Highlights

An Estate Car Named Desire: A Life on the Road by Martin Gurdon, is a delightful collection of short memories of various cars and motoring folk. Or at least that is how the publisher describes it. I would say it is an amusing trip in a series of cars all connected by personality. The personality of the owners, the drivers, the passengers, and of course, the cars themselves. The personality of one of those cars was strong enough to be used in a video on “How to Irritate People”. Even as a toddler, Martin Gurdon was obsessed with cars. Before he could read or write he could distinguish a vehicle passing in the street from the purr of its engine. His first car – not strictly legally – was as a fifteen-year-old, parked round the corner from his boarding school, and driven […]

Jaguar Land Rover has demonstrated a range of innovative research technologies that would allow a future autonomous car to drive itself over any surface or terrain. Jaguar Land Rover’s multi-million pound Autonomous all-terrain driving research project aims to make the self-driving car viable in the widest range of real life, on- and off-road driving environments and weather conditions.

Two female engineers from MINI Plant Oxford have secured national recognition after they landed a top industry award from leading automotive magazine Autocar. Philippa Napier and Rachel Neary have been named in the ‘Rising Stars’ category of the ‘Great British Women in the Car Industry’ initiative, which is run by Autocar in partnership with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The awards identify the top 100 British women working in the automotive sector as part of a push to celebrate the role of women in the industry and to address the challenges they face. The ‘Rising Stars’ category recognises a group of 10 young females who are ‘making their mark on the industry and blazing a trail for more to follow.’

Our video this week is something I don’t think we have ever had here before, a song. Yes, a music video. Kind of, well, I guess it really is. Anyway, here is Mark Evenchick performing his song “I Wish I’d Never Sold My Good Old MG” at the Le Michele Ange Coffee Cafe, Ottawa, at the Spirit of Rasputin’s “The Next Stage” in May, 2012. This comes from Youtube by way of Kate Morgan of ConstantSoundStudio.com. So, does anyone know of any songs for Jaguars, Triumphs, Healeys or perhaps even TVRs?

Lotus car fans across the world have helped the Lotus Exclusive service by choosing one of the most famous racing colour schemes for a run of extremely limited Evora 400 Exclusive editions. Challenging enthusiasts to pick their preference from a selection of carefully curated designs, penned by Lotus’ design team, the social media poll on Lotus’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, saw modern interpretations of classic automotive colour combinations, as well as some established Lotus liveries.

Julian Thomas took the chequered flag in his 1962 low drag Jaguar E-type in front of a record grid of 65 cars at the Le Mans Classic round of the Jaguar Classic Challenge – his third consecutive victory in the five-race series. Qualifying began in the glorious sunshine of Friday 8 July with race fans getting their first glimpse of classic Jaguar C-types, D-types, E-types and an exciting mix of sports saloons and XK-series models.

A ‘missing’ Jaguar E-Type, one of the most sought-after early examples of the model, has been recently discovered in the depths of Scotland and will be offered at auction by Silverstone Auctions at the Silverstone Classic on 30th and 31st July. The whereabouts of the 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Roadster, chassis #62, one of the first 92 right-hand models produced, has been a mystery to classic car historians for decades. With most of the first 20 cars produced being allocated for competition use, the very first road cars, distinguished by their outside bonnet locks, were supplied in July 1961 to Jaguar dealerships to be used as demonstrators. These early cars are considered to be the ‘Holy Grail’ of E-Types, and arguably of all collector’s cars. Speaking ahead of the sale, Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions, commented, “This […]

Another video of me messing with parts of my Triumph Spitfire – in this case a sun visor. I figured this might be of use to someone, so I shot it before I got down to work. Please pay no attention to the cat, Churchill. He just can’t stand something going on that he doesn’t know about. Anyway, in this short video I dissect a sun visor, a much-abused sun visor, from a 1978 Triumph Spitfire to give you some idea how they are made, what goes wrong, and how they can be repaired. Although this is the visor from a Spitfire, the same basic construction holds true for most British cars of the period such as MGBs, MG Midgets, TR6s, etc. Oh, and the gentleman I make reference to in the video who makes the Plexiglas visors is Andrian Page. […]

Another thought-provoking editorial from our friend and contributor Robert Morey of British Sports Car Consulting. Dealing with the “non-car-collecting ” public is a mechanic’s nightmare. People who don’t understand cars make the worst customers, and thank heavens I don’t deal with them anymore! A typical scenario with these aberrant creatures would be a 110k mile “Luxmobile” driven in with a leaking water pump, the car showing no signs of ever having a service. The customer states,”I’ve been topping up the water for two months and now the damn thing’s overheating!” So, on goes the new water pump, a gallon of antifreeze and they are gone (ignoring your advice that 7k miles is too long to wait to change that sludge they call oil solidifying in the oil pan). They are back in a week screaming because it still loses water. A […]

