Corporate Business

Renowned writer of all things MG, David Knowles, has recently issued a request for information in regards to MGA.  His request is as follows: I am writing a book about the MGA of 1955 to 1962, the sports car that marked perhaps the most remarkable change of policy for the famous Abingdon company. It finally saw the abandonment of the old ‘square rigger’ MG styling that had seen service since the beginning of the 1930s, replacing the blunt upright shapes of old with a modern sleek shape. The MGB of 1962 to 1980 is, of course, the MG sports car most people now remember, and is rightly revered as a great sports car – more than half a million versions were sold. But it was the MGA (which had sales of more than 100,000) that broke the traditionalist mould.The MGA […]

This just in from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars … “Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date, and begins a new age of open-top, super-luxury motoring. Dawn is a beautiful new motor car that offers the most uncompromised open-top motoring experience in the world. It will be the most social of super-luxury drophead motor cars for those who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s most exclusive social hotspots. Quite simply, it is the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built. The name ‘Dawn’ perfectly suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds – an awakening, an opening up of one’s senses and a burst of sunshine. In its tentative, inchoate, anticipatory state, dawn is the world coming to light from the ethereal dark of the night. The early-day chill of dawn provides an […]

The new Range Rover Sentinel is the first luxury armoured vehicle to be fully engineered by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations, (SVO) hand built at its Oxford Road facility, providing the highest levels of protection an SUV can offer against a wide variety of attacks. The Sentinel is based on the standard wheelbase Range Rover Autobiography. It delivers the supreme comfort, command driving position and all-terrain capability of the Range Rover, while providing peace of mind thanks to outstanding occupant protection and, outwardly, looking identical to the standard model. This mobile fortress is designed to withstand the most damaging and targeted of threats including penetration by 7.62mm high velocity, armour piercing incendiary bullets. This exceptional vehicle delivers lateral protection against up to 15kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT) blasts and defence against DM51 grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the […]

Jaguar Land Rover has launched its Academy, the first of its kind in the UK automotive sector.  The new Academy will offer all Jaguar Land Rover workers the opportunity to take part in continuous development programmes to enhance their careers and provide the skills the company needs. With an annual learning and development outlay of £100 million, Jaguar Land Rover invests heavily in skills.  The creation of the Academy gives renewed focus to that investment and will deliver improved skills for the long-term by strengthening the links between training and business needs.  All training provided through the Jaguar Land Rover Academy will meet quality levels defined by a recognised and standardised accreditation process. Commenting on the launch, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ralf Speth said:  “We are investing significantly in the future of Jaguar Land Rover by creating […]

Jaguar will celebrate its exciting future and rich, 80-year heritage at the 2015 Frankfurt IAA, with a dramatic reveal of the all-new Jaguar F-PACE. The Jaguar F-PACE will be the first ever compact luxury SUV from the famous British luxury and sports car brand. The stunning new F-PACE, which will be available to view on the Jaguar stand throughout the show (September 17 – 27), is previewed today with the release of an exclusive image and film. Camouflaged prototypes have already been seen proving the everyday usability and exceptional ride and handling of the all-new F-PACE, by supporting Team Sky on the Tour de France, enduring more than a quarter of a million miles of extreme testing at JLR test centers Dubai and Northern Sweden, and tackling some of the most challenging roads in world. This is a compact luxury […]

McLaren Automotive will showcase the best of British luxury at this weekend’s Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille (6-7 September) taking place at Domaine Chantilly, north of Paris. The second edition of the glamorous event will see a stunning display of automotive extravagance including a one-off 570S Coupé by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) and the legendary McLaren F1 GTR by César. The McLaren 570S Coupé by MSO has been designed to showcase different personalisation options available through the bespoke division of McLaren, and made its debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. This striking example of modern craftsmanship is finished in new Ceramic Grey paintwork and features a variety of carbon fibre exterior options emphasising the lightweight carbon fibre chassis at the heart of the car. The 570S Coupé is the first model launched in the McLaren Sports Series […]

Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum has been named among the first inductees to the Scottish Motoring Hall of Fame at a prestigious ceremony held aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia and hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent. The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers’ Scottish Motoring Hall of Fame, presented by Bridge of Weir Leather Company, was inaugurated as part of the opening celebrations of the Concours of Elegance, which opens at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh this weekend. Ian Callum joins motorsport legends Sir Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark as the first inductees. Ian Callum said: “It’s a great honour, made even greater by the company I am in as an inaugural member of the Scottish Motoring Hall of Fame alongside Sir Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark. I am absolutely thrilled, and so proud.”  Ian Callum, […]

The new MG 3SW debuted today on the 2015 Chengdu Auto Show in China, winning the price for the fattest front overhang. The MG 3SW is a variant of the MG3, and the spiritual successor of the long gone MG3 Streetwise. The MG 3SW is powered by the same dull engine as the standard car: a 1.5 liter petrol four with 109hp and 135nm, mated to a five-speed manual or automatic.

With the introduction of three new models – two of which are all-new to North American customers – realigned pricing and a new best-in-class1 coverage under Jaguar EliteCare, 2016 model year marks the beginning of The Next Generation of Jaguar. Already on sale in select markets around the world, the all-new Jaguar XE arrives in U.S. showrooms this spring. Launching with three powertrain options across four trim levels, the Jaguar XE enters the highly competitive sport sedan segment with standard rear-wheel drive and the option of all-wheel drive on certain powertrains. Fully redesigned for 2016, the second generation Jaguar XF continues to bring a unique blend of design, technology and refinement to the premium sedan segment. Positioned between the mid-size Jaguar XE and the full-size Jaguar XJ, the new bodywork on the XF mirrors the evolution of the Jaguar design […]

A very personal film, made in collaboration with Credit Suisse, has revealed new insights into the extraordinary life of motorsport icon Sir Stirling Moss. The 85-year-old race ace, who dominated the international scene in the 1950s and early-60s, chats candidly ahead of the 18th running of the Goodwood Revival at the circuit where he achieved so much success in his 15-year professional career. Talking at his London home with motorsport journalist, broadcaster and Goodwood commentator Henry Hope-Frost, Sir Stirling reminisces about his remarkable life on the race track. He talks fondly about Goodwood, the circuit that bookended his career via a 500cc Formula 3 win at the opening meeting in September 1948, when he was just 19, and the Glover Trophy Formula 1 accident at Easter in 1962 that put an end to his career. With 2015 marking the 60th […]

Bentley Motors today announces its new European Communications team line up. Caren Jochner, Senior Communications Manager Europe, will continue to lead the team, which consists of Mona El-Mahdi, Communications Manager Europe West; the newly appointed Sebastian Michel, Communications Manager Europe Central; and Maddalena Manfredi, Communications Coordinator. Sebastian Michel joined the team on September 1 from Daimler, where he was previously the press spokesperson within the Global Business Communications Department of Daimler Commercial Vehicles. Caren Jochner, who joined Bentley two years ago, is responsible for overall European Communications operation, with a specific focus on Germany as a key player in the European market. Andrew Roberts, Bentley’s Director of Communications, said: “With Sebastian Michel joining Caren Jochner’s talented team I have complete confidence that the media in all European markets will be well serviced. Europe is Bentley’s third largest market and with […]

For more than half a century Aston Martin has been the sports car of choice for the world’s most famous spy, James Bond. Now, the luxury British brand is celebrating the release of Spectre with the launch of the strictly limited DB9 GT Bond Edition. Limited to 150 examples worldwide, the highly desirable model is based on the recently launched DB9 GT. Designed to offer the best of what DB9 can be, the DB9 GT delivers world-class grand touring and hand-built excellence. Building on these exceptional foundations, the new Aston Martin DB9 GT Bond Edition adds even greater levels of exclusivity by virtue of its limited edition build run along with a host of carefully considered trim, equipment and accessory additions that celebrate the brand’s more than 50-year association with the famous film franchise. Subtle styling additions The DB9 GT […]

