When the world is topsy turvy, there are some of us who find sanctuary in a garage and peace of mind with the turn of a wrench. Joseph LeamingMy ’79 Spitfire was part of an elderly man’s extensive collection of dilapidated Spitfires that were left abandoned when he passed away, his children uninterested. The gentleman…
by Kyal Long April 2017, I was almost a year into my “big boy job” and wanted to get into a pre-1970s car. I knew if I didn’t do it now, I never would. Life changes quickly and other priorities would take center stage. I was looking for a car I could tinker on and…
The name Lenham Motor Company might not mean much on first blush, but the firm has existed in various forms for over 50 years and has epitomized the men in sheds that formed the second tier of the British automotive industry in the 50s, 60s and 70s. In a small corner of Kent in the…
Widely considered to be the most successful Sprite ever built, WJB 707 was constructed as a Works Rally Car by the BMC Competitions Department for use in the upcoming Tour de Corse with Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom behind the wheel. Upgrades included disc brakes, wire wheels and an improved suspension but a gearbox failure…
Long before the Austin-Healey Sprite “Mk I” entered into legend for its amicable appearance, many considered its styling to be odd – even stylist Gerry Coker was nonplussed with the fixed headlights – and plans were made to combine the many virtues of the car with more attractive styling. In 1959, Innocenti – famous for…
I like to think of myself as a car guy, but I did not have a special car of my own. I have three kids instead! I am, however, surrounded by some of the most serious car guys on the planet and that’s bound to have repercussions. Through of a crazy chain of events and…
Originally printed in the 1959 issue of Road Test Magazine The parallels between General Motors in this country and the British Motors Corporation in England are many. Both are the largest in their respective countries, both build close to half of all cars produced at home. Also, both build sports cars. But whereas GM builds…
It was a dark and dreary night in 1964 as the young student rolled onto the Kearney College campus in his newly purchased used 1959 Austin Healey Sprite. His pride and joy was a sports car that constantly drew admiring glances from the young girls, and life was good. The student used it for all…
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…
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…
