-new breathtakingly beautiful Aston Martin V12 Vantage V600s, inspired and influenced by the original V8 Vantage V600. In 1998, Aston Martin offered its customers the most extreme iteration of its Vantage sportscar, the supercharged V8 Vantage V600. Delivering 600bhp, the model was one of the most powerful sports cars of its time, a car of extremes.

Now you can take your McLaren with you everywhere thanks to the brand’s new automotive mobile app, which puts the whole world of the British sportscar and supercar maker in your pocket or purse. The new McLaren mobile app, for Apple and Android smartphones, opens the door to McLaren Automotive with fingertip ease, capturing all the excitement and passion of the brand along the way. 

McLaren Ascot has been named McLaren Automotive European Retailer of the Year 2017 in recognition of the highest standards of business operation and following a record year for McLaren Automotive in the UK. The strong domestic demand for McLaren sportscars and supercars in 2017 generated unprecedented sales of 550 cars representing a 23% year-on-year increase. The McLaren Retailer of the Year Program has been running since 2015 to distinguish locations representing the highest business standards and strong sales performance. The 2017 edition saw entries across the entire McLaren retailer network, comprising 86 locations in 31 markets. All contenders were meticulously benchmarked and assessed in key areas such as sales, customer service, aftersales and marketing and McLaren Ascot subsequently emerged as the brand’s European Retailer of the Year 2017.

Aston Martin has brought a new dimension of race-inspired dynamism and performance to the DB11 family, with the introduction of the new DB11 AMR, launched today at the opening of the new Nürburgring-based AMR Performance Centre. Replacing the outgoing V12-engined DB11 as the new flagship of the DB11 range, the DB11 AMR boasts greater power, increased performance, enhanced driving dynamics and a more characterful exhaust note, together with a suite of exterior and interior enhancements. Together they create a DB11 that offers a more vivid driving experience, yet preserves the maturity and effortless continent-crushing GT performance for which the original V12-engined DB11 is rightly renowned.

RM Sotheby’s is excited to announce the sale of another important Aston Martin: the ex-Peter Sellers 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT. A rare and desirable car in its own right, this DB4GT saw use with Sellers on and off the screen, including an appearance in the 1963 comedy The Wrong Arm of the Law. This is an historic car that simply cannot be missed. Peter Sellers’ love of cars was undeniable – he’d owned 83 by the age of 39 – and he’s been long linked with the Aston Martin brand. In addition to its on-screen past, the car is offered in stunning condition, and is a product of a glorious age of iconic British car manufacturing. — Felix Archer, RM Sotheby’s car specialist This fall, RM Sothebys will be offering this car at their annual London auction on September 5. Note: Press […]

The MINI JCW Team and MINI USA continued to show their dominance in the quest for a series championship in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series during this weekend’s Mid-Ohio 120 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The series last visited the track in 2013, creating a unique opportunity for a level playing field for the two hour endurance race. This was also the first time the MINI JCW Team had ever raced at the 16-turn, 2.4 mile race track 60 miles north of Columbus. The team successfully navigated a number of challenging blind turns and elevation changes to bring home the 1 – 2 finish over the very competitive Porsche and BMW teams. Nate Norenburg continued his excellent qualifying form, putting the #37 MINI JCW on the front row for the third straight event. Norenberg showed that […]