Highlights

Jaguar Land Rover has once again been named the largest automotive manufacturer in Britain, accounting for more than 30% of all domestic car production last year. The news follows today’s announcement from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) that UK car manufacturers set a new record in 2016, producing 1,727,471 vehicles. Jaguar Land Rover’s three vehicle manufacturing plants in Liverpool and the West Midlands increased the company’s UK production output 8% over the previous year to 544,401. Jaguar Land Rover vehicles account for five of the top ten British best-sellers globally.

Our Video of the Week for the last week of January (wow, 2017 is roaring by!) is a sponsored documentary showing the manufacture of MG cars at Abingdon. This video comes by way of folks at British Pathé. One of the interesting thing to me about this video is that it is from 1931 – long before the MGB or even the MGA, entered the picture. The cars being made here are the ones that really laid the groundwork of the legend that would be MG.

Jaguar and the Guild of Motoring Writers have marked 50 years of the Sir William Lyons Award at a celebration dinner in central London. Guests included Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, Sir William Lyons’s grandson Michael Quinn, Guild Vice President Ray Hutton and former winners of the award – plus the latest winner, Heléna Hicks. Heléna, aged 18 from Colchester, is a keen motorsport fan and aspiring journalism student. Her entry for the 2016 Sir William Lyons Award included an interview with Colombian GP3 driver Tatiana Calderón. She has just begun a placement at Autosport magazine as a junior reporter.

Aston Martin Racing is set to kick off the 2017 racing season early, with the marque set to contest the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend with its V12 Vantage GT3. The IQ Option liveried V12 Vantage GT3 will take on the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship’s opening round with four of the team’s regular FIA World Endurance Championship drivers at the wheel.

BMW of North America is proud to offer customers and enthusiasts the opportunity to experience newly enhanced driver training courses for both the BMW and MINI Driving Experiences. The BMW Performance Center West in southern California and the BMW Performance Center East in Spartanburg, South Carolina now bear the seal of quality “BMW Driving Experience, Official Partner of BMW M.” The basis for this is the successful certification by a team of inspectors from the BMW and MINI Driving Experiences in Germany. The first international location to be awarded this status was the BMW and MINI Driving Experience in the Netherlands in 2015.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is issuing this statement in order to clarify confusion and misreporting that has arisen in certain media around the world, following recent statements issued by Rolls‑Royce plc. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a completely separate company from Rolls-Royce plc which manufactures power systems for aircraft, ships and land applications. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group (Munich), based at Goodwood near Chichester in West Sussex, United Kingdom. It commenced business on 1 January 2003 at its new global production facility. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars manufactures and sells the world’s pinnacle super-luxury automobiles, including the Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn range of models. As an entirely separate company, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has no involvement whatsoever in issues relating to alleged bribery and subsequent legal settlements reached by Rolls-Royce plc with authorities in various jurisdictions, including the […]

Land Rover has issued a recall for 797 of its 2017 model-year Discovery Sport and 2016-17 model-year Range Rover Evoque SUVs fitted with the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and automatic transmission, over concerns a wiring fault could cause several issues including loss of electric steering, engine cut-out, or even a fire. The British manufacturer reports the engine harness may have been routed incorrectly and as a result could contact the water charge air cooler bracket.

Norfolk-based Zenos Cars has gone into administration, it was revealed on Wednesday. The British manufacturer behind the bonkers lightweight E10 range announced it had ceased operating after hitting financial troubles due to a raft of order cancellations last year. Administrators are looking to speak to potential suitors who may want to buy the business and keep the sports cars with a niche following in production , the official statement from the car maker said.

30 years after the launch of the original Range Rover in North America, Land Rover has launched its newest model, the 550-hp, standard wheelbase, Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic, with sales of the ultra-luxury SUV in the U.S. starting this month. After almost five decades of Range Rover history worldwide, Land Rover is showcasing the evolution of its iconic luxury SUV through four generations with a unique animation lasting 120 seconds. The specially commissioned video marks key dates in the history of the legendary SUV, showing how today’s Range Rover retains many of the design hallmarks established by the 1970 Classic as its latest derivative, the SVAutobiography Dynamic, begins sales in North America and around the world.

