Classic Cars

A Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Type, once part of the Ecurie Ecosse race team, became the most expensive British automobile sold at auction with a final price of $21.78 million. In addition, the very first Shelby Cobra, a CSX 2000, went for $13.75 million, setting the American record. The 1955 Jaguar was the first such model supplied to a private team by the maker, based in England’s Midlands. The car went on to beat Jaguar’s own entries in the 1956 Le Mans. It was offered for the first time in 20 years, after being in an American collection. The RM Sotheby’s sale, which started on August 19, is continuing in Monterey, California.

Jaguar XK DIY Restoration & Maintenance by Bob Exelby is an impressive book. This is the story of how one man completely restored his XK 120 roadster, transforming it from dereliction into a thoroughly beautiful example of this iconic sports car.  Bob Exelby also took the time to investigate and incorporate numerous detail improvements, making the car even more usable and practical for today’s roads, some 65 years after it was built. All of the modifications were tasteful, though some might still argue with their applicability to a true restoration. Exelby wanted a useable and dependable car in addition to a valued classic.

“The E-type Club ROUND BRITAIN COASTAL DRIVE, supporting Prostate Cancer UK” has set up an online auction platform for members of the public to bid for a half-day ride in the Jaguar E-type from the iconic film, The Italian Job. Split into 18 daily stages, this unique event takes place between September 12 and 29, driving for the first time the entire coastal route of Great Britain with an average mileage of 180 per day. Details of the clockwise route can be found at The E-Type Club where one can enter bids or donate on the JustGiving page.

The Concours of Elegance 2016 – held at Windsor Castle between 2-4 September – will be showcasing more than 200 years of coachbuilt luxury. From Her Majesty The Queen’s 1800s Ascot Landau by Hooper and 1842 ‘Ivory Mounted’ Phaeton by Barker to the 2016 Touring Superleggera Disco Volante Spider, visitors can admire the hand-crafted luxury of some of history’s most legendary coachbuilders. The Royal Carriages of Hooper and Barker are just two of five cars lent by the Royal Household to contend the Concours of Elegance this year, with the coachbuilt 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI ‘High Top’ State Limousine and 2002 Bentley State Saloon by Mulliner also on display.

Highlights of this year’s record-breaking, all-action Silverstone Classic will be screened to terrestrial television audiences in the UK later this week. A special one-hour programme will be aired on ITV4 at the peak viewing time of nine o’clock (21.00hrs) on the evening of Thursday 11 August, with repeats broadcast at 10am on the morning of Sunday 14 August and, again at five o’clock (17.00hrs) on the afternoon of the following Tuesday 16 August. With so much to see and do over the full three days at the world’s busiest motor sport meeting, there is far too much action, excitement and entertainment to squeeze into one hour-long show. Even so, it is a show that no lovers of classic cars or fans of historic motor sport will want to miss regardless of whether they were among the 100,000 visitors attending this […]

World-renowned vintage Bentley specialist William Medcalf is proud to be the subject of one of the latest films to be released by celebrated film-maker and car magazine Petrolicious. The evocative film perfectly captures the spirit of William Medcalf and gives an insight into what drives his passion for vintage Bentleys while entertaining the viewer with fantastic cinematography that shows exactly how these cars are best used. The 10-minute piece was filmed in the beautiful Sussex countryside, in the areas surrounding William Medcalf’s workshop and headquarters in Liss. This area not only provides the perfect driving roads but also shows England at its very best. William tells the story behind his life-long passion for vintage Bentleys, and how he feels the cars should be driven today. “Anything with wheels should be raced. Everything with wheels should be driven to the limit,” […]

The E-type Club’s ROUND BRITAIN COASTAL DRIVE, supporting Prostate Cancer UK is really gathering momentum. Over 100 Jaguar E-types have already booked for one or more of the 18 daily stages around the coastal roads of Great Britain. One of those is Formula 1 legend Ross Brawn who masterminded Michael Schumacher’s seven World Championships. Brawn has a fantastic collection of cars, reflecting his time with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar, including a pair of stunning E-types.

Our video this week is of a rarely heard of, and even less seen, Mini-based beast, the Unipower GT. Not a kit, but a true production sports car in the vein of TVR and Marcos. To quote Wikipedia, because I honestly didn’t know much about the cars… The Unipower GT was a British specialist sports car first shown at the January 1966 Racing Car Show, and produced by truck maker Universal Power Drives Ltd in Perivale, Middlesex and later by U.W.F. Automotive in London until production ceased in early 1970, by which time around 71 cars are believed to have been made, including about 15 built by U.W.F. Originally the brainchild of Ernie Unger and Attila sports racing car designer Val Dare Bryan in the early 1960s the design of Unipower GT was actually said to have been penned by […]

Recent research by leading UK classic car insurer, ClassicLine has revealed that a number once-popular British classic cars are facing an extinction crisis. The list of top ten most endangered cars in Britain has been published by the insurance specialists as part of its new ‘Save our Classics’ campaign.

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. […]

Beaulieu’s most famous event, the International Autojumble, will celebrate its 50th year on September 3rd and 4th with a special display to mark its half century. A 50-page commemorative booklet sharing event-goers’ stories, pictures and memorabilia from five decades of Beaulieu International Autojumbles will be given to this year’s exhibitors and put on sale for visitors. A special exhibition of those memories will also be displayed in the Corporate Marquee at the event along with a special collection of cars, from barn-finds to completed Autojumble projects.

An Estate Car Named Desire: A Life on the Road by Martin Gurdon, is a delightful collection of short memories of various cars and motoring folk. Or at least that is how the publisher describes it. I would say it is an amusing trip in a series of cars all connected by personality. The personality of the owners, the drivers, the passengers, and of course, the cars themselves. The personality of one of those cars was strong enough to be used in a video on “How to Irritate People”. Even as a toddler, Martin Gurdon was obsessed with cars. Before he could read or write he could distinguish a vehicle passing in the street from the purr of its engine. His first car – not strictly legally – was as a fifteen-year-old, parked round the corner from his boarding school, and driven […]

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.

Another thought-provoking editorial from our friend and contributor Robert Morey of British Sports Car Consulting. Dealing with the “non-car-collecting ” public is a mechanic’s nightmare. People who don’t understand cars make the worst customers, and thank heavens I don’t deal with them anymore! A typical scenario with these aberrant creatures would be a 110k mile “Luxmobile” driven in with a leaking water pump, the car showing no signs of ever having a service. The customer states,”I’ve been topping up the water for two months and now the damn thing’s overheating!” So, on goes the new water pump, a gallon of antifreeze and they are gone (ignoring your advice that 7k miles is too long to wait to change that sludge they call oil solidifying in the oil pan). They are back in a week screaming because it still loses water. A […]

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 […]

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.