Marques

McLaren Automotive, the British manufacturer of luxury handcrafted sports and supercars, has celebrated the fifth anniversary of the first car rolling off the production line with another record-breaking year. Operating profits increased to £23.5M – the company’s third successive year of profitability – from revenues of £450.6M, with revenue projected to increase by 50% over the next two years and double by the end of 2022 – an unprecedented performance in the early years of a car company.  2015 also marked the fifth successive year of increasing global car sales to 1,654 cars, supported by the launch of no less than five new models.

A growing company with a growing product line-up calls for more designers to play their part in developing new models. MG Motor UK’s design centre, based at Longbridge, Birmingham, has expanded and is continuing to expand its design team who play a key role in the MG models on the road of today and the future. Director of Design, Anthony Williams-Kenny, is now back in the UK after being based in Shanghai for three years. Anthony will be focusing on MG Motor in the UK, as well as on a global level.

For the first time in more than 30 years, three giant-killing MG Metro Turbos will take to the track at the Silverstone Classic later this month (29-31 July). Adding to the sense of history, the evocative, three-pronged attack is being masterminded by touring car hero Patrick Watts, who himself will race one of the trio of pocket rockets in the Historic Touring Car Challenge at the Classic on Tin Top Sunday. The ever-effervescent Watts, now 59, has a special relationship with these cars having been an integral part of the ARG (Austin Rover Group) factory team back in the early eighties. Such is his indefatigable passion that he has spent the past few years tracking down and restoring three of the five esteemed racers originally built in period.

In their latest video, our friends over at Take to the Road test drive a fine example of one of the last big Triumph saloons, a 1977 Triumph 2500S. This car came up at Classic Central Auctioneers May sale and they had great fun driving it. Watch their film to find out how they got on. Quoting from their article, “The Triumph 2500S was the last in a long line of Triumph and Standard-Triumph big saloon cars. Launched in 1963 at the Earl’s Court Motorshow, the new saloon replaced the ageing Standard Vanguard and arose from Triumph’s failed Zebu project. With fresh investment from new owner Leyland, who rescued Standard-Triumph in 1961, the new saloon promised much for the future of the company. And when it was launched it was well received by the motoring press and the general public. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) today officially opens its new Technical Centre in the heart of the British Midlands. The innovative new £20m facility near Coventry will be the headquarters of SVO and will house manufacturing, paint, technical and customer commissioning and presentation zones inside the 20,000m2 facility. The new Technical Centre is a significant representation of the growth of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations – the specialist division of Jaguar Land Rover created in June 2014 to build a business responsible for halo car products (SVO), Vehicle Personalisation, classic car programmes by Jaguar Land Rover Classic and an exciting range of Branded Goods. John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said: The new Special Vehicle Operations Technical Centre is a major step forward in meeting the desires of our most discerning customers. There are more […]