LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
SIR MICHAEL CAINE AT 90
And to celebrate Sir Michael’s 90th birthday – a very subjective ‘Top Ten’ of his best automotive moments on the silver screen: Blind Spot – 1958. Or, a typical 1950s British B-film, made with an apparent budget of 2/6d. MC is the caddish villain who tries to evade the Wolseley 6/80 of Justice in a Victor F-Type, only for it to magically transform into a 1934 Hudson Eight post-explosion.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Today is International Women’s Day (IWD) – a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across the globe. This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity and its aim is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. We all have our part to play.
THE ACE CAFE – A CELEBRATION
In days gone by, when Strand cigarettes cost xx/d for twenty, there was a network of transport cafes in and around London. Today, most of them are all but memories, but the Ace in North London is still very much a landmark venue.
30 YEARS OF THE ROVER 600
When realising the Rover 600 will be celebrating its 30th birthday on 7 April, two thoughts come to mind. Firstly, this writer feels completely antique as he recalls the Top Gear report with a young Mr. J. Clarkson -
THE DATSUN 240Z – A CELEBRATION
The year is 1970, and there is no shortage of distractions at the London Motor Show. Visitors had the chance to appreciate the Triumph Stag, the Ford Cortina Mk. III, the Vauxhall Viva HC – and an incredibly handsome Japanese coupe. Nissan had been selling its products in the UK under the Datsun brand for the past two years.
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE TRIUMPH HERALD
On 22nd April 1959, the Albert Hall paid host to a new car from Canley. An audience of the motoring press and dealers could enjoy a musical gala with rock & roll dance numbers and – the piece de resistance - a team of engineers building a Herald Coupe on stage in just four minutes.
THE CHEVROLET CORVETTE AT 70
‘I was very impressed with the Corvette as a one or two-passenger touring car for those whose minds are not twisted too seriously. The performance is not startling – in fact lukewarm for a 3 ½ - litre sports car but is still fast enough to keep the flies off Aunt Nellie’s head as you whip her over to the pool parlor.
THE BMW ISETTA – A CELEBRATION
The bubble car is often associated with the 1950s, but they really belong to the previous decade. The Isetta belongs to a lost country, one of skiffle, Teddy Boys and Tony Hancock and Sidney James squabbling in the front parlour of 23 Railway Cuttings. It is also the vehicle that helped save BMW.
MEET THE OWNER – KEITH JONES AND HIS VAUXHALL CAVALIER GLS COUPE
‘I receive a lot of attention, and I must have spoken to thousands of people at the NEC. The main start to the conversation “was usually my dad had one of those.” But this is only to be expected when you own one of the few Vauxhall Cavalier Coupes still on the road.
FORTY YEARS OF THE PEUGEOT 205
The 15th of February 1983 marked the launch of a car that, by 1984, would end the Renault 5’s long reign as France’s best-selling car. It was also once Peugeot’s most successful model in the UK and the model that changed its identity in this country. It was, of course, the 205.
Carbon offsetting for classics: two sides of the environmental coin flip
While the extent to which historic vehicles pollute is debated, their tailpipe emissions remain the most contentious issue. The continued burning of fossil fuels, for need of a better description, is what the aims of Net Zero environmental policies aim to stop – the curtailment of so-called ‘greenhouse gases’ heating up the planet.