Maruti launches A-Star in India

Auto major Maruti Suzuki Tuesday launched a new model targeted at the mid-priced segment, and said it hoped to export it to over 150 countries.
Priced in the Rs.347,000-Rs.412,000 range, the car - called A-star - will be made in over 200 variants and is touted to give a mileage of 19.59 km per litre of petrol. A-star is Maruti Suzuki's eighth vehicle launched in a little over three years.
"A-star will be exported mainly to European markets and we expect it to account for a major part of our total exports,c company chairman R.C. Bhargava said at the vehicle's launch.
The company exported around 50,000 cars last year and expects to export more this year.
Incidentally, A-star has been designed keeping the European market in mind, and will be rolled out of the company's facility at Manesar near Delhi.

Source : The Hindu

Maruti launches A-Star in India

Auto major Maruti Suzuki Tuesday launched a new model targeted at the mid-priced segment, and said it hoped to export it to over 150 countries.
Priced in the Rs.347,000-Rs.412,000 range, the car - called A-star - will be made in over 200 variants and is touted to give a mileage of 19.59 km per litre of petrol. A-star is Maruti Suzuki's eighth vehicle launched in a little over three years.
"A-star will be exported mainly to European markets and we expect it to account for a major part of our total exports,c company chairman R.C. Bhargava said at the vehicle's launch.
The company exported around 50,000 cars last year and expects to export more this year.
Incidentally, A-star has been designed keeping the European market in mind, and will be rolled out of the company's facility at Manesar near Delhi.

Source : The Hindu

Fiat Linea Launched in India

Pune, November 21 : The clouds of recession looming over the country and the heat on the auto sector, like any other, have not stopped Fiat from its latest launch. Fiat India Automobiles Limited, choosing to disregard the economic slowdown, rolled out its C plus segment sedan Linea from the Ranjangaon plant some 40 km from here.
“It’s a grim economic scenario and all auto players are feeling the heat. It’s a challenge for us but we see this as an opportunity to launch a new car. The new product in the market will induce demand among the customers. The start of production of Linea is an important milestone for us and is a significant step in fulfilling the promise that we had made at the Auto Expo earlier this year,’’ said Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd.
This launch comes after a seven-year gap, the last one being that of Palio in 2001. Launched internationally in May 2007 in Istanbul, with a strong Italian imprint, Linea has features found in high-end cars. Around 2,500 Linea cars will be manufactured per month from the Ranjangaon plant.
The 200-acre facility, a 50-50 joint venture between Fiat and Tata Motors, will soon see Grande Punto, a top seller in Europe, also being manufactured from here. “The launch of Linea is the first step to re-establish the Fiat brand in the Indian market. After three months, Grande Punto will commence production from here,’’ said Kapoor.
Linea-Active is the base model followed by Dynamic and Emotion while Emotion +1 will be the high-end model. Initially they will be available in three colours. The medium-sized sedan fulfills Euro-4 emission norms and comes in 1.2, 1.3-petrol engine and 1.4 diesel engine.
The Ranjangaon plant now has a completely equipped body shop, assembly line and power terrain plant while a paint shop is to be commissioned shortly.
The assembly shop is designed to roll out Linea, Grande Punto and Tata X1 sedan. Now, 1.2 Palio petrol is being exported from the Ranjangaon plant and Linea and Garnde Punto will follow soon.
Apart from Fiat and Tata cars, the facility also produces powertrain engines.
The plant with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore in its full capacity, will produce up to 2,00,000 cars, 3,00,000 engines and 3,00,000 parts and accessories.

