Highlights

The Texas MG Register’s Fall Gathering of the Faithful (GOF) was held in Granbury, TX in mid-October. Just British was very happy to help support this event.  You can see some pictures of the event below, and you can see photos of the event at Texas MG Register’s site under past events – Fall 2017. According to Register member and event organizer Frank Kopec, the event had 63 cars and 126 people registered, and there were also had a few walk-ins. It is nice to see a broad range of cars, and it seems there were both original and modified examples. Looks like fun time for all in attendance.

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) is celebrating another successful Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA) Awards evening, once again winning a well-deserved and prestigious trophy. Fresh from its double International Trade Award and Logistics Excellence award wins in 2016, BAC landed the highly acclaimed People and Skills Excellence award in 2017 to prove itself as one of the most exciting and innovative businesses in the UK.

A unique McLaren 720S supercar designed by McLaren Operations (MSO) is the centerpiece of the McLaren display at the 2017 Dubai International Motor Show, which takes place November 14 – 18. Created as an MSO Bespoke commission, the service from McLaren Special Operations that allows almost limitless enhancement and personalization of McLaren cars, the 720S is in Zenith Black paint with a satin finish. Gold-coloured alloy wheels, a 24-karat gold engine heat shield, and gold-colored interior components complement the exterior color.

Reader Russell Browne sent in these pictures from the recent Regent Street Motor Show.  This show was held on November 4, 2017, on Regent Street in London from Piccadilly Circus to Oxford Circus.

Moss Motors, Ltd. has announced the acquisition of well-known Jaguar parts specialists, XKs Unlimited of San Luis Obispo, CA. XKs Unlimited specializes in parts for a wide range of Jaguars including the iconic and desirable Jaguar XKs and E-Types. Serving the Jaguar enthusiasts since 1973, XKs Unlimited has always prided itself on its selection of parts, great customer service and dedication to the Jaguar community. This legacy of commitment to supplying Jaguar owners with the parts they need to restore and maintain their classic cats will now continue with the support and guidance of Moss Motor’s nearly 70 years of experience in the British car parts and restoration business.

In this short video, Ian Callum, Design Director of Jaguar UK, discusses the birth of the design elements in the new E-PACE. From the cub-like large paws and eyes to the camera inspired tactile dials, the car is designed for its enjoyable aesthetic appeal. There are even racing chicane inspired flourishes captured in the dash and taillights. Design creates order out of chaos. But chaos is often required to simply be creative. — Ian Callum, Jaguar Cars Design Director The Jaguar E-PACE is a compact sport utility vehicle (compact SUV) that was officially revealed on 13 July 2017. In a break from tradition, the car is to be built in Graz, Austria, by Magna Steyr and by Chery Jaguar Land Rover, JLR’s joint venture with partner Chery in Changshu, China. The E-Pace will be the first of Jaguar’s cars to […]

Following its introduction earlier this year as a 2017 model, the fifth generation Land Rover Discovery has witnessed strong sales in North America. Now entering its second year of production, Land Rover continues its momentum with the introduction of new technology features, enhancements to its suite of driver assistance systems, expanded powertrain availability and new design options for the 2018 Land Rover Discovery.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced the appointment of Felix Bräutigam as Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Board of Management. Mr Bräutigam joins the business immediately but takes full responsibility on 1 January 2018, and reports directly to Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer. Mr Bräutigam replaces Gerd Mäuser, who is retiring from the business at the end of the year but will continue as Chairman of Jaguar Racing to lead next season’s Formula E campaign.

Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc reported a global 38% increase in second-quarter pre-tax profits to £385 million in the three months to September 30, 2017. Revenues were up 11.5% to £6.3 billion with an increase in margin (EBIT) of 1% to 5.2%. Higher sales and profits reflect the continuing ramp-up of new models such as the Range Rover Velar, Land Rover Discovery, Jaguar XF Sportbrake, Jaguar F-PACE and, in China, the Jaguar XFL. Retail sales grew 5.1% to 149,690, with increases in China (27.4%) and the US (5.1%) offsetting lower sales in the UK and Europe.

The 2018 Kastner Cup will be contested at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Historics at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Beaver, Pa., July 6-8. Triumphs will run within their respective race groups with other sports cars throughout the weekend and the Kastner Cup will be a dedicated 40-minute all-Triumph race July 7 at approximately 4 p.m.

Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy is no stranger when it comes to record-breaking achievements on two wheels, but now the Scot can lay claim to his first record on four wheels. Joining Caterham to celebrate 60 years of the Seven, Sir Chris took on the ‘60 Second Donut Challenge’ at Donington Park. Sitting inside Caterham’s most powerful model, the Seven 620R, Sir Chris completed a record 19 consecutive donuts in the time allocation. Sir Chris said: Everyone knows I spend a lot of time in cars these days but I’ve never had much practice donuting. But when someone tells me there’s a record up for grabs that certainly focuses my mind. During the attempt I just kept going, putting everything I’d learnt into practice. You lose sense of time when you’re in a spin, so I was shocked when I was told I’d completed 19 […]

Unlimited in every sense, the new series production Exige Cup 430 is Lotus’ wildest incarnation of its fire-breathing, point-to-point two-seater sports car. New to the Exige, the Cup 430 sees the introduction of a savage, high-performance engine installation, mated to a new supercharger and chargecooler, designed specifically for the unique demands of this vehicle. A development of the powertrain recently used on the phenomenal Lotus Evora GT430, it’s perfectly paired with a newly-designed body, which delivers enhanced aerodynamic performance to reveal the model’s true potential. The result is a strikingly different beast of pure performance, that’s not for the faint of heart. With 55 hp, or 15%, more power than the limited production Exige Cup 380 model it succeeds, and 220 kg of downforce, it’s a monster of a car. Compared to the Exige Sport 350, it has 24% more […]

Bentley Motorsport is today unveiling an all-new Continental GT3 racecar, currently in development for the 2018 motorsport season. The second-generation Continental GT3 is the latest dedicated racecar in an acclaimed Bentley motorsport lineage that includes the 4½ Litre, Speed Six and Speed 8 Le Mans winners. The first-generation Continental GT3 has proven to be a championship-winning endurance racer, scoring 120 podiums and 45 wins across 528 races around the world to date. Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush comments: After four years of success with our Continental GT3, we’re excited to reveal our second-generation car. The new car leaves no area or system untouched in the search for even better performance, and the early test results are promising. The new Continental GT road car has proved to be a great starting point for the development of a new racer, and […]

The 32nd running of the MG Classic meeting, the longest running event of its kind in New Zealand and one of the biggest in competitor numbers, will be at Manfeild this weekend. Still known by many as “The Whittakers” because of the brand’s long association in the earlier events, this year’s meeting has attracted more than 200 competitors who will race in a record nine different categories covering open wheel, sports cars, and saloons.

I hear a lot how young people aren’t into our older British cars, but I think that sometimes that is just because they haven’t been given the chance. To show how some younger folk view our classic sports cars, our video this week is from a guy who goes by the YouTube handle of ThatDudeInBlue. The video, a review of a nice MGB, is quite honest and although he approaches the car from a distinctively modern viewpoint, it is clear that he enjoys the ride. The reviewer is very honest in talking about both the successes and the shortcomings of the MGB. He mentions how the cars have a reputation for unreliability, though it seems he doesn’t take much stock in that. In contrast to being a bit small and perhaps underpowered, he talks about how the MGB and other […]

Globally as a whole, Jaguar Land Rover sold 46,418 vehicles in October, up 0.2% year on year. Solid sales of all models, including the new Range Rover Velar and the Jaguar F-PACE, continue to bring new customers to the brand each month. China continues to perform well with sales up 12%, while overseas markets were up 16% compared to the same period in 2016. But difficult market conditions have led to retail sales being down 18% in the UK, and 3% down in Europe and the US.

Dr Andy Palmer will trade his business suit for a race suit this weekend when he takes on the challenge of competing in a 24-hour motor race. The Aston Martin President and CEO will race in the Hankook 24 Hours of CoTA (Circuit of the Americas) in Austin, Texas on 11-12 November. Naturally, Palmer’s car of choice is the Aston Martin Vantage GT8, the very same car that won its class at the Nürburgring 24 Hours earlier this year. He will share driving duties with Paul Hollywood, John “The Voice of Le Mans” Hindhaugh and Peter Cate.

Aston Martin Racing has claimed its 50th victory since its inception in 2004, after winning the eighth round of this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship; the 6 Hours of Shanghai. After taking the GTE Am pole position yesterday, the #98 V8 Vantage GTE of Paul Dalla Lana (C), Pedro Lamy (P) and Mathias Lauda (A) converted their advantage to victory, claiming a maximum 26-point haul from the weekend. In what was a trouble-free run throughout the entire six hours, the trio collectively amassed a gap of over one lap by the chequered flag.