Month: February 2019

Aston Martin is poised to take the 89th Geneva International Motor Show by storm with the global debut of the Lagonda All-Terrain Concept. Following the successful relaunch of Lagonda as the world’s first luxury zero emission brand and the surprise debut of the Lagonda Vision Concept at last year’s Geneva Show, 2019 sees the reveal of Lagonda’s All-Terrain Concept. The first model Lagonda will put into production, the All-Terrain Concept bears the bold hallmarks of the Vision Concept. By taking full advantage of its zero-emission platform Lagonda’s design team has created a car boasting extraordinary style and space efficiency combined with a rakish design language that demonstrates the unique freedom afforded by Lagonda’s commitment to zero emission powertrain technologies.

The London Concours, presented by Montres Breguet, has announced this year’s expertly curated car classes, including ‘The Great Marques’, ‘The Innovators’ and ‘The Icons’. The capital’s leading automotive garden party returns to the idyllic lawns of the Honourable Artillery Company from 5-6 June, displaying more than 70 automotive greats in seven distinct classes: Great Marques – Ferrari Great Marques – Jaguar The Icons The Innovators The Outlaws Made in Germany Lost Marques

Caterham Motorsport will host its first-ever multi-class endurance race, Caterham Motorsport Team Enduro, on Saturday 16th March at iconic British circuit, Silverstone, to act as the curtain raiser for the 2019 motorsport season. Created in partnership with the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC), the unique race format will see a mix of drivers from Roadsport, 270R, and 310R become teammates and race their own cars in ‘Super Teams’.

Talking about mental health problems isn’t just for Christmas. Two former car designers want to open up and kick out the stigma attached to talking about mental health and raise money to help those in need. Car designer-turned-reverend Adam Gompertz and director of the National Transport Design Centre Craig Callum are joining the Blue Diamond Riley Specialists team, driving a 1949 MG TC from Glasgow to Monaco, to raise much-needed funds for OCD Action during this year’s Monte Carlo Classique Rally (30th January to 3rd February). Funds raised by Adam and Craig will enable OCD Action to help more people in 2019 with the mental health illness. Donations are welcomed on their Just Giving site.

Join the double celebration at Beaulieu’s Spring Autojumble on May 18th and 19th, with the 25th anniversary of the popular event and Mini 60 celebrating six decades of the iconic Mini. A highlight of Beaulieu’s events calendar since it was launched in 1994, Spring Autojumble’s quarter century will be marked with a silver-themed event as jumblers are invited to decorate stands and send their memories and pictures to [email protected].

Reigning World Design Car of the Year, the Range Rover Velar receives more performance, luxury, and exclusivity with the introduction of the limited ‘SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition’. Designed as the pinnacle of the Velar line-up, the new model has been developed by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations and is powered by a 550PS 5.0-liter V8 supercharged engine with a range of unique design enhancements. Adding to its exclusivity, this distinctive model will be available to purchase for one year only. Rawdon Glover, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: The Range Rover Velar strikes a perfect balance between go-anywhere practicality, dynamic performance and relaxing comfort. By enhancing the luxury and dynamic characteristics even further we have created the pinnicle of the Velar range.

Bentley Motors has again been named as a Top Employer by the internationally recognized Top Employer Institute who commended the company’s commitment to professional development and nurturing of future talent. The award is the eighth successive year Bentley has been recognized and is presented at the same time that the company and its 4,000-strong workforce celebrate its centenary. 

The McLaren 570GT MSO Cabbeen Collection made its North American debut at the annual Lunar New Year celebration hosted by the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce’s Asian Business Connection Committee on Friday, February 1. The Collection of five bespoke McLaren 570GTs was originally unveiled at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show in China, and this additional, sixth and final 570GT was created specifically to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Los Angeles and is available exclusively through McLaren Beverly Hills.