Fiat Linea Launched in India

Pune, November 21 : The clouds of recession looming over the country and the heat on the auto sector, like any other, have not stopped Fiat from its latest launch. Fiat India Automobiles Limited, choosing to disregard the economic slowdown, rolled out its C plus segment sedan Linea from the Ranjangaon plant some 40 km from here.
“It’s a grim economic scenario and all auto players are feeling the heat. It’s a challenge for us but we see this as an opportunity to launch a new car. The new product in the market will induce demand among the customers. The start of production of Linea is an important milestone for us and is a significant step in fulfilling the promise that we had made at the Auto Expo earlier this year,’’ said Rajeev Kapoor, CEO, Fiat India Automobiles Ltd.
This launch comes after a seven-year gap, the last one being that of Palio in 2001. Launched internationally in May 2007 in Istanbul, with a strong Italian imprint, Linea has features found in high-end cars. Around 2,500 Linea cars will be manufactured per month from the Ranjangaon plant.
The 200-acre facility, a 50-50 joint venture between Fiat and Tata Motors, will soon see Grande Punto, a top seller in Europe, also being manufactured from here. “The launch of Linea is the first step to re-establish the Fiat brand in the Indian market. After three months, Grande Punto will commence production from here,’’ said Kapoor.
Linea-Active is the base model followed by Dynamic and Emotion while Emotion +1 will be the high-end model. Initially they will be available in three colours. The medium-sized sedan fulfills Euro-4 emission norms and comes in 1.2, 1.3-petrol engine and 1.4 diesel engine.
The Ranjangaon plant now has a completely equipped body shop, assembly line and power terrain plant while a paint shop is to be commissioned shortly.
The assembly shop is designed to roll out Linea, Grande Punto and Tata X1 sedan. Now, 1.2 Palio petrol is being exported from the Ranjangaon plant and Linea and Garnde Punto will follow soon.
Apart from Fiat and Tata cars, the facility also produces powertrain engines.
The plant with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore in its full capacity, will produce up to 2,00,000 cars, 3,00,000 engines and 3,00,000 parts and accessories.

Toyota Corolla Altis India

Here is the Latest Toyota Corolla Altis Video from India. Please send us a request if you want to see videos of other cars

Toyota Corolla Altis India

Here is the Latest Toyota Corolla Altis Video from India. Please send us a request if you want to see videos of other cars

India's best selling midsize diesel cars compared

Chevrolet Optra 2.0 LT TDCi
Vs
Ford Fiesta 1.4 ZXi TDCi
Vs
Hyundai Verna CRDi SX
Vs
Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire ZDi

India's best selling midsize diesel cars compared

Chevrolet Optra 2.0 LT TDCi
Vs
Ford Fiesta 1.4 ZXi TDCi
Vs
Hyundai Verna CRDi SX
Vs
Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire ZDi

You Can Order a New Allard

Allards haven't been available new in over 50 years, but you can order a new Allard from a factory in Canada. Following the same formula as Sydney Allard, the new builder, Roger Allard (no relation) offers a rolling tube frame chassis without engine. The buyer can then specify his or her favored lump and have it installed at an approved shop. Check out the full story at Autoweek.

Goodbye Bentley Arnage

If you're a Wall Street fatcat with $220,000 dollars of Washington bailout money burning a hole in your pocket, the nice folks at Bentley would like to chat with you.

It seems that the ultra-exclusive Bentley Arnage is going out of production and the final 150 cars will be a little more special than usual. The creatively-named 'Final Edition' will sport a monster, twin turbo, 500-hp engine that marks 50 years of Bentley V8s by staying true to the British automaker's lust for torque, rating out at 738 lb-ft. It rides on 20-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels, and exterior features include dark-tinted upper and lower grilles, body-colored headlamp bezels and twin exhaust pipes. In the back seat, passengers can enjoy their favorite beverages with a Final Edition steel flask and shot glasses.

You can order yours for production in any color you can imagine - this is an exclusive hand built car, you know. Do drop me a line when yours comes in.

Automotive Humor

One of my favorite Web sites is the Richard Porter blog called 'Sniff Petrol'. It's updated only once a month, but it's worth adding it to your bookmarks. If you're easily offended you might not want to click here. If you have some knowledge of the world automotive market or Formula 1 racing, you'll probably enjoy the pithy humor. Be sure to check out the archives section to fully understand some of the ongoing story lines.

