Classic Cars

Next up from the Pinehurst Concours we have a beautifully restored 1947 Triumph 1800 Roadster. Again, we have Leigh Gill to thank for these great photos. Samual Jordan Pinehurst, NC 1947 Triumph 1800 Roadster This Triumph is a limited production convertible with optional rumble seat, Black exterior, Butter Cream leather interior as well as well as a boot and black canvas top. 4 speed standard transmission. The Triumph Roadster was produced by Standard Motor Company from 1946 to 1949. It was first available as the Triumph 1800 Roadster (18TR) from 1946 to 1948 and then as the Triumph 2000 Roadster (TRA) from 1948 to 1949.

The first race of the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge opened in dramatic style with the pair of Julian Thomas and Calum Lockie taking the chequered flag. The season opener at the Donington Historic Festival began in perfect conditions with bright sunshine and a warm track in the morning qualifying. Julian Thomas topped the time sheets in his E-type from Joaquin Folch-Rusinol joining him on the front row and Martin Stretton third fastest, both in E-types.

This splendid 1936 MG PB is just one of the many gorgeous cars at the Pinehurst Concours this past weekend. Our trust photographer Leigh Gill attended and sent in these pictures. There will be more photos of other entries coming soon. Quoting from the display, Reed Tarwater Greenfield, IN 1936 MG PB This 1936 MG PB, a matching numbers car, has undergone a frame-up restoration using original factory build records. I has a duo-tone paint-scheme of Cambridge and Oxford blue. Of of approximately 400 2-seater PBs produced, it features a 939 cc engine with 42 bhp and 12 inch brakes. Many original components were restored and reused, including front fenders, chrome radiator shell, and engine and transmission. According to the owners, Reed and Jan Tarwater, who purchased the car in January 2011, work on the restoration of the car was […]

The organisers of the  Silverstone Classic (29-31 July) are delighted to announce eBay, the global online marketplace, will be joining the event, for the first time, as the official parts and accessories partner. Demonstrating that eBay is the premier destination for car parts, show-goers will be able to follow the live restoration of a 1982 classic Range Rover over the three-day event. Hosted by eBay, RESTORATION LIVE with Fergus Walkinshaw is sure to be a hugely popular attraction for the tens of thousands of show-goers, many of whom will be travelling to Silverstone in their own lovingly restored classics.

The Beaulieu Simply Classics & Sports Car on Saturday 18th June will celebrate the best-loved sports cars and classic cars on the roads, with a fantastic display in the grounds of the National Motor Museum on Father’s Day weekend. One of the highlights of the Beaulieu events calendar, Simply Classics & Sports Car promises to please not only motoring fans but also lovers of everything retro, with new show features for 2016. Admire a wide variety of pre-1990 classics, and sports cars of all ages in the vibrant display, spanning family saloons, classic commercials, roofless roadsters and more. Show regular the Bournemouth & Poole MG Owners’ Club will also showcase a fantastic selection of members’ cars on its club stand.

Our video this week is titled “Magnificent Machines – The Golden Age of the British Sports Car”. I thought it was time to get a little less marque specific and a little more all-inclusive this week. You know, broaden our horizons a bit, just like going to shows does. When I got to car shows, I often find myself marveling at some creation that either I didn’t know existed or would not have believed myself to be at all interested in. This documentary was broadcast by the BBC in 2012 as part of the “Timeshift” series. It takes a look back at the golden age of British Sports Cars using both in period and modern footage to emphasize the craze around the Jaguars, Austin-Healys, MGs and Triumph’s of the early days. This was the golden age of the British sports […]

Thousands of classic and vintage car fans enjoyed a mixture of exotic cars, military vehicles and motorbikes in the sun at the eighth Sunday Scramble at Bicester Heritage. In total, more than 3500 people, 1500 cars and 30 classic car clubs were on site. The combination of glorious weather, the beautiful old buildings at Bicester Heritage and Drive It Day meant the attendees were treated to a wonderful array of cars from all eras and from all over the world. The event marked another successful step in Bicester Heritage’s history, and it has grown at a rapid rate in just three years to become a phenomenally popular date in classic car fans’ diaries. Thirty classic car clubs were in attendance, with Porsche, MG, TVR and Jaguar owners clubs all on site, along with regional clubs from the likes of Coventry […]

I will admit to featuring this book because Keith Martin was the emcee for the Kiawah Island Motoring Retreat this past weekend. But it isn’t pandering, it is because I honestly became interested in Keith and his collecting interests. The fact that he is restoring a Bugeye Sprite and was quite interested in the WSM Sprite at the show doesn’t hurt.  For those of you who don’t know, Keith Martin is the editor OKand publisher of Sports Car Market Magazine. Anyway, about the book.  In Strange but True Tales of Car Collecting, Keith Martin and the staff of Sports Car Market Magazine recount the wildest car-collecting stories of all time, focusing on tales of the most eccentric and over-the-top collectors and collections. Have you heard of the fellow who squirreled away dozens of Chevelles, Camaros, and other classic muscle cars in semi trailers? […]

Our Video of the Week (VotW) is a history of Rolls-Royce. In many ways, the Rolls-Royce is one of the more hidden British cars. It isn’t that they are that rare or invisible, but they have such a personality all their own that sometimes we forget about them in the midst of the MGs, Triumphs, Austin Healeys, and even Jaguars. However, if you were to ask the random man-on-the-street who is not an English car buff to name a British car, chances are that Rolls-Royce would be the first name off the lips. The history of the marque, its names, and its branding with Bentley, can be more than a bit confusing. But Rolls-Royce as most of us know it, formally named Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973, began in 1906 with the business partnership of Charles Stewart Rolls and Sir Frederick Henry […]

Classic Trader has just added a very useful function to its website, www.classic-trader.com: international visitors and users of Germany’s largest marketplace for classic vehicles now have access to Classic Trader’s brand-new interactive guide, revealing the financial performance of the top 100 individual classic cars which have recorded the biggest shifts in value over the last six years. This has been achieved by tracking cars sold in that period of time, identified by their chassis number.

The Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing automotive and motorsports enthusiast events, today announced the Honored Marque for its 15th annual festival. The 2016 Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival (HHIMF) will pay homage to the 1925 – 1948 era of European Classics. With the 2016 events scheduled for Oct. 28 – Nov. 6, the HHIMF is one of only a few national automotive gatherings to combine collecting and racing with enthusiast and lifestyle activities in a single, action-packed week. Working strictly on the Classic Car Club of America’s designation, marques such as Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo will line the fairways of the Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head Island during the Concours portion of the festival, being held Sunday, Nov. 6.  Three classes have been dedicated to […]

Maybe it is the fact that I have been playing with a lot of carburetors recently – both SU and Zenith-Stromberg. Or perhaps it is the fact that I had a friend ask how such a simple design could work. They literally stared at me in dumbfounded amazement when I explained the basic principles by which our carbs work. But, whatever the case, there are a lot of people who consider carburetors a bit of black magic, and I thought this video from Moss might help sort that out. To that end, our Video of the Week (VotW) is “Side Draft Carburetors and How They Work” from Moss Motors. Now in addition to providing a wealth of great parts, Moss also does its part (get it?) to keep our cars on the road by producing a series of videos on […]

XKs Unlimited is one of the world’s oldest and well respected classic Jaguar specialist. What’s more, they have more work than they can handle so they are hiring. That’s right, XKs Unlimited is looking for an experienced tech that knows classic Jaguars and classic British sports cars and does very high-quality work, in keeping with their standards. The person in question should be able to cover it all from tune-ups to full restorations, engine building to vintage racing. XKs Unlimited is offering food working conditions and benefits and a great place to live. If you or someone you know is interested in the position, check out what XKs Unlimited does at www.xksmotorsport.com and then send a resume to Jason Len at [email protected].

Bicester Heritage is now the perfect platform to sell your classic car, with the launch of the Motor Market at the latest Sunday Scramble taking place at the 348-acre site in Oxfordshire. Motor Market allows owners to put their car in front of thousands of like-minded motoring enthusiasts and buyers, and does so in an environment perfect for showcasing classic vehicles. This is a truly unique way for buyers and sellers to come together in a relaxed and non-pressured environment. With thousands of car enthusiasts attending the Sunday Scramble, sellers will be able to present their treasured classic in ideal surroundings to lots of potential buyers.

Bob Frampton, who lives in Abingdon, is fishing for memories from past workers at the town’s historic MG manufacturer. Frampton has dedicated his retirement to his town’s history is tracking down anecdotes about an iconic car plant. The Oxford Mail has published this story about Bob Frampton and the book he hopes to write. Peachcroft resident Mr Frampton, 69, said: “I wanted to capture the memories that are not recorded. What people recall.”

Land Rover Classic is underscoring its commitment to providing the very best cars, services, parts and experiences to passionate Land Rover customers with the launch of the ‘Reborn’ initiative for the iconic Series I at Techno-Classica in Essen, Germany. Reborn offers 25 prospective customers the unique opportunity to purchase an original and highly collectable Land Rover Series I directly from Land Rover Classic. Land Rover Classic’s expert team has drawn on decades of experience to hand-pick 25 Series I chassis from Land Rover’s global network. Each model will undergo a complete restoration according to the brand’s original 1948 factory specification and using Land Rover Classic Parts to preserve authenticity. This includes the choice of five period finishes including Light Green, Bronze Green, RAF Blue, Dove Grey and Poppy Red. Customers will be able to select their preferred base vehicle with […]

The name Tom Cotter may not be tip-of-the-tongue familiar to a lot of you, but it should be. Tom Cotter wrote the book on barn finds. Literally. He is the author of The Cobra in the Barn, The Hemi in the Barn, 50 Shades of Rust, and many other of similarly amusing titles and drool worthy contents. And don’t let those titles fool you, there are plenty of non-American cars in these books – yup, good old British barn find.  To that end, our Video of the Week (VotW) is the first in a new series of videos titled “Barn Find Hunter”. This series starts Tom Cotter and is produced by Hagerty, the insurance guys. There are a good number of things that appeal with this video, not the least of which is that it was filmed around Savannah, Georgia. […]

The Queen’s Bentley Mulsanne limousine has gone on sale for just under £200,000 on Auto Trader in the UK. This rolling piece of history was reserved for exclusive use by the Monarch during a two-year period from 2012 to 2014 when the Bentley was retired from Royal duties. The Mulsanne was pressed into service by the Queen during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations and for a unique visit to 10 Downing Street where she attended her first-ever cabinet meeting with Prime Minister, David Cameron, who greeted her on her arrival. The limousine was first prepared and registered by Bentley in Crewe at its headquarters for exclusive use by the Queen. The Royal wheels features several upgrades including walnut burr veneered picnic tables, door panels and rear quarter vanity mirrors. There are embroidered Bentley emblems to all seats and the car runs […]