Marques

An MG sports car owned and driven during World War Two by the RAF hero Sir Douglas Bader is expected to sell for £80,000 at auction. The fighter pilot, who famously flew in the Battle of Britain despite losing both legs, was the first owner of the Midget TA Roadster. He bought it in 1938, seven years after he lost his legs, registering the open-top car to his address in upmarket Kensington, West London. The British car was powered by a 1.3-litre engine which gave it a top speed of around 80mph – an impressive speed for a 1930s sports car.   Autocar magazine tested the MG in 1937, with motoring journalists saying it gives “an unusually good performance for its engine size”. When the war broke out Bader rejoined the RAF and became one of the heroes of the […]

The Texas MG Register will hold its Fall 2015 Gathering of the Faithful Thursday, October 15th through Sunday, October 18th in Tyler, TX. Anyone who has an interest in MGs, not just TMGR members, is invited. Registration and full details for this event can be found at www.tmgr.org. In addition to the car show, rally and awards banquet there are special events planned that only Tyler can provide: All MGs attending this GoF will participate in the 82nd Texas Rose Festival parade on Saturday morning, October 17th before the car show which will be held at the Tyler downtown square On Friday, October 16th everyone will have the opportunity to participate on a drive to visit two great car collections: the world’s largest Dodge Viper collection of Wayne Raugh; and Jerry Ball’s collection of cars primarily from the 50’s and […]

Nowadays affectionately known as the ‘Aunty’ Rover, the dignified P4 series of cars was launched in 1949 to carry Britain’s Rover company into the postwar era. Rover’s well-deserved reputation for building high-quality cars and the marque’s upmarket image ensured that the P4 series appealed to the company’s traditional clientele – doctors, solicitors, bank managers and others of similar social rank. Despite the rather staid image of the P4 series, over the years the cars had many interesting features like the original ‘Cyclops’ central headlight, disc brakes, a freewheel device and overdrive. The larger-engined versions were also rather nifty and could whoosh their occupants along at a very unauntie-like pace! Production continued through several model variations – but always with four or six-cylinder engines – until 1964. In the meantime, Rover experimented with gas turbine power units in P4 bodies and […]

The all-new Jaguar XF brings an unrivalled blend of design, luxury, technology and efficiency to lead the business car segment, underpinned by class-leading driving dynamics and refinement and impressive total cost of ownership. The dynamic, coupé-like design is formed around Jaguar’s aluminium-intensive architecture and combines the outstanding proportions, elegant surfaces and perfect lines which define all Jaguar cars, with a longer wheelbase, more interior space and exceptionally low aerodynamic drag yet in a lower and shorter body than the car it replaces. The cabin is a seamless blend of contemporary luxury materials and finishes, traditional Jaguar craftsmanship and state-of-the art technology, with features such as a reconfigurable 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster, laser head-up display and the InControl Touch Pro premium infotainment system – the all-new XF is the most connected Jaguar ever. “I believe the all-new XF is the best […]

A very rare McLaren F1 has became the most expensive British car after it was sold as part of a record-breaking £43 million fleet. The 1998 McLaren F1, part of the Pinnacle Collection featuring 25 super-important models from the past 50 years, sold for £8.8 million – nearly $14 million USD. This made the super-rare hypercar, built in Woking, Surrey, the most expensive British car to ever sell publicly. The McLaren, capable of more than 240mph, is one of only two road-spec F1s upgraded by the British firm to LM specification.

Whilst MG Triple Eight Racing’s Jack Goff was celebrating his debut win in his MG at the MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton, 19-year-old Ryan Sykes was getting to grips with his very own MG off the track. It’s not every day a customer’s new car is handed over by a racing driver, but for lifeguard Ryan Sykes that’s how he received his brand new MG3 last weekend (Saturday 8th August). Ryan is the son of the owner of Norfolk-based 5 Star Cases, one of Jack’s sponsors, and from the start of the partnership between MG and Jack, Ryan has been hoping to own one of his own. Ryan said: “My dad started working with Jack in 2013, but it wasn’t until Jack started racing for MG Triple Eight that I started looking at MGs and saw what […]

Lotus Motorsport redefines the Exige V6 Cup with the introduction of the Exige 360 Cup. New lightweight panels and an increase in power mean the Lotus Motorsport Cup model continues to provide a benchmark in handling and performance. The Exige 360 Cup bespoke styling signals an evolution in design, with an option of four colours (Metallic White, Metallic Grey, Metallic Black and Metallic Silver) and stealth matt black roof, front access panel and louvered tailgate. This design is a limited edition run of 50 vehicles and each of these special Exige 360 Cup cars will receive a numbered Lotus Motorsport build plate. This new model boasts an increase in power of 10 PS with freer flowing induction and a sports exhaust system, which combined with a low vehicle weight of 1130 kg gives an incredibly pure driving experience on road […]

Tigers East / Alpines East had a huge crowd at their Rootes United XXXIV in Dayton Ohio last the first weekend of August.  Nearly 90 Sunbeams and over 170 people attended.  Below is a time lapse video of owners leaving for the show last Saturday morning. Note the two Harrington’s in the first two parking spots. This show was held in conjunction with the Dayton British car show. With the 90 Sunbeam cars, they had a total of 370 British cars at the show which made a new record for them.  Another record for them was the long distance award which was given to a couple from the Sunbeam club who drove their Tiger from British Columbia 2800 miles to attend! Note: This report courtesy of Eric Gibeaut – owner of the first of the two Harringtons.

