Video of the Week

Our video this week takes you back, way back. Back to the 1930s when MGs were fierce competitors in racing around Europe and the world, and the Midget, the original Midget, was the car to beat. This film, titled “The Magic Midget” was produced by British Leyland to celebrate the racing pedigree of the MG and possibly transfer some of that aura of speed and success to the more modern incarnation of the MG Midget. From its earliest days MGs have been used in competition and from the early 1930s a series of dedicated racing cars such as the 1931 C-Type and 1934 Q-type were made and sold to enthusiasts who received considerable company assistance. This stopped in 1935 when MG was formally merged with Morris Motors and the Competition Department closed down. A series of experimental cars had also […]

Our Video of the Week this go-round is on the story of an often forgotten car from a seldom remembered brand in the US – the Rover SD1. Rover and British Leyland were beset by problems in the mid-1970s. Out of this cauldron of mismanagement came the Rover SD1 in 1976. It was called SD for the Specialist Division and 1 for the first car to come from the in-house styling department. Despite a dramatic, innovative design both inside and out, the option of classic V8 grunt, and more or less universally praised dynamics, the SD1’s reputation and its longevity suffered at the hands of a company in meltdown. And it could all have been so different. The car, which was styled by Rover’s design genius David Bache, had some grand ambitions. It had been designed to look like a […]

Our video this week comes by way of the Suncoast British Car Club and featured Gerry Coker. Gerry was born “Gerald Charles Coker” June 24, 1922 in Northamptonshire, England.  He is known in the Healey world for his body design of the Healey Hundred introduced in 1952. He joined the Donald Healey Motor Company as Healey’s body engineer in 1950.  His first job was to look after the Nash Healeys as they came from Panelcraft, the Nash Healey body makers. Early on at the DHMC, Healey challenged Gerry to show him a sports car design, and in late 1950, he created the body design for what would become the Austin-Healey 100.  This timelessly beautiful sports car stole the show in October, 1952 when it debuted as the Healey Hundred at the London Motor Show at Earls Court. Gerry also styled the Austin-Healey […]

I swear I am not neglecting Triumph. I love Triumphs! I have had quite a few and even own a 1978 Spitfire at the moment. So, for our Video of the Week (VotW) let’s turn our attention to the Triumph TRs. The Triumph Story is a bit soft in the sound department, but this history of the maker of is definitely worth the watch.

Our Video of the Week this week is not just a single video but an entire channel. The MG Cars Channel was created by of David Shelburne of Shelburn Films. In David’s words, “there are lots of individual MG videos out there, on YouTube and others. But it’s not easy to find the specific videos you are interested in. What I am trying to do is create one place where people can go and find a large variety of MG videos to choose from.” This is the place to find videos about all things MG.  You can become familiar with the history of MG by learning about the various models produced through the years; start with “The First MG,” to learn that it was not the car we call “Old Number One.”  Follow the link at the end of each video to find […]

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 […]

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 […]

I can’t resist stories of the way cars used to be made – back when automobiles weren’t so much produced as crafted. You know, back when every other car that slides off an automated assembly line resembles nothing so much as an over-ripe jellybean. Honestly, it wasn’t that long ago. Our VotW this week goes back to an old Top Gear episode with a much younger Jeremy Clarkson visiting the TVR factory in Blackpool, Lancashire. The video, from 1995, shows a factory that is worlds away from the automotive assembly plants we picture today. TVR was started by Trevor Wilkinson in 1947 in Blackpool. For nearly 60 years the company produced fabulous if ofter quirky sports cars in fits and starts and under various ownership. In 2006, the factory at Blackpool was closed by then-owner and Russian businessman Nikolai Smolensky. […]

We are very happy for our Video of the Week to feature a snapshot of a fantastic video for fans of Triumphs and racing alike. John Clancy at Triumph DVD has put out a new DVD that brings you the full story of the Group 44 Inc. race team featuring Bob Tullius, his crew and other important people who were there at the time. From their humble TR3 origins to taking Jaguar back to Le Mans in 1984 with the XJR-5 GTP cars, this is the complete, amazing history. This is the complete history of the Group 44 Inc. race team which was so dominant in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) racing in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. From the origins of the team when Bob Tullius first joined up with fellow racer […]

Our Video of the Week (VotW) this go round purports to be from 1948, but is probably actually from a slightly later date. “Safety Fast” is a look back at the cars of MG produced by British-Pathe in association with the Nuffield Organization. The Nuffield Organization was the unincorporated umbrella-name or promotional name used for the charitable and commercial interests of owner and donor, William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield. The name was assumed following Nuffield’s gift made to form his Nuffield Foundation in 1943, it linked his business interests to his existing very generous philanthropy. The same enterprises had previously been referred to as the Morris Organizations and, at first, described itself as The Nuffield Organization, A Cornerstone of Britain’s Industrial Structure. This video contains some fantastic scenes not often seen of the MG factory and delivery system at work. We often […]

