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Natarajan Chandrasekaran has been appointed Director and Chairman of the Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc board. Mr Chandrasekaran is Chairman of Tata Sons and also holds the following positions: Director on the board of the Reserve Bank of India, board member of Tata Steel Limited and board member of TCS Foundation. Note: Press release courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover.

Burlen Ltd, the world’s only manufacturer of genuine SU (Skinners Union), AMAL and Zenith carburetors, fuel pumps and spares, is celebrating a record-breaking 2016 and continuing to demonstrate remarkable growth. The Salisbury-based company enjoyed a hugely impressive annual turnover of £5.2 million in 2016 – smashing its previous best records and its own start-of-year target in the process. Burlen has an incredibly rich history with products dating back over one hundred years and a stellar reputation to uphold, which is of the utmost importance to the Burnett brothers.

Just a brief note with a single picture, the Jaguar I-PACE Concept will make its European motor show debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 7 March in a new color – Photon Red. To use a phrase from the past, I do believe the I-PACE is the “Shape of Things to Come”.  

The new Velar fills the space in the Range Rover family between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport. Refined for every occasion, for every terrain, Velar uses unique sustainable materials and advanced engineering to continue Land Rover’s drive to go Above and Beyond. Created from a clean sheet using Jaguar Land Rover’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, it is safer, stronger, cleaner and improves driving performance. The Range Rover Velar brings a new dimension of glamor, modernity, and elegance to the Range Rover family. Designed to fill the white space between Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport, Velar offers levels of luxury, refinement and all-terrain capability never before seen in the mid-size SUV segment. This is a new type of Range Rover for a new type of customer.

A stunning and very rare 1971 Aston Martin DB6 MKII Vantage Saloon belonging to touring car driver, commentator and TV personality, John Cleland, will be offered at auction at Silverstone Auctions’ May Sale at Silverstone circuit. As one of only 34 examples made, this original right-hand drive, matching engine and chassis numbers, factory built Vantage DB6 MKII manual has been exceptionally well maintained and improved by Aston Martin specialists throughout its life.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC today reported February 2017 U.S. sales: Jaguar sales were 3,484 units, a 130 percent increase from 1,512 units in February 2016; Land Rover sales reached 5,747 units, down 10 percent from record February sales of 6,417 units in 2016; Jaguar Land Rover February U.S. sales for both brands hit 9,231 units, a 16 percent increase from 7,929 units in February 2016; making it the best ever Jaguar Land Rover February sales month. “We are very pleased to have our best ever February retail month in the U.S. with both car and SUV sales growing across the two brands,” said Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. “The Jaguar brand continues to grow at a torrid pace on strength of the two newest products, the XE and F-PACE. Land Rover is […]

The British Motor Trade Association (BMTA) will be visiting the heart of North American motorsports – Charlotte, NC, March 2-4, 2017. The conference will be hosted by Dick and Beth Lunney of Classic MG Magazine, Lake Speed Jr. of Driven Racing Oil, and many other local shops will be assisting. While some have predicted the demise of the classic British car industry in America, there are clear indicators that the industry is not only doing fine, but has many opportunities to thrive and even expand. The industry has grown from small importers in the post-war period to large distribution networks in the 1960s and 1970s. With the demise of many British brands in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the industry shrank and began a shift from factory-supported parts and repair businesses to independent businesses. This first step in the […]

Mark your calendars every one, in July 2017 the Solihull Society will be returning to Leadville, CO for the annual Land Rover National Rally.  We are still busy working on final details for evening venues and the final trail list, but as those that attending the 2005 and 2009 events can attest, Leadville is made for Land Rovers, both old and new. Situated at 10,000’ above sea level, Leadville is the quintessential 1880s mining town.  Come see where Horace Tabor made his fortune, walk in the steps of Doc Holliday and the Unsinkable Molly Brown, tour old mines, reconnect with friends, and let’s not forget, run some amazing trails in the Best 4x4xFar. Trails in the area include Iron Mike Mine, Mosquito Pass, Holy Cross, Chinaman Gulch, and Wheeler Lake to name just a few. Monday 24 July – Afternoon, […]

Bentley Motors is today announcing the introduction of the Bentayga Mulliner: the ultimate luxury SUV. Bentley’s in-house personal commissioning division, Mulliner, has applied its exquisite craftsmanship to the multi-award-winning Bentayga, creating a new flagship model and setting new standards in automotive luxury.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled a seminal new concept in luxury, crafted for one very special customer, St Richard’s Hospital Pediatric Day Surgery Unit in the marque’s home town of Chichester, West Sussex. The appropriately-named Rolls-Royce SRH will allow children awaiting surgery to drive themselves to the operating theater, through the Pediatric Unit corridors which are lined with ‘traffic signs’. The experience of ‘self-drive to theater’ aims to reduce child patient stress.

