JustBritish

Yes, you can now have an Aston Martin on your computers! Aston Martin has produced a beautiful screensaver that will make you droll on the keyboard. The interactive screensaver contains a selection of current Aston Martin photography, current product information and the latest company news. A feature has been included to allow you to stay up to date with the latest news and content with a live feed.

The screensaver is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers and is available at http://www.astonmartin.com/gallery/screensaver.

The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is excited to announce that their newest exhibit “50 Years of the MINI – Presented by MINI of Nashville” will open on Thursday, April 16. This exhibit will focus on the history and influence of the Mini brand over the last 50 years.

They would also like to thank MINI of Nashville for partnering with them in the creation and promotion of this exhibit. In addition to the exhibit, their support will allow the museum to host a special celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Mini in late August. According to the museum, a specific date along with more details will be available soon.

More information about the contents of the exhibit is available now online at the Lane Motor Museum’s Mini site.

Around a fifth of the workforce at the MG plant in Birmingham could lose their jobs, the car manufacturer has said. MG Motor UK Ltd said 30 employees were at risk of redundancy following a review and restructure of business operations at the Longbridge site.

The company, previously Nanjing, said it could not make assurances of long-term employment stability for staff due to the current economic climate. Production of the MGTF sports car restarted at the factory last year.

A statement from MG Motor UK said: “The unique trading conditions we are currently operating in make any assurances of long-term employment stability difficult to predict. Following a review and restructure of its business operations the company has abided by the statutory consultation process and placed a number of employees ‘at risk’ of redundancy.

“MG UK has always maintained that its workforce would be preserved in line with the ongoing needs of the business and sustainability has and will continue to be a priority as the economy experiences unique trading conditions.”

The company added that by taking early action it hoped further redundancies could be avoided. Nanjing bought MG Rover’s assets following the collapse of the company nearly four years ago. The Chinese firm recently re-branded itself as MG Motor UK Ltd.

According to PM Gordon Brown, electric cars are to be introduce en masse across Britain in plans for an environmentally friendly budget. The Prime Minister hopes to make Britain “a world leader” in producing and exporting electric cars and hybrid petrol-electric vehicles.

Trials for electric cars in two or three cities could be up and running as soon as next year, he said. As part of the plan, the Government will also open talks with power companies to ensure vehicles can have their batteries recharged at power points at the roadside.

Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, is also planning to create 400,000 jobs in the green sector over the next five years. Other measures will include the Government relaxing planning rules to allow the building of more wind farms to ensure Britain hits its target to generate 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.
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April 30th through May 3rd, 2009, marks the return of The Mitty to Road Atlanta in Georgia. I first attended the event about 25 years ago when it was still called The Walter Mitty Challenge. At that time the vintage racing group SVRA was still knows as teh Southern Vintage Racing Association. Times have changed. The event is now just called “The Mitty”, the SVRA is now the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, and the event is now part of the HSR – Historic Sportscar Racing series. Oh, and I now am married, have kids, and am supposedly a responsible adult.

But best of all I am actually going back to enjoy the festivities!

With Classic Motorsports Magazine hosting the event, this year looks to be the best one ever. For 2009 Jaguar is the featured marque at The Mitty, dozens of legendary cats from the D-Type to the Group 44 IMSA GTP prototypes will be gathering. This could very well be the largest ever assembly of these machines.

In addition, and amazingly to me, they are planning the largest collection of Group 44 cars, drivers and crew members ever assembled. This is your chance to meet the men and see the cars that ruled the Runoffs and Road Atlanta throughout the ’70s.

Of course lots more will be going on including a swap meet, car corral, slot car racing and, oh yes, lots of vintage racing. From the Ferraris and Cobras of the ’50s and ’60s to the incredible IMSA GTP cars of the ’80s and ’90s, the Mitty allows you to relive the most thrilling battles in motorsports history. Plus, famous Formula 1 cars from the last five decades will take to the track for a rare appearance.

Twenty-year old student, Natalie Horn, will make her Targa Tasmania debut this year, driving a 1973 Ford Escort Mk1.

Horn, from Cliftleigh in New South Wales, has been competing in motorsport events since she was just 12 years old. She is a former winner of the Junior and Ladies championships with the MG Car Club in Newcastle, and enters Targa Tasmania on the back of what is already a relatively long and illustrious motorsport career.

She will be co-driven by her close friend, 27-year-old Melinda Saxby, and will drive a car that has been in her family for 25 years.

“The car was originally built up for Group G rallying, then ran hillclimbs for a while and in 1987-89 won NSW State Hillclimb Series in Sports Sedans,” Natalie explains.

“It then got put into a shed and forgotten about until early last year. It has since been fully pulled apart, resprayed and rebuilt at my request.”

The dependable little Escort has been heavily modified over the years, and will front the Targa start with a seam welded body, fibreglass guards, bonnet and bootlid, and Lexan windows.

Mechanically the car features a worked 2.0 litre engine coupled to a 5-speed Getrag close ratio gearbox. The hand-made, fully adjustable suspension includes a 5-link rear end, a 3.9:1 limited slip differential and four wheel disc brakes.

Predictably, Natalie can’t wait for Targa Tasmania to begin in Georgetown on April 28.

“Both Melinda and I have never done anything like this before, and after going to see last year’s event, there was no question that I had to be competing this year,” she says.

The fact that her father, Phillip Horn, is also competing in the event in a 1979 Mitsubishi Scorpion, also means that she’ll have someone to chase.

“Just to finish the event would be good, but I would love to beat Dad at least once just to rub his face in it.”

Natalie and her co-driver, Melinda Saxby, grew up together and their fathers are both heavily into motorsport.

“There was no way they were entering this year without us!” she adds.

The six days promise to be tough on all competitors, and particularly for a girl who likes her sleep, as Natalie explains.

“Racing is the only thing I don’t mind getting up early for – as long as there is a nice bacon and egg roll to start off with,” she laughs.

Their entry into Targa Tasmania is being supported by GWH Group, Hunter Optical Specialists, Singleton Exhaust Centre, 4WD Solutions, Commercial Windows, Rutherford Mufflers and Suspension, and Brad Lantry Plumbing.