The new MINI Countryman is the biggest and most versatile model to be launched in the brand’s 57-year history. With its larger external dimensions and increases in space throughout the cabin and luggage area, it offers occupants even greater comfort and a genuinely premium ambiance. Useful new features such as electric tailgate control with touch-free opening and unique options, including a fold-down picnic bench at the rear, add to the ownership experience. The Countryman’s on- and off-road ability is readily apparent throughout its design, which fuses familiar MINI styling with the tough look of a crossover thanks to the extended ground clearance, large wheel arches and short overhangs.

Few would argue that the MGB remains Britain’s favourite classic sports car or that it is almost as at home in modern traffic as it was in that of the ‘60s/‘70s. However, it can nevertheless be updated to advantage and British Motor Heritage (BMH) is now stocking the superb Vitesse Global 5-speed manual gearbox conversion for the model. Based on the renowned transmission of the Mazda MX5 MK3, the replacement gearbox comes fully assembled and complete with clutch friction plate, slave cylinder, braided clutch pipe, speedometer cable, prop shaft and fixing kit. No modifications are required to the bodyshell and fitting is therefore quick and well within the scope of any competent home mechanic.

Not to do another Land Rover video so soon, but … well … our video of the week this time is from Land Rover! But it is about Range Rovers, so that is different. Two minutes is not long, but it’s enough time for Land Rover to celebrate a motoring icon. The Range Rover has pioneered design, refinement and engineering innovation since 1970 and Land Rover has showcased the evolution of its luxury SUV through four generations with a unique animation lasting only 120 seconds. The specially commissioned visual has been created to mark key dates in the history of the legendary SUV, as production of the original two-door model ended 23 years ago this month (January) and SVAutobiography Dynamic goes on sale around the world.

A sculpted, technical yet beautiful body shape and advanced aerodynamic technologies combine to provide the foundation for the enhanced aerodynamic performance of the second-generation McLaren Super Series. The new McLaren supercar, which will be unveiled on March 7 at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show, is twice as aerodynamically efficient as the McLaren 650S, with increased downforce and improved cooling among the engineering imperatives for the new generation.

In the annals of motor racing, few machines are as iconic as the Lotus-Climax Type 33, chassis number R11, the car driven by Jim Clark to first place in the 1965 Belgian, British, German and Syracuse Grands Prix and the Lotus in which he won his second World Championship. It is only right that this amazing piece of motorsport history be the centrepiece of the Motor Sport Hall of Fame at Race Retro, the international historic motorsport show, held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from 24 – 26 February, where R11 will make its first public appearance in over four decades. 

Footman James research shows there has been a boost in the number of female classic car owners, with female drivers predicted to account for 11% of the market by the end of 2016. Research of over 1025 women and 55000 policies revealed that the driving factor for classic car ownership for 21% of women was nostalgia, followed by 19% who said they were encouraged by friends and family members and 17% who saw it as a good investment.

MG Motor UK has announced the winners of its 2017 Annual Dealer Awards. The event, which took place on 12 January as part of the company’s national conference, celebrated outstanding achievement from across the network. Nathaniel MG took home the prestigious Dealer of the Year accolade, alongside being named Top MG3 Selling Dealer. Part of the network since 2015, the Bridgend-based business was recognised for delivering exceptional service for customers across South Wales. 

Now that 2016 and December are behind us, I supposed it is time to reveal the winner of the last contest.  If you will remember, that contest was a simple one – all that was required was to our new Discussion Forums, register and then leave a comment. That was it! The prize for this contest was the engrossing DVD set of The Standard Triumph Story. Without further adieu … the winner is … Martin Keller of Ventura, CA.  We are contacting him as we speak so we can send the DVD set on out. Congratulations to Martin! Thank you to all those who entered! Make sure to check out the discussion forums!  

After unveiling the prototype in 2016, British sports car company Avatar is presenting the first production Avatar at the 2017 Performance Car Show, held at the Birmingham NEC on 12-15th January 2017. Now fully certified, the Devon-based firm has developed the prototype, making over 100 refinements to offer a 250bhp sports car that is now equally at home on road or track. The 695kg Avatar retains the high-quality componentry such as the Ford Ecoboost engine, Nitron dampers and Rota wheels that deliver 0-60mph in four seconds and a top speed of 145mph and adds a leather interior, heated screen together with other features to broaden the appeal. New no-cost options now include an Apple CarPlay + Android Auto audio system, roof, heater and air conditioning.