LANCASTER CLASSIC CAR NEWS
Our ten favourite English motor museums
Museums still have a lot to offer classic car enthusiasts. They’re part of the preservation movement that keeps historic vehicles on the road; not only are venues given over to exhibits, but space is also allotted to owners to gather and display their cars. As institutions, they repair and display our past motoring heritage.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
Father’s Day will soon be upon us, so I would like to celebrate the return to the road of one of my parent’s projects – his 1983 Talbot-Matra Murena 1.6. Here is what I wrote about his previous projects in 2018:
STARS AND THEIR CARS – BARRY NEWMAN AND THE DODGE CHARGER R/T 440 MAGNUM
The passing of Barry Newman on the 11 May means there can be only one choice for ‘Stars and Their Cars’ for this month. Some readers may remember the actor as Petrocelli, a television series filled with Cadillac Fleetwoods and other fine Detroit machinery. But for countless film enthusiasts around the world, he will forever be Kowalski, the driver of a supercharged white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum in Vanishing Point.
THE MGA – ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CARS IN MG’S HISTORY
On 27 May the British Motor Museum paid host to the Centenary of MG. Such a magnificent event prompted a question that is impossible to answer – what is the most historically significant car to bear the octagon badge? Obviously, there is ‘Old Number One’ but you could also cite the TC, the first MG officially marked in the USA, or the MGB, once the world’s best-selling sports car.
MEET THE OWNER – THE MARK DENTON COLLECTION
“My father always had Triumphs and drove a Vanguard pick-up when serving in the RAF. I took a shine to my Vanguard van in the village when I was 13 years old”. And today, Mark Denton’s fleet includes a TR7 Convertible and no fewer than six Vanguards – one of the UK’s most important post-war cars.
MEET THE OWNER – STEVE POWLAY AND HIS POLICE MGC ROADSTER
In the 1980s, Steve owned an MG Midget and an MGB, and his recent retirement prompted him to buy a third Abingdon sports car in July 2019. Any MGC Roadster is a distinctive machine, but this example is one of 18 commissioned by the London Metropolitan Police.
The Panhard Dyna Z at 70
On the 17th June 1953, Panhard launched the Dyna Z at Paris’s Les Ambassadeurs – and to say it caused a sensation would be an understatement. For one, there was its appearance; the company’s Head of Chassis Development and Chief Stylist, Louis Bionier, designed and tested the monocoque aluminium body in a wind tunnel. Moreover, Panhard proudly claimed the Z had a drag coefficient of just 0.28.
THE RETURN OF THE RALEIGH CHOPPER
The 20th June sees the return of a vehicle that embodies 1970s popular culture as much as a Ford Cortina GXL with a vinyl roof and a bottle of Hai Karate aftershave in the glove compartment. On that date, the Raleigh Chopper is to return, in either Infra Red or Ultra Violet, at a price of £950
WHY THE MG METRO 1300 MATTERS
The centenary of MG is the opportunity to pay homage to so many of their cars, including a model that was rather overlooked for too long. The MG Metro was neither designed nor built in the Abingdon factory but its debut in May 1982 marked the revival of one of the world’s most famous marques. It is no understatement to suggest MG’s revival depended on the success of a small three-door hatchback.
100 YEARS OF MG – AND 100 MG FACTS
In 1923, William Morris permitted Cecil Kimber, the General Manager of Morris Garages of Queen Street in Oxford, to build sporting versions of Morris cars. That August, the company registered the first six MG Super Sports. And so, to celebrate 100 years of MG, here are 100 facts:
MEET THE OWNER – DANIEL NICHOLS AND HIS MORRIS 1800HL
Earlier this year, Daniel employed a very unusual car for work duty. Of course, any BL ‘Wedge’ is a fascinating sight, and the Nichols HL was deployed “on the school run and delivering modern car parts for repair. In the last six months, I boast she’s done 4,000 miles on main car duty, and was only a fan belt short of 100% reliable!”.
CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW CELEBRATES TEN YEARS AS ‘PERFECT PARTNERS’ WITH LANCASTER INSURANCE FOR 2023 SHOW THEME
Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show will be held 10-12 Nov 2023 at Birmingham’s NEC.The 2023 show theme is ‘Perfect Partners’. Clubs and exhibitors encouraged to take part in annual show theme. Tickets now on sale via advanced online booking.
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