Articles by Staff

International icon and British car manufacturer Aston Martin turned 100th anniversary Tuesday, 16 January,  in Chelsea’s Henniker Mews the original home of the company. Founded on 15 January 1913, Aston Martin designs and manufactures around 3,500 exclusive sports cars at its Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire every year. “I am proud to be celebrating 100 years of heritage and the best of British craftsmanship,” said Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. Dr Bez described Aston Martin as “the coolest luxury car brand on the planet,” an argument heightened by its connection to the James Bond film franchise, featuring in the latest blockbuster Skyfall. The event in London marks the start of a year-long celebration with events taking place across the world, including a week-long Aston Martin festival in July where enthusiasts will be able to see how the car is made at […]

The Telegraph has an excellent review of the new car with the old name – the Aston Martin Vanquish. But really, can any Aston Martin be bad? Check out the Telegraph’s full review.

British sports-car outfit Caterham is launching both a new Seven race car with a forced-induction engine, and a one-make racing series in which the car can compete next year. The Caterham R600 racer offers 275 hp in the company’s familiar lightweight, stripped-out Seven chassis. The engine in question is a supercharged 2.0-liter Ford inline-four, rated for 275 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed sequential transmission sends power to the rear wheels by way of a limited-slip differential. The company claims the R600 will be much faster and “more aggressive” than existing Caterham models, but promises that “the linear power delivery of the supercharged engine makes it superbly drivable.” Make sure to check out the full story at Automobile Magazine.

Jaguar revealed the F-TYPE, an all-new convertible sports car at an event in Paris late last month. The new Jaguar F-TYPE represents a return to the company’s heartland: a two-seat, convertible sports car focused on delivering performance, agility and maximum driver engagement. The F-TYPE is a continuation of a sporting bloodline that stretches back more than 75 years and encompasses a heritage of beautiful, thrilling and desirable cars. The car was revealed in front of the dramatic setting of the 18th century Musee Rodin. Following the reveal, singer Lana Del Rey took to the stage and performed a new track ‘Burning Desire,’ that she has written as part of her collaboration with Jaguar for the launch of the F-TYPE. The track is confirmed to be the soundtrack to a short film that is being produced in association with Ridley Scott […]

MG has launched a new deal where almost any old banger attracts a trade-in value of £3,000. The company claims the deal is probably the most generous on the market at the moment, with any roadworthy car with at least 14 days’ MOT remaining qualifying for the generous valuation. The offer, which evokes memories of the ’scrappage’ incentive scheme of several years ago, is redeemable against either of the two MG6 models in the range; the Magnette and the GT fastback. Meanwhile, another offer on the two cars entices buyers with a fuel card pre-loaded to the value of £2,400 and usable at Tesco and Morrisons’ supermarket filling stations. This is a separate deal that cannot be taken in conjunction with the £3,000 used-car valuation. Clint Cordle, MG Motor UK’s marketing manager, says: “These are both exceptionally good deals on […]

Al Moss, the founder and spirit of Moss Motors, passed away Tuesday night, September 25, 2012. Moss Motors writes, “Here in our building and in our catalogs, Al’s presence is still palpable and will be, we hope, as long as we are in business. We are better because of it.” Moss Motors didn’t start out to be a restoration parts business at all, and if E. Alan Moss had bought a Ford instead of an MG TC things might have turned out very differently indeed! Al was then a young man living in the emerging Los Angeles powerhouse, and the lure of the TC, known as “The Sports Car America Loved First,” was irresistible. After reading about the successful road rallies being held on the East Coast, Al decided to organize one of the first West Coast rallies, this being the summer […]

The Golden Age of the British Sports Car, exploring the story of mass-produced two-seaters from 1945 to 1961, is showing on BBC Four on October 8 at 9pm. A one-hour documentary film, The Golden Age of the British Sports Car, investigates how British manufacturers hit upon a formula for distinctively small, stylish and quick two-seater sports cars that could be mass produced – and which would go on to take the world by storm. For the complete story,  check out The Telegraph.

Jaguar has launched an all-wheel-drive version of its XF and XJ models in North America in the hope that the extreme weather conditions characteristic of the region’s “snow states” will drive demand. The luxury carmaker, part of the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) group, chose the Meatpacking District in Manhattan, New York, to put the AWD ehicles on display to the public yesterday. “The cars will be perfectly set up for the extremes of weather that can hit this part of the world,” said Andy Goss, the President of Jaguar Land Rover in North America. “When it snows here it snows. We need to have products that are technically capable of coping with extreme weather conditions.” Read further details on The Telegraph

British car production is still revving ahead of the rest of the economy after official figures showed an increase in output for the 13th month in a row. Almost 120,000 cars were built in the UK in July, which is up 22% on the same period last year, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The figures came in the same week that one of the industry’s great export successes, Jaguar Land Rover, moved to a 24-hour operation in order to keep up with soaring demand from Asia. The latest SMMT total means that year-to-date production is running at 875,998, an increase of 15%. Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said investment commitments from producers with a major UK presence, from JLR to BMW and Toyota, had underpinned the growth. “While uncertainty in Europe remains a challenge, the […]

A major new multi-million pound redevelopment programme has been launched at MG Motor UK – doubling the size of the design centre and creating new jobs. The latest phase of the rebirth of Longbridge will see substantial investments in the design studio, the engine test centre and the factory ahead of the launch of a new diesel version of the MG6 later this year. Meanwhile, the Chinese-owned firm is recruiting new engineers and designers to work on the next generation of MG cars as the firm prepares to hit the export trail to mainland Europe within two years. New production plans for MG Motor UK include the new diesel model and a Ford Fiesta-sized MG3 by the middle of next year, with a Ford Focus-sized MG5 and an MG SUV vehicle also in the pipeline. The major expansion of the […]

