Marques

According to the Internet news site Digital Trends, the once famous name of Jensen may be returning to the car market. Their article begins this way, “Britain has no shortage of iconic car marques. From Aston Martin to Jaguar, and Rolls-Royce to Land Rover, Britannia rules the roads like it once ruled the waves. “Yet one name in the pantheon of great British carmakers often goes unnoticed: Jensen. Its signature product was the Interceptor, an Italian-styled GT with Chrysler V8 power known for being one of the first road cars with four-wheel drive (in FF form), and for having the coolest name ever applied to a fender badge. “Sadly, a combination of poor build equality, a general downturn, and myriad other factors forced Jensen to close its doors in 1976. There have been a few attempts to revive the company, […]

The 27th annual British Car Gathering, hosted by Blount British Cars, will be held May 9, 10, 11, 2014 in Townsend, Tennessee, on the grounds of the Talley Ho Inn. This year the club is partnering with the Knoxville English Auto Society and inviting their European neighbors to enjoy a spring day in the Smokies. Relax in the beauty of the Smoky Mountains and share your passions and experiences with other enthusiasts who are committed to the enjoyment and preservation of British & European cars and motorcycles. Festivities begin Friday night hospitality – a time to mix, mingle and cozy up to a warm fire and swap tall tales. Saturday will offer a field of British and European cars and motorcycles, participant voting, trophy presentation, a car drive, ‘For Sale’ corral and a casual, yet proper, afternoon tea for the ladies. […]

A milestone in the UK’s illustrious sports car history is being sold by a Sussex classic cars specialist. The fully restored Triumph Spitfire was the first to come off the production line at its factory in Coventry. Lewes-based Sussex Sports Cars is marketing it online on behalf of its owner, a Swiss financial consultant. The firm’s Gerry Wadman said the owner, who restored the vehicle using Triumph parts, is asking £45,000 for the hand-built two-seater. The car was assembled at the Standard-Triumph Canley plant in Coventry in 1962 – the very first in a marque that was to help transform the ailing firm’s fortunes. Boasting chassis number FC1, it generated interest at that year’s Motor Show in Earls Court, as a rival to the Austin Healy Sprite and MG Midget. Its original retail price of £641 meant that unusually, it was a quality […]

They don’t sell any MG in America, but some companies like to take their cars to Colorado anyway, to ensure they can handle high altitude conditions. Roman Mica from TFL Car is off doing what he calls “prototype fishing” again. This time, his catch and release program resulted in two MG5 hatchbacks spotted in Colorado. The MG5 Hatchback sounds like a nice British car, but it’s actually a Chinese car. It arrived in concept form in early 2011 and already has a mild facelift. We believe this particular prototype uses a turbo 1.5-liter engine rated at around 130 hp and 200 Nm of torque. The MG3 supermini and larger MG6 are sold in Europe, being assembled in Britain by very few employees, from complete kits made in China. What’s really funny about the video is that a single well spoken […]

British sports car maker Caterham is driving ahead with ambitious plans to conquer Asian markets, according to chief executive Tony Fernandes, who is also chairman of QPR. “We may be a small voice now, but we’re on our way to engineering a decent set of lungs,” he said at the Singapore Grand Prix, where the firm launched its first new ultra-performance model, the AeroSeven Concept. Caterham was bought two years ago by Mr Fernandes with business partner Kamarudin Meranun. They also founded the Tune Group, which opened its first hotel in Edinburgh this year. The pair founded budget airline AirAsia 12 years ago and said the experience would help the motor manufacturer gain a stronghold in the region. “We were told our plans for AirAsia could not work,” said Mr Fernandes. “Today, AirAsia has a growing fleet of more than […]

After a 25-year absence, one of the great names from British sports car manufacturing will return. Lister has announced its comeback to the British car industry after a 25-year absence, with immediate plans to re-introduced the famous Lister Cars is aLister ‘Knobbly’ Jaguar, raced by the likes of Sir Stirling Moss. British sports car manufacturer founded by George Lister in 1954 in Cambridge, England, which became known for its involvement in motorsport. Sold in 1986, Laurence Pearce produced variants of the Jaguar XJS before producing a bespoke sports car, the Lister Storm. Since May 2013 Lister Cars has been purchased by Warranty Wise Insurance Services T/A Warrantywise. Returning to its Cambridge roots, Lister plans to build a 21st century version identical to that of the 1958 race car. The original drawings and manufacturing jigs created by Brian Lister have all been re-commissioned and race proven Jaguar D-Type-specification engines […]