Yet Another MINI Commercial

MINI has always celebrated it's 'differentness' and this latest MINI commercial continues the trend. Here in our part of the deep South - at this time of the year, the insects in the commercial would likely be the despised "love bugs". Enjoy the flick!

Daimler Returns?

The new owners of Jaguar-Land Rover, Tata of India, are rumored to be considering reviving the Daimler marque as a stand-alone brand. The builder of the $3,000 Nano 'people's car' could be a player in the rarefied atmosphere of $200,000+ super luxury motors.

Long a favorite of British Royalty, Daimler was known for tastefully understated cars. Currently, Daimlers are rebadged Jaguars with a more upscale trim.

An excellent news article in the Times can be found here.

No MGs for You!

It's not easy being an MG enthusiast in America. Oh,we have our pre-1980 MGs that were legally imported and technically it's possible to bring in a newer (pre-1983) car, but we can't have new-from-the-factory cars. It's official - one of my favorite British car sites - Austin Rover Online - broke the news that the much-ballyhooed Oklahoma MG factory is dead.

When the ashes of the MG-Rover organization were scattered to the Chinese Nanjing Automobile Company, a deal was negotiated to assemble MG TF kits in a factory in Ardmore, Oklahoma. It looked like we would finally have our MGs. Our 'cargo cult' faith would be rewarded. As in any good soap opera, highs are tempered with lows. The full story can be read here.

We'll have to be satisfied with polishing our relics for the time being.

Wanna Buy a Shelby?

Carroll Shelby's first racing car is going on the block at Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas auction in October, and it's a humble 1949 MG-TC. That's right, Ol' Shel got his break in a British car.

Shelby raced the car in Norman, Oklahoma in 1952 and won two races that day. Here's an excerpt from The B-J press release:

"We've sold some special cars during our 37-year history, but this MG ranks among the most significant vehicles to ever cross the Barrett-Jackson auction block," said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. "In 2007, we sold the ultra-rare 427 Shelby Cobra Super Snake, followed by Carroll's personal '69 GT500 convertible this year in Scottsdale. Now, we're offering collectors a chance to nab the race car that started it all for the legend over half a century ago, while also benefitting one of his charities. Carroll is an American icon both behind the wheel and under the hood - an inspiration to enthusiasts of all ages."

Shelby also fired up the MG TC for the day's second race in Norman, driving it to another victory against the much higher-profile Jaguar XK120s. The back-to-back victories led to one of the most storied careers in motorsports, which pinnacled in 1956 and 1957 when Shelby was consecutively named Sports Car Illustrated's "Driver of the Year." He went on to build the legendary Shelby Cobra and Shelby Mustang, along with a slew of other vehicles that have become performance icons.

"My good friend in Dallas, Ed Wilkins, owned the car and let me drive it in the race," noted Carroll Shelby. "Because it was early in my career, I still had a lot to learn but knew how to go fast. This MG changed my life, because from that point forward, I knew that I wanted to be involved with racing and sport cars."

The dark green MG TC sports the original 1250cc, 4-cylinder engine with a 4-speed transmission that has since been tuned up to 100-plus horsepower and is race-ready. The new owner will also receive the SCCA Log Book, as well as the original fenders, bonnet and mechanical parts that were stripped from the car for competition. For over 20 years, the MG has been part of the famous Syd Silverman Collection and is well known on the MG vintage race car circuit.

There's plenty of time to get your bidder's credentials. If you make it to Vegas, send me a post card!

Happy Birthday Land Rover

Land Rover is 60 years old. From humble beginnings as a farm implement cum road transport, Land Rover is the 'must-have' vehicle of the fashion conscious set.

After World War II, the only vehicles available to the British were used pre-war cars and war surplus Jeeps. The British auto industry was facing a steel shortage and the only way to get a steel ration was to build for export - Britain had a crushing war debt to pay and needed foreign exchange. Rover had little in export sales and had to find a way to get into production.


