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A recent data breach revealed the records of hundreds of employees at Jaguar Land Rover’s factory in Solihull, England. This breach, which was first reported by the Huffington Post, included employee names as well as personnel issues such as sick days used and disciplinary issues. What is worse, the records were also flagged to indicate who might be let go during the company’s upcoming layoffs. In a bit of a public relations snafu, instead of accepting blame and attempting to apologize for the data breach, JLR initially denied the reports calling them “fake news”.  Obviously, employees are none-too-pleased. As we reported last month, Jaguar Land Rover is planning to cut approximately 1,000 manufacturing jobs due to the diesel scandal and falling sales numbers. The company is cutting the jobs at the Birmingham factory that manufactures the Jaguar F-Pace, Land Rover Discovery, and […]

The Brabham BT62 has been designed and engineered to conquer the track and reward its driver with blistering lap times. In a video released today, the BT62 is seen lapping Australia’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit at incredible speeds during its extensive pre-launch testing programme, with Managing Director and multiple Le Mans winner, David Brabham, behind the wheel.

McLaren Automotive today celebrated the manufacture of its 15,000th car at the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey, just seven years after production first began. The 15,000th car, a 570S Spider in Curacao Blue from the company’s Sports Series family, represents a further significant milestone for the British sportscar and supercar brand and comes less than 18 months after the 10,000th car was completed in December 2016.

Held on the site of battles between England and the US during the War of 1812, British cars and motorcycles are displayed in a park-like setting. This is our 20th annual show, with awards determined by the participants. No fee for spectators.

The 2018 Atlanta British Car Fayre will feature over 400 distinctive British Automobiles and Motorcycles. 10 AM to 3 PM in Historic Downtown Norcross, GA. This year’s featured marque is Jaguar. FREE to the public, FREE Parking and Shuttle Service. Includes the Car Show with Best of Show Award for autos & motorcycles, Car Boot Sale, Raffle Awards and MORE! Show Online Registration: $15 per auto ($10 ea. additional auto) / $10 per motorcycle. Day of Show Registration: $20 per auto ($15 ea. additional auto), $10 per motorcycle. Car Boot Sale Online registration: $15 per space. Please go to our website for more info and to register early! Our charity is again The Amanda Riley Foundation, which aids children with cancer.

The date for the 2018 BCF has been set for Saturday, October 27th. Registration details and other forms will be loaded soon! Go ahead and mark your calendar now and check back later for additional details!

CELEBRATE 50! That’s right.  At SWIABFM 2018, we will highlight 50 years for two  British cars manufactured in 1968.  The Triumph TR-250 debuted to the American market as the transition from the TR-4 to the new TR-6.  With only one year in production, the TR-250 is on the wish list for most Triumph owners and others.  Our other celebrity guest is the Morgan Plus 8, introduced to the world in 1968 and still in production today (with a brief break from 2004 to 2012).    If you have a TR-250 or a Morgan Plus 8, I encourage you to join us and tell your story. But SWIABFM is more than these two marques!  All British vehicles are welcome to join us for our “Two Great Events and One Awesome British Weekend.”  The weekend starts in the Idaho mountain town of […]

Land Rover has announced a host of enhancements to the award-winning Range Rover Velar including a broader engine choice, the latest intelligent safety technology and more features such as air suspension and adaptive dynamics now available as options. The Velar now has a D275 engine option, a 275PS 3.0-litre V6 diesel, producing 625Nm of torque. The new D275 enhances the options across the range and enables customers the flexibility to specify the perfect car for them. 

McLaren Automotive is confirmed this past week that former professional racing driver Kenny Brack has joined the British luxury high-performance sportscar and supercar company as Chief Test Driver. Brack, 52, who has 35 years of experience in motorsports including as a racing driver in IndyCar, CART, F3000 and rallying and a test driver in Formula 1 and NASCAR, will be responsible for leading the dynamic development of all McLaren road cars. He will report to Dr. Jens Ludmann, Chief Operating Officer, McLaren Automotive.

InMotion Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital arm, today announced its investment in FATMAP, the leading platform for outdoor adventure lovers and mountain professionals with cutting-edge global 3D mapping technology. The investment from InMotion Ventures, along with Episode 1 and Capnamic Ventures, will support FATMAP with their global ambition to become a key destination for adventure and outdoor activities. Skiers, hikers, trail-runners, mountain-bikers, and climbers can all use FATMAP technology to navigate the off-road world more easily.