MG is performing well in China but it is missing an SUV, Roewe added an old Ssangyong based vehicle to its line up but the car failed to live up to expectations, the new MG SUV is expected to hit the market by the years end. MG revealed the MG CS concept at the Shanghai Auto Show this year where it was revealed the new car would have a 2.0T powerplant and a slightly redesigned face which is mostly inline with the current MG5. The new SUV will launch in late 2014, a little late to the party considering that international and domestic rivals have already launched SUV offerings. In addition to the new SUV, MG are also planning to give their other product offerings a major overhaul of the MG-Roewe line up. Later this year the MG5 1.5T will […]

Accountants Deloitte were today punished with a record £14 million fine for failing to manage conflicts of interest over their advice to collapsed car maker MG Rover. The Financial Reporting Council also severely reprimanded the firm for its conduct over MG Rover, which crashed into administration in 2005 with debts of £1.4 billion and 6,000 job losses. Its damning report said: “These are all very serious matters. The public must be protected from misconduct of this nature.” Four MG Rover directors — the “Phoenix Four” — set up the Phoenix company to buy the loss-making British carmaker for a token £10 five years earlier. But Deloitte and its partner and corporate finance expert Maghsoud Einollahi — personally fined £250,000 and banned from the profession for three years — both failed to properly manage conflicts of interest, the FRC said. Einollahi […]

According to The Telegraph, Jaguar Land Rover is to create another 1,700 jobs at its Solihull factory in Birmingham to support a new range of sports and cross-over cars featuring the latest in lightweight aluminium technology. The UK-based car maker, owned by India’s Tata conglomerate, said it would invest £1.5bn to introduce new one-piece “aluminium vehicle architecture” into its range. Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the move as “fantastic news for Solihull and a huge vote of confidence in the UK. This investment will also deliver another 24,000 jobs in the supply chain – on top of the 1.3m the private sector has already created since 2010.” A Jaguar sports sedan, launched in 2015, will be the first to feature the new technology, as well as the first to use engines from the company’s new £500m engine plant in Wolverhampton. […]

MG Enthusiast, September 2013 Features in this Issue Barmy to Barcelona – Four mates, two MGFs and a fetish for 1970s Martini Racing – did the reality live up to the dream? MGB Trip Preparation – Iain Ayre suggests a sensible plan of action to prepare your classic MG for an extended mountain tour Brian Moylan Interview – Brian recalls his days working at Abingdon, from the Service Department to Competitions Modified RV8 – One owner who felt that he could – and should – get more from his RV8. Quite a lot more, in fact! PA to the Lebanon in 1966 – Last month MGE introduced a nicely patinated PA; this month they go back to the 1960s and explain how some of that patina came about KV6 Transplants – Making the cars MG-Rover didn’t: a ZR and an MGF with KV6 power MG Enthusiast […]

The MG6 was supposed to signal the brand’s return to the UK, but it’s fair to say that car hasn’t quite had the desired effect. So now we have the MG3: a Ford Fiesta rival the company hopes will kick-start its fortunes. The most striking thing about the new car is its low price. AutoXpress drove the top-of-the-range Style model, which comes in at less than £10,000. For that money, you get Bluetooth connectivity, air-conditioning, a DAB radio, 16-inch alloy wheels and cruise control all fitted as standard. A Fiesta or Skoda Fabia kitted out with that much equipment would cost nearly £13,000. But price isn’t everything: the MG3 has to deliver on the road. And in some key respects, it does. The car feels quite sporty, with an impressive amount of grip that allows you to tackle twisty back […]