The inspiration came to Rover engineering director Maurice Wilks for a go-anywhere vehicle that could be used to operate farm machinery and also carry people and goods on the road. Starting with a surplus Jeep, Wilks designed an all aluminum body and placed on the Jeep chassis. He designed a center steering setup that would allow the vehicle to be exported to both left and right drive countries. The prototypes were powered with Rover's 1.4 liter four cylinder engine and sported several power take offs to operate agricultural equipment.

Maurice's brother, Spencer, was the managing director of Rover at the time and committed the resources needed to produce the first Land Rover. The Amsterdam Motor Show in April, 1948 was the venue for the introduction of the Land Rover. As you can guess, it was a hit. Soon Land Rovers were exported around the world and was the vehicle of choice of the armed forces of the current and former British Empire as well as explorers and scientists doing field work - the image of the zebra-striped Landie in the film Daktari comes immediately to mind.


Fast-forward to the '70's and Land Rover became weighed down by the same combination of factors that the rest of the British auto industry struggled with. A succession of owners (Rover, British Leyland, British government, various iterations of former BL companies, British Aerospace, BMW, and Ford) tried with varying degrees of success to make Land Rover a profitable, going concern. Today, the Tata conglomerate owns both Land Rover and Jaguar. The early indications are that they intend to take Land Rover even further upmarket. I doubt that power take offs will be on the option list...

Happy birthday, big guy!

ROAD TRIP!

SABCC NEWSLETTER editor Richard Cunningham found and purchased a new headliner for his '89 Jaguar XJS some months back and, to save truck freight charges, decided to pick it up from the vendor in Atlanta. I had a day off work, so I offered to ride shotgun.

Leaving at 4:30 in the AM got us through the major cities outside the rush hour traffic snarls and put us at our first stop - Coventry West in Lithonia, Georgia. If you are a Jaguar enthusiast this is heaven. Imagine floor-to-ceiling racks filled with reclaimed Jaguar components ready for re-manufacturing (you'll have to - I left my camera in the car!). Jaguars of all vintages were lined up outside and inside the vast building in various stages of dismantlement. Several shops were busily rebuilding engines, brake calipers, steering racks and differentials. There was even a large section of new parts on the shelf and ready for counter sales or for shipment to customers around the world. The folks at Coventry West were gracious and very enthusiastic about Jaguars.







After loading the XJS headliner, we stopped for a quick lunch and headed to Birmingham and the Barber Motorsports Museum. The museum is located on the grounds of Barber Motorsports Park off I-20 east of Birmingham - Leeds, actually. The collection reflects the passion for motorcycles of George Barber who amassed this collection of hundreds of motorcycles and then built the race track and museum. The facility is stunning - five stories of motorcycles from the dawn of motorcycle building to new models showcasing the latest technology.

Of interest to me was the collection of Lotus racing cars. You can imagine my delight in actually seeing the Lotus Formula 1 cars I only read about. A couple of replicas on display included the first Lotus - a modified Austin 7. Frustratingly, the cream of the automobile collection is visible, but off limits to visitors. The basement collection includes more Lotuses, but a Jaguar E-Type had just been received and was being given a detailing. I would have loved to have seen the AC Cobra 289 and Morgan Plus Four up close, too.

Even with the basement off limits, I still recommend that you put this museum on your list of places to visit.

192 BHP in a MINI Cooper Not Enough Thrill?

MINI has released the John Cooper Works edition of the MINI Cooper S. Packing 192 BHP and all manner of go-faster goodies, the little car is an adrenaline rush on wheels. MINI has produced a video to try to convey the sense of acceleration. Yes, it's mostly in German but the only place on earth that MINIs are built (for now) is Oxford, UK. Enjoy the clip and check out www.miniusa.com for details on the MINI Cooper S JCW.

