Classic Cars

The Chesapeake Chapter of the New England MG T Register is proud to invite you to the 38th meet of The Original British Car Day, Sunday June 6, 2015. This event is held for the enjoyment of all British car and motorcycle enthusiasts. This years Featured Marque will be the MGA, in honor of its 60th Anniversary! The event is held annually from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM at the beautiful grounds of Lilypons Water Gardens. Come and enjoy this gathering of all British marques in one setting and the beauty of the water gardens. Bring your leashed pet and picnic lunch or partake of the food and drink offered by various food vendors. Whether you are displaying your car, or just coming to enjoy the event, the drive is beautiful no matter which direction you come from. Lilypons Water Gardens […]

Mini Meet West 2015 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Abbotsford ‘The City in the Country’ is located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver and in the heart of the Fraser Valley. Mini Meet West is an annual gathering of Mini enthusiasts and owners of both the Classic and New MINI. Participants come from all over Canada, the USA, Mexico and as far away as Europe. Last year’s event included approximately 180 registrants & participants. With MMW2015 being held in the city of Abbotsford, June 29 through July 2, 2015, the hosts are expecting to attract over 200 registrants this year.   This event is open to all Minis, classic and modern. Check out the webpage at www.minimeetwest.com

Following a hugely successful Mille Miglia in 2015, Jaguar Heritage has released a film of this year’s rally, giving viewers an in-depth look at an event once described as ‘The most beautiful race in the world’. In the year that Jaguar celebrates its 80th anniversary, the official Jaguar Heritage team headed to the start in Brescia with three C-types, three D-types, two XK120s and an XK140 driven by famous faces from the world of motorsport, TV and music. Following the Jaguar Heritage cavalcade were a group of media guests driving various examples of new Jaguar XE and latest generation of F-TYPE sports cars. Supported by an expert crew of Jaguar Heritage technicians, the nine Jaguar entries ran smoothly throughout the gruelling four-day event. Driven by the likes of supermodel David Gandy, model and TV presenter Jodie Kidd, and musician Elliot […]

The UK Concours of Elegance has revealed a few of the legendary cars set to shine in its 2015 event, ranging from a 1905 Star Gordon Bennett racer through to the 2015 Touring Superleggera Berlinetta Lusso. The Concours of Elegance began in 2012, showcasing the world’s finest cars at Windsor Castle to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Since then it has moved to St James’s Palace and Hampton Court Palace, before this year heading to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. One of the most significant early British racing cars, this 70HP Star was built to compete in the 1905 Gordon Bennett Cup. Powered by a 10,168cc engine and capable of speeds in excess of 100mph, this magnificent car is cast in the same historic mould as the famous 60HP Mercedes. Of the dozens of cars specifically built to uphold […]

The Lotus brand has long been synonymous with small, quick, and agile sports cars. Our Video of the Week this week features a history of the car through the 1980s via a show and rally of dedicated owners. The company was formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd. by engineers Colin Chapman and Colin Dare, both graduates of University College, London, in 1952. The four letters in the middle of the logo stand for the initials of company founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman.

Jaguar announced today that it has entered into a partnership with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) to introduce its newest high performance models to some of the nation’s most fervent automotive enthusiasts. The partnership will feature seven Jaguar-sponsored SVRA races throughout the US starting with a Gold Medallion Invitational at the Sonoma Raceway on May 28-31. The Gold Medallion program aims to protect the integrity of these vintage vehicles by maintaining and racing them as they were prepared in period. At each of the seven events, Jaguar will offer consumers the opportunity to test the dynamic performance of the newest additions to the Jaguar line-up including the 550-hp Jaguar F-TYPE R AWD1. Activities will include an autocross track specially designed by the Jaguar Performance driving team.

