Video of the Week

In this archive demo video from Morris Motors and presented here by the fine folks of British Pathé, we see the process of constructing an engine for a car in the 1930s and the different forms of power that allow it to happen. Much different than the micrometer robotic technology used today. By the way, if you have never toured an automotive manufacturing plant, you really should. It is amazing. It is extremely cool to see how engines were built in a completely analog manner and about five decades before computers were a normal thing. It is also interesting to hear terms explained such as forging, casting, broaching, lapping, hogging… many of which are becoming lost arts.

This great video has been making the rounds of the Internet for the past week or so, and how could I pass it up? In this video, Jay Leno drives a beautiful 1973 MGB that belongs to supplier Moss Motors. He also discusses the car with Moss Motors chairman Robert Goldman. […]

This just in from our good friend John Clancy of TriumphDVD. As you can tell by the title, what John has given us is a look at the annual British Leyland / British Motor Corporation Day that is held regularly at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. […]

Historic Motorsport TV has released their latest film:- The Beating Heart of Bristol Engines – an in-depth focus on Nottingham-based firm INRacing. […]

Our VotW (Video of the Week) – For these young men, driving half-century-old baby Brits like Daniel Harrison’s 1958 MGA and Daniel Hornstrand’s 1962 Austin Mini Cooper isn’t simple. […]

“What’s better than a DB5? Five DB5s, obviously.” This is the question that Aston Martin asks, and answers, with the video they released of the first 5 Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger continuation cars. […]

For our return, or attempted return, to our much-liked Video of the Week features, I thought we would start off with something a bit classic. So how about a film entitled “British Racing Green”? […]

Jaguar is giving insight into its design process with a series of masterclass films produced to encourage creativity and skills development at home. […]

Our video this week comes from a show local to me  – the Cars at Kiawah show. This is a great show of about 300 cars with mixed marques, mixed ages, and mixed types. This past year Dennis Gage from “My Classic Car TV” came out and covered the show. Of particular interest to our readers will be the first vehicle featured, a 1954 Austin Champ. You may be familiar with the smaller Austin Gypsy, but how many of you have seen a Champ?

Our video this week comes from the Sunday Times Driving section and goes by the very long title of “I inherited and MGA: How a Classic Car Changed How I Looked at Motoring”. As the lead-in to the article in the Times says: When her beloved grandfather passed away this year, Charlotte Vowden was bestowed his 1960 MGA sports car. Now driving means a lot more to the 29-year-old. Now driving means a lot more to the 29-year-old. Part of what is relayed in this video and the accompanying article goes back to our video from last week – passing on the love of the cars and the hobby to others. To a younger generation.  Since these great old cars are not seen on the road much anymore, it falls to us to take others for rides, to show off the […]

We all start somewhere in the hobby. There is some event or person or car that flips the switch inside our head and leads us to follow the path of the car enthusiast. Some folks get addicted to horses or music or fishing, but if you are reading this, you are probably are addicted to cars. Our Video of the Week this go-round features the car that flipped the switch for a huge celebrity and even bigger car lover, Jay Leno. In this video about his 1954 Jaguar XK120, Leno recounts the tale of seeing his first real sports car, his first Jaguar XK. He tells how the owner of that car let the then only 9-year-old Leno sit in the car, and he tells of the effect that has had upon his life.

When it comes to our classic British cars, SU carburetors are one of the common denominators. Sure there are Zenith Strombergs, Amals, and others plus fuel injection, but the SU is the norm. And when it comes to SU carburetor experts, Joe Curto is the man. Joe Curto provides carburetor rebuilding. He also provides a full range of replacement and repair parts. and now, thankfully, he is making much of his knowledge available to us via videos on YouTube. Our video this week is a great introductory one with Joe discussing the different varieties of SU carburetors. After watching this you will not be able to stop yourself from going out to look at your car to make sure of what is bolted up to that manifold. Joe also now offers float bowl koozies. The koozies are used to prevent […]