A Great Movie

SABCC member and all-around good guy Don Pritchett loaned me his copy of a 2005 film titled The World's Fastest Indian a few days ago. I finally got the chance to watch it and I loved it.
This true story is about New Zealander Burt Munro and his efforts to set a world land speed record on a 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle (or "motorsickle" in Kiwi parlance). Munro battled bureaucracy, a tiny budget and health issues to make his attempt at the world record at the Bonneville Salt Flats near Salt Lake City, Utah in 1962.
Anthony Hopkins plays the part of Burt Munro and does a fine job of it. Go out and find this film!

Lola Featured at Goodwood Festival of Speed

2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of Lola Cars by Eric Broadley. In honor of this milestone, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is featuring the cars made by this famous car constructor.

This year's Festival of Speed is July 11-13 on the estate of Lord March in West Sussex and, no, I won't be attending.

The Goodwood festival has invited such racing luminaries as Damon Hill, John Surtees, Carl Haas,
Brian Redman, Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais.

Lola has produced competition cars for nearly all
forms of motorsport including prototype sports cars
and open wheel cars. Lola has also work behind the scenes, more or less, on many well known modern prototypes such as Nissan's R90 and MG's EX 257 LeMans cars. The legendary Ford GT40 is based on Eric Broadley's Lola Mk 6 - also known as the Lola GT.

I wonder if SPEED TV commentator David Hobbs is on the guest list? He had the dubious distinction of
destroying the only Lola Mk 6 in the 1963 edition of
the 24 hour LeMans race. It was reported that Eric
Broadley was close to tears upon hearing the news.

The E-Type is Indoors

As you can see, the project E-Type is in Richard Cunningham's garage. The silver cars are his - a '64 E-Type and '89 XJS V12. The scruffy E-Type we brought in lends a bit of ghetto to an otherwise pristine place to work on cars.
We've got the bonnet and hatch off and the interior is out of the car. The radiator and air conditioning unit are also out. We plan to remove the engine and gearbox next.
Body-wise, much worse cars have been restored. This car has some rot in the boot floor, driver's side floor and toe board and driver's side sill. I'm sure we'll find more as we go.
We plan to part the car out, but we are open to offers from anyone that has the time, skills and-most importantly-the budget to put it back on the road. If you are interested, get in touch soon.

Taking in a Stray Cat

I've bought another car. Well, half a car.

It started earlier this week when my wife, Melissa, read an ad to me about an estate sale in Point Clear, Alabama. I half-listened as she ran through the usual list of antique furniture, artwork, collectibles and a 1969 Jaguar XKE Coupe for restoration. I scanned the ad - no phone number, no address; just 'three miles south of the Grand Hotel'.

"Hmm, I might go take a look. There may be some other automobile-related stuff that I might be able to afford."

Later in the day, I sent an email to SABCC NEWSLETTER editor and local Jaguar enthusiast Richard Cunningham about the Saturday sale. He said he would drive down to see of there might a pre-sale viewing. He did. There wasn't.

Richard and his wife, Donna, met Melissa and I for dinner Friday evening and before the last of the pizza was gone, we had a plan to be at the sale as it opened at 8:00 AM.

After breakfast at a Fairhope cafe, we made the drive down the bay to Point Clear. The knot of cars parked along the road let us know we'd found the place. Walking up the driveway, we spotted the car. It had been maroon once, but the paint was faded to a red-brown color. It was on four flat Michelin Redlines and the California license plate hadn't had a tax sticker since 1987.

We asked about the car and was given the asking price and was told that nothing was negotiable. However, the owners instructed the people running the sale that they could accept offers on anything that hadn't sold after 2:00 PM . Richard and I decided that we would come back after 2 o'clock.

We returned promptly at two and we made an offer to the sellers. Richard and I bought ourselves a Jaguar.

It will stay in Richard's 'Garagemahal' as soon as the tow truck delivers it. We plan to give it a thorough looking-over before we decide what to do next. Sell it on? Part it out? Stay tuned!

Everything Old is New Again - Eventually

The video is of the introduction of a new BMW concept car called the GINA. Discussing the car is BMW Design Chief Chris Bangle (the namesake of the "Bangle Butt"). The new concept? A fabric covered body.