The UK Royal Mail are celebrating the best in British motor cars with the issue of the ‘British Auto Legends’ stamp collection. Released today, the collection features six of the most stylish and iconic British cars, including a 1964 MGB Roadster owned by John Watson, Chairman of the MG Car Club’s MGB Register. The MG Car Club are delighted to see a MGB included in the collection. John’s Iris Blue MGB is a stunning example of one of the worlds most loved sports cars. John was first approached by the Royal Mail in May of 2011, when his car was selected to make up a six stamp set of thoroughbreds. Twelve months later and just days before the MGB 50 festival at Blenheim Palace, John’s car was in a London studio being photographed by James Mann. Andrew Hammond, Director of […]

The MG 3 is set to cost less than £10,000 and will be offered with “hundreds” of different styling and customisation options. The MG 3, showcased in the UK for the first time at an event at MG’s Longbridge plant in Birmingham today, will go on sale in the UK this autumn. Initially, three trim levels and 10 exterior colours – with names such as ‘Hello Yellow’ – will be offered. The top two trim levels will come as standard with equipment that includes Bluetooth connectivity, air-con and DAB digital radio. Hill-start assist will be optional. MG’s new hatchback will also launch with the ‘MG 3 Collection’ offer. It allows buyers to personalise the car’s bodywork with various patterns, decals and stripes, including large RAF roundels. The European version of the MG 3 was first seen at the Shanghai motor […]

The first pictures of the MG CS concept have leaked to the web, ahead of a possible debut at the Shanghai Motor Show. Designed to preview the company’s upcoming crossover, the model eschews the retro styling of last year’s Icon concept. As a result, it echoes the rest of the MG lineup with angular lines and a familiar grille. We can also see front fender vents, an upward sweeping beltline and blacked out A-pillars. There’s also a sporty rear bumper, a tailgate-mounted spoiler and a center-mounted dual exhaust system. Speculation suggests the CS concept is based on the MG5 and could use a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 135 bhp (101 kW). Nothing is official as of yet, but we should learn more later this month.

It may seem like only yesterday when Mini entered the US to sell its cars, but it’s been 11 years since the car maker began selling its vehicles in the states. In that time frame, Mini has sold 500,000 of its cars in the US, marking a new milestone for the British car manufacturer, which is owned by BMW. Mini has increased its US sales from 24,590 units in 2002, to 66,123 units last year. The Mini Cooper has easily been one of the company’s most popular vehicles, but they also have a small selection of variations of the popular car, including the Hardtop, Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster, and Paceman. As for Mini dealership around the US, there are currently 116 locations spilled out over the states, but the car maker plans for a total of around 130 locations […]

Birmingham car maker MG UK is taking to two wheels – by launching a professional cycling team. The newly-branded MG Maxifuel Pro Cycling Team will compete in nearly 100 of the UK’s top events this year. Its riders will include Hannah Barnes, a 21-time national champion at various events and Sweden’s Magnus Backstedt, a Tour de France stage winner. The team will be officially launched next Tuesday at an event at the MG Sales Centre at the MG Birmingham site at Longbridge. MG spokesman Doug Wallace said: “This is a great opportunity to do some further marketing for MG, to spread the name of the brand. It is initially for a year to see how things go, and then we will see what the future holds.” Backstedt said: “I’m really happy to be racing with MG Maxifuel, it’s a real feel good factor […]

Mini’s Oxford assembly plant is the third-oldest mass-production car facility in the world, and this month it celebrates its 100-year anniversary. As one might expect, the plant has a storied history and a long tally of cars produced. So far, the plant has manufactured more than 2.25 million Minis, including the original Mini that rolled off the line from 1959 to 1969 (another plant in the UK continued production until 2000). In 2001, the Oxford plant began production of the modern Mini Cooper, a project spearheaded by the brand’s new parent company BMW. For centuries, Oxford has enjoyed international appeal as having one of the world’s best known and highly regarded universities, and draws thousands of visitors from around the globe every year. But many people don’t know that Oxford also has a technical and industrial history: 100 years ago – in […]

MG is launching a special MG6 BTCC Edition to celebrate its hugely successful return to Britain’s favourite saloon car racing series. The MG6 GT BTCC Edition was previewed at the final round of the 2012 MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch where MG’s Jason Plato clinched an amazing third place in the championship after taking the chequered flag six times in the season. The road-going MG6 BTCC Edition is on sale for just £16,995.