Archive

The BMW Group has chosen the IAA Cars 2017 show in Frankfurt to present the modern racing essence of a MINI – in the shape of the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept. Inspired by the carmaker’s legendary triumphs in the Monte Carlo Rally exactly 50 years ago, this design study embodies undiluted dynamic flair and the ultimate in driving fun – on both the race track and the road. The concept car picks up the baton from the 2012 MINI John Cooper Works GP and 2006 MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit. Produced in strictly limited numbers (2,000 examples each), these two models explored the outer limits of their performance capability at the time. The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept is all about the unfettered feeling of driving and levels of performance found in motor […]

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC today reported August 2017 U.S. sales: Jaguar sales were 3,101 units, a 6 percent decrease from 3,298 units in August 2016; Land Rover sales increased 5 percent to 6,320 units from 6,031 in August 2016; Jaguar Land Rover August U.S. sales for both brands hit 9,421 units, a 1 percent increase from 9,329 units in August 2016. Year to date, Jaguar Land Rover is up 13 percent in the United States, ahead of 2016’s record sales year pace. We are pleased to notch a small increase in August in the face of a challenging marketplace. Despite the headwinds, record monthly sales for Range Rover, and the launch of the Range Rover Velar, helped the Land Rover brand set a new U.S. August sales record. — Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC

Concours of Elegance and Bridge of Weir Leather Company partnered up once again this year to launch a brand new ‘Cars of our Years’ feature, celebrating the important connection between man and machine. Notable friends of the Concours and Bridge of Weir each chose a car from their lifetime that has made the strongest emotional impact. Visitors to the Concours of Elegance were invited to vote for their favorite of the ten Cars of Our Years nominated by stars of the world of automotive and motorsport.

Ben, the not-for-profit organization that partners with the automotive industry to provide support for life to its people and their family dependents, announces that the Jaguar Land Rover Channel Swim Challenge has raised an impressive £185,000 so far. The £160,000 target has been smashed, yet the total is likely to grow as donations and fundraising events continue. Jeremy Hicks, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, swam the English Channel, along with 13 of his colleagues in a two team relay on Thursday 24th August. The two teams set off at 10pm on Thursday and made it to French soil on Friday 25th August at around 2.30pm, resulting in a total time of around 16.5 hours. This was no mean feat as the English Channel is 21 miles wide and one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Jaguar Land Rover is revealing Sayer, the intelligent and connected steering wheel of the future during the inaugural Tech Fest at Central St Martins, University of the Arts London. This steering wheel concept lives in your home and becomes your trusted companion. Sayer is the first voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) steering wheel that will be able to carry out hundreds of tasks. Sayer could signal your membership of our on-demand service club. A club which offers either sole ownership or the option of sharing the car with others in your community.

It is with a heavy heart that I must let you know of another passing in our ranks. Dick Knudson, MG evangelist and recent inductee into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame, has passed away last Friday, September 1st. Services will be held Friday, September 8th, in Schenevus, New York. The Reverend Dr. Richard L. Knudson was a co-founded the New England MG ‘T’ Register in 1964 and has been the register’s backbone ever since, guiding the register and its many events over the years. He was editor of the Register’s “Sacred Octagon” magazine for many years. He became an “MG Expert”, even traveling to England to do MG research. He authored a number of books on MGs, including “MG – The Sports Car America Loved First”. Although I had been a fan of the man and his work for […]

Aston Martin Racing is ready to kick off the second half of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship, as the premier racing series touches down in Mexico City. After taking a GTE Pro double podium in 2016 – scoring a victory and third place – Aston Martin Racing will be hoping to claim yet another strong points-haul 12 months on. While the intense heat and 2,250m altitude of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez challenged both the drivers and V8 Vantage GTE last year, it will be the severe weather and temperamental thunderstorms that will provide the team with a serious test this weekend.

British electric vehicle start-up Alcraft Motor Company has revealed details of its first car, the high-performance Alcraft GT. The business is targeting a start of production in 2019 and is launching a crowdfunding campaign offering the chance to play a part in the development of the car and a new British brand. Alcraft Motor Company has been founded by businessman David Alcraft. He has assembled a core team including Charles Morgan, previously of Morgan Motor Company, ex-Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders CEO Christopher Macgowan, designer Matt Humphries who also spent time at Morgan, and ex-Toyota, Daewoo and Michelin senior executive Mark Carbery.

Families in Cardiff, Wales, will soon be able to add a new car to their shopping list following the launch of MG’s second UK concept store. Based in St David’s Dewi Sant, which attracts more than 38 million visitors a year, MG’s first such store outside of London will offer a dynamic, immersive and modern retail experience for customers. The 1,610-square foot retail boutique has been designed to reinvent the car buying journey. The store features a video screen wall, interactive iPad stations and will also include a dedicated lifestyle space. A collection of vehicles will be on display, representing models in the MG3 and MG GS ranges, with the much-anticipated MG XS in store by early November.

