Classic Cars

Marking the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the ERA (‘English Racing Automobiles Limited’) – the first-ever British specialist company to manufacture single-seat, open-wheeled racing cars for customer sale – Bonhams will auction the first prototype ERA at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 11 July 2008. The ERA marque played a pivotal role in British motor sporting history. From 1934- 1938, these British racing cars toppled the former supremacy of the Italian Maserati cars in their International ‘Voiturette’ competition class – effectively Formula Two or Grand Prix Two level. They performed incredible service, also graduating to contemporary Grand Prix racing pre-World War Two and then from 1948-51 to Formula One. Chassis no. ‘R1A’ – to be sold by Bonhams – was first driven by Raymond Mays at ERA’s public debut in testing at Brooklands on 22 May 1934. Trouble […]

It is, for some of us, getting to be that time of year when we think about Spring, long drive with our favorite car, and car shows. But, before you head out it would benefit you and your classic if you would take a few minutes to do a checkup on the car. This will not only help the car run better, but could keep you off the side of the road. Fuel System We think one of the best car insurance policies is a sound fuel system. This means examining every hose, line and fitting from the fuel filler to the tank and carburetor. Depending on how long the car has been stored, stale fuel can also be an issue. It has a much different smell from fresh fuel, and if it’s really stagnant, we pump the tank out […]

Jaguar may resurrect its legendary E-Type sports car. The British motoring icon is tipped to revive the true two-seater sports car to take on the Italian and German sports cars. The most loved of the Jag family was built in the Swinging England period of 1961 to 1974. With its performance, handling and modern looks it was a huge sales success and is still a highly sought collector’s car. Even Enzo Ferrari said it was the most beautiful car ever made.

Classical Drives has some great news for us super car fans: Proteus is coming to the US. For those of you that don’t know, Proteus is a British car manufacturer that makes exacting replicas of the legendary C and D type Jaguars. These cars are not fiberglass knock-offs, they have all aluminum bodywork that is hand formed much as the originals were. If you have a fetish for the great racers of the ’60s, you have got to check out these beautiful machines. Drool away.

I just happened upon this site that is shows off every car guy’s dream – finding that hidden gem stored away in a garage or barn. The site is Bring A Trailer. According to their site they put together Bring A Trailer to showcase the best of the US classic car marketplace to the enthusiast, investor, and racer. They’ve found that the prime ownership opportunities aren’t usually found in the glossy pages of the well known classic mags or at the fancy auctions, and are often sold far quicker than classifieds can get to print. A sample of the cars you will find on their front page? How about a V-6 Sunbeam Alpine, a TR4 vintage racer, a 1969 Bugeye Sprite, plus Alfas, BMWs and some great others. You can waste literally hours here.

Morris Minor lovers from across the globe will descend on Oxford this year to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cowley-built car. The iconic vehicle, designed by Mini creator Alec Issigonis, first rolled off the production line in 1948. It became the first British car to sell a million units and went on to shift 1.6 million by the end of its 23-year lifespan. As part of the birthday celebrations, the Morris Minor Owners’ Club will drive a procession of members’ cars from each year of production through Oxford city center in November. Ray Newell, whose book Morris Minor: 60 years on the road was published this month, said the Cowley craftsmanship had helped keep so many examples running. He said: “At the time they were solid, dependable vehicles. In post-war Britain they were really economical to run. advertisement “Morris […]

I was searching the web tonight and ended up on YouTube. Amazingly I found footage from the Earls Court motor show in 1962. Take a look at this and you will see some really amazing vintage metal. From the MG 1100 to the Ford Zephyr. Watching this is like a time machine. If only you could go back and grab a few of these to store away. But isn’t that always the dream? So tell me, which one of these would you drive off with? And most importantly, why?

If your name is Sgt. Ted Golec and a copy of this article has made it into your hands in Iraq, please stop reading now. Golec’s friends in the Knox and Blount County area are planning something big for him when he returns from his second tour in the Middle East this spring and they would really hate to ruin the surprise. You see, Golec told his wife Emily to go ahead and sell his beloved 1964 MG Midget — a sweet little green British sports car that’s been sitting in his mother’s basement for the past 20 years — while he was serving in the Army overseas. The car hasn’t been driven in forever, and to get it back in running order would be a gargantuan task, both financially and logistically. But when his friend Elmer Grimes, a car […]