JD Classics – one of the world’s leading classic car specialists – is celebrating its best ever Mille Miglia, in which it prepared, rallied and supported 11 separate entries. Ranging from an Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint Pininfarina to the company’s priceless ex-Fangio C-Type, the JD Classics entries represented the largest British team competing in the 2015 event. And for the first time, JD Classics was a gold sponsor of the Mille Miglia – the only classic car specialist in the world to have such an association. As all of the Mille Miglia cars arrived at the Brescia Trade Centre for scrutineering, the JD Classics hospitality lounge opened its doors to all competing crews. For months before the rally, JD Classics’ expert engineers and craftsmen were fettling and fine-tuning the cars, some of which were customer entries and some of which […]

This early Jaguar E-Type Series 1, on display at the recent Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance, was restored in 2012 after sitting dormant for nearly 20 years. It belongs to George Hervert of Pompano Beach, Florida. Since its restoration, it has received excellence in class and received various other awards at the Boca Raton Winter Park Concours. It was also featured by Jaguar of North America in the debut of their new F-Type. The Series 1 was introduced, initially for export only, in March 1961. The domestic market launch came four months later in July 1961. The cars at this time used the triple SU carburetted 3.8 litre six-cylinder Jaguar XK6 engine from the XK150S. Earlier built cars utilised external bonnet latches which required a tool to open and had a flat floor design. These cars are rare and more valuable. After that, […]

Legendary cars from Bentley’s past are embarking on a tour of the world’s premier heritage and historical automotive events this summer. The ‘Blue Train’ car that famously raced the Calais-Mediterranée Express and the Team Blower that entered Le Mans in 1930 – the race ultimately won by Bentley Boys Woolf Barnato and Glen Kidston in Speed 6 ‘Old No 1’ – are among the highlights of Bentley’s curated or treasured collection. Both are celebrating anniversaries and will be on the road at numerous international events between May and October. ‘Blue Train’ Bentley This year is the 85th anniversary of that most famous Bentley Boy adventure – the Blue Train race. The car that (probably) accomplished the feat will be touring Europe with a series of high-profile appearances. In 1930 Captain Woolf Barnato, Chairman of Bentley Motors, was staying in Cannes […]

Jaguar is celebrating an excellent team performance in the 2015 Mille Miglia with all nine cars finishing the grueling 1,000-mile endurance rally across Italy, with two cars inside the top 200 finishers. In the year that Jaguar celebrates its 80th anniversary, Jaguar Heritage headed to the start in Brescia with three C-types, three D-types, two XK120s and an XK140 driven by famous faces from the world of motorsport, TV and music. In total, well over 400 cars took part in the punishing four-day event, which started in Brescia, headed to Rimini on the east coast, before dropping down to Rome, back up to Parma – taking in historic Siena and Pisa on the way – before finishing back in Brescia. Supported by an expert crew of Jaguar Heritage technicians, the nine Jaguar entries never missed a beat allowing each driver […]

The MG N-type Magnette was produced by the MG Car company from October 1934 to 1936. The car was developed from the K-Type and L-Type but had a new chassis that broke away in design from the simple ladder type used on the earlier cars of the 1930s being wider at the rear than the front and with the body fitted to outriggers off the main frame. This beautiful example of the six-cylinder Magnette was on display at the Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance on May 2nd in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The beautiful example is owned by Roy Crowninshield of Asheville, North Carolina. Its 6-cylinder engine displaces 1271 cc and has overhead cam, Marshall supercharger, side exhaust, and pre-selector transmission. Only about 700 N Type MGs were built between 1934 and 1936. The became well known in sports car circles for their lively performance. […]

The Aston Martin Owners Club (AMOC) held its annual Spring Concours event – the blue riband of competitions for Aston Martin owners – on Sunday 10 May, with support from Aston Martin Works. The annual Spring gathering of Aston Martin owners from across the UK and further afield, was this year staged in the elegant grounds of Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire, just a few miles from the historic home of Aston Martin in Newport Pagnell. This year’s Concours was the largest to date with around 350 cars on show and was attended by Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer. For the first time, the Concours included a special class dedicated to the limited edition Aston Martin Works 60th Anniversary Vanquish. Five of the six Anniversary Vanquish models were entered in the event, with Aston Martin Works’ Commercial Director Paul Spires […]