Very sad to hear of the passing of Syd Silverman. Syd was very involved in vintage racing in a number of respects for many years.  He was a strong supporter of the MG Vintage Racers and he raced his MGTC with us a number of times. In fact, his MGTC was the TC that was Carroll Shelby’s first race car.  He was the recipient of SVRA’s “Collier Cup” in 2003.  We will miss him. Syd Silverman was the owner and chairman of Vintage Motorsport from 1990-2012. He was a staunch supporter and participant in the preservation, presentation, and celebration of motorsports and its history for nearly four decades. Syd died of a sudden illness Sunday, Aug. 27 in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 85

Bentley Motors today announces the appointment of Peter Bosch as its new Member of the Board for Manufacturing, starting on 1st November 2017. Bosch joins Bentley from Volkswagen Group’s Wolfsburg headquarters where he held the role of Head of Production Strategy, Processes and Structure. He succeeds Michael Straughan who is leaving Bentley to pursue other career opportunities.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and ‘Global dealer of the Year’ Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sunningdale, have made a charitable donation to Teenage Cancer Trust. The donation was made from the proceeds of the sale of Roger Daltrey CBE’s unique ‘Tommy’ car, created earlier this year as part of a series of highly-Bespoke Wraith ‘Inspired by British Music’ cars. A check for £208,945 (approximately $270,000 USD) was handed over yesterday in London by Roger Daltrey CBE to Teenage Cancer Trust’s Chairman David Hoare. Daltrey is Honorary Patron of the charity, which supports young people aged 13-24 diagnosed with cancer, and the driving force behind Teenage Cancer Trust’s annual fundraising concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. He collaborated with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars designers to create two Bespoke cars to mark the musical legacy of The Who.

Aston Martin, the producer of luxury handcrafted sports cars, will drive trade and investment between the United Kingdom and Japan worth up to £500 million over the next five years of its Second Century business plan. The investment program was announced by Dr. Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President and Chief Executive Officer, during his visit to Japan as part of the UK delegation accompanying British Prime Minister Theresa May. The trade and investment created by the company signals the importance of the Japanese luxury car market to the global success of Aston Martin.

Morgan Motor Company celebrated over a century of innovation and craftsmanship at the inaugural Run For The Hills event last weekend with 1000’s of Morgans from a 108-year history returning home to Malvern. Held at the Malvern Three Counties Showground in association with the Morgan Sports Car Club, Morgan owners and aficionados from around the world gathered for two days of family fun, just a few miles from the Pickersleigh Road home of the iconic coachbuilder. 

Almost 10 years after MINI E laid the foundations for production-standard battery electric vehicles within the BMW Group, MINI is now offering a window on the future of urban electric mobility. With a focus on driving excitement and inspiring design, it moves the brand’s urban tradition into the electric age and in doing so spices up the conventional notion of electric mobility. A production version of the MINI ELECTRIC CONCEPT will be unveiled in 2019. The MINI ELECTRIC CONCEPT will debut at IAA Cars 2017 in Frankfurt, and be on public display from Saturday 16th September. This debut follows the launch of the brand’s first ever electrified production model, the MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid earlier in 2017. The systematic electrification of the brand and product portfolio is a mainstay of the BMW Group’s NUMBER ONE > NEXT strategy. The MINI ELECTRIC […]

Join us and be our guests in Port Perry on the weekend of Sunday, August 19th, 2018 for ‘Brits on the Lake’ Classic British Motor Revival, the all-British motor event with a heart. Our tenth annual Festival promises to be one of the best British car/bike/bus events that you’ll ever experience!  All of the cars and entrants will be out in their finest on Queen Street in historic Downtown Port Perry for the all-British Car show with Peoples’ Choice Judging in 26 different Classes. You will not want to miss this weekend!

The new Range Rover Velar is one of Land Rover’s most desirable cars yet, but while the model is new, the Velar name is not. Our video this week comes from the folks at AutoExpress and is a drive in one of the original Velars – the vehicle that became the Range Rover. The first Velar-badged cars appeared on the roads in the UK in the late 1960s, when Land Rover wanted to hide its Range Rover prototypes during testing. Taking its name from the Italian word ‘velare’ – which means ‘conceal’ – seven prototypes were built, and later crushed. However, a handful of pre-production models survived, and we’ve been for a spin in one to get a sense of the new Velar’s heritage. If you are interested in AutoExpress’s take on the new, and much more modern, Range Rover […]

Bentley Motors is today announcing full details of its new Continental GT, the definitive Bentley Grand Tourer. Designed, engineered and handcrafted in Britain, the new third-generation Bentley Continental GT combines spirited, focused performance with handcrafted luxury and cutting-edge technology, to create the finest Grand Tourer ever produced.