LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
Rosemary Smith - 7th August 1937 - 5th December 2023
In the beginning, I was a dizzy blonde, the young one with the blonde hair and false eyelashes. Then, after I started winning things, there was a bit more of a grudging acceptance, and then when I got the drive with Rootes in England, they started to take note: ‘She must be quite good. Now, when I talk to some people I raced against, I get much more respect.
The BMW 2002 Turbo at Fifty
As I recently noted in my blog about the 3-Series, during the 1970s, any BMW seemed to be an exclusive sight on British roads, while the 2002 Turbo belonged in the realm of the exotic. My younger self barely understood what the word meant – nor, I suspect, did many of my parent’s generation – but the looks of the first Turbocharged European production car from a major manufacturer utterly mesmerised.
Ten More Lost Motoring Sights
Young people, eh? With their music, their hairstyles, and their IT gadgets. They will never have experienced the joys of trudging along a dual carriageway in the rain, looking for a working public telephone box to call for a breakdown truck. Or any of these:
“Sheer poetry in motion”– The Hindustan Contessa
For many Britons, the final of 25,085 VXs leaving the Luton factory in July 1978 marked the end of the Victor story, one that commenced in 1957. But this was not quite the end of the narrative, as Vauxhall sold the design to Hindustan Motors for £1.5 million. In the 1990s, the Contessa appeared in several films and was known as “the muscle car of India”.
Meet The Owner - James Ross Sinclair and his BMW 320/6
The 3-Series was probably the first BMW to gain mass popularity in the UK. Speeding Home Counties motorists in the 1970s might have encountered a Thames Valley police 3.0S and a successful barrister might have chosen 528 but even the cheapest of the 02s were never widely seen. James Ross Sinclair is the proud owner of a 1982 320/6 A in splendid condition.
THE WORLD’S RAREST HILMAN? THE BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM’S HILLMAN GT
Visitors to the British Motor Museum are guaranteed to be mesmerised by the sheer variety of rare machinery on display – including a very exclusive member of the Rootes Group 'Arrow' family. In 1969, the Hillman GT was the perfect car for the motorist who regarded a Jason King moustache and string-back driving gloves as high style.
Ten Remarks You Do Not Want to Hear at Your Local Classic Car Show
A well-run local car show is one of the joys of the year. But, as many owners will tell you, the main challenge is coping with such remarks as these -
TOP TEN 1970S LIMITED-EDITION FORDS – PART 1
In the 1970s, Ford GB demonstrated a mastery of the art of the limited edition special model. Here are just ten of such desirable cars -
FIT FOR A PROFESSIONAL – THE FORD CAPRI GHIA MK. II
In 1976, this Ford Capri Mk. II Ghia, offered for sale by Praters, represented the high life to the discerning motorists; on seeing that shield badge on the front wings, neighbours and business colleagues would regard you with awe as a member of that exclusive club – 'The Fellowship of Ghia'.
Meet The Owner – Alastair Inglis and his Peugeot 203 Styleside
There are those rare occasions when a classic car enthusiast encounters a vehicle they were unaware of. The 1952 203 Styleside ute owned by Alastair Inglis, the 203 Registrar of Club Peugeot UK, is one such exclusive machine. The ute was a version sold only in Australia, where just two remain on the road.
SCALEXTRIC – THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE FUTURE STIRLING MOSS
In days gone by, the approach to Christmas could be marked by the Advent Calendar, the promise of seasonal specials on television, and the Woolworth commercials. Meanwhile, another advertisement appeared to keen future motorists who were still at school - YouTube