In its 60th anniversary year Aston Martin Works played host to another hugely busy Bonhams Aston Martin Sale on Saturday, 9 May 2015, with £10.3m worth of rare and prized sports cars changing hands. The historic home of the great British luxury brand was the venue for the 16th annual Bonhams Aston Martin Sale, which saw around 50 classic Aston Martins sold. The annual sale is recognised as a globally-significant occasion for Aston Martin collectors and enthusiasts around the world. The 2015 event was the biggest to date, setting a sales total of £10,280,275 and witnessing a fascinating and diverse collection of Aston Martin-related automobilia go under the hammer in several hours of exciting and highly-charged bidding. Highlights of the day included the 1962 DB4 Series IV Vantage Convertible – originally the property of Sir Peter Ustinov – which sold […]

Over the next few days, I will be posting some pictures and impressions from the Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance that took place this past weekend in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Most of these pictures, such as the ones of the beautiful MGA that you see below, were taken by Leigh Gill of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This 1960 MGA Twin Cam Coupe is one of only 48 built in 1958 but not titled until 1960. It is owned by Bob and Lynn Wilson of Lisle, Illinois. Uncovered in garage in Wisconsin, where it had been carefully stored for 25 years, this beautiful car required only time, patience, love and a bit of touch-up paint to return it to its original charm.   Due to its highly unmolested nature, this car serves as a great example for those seeking orginality. Stay tuned for more […]

Are you aware of the British Transportation Museum‘s efforts to raise funds to buy and refurbish a building?  The British Transportation Museum was founded in 1998 by Dick Smith, Mike Edgerton, and Mike Smith as they began to sketch out a museum concept for the education and preservation of British Transportation in America. The Museum is celebrating its 17th Anniversary in 2015. The British Transportation Museum is an all volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable educational institution established to collect, preserve, and interpret through exhibits the heritage of British built transportation vehicles utilized in the United States. The focus is to foster learning, appreciation, insight and a useful understanding of the role of British transportation vehicles in American life. This involves the collection and preservation of vehicles, parts, photographs, memorabilia, books and any and all articles that illustrate British modes of transportation […]

There is a very good story over the King 5 News site out of Seattle, Washington, about the MG Club of Victoria, Australia. The group now consisting of five of the British built sports cars is on its way to Canada next, then Alaska. “Four months in this car is the best way to go,” said Sue Slater, the group’s blogger. Having first shipped their 40- to 50-year- old cars by container ship from Australia to Chile, the group’s been on an incredible driving tour from the tip of South America to finally ending in Skagway in the next few weeks. Their trip started on January 5. The oldest car was built in 1961, the newest in 1978. Considering the 20,000-mile long trip, repairs have been necessary and ranged from the expected electrical glitches to blown head gaskets to bad […]

Jaguar Land Rover launched its new Land Rover Heritage division at the Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany a few weeks ago. Body, trim and extended servicing items are available for Range Rover Classic, while for Range Rover P38 and Discovery 1 and 2, Land Rover Heritage supplies salvage and extended service parts to ensure customers’ cherished cars are maintained to the highest possible standard. For Series l, ll and lll, selected Land Rover Heritage Parts are available and the brand will gradually reintroduce more original part numbers – all made using original tooling methods and all items supported under warranty*. Land Rover Heritage forms part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division and has been created to support the brand’s passion in nurturing and preserving its rich heritage of vehicles and supporting its loyal customer base across Land Rover’s […]

The inaugural race of the Jaguar Heritage Challenge 2015 is set to begin at the Donington Historic Festival over the May bank holiday weekend. The first race of the Jaguar Heritage Challenge – run with the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) – will feature a full field of 34 Jaguars including a 1957 MK I saloon driven by 1988 Le Mans winner, Andy Wallace. The series is open to all Jaguars manufactured before 1966 including the XK-series, C- and D-types, MK I and MK II saloons and E-type. It complements the growing portfolio of Jaguar Heritage activities, which also includes the recently launched Jaguar Heritage Driving Experiences and factory sourced Heritage Parts and restoration – all under the expert direction of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations division. John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations said: “We are […]