Highlights

For our video we are returning again this week to the great folks at Petrolicious for a look at the classic 1972 Lotus Elan +2. These are great little cars, though a bit tight for some of us, so I can see having no regrets for purchasing one.  Note – you will need to turn on the closed-captioning to listen to the video unless you understand French. To quote Petrolicious about this video… Typically 2+2 body styles are less desirable to two-seaters—that’s true of the Datsun 240Z and the Lotus Elan. But with the Lotus the Plus 2 wears the larger size with elegance, and at a still-attainable price point. While not enjoying the valuation of the lighter drophead coupe, the 10 inches of additional width and two feet of length give the classic a character of its own. Brieuc […]

Only tangentially related to British cars, but still important to those of us who work on our own cars is the news that after controlling the Craftsman name for 90 years, troubled department store operator Sears said it will sell the famous tool brand to Stanley Black & Decker Inc. Stanley, which makes and sells tools under the DeWalt and Black & Decker names, wants to grow the Craftsman brand by selling its products in more stores outside of Sears. Today, only 10 percent of Craftsman products are sold in other stores.

Addressing the annual Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, USA, Bentley Chairman and CEO, Mr Wolfgang Dürheimer, has outlined his vision for the future of luxury mobility and Bentley’s role in defining it. Speaking on the subject of changing customer types and tastes, Mr Dürheimer highlighted the seismic changes that face luxury car makers in the near future.

Already recognised as the most dynamically capable, performance-focused Jaguar, the F-TYPE sports car continues to evolve, with a fresh look, state-of-the-art infotainment system and world-first ReRun app that combines vehicle data with GoPro video to enhance the driving experience. Since launch in 2012, Jaguar’s all-aluminium two-seater has firmly established itself as the best-selling sports car in its segment in its home market and has won nearly 160 awards worldwide. The unrivalled balance of seductive design, stunning performance and outstanding dynamics has always made the F-TYPE unique, in a range that has evolved to include Coupé bodystyles, manual transmissions and intelligent all-wheel drive.

The Jaguar F-PACE has been named Best Large Crossover in the UK Car of the Year Awards 2017. It will now feature in the final shortlist for the overall UK Car of the Year Award which will be announced in February. The UK Car of the Year judging panel is made up of 27 of the UK’s leading motoring journalists, with representatives from publications including Top Gear, Auto Express, Autocar and Car.  

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has today announced its second highest ever annual sales result in the marque’s 113-year history, up 6% on its 2015 results. A total of 4,011 cars were delivered to customers in more than 50 countries, affirming the brand’s strength and resilience in a year of challenging market conditions for luxury goods worldwide.

Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s leading manufacturer of premium luxury vehicles achieved its best ever full-year global sales in 2016, selling more than one car every minute with retails of 583,313 vehicles, up 20% on the prior year. This is the company’s seventh successive year of growth in sales, with retails in 2016 almost triple the 2009 figure. Sales in December were up 12% compared to the same month last year, with retails of 55,375. Retail volumes were up 36% for the month in China – its strongest monthly performance on record. Jaguar Land Rover’s global performance for the full year 2016 shows a balanced regional portfolio with record retail sales in the UK, North America and Europe.

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) is celebrating a ground-breaking 2016, as the Liverpool-based manufacturer has enjoyed an incredibly fruitful year on all four corners of the globe. BAC is the company behind the One-of-a-Kind Mono supercar, which has risen from strength to strength since it launched in 2011. And over the past 12 months, it’s truly taken off with a series of world firsts.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced a closer partnership with CloudCar, including the adoption of its next-generation cloud services platform and a US$15m minority investment in the company. CloudCar, based in Palo Alto, California, is a world-leading developer of connected driver experiences. With machine-learning capabilities tied to various sensors in the car, its cloud services platform allows car manufacturers to use its capability – including improved voice-activated applications and personalisation – while still maintaining their brand identity and retaining ownership of data.

Great British Sports Cars (GBS), on Maun Way, Boughton, manufacture and sell factory-built or kit versions of sports cars. The majority of the parts are developed in workshops on the site. Their most popular design is the Zero, which takes design inspiration from the Lotus Seven sports car, with more than 600 sales of the car worldwide. GBS received a £125,000 grant from funding body Niche Vehicle Network, to help expand their service. The money will allow them to collaborate with Nottingham-based manufacturers Far-UK on car-related designs and projects in the future. Mr Ben Bird, the general manager of GBS, said the extra funding would also allow them to bring in more young staff to learn the trade. “The further support enables us to have apprentices which will help us progress as a manufacturer,” he said. We had one join […]

McLaren Automotive, the British manufacturer of luxury sports and supercars, has recorded another record year of sales growth with a near-doubling of its sales volume year-over-year, selling a total of 3,286 cars in 2016 compared to 1,654 in 2015. The 99.3 per cent improvement in sales performance also follows the company’s announcement of a third consecutive year of profitability in 2015 and the production milestone of the company’s 10,000th car, all capping another highly successful and record-breaking year.

