Classic Cars

The British Motor Museum re-opened to the public today, Saturday 13 February, following a £1.1m refurbishment. Formerly known as the Heritage Motor Centre, the new Museum will be visually more exciting with an immersive display of British motoring history, designed to appeal to both current fans as well as new audiences. Also opening today was the new Collections Centre, allowing public access for the first time to an extra 250 cars from the reserve collections of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust. The Museum was officially opened by Managing Director, Julie Tew at 10am along with a live broadcast from Touch FM. Tew said, “We are delighted to re-open the Museum to visitors for half term. We have a packed programme of family events and tours and visitors will be impressed with the changes we have […]

Barons is adding three specialist auctions to its 2016 calendar, including a Rolls-Royce, Bentley and prestige classic car and memorabilia sale at the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club rally at the magnificent Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire. Entries are now invited for the sale, which takes place on June 25th at the RREC’s biggest gathering of the year. The three-day international Annual Rally and Concours d’Elegance attracts thousands of cherished Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, and their enthusiastic owners, from all over the world. “We were delighted to be invited by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club to hold a classic car auction at their very special event,” said Barons’ director Peter Gascoigne. “Barons has a strong history with Rolls-Royce and Bentley at auction; for example, in 2015 we achieved £739,000, nearly double top estimate, for a 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback ‘barn find’ restoration project. Whilst […]

A 1953 Austin Healey that raced in the New Zealand Grand Prix will make its show debut at Race Retro on 26thto 28th February, the first time it has been on public display anywhere in the world. The Healey 100/4 BN1, chassis no 145426, will be on display at Stoneleigh Park as one of three works cars that were sent to take part in the inaugural New Zealand Grand Prix on 9th January 1954.

The British Motor Corporation. BMC. Loved and hated at the same time by British car fans around the world. Loved for the cars produced during the company’s existence – the MGB, the Austin Healey 3000, the ‘Spridget’, and many more. Loved, or at least liked, because they were better than British Leyland that came after them. Hated for the corporate think, homogenization of the cars, and start of the slide that soon would swallow Jaguar as well. Our Video of the Week this time is “British Motor Corporation Story”, a look back at the company that for many epitomizes the British car industry of the 1960s. BMC was the largest British car company of its day, with (in 1952) 39 percent of British output, producing a wide range of cars under brand names including Austin, Morris, MG, Austin-Healey and Wolseley as […]

The E-Type that turned heads at the 1961 Scottish Motor Show has been brought back to its former glory by world-leading restorers Classic Motor Cars (CMC) and will feature centre stage at CMC’s stand (C40) at the London Classic Car Show on February 18-21. Chassis No. 15 was the fifteenth right-hand drive fixed head coupe E-Type to leave Jaguar’s production line in 1961 and was used as a press car at the Scottish Motor Show held at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, in November that year. The car then moved on to private ownership and went missing for decades until CMC discovered it in a barn in Cernay, France, in late 2013. Exactly 2,956hrs were spent restoring every nut and bolt of this E-Type at CMC’s modern workshops in Bridgnorth, saving as much of the original car as possible and bringing […]

Style and performance go hand-in-hand with the latest Bentley offered for sale by William Medcalf Vintage Bentley, world-renowned authority in all things vintage Bentley.  Any future owner will also get a touch of period luxury with their new car, as it also comes with a set of Louis Vuitton luggage. The two suitcases are made to fit on the rear luggage rack of this pristine and majestic car, and are in immaculate condition. The matching cases are held firmly in place by bespoke metal fastenings front and rear, and come with immaculate leather covered handles and metal catches and hinges. Perhaps more importantly, the 1931 8 Litre Bentley comes with a long racing pedigree that includes a selection of course records and class wins over an illustrious competing career. It is a perfect example of the high-end vehicles offered for sale […]

Bentley Motors’ first works entry Le Mans 24hr car will be playing a starring role at the London Classic Car Show this February. This incredibly important piece of Bentley’s motorsport history will be making a public appearance at the London Classic Car Show, where Georgina Riley will be taking the wheel. Georgina is a member of the Bentley Belles racing team – a four-strong all-female historic racing team that has competed in the likes of the Mille Miglia, the Le Mans Classic and the Benjafield’s 24 hours race in Portimao.

With more than 1,000 of the world’s finest historic competition cars racing on the famous Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, no fewer than 10,000 iconic cars from yesteryear on display in the infield paddocks and in excess of 100,000 visitors lapping up the magical nostalgic atmosphere, the annual Silverstone Classic is firmly established as the ultimate celebration of classic cars. In 2016, for the first time, the hugely popular three-day festival is offering an exciting new opportunity for an organisation to share in the success as the glittering event’s official charity partner.

British Motor Heritage (BMH) will have two stands at Race Retro – its regular one in Hall 2 and another one opposite dedicated to Piloti shoes – the latest addition to the company’s ever-expanding Motoring Classicsrange of online automotive parts, accessories and lifestyle products. The Main stand (No.B6) will feature details of: BMH’s extensive selection of replacement panels and bodyshells for such popular British classic cars as the Mini and MGB; bodywork and mechanical race parts for the MGB; Zircotec heat treatments; and the aforementioned line-up of products available direct from www.motoringclassics.co.uk that spans everything from car covers to clothing and model cars to Moto-Lita steering wheels.

