Highlights

The famous cars made by ERA (English Racing Automobiles) epitomize British motor racing during the 1930s and have a very special place in the affections of patriotic enthusiasts. To honor those cars, J. Mac Hulbert has put together “ERA: The Autobiography of R4D” which is being published by Porter Press. This magnificent book tells the story of a uniquely historic example that has competed almost without a break for 80 years and achieved innumerable successes. R4D was campaigned extensively before and after the Second World War by Raymond Mays, the leading light of the ERA company, before passing through a succession of subsequent owners who have kept this famous car at the forefront of competition to the present day. The extraordinary life of R4D, a formidably powerful and charismatic racing car, is told in fascinating detail in this long-awaited book. […]

There appears to be a new print magazine now available for classic Jaguar fans title, appropriately enough, Classic Jaguar. I was able to pick up the first issue, though I have not yet seen the second. It is quite good – focusing on Jaguars of basically XJ40 and before. To quote the magazine’s blurb, “Classic Jaguar aims to be the definitive celebration of this most iconic of British motoring marques. It will chart the historic journey of a car maker that started life in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company in Blackpool. The company soon evolved into a Coventry-based manufacturer of sports cars. With a new factory and glamorous new models, Jaguar was flying from the 1950s onwards as it exported cars like the MkVII saloon and XK120 around the world and achieved huge motorsport success at Le Mans. Classic […]

Jaguar Land Rover has started construction of its new manufacturing facility in Slovakia. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Robert Fico and Andy Garth, UK Ambassador to Slovakia. Jaguar Land Rover continues to lead the automotive industry in the development of advanced lightweight technologies. The new 300,000m² factory will be at the forefront of aluminium manufacturing and engineering expertise in Slovakia. It will manufacture a range of all-new aluminium Jaguar Land Rover vehicles, supporting the company’s on-going commitment to deliver high-tech lightweight cars to its customers.

Earlier this year, Aston Martin announced significant new investments in its long-term future in the United Kingdom, choosing St Athan in Wales as the location for its second manufacturing facility. As a specialist luxury manufacturer, Aston Martin requires highly skilled technicians to hand build its cars, so the new employees for the St Athan plant, which will begin full production in 2020, will commence their careers with Aston Martin at Gaydon. Over 40 people have begun work across the business where they are being fully trained in the ‘Aston Martin way’ by building the new DB11.

This week, Jaguar Land Rover will expand its Ingenium powertrain family, unveiling new technologies for both current and future vehicles. The new additions will support the company’s long-term commitment to reduce vehicle emissions and improve fuel economy across its range through the introduction of more efficient engines along with alternative powertrains, lighter vehicles and improved vehicle energy conservation. At the heart of its low-emissions strategy, the new four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine is now in production at Jaguar Land Rover’s £1 billion Engine Manufacturing Centre. Designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK, these are the most advanced engines the company has ever developed. They will deliver up to 25 percent more power than the engines they replace and offer fuel consumption reductions of up to 15 percent.

The drive by McLaren GT Factory Driver Rob Bell to the flag headlined a clean sweep in the GT3 and GT4 classes for McLaren GT customer team Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse in the 2016 British GT Championship season finale at Donington Park. The result marked the first win of the season for the 650S GT3 in the championship and the second for the 570S GT4, concluding a highly successful developmental season for the newest model. The second consecutive victory for Haggerty and Mitchell saw the pair claim second in the British GT4 Drivers championship – Silver and third overall in the British GT4 Drivers championship. A strong weekend in Austria also saw three examples of the 650S GT3 lined up in the International GT Open at the Red Bull Ring run by customer teams Balfe Motorsport and Garage 59, with […]

I regret that it has not been mentioned here before, but the College of Charleston has entered into a partnership with the HVA (Historic Vehicle Association) to develop a program “with the goal of developing an academic partner to teach and publish scholarly research on this dimension of historic preservation.” The College’s Historic Preservation & Community Planning Program began it’s partnership with HVA last year and will be hosting the President of HVA, Mark Gessler, on campus on September 26, 2016, for a lecture entitled “Why We Need a National Register for Automobiles Now.” This lecture is free and open to the public. The program is also hosting a conference at the Historic Vehicle Association Research Laboratory in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in October. That conference “Driving History – Putting Preservation on the Road” is the first international academic event of its kind known […]

Reader Andy Ackerman sent in this brief report on the Aberdeen Heights Car Show. This takes place at the Aberdeen Heights senior home in Kirkwood, Missouri . Honestly, I feel holding shows like this at places such as this is a great way to add value to the hobby. Andy reports that  the cars “really stirred up some good memories for these elder car lovers!” Those memories are valuable to everyone and can often prompt some valuable insights and great stories. Again, keep those show reports coming! We love to see what everyone is up to.