The unique 1966 Jaguar XJ13, conceived to continue Jaguar’s winning ways at the Le Mans 24 Hours, will finally make its debut at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, 50 years later. A victim of timing and changing regulations, the XJ13 never raced in period despite its incredible pace, so the car’s entry at Le Mans Classic this weekend marks the fitting conclusion to one of Jaguar’s greatest historic cars, on its 50th anniversary. With a beautiful and now iconic lightweight aerodynamic body penned by Malcolm Sayer – the man behind Le Mans legends like the C-Type and D-Type – and a mid-mounted 5.0-litre V12 engine, the XJ13 had all the ingredients for Le Mans success. Indeed, it set an unofficial closed lap record at Silverstone in 1967 with David Hobbs at the wheel, which stood until the McLaren F1 […]

The only Jaguar XK140 FHC to race in the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1956, and was erroneously black flagged, returns to the famous circuit 60 years later for a rematch at Le Mans Classic this weekend. This XK140 was privately entered into the race and driven by Roger Walshaw and Peter Bolton in 1956, but it was erroneously disqualified while running in 11th place with 206 laps. The car, which was recently restored and race prepared by world-leading restorers and Jaguar specialists Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth (CMC), is being taken back by its current owner Mr. Peter Neumark. It will be competing in the Grid 2 class for cars manufactured between 1949 and 1956 and also in the Jaguar Classic Challenge. “The opportunity to restore the only Jaguar XK140 to race in the 24hs of Le Mans […]

The history of the British car industry is a fascinating one. From Britain’s the top-of-the-heap position through the 1960s down to a mere footnote by the 1990s, the rise and fall has been analyzed to death. But, most of that analyzation has been from the outside. Only recently have those actually involved in the industry begun to come forward and tell their tales. British Leyland Motor Corporation 1968 – 2005 The Story From Inside by Mike Carver, Nick Seale and  Anne Youngson is just such an insider story. This book tells the story of the constituent parts of British Leyland, later Rover Group, from the merger in 1968 to the end of production of the last MG Rover in 2005. The story has been told before, but this account is different. It is told by three people who were part of it, […]

MG Motor UK’s first ever SUV, the MG GS, has given a boost to record sales for the UK brand. Official half-year figures, released today from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited (SMMT) show that MG Motor has had its best start to a year. Year-to-date figures show it has exceeded last year’s figures with 1,896 units; a 13.53% increase. June alone has pushed the brand up 43.59%, with 336 units. MG’s new SUV, the MG GS, is blazing the way with more than 70 registrations already; only a little less than two weeks since it officially went on sale. Regional test drives have been taking place across the country, which has paved the way to more sales and fantastic feedback on the new model. Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “This year has […]

Auto Express magazine has awarded MINI two sought-after honours at the publication’s annual New Car Awards. MINI Hatch was awarded ‘Best Premium Small Car’ for the third consecutive year, retaining its position at the front of the competitive pack. Also enjoying its moment in the spotlight, the new MINI Convertible was awarded the publication’s ‘Best Convertible’ title.

Jaguar Land Rover Classic, the new brand offering classic car sales, restorations, parts supply and driving experiences to Jaguar and Land Rover owners and enthusiasts, will have a new home later this year following the £7.5m acquisition and development of a new headquarters in Coventry, England. The new Classic headquarters is planned to open early in 2017, and will be based near to the Jaguar Land Rover SVO Technical Centre in Coventry – an all-new, £20m hub of specialist vehicle personalisation, assembly and finishing.

Call them ‘frog eye’ or ‘bug eye’ either way, this is the first version of the venerable Austin Healey Sprite. Our video this week is from when the car was still brand new to the roads in 1958. This old British Motor Corporation publicity video shows the still wet behind the ears, and tires in this case, Sprite driven at Silverstone by famed English racing driver Roy Salvadori. The Austin Healey Sprite, here in the guise that would become known as the Mk I, was a marvel in its day. Cheap, quick (not fast), and easy to maintain. What it didn’t have in speed, power, or creature comforts it made up for in charm and smiles per gallon. These were, and still are, simply fun cars.  These days though they are becoming much more scarce in solid, unmolested condition, and the […]

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) today announces recruitment plans to support its ambitious growth strategy, with the creation of 250 new jobs this year. Just two years after its creation in 2014, plans to increase the number of employees across Special Operations’ business areas is aligned to the £30m investment made in new headquarter facilities in the British Midlands for SVO (£20m) and Jaguar Land Rover Classic (£7.5m). John Edwards, Jaguar Land Rover SVO Managing Director, said: Today we employ just over 1,000 designers, engineers and technicians across four divisions in Special Operations. The team is energetic, enthusiastic and entrepreneurial. They are the principal reason that we have made a strong start in business since 2014. Now we have new facilities, technologies, products and services in place to exceed the demands of our most discerning customers all over […]

Jaguar Classic today announced that the hotly-anticipated continuation Jaguar XKSS will receive its world debut presentation in November this year in California, North America. The presentation will coincide with the opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Production of the ultra-exclusive continuation Jaguar XKSS will be limited to just nine examples, hand-crafted by Jaguar Classic expert technicians and manufactured to the exact same specification as those produced in 1957.