A comprehensive biography of the irrepressible Chris Coburn has just been published and it's an ideal Christmas gift for motorsport fans. Talented, versatile, and multifaceted – driver, entrepreneur, engineer, and skier – Coburn was a prolific mover and shaker in the world of motorsport during the 1960s/70s. He was instrumental in the formation of the legendary Dealer Team Vauxhall with the … [Read more...]
Classics
Rallying’s gentleman was inspirational
The motorsport world was saddened to hear of the death of legendary rally and race driver Paddy Hopkirk, who passed away 21 July aged 89. Paddy first hit the headlines January 1964 when he and Henry Liddon won the glamorous Monte Carlo rally after starting in Minsk driving a red and white British Motor Corporation 1071 cc Mini Cooper S. Designated car #37, Paddy later made this number along with … [Read more...]
Fan-tastic supercar sets Goodwood record
Former F1 driver Max Chilton driving an innovative Batmobile-like EV equipped with a pair of fans creating 2000kg of downforce, provided an impressive climax to Goodwood’s mid-summer motorsport soiree. Followed by an impressive swirl of dust as it whooshed along, the diminutive Gloucestershire-made car’s stealth-fighter-like profile might look intimidating, with a footprint based on a 1960s F1 … [Read more...]
Classic car owners concerns over new ‘tampering law’
A recent survey shows 84 per cent of classic and specialist car owners are against the Department for Transport’s anti-tampering proposals that would outlaw tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on the road. The poll by classic and enthusiast vehicle insurance specialist, Footman James, shows that 84 per cent of the 4,500 respondents are opposed to … [Read more...]
Retro Skoda endurance racer reborn
To mark the 120th anniversary of ŠKODA Motorsport, employees from the ŠKODA Museum and ŠKODA AUTO’s Prototype Centre collaborated on a project to reconstruct the ŠKODA 1100 OHC Coupé racing car. The teams began by reconditioning the original frame, chassis and engine and rebuilt the body according to historical documentation. In the process, they used state-of-the-art technology as well as … [Read more...]
Entries roll in for London to Brighton veteran car run
Close to 300 pioneering veteran cars dating back to the dawn of motoring have already entered this year’s very special staging of the Royal Automobile Club’s magical RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 7 November. The historic pilgrimage from capital to coast commemorates the famous Emancipation Run of 1896 which celebrated the passing into law of the Locomotive on the … [Read more...]
The Classic returns to captivate car lovers this weekend
This weekend’s eagerly-anticipated 30th birthday edition of The Classic 30 July – 1 August will be the biggest and best in the festival’s outstanding history with record grids, record classic car displays, record anniversary circuit parades and record ticket sales plus epic levels of very welcome entertainment for the whole family. “It’s the high-octane, fun-fuelled event that we’ve all been … [Read more...]
Widening threat to historic vehicles
Classic cars are under threat from towns and cities imposing varying "clean air" zones. FIVA, the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens or international federation of historic vehicles, is lobbying the European Parliament to recognise the threat to our cultural heritage. “While FIVA fully supports the move to a greener and more sustainable future,” states FIVA president Tiddo Bresters, … [Read more...]
The Classic gears up for summer spectacular
As the world’s biggest historic motor racing festival, The Classic is an incomparable celebration of motoring nostalgia featuring mind-boggling numbers of automotive legends from both road and track. For a long three-day weekend in high summer, Silverstone’s paddocks are packed with unrivalled multitudes of retro race cars all revving up to renew old rivalries. Meanwhile, the … [Read more...]
Vanwall is back for £1.65M
The Vanwall F1 car of the late 1950s is being recreated with six models costing £1.65M excluding VAT. They are likely to form the vanguard of more racing and road cars from the newly established Vanwall Group, whose MD Iain Sanderson pioneered the high performance Lightining GT electric supercar in 2008. … [Read more...]
