Highlights

MG ZR, ZS and ZT cars are quickly disappearing from roads in the UK; with over 78% of the cars ever built now gone. The MG Car Club and Zed Register are hoping to reverse this trend with the launch of Save Our Zeds; a campaign to highlight the decline of Zed MGs and help equip owners with the right tools to keep enjoying and running their cars, rather than consigning them to the scrapheap.

It was done in haste. It was to be an alluring delivery system to introduce Jaguar’s brilliant new XK engine intended to power the substantial Jaguar Mk VII luxury sedan. But the Mk VII wasn’t ready, so Jaguar Chief William Lyons and his men created a quick solution. They shaped it on a shortened Mk VII chassis, painted it bronze, named it the “Open Two-Seat Super Sports” and took it to the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show just to show off their new XK engine.

The 60th anniversary of the extraordinary Mini Minor will be celebrated with two record-breaking races at this summer’s Silverstone Classic (26-28 July). To mark this magical milestone in true Classic style, the packed on-track program will – for the first time ever – feature a pair of very special showdowns dedicated entirely to huge numbers of much-loved Mini racers competing for The Mini Celebration Trophy presented by Adrian Flux. The automotive icon’s enduring popularity with historic motorsport competitors is certain to create the world’s biggest-ever grid of racing Minis and, fittingly, another major crowd-pleasing highlight at this year’s running of the biggest retro-racing festival on the planet.

Dakar 2019 has finished after the tenth and final stage that saw yet another strong performance from the MINI crews. Stage 10 was 359 km in total, of which 112 km were off-road Special Stage and ended with the Dakar competitors’ arrival in Lima, capital city of Peru. Joan ‘Nani’ Roma (ESP) and co-driver Alex Haro (ESP) raced Stage 10 according to plan, which was to place their MINI John Cooper Works Rally in a position that would safeguard their overall ranking of second. Finishing 6th in today’s stage ensured that Roma and Haro were successful and the Spanish duo did indeed secure a well-deserved second-place overall at Dakar 2019.

Land Rover will be marking the 30th anniversary of Discovery with a limited-edition exclusively for UK customers. Based on the Discovery Sd6 SE, the ‘Anniversary Edition’ features 22” wheels, fixed panoramic glass roof, privacy glass, a 380W MeridianTM sound system and a choice of metallic paint as standard. A total of 400 Anniversary Editions are available in Santorini Black, Corris Grey Loire Blue or Indus Silver. 

The House of Rolls-Royce is extending its presence in Spain, reflecting the marque’s confidence in growing demand for true luxury products in the country. Located in the center of Barcelona, the showroom will be supported by a partner with significant experience in the luxury automotive sector. The new Barcelona showroom will serve a highly relevant market for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. In 2017, sales of luxury products and services in Spain rose by nearly 10% year-on-year – faster than anywhere else in the world thanks to the continued rise in entrepreneurial growth and overseas investment. Independent analysis suggests that the value of the luxury business in the country could double by 2025.

When it comes to our classic British cars, SU carburetors are one of the common denominators. Sure there are Zenith Strombergs, Amals, and others plus fuel injection, but the SU is the norm. And when it comes to SU carburetor experts, Joe Curto is the man. Joe Curto provides carburetor rebuilding. He also provides a full range of replacement and repair parts. and now, thankfully, he is making much of his knowledge available to us via videos on YouTube. Our video this week is a great introductory one with Joe discussing the different varieties of SU carburetors. After watching this you will not be able to stop yourself from going out to look at your car to make sure of what is bolted up to that manifold. Joe also now offers float bowl koozies. The koozies are used to prevent […]

Nominations are now open for the National Land Rover Awards 2019, the winners of which will be chosen at Land Rover Legends, the ultimate show for Land Rover connoisseurs, preservationists, restorers, and enthusiasts, taking place at Bicester Heritage, on 25th and 26th May. The focus of Land Rover Legends is on authenticity and originality, with the event featuring carefully-curated static displays of important Land Rovers as well as the National Awards for Most Original, Best Restored and Best Bespoke Land Rover. The inaugural event in 2018 attracted a very strong list of contenders for the Awards, and the judges had a tough job to determine the Highly Commended and overall Winner in each of the three categories.