The countdown to the launch this autumn of the most attainable McLaren road car project yet, the Sports Series, continues with the start of the pre-production phase within the state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre in Woking, England. This milestone marks the final stage in the development programme ahead of the global roll-out of the 570S Coupé; the first model to be launched in the McLaren Sports Series family. A short video documenting some of the stages of testing to date of the newest model in the McLaren range can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/erpQ8sWKFL4. Up to this point through the development programme, the Sports Series has covered in excess of 500,000 testing kilometres. These have been on a mixture of race circuits and roads, in some of the harshest conditions around the world including the extreme heat of the Arizona and Nevada […]

Concours of Elegance has confirmed the world-beating line-up of cars for its 2015 event at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, including an original 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London to Edinburgh car. One of six Rolls-Royce cars in the main Concours event, this particular model was inspired by the Silver Ghost’s return journey from London to Edinburgh in top gear – mimicking the Concours of Elegance’s journey from Hampton Court Palace in 2014 to Holyroodhouse this year. During the return trip, the Silver Ghost covered around 1600 miles using only its top gear, carrying four passengers and luggage, and achieving 24.3mpg. It was this feat that helped cement a reputation for the Silver Ghost as ‘the best car in the world.’

Aston Martin is today announcing the opening of a new warehouse and logistics hub. Created to support the future expansion of the business, the new facility is located at Wellesbourne, close to the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Representing a multi-million pound investment, the new development is the largest storage and distribution base in the company’s 102-year history. Aston Martin Manufacturing Operations Director Keith Stanton said: “The opening of this superb new facility at Wellesbourne is a vital part of our Second Century Plan. “Ensuring we have the right materials in the right place at the right time is, of course, fundamental to our manufacturing process. As the volume and complexity of our operations increases in the months and years ahead, we will be relying on the team at Wellesbourne to help us deliver our exciting new generation of Aston […]

Jaguar Land Rover has signed a Letter of Intent with the Government of the Slovak Republic for the potential development of a new manufacturing plant in the city of Nitra in western Slovakia. With its established premium automotive industry, Slovakia is an attractive possible development opportunity. The move marks the next step in the Company’s strategy to become a more competitive global business by expanding its manufacturing operations into new international locations in the future. The UK is the cornerstone of Jaguar Land Rover’s business. It remains at the centre of Jaguar Land Rover’s design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Over the past five years, Jaguar Land Rover has employed more than 20,000 people taking its workforce to more than 36,000 and invested more than £11 billion in new product creation and capital expenditure.

In contrast to the appalling weather in the run up to last year’s Simply Land Rover event, this weekend’s clear blue skies and warm sunshine encouraged Land Rover owners to make the journey to Beaulieu for this year’s Simply Land Rover on Sunday 9th August, to display their vehicles in the grounds of the National Motor Museum. Now in its third year the event saw a large increase in participating vehicles, up over one hundred on 2014 numbers at 270. It made for an impressive display of Land Rovers ranging from the classic Series I, II and III, to the rugged County and Defender, iconic Range Rover and capable Discovery. All Land Rover models and derivatives could be seen, from a battle-scarred workhorse to a pristine show-winner.

Four years on from its global launch, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) will return to the manicured lawns of the USA’s famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance later this month with a selection of distinctive and beautiful commissions. The bespoke division of McLaren will showcase some of the individualisation options it will make available on the forthcoming new 570S Coupé, the first model to join the McLaren Sports Series. Two examples have been created. The first 570S Coupé ‘by MSO’ features the uniquely formulated Mauvine Blue paint finish coupled with a bespoke interior finished in Carbon Black leather with co-ordinating detailing, carried through from the exterior colour. A second 570S Coupé, finished in Ventura Orange and fitted with a selection of styling details from the MSO Defined range of options, will take up position on the popular Concept Lawn at the event. […]

“Team Amelia” will again be part of the annual Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on August 13-16, 2015. The historic car races at Laguna Seca are a large part of the annual festival and celebration of classic, historic, competition and collector cars known simply worldwide as “Monterey Car Week.”

Huge crowds expected as free-to-view motor show prepares to take over London’s “Mile of Style” The Regent Street Motor Show is the largest free-to-view motor show in the UK, showcasing an impressive 125 years of motoring history and taking place on London’s most iconic shopping street on Saturday 31 October; a date for the diary. 2015 promises to bring a family-friendly, highly interactive feel to the Regent Street Motor Show. Celebrating the earliest days of motoring with the pre-1905 veteran cars on display as part of the prestigious EFG International Concours d’Elegance, a stunning array of present day and yester-year cars is an exciting opportunity to get a glimpse of what the future of motoring might hold. On the day of the Show, Regent Street will be closed to through traffic from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly Circus, providing a safe environment […]

The 18th annual British Car Day at historic Ocean Grove, New Jersey, will be held on Saturday, 19 September. This show is presented by the Positive Earth Drivers Club.

Aston Martin’s new 2016 DB9 GT will make its global debut as part of the marque’s presence at the Pebble Beach® Automotive Week from 13 August, accompanied by a glimpse of Aston Martin’s Second Century with the DBX concept, Lagonda Taraf and Aston Martin Vulcan supercar all set for appearances. The DB9 GT is the luxury British sports car maker’s most compelling production ‘DB’ to date, designed to offer world-class grand touring and hand-built excellence. Claiming the title of the most potent DB9 yet devised, by virtue of its uprated 6.0-litre V12 engine which now boasts 540bhp – the DB9 GT continues a distinguished tradition of luxury, excitement and style with a raft of engineering, equipment and styling developments calculated to make this the very best of what DB9 can be. Aston Martin’s ‘Second Century’ plan was announced by Dr. […]