Our video of the week this time hits a subject that some of us, myself included, deal with but from the other way round. What we are talking about is left hand drive versus right hand drive cars. One of the cars I drive, a 1966 Vanden Plas Princess, is right hand drive, and I would never even entertain the notion of altering it. But, I have had a number of passengers who express their surprise that not only can I drive the car with ease but some are even surprised that it is legal here in the US. Truthfully, it never bothers me at all and I kind of enjoy the novelty.  Our video this week deals with this issue from the other side  – the subject is left hand drive cars in the UK. Perhaps importantly, the underlying issue […]

See breathtakingly beautiful cars exhibited in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, as enthusiasts come together to proudly provide a show of colorful paint, polished chrome and works of art! Springtime in the Smokies, the annual gathering of European automobiles and motorcycles, always the second Saturday in May, on the grounds of the Talley Ho Inn in beautiful Townsend, Tennessee. The event draws cars from all states surrounding Tennessee; as far north as Michigan, as far south as Florida, and from many other places in between. Entries have included British cars and motorcycles (and now German, Italian, French and Swedish) from as early as the 1930’s. Unusual entries have included Amphicars and even an Austin Healey boat! Owners range from teenagers to senior citizens. Each year a portion of the proceeds from the show are donated to charities serving […]

Aston Martin marks the 87th Geneva international Motor Show with a significant trio of major debuts. In addition to being the global motor show debut of the acclaimed new Vanquish S – the most powerful and dynamic iteration of Aston Martin’s Super GT – the British luxury brand is  also proud to announce the European show debut of the AM-RB 001. This ongoing collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the AM-RB 001 is a thrilling demonstration of technological innovation and design sophistication, resulting in a truly contemporary hypercar.

Morgan Motors is delighted to introduce a series of posters inspired by automotive heritage, classic motoring memorabilia, and period illustrations. Designed by Morgan in-house Technical illustrator, Ian Reynolds, these posters capture the history, excitement and quintessentially British nature of Morgan automobiles. Available in both A0 (garage-sized), A2 art prints and printed on heavy duty paper stock, these exclusive prints are available from the Morgan Motor Company online shop. To shop for these posters, visit the Morgan Shops online.

The Concours of Elegance will return from 1-3 September with an event that welcomes more exclusive features, a broader selection of the world’s most amazing cars and more action than ever. The 2017 event will also see a greater selection of more modern ultra-exclusive supercars, as part of a collection curated by motoring expert and founder of the Harry’s Garage YouTube channel and evo magazine, Harry Metcalfe. At the other end of the automotive spectrum, the Concours of Elegance will also be working with the Royal Automobile Club to create a collection of pre-1905 ‘veteran’ cars. Arriving at Hampton Court Palace over the weekend, visitors will be treated to all the sights and sounds of the very first motoring pioneers. As ever, the main focus of the Concours of Elegance will be the world-class collection of historic vehicles picked by […]

The second-generation McLaren Super Series, which will be unveiled on March 7 at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show, is set to redefine expectations of supercar capability with phenomenal stopping performance to equal its extreme acceleration. Reaching 200km/h (124mph) in 7.8 seconds, McLaren’s new supercar can then brake to a standstill in just 4.6 seconds and 117 meters – six meters less than the 650S and almost on par with the legendary McLaren P1 . “As well as delivering the outstanding driver involvement and enjoyment for which the brand is renowned, McLaren’s new supercar will also excel in everyday driving,” explained McLaren Automotive Chief Test Driver, Chris Goodwin. “The extreme performance and dynamic prowess of the second-generation Super Series, honed by testing at the limits and beyond, provides the perfect foundation for it to be the most complete supercar across the […]

InMotion Ventures, the venture capital business powered by Jaguar Land Rover, has completed a seed investment in enterprise-focused ride-sharing platform SPLT. SPLT is a carpool service that enables employees at large organizations to connect and share the drive to and from work, using their own vehicles. The platform’s ride-matching algorithm allows lifts to be dynamically arranged in seconds within a trusted community of commuters, saving time and money for both employees and employers as well as combatting traffic and parking issues.

The Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is reportedly bidding for a 51% stake in Malaysia’s Proton Holdings, the owner of the Proton and Lotus brands. The current owner is DRB-Hicom, one of the country’s largest automotive conglomerates, which has long been looking for a “strategic partner” for Proton Holdings. Zhejiang Geely currently owns the Geely Auto, Volvo, and the Lynk & Co. brands.