Fabric bodies were common on British cars in the '20s & '30s. A number of pre-war MGs carried fabric bodies as standard equipment. I've never seen a fabric bodied car, but I have been around a number of fabric covered aircraft. If you squint your eyes, the GINA is somewhat reminiscent of a Zeppelin. I wonder what a hydrogen-powered version of the car would be called?

CarSalesIndia.com, MyTVS to list used cars online

View this article in Economic Times:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3123768.cms

MyTVS a part of the renowned TVS Group providing Quality Used Cars and CarSalesIndia।com have entered into an agreement to list all MyTVS Used cars online। Now a car buyer doesn’t have to visit numerous dealer places to find the right quality used car.

Speaking on this occasion, Chairman of CarSalesIndia.com Mr Samuel Jeyakumar said, "We are happy that MyTVS cars are onboard in CarSalesIndia.com. We are committed to provide quality cars to our buyers and at the same time bring valued car buyers to MyTVS"

CarSalesIndia.com is one of India’s leading car portal empowering its users to make the best choice by providing industries best tools to compare, research and buy cars. More than 2 Lakh car search hits were recorded in May, 2008 in CarSalesIndia.com, and with over 400 cars from over 28 branches of MyTVS listed online; there is no better place for a used car buyer to go now.

MyTVS provides other value added services such as All Car Service, 24x7 Emergency Roadside Assistance and more. After buying a used car there is no turning back, details on a car such as accident history, Parts originality and owner history is always a matter of worry for the used car buyer. With MyTVS quality used cars; a customer can have peace of mind, and trust the TVS brand and quality of service while buying a used car.

Visit http://www.carsalesindia.com/ to view all MyTVS cars

CarSalesIndia.com, MyTVS to list used cars online

View this article in Economic Times:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3123768.cms

MyTVS a part of the renowned TVS Group providing Quality Used Cars and CarSalesIndia।com have entered into an agreement to list all MyTVS Used cars online। Now a car buyer doesn’t have to visit numerous dealer places to find the right quality used car.

Speaking on this occasion, Chairman of CarSalesIndia.com Mr Samuel Jeyakumar said, "We are happy that MyTVS cars are onboard in CarSalesIndia.com. We are committed to provide quality cars to our buyers and at the same time bring valued car buyers to MyTVS"

CarSalesIndia.com is one of India’s leading car portal empowering its users to make the best choice by providing industries best tools to compare, research and buy cars. More than 2 Lakh car search hits were recorded in May, 2008 in CarSalesIndia.com, and with over 400 cars from over 28 branches of MyTVS listed online; there is no better place for a used car buyer to go now.

MyTVS provides other value added services such as All Car Service, 24x7 Emergency Roadside Assistance and more. After buying a used car there is no turning back, details on a car such as accident history, Parts originality and owner history is always a matter of worry for the used car buyer. With MyTVS quality used cars; a customer can have peace of mind, and trust the TVS brand and quality of service while buying a used car.

Visit http://www.carsalesindia.com/ to view all MyTVS cars

New Land Speed Record Attempt

I see where another team from the UK is going to attempt a run at the world's land speed record - for steam powered vehicles.
That's right, it's not enough to hold the records for open land speed (Thrust SSC) and diesel powered (JCB DieselMax) LSR, the boys flying the Union Flag are going to attempt 200 MPH in a steam powered car. The car is currently under construction and will utilize 12 boilers and a steam turbine. The team leader of this attempt is Don Wales, the nephew of Bluebird constructor and multiple speed record-breaker Sir Malcolm Campbell.
The current LSR for steam was set in 1906 by a Stanley Steamer at 127 MPH. You can keep up with the team's efforts here.

Endurance Racing

This coming weekend is the date for that grand-daddy of all endurance races, the 24 Hours of LeMans. Of interest to the members of this club is the evergreen MG-Lola entry of RML Racing. This LMP2 prototype car won its' class in 2005 & 2006 and still carries the MG name into European sports car competition. Best of luck to Ray Mallock and his driving team of Tommy Erdos, Mike Newton & Andy Wallace.