Our video this week is humbly titled “MGB Movie” and traces the development of the MGB from its replacement of the venerable MGA in 1962 all the way through MGs decline and the resurgence with the MG RV8 in 1993. It is easy to forget today how important the MGB was during its time. If you go to a British car show this weekend, who can blame you for getting a bit tired of the rows on rows of Bs? Hey, don’t blame the messenger.  I have a 1977 B roadster now, have had numerous models and vintages of convertibles and GTs, and absolutely love them. But, even I can get a bit tired of the umpteenth over “restored” B with a Weber carb, headers, electronic fuel pump, alloy valve cover, stone-guard headlight covers, and modern digital radio. We are justified […]

The British Motor Corporation’s (BMC) 1100 and 1300 model range was amongst the most successful in the Corporation’s history, selling more than 2.1 million of all types between its introduction in 1962 and its demise in 1974. Worldwide, the BMC 1100 was sold under eight different marque names and in two-door saloon, four-door saloon, two-door estate, and five-door hatchback forms – and very nearly as a van as well. In Britain, it was the country’s best-selling car between 1962 and 1971, being beaten just once (in 1967) by the Ford Cortina. The BMC 1100 and 1300: An Enthusiasts Guide by James Taylor looks at the design and development of a model range that at the time confirmed BMC as a pioneer of new automotive ideas and had a profound impact on other manufacturers. It covers not only the full standard […]

Excitement levels are building for the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge as the Le Mans Classic is confirmed for inclusion in the all-new race calendar for 2016. The Le Mans Classic will be one of the major highlights of the forthcoming season that will see a diverse field of pre-1966 Jaguars going wheel-to-wheel in the competitive single-marque series. Jaguar has a long and successful history at Le Mans, with the marque first winning there back in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead driving the C-type – affectionately known as XKC 003.

The Classic & Sports Car Show was an enormous success last autumn with 15,150 visitors attending the inaugural event. Now The Show is returning for 2016 – and it will be even bigger and better. Organised by the world’s best-selling classic car magazine, Classic & Sports Car, and Haymarket Exhibitions, The Show will return to the majestic and iconic venue of Alexandra Palace, running from Friday 28th October to Sunday 30th October, 2016.

Autoweek is running an article about RM Sotheby‘s upcoming Scottsdale, Arizona auction and nine cars to watch. What really caught our attention in this one is the inclusion of one of our favorite, but often overlooked, supercars – the Jaguar XJ220. To quote Autoweek… Jaguar’s technological masterpiece is getting to that stage when some of those who wanted them as kids now have the ability to buy them, whether they have to sell their houses to do it or not. The XJ220 had a complicated history, and like an impressive number of 1990s supercars it was conceived during an economic boom to arrive in their owners’ driveways a couple of years after a market crash. The recession of the early 1990s dealt a heavy blow to the XJ220 without killing it outright, though the car itself was in some ways […]

The Triumph Stag combines classic car style with on the road fun. The noise, the looks, the effortlessness… it’s an intoxicating driver’s car and has been underrated for years. Now Practical Classics magazine has released their “Complete Guide to the Triumph Stag“. Quoting their announcement, “lavishly illustrated, this volume collects a wealth of historical, technical and personal insight from the pages of Practical Classics magazine, including the full Stag story: from drawing board to production, an exclusive foreword by ex-Standard Triumph Development Engineer, Dennis Barbet and rally legend Russell Brookes’ personal take on the Stag at the limit.” Buying & Owning Practical Classics gets to the truth about the much-maligned Stag V8. Complete with tips and guidance for project buyers and budding restorers alike, we’ll tell you how to buy a good one without getting your fingers burnt. Restoring & […]

Way before the fame – the glam rock image, flamboyance, Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie was a creative teenager with a plastic saxophone and a love for the Mini.  Having grown up with a penchant for music, his enthusiasm for players such as Charles Mingus and John Coltrane paved an early road for his transition to fame at an early age.  At 15 years old, Bowie formed his first band, the Konrads, playing mostly at family gatherings and weddings.

Preparation for the gruelling Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is entering its final stages at William Medcalf Vintage Bentley. The Bentley specialist is preparing all four Vintage Bentleys entering the event, which covers more than 8500 miles over 33 days and over all terrains, including long gravel tracks, dirt roads, the Gobi desert and across Alpine roads making it a real endurance test of both driver and machine.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) today announced that hall of fame sports car legend Bob Tullius will serve as grand marshal for its March 3-5 race weekend at the historic airport circuit. SVRA will share the venue with the TransAm Series as it marks its 50th anniversary in 2016. Sebring hosted the very first Trans-Am race in March 1966 and Tullius brought his Dodge Dart sedan home a winner. “Bob Tullius’ contributions to auto racing extend well beyond his hundreds of victories as a driver and team owner on tracks around the world,” said SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella. “Bob set the standard for presenting motorsport as a business platform for sponsors. His cars were always immaculately prepared and he helped usher in the modern era of branding through association with race teams.”