On 26 August 1959, British Motor Corporation (BMC) proudly revealed a car that captured the imagination of the world and revolutionized the compact car segment. Six decades later, in 2019 MINI marks the brand’s 60th birthday and the extraordinary story of a British innovation that went on to achieve iconic status. To kick-start this anniversary year, MINI is introducing a limited run of 500 very special vehicles for UK customers. MINI is kicking off its 60th anniversary year with the introduction of a limited edition model celebrating the best of MINI. Just 500 examples of this worldwide edition will go on sale in the UK. The car features a new British Racing Green exterior paint finish, black contrast roof, exclusive 17-inch light alloy wheels, and a unique interior.

McLaren Automotive today releases first images and details of the third new model in its £1.2bn Track25 business plan – the McLaren 600LT Spider. The fifth car to carry the Longtail name, the new convertible fully embodies the McLaren Longtail philosophy of increased power, reduced weight, optimized aerodynamics, track-focused dynamics, and limited availability. In addition, it brings a new dimension of excitement over the 600LT Coupé, without compromise to the dynamic purity of the most performance-focused car in the Sports Series line-up: a retractable hardtop to give the choice of open-air driving. The McLaren 600LT Spider adds a new dimension of excitement to the most extreme model in the Sports Series family, while losing none of the Longtail focus. Taking full advantage of the strength of the carbon fibre MonoCell II chassis has ensured that the new Spider has dynamic […]

MG Motor UK is celebrating its biggest year ever after achieving record car sales in 2018. Figures released today by the SMMT confirmed that MG had reached its stated 2018 goal of more than doubling its sales volume versus the previous year.

Group Lotus is delighted to announce two new senior appointments to its executive team, reporting to Lotus Cars CEO, Phil Popham. James Andrew joins from leading automotive and luxury communications agency, Influence Associates – the business he helped establish in London with veteran international automotive PR, Stuart Dyble – now among the most sought-after PR and strategy consultancies in the industry. Previous to this James held senior PR positions at Jaguar Land Rover and in the technology and EV sectors internationally. He joins the Lotus executive team as Director of Communications, effective immediately.

McLaren Automotive’s latest Ultimate Series model to bear the legendary Senna name offers the purest connection yet between man and machine – without ever having to venture further than the kitchen table. The most extreme track-focused road car built by McLaren has been brought down to size, with interlocking plastic bricks replacing carbon-fibre, for the new McLaren Senna LEGO® Speed Champions edition. Like the real thing, the collectible model promises hours of engaging fun – although in this case for petrolheads aged seven and up.

Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s largest vehicle manufacturer, today outlined the next phase of ‘Charge and Accelerate’.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has achieved the highest annual sales in the marque’s 115-year history, with 4,107 cars delivered to customers in over 50 countries around the world in 2018, and continues to generate a positive contribution to its shareholder, the BMW Group. In a year of multiple records, the world’s foremost Luxury House also enjoyed unprecedented demand for its Bespoke creations and launched the new Cullinan – the Rolls-Royce of SUVs – to great international acclaim. Reflecting on the company’s performance for the year, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: 2018 was a most successful, record-breaking year for Rolls-Royce. We have seen growth in all our regions around the world. At Rolls-Royce we are deeply focused on each and every one of our customers and are delivering on their demanding expectations. The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood is acknowledged and […]

Brabham Automotive is delighted to confirm the brand will return to international sports car racing and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Adelaide-based automotive manufacturer, which last year launched the record-breaking BT62 track car, is announcing its road to Le Mans. It has committed to a factory racing team and a multi-year motorsport programme with development work already underway. The team’s target is the 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Endurance Championship season in 2021/22, where it intends to enter the GTE class. Fans will be able to follow the journey as it’s shared openly on social media under the hashtag #brabhamroadtolemans.

Lotus Cars has posted its strongest sales results in seven years with 1,630 cars sold worldwide in 2018. Concluding a landmark year for the company, 2018 saw Lotus celebrate its 70th birthday, new majority ownership from Geely, substantial investment in product development and new facilities, and a number of senior appointments, with respected auto and luxury-sector leader, Phil Popham, joining as CEO.

Jaguar Land Rover retail sales in 2018 totalled 592,708 vehicles, down 4.6% compared to 2017’s record year. The introduction of the Jaguar E-PACE and I-PACE led to Jaguar’s best ever annual sales results in 2018 up 1.2% to 180,833. However, this was more than offset by market weakness in China impacting on sales of established models. The lower sales in China (-21.6%) were partially offset by stronger sales in North America 7.2% and Overseas (7.3%). Weaker market conditions primarily relating to diesel and Brexit also weighed on sales in the UK (-1.5%) and Europe (-7.8%). The all new Range Rover Evoque has now been announced and will be going on sale later this year.