Racing is an expensive hobby so most of us won't be spending much time on the road courses trying to become the next Juan Manuel Fangio. However, for a little money and work you could assemble a team and enter a REAL LIVE 24 hour automobile race. Check out the Web site for the 24 Hours of LeMons and then go buy a $500 beater to enter. That's right - the 24 Hours of LeMons is basic entry level racing with several devious twists. You've got to see it to believe it, and no, it won't be on SPEED Channel anytime soon...

The Old Car Brochure Project

A neat Web site with a large number of brochures
detailing our British cars can be found here.
There's a pretty good collection of brochures
about the more common marques such as
MG and Triumph, but some of the more
surprising entries include Jowett,
Marcos and Standard. It's worth a look.

Cat Scratch Fever

The long Memorial Day weekend afforded me a couple of opportunities to do car stuff with buddies from the club. Last Saturday, our intrepid NEWSLETTER editor, Richard Cunningham and I popped down to Silverhill, Alabama to take in the annual car show there. It's a big event for the little community and the purpose is to raise funds for the local library.
I rode shotgun with Richard in his newly-tuned Jaguar XJS V12 (yeah, baby) on the way down. On the way back, he kindly invited me to drive. Nothing could have prepared me for the turbine-smooth power from the V12. Literally, the more I pressed the go pedal, the more my head was pushed back into the headrest. More impressively, this 20 year-old example was tight and rattle free - even with 100,000+ miles on the clock.
The next day was a traditional SABCC event - the annual Lawn Party at St. John's Catholic church in Magnolia Springs, Alabama. My transport this time was my faithful Mini - 70 MPH is as fast as I can pedal. The Mini is fun, but the Jag is seriously posh. I wonder how much plasma I would need to sell to get one?

The British Leyland Family Tree

If you're looking for the last word in scholarly references, Wikipedia is probably not it. If you do need a quick read on nearly any subject it can be fairly useful.
A Wikipedia contributor developed an easy to read timeline of the marques that made up the old British Leyland conglomerate with along with some very recent updates. It's interesting - have a look here.

SABCC June Meeting- Family Picnic

This year's family picnic will have a new venue due to construction activity at our traditional site, Meaher State Park on the Causeway. We're set for Blakeley State Park, site of the defunct town of Blakeley, Alabama off Alabama highway 225. Saturday, June 14 is the date.
Situated about 5 miles north of Spanish Fort, Blakeley is a gorgeous spot with century-old oak trees, natural springs, walking trails and wildlife everywhere. We'll be in the Pavilion which will provide us with shade and a nice place to chat.
The June meeting is also when we select a charity to support from a portion of our British Car Festival proceeds. Nominate your favorite charity at the meeting!
As beautiful as Blakeley is, you might want to consider whether you want to bring your British pride and joy since the roads are pretty dusty. If you love detailing your car, you will have a good reason to after the picnic.

The Bruce McLaren Trust

A little Web surfing brought me to the Bruce McLaren Trust site. It's an amazing collection of McLaren related facts, photos and stories of this talented driver and car constructor. It's worth a visit online if you won't be finding yourself in New Zealand anytime soon.
There's a fascinating story about the restoration of M8A-2, the car campaigned by Denny Hulme in 1968. This car is owned by the trust and is shown publicly at special events.
The distinctive car color was chosen by Bruce McLaren for visibility when passing backmarkers. The official name of this shade of orange 'papaya'.

50 Years Old and Still Smiling

2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the beloved Austin-Healey Sprite. Known in the US as the 'Bugeye', this happy little car brought inexpensive sport cars to the masses.

The Sprite was designed by the renowned Donald Healey who raided the Austin parts cupboard for bits to include in his low-priced sports car. Engine, suspension and various other pieces used on downmarket Austin saloon cars found their way into the Sprite. The original design called for 'popup' headlights, but they turned out to be costly. Hence, the most endearing characteristic of the car was set.

