More so than any other individual, Sir John Black had the greatest influence on Triumph in the postwar era. Born in 1895 in Surrey, his nascent legal career was derailed by World War I during which he first served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve before transferring to the Royal Tank Regiment serving as a…
Let’s talk about period British sports car advertisements. Going through some images recently I came across these period advertisements for some of our favorite British sports cars. Taking a moment to look at them and admire the images, I was struck by something unusual. Namely, I was taken aback at how small the individuals depicted…
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…
With their rarity today, it’s hard to remember how successful the Triumph Herald was in its day. Introduced in 1959 to replace the large unloved – and unsuccessful – Standard Eight and Ten, the new small car made good use of the modern lines penned by Giovanni Michelotti to create an entirely more desirable vehicle….
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…
When Adrian Mitu was an architecture student in Bucharest, Romania, he would often spend his idle moments lost in thought contemplating vintage and classic cars. After graduation in 2013, he decided to forego his chosen discipline and enter the world of automotive design. A fan of former BMW designer Chris Bangle – the creator of…
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…
Unlike most of England’s men in sheds, Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett was an accomplished man prior to his involvement with automobiles. He served in the Bomber Command of the Royal Air Force and was appointed to command the Pathfinder forces during World War II. He piloted the first commercial airliner out of Heathrow following the…
British sports cars are ideal cars for the spring, summer and fall in New England. Winter? Not so much, but for the other three seasons the winding rural roads and abundant foliage make for perfect conditions to enjoy your car outside the crowded cities and busy freeways. As the number of repair shops specializing in…
