JustBritish

Land Rover enjoyed a massive UK sales surge last month – with more than 3,000 vehicles sold.

The Solihull-based 4×4 manufacturer sold 3,044 vehicles in October compared to 1,864 in October last year, an increase of more than 63 per cent, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed.

The sales rise followed a bumper September for Land Rover, with the company selling 6,230 vehicles compared to 5,788 in the corresponding month in 2010. October’s sales jump followed the success of the Range Rover Evoque and a general increase in the purchase of SUVs amid predictions of another harsh winter.

Jaguar saw sales dip slightly last month, with the Big Cat selling 713 cars in October compared to 806 in October last year. SMMT figures also showed that Longbridge-based MG Motor UK sold 15 sports cars last month against 16 in October 2010.

The much talked-about HRDC MGB50 Series got underway at Goodwood on 1 November, with an auspicious reunion between four original works MGB competition cars and some of the luminary figures who were instrumental in the success of these fabulous racers.

Long-term MGB stalwart Barry Sidery-Smith and Julius Thurgood, founder and race director of the HRDC, hosted this special gathering at Goodwood, with the support of long-term HRDC sponsor CCK Historic. Guests included: works driver Alec Poole, BMC Competition Department guru Bill Price, BMC Competition Department Manager Peter Browning, BMC ‘Comps Shop’ Manager Basil Wales, BMC ‘Comps Shop’ mechanics Den Green and Brian Moylan, MG guru Malcolm Beer, veteran MGB racer Paul Campfield and MG historian John Baggott.

The Works MGB cars were not just on static display, but were put through their paces on the Goodwood circuit by Barry Sidery-Smith, Tony Dron and Paul Campfield, to the amazement of the many MG aficionados present, who all agreed that this was probably the first time that the four works cars had ever run together.

WORKS MGB COMPETITION CARS AT GOODWOOD:
  DRX255C – Le Mans car – Owner: Barry Sidery-Smith
  GRX307D – ‘Old Faithful’ Marathon de la Route car – Owner: Malcolm Beer
  BRX854B – Spa-Sophia-Liege rally car – Owner: Paul Campfield
  1964 #47 – Sebring car – Owner: Anthony Binnington

The HRDC MGB50 Series will consist of six rounds, each a 30-minute, single-driver race for pre-’66, FIA-specification MGB race cars, with an invitation class for historically important MGBs which do not comply to FIA Appendix ‘K’.

The first round of the series takes place at Castle Combe on 9 April 2012.

Further details and driver registrations can be obtained from either website:

www.hrdc.eu or www.mgb50.eu

Media & competition enquiries to:

JULIUS THURGOOD direct@juliusthurgood.co.uk

A wealth of unseen historic British cars could soon be on display at the Heritage Motor Centre after a trust based there received a lottery cash boost.

The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a £2.5 million project to create a new building to store and display the Trust’s reserve collection of historic British cars, at the Gaydon centre.

Funding of £51,100 has been awarded to help the Trust progress their plans to apply for a full grant in 2012. If two more rounds are awarded building work on the new project could begin in 2013.

The Trust has a collection of almost 300 cars, telling the story of the motor industry in Britain from the 1890s to the present and although more than 160 of these vehicles can be seen on display at the Heritage Motor Centre, the rest of the collection remains hidden in store.

The project will allow people to see the whole collection for the first time in a purpose-built facility that will also include a vehicle restoration and conservation workshop.

In addition the Trust will launch a new volunteer programme allowing people to get more involved with the collection by helping with its conservation and interpretation and will also run a series of events and other activities as part of the project.

Tim Bryan, of the Heritage Motor Centre, said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has pledged their support for our project which will help us make our collection far more accessible than before and enable people to learn more about the motor industry which has played such an important role in the West Midlands.”

Bentley has secured the second grant from the British government’s Business Regional Growth Fund (RGF) this year. Earlier the company had received £ 1.68 m to create additional manufacturing jobs and training. Luxury car maker Bentley is one of the few automotive companies in the UK who undertakes all their activities in one site. Every Bentley in UK car is designed, engineered and built in their Crewe site in Cheshire. Bentley is the third largest investor in R&D in the UK.

The new grant will facilitate development of new powertrains so as to produce products to export to emerging export markets. Wolfgang Durheimer, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley spoke about the grant by saying, “This is a real boost for Bentley which has one of the most highly skilled automotive workforces in the country and, uniquely, has now been awarded two RGF grants. It shows that the Government recognizes the importance of Bentley and the contribution we make to high value manufacturing and UK exports. Our customers expect the very best in terms of exclusivity, technology, quality and engineering excellence which requires significant ongoing investment in R&D. This is why we retain such a strong engineering capability exclusively for Bentley here in the UK. This grant will help safeguard those operations as we look to develop new powertrains which appeal to new markets and new customers.”

The British automobile manufacturer Lotus is recalling its Elise and Exige models over potential fire risks or crashes, due to an oil leak issue. The models produced in 2005 and 2006 have been reportedly subjected to an immediate recall by the company.

As slated, in July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had opened a probe into these Lotus cars to investigate oil cooler leaks for the Elise and Exige models that were manufactured between June 1, 2004 and November 30, 2006. With 17 complaints from the owners of the vehicles reporting oil leaks onto the right rear tires, which resulted into handling problems and a fire incidence as well, the investigation finally triggered a recall announcement from the company.

As per the NHTSA official site, the owners of the affected vehicles may contact Lotus at 1-800-245-6887 and get their cars repaired. For any further information, they may also contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

Trying to break into a new marketplace is never easy – and it’s a damn site harder when it’s the ultra-competitive car market. That, though, is effectively what MG is trying to do as the company’s Chinese owners return to the table with the first new models to wear the MG badge in 16 years.

Their task is made even harder by the history involved here.

The messy demise of the previous company cost the brand a lot of the goodwill and then there was the, perhaps understandable, scepticism as the Far Eastern conglomerates stepped in to pick over the wreckage.

However, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation seem to be taking the right steps to woo the army of MG followers back. They have set up their UK headquarters in what is retained of the Longbridge plant, which had become the marque’s home before its collapse.
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