Sprites were built in the MG factory at Abingdon and were so well received that a MarkII version was developed as both an Austin-Healey and an MG Midget.

Happy birthday, little friend!

Jaguar Shows the Way

One the most striking features of any competition car must be the vertical stabilizer on the immortal Jaguar D-Type. Other competitors copied it to a certain degree, but none came close the Jag's look. After watching the Formula 1 race from Spain last weekend, I noticed that the Jaguar stabilizer is back on a couple of the cars.

The Original

Red Bull F1








Renault F1

Originality - Again

Check out the photo of the MGA dashboard with the competition plaques. This old girl earned her keep in her early days. You can't fake originality like this!

The MGB Gets a New Steering Wheel

I went with several members of our club to the 16th annual Brits on the Bay British car show put on by the Panhandle British Car Association . They had an autojumble tent where I scored a really nice steering wheel for the 'B. OK, it's for a '72 model, but it is in good shape and even came with the horn push. My MGB is a bitsa, anyway. The steering wheels are not available new at any price - the horn push is $54.95 from Moss. Fifteen bucks bought whole deal, including the hub.

A Caddy with a Sense of Humor

Melissa and I were out in the classic Mini on a trip to Fairhope to walk on the pier and have a cup of coffee at the Page & Palette bookstore. On the way home, we were passed by a '65 Cadillac Fleetwood sedan on a Sunday drive, too. The driver waved in the friendly manner that car enthusiasts do as he went by. His vanity plate was hilarious!

A Girl and Her DeLorean

The New York Times automobile section ran a story about a young lady who runs a DeLorean as a daily driver. In addition to the story, a really nice audio slide show is worth your time.

Cars That Are Driven

The British Car Day in New Orleans brought out several cars that the owners don't pamper, but you can tell they are loved. It is refreshing to see cars like this - I hope it brings more of them out of their sheds. Cars at shows don't have to be show cars!

Unintended Message?

This Triumph Spitfire brochure cover from 1967 may not convey the message that was intended. The gentlemen with their heads under the bonnet may be admiring the engine. Those of us with experience with old British cars might come to a different conclusion...

Cecil Kimber's House

If you find yourself on an MG tour in Abingdon, be sure to stop in at the Boundary House - a pub about mile outside the city center. This was Cecil Kimber's home during his time in Abingdon. With the incredibly weak dollar, I doubt I'll be in the UK any time soon, but I can dream. There are more details about the pub here.

Weeping Heater Control Valve

After a brisk drive in the Mini, I looked under the bonnet to make sure everything was in order. The heater control valve was weeping. Dang. Supplier A wanted $59.95, supplier B wanted a little less. Great British Car Parts wanted $49.95. Sold! Now I've got to get the new heater valve on before warm weather sets in. Huh?

Classic MGB TV Commercial

Here's a classic MGB TV commercial that you may have seen when MGs were still sold in this country.


The dashing parachutist starts the car and drives away. What you don't see is the trail of oil pouring from the punctured sump. At least this take worked out better than the first one...

Music From Car Parts

Some creative types in the UK have written a song for musical instruments made from car parts - specifically UK Ford Focus parts. The tune is pretty catchy and the video is worth watching - even if it is 23 MB! You can read the story in the Times of London here.

The Hen Hunt is Over

After a long hunt, I was finally able to find Old Speckled Hen ale in an area grocery store. Old Speckled Hen was brewed in honor of the 50th anniversary of building MGs in Abingdon, England. Note the octagon label.

Good Friends & Good Food

It was nice to see everyone at David's Catfish House in Spanish Fort this evening. We had a great meal and we enjoyed each others company as usual.

SABCC Swag

If you haven't already done it, check out our SABCC Regalia section of the club web site. you can buy hats, bags t-shirts and other SABCC goodies. A very small potion comes back to the club treasury and you'll look good in your new duds!