JustBritish

Over thirty rare, unusual and beautiful sports and racing cars manufactured in England will be on display at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Pennsylvania from February 20th through March 14th, 2010. Titled the “Best of Britain,” the show is comprised of cars from individual collectors in the mid-Atlantic states and is intended to illustrate why the adjective “British” is inseparable from the term “sports car.”

Cars in the show include a 1935 Triumph Gloria Southern Cross that was once part of the Henry Ford Museum, a 1960 MGA Twin Cam Coupe that raced at Sebring, and a 1966 Aston Martin DB6, one of the most potent sports cars of its era. The poster car, a 1933 Squire is the first of only seven ever built, and is considered by many to be among the most beautiful British sports cars ever made.

The “Best of Britain” show is included with regular museum admission, $12 adults, $10 seniors, $8 for students. Children under 8 are admitted free. The Museum is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Museum is located at 6825 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, Pa., 19153, directly in back of the Airport Automall and five minutes off Interstate 95.

For more information, visit www.simeonemuseum.org or call 215-365-7233.

Source Simeone Museum

Popularity: 11% [?]

The MG6 hatchback will be the first all-new MG model to go on sale in the UK since the 2001 MG ZS and ZT, according to sources at Chinese car maker SAIC, which owns the MG Roewe and Ssangyong brands.

Both the hatchback MG6 and its saloon sister car (which is currently being sold in China under the Roewe 550 badge) will be launched in the UK and Ireland.

Both versions will use the MG badge say sources, and the most popular engine is expected to be the N-series 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, an updated version of Rover’s K-series engine. The cars are expected in the showrooms by early 2011.

Stringent EU crash test standards have proved to be the downfall of previous Chinese-made cars, but the MG6 is actually based on a re-engineered version of the robust Rover 75 platform.

It was only the lack of standard-fit headbags that prevent the 75 from becoming the first car to be awarded five stars in the NCAP crash tests.

The SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre has carried out most of the engineering and styling work on the car. SMTC UK has recently moved from its base in Leamington to the Longbridge factory site.

Industry reports from China say that SAIC is also planning a new small car range – including a small saloon and crossover – based on an all-new platform.

Around 200,000 of the cars will be built annually at a new plant in Nanjing, and are likely to be badged Roewe 350 in China and MG5 elsewhere, though there is no indication whether the models will make it to Europe.

Popularity: 96% [?]

A delectable line-up of Lister Jaguars – the Cambridge-built sports cars that took the big manufacturers on at their own game and won – will be showcased at this year’s Race Retro, held at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry from 12-14 March.

Examples of the earliest models – including founder Brian Lister’s first car, through the classic Lister ‘knobbly’ and Costin-bodied models and onto the 1990s Storm, which saw the name’s revival, will be reunited with the man behind the marque.

Their appearance coincides with a book written by highly-regarded Jaguar enthusiast Paul Skilleter, which chronicles the company’s sports cars, their founder Brian Lister and their successes during the late-1950s.

Closely associated with driver Archie Scott-Brown, Listers originally used MG and Bristol engines, but the switch to Jaguar engines and the shape of the car, dubbed ‘knobbly’, brought the company unparalleled success and exposure.

A later model, designed by then-leading aerodynamicist Frank Costin shepherded in a new cleaner, wind-cheating appearance, but didn’t repeat the success of earlier models.

Those earlier models proved successful in the fledgling historic motor sport scene, but the Lister name was revived in the 1990s with an all-new (but still Jaguar-powered) sports car. Laurence Pearce’s 600bhp Lister Storm ran at Le Mans and at Daytona, bringing home both the FIA GT Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship in 2000.

Brian Lister, who has provided major input to Paul Skilleter’s book, will be on hand to sign copies at Race Retro. Enthusiasts can buy a copy at an exclusive show discount to its normal retail price.

Adult ticket prices for Race Retro start from just £20 for Friday and £15 for Saturday and Sunday when booking in advance or upgrade to a VIP ticket with fantastic hospitality and a chance to meet our special guests. Children’s tickets are £5 on Friday or Saturday and free on Sunday. Parking is also free throughout. The show is open from 9.30am each day and closes at 5.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. To book tickets and for the latest updates, visit www.raceretro.com

From Octane Magazine

Popularity: 5% [?]

Aston Martin will enter its factory LMP1 team in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and next month’s Sebring 12 Hours.

The British manufacturer had been expected to sit out the 2010 season while developing a new car for 2011, but will now take two LMP1 cars to Le Mans and one car to the American Le Mans Series opener at Sebring, the next round at Long Beach and the LMS season opener at Paul Ricard in April.

Autosport Magazine revealed last week that Mexican driver Adrian Fernandez was working on a deal to race an Aston in the ALMS, and the former Champ Car racer and reigning ALMS LMP2 champion will join the team’s line-up for the program.

Stefan Mucke, Darren Turner, Harold Primat and Chris Buncombe have all been retained, with Aston Martin Racing due to announce a sixth driver in the coming weeks. The team is also set to enter selected races this season after Le Mans, but the details are still to be confirmed.

“We are looking forward to a great season of racing and we hope to have another strong showing at Le Mans,” said team boss George Howard-Chappell. “I’d like to welcome Adrian to the team, I’m sure with his experience he will be a great addition to our driver line-up.”

Aston Martin will also have an increased GT program in 2010, supporting two teams in the GT1 World Championship and one in the FIA GT2 series. Works drivers Mucke, Turner and Tomas Enge racing in the new GT1 series.

Popularity: 53% [?]