Archive

Call them ‘frog eye’ or ‘bug eye’ either way, this is the first version of the venerable Austin Healey Sprite. Our video this week is from when the car was still brand new to the roads in 1958. This old British Motor Corporation publicity video shows the still wet behind the ears, and tires in this case, Sprite driven at Silverstone by famed English racing driver Roy Salvadori. The Austin Healey Sprite, here in the guise that would become known as the Mk I, was a marvel in its day. Cheap, quick (not fast), and easy to maintain. What it didn’t have in speed, power, or creature comforts it made up for in charm and smiles per gallon. These were, and still are, simply fun cars.  These days though they are becoming much more scarce in solid, unmolested condition, and the […]

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) today announces recruitment plans to support its ambitious growth strategy, with the creation of 250 new jobs this year. Just two years after its creation in 2014, plans to increase the number of employees across Special Operations’ business areas is aligned to the £30m investment made in new headquarter facilities in the British Midlands for SVO (£20m) and Jaguar Land Rover Classic (£7.5m). John Edwards, Jaguar Land Rover SVO Managing Director, said: Today we employ just over 1,000 designers, engineers and technicians across four divisions in Special Operations. The team is energetic, enthusiastic and entrepreneurial. They are the principal reason that we have made a strong start in business since 2014. Now we have new facilities, technologies, products and services in place to exceed the demands of our most discerning customers all over […]

Jaguar Classic today announced that the hotly-anticipated continuation Jaguar XKSS will receive its world debut presentation in November this year in California, North America. The presentation will coincide with the opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Production of the ultra-exclusive continuation Jaguar XKSS will be limited to just nine examples, hand-crafted by Jaguar Classic expert technicians and manufactured to the exact same specification as those produced in 1957.

Join us August 6th at “LeMay‐America’s Car Museum”for “Jaguars on the Green”. Our Concours will be on the 3.5 acre lawn in the shadow of one of the world’s largest and newest auto museums. View the NW’s best Jaguars outside and over 500 vehicles inside under the roof of this four story uniquely designed structure.   Entry fee to the museum is $16.00 per person paid at the door.

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) today officially opens its new Technical Centre in the heart of the British Midlands. The innovative new £20m facility near Coventry will be the headquarters of SVO and will house manufacturing, paint, technical and customer commissioning and presentation zones inside the 20,000m2 facility. The new Technical Centre is a significant representation of the growth of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations – the specialist division of Jaguar Land Rover created in June 2014 to build a business responsible for halo car products (SVO), Vehicle Personalisation, classic car programmes by Jaguar Land Rover Classic and an exciting range of Branded Goods. John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said: The new Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre is a major step forward in meeting the desires of our most discerning customers. There are more […]

Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing are today revealing their ground-breaking hypercar; codenamed AM-RB 001. The product of a unique Innovation Partnership between the British luxury brand and eminent F1TM team, this ambitious, uncompromising and wholly extraordinary collaboration combines the vision and skills of two world-leading brands to create a road car the like of which has never been seen before. The three men charged with realising this shared vision are Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer and the world’s most successful F1TM designer, Marek Reichman, Aston Martin EVP and Chief Creative Officer and David King, VP and Chief Special Operations Officer. Together they spearhead a formidable alliance. One that combines more than a hundred years of specialism – both with heritage, making some of the world’s most beautiful and charismatic GT cars, and with technological brilliance and […]

G Motor UK is bringing the new MG GS to people nationwide as part of its regional test drive tour. The MG GS is over halfway through its tour of the country, where the MG team has been taking it to the public, in various locations, to give them the opportunity to have a drive and find out more about the newest addition. So far the MG GS has been to Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Huntingdon and Maidstone. The MG team has had great feedback with many drivers expressing interest in purchasing then and there. Seven sales quotes were prepared at Huntingdon for customers who were bowled over by the MG GS. Having test driven the MG GS Exclusive DCT, Mr Webb said: “Simply, I could not in any way consider a repeat purchase of my existing model, not because I […]

Our Video of the Week this week is of the TR Drivers Club Bullet Run, which we featured yesterday. The video itself comes by way of our friend John Clancy at TriumphDVD. June 2016 saw the inaugural Bullet Run hosted by the TR Drivers Club. The event commemorated the life of Tony Lee (Standard-Triumph’s Chief Development Engineer) who sadly died in September 2015. The Bullet Run re-traced the old Standard-Triumph test route which saw all the new and forthcoming models taken down to Bwlch y Groes in Wales. Gordon Birtwistle worked for Tony for over 20 years at Triumph as High-Speed Development Engineer and did an extensive interview with me in front of an audience of about 60 after the Saturday dinner. This video is the opening ten minutes.

Lister Motor Company is proud to announce the launch of a limited run of 10 special edition cars, the Lister Knobbly Jaguar Stirling Moss, with each car featuring a handmade magnesium body and special lightweight specification – just like the original ‘works’ racing Knobblys of the 1950s. These cars follow on from an initial run of 10 aluminium-bodied continuations – now all sold out – production of which began in 2014 at George Lister Engineering. Each is built using the same techniques as the original 1950s Knobbly, following the acquisition of Lister Motor Company by Andrew and Lawrence Whittaker in 2013.

