The phrase pur sang (pure blood) has long been associated with the genius of Ettore Bugatti and his cars from Molsheim. Adorned – more often than not in Bleu de France – Bugattis are unequivocal jewels that share an essence that imbues each unique car (regardless of model or type) with the same qualities emblematic of every other…
What do British sports cars have to do with the Ford Model T? There was a time when the Ford Model T was ubiquitous in the classic car firmament. Almost every car collector had one at some point and it was both an entry level and aspirational car for many enthusiasts. They represented a good investment as prices rose…
I used to rule the world Seas would rise when I gave the word Now in the morning I sleep alone Sweep the streets I used to roam — From Viva La Vida by Coldplay I spend way…
It never fails to surprise me how much real life is like high school. Back then we were typically identified with a group and that appellation likely stayed with us throughout our entire four years. Jock. Nerd. Slacker. Freak. Sometimes you were lucky enough to cut across such crass distinctions by creating a niche for…
1963 was a bad year to fall in love with a girl from the German Democratic Republic – especially if you lived in the Federal Republic of Germany. The Berlin Wall had been erected two years earlier to stem the tide of East Germans seeking to cross the border that divided Berlin between the East…
Then as now, the places available to drive a sports car flat out are few and far between. As automotive production resumed following the cessation of hostilities in 1945, manufacturers were keen to gain publicity that could be used to push sales (particularly in the increasingly important North American market). During the Thirties, the press…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.” The words were written by Charles Dickens to describe the plight of the French peasantry but very easily could…
Dick Jacobs already had an MG dealership and was an established racer when he was asked to drive one of the prototype alloy-bodied MGA racers in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955 by his friends in the BMC Competition Department at Abingdon.The race, however, was ill-fated for almost all concerned and shortly after…
It has become common practice in modern society to “rewrite the narrative” and look back at the past as we experienced it (at the time) and then recast it as something altogether different with the benefit of hindsight and perspective. Somewhere in the back of our collective memory I am sure we all know that…
We’ve been running a contest on Facebook asking people to send photos with their British sports cars from back in the day. Some are cute, some are funny (particularly those from the late 60s and early 70s) and others provide an interesting glimpse into the past. One such photograph was sent in by customer Mark Shipley and…
