Search Results for The Roadster Factory

As they like to say in the collector car auction community, there was “plenty of money in the room.”  With 101 cars going across the stage on Friday night, just over $27 million was spent, with 86% of the cars reaching their reserves; a successful event by any measure. Held in the ballroom of the luxurious and elegant Ritz-Carlton, the audience and venue were nearly as star-studded at the cars themselves. Highlights of the evening were a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, a 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS and a Marmon Sixteen LeBaron Coupe.  The Ferrari, the top seller of the auction, was one of approximately 58 long-nose, torque-tube, triple-carburetor, steel-bodied examples. Retaining its original chassis, engine, and gearbox, the beautifully presented car sold for a final $2,205,000.

Morgan Motor Company has announced record profitability and growth as it continues to roll out a long-term strategic plan under the guidance of Chairman Dominic Riley, Managing Director Steve Morris, and family shareholders – keeping up the positive momentum in the family-owned business. Year-end financial reports released today announced record growth from the 109-year-old company with a 19 percent increase in revenue against 2016 to £36m, improved group margins with an increase of 12 percent, a 13 percent increase in group net assets and an increase in pre-tax profits to £2m. Last year saw strong performances from all sectors of the Morgan business, including a new technological partnership with Frazer Nash for EV development, futureproofing with long-lead new model planning and strategic in-house appointments within the management team coupled with increased marketing activity.

Autosport Designs, Inc. is excited to offer this rare, fully restored 1937 Aston Martin 15/98 Short-Chassis Drophead Coupe.  In the 1930s, Aston Martin’s signature 1.5-liter endurance sports racers continually evolved and gained great success, taking the team prize in the 1934 Tourist Trophy race in Ulster and finishing in an impressive 3rd place at the 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans. From this success, Aston Martin looked to broaden its customer base and develop a more versatile offering for the company’s next generation of cars. Initially launched in 1936 as a four-seat tourer, Aston Martin prepared a shorter 15/98 short chassis.

The Vantage name has long been synonymous with more extreme performance Aston Martins since the 1950s, so it’s entirely appropriate that the Vantage AMR should be the first series production derivative of Aston Martin’s new race-inspired performance range. Launched at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, AMR amplifies and accentuates the sporting prowess of the British marque’s road cars, by taking inspiration or direct influence from Aston Martin Racing’s participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship; a series with which the marque tasted world championship success with factory drivers Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen just last season.

A classic 1950 Jaguar XKSS is set to become the most expensive British road car in history when it goes under the hammer and is expected to fetch £13.5 million. The XKSS is so desirable that the manufacturer recently revived it by building nine models that are identical those which left the factory in 1957. But this original model is set to be the first to go on public sale in more than a decade. Experts expect a fierce bidding war from super-rich collectors around the world who are desperate to get their hands on the iconic car. 

Hold this spot on your calendars! Details of Triumphest 2017 will be coming soon … Triumphests provide us the thrill and memory of driving our cars to a destination just like the “old days”. When we get to the Triumphest we will enjoy the many events, the ‘Funcours’ car judging,Autocross timed racing, Funkhana and the awards banquet. As well as the great opportunity to meet with old friends, see what others have done with their cars, talk first-hand with the ‘Roadster Factory’ and ‘Moss Motors’ our major parts suppliers and schmooze with all the people in the west-coast Triumph world.

Jaguar’s companion brand, Daimler, was acquired in June 1960.  At the time Daimler made buses,  military vehicles and a range of cars such as the Daimler Dart roadster also known as the SP250 and a large sedan/limousine known as the Majestic Major.  Daimler was long the vehicle supplier to English royalty and can trace its beginnings to earlier than 1900.  After Jaguar acquired Daimler they began to phase out some models and badge engineer existing Jaguar models as Daimlers.    Cars such as the Mark 2 based Daimler 2.5 liter sedan which used Daimler’s own 2.5 liter hemi V8 in place of the Jaguar XK engines. Later there was a whole range of Daimler badged XJ sedans beginning with the Series 1 and continuing through the Series 3. In  1968 Jaguar introduced the DS420 limousine which was based on many of the mechanical components of […]

Two Jaguar E-types that were built on the same day, 24th August, in 1961 on the production line at Browns Lane in Coventry have been reunited at Classic Motor Cars (CMC) of Bridgnorth in Shropshire, United Kingdom, to celebrate their 55th birthdays. One E-Type was the first production inside bonnet lock right-hand drive fixed head coupe; the other was the first production inside bonnet lock right-hand drive roadster.

Having slashed a substantial 207 kg from its cars this year alone, Lotus remains the leader in the engineering of lightweight, high-performance supercars. From the iconic Elise, through to the hypercar humbling 3-Eleven, every Lotus benefits from the company’s approach to engineering in lightness at every stage of design and construction. With its heaviest model weighing in at just 1,395 kg, it’s still streets ahead of rivals. With a heritage of efficient design, no other car manufacturer can claim a better track record when it comes to honing road and race cars. In its 68th year, Lotus still remains true to the ethos of the company’s founder Colin Chapman, and his approach to design and construction.