 Jaguar Land Rover today reported January 2019 US sales: Land Rover had its best-ever January sales month with 7,385 units, an increase of 15 percent from 6,446 in January 2018; Jaguar sales were 3,078­­­ units, an 18 percent increase from 2,604 units in January 2018. Jaguar Land Rover total January US sales reached 10,463 units, a 16 percent increase from 9,050 units in January 2018. We are pleased to have achieved our best January sales month ever for Jaguar Land Rover in the U.S. Our business is well positioned as our SUV sales continue to surge with record-breaking sales results for both Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery. With the debut of the Range Rover Evoque SUV in February, we look forward to keeping this momentum going in the new year. — Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover […]

Aston Martin is set to launch a brand new program in 2019, where customers can enjoy exhilarating race track experiences at iconic circuits, with expert guidance available through the AMR Drivers’ Club. This customer-focused driving academy will offer various levels of tuition to suit each driver, from exploring the capabilities of their own Aston Martin to finding the limit in some of the marque’s most extreme track cars, for those with aspirations to race. Sebastien Delmaire, Director of Aston Martin Partnerships, said: Our customers have been inquiring about this type of programme for a while now so we are delighted to be able to offer such a strong and structured package of experiences.  From the customer who would like to know what his or her Aston Martin is capable of, from the manufacturer who designed and built their car, to […]

The Racing History Project has unveiled their first 2019 “Legends of Racing History” at the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo; a very rare 1954 Sutton Jaguar special. The “Legends of Racing History” display, changing quarterly, features little known, rarely seen, unique and historically significant racing cars as selected by the Racing History Project advisory board. The Sutton Jaguar Special, a hand-built aluminum bodied racecar based on an XK-120, was the work of Jack Sutton, a transplanted English metal shaping legend who set up shop in North Hollywood and produced one-off bodies for Ferraris, Kurtis 500’s and this unique Jaguar.

Aston Martin is pleased to announce the appointment of Alexa Harnett for Aston Martin The Americas, reporting to Laura Schwab, president of Aston Martin the Americas, effective January 28. Based at the company’s regional headquarters in Irvine, California, Alexa’s role as head of marketing embraces brand marketing and communications to both Aston Martin’s customers and 43 dealers in the region, spanning the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. Alexa joins Aston Martin from Mercedes-Benz USA, where she’d spent 12 years in a variety of roles focusing on regional, brand and event marketing. Most recently, she led the marketing communications department, overseeing all advertising, marketing, and social media activities, in an effort to drive brand and product awareness. Having graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in commerce and marketing, Alexa launched her career at an internet marketing agency, […]

Lotus and Williams Advanced Engineering announce a strategic technical partnership in which the companies will share research and development into advanced propulsion technologies. Lotus Engineering has extensive and proven expertise in the integration and application of new technologies – for Lotus Cars and many global engineering clients, and is an acknowledged leader in lightweight structures and advanced materials.

Pupils from a local school were the special VIP guests of retailer McLaren Birmingham in Solihull where they got to find out for themselves how pursuing a science or maths based career helps to create some of the world’s most iconic sportscars and supercars. Year 7 students from Alderbrook School met engineers and designers from McLaren Automotive to find out about what inspired their own journey to the luxury car company and how they use their skills to help push the boundaries of technology in the automotive sector.

MINI USA has announced that the MINI John Cooper Works Team (MINI JCW Team) will enter the 2019 SRO TC America race series (TC America). MINI USA will continue its partnership with Indianapolis-based LAP Motorsports and will sponsor a vehicle in the Touring Car A (TCA) Class of the 2019 TC America, which kicks off at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on March 1, 2019, just outside of Austin, Texas. Most recently, the MINI JCW Team took home the 2018 Manufacturer’s Championship in the Street Tuner class of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series, beating the likes of BMW, Porsche, and Mazda.

As Bentley enters its Centenary year, the oldest remaining and first racing model – EXP 2 – will be displayed at Retromobile, Paris. The first of many unique events in 2019 that will see Bentley celebrate this landmark year, Retromobile kick-starts the world car show season between 6-10 February at Salon des Expositions, Porte de Versailles. Showcasing Bentley’s motoring evolution over the past 100 years, the British brand’s stand in Paris offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the heritage and the innovation of the British luxury car manufacturer. Joining its illustrious forebear in Paris will be the new Continental GT Convertible – the pinnacle open-top Grand Tourer.