For our Video of the Week, let’s turn the clock all the way back 70 years to 1948 at Goodwood and one of the first regular races in Britain after the war. In this film from British Pathé we get to see the first race on the road racing course of what was before then the perimeter of an RAF airfield. This race was organized by the Junior Car Club and sanctioned by the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. The winner of the first race was P. de F. C. Pycroft, in his 2,664 c.c. Pycroft-Jaguar, at 66.42 m.p.h. Stirling Moss won the 500cc race (later to become Formula 3), followed by Eric Brandon and “Curly” Dryden, all in Coopers. Goodwood became famous for its Glover Trophy non-championship Formula One race, Goodwood Nine Hours sports car endurance races run in 1952, 1953 and […]

With this being the height of show season, we decided that this week we should take a moment to look at the judging process in a concours d’elegance. Now, different shows do judging differently. There are, of course, the popular choice car shows, but even within the concours shows the judging can be varied.  Our video is The Judging Process at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Some shows that I have attended have cared more about the presentation and condition of a car than its originality. Other shows have stressed original equipment and options even if that meant that condition may suffer a bit. Still, other shows want every part of the car to be of an original type and quality or be period correct, but the part itself does not need to have been original. Again, there are many variations and it […]

For our Video of the Week, let’s take a spin with something a bit on the lighter side. This is perhaps one of the world’s smallest races – in terms of the number of entrants, size of entrants, and the size of the cars. This is the Settrington Cup at Goodwood Revival, and the 2018 edition was held this past Sunday. Held annually at the Goodwood Revival since 2012, the Settrington Cup race is for children ages 6 through 9. Cool, you think … so go grab a pedal car and let your kind hit the track, you think. But no. In addition to the age restriction of the drivers, the only pedal cars allowed are Austin J40 models built by disabled coal miners beginning in 1949 (true story). Here is a quote from an original brochure for the car, which […]

In a stunning new film launched today, Lotus Cars celebrates its anniversary in manufacturing outstanding sports cars, ahead of its 70th birthday event, by creating a unique logo on the test track at its HQ in Hethel. Leaving a 70–themed mark on the test track’s skidpan using just two of its most celebrated models, no CGI and more than a few pairs of tires, the precise driving required is a fitting tribute to the precision engineering that the marque is world famous for. Rather than rely on artificial aids or electronic trickery, the new video perfectly reflects Lotus’s approach to sports cars by showing the action on the day as it unfolded, with the final aerial shot proving the cars’ and drivers’ ability. Piloted by Gavan Kershaw (Head of Attributes) and Daniel Peck (Vehicle Dynamics Engineer), the duo is part of […]

In this clip from Extra Gear in 2016, Rory Reid heads to MG Live at Silverstone to get the verdict on the MGB Abingdon Edition. From the Frontline website: The concept was the easy part, the design a greater challenge and the implementation even more so, but welcome to the all-new MG Abingdon Edition. Conceived for the driver that appreciates quality and craftsmanship but wanting something more than just understated class, style and charm. The Abingdon Delivers literally earth shattering performance transporting you from 0 – 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds. Combine this with the latest in suspension and braking design, add in the most detailed of finishing’s using the finest materials available in the world and you have a car that will not only make you smile every time you see it, but find every excuse […]

Most folks who own a television set are familiar with Dennis Gage and his show My Cassic Car. Well, our video this week is from a show he shot at the McPherson College C.A.R.S. Club show. It just so happens that two of the cars he featured in this episode are a 1967 MG 1100 and a 1964 Indy car racer featuring MG 1100 liquid suspension. The cars belong to Richard Morrison who has painstakingly restored them both. The footage of these cars starts at 5:40. For the 1964 Indianapolis 500 Kjell Qvale, who imported and distributed several British Marques, asked the head of his racing department, Joe Huffaker, to build 3 cars incorporating the hydrolastic suspension from the MG 1100 Sports Sedan. The cars raced at Indy as the MG Liquid Suspension Specials in 1964 and 1965. A. J. Foyt […]