Reader Doug Foster recently sent me an email telling me about his car. I still own the first car I ever bought (while in college 1971): A 1969 Primrose MGB.  Currently has 72k original miles and over the last few years have cleaned her up and rebuilt the motor.  She is virtually the same now as when she left the factory – no reproduction parts!  She won second place in the Forest Grove Concours last year… Recently my wife and I fell in love with MG Magnettes and purchased a 1958 ZB Varitone that is in great condition. Robert A. Mac Millan of Salem, Oregon bought the car new on May 29, 1969. Doug purchased the car in 1971 from Robert while Doug was completing college. He drove it daily for several years and frequently entered various time speed distance rallies, […]

Caterham Cars has built a variant of its iconic Seven that was seemingly planned in the mid-1960s but never launched – the Caterham Seven Sprint. As though dug up in a time capsule, the retro detailing of the Caterham Seven Sprint will delight Seven purists and provides the perfect scene-setter to the brand’s ‘60 Years of the Seven’ anniversary, which will be celebrated next year.

The Aston Martin Feltham Club was founded in 2010 by Barrie Robinson because as a long time British classic car amateur restorer he could not find a Club that focussed on the Feltham-built Aston Martins.  Since then the membership has grown to over 150 members worldwide.  The newsletter which “occasionally comes out” has pinpointed some safety issues with some models as well as providing valuable information on restoration. Using factories in South Africa, Canada, China and the UK the Club manufacturers parts that are no longer available in the market.  Sometimes parts are made to higher specifications or an improved design without deviating from visual originality. The Club keeps an eye on the market and publishes auction results on its website at www.AMFClub.com. Membership is free and the Club relies on donations as well as some advertising on the website. There […]

Jaguar today takes the wraps off its new electric motorsport future, revealing its Formula E team’s official name, vision, title sponsor, driver line-up and electric racing livery. From this October, Panasonic Jaguar Racing will compete in the third FIA Formula E season with the first all-electric Jaguar racing car in history: the I-TYPE 1. At the launch event at the Jaguar Collections Centre, the new I-TYPE 1 made a dramatic debut driven by the team’s official reserve driver Ho-Pin Tung and outlining the brands commitment to ‘Race To Innovate’ – a mission to change the perception of electric vehicles, to develop new electric technology and to inspire future generations.

Reader Gary Swift and his son went to the Aveton Gifford Classic Car Show, Devon, England, last weekend. Gary’s son entered his blue Austin Mini, which they say was parked next to a lovely Ford Corsair. The event was a short drive from where Gary lives, and he sent in a great series of pictures as a report from the event. According to the event organizers, despite some overnight rain and a mad dash in the morning to lay straw over the entrance they had a great show with over 1,000 people attending and 100+ classic cars and tractors on display together with a show of classic motorbikes next to the village hall. Sounds and looks like a fun event! Thanks to Gary for sending in the report, and we hope to have a report from him, and his son, on […]

The shortlist for The Classic & Sports Car Show’s ‘A Century of Supercars’ global poll has been confirmed, with 33 of the world’s fastest and most pioneering speed machines whittled down to 11 thanks to over 17,000 votes by members of the public. Supercar enthusiasts have been flocking online since June to vote for their favourite cars from 11 different eras, ranging from pre-1914 models all the way to modern machines built after 2010. And now the public must decide which of the 11 cars will be crowned the greatest supercar ever at The Classic & Sports Car Show, held at Alexandra Palace from 28th-30th October. Some truly iconic names make up the shortlist, including the Ferrari F40, McLaren F1 and Alfa Romeo 8C. Here are the contenders looking to be crowned at Alexandra Palace: Up to 1914 Mercedes 1908 […]

Rolls-Royce will celebrate the 2016 Goodwood Revival with a significant presence at the legendary motor circuit. The centrepiece will be The March Motor Works, which this year is transformed into a period Rolls-Royce showroom, recapturing the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the marque’s glamorous Berkeley Square and Park Lane premises in London’s West End during the 1950s.

Our video this week is a quick, very quick, look at what it means to own a Triumph Spitfire or MGB. Both of the people and cars in this video are unique, but even with the choices and differences, they hit upon some of the common threads of classic British sportscar ownership. I will admit to finding this video interesting partially for the reason that I have both an MGB and a Spitfire in the stable at the moment. The Spitfire is my daily driver and the MGB is undergoing a very slow version of a restoration. In a short period of time, with either car, you become intimately familiar with their quirks, charm, and personalities. And yes, unlike a lot of modern cars, the little roadsters have a ton of personality and no two – even of same year […]

Bentley Motors is today announcing the introduction of a new flagship to the Flying Spur range, blending luxury, style and power: the Flying Spur W12 S. The new model is the first four-door Bentley to have a top speed in excess of 200 mph, and offers a more sporting experience for owners looking for increased power, torque and responsiveness.

More than 36,000 visitors turned out for Beaulieu’s 50th International Autojumble with 2,378 stands crammed with motoring treasures and elusive spare parts for classic car enthusiasts. Exhibitors dressed their stands in gold for the celebratory year and a special anniversary exhibition and commemorative booklet recorded five decades of the largest Autojumble this side of the Atlantic.