JustBritish

The Telegraph is reporting that Ulrich Bez has not just been turning around legendary car maker Aston Martin, but he has been leading them to profit.

To quote the Telegraph, “Are profits still growing? Aston Martin has not yet published its 2007 financial results but Bez says: ‘Usually when there is a change of ownership you can say that a company will go through a difficult time for a year or two. We have not seen any of that. We have not lost any of the motivation that we had under Ford where we were a very enthusiastic team. We have been profitable since the last quarter of 2005 and we have increased that profitability year on year.’”

Popularity: 24% [?]

Marking the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the ERA (‘English Racing Automobiles Limited’) – the first-ever British specialist company to manufacture single-seat, open-wheeled racing cars for customer sale – Bonhams will auction the first prototype ERA at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 11 July 2008.

The ERA marque played a pivotal role in British motor sporting history. From 1934- 1938, these British racing cars toppled the former supremacy of the Italian Maserati cars in their International ‘Voiturette’ competition class – effectively Formula Two or Grand Prix Two level. They performed incredible service, also graduating to contemporary Grand Prix racing pre-World War Two and then from 1948-51 to Formula One.

Chassis no. ‘R1A’ – to be sold by Bonhams – was first driven by Raymond Mays at ERA’s public debut in testing at Brooklands on 22 May 1934. Trouble in practice for its first race in the Mannin Moar event at Douglas, Isle of Man on 30 May saw Raymond Mays non-start but he and Humphrey Cook then co-drove the new car in its true race debut, the British Empire Trophy at Brooklands on 23 June. There again on 6 August, Raymond Mays finished 2nd in an Esher Mountain Handicap, and set the class lap record at 76.31mph.
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Popularity: 1% [?]

It is, for some of us, getting to be that time of year when we think about Spring, long drive with our favorite car, and car shows. But, before you head out it would benefit you and your classic if you would take a few minutes to do a checkup on the car. This will not only help the car run better, but could keep you off the side of the road.

Fuel System
We think one of the best car insurance policies is a sound fuel system. This means examining every hose, line and fitting from the fuel filler to the tank and carburetor. Depending on how long the car has been stored, stale fuel can also be an issue. It has a much different smell from fresh fuel, and if it’s really stagnant, we pump the tank out and start with fresh fuel.

Cooling system
Check the radiator hoses, along with smaller ancillary hoses for catch tanks and the heater core, for overall integrity. “For a spring start-up, we always check the coolant level, age and condition,” advises Wittwer. “We normally change the coolant every two years or if it is contaminated and has turned a rusty color.”

Chassis
Bringing tire air pressure up to spec is obvious, but also take the opportunity to examine tire wear. Uneven wear can indicate an alignment problem that needs correcting. “On a car with knock-off wheels, make sure the knock-offs are correctly tightened,” notes Scott Young, a longtime vintage-car owner in California. “Particularly if you haven’t driven the car in a long time, it’s also important to do a nut-and-bolt check.

Hydraulics
Next to fuel systems, there’s probably nothing on an old car as prone to failure as a hydraulic clutch or brakes. You should make a point to work the brakes several times over the winter to keep the pistons free. Before hitting the road again, bleed the brake lines. Changing to synthetic fluid also will help reduce future moisture-related damage.

Drivetrain
Check fluid levels in the engine, transmission and differential. If oil has leaked during storage, replace the offending seals–you’ll keep both your car and the road cleaner. It’s a good idea to crank the engine a couple of times during the winter, to keep the pistons from settling in one position where the cylinders could develop rust rings.

Battery
Keeping your battery on a battery tender over winter can dramatically increase its useful life. A good idea is to store the battery in a place away from the car. Before reinstalling it, clean the posts with baking soda and water.

Remember, by taking care of some simple maintenance issues, you can keep your care rolling better, your blood pressure down, and really enjoy the day.

By John L. Stein – AutoWeek

Popularity: unranked [?]

Jaguar Cars Ltd. has taken 10,000 customer deposits globally for the upcoming XF sedan, including about 3,000 in the United States. That’s a promising start. Jaguar executives say they released the figures to show the impact of the XF even without advertising or cars available to test drive.

Instead, Jaguar has combined dealer training with posh customer-only events. The company put together a 21-city road show with a few demo XFs in tow, training entire dealerships at once. Dealerships then conducted events for loyal customers and luxury intenders.

Ken Gorin, owner of The Collection in Miami, has 80 sold orders from holding two events, one at the dealership and another in the Miami Design District.

“I sold 30 XFs the first night,” Gorin says. “I haven’t seen a reaction like that since the (Porsche) Boxster came out. When people hear that it’s $49,900 with a standard V8, they say, ‘Sign me up.’ ”

Irma Elder, who owns four Jaguar stores in the Detroit area, hosted an owner-only event at the Fox Theatre and didn’t invite the media. She has about 50 sold orders in hand.

The United Kingdom, Europe and North America will all begin selling the XF on March 10. The simultaneous launch is a first for Jaguar. It used to do regional rollouts, with the United States getting cars up to six months after Europe. But Jaguar has proved equal to the task, says Mike O’Driscoll, managing director of Jaguar Cars Ltd.

Marketing also is different. TV commercials will continue in the vein of past “Gorgeous” ads. But Jaguar is returning to a more masculine stance with its print message. That includes running in magazines such as GQ, Rolling Stone, Esquire and Vanity Fair.

Source: Autoweek

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