I swear I am not neglecting Triumph. I love Triumphs! I have had quite a few and even own a 1978 Spitfire at the moment. So, for our Video of the Week (VotW) let’s turn our attention to the Triumph TRs. The Triumph Story is a bit soft in the sound department, but this history of the maker of is definitely worth the watch. […]

Enthusiasts seeking a balance of pure performance and affordability from every driving experience now have a fresh alternative from British manufacturer Avatar. The Devon-based track and race division of long-standing specialist car producer Marlin Sports Cars has developed the 250bhp 2.0 Ecoboost-engined Roadster to offer road and track day fans a responsive, involving, lightweight car that offers plenty of scope to adjust and upgrade during ownership. The first car will make its public debut at The Performance Car Show on 14-17 January 2016 (Hall 19, Stand 19215), held at the Birmingham NEC alongside sister show Autosport International. Eschewing the handling and styling compromises of transversally mounting the Ford 2.0 engine behind the driver, Avatar’s engineers mandated the race-substantiated longitudinal installation, driving the rear wheels through a proven Porsche Boxster five-speed gearbox. Underlining an emphasis on performance and commitment to offer […]

Tis the season for gift giving, and what kind of magazine would we be if we didn’t follow suit of every other news source and provide our take on the gifts that every British car lover would enjoy? The key for many of us is that giving or receiving vehicle specific presents is hard. First of all, how does a spouse know what carburetor kit we really need? Or what year/make/model of Vanden Plas we have, so what oil filter element fits that? And what happens if we sell our car? Then all those heartfelt gifts that were for that specific car are now somehow less meaningful? No. That doesn’t work. So, our choice of gifts for British car lovers tend to the be things that transcend specific application, make, or model. They are gifts that keep on giving. They […]

Barons is set to become the first UK classic car auction house to feature a lady auctioneer when Helen Gascoigne brings the hammer down on a selection of lots, assisting Barons’ long-standing auctioneer Fabian Hine at the Yuletide Classic Sale at Sandown Park on December 15th. The daughter of Barons director Peter Gascoigne, 33 year-old Helen is a senior lawyer by profession but is adding another string to her bow by combining her love of classic cars and knowledge of the family business to embark on learning the classic car auction trade.  In a year of ‘firsts’ for Barons, which has included the company twice setting its highest-ever price for a car sold at auction, it is only fitting that the season ends with another first, not just for Barons, but for all specialist UK classic car houses; the introduction […]

The sixtieth E-Type to leave Jaguar’s production line in 1961 went back to Somerset to surprise its previous owner on his 83rd birthday after undergoing a full ‘nut and bolt’ restoration at leading restorers Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth (CMC). When former Royal Naval Commander Bob Reed put his pride and joy, a rare Jaguar E-Type into auction little did he expect that it would sell for £109,000 or that it would be purchased by someone who would spend substantially more than the purchase price to bring it back to its former glory. Bob bought the car in February 1965 and owned it for more than 45 years, raced it and only decided to sell it because he couldn’t afford to restore it and didn’t want to see it deteriorate further.

The annual University Motors Summer party will be held this year on August 8 in Byron Center, Michigan. This year’s event will be celebrating the MGA 1500’s birthday. The MGA was introduced in 1955. By replacing the TF, it was a quantum leap into the future with it’s aerodynamic body styling – a world away from the “square rigger” MG models from before WWII. Over the next seven years about 110,000 MGAs were manufactured. They came as roadsters and coupes. They were powered first by a 1500 engine, then a 1600, and finally a 1622. A short run (2111) of Twin Cams were produced in 1959-1960. They came with drum/drum brakes, then disc/drums, while the Twin Cam had all round disc brakes. The last MGAs left the factory in 1962 before the introduction of the MGB. Come with us the […]

The Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance, held March 12-15, once again presented an amazing collection of rare, exotic and highly-collectible cars.  There were a smattering of British marques represented at the Concours, with best in class winners of two pre-war Rolls-Royce, an Aston Martin DB4 and gorgeous 1947 Bentley coupe.   The real British-action, however, was experienced in the high-end auctions of Gooding’s and Bonham’s.  So while affordability is in the eye of the beholder, there were several tempting offerings, like a driver-quality 1968 jaguar XKE coupe for $44,000, and a pristine 1952 MG TD for $29,000.  After those, however, the appreciation curve shot upward, with an unbelievably original 1965 XKE Series 1 4.2 coupe going for $200,000 and a similarly original 1961 E-Type Roadster hitting $380,000.  And in the I’ve-never-seen-one-of-those-before, a 1951 Lotus, claimed to be the very first road-worthy […]

Famous for the Interceptor muscle car, Jensen is back – and the GT will be its first new model in 2016. Legendary British maker Jensen has risen from the ashes and announced it’ll be building a new car to be launched next year, followed by a new Interceptor. A new company called the Jensen Group will launch the GT in 2016. It’ll be powered by a General Motors 665bhp 6.4-litre supercharged V8, and be based on a bespoke spaceframe chassis with the choice of six-speed manual or six-speed semi-automatic transmissions. The rear-wheel drive GT will come as a two-seater or as a 2+2, and promises a luxurious cabin, with leather and Alcantara trim. All cars will be built to order and cost in the region of £350,000. The GT will be built in collaboration with Jensen International Automotive (JIA) – […]

In a press release, London Morgan announces the celebration of their first anniversary.   Symbolising the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Britain’s automotive legacy, London Morgan, the official London dealership of the country’s last independent family-owned car manufacturer, The Morgan Motor Company, is celebrating its first anniversary since opening its doors 12 months ago. Located in Astwood Mews in the heart of South Kensington, a cobbled oasis recently awarded honorary Garden Square status on account of its resident’s horticultural presentations, London Morgan launched in May 2013, neighbouring its sister company Monaco VW (incidentally, Britain’s oldest Volkswagen dealership established in 1948 by a Polish immigrant settling in London following WW11). Speaking about the establishment of London Morgan, Anthony Barrell, Dealer Principal of London Morgan says: “Since launching one year ago, we have had a phenomenal response from  customers across London, the UK and internationally. This is testament to an intense appetite for all […]