We don’t often run two videos on the same day, but when it involves a buddy, we make an exception.  The first Keno Brothers Fine Automobile Auction was held in New York City, back on November 18th and 19th. Our sometimes contributor Bob Seider was part of the team that put on the auction, and we ran his story on the E-Type offered. From Davids Films, “this video  short impression of what it was like to create something entirely new for the Collector Car World. A dynamite team pulled this one off with great creativity and huge passion for cars. This is how we roll.” The next automobile auction put on by the brothers of Antiques Roadshow fame will be held in Pennsylvania in June. On June 10, 2016, the auction will be held in conjunction with The Elegance at Hershey. […]

Our video this week comes from the folks at “The Fast Lane Car” and features a look at the exception Aston Martin DB2/4 DHC. Over the decades. Aston Martin has built some of the most beautiful and sexy cars ever made. And many would argue that the 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drop Head Coupe is no exception to the rule. This model was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. It is also one of only a few small number of Aston Martin DB2/4 Drop Head Coupe convertibles ever built – supposedly just 15. It features a dual overhead cam straight-6 designed by W. O. Bentley and it features four seats and a convertible top. Just those facts alone make it a classic. Just for references sake, Hagerty’s value guide currently suggests that a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk I, not the […]

OK, I will have to admit to having a bit of a ‘man crush‘ on Ian Callum. How could any follower of British cars and fan of Jaguar not? Here is a man who set out early on to pursue his passion, has worked for Aston Martin and Jaguar helping to create some of the most iconic modern designs, is well spoken, and is genuinely a nice guy. I had the good fortune of meeting Ian in 2014 at the Hilton Head Motoring Festival when Jaguar was launching their new F-Type. His insights into not only the work he does for Jaguar but into the automotive design field as a whole were eye-opening. His recollections of his youth and dedication to becoming a design engineer were just as enlightening. In this ten-minute video, you can watch as Jaguar Director of Design […]

So our video this week is thanks to the MG Owners’ Club. They ran a contest recently asking folks to create a video answering the question, “Why do I love my MG?”  The winning entry is our VotW this go round. It is by Alex McLeod and features his beautiful yellow MGBGT. Congratulations to Alex McLeod who will receive a £50 MGOC Regalia Voucher. The videos in this contest were really superb, and you can see a few more of them on the MG Owners’ Club Website. The MG Owners Club is the World’s largest single marque car club. Formed in 1973 and supplying all MG requirements, the Club provides a full range of benefits for the dedicated MG enthusiast or the less enthusiastic owner who simply enjoys running an MG for everyday transport or just for fun. Catering for all […]

The Lotus Seven and its modern descendent, the Caterham Seven, are iconic motor cars on par with the Mini Cooper, Jaguar E-Type and MGB. Anyone who watched the short-lived 1960s show The Prisoner will no doubt remember the iconic opening sequence. What most people don’t know is that the Lotus is called the “Seven” for a good reason. Yes, there were actually a Lotus One through Six that led the way. The team at XCAR took one of those modern incarnations, a Seven 164 out for a drive, and then decided to tell the story of the Lotuses that came before the Seven. The video is  entertaining and well researched short film, full of interesting historical trivia. By the time its 12 minute run time is over you’ll be very well versed in the history of the Seven, and you’ll probably be […]

For our Video of the Week this go round we are going to turn to the folks at Hagerty Insurance. They recently produced a guide to the fairly rare, and often maligned, Daimler SP250 “Dart”. Now this car is not maligned due to its build quality, power, handling or other mechanical aspects. No, its main problem seems to be its catfish, only-a-mother-could-love-it looks. The Daimler SP250 Dart was built by the Daimler Company from 1959 to 1964. It was the last car to be launched by Daimler before its parent company, the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), sold it to Jaguar in 1960. The SP250 launched at the 1959 New York Motor Show as the “Daimler Dart”, but Dodge owned the trademark for the “Dart” model name, and Daimler was ordered to change the name under threat of legal action. With […]

Our Video of the Week (VotW) this time around is a brand new marketing video from Lotus for the Evora 400. As they say, “The most powerful production Lotus ever – the new Lotus Evora 400 is a superior machine to the previous model in every aspect.” Over two thirds of the Lotus Evora 400 is new, including its supercharged and charge-cooled mid-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine. Power has been increased from 345 hp (350 PS; 257.3 kW) to 400 hp (406 PS; 298.3 kW) at 7,000rpm. Torque has also been increased to 302 lbs ft (410 Nm) achieved between 3,500 to 6,500 rpm. 42 kg lighter than the previous model, with a completely new aluminium chassis and significantly revised lightweight composite body front and rear. The new Evora 400 is also ergonomically more refined, with easier cabin exit and entry, […]

Our video this week is oo a much lesser known but highly desirable car, Alvis. In this case, the specific car being test driven by Super Car Classics is a 1961 Alvis TD21 convertible. Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd was a British manufacturing company in Coventry from 1919 to 1967. In addition to automobiles designed for the civilian market, the company also produced racing cars, aircraft engines, armoured cars and other armoured fighting vehicles. Car manufacturing ended after the company became a subsidiary of Rover in 1965, but armoured vehicle manufacture continued. Alvis became part of British Leyland and then in 1982 was sold to United Scientific Holdings, which renamed itself Alvis plc. The Alvis Three Litre TD21 was made between the end of 1958 and October 1963. It was a revised version of the TC 108G, the body […]