The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racecar charged ahead as it made its global debut in Berlin this past Saturday. Founder and CEO of Formula E Alejandro Agag had the honor of marking this historical moment alongside Jaguar Racing as he drove the racecar around the iconic Tempelhof Circuit. Alejandro Agag put the eTROPHY racecar through its paces on the track and completed five laps in front of the crowds in Berlin. While demonstrating its dynamic capabilities, the eTROPHY racecar gave a glimpse of the future of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship to a global audience.

Englishman David Hobbs – Hobbo to his friends and fans – is one of motor racing’s most remarkable all-rounders. In a 31-year driving career he raced in almost every imaginable category: endurance sports racers, touring cars, Formula 1, Formula 5000, Indycars, IMSA, Trans-Am, Can-Am and even NASCAR – he has done the lot. And on top of that, he has been a television commentator in America for nearly 40 years, bringing wit and wisdom to the screen most recently as part of NBC’s Formula 1 team. Now, at last, he has put down all his experiences in this highly readable memoir that will be welcomed by racing enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. • Early racing years: from his mum’s Morris Oxford in 1959 to Jaguars and a Lotus Elite – and coming to the notice of the racing […]

MINI USA today announced the official list of sponsors for MINI TAKES THE STATES (MTTS) 2018. The biennial road rally for MINI owners will take place from July 14 – 22, starting simultaneously from Orlando, Fla., and Portland, Ore., and ending at Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colo. Earlier this year, MINI USA announced that Feeding America is again the Official Charity Partner of MTTS 2018. This summer’s rally will see the return of several sponsors from the 2016 rally, Shell V-Power ® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline,  Pennzoil with PurePlus™ Technology motor oil and Pirelli®, which offers MINI approved star marked tires. New sponsors to the MTTS rally include KIND® Snacks, MapQuest, who will for the first time bring a custom turn-by-turn navigation application to MTTS, and Harman Kardon.

From the old to the new – the very new. Our Video of the Week this time features the brand new Brabham BT62 and its unveiling in London on May 2. In addition to unveiling the new car, the background of the new Brabham logo was discussed. To understand the history of Brabham automotive and the late Jack Brabham’s role in racing and autosport, check out the comprehensive timeline on the Brabham Automotive site. First, in regards to the logo, it is Derived from the ‘V’ that so prominently featured on the badges of Brabham’s Repco-powered championship-winning racers from the 1960s, and the fangs from the iconic ‘Hissing Sid’ snake that was synonymous with Brabham’s Ecclestone-era Formula 1 cars, the bold new emblem echoes the marque’s rich heritage with a sharp, strong and engaging device that embodies the Brabham attitude: […]

Jeremy Hicks, the managing director of Jaguar Land Rover in the UK has accused the government of scaring off car buyers and damaging the motor industry with its lack of clarity on vehicle emissions and car taxation policy. Addressing delegates at CDX – the UK’s largest motor trade expo – Hicks said the government’s failure to make its position clear was causing consumers to ‘hold off’ their next car purchase and directly responsible for falling car sales.

Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Ltd., the producer of highly desirable luxury handcrafted sports cars, today reported a 3% rise in first-quarter adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) to £43.7 million, representing an EBITDA margin of 24% on revenues of £185.4 million. For the three months to 31 March 2018, the Company achieved positive pre-tax profits of £2.8 million as strong demand continued for the recently launched DB11 V8 twin-turbo coupe and Volante models.

That there was a pent-up demand for a replacement MK1 Mini bodyshell was not in doubt, but British Motor Heritage (BMH) has nevertheless been stunned at the scale of orders since first displaying its prototype shell at the 2016 NEC Classic Motor Show. Dramatically rising values are at the heart of the demand Commented BMH’s Managing Director John Yea: A few years back, though values of good Mini-Coopers were climbing steadily, the limited worth of their 850 cousins made comprehensive restorations hard to justify. The picture is now very different, and enthusiasts are busy rejuvenating all versions of Issisgonis’ immortal baby at an ever-increasing rate. As a result we are constantly having to raise our production targets, and that’s without taking into account the shells we are creating for David Brown Automotive’s impressive Mini Remastered programme. At just £9,950 inc. […]

The Royal wedding. Yes, I am going there. Not being a true Royal follower myself, when I tune in to events such as this it is the cars that catch my attention more than there ceremonies. Although I will have to admit, this was actually a touching and important ceremony as it bridged not only the US and Great Britain but also the past and the future.  That bridging could also be seen in the combination of heritage and modernity seen in the most talked about car of the day. That most talked about car was the Electric E-Type used by Prince Harry and his bride when leaving the Windsor. We featured this amazing car a few months ago when it was first unveiled by Jaguar Land Rover Classic. The Jaguar E-type Zero not only drives and looks like an E-type, it […]