Revision note: I was so deep in the technical details that I missed an obvious error – the go-live is September 1, not October. Just goes to show that there will always be something. This is a bit of internal business, but it is one that has been coming for a long time – and is long overdue. Tomorrow, yes tomorrow, October September 1, 2015, we will launch the new Just British website. You can see a bit of a sneak peek in the picture below.   Although the site will look different, it shouldn’t look jarringly so. Well, that is unless you are surfing from a mobile device such as a tablet or smart-phone. While our current design looks fine on a normal computer, it is horrible on a mobile device. There, I said it. I admit it. The […]

Bentley Motors has announced the opening of its first ever mountain lodge in Kitzbühel, Austria. This new concept of living the Bentley essence in Europe opens its doors for the first time to welcome the European dealers and a selected group of VIPs and local residents. Surrounded by breathtaking peaks and valleys while being nestled in one of the most exclusive Alpine hot spots, the full-serviced and luxuriously furnished chalet offers an unrivalled hideaway amid Kitzbühel and is now available for private bookings for customers and friends of the brand. Robert Engstler, Regional Director Europe at Bentley Motors, comments: ‘The Bentley Lodge Kitzbühel has everything to become a class-of-its-own destination. One of the latest Bentley models will be available at all times for the guests and we are glad to offer various bespoke experiences such as fishing, hunting, horseback riding, […]

Aston Martin Works is preparing for a busy September of new sports car sales handovers, led by its first delivery of the sold-out Vantage GT12. The arrival of the ‘65’ registration plate will trigger the traditional September sales spike as eager buyers of the great British brand’s luxury sports cars take delivery of their new models. The Newport Pagnell business – among the busiest Aston Martin dealerships in the world since it opened its impressive new car showroom in 2012 – is gearing up for one of its most hectic months of the year as buyers from across the UK collect their new cars. Leading the charge from the Buckinghamshire showroom this September is the arrival of one of the first new Vantage GT12 sports cars to be handed over to a UK customer. With production strictly limited to just […]

Aston Martin’s bold Second Century Plan for global growth and development is benefiting young job seekers, with news of more opportunities to join the business in sought-after apprenticeship roles. The luxury British sports car maker – which currently employs almost 40 young apprentices across a wide variety of functions at its modern factory and global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire – is today announcing ten more apprenticeships in a selection of priority positions. The recruitment drive will see the apprentices join the business on a four-year fixed contract to learn their trade in one of the following areas: Paint, Trim, Maintenance, Control Engineering and Robotics, or Manufacturing Engineering. To be considered for one of the ten places available, candidates must be aged 16 to 18 and have five GCSE passes (or equivalent) at grade C or above, including Maths, English and […]

The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) proudly announces today, with the support of Bridge of Weir Leather Company, that the first inductees to the Scottish Motoring Hall of Fame will be confirmed on 3 September 2015. The venue for the inaugural Scottish Motoring Hall of Fame presentation will be the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, which will play host to the opening party of the 2015 Concours of Elegance on the evening of 3 September 2015. The Concours of Elegance is among the world’s leading classic car events, and each year is held at a Royal Palace; with this year’s being held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from the 4th to 6th September. Announcing the Scottish Motoring Hall of Fame today, ASMW President, Alisdair Suttie, said: “I am so proud to be at the helm of the […]

Whilst MG Triple Eight Racing’s Jack Goff was celebrating his debut win in his MG at the MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton, 19-year-old Ryan Sykes was getting to grips with his very own MG off the track. It’s not every day a customer’s new car is handed over by a racing driver, but for lifeguard Ryan Sykes that’s how he received his brand new MG3 last weekend (Saturday 8th August). Ryan is the son of the owner of Norfolk-based 5 Star Cases, one of Jack’s sponsors, and from the start of the partnership between MG and Jack, Ryan has been hoping to own one of his own. Ryan said: “My dad started working with Jack in 2013, but it wasn’t until Jack started racing for MG Triple Eight that I started looking at MGs and saw what […]