There was – and is – no connection between the Moss Motor Company and Moss Motors except for a common appreciation for sports cars. John Cowperthwaite built his first special on an Austin 7 chassis when he was 18 and then decided to build a series of kits for commercial production. During the height of…
Trevor Wilkinson was the classic example of the English tinkerers known as the “Men in Sheds.” Unhindered by structured education in engineering principles, most of these lads were self-taught or took their instruction on the fly when they could. Even before Trevor Wilkinson formed Trevcar in 1957, he had been building specials for himself and customers…
The fact that the high-performance MGB GT V8 shared the same appearance as its more pedestrian siblings was deemed harmful to its position in the marketplace especially as it was difficult to distinguish the more potent car in various advertising efforts. As always with most British manufacturers, cost was an issue but it was deemed…
Despite the fact that plans for the TR4 were well underway by 1960, the ever present problem of insufficient funds led Triumph management to question the wisdom – and financial viability – of replacing the TR3A with Michelotti’s TR4. An alternative was proposed that would have been much cheaper (and far less effective) to implement…
Sir William Lyons was born in Blackpool in 1901, the namesake of an Irish father and an English mother. A bright boy, he was curious about machinery and good at school work. His family secured for him an engineering apprenticeship at Crossley Motors where he developed an intense interest in the burgeoning automotive industry. In…
Most enthusiasts, no matter their mettle, appreciate a good hardtop and the MGB Bermuda Hardtop is no exception. When our British sports cars were sold new there was an entire industry built around developing and marketing accessories for their customization. As expected, products for the MGB were profligate and several companies were formed to take…
It’s hard to comprehend – given the continued viability of Morgan even today in the 21st Century – but 50 years ago, the venerable firm at Malvern Link was ridiculed for the old-fashioned nature of their signature car. With a front suspension that was patented long before the Titanic was launched and styling that even…
The Donald Healey Motor Company completed its first car immediately following the end of World War II and series production began with the Elliott saloon and Westland roadster in 1946. Both models were powered by the 2.4-liter Riley engine and featured a trailing arm independent suspension designed by Healey. In addition to the Elliott and…
Despite the success of the Triumph TR4 and TR4A in sales and competition, as the end of the 60s approached it was clear that the company had to improve its performance with the introduction of a new engine that could offer not only greater horsepower, but also smoother operation than the relatively rough and noisy…
Triumph had once accomplished the transformation from an open roadster to fastback coupe with the Triumph Spitfire and GT6 and management was keen to see whether lightning could strike twice with the conversion of the luxurious Stag to an enclosed coupe. The Triumph Stag Fastback was originally the idea of Spen King, who had taken…
