Marques

We mentioned that it was coming last week, and now here it is … This 1954 XK120 SE by Pininfarina could be the rarest Jaguar ever. After a full nut and bolt restoration taking 6,725 hours by world-class specialists Classic Motor Cars (CMC), the wraps came off this unique Pininfarina bodied 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE yesterday at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, USA. The car was well received by the crowd of collectors and aficionados gathered at the event and finished second in class O-2 Postwar Closed.

Silverstone Auctions is to auction a Series II Jaguar E-Type Fixed Head Coupé that is believed to be the last of its type ever sold as new. In excellent condition and never having undergone a major restoration, the Jaguar Light Blue E-Type will go under the hammer at the Salon Privé Sale at Blenheim Palace on 2nd September. The UK specification right-hand drive E-Type was built in August 1970 and was eventually delivered to dealer Charles of Pirbright, where it remained in the showroom for five months until it was sold to its first owner on 7th August 1971, likely making it the last Series II Fixed Head Coupé to find a home.

Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have reignited their rivalry in a triathlon with a difference – behind the wheel of a Jaguar XF and XF Sportbrake. The pair competed in a trio of challenges to show off the dynamic performance, increased load space and parking technology of both vehicles.

JD Classics is celebrating its eighth consecutive award-winning year at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. JD Classics’ Bentley R-Type Continental picked up the FIVA Postwar Trophy, among a field of more than 200 of the rarest and most incredible cars in the world. All these cars are invited to the Pebble Beach Golf Links each year to compete in the Concours d’Elegance, which rounds off the Monterey Classic Car Week event. Among them this year were two JD Classics cars; a customer’s Shelby 260 Cobra that had recently undergone a full JD Classics restoration, and a Bentley R-Type Continental.

RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction will be one for the record books after selling the most important Aston Martin ever produced during Friday night’s festivities. Part of a grouping of absolutely stunning competition Aston Martins, the 1956 Aston Martin DBR1/1 crossed the block to achieve $22,550,000, setting a world record for any British automobile sold at auction.

Congratulations to all the winners and many thanks to all those competitors who supported AMOC Racing’s third meeting of the season at Brands Hatch on Saturday. The sunshine provided the perfect conditions for five exciting races with the usual high standard of competition. Opening the day’s racing was the Pre-War Team Challenge and with the grid released in a staggered handicap start, Keith Piper’s Aston Martin was flagged away first, with the Bentley of Stuart Morley last to be released 45-seconds later.

Aston Martin enthusiasts will have the chance to buy a manual 1973 Aston Martin AM V8 ‘garage find’ at Classic Car Auctions’ (CCA) upcoming September Sale on 23rd September at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre. The high-performance, eight-cylinder, classic Aston Martin AM V8 is one of just 288 made, mostly with automatic transmission. As with all traditional Aston Martins, it was entirely hand-built and is now the perfect candidate for a full restoration.

One of the most enduring creative partnerships in the automotive industry reached another milestone today. First with the global debut of the Vanquish Zagato Volante, followed by confirmation that not only will the Vanquish Zagato Speedster enter production, but it will be joined by a spectacular Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake. This ‘family’ of four Vanquish Zagato models will yield a total of 325 cars. As the first member of the family, production of the Vanquish Zagato Coupes commenced in late 2016. Next to enter production was the Vanquish Zagato Volante. Once again strictly limited to 99 cars (all of which have been sold), production has commenced and deliveries will be completed through 2018.

Invictus Games Toronto 2017 competitor and Jaguar Land Rover employee, Steven Boulton, was given a surprise send-off by colleagues at the car manufacturer’s Solihull site, as the National Flag Tour gets underway in Canada today. A bespoke car livery, featuring good luck messages from Jaguar Land Rover employees to Invictus competitors was on display during the celebration. The livery is also used on a fleet of new Discovery on the Invictus Games National Flag Tour, which marks the countdown to the Games starting on September 23.

McLaren Automotive has teamed up with The Step2 Company, LLC, a large North American toy manufacturer, to create a unique model tailored to appeal to a small but very important audience. The revolutionary 570S Step2 Push Sports Car was designed with the family in mind, providing practical support for modern living by allowing parents to carry out their daily tasks or simply enjoy a leisurely stroll in the park without needing a conventional stroller. With a handy storage area under the seat that is perfect for stowing snacks and multiple cup holders to house that vital morning coffee and bottles of water, this stylish car lets toddlers rest their weary legs when the excitement of running around has worn off.

Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has announced that Tyfone and SIMPLENIGHT are the latest start-ups to join the Portland technology accelerator program, becoming the seventh cohort to join the program since launching last year. The new additions focus on increasing data security and personalizing consumer experiences, which directly impact consumers today. Tyfone brings the security of credit card chips to the convenience of mobile phone payments through its patented SideCard™ product. SideCard brings omnichannel security by packing smartcard secure elements accessible through Bluetooth® LE, NFC and contact interfaces in an ultrathin credit card form factor. It delivers the highest level of security sufficient for military grade applications without the need for complex passwords and enrollment. Tyfone currently has 140 issued and pending patents and serves key industries with converged omnichannel security needs such as financial services, critical infrastructure, transportation, and the U.S. Government.

Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc, the UK’s largest vehicle manufacturer, today reported its results for the Quarter ended June 30, 2017, showing an encouraging customer response to the company’s innovative product portfolio. Retail sales for the quarter reached 137,463 vehicles, up 3.5% on the previous year led by the 2017 World Car of the Year, and Women’s Car of the Year award-winning Jaguar F-PACE (up 86% year on year), following a sequence of successful market launches. Continuing strong demand was seen for well-established models such as the flagship Range Rover (up 14%) and freshly launched models such as the long wheelbase Jaguar XFL in China (boosting overall XF sales by 22%).

Today, on Dull and Boring Day, Jaguar announced the launch of a new campaign for the 2018 Jaguar F-TYPE to bring excitement to the two towns of Dull, Perthshire in Scotland and Boring in Oregon, U.S. Jaguar selected two residents of Boring, and another pair from Dull, to inspire some excitement in each of the chosen towns. Each pair was given a new 2018 Jaguar F-TYPE R, the most dynamically capable and performance-oriented sports car in the Jaguar family line up, to add a little adventure and excitement to their lives by turning everyday journeys in Dull and Boring, including visits to local stores, coffee shops and gas stations, into a thrilling ride.

Marking a major milestone in the history of Lotus Group International Limited (LGIL), the company finishes the financial year 2016/17 on plan. Lotus closed the year with positive EBITDA of £2.0m, a major achievement compared to 2015/16 where a £16.3m EBITDA loss was recorded. There has also been a significant improvement in Profit Before Tax. From a £41.2m loss in FY15/16 to a £11.2m loss overall in FY16/17, with the company recording a Profit Before Tax improvement of £10m in the second half of FY16/17 compared to the first six months of the year. Looking ahead, it allows Lotus to concentrate on the next stage of the business’ development, and a return to full year Profit Before Tax for FY17/18.

Our video this week comes from Petrolicious. The video, Aston Martin DBR1 – A British Racing Rarity, was produced in partnership with RM Sotheby’s. In this six-minute video, they go for a lively ride in one of Britain’s (if not the world’s) most beautiful automobiles. I just can’t beat what they already have to say about this car and experience, so I am just going to hand it over to them.

MG Motor UK has entered in the top 25 in the UK Car Dealer Power Survey, the annual round-up of the top performing automotive manufacturers as ranked by their own dealer network. Outperforming significantly larger and more established brands, such as Jaguar and MINI, MG Motor UK scored particularly well in terms of new car supply, warranties, bonus structure and dealer requirements. The debut ranking in the survey is further affirmation that MG is now one of the UK’s fastest-growing car brands. With a program of inspiring new model launches, investment in state-of-the-art vehicle and powertrain technology, and global design capability based in the UK, it’s easy to see why dealers rank the brand so highly.

In the year that sees TVR celebrate its 70th anniversary, the company will proudly reveal a new sports car that takes engineering excellence to a new level for the iconic manufacturer. The new TVR, to be unveiled to the public at the Goodwood Revival Earls Court Motor Show, delivers an all-British design with outstanding integrity, rigidity, reliability, and quality. Founded in 1947 by Trevor Wilkinson, the company first developed its own chassis in 1949. Various model launches followed, including the iconic Grantura and the legendary V8 Griffith, which won acclaim during the 1950s and 1960s. It was during this period that TVRs also first began to appear on track, starting a motorsport heritage that continued for several decades, including several factory entries at Le Mans. With too many iconic models to list and a genuinely dedicated following of enthusiasts, the […]

Renowned London specialist Fiskens is offering for sale two legendary Aston Martins that were built 50 years apart but which share an unrivaled competition pedigree – a 1955 DB3S and a 2005 DBR9. The beautiful DB3S was introduced in 1953 and scored victories in prestigious events such as the Tourist Trophy and Goodwood Nine Hours. It also finished second at Le Mans on three occasions and was raced by the greatest names of the era, including Stirling Moss, Peter Collins and Roy Salvadori.