By David Clark The Glory Days of the 1930s were long in the past. It had been 20 years since MG was a dominant force, owning records for absolute speed in the classes between 500 and 2,000cc. The engine in their 750cc overhead cam record breaker, EX127, ultimately made 145bhp, supercharged with 39 lbs of…
The Indianapolis 500 might be considered America’s greatest race, but Britain has left an indelible mark on the legendary contest with multiple victories for both cars and drivers, and countless compelling story lines to enliven the story of the greatest spectacle in motorsport. The first British citizen to win the race was Dario Resta…
By Alicia St. John Photos by Christian Maurer The best years of my life have been spent driving my MGA. Nothing could compare to navigating the curves of Mulholland Drive, on a starry night, with Sinatra playing on the stereo. The beautiful instrument panel, lit up against the darkness. My right hand cradling the…
The Legacy of Yesterday’s Mountain Climbers I sometimes wonder if the British cars that we collect, restore and love so much still carry with them the legacy of the rallies and races in the 1950s and sixties. Back in those Golden Days of motor sport, the cars not only had to look the same as…
By Paul Richardson The international rallies in Europe in the ’50s were run over some of the most testing routes imaginable, especially the Criterium Des Alpes, commonly known as The Alpine. As its name implies, the rally was essentially contested over the high Alpine passes of central Europe and was generally regarded as the toughest…
By Paul Richardson The first Triumph TR2 was born in January 1953, designed and engineered to thrive in the flourishing American sports car market. The production run totaled 8,636 cars between summer 1953 and fall 1955. Many of these TR2s were shipped to the U.S., where they promptly made Triumph an exciting presence on the…
Triumph, MG and Austin-Healey win big at the 2002 SCCA Valvoline Runoffs By Leonard Emanuelson; photography by Bob Ucker/Showcase Photo I’ve been a road-race fan for years, but vintage British sports cars have never been on my radar. That all changed on a lazy Sunday afternoon last November. I was driving my wife insane channel…
The men who helped build a legend By Leonard Emanuelson Your mother was right—hanging out with the right people will breed success. That sage advice holds true for automobiles too. Number 106 rolled off the Austin-Healey assembly line in 1957 as a standard 100-6 production car. Except for numerous chance encounters with passionate Austin-Healey racers,…
By Len Emanuelson George Chilberg couldn’t help but be a car enthusiast. As he was growing up in Pasadena, California, his grandfather—who owned a Packard dealership—planted the seed. It’s hard to ride around in cars as grand as the Packards of the ’30s without being permanently influenced by them. His father had a profound effect…
Hot racing action, great car club camaraderie By Kelvin Dodd What do you get when you combine Southern hospitality, vintage racing, and British sports cars? You get one of the most memorable classic car experiences of the year! Classic Motorsports Magazine/HSR Walter Mitty 2005 presented by Moss Motors brought all these elements together at Road…