The very first production Lotus Elite, bought new by jazz legend Chris Barber, and recently restored for Channel 4’s For the Love of Cars, will be auctioned by Silverstone Auctions at the Silverstone Classic Sale on 30th July. The very first Elite produced as a proper production vehicle rather than a pre-production prototype, this 1958 Lotus Elite Series I, chassis 1009, was displayed at the 1958 Earls Court Motor Show. It was then purchased by one of Colin Chapman’s most favoured customers and personal friend, Chris Barber, in December 1958. The car, the very first racing Elite, has an incredible race history, with Barber racing it extensively for five seasons in top level international sports car racing in both the UK and Europe. As well as competing in three consecutive Tourist Trophy races at Goodwood in 1961, 1962 and 1963, […]

DeLorean Convention and Show (DCS 2016) from July 21 – July 23 at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, IL.  The Convention Registration varies based on days attended and evening dinners, but the All DeLorean Car Show is free to the public on Saturday, July 23. Donations accepted for the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Fund First Time” DCS VIP Guests Colleen Booth, personal secretary for John Z. DeLorean (DMC years) from mid-70’s to early 80’s Ronnie Arnold, one of the drivers of the 50K Endurance Testing (using pre-production DeLoreans) George Levy, auto journalist who attended the DeLorean Junket for the DeLorean’s Initial Release Phyllis Sutton, former DMC Secretary, (Employee #21) wife of Nick Sutton “Returning” DCS VIP Guests Nick Sutton, former DMC Executive, (Employee #16) author of The DeLorean Story Bob Gale, writer and producer of the Back to […]

The TR Drivers Club hosted the Bullet Run on the weekend of 17th to 19th June to commemorate the passing of Standard-Triumph’s Chief Development Engineer, Tony Lee, who sadly died in September last year.  The famous TR7 prototype photos with Tony at Bwlch y Groes in Wales were the inspiration for this event and although these are the only known photos of Triumph development vehicles at the location it was a test route used regularly by management and senior staff.  Known at the Canley factory as “Ride & Drive” it was a fairly thorough test with up to 300 miles along varied roads that culminated at the scenic Bwlch y Groes location.  The TR Drivers Club organizers sought to reproduce the “Ride & Drive” route and invited owners of all Triumph models to take part.     The host hotel […]

In memory of Jim Barrow Featured Marquee – Classic Mini and Modern Car Show – Saturday, September 24, 2016 — 9am to 4pm Open House and Early Registration .. Friday, September 23, 2016 – 7pm-9pm Sponsor – Southern Indiana Region British Car Club – S.I.R. Brit Location – Old Lock & Dam Park – Newburgh Indiana Early Car Registration – $12 Day of Show – $15 9am-2pm Free Trolley service to shopping and restaurants – 10am to 2pm All British Cars and Motorcycles Participant voting 12 noon to 3:30 Half Pot and door prizes for participants 35 Classes for Awards 1st thru 3rd…over 8 cars in Class 4th & 5th place FOOD VENDOR..available Show Shirt & regalia available Out of Town guests — Host Hotel Marriott Fairfield Inn, 7879 Eagle Crest Blvd, Evansville, In. 47715 812 471-7000 $80 / Night […]

Recognising his significant and ongoing contribution to the Motor Industry, Lotus CEO, Jean-Marc Gales has been awarded the title Commander of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg following a ceremony in the country’s capital. Jean-Marc Gales received the Commander of the Order of Merit from His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Held at the Luxembourg Philharmonie, during the county’s National Day celebrations, the honour was vested during the annual ceremony, and cited Jean-Marc Gales’ ‘distinguished international career’, ‘exceptional service’, and ‘stunning commitment’.

Jaguar Land Rover’s Halewood plant is today celebrating after helping the UK’s largest car producer, claim two ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ titles in less than a week. On Friday 17 June, Jaguar Land Rover was named as Britain’s Manufacturer of the Year at the Made in the UK Awards and last Thursday night the company, represented by the Halewood plant, took the Manufacturer of the Year title at The Echo Regional Business Awards. This latest award success sees the Merseyside-based plants award tally rise to 13 since 2011.

Aston Martin is celebrating another fabulous Festival of Speed after four days at glorious Goodwood, where a sell-out crowd witnessed the very best that the luxury British sports car brand has to offer. Billed as the world’s largest automotive garden party, the Goodwood Festival of Speed began in 1993 in the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex and has since become the automotive highlight of the British summer season.

The Jaguar F-PACE has put on another dramatic display of dynamic precision and control. After setting the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest loop-the-loop at its launch last year, the very same record-breaking F-PACE and stunt driver Terry Grant have teamed up again for a thrilling drive at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This time Grant piloted Jaguar’s first family sports car up the famous Goodwood hill on two wheels. As if that was not enough, professional freestyle motorbike stunt rider Lee Bowers was on board to add even more jeopardy to proceedings. Bowers is no stranger to two wheels and swapped his saddle for the luxurious leather interior of Jaguar’s first performance crossover. As the F-PACE two-wheeled up the demanding course, Bowers climbed out of the passenger window to stand on the side of the Jaguar and salute […]

Note: The contest is now closed and a winner chosen. Thanks to all those who competed. And you can still have your car and sticker featured in our gallery, so keep sending them in. Thanks! The summer contest is finally here, so you need to show us your sticker!  Yup, that’s right, to enter this contest all you have to do is show us your Just British sticker (you do have one, right?) as it is attached to your car, motorcycle, motorhome, space shuttle, cooler, significant-other, or … well, just keep it at least PG rated.  We love seeing our stickers on your cars out on the road and at shows, and so this is a chance for you to show off online. To enter, just do one of the following things …. Upload a picture of your applied sticker […]