Amid the music and medals taking centre stage in last night’s Olympics Closing Ceremony in London, three Rolls-Royce Phantoms had their own fleeting but spectacular moment in the spotlight. The specially-made Phantom Series II Drophead Coupés traversed the Olympic Stadium in east London, each displaying newly-designed Rolls-Royce badges, the first time the badges have been revamped in the iconic British car-maker’s 108-year history. As they crossed the auditorium during the ceremony’s ‘A Symphony of British Music’ section, one the cars dropped its retractable roof to reveal British singer Jessie J, who proceeded to entertain the crowd with a live performance from the back of the car as it circled the stadium. Sunday’s closing ceremony opened the stage to multi-cultural motors, rather than just The Ultimate Marketing Machine, BMW, who were sponsors of the sports spectacular. Swathed in newspaper there was […]

Stepping into the Morgan factory in Malvern is like stepping back in time. There is a wonderful article on the Moss Motoring site about a tour through the factory that has been producing Morgans since 1919. To understand the circuitous path that a Morgan car travels, from Malvern Link to your driveway, we were lucky enough to have a docent to shepherd us through the process. Dixon is the embodiment of an English gentleman. He has been part of Morgan for many years and he led our group through the Morgan manufacturing process. Be sure to check out the list of 10 Morgan facts you didn’t know!

The Peachtree MG Registry of Atlanta completed their hosting of the North American MGB Register (NAMGBR) National Convention this past Sunday in Dillard, GA at the Dillard House Inn & Resort (www.dillardhouse.com). The event showed a record attendance with nearly 300 cars registered and over 230 cars making it to the show field on Saturday. Both numbers are records for NAMGBR National Convention shows. In addition to the Saturday car show, attendees were also treated to multiple events throughout the week. Tech sessions were held at the Dillard House Convention Center on multiple topics Wednesday through Saturday, including a “rolling tech session” by John Twist of University Motors in Michigan. Event participants could roll their car through a tech station and have any problems with their cars diagnosed. MG 2012 also featured touring events to The Tail of the Dragon […]

The output of new cars from the UK’s automotive plants hit an eight-year high in May, with more than 140,000 units produced. A total of 141,146 cars were manufactured in May, which is the highest monthly output since 2004. It is a substantial 42.2 per cent increase over the number of cars produced in May 2011, although last year’s figures were depressed due to supply issues caused by the Japanese tsunami. Of the 141,146 cars, 120,120 are destined for export markets and 21,026 for domestic sale. Paul Everitt, boss of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “Car manufacturing in May hit the highest level of output since 2004, a sizeable recovery against volumes hampered by last year’s Japanese tsunami. “This boost, coupled with robust year-to-date results, demonstrates the strength of UK automotive manufacturing and shows why it continues […]

Lola Cars has announced that it is going into financial administration as it continues to search for possible investors. The group, which was formed in 1958, said the latest economic downturn has caused a serious cash-flow problem that had forced it into making the decision. It also blamed the move on the HMRC not paying ongoing R&D tax credits. “It is with enormous regret that a decision has been taken to issue Notices of intention to appoint an Administrator to Lola Cars International Limited and Lola Composites Limited,” said Lola in a statement. “This step allows the board to continue its discussions with possible investors and prospective purchasers with a view to securing the best outcome for the staff, creditors and customers of both businesses.” Lola creations have claimed five LMP2 Le Mans 24 Hours titles since 2000. The company […]

The MG Icon has been awarded the ‘Best Concept’ title at the Beijing Motor Show, following its world debut in China. The MG Icon beat the Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe and Honda Concept C in scooping the award. The MG Icon is the first SUV concept car from the company and was created by the MG global design team headed by British director Anthony Williams-Kenny. The designers are said by the company to have taken inspiration from some of the brand’s most famous sports cars including the MGA and MGB GT. Williams-Kenny said: “The MG brand has a unique set of values and heritage and allows us to offer individual design values to our products. The MG Icon represents our vision of a modern MG and we feel that the small SUV canvas demonstrates MG’s capacity for progressive […]

British luxury car maker Bentley recently recruited Graham Humphrys, who designed the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hour-winning BMW. It’s seen as a major step for Bentley making a possible return to the world’s greatest endurance race, the Le Mans 24 hours. Bentley, now owned by Volkswagen, have recruited Graham Humphrys who designed the BMW V12 LMR at Williams Motorsport which was victorious 13 years ago at Circuit de la Sarthe in France, venue for the world’s greatest endurance race, the Le Mans 24 Hours or the 24 Heures du Mans as it is known in France reports Autoweek. The new Bentley project team also includes John Wickham who was Bentley’s team director a decade ago. Brian Gush, who is director for chassis and powertrain development at Bentley, but whose responsibilities also include motorsport, is reported as saying, “Graham is helping us […]

This year’s Silverstone Classic, 20-22 July, looks to be the most entertaining and action-packed yet. Staged at the world famous Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire just two weeks after the Santander Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the Silverstone Classic is already established as the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival – and this summer’s event is all set to break yet more records. Once again both Silverstone’s National and new International Wing pits and paddock complexes will be maximised to house more than 800 of the world’s finest historic racing cars with a packed schedule of races all staged on the full Grand Prix circuit. Adding to the spectacle more than 7,000 classic cars will be displayed over the weekend on the infield with many hallowed marques celebrating important milestones in their evocative histories. Other highlights include live rock concerts, a […]