MG Motor UK has been named as one of the fastest-growing automotive brands in the UK*. Figures released earlier this week by the SMMT** reveal that the company registered 4,192 vehicles in 2016 – 1,040 more than last year. Sales have grown by 33% year-on-year, with MG’s family-friendly SUV – the MG GS – a key driver of this success. In November, the new model reached its 500 unit sales milestone, just 176 days after being unveiled at The London Motor Show in May.

Bentley has announced its fastest and most powerful production model to date: the new Bentley Continental Supersports. A top speed of 209 mph (336 km/h) and a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds) make the new Continental Supersports the world’s fastest and most powerful luxury four-seat car. Similarly, its soft-top sibling, the Continental Supersports Convertible, is the fastest four-seat convertible in the world, despatching the sprint to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.9 secs) on its way to a 205 mph (330 km/h) top speed. Bentley’s mighty W12 engine, redeveloped for the Supersports with new high-performance turbos and engine hardware, and a torque vectoring system create a Continental Supersports  as agile as it is powerful. Meanwhile, unique styling cues inside and out give the new model a sharpened athletic appearance highlighting its performance […]

According to the Guardian, the British car industry has warned of a sales downturn this year as the economic uncertainty that followed the Brexit vote kicks in. A fifth consecutive year of growth saw nearly 2.7m new car registrations in the UK last year, a rise of 2.2% on 2015. But the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said it expected growth to reverse, with a sales decline of 5-6%, as the cost of new cars rises due to sterling’s fall. An end to cheap financing deals would also hit sales, it said. But Mike Hawes, the SMMT’s chief executive, said the domestic market remained comparatively strong. “This is historically an incredibly high level. We’re not talking about a collapse,” he said, adding that the market had been more resilient than expected after the EU referendum. But, he said: “Clearly, […]

Earlier this year, Jaguar Land Rover launched twin lawsuits against Bombardier Recreational Products, (BRP) over the Canadian manufacturer’s use of the name “Defender” for one of its Can-Am brand off-road utility all-terrain vehicles. The lawsuits were brought in England’s High Court of Justice, and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan here on this side of the pond.

Something a bit different this week for our video. This time round we are featuring “HBTV: Depth of Speed – British Mania”. The series “Depth of Speed” … ‘was born from a desire of story, travel and a love of anything automotive related. Next year my wife and I will be taking to the streets to uncover and document the greatest stories from the automotive world. From coast-to-coast and from top to bottom, finding the best stories will take the highest priority. Every time I meet someone new or attend an event I’m amazed at the depth, passion and love that the automotive world brings. Depth of Speed is just that – an in-depth look at these stories. There is something about motors and machines, that to an outsider looking in, would make us seem plain crazy.‘ This episode, British […]

A new era will begin for McLaren Automotive this March with the launch of the second generation of its Super Series at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. The first of the 15 new cars cited in the company’s Track22 Business Plan, the second-generation Super Series is also the first replacement of a product family by the British manufacturer of luxury sports and supercars. “Super Series is the core of the McLaren business and personifies the blend of extreme performance, crafted luxury and unparalleled driver involvement that is the McLaren heartland,” explained McLaren Automotive CEO, Mike Flewitt. “This is the first time we have replaced a product family and the new Super Series will be absolutely true to McLaren’s pioneering spirit in being a revolutionary leap forwards, both for our brand and the supercar segment.” The new Super Series is […]

MacG Racing, the UK’s only distributor of the current AC Cobra brand, will be launching the first right-hand-drive MK VI at The Performance Car Show this month. Handbuilt in Germany, this is the first chance for petrolheads to see this version of the exquisite and powerful AC Cobra. AC Cars is one of the UK’s oldest car manufacturers and was first established in 1901 when John Weller set up a garage in London to realise a passion for building cars. It was in 1903 that Weller, with the backing of wealthy businessman John Portwine, helped bring the concept to reality as Weller debuted two versions of his ‘Autocar’ at the British Motor Show that year – in a twin-cylinder 10-horsepower and a four-cylinder 20-horsepower configuration. For the first time in 1915, the abbreviation AC was used, and in November of […]