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Keep up to date with the latest news and events from the world of classic cars.
Old Advert of the Week - Lada
- Lancaster Insurance Services |
- 16th August, 2017
‘Lada’ and ‘Glamour’. For many, the two words go together about as well as Take Me Out and ‘Television programmes that do not make you want to put your set on eBay’ but you cannot deny that marketers tried their hardest over the years. One brochure features an elegant young couple, she in mink and him resembling an extra from a 007 film, as their 1300 is poised to whisk them to an evening of romance, elegance and other phrases not automatically associated with Lada ownership. Another 1986 gem for the Canadian market points out the ‘classic European styling’ of the four-door and the station wagon that was ready for a ‘wilderness weekend’.
Nice Cars - Shame About The Film
- Lancaster Insurance Services |
- 16th August, 2017
There is a select group of British films in which the viewer thinks a) what great cars b) the poor cast and c) I have just wasted at least 70 minutes of my life on this utter tripe. Here are just seven pictures which are always worth watching for various Jaguars, Triumphs or Wolseleys, even if they have the dramatic impact of the BBC Test Card. Enjoy….
Peter Sallis and the World's Most Famous Austin A35 Van - A Tribute
- Lancaster Insurance Services |
- 16th August, 2017
What are the great Austin A35 moments in cinema? Well, there is Leslie Phillips driving a van in Carry On Constable, the taxi in The Great Muppet Caper and the spectacularly dire Austin van/Land Rover chase in the 1967 horror film The Deadly Bees, a picture involving bored actors being attacked by black and yellow Styrofoam on a regular basis. If we expand our remit to include the A35’s predecessor we have the even worse Clegg, a 1970 second feature where everyone is out-acted by an A30, various lampposts and their own hair. But, of course, little could equal the sheer drama and excitement of Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Croft Nostalgia Festival - Max Bartell & Ben Mitchell
- Lancaster Insurance Services |
- 11th August, 2017
We were split into two groups for qualifying as entry numbers again were very high which is very encouraging to see!
An Interview With Alex Cursley
- Lancaster Insurance Services |
- 11th August, 2017
With six races left in the Hyundai Coupe Cup, we caught up with the championship leader, and Lancaster Insurance sponsored, Alex Cursley as he looks to continue his good form in the last rounds.
#ClassicRumble July Update from Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead
- Lancaster Insurance Services |
- 10th August, 2017
"I was back in the UK for a whirlwind week during a break from filming Wheeler Dealers to catch up with business, charity and to host an event. First up it was off to Sheffield to film at my Mike Brewer Motors Dealership, then it was a blast down south to pop into the impressive Moss Europe where I collected the parts I need for my 1959 MGA project. A quick look around some special cars at Rally Preparation Services in Oxford before I finally got to Swindon and Cross Street Garage to meet the team from Lancaster Car Insurance and see how things are progressing with the #ClassicRumble Escort XR3i Cabriolet.
60 Years of the Ford Thames 400E
- Andy Roberts |
- 9th August, 2017
In those distant days before the introduction of the Transit in 1965, a remote time when listening to Adam Faith’s records was regarded as evidence of mild decadence, the van of choice for many a builder, grocer or jobbing gardener was the Ford Thames 400E.
Top 10 Overlooked Cars in Bond
- Andy Roberts |
- 8th August, 2017
Nearly all of us are familiar with the Aston Martin DB5, the Lotus Esprit and the other cars prepared by the Q division, but this is a tribute to those often unsung four-wheeled heroes of the Bond films.
Do You Remember the Ford 'Consul' Granada
- Andy Roberts |
- 7th August, 2017
Back in the 1970s, the likes of the Ford Granada GXL or Ghia Mk. I were often regarded as vehicles for the local elite; factory owners or the proprietor of a small chain of tobacconists. You were more likely to encounter one of the cheaper models as a minicab, company car or estate carrying a family to a holiday in Swanage and for these versions, Ford revived a famous badge - the Consul.
Remembering The Green Goddess
- Andy Roberts |
- 3rd August, 2017
This column is by way of a tribute to one of the most interesting public service vehicles of post-war Britain - the Bedford ‘Green Goddess’ fire appliance. Its origins date back to 1949 when the Home Office created the Civil Defence Corps (CDC), whose purpose was to work alongside the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) in the aftermath of a nuclear war.
Six Of The Finest Ice Cream Vans
- Andy Roberts |
- 1st August, 2017
Decent weather is final upon us (at least it was when I wrote those words!) and, as the cinema adverts used to claim back in the 1960s, now is the time for ice cream. Highly decorated and still a part of the motoring landscape, the ice cream van is a very welcome sight at the end of a long summer’s day so here are six classic examples.
The Austin K2/Y Ambulance
- Andy Roberts |
- 31st July, 2017
As with many of my generation, I first encountered the Austin K2/Y via re-screenings of Ice Cold in Alex on television. It is a film that showcases the talents of John Mills and Anthony Quayle at their considerable best and one of the principal characters is the battered but indomitable ambulance, which was one of the key British military vehicles of the Second World War.
40 Years of the Saab 99 Turbo
- Andy Roberts |
- 26th July, 2017
This year marks a double celebration for Saab, not only is it the 40th anniversary of the Turbo, it is also the 50th birthday of the 99.
A Half Dozen 1970s Hot Hatchbacks
- Lancaster Insurance Services |
- 25th July, 2017
The VW Golf GTi Mk. I may have been one of the most notable ‘hot hatchbacks’ of the 1970s but it was neither the only or even the first of the breed. The half-dozen cars described below are my own selection – all front wheel drive, all with a third or fifth rear door and all of them highly entertaining.
