JustBritish

1968 in Augusta, Georgia, was not the place to be if you were looking for some sports car action, or if you were just looking for a sports car for that matter. American by-God Detroit Iron in the form of muscle cars ruled the pavement. This was the 60’s and this was the South. Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros and even the American Motors AMX were the chariots of choice when one cruised the local drive-ins and hangouts. You might occasionally spot an MGB or Triumph Spitfire, but they were usually just passing through. Although, I distinctly remember an elusive Jaguar XK120 that prowled the area of the country club and golf course, but the owner never ventured away from the big houses to be seen at the communal watering holes (in fact the fastest I have ever traveled in a car was in that very same Jaguar XK120, but that’s another story). I became a member of the great unwashed and an outcast among my peers when it was discovered that I had a deep abiding appreciation for foreign cars. I was totally smitten by the European marques. At that time British Leyland still ruled the roost when it came to imports. If you were to say the names Datsun, Toyota or Honda, most would think you were referring to motorcycles. I loved Formula One and IMSA racing (especially the LeMans series). I was not a fan of what would become NASCAR. The idea of people driving very fast in a big lazy circle just didn’t appeal to me. This fascination for foreign cars and foreign racing made it difficult to relate to some of my friends who would much rather discuss horsepower, cubic inch displacement, torque and transmissions. Until I met Randy.
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Popularity: 4% [?]

Peter Mullin, owner of one of the world’s largest private collections of classic French automobiles, points to a 1935 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet sitting among 60 other cars in his museum in Southern California. “This is the finest car ever made,” Mullin says. “At 100 miles an hour, you couldn’t even tell the engine was on.”

The collector is just warming up at his Oxnard-based Mullin Automotive Museum, which was designed to evoke a 1930s art deco auto salon in Paris. He caresses the swooping fender of a red- and-black 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante coupe, designed by the company founder’s son, Jean Bugatti.
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Popularity: 4% [?]

Georgia’s beautiful Jekyll Island will be the setting for this year’s North American Triumph Challenge, which takes place from October 17-22. As the national convention of the Vintage Triumph Register, the Challenge promises to be a not-to-be-missed event for admirers of the cars of Coventry.

Vintage Triumph Register

Highlights of this year’s event include a special focus on the TR6, and a keynote address from author and editor Mike Cook, the former public relations manager for Triumph in the United States and an expert on the marque. There will be plenty of driving opportunities, including an autocross, a time-speed-distance rally and a funkhana, as well as the annual car show and concours d’elegance. Jekyll Island offers attractions of its own, including pristine beaches and a rich Gilded Age history.

If you’re a current, past or future owner of a Triumph, or simply admire these delightful cars, the North American Triumph Challenge is the place to be. VTR is the only register in North America that covers and supports all models of Triumphs. Registration is $105 for VTR members, and registrations are now being accepted at the Challenge website, www.vtr2010.org.

Popularity: 53% [?]

The last genuine MG works rally car is up for auction, 35 years after it was retired from action competitive farewell, and is expected to fetch £90,000-£130,000 (R1-1.5-million) – more than 100 times the price of the road-going MGB in 1964.

BRX 854B was one of two MGB rally cars built by BMC’s competition department in 1964, when the road car was priced at £850 (the equivalent of R1700 at the time).

It made its racing debut in the Spa-Sofia-Liege rally in August 1964 and went on to compete a further five times as a works entry, in the Tulip, Acropolis, Geneva, Danube and RAC rallies, all in 1965.

It was retired in 1975 and has since then had a meticulous restoration, overseen by MG historian John Baggott and legendary MG racer Barry Sidery-Smith with meticulous attention to detail. Existing parts have been painstakingly restored or replaced and some non-standard period competition parts have been sourced with no expense spared.

Its first public appearance after restoration was at the Le Mans Classic in 2008 and it has the historical technical passport, meaning it’s eligible for other such prestigious events, including the Goodwood Revival, Monaco Classic GP and other pre-65 invitation races.

The MGB will be offered up on June 2, complete with documentation – including letters from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the BMC competition department – original handbooks, racing instructions, receipts, restoration archive photographs, magazine articles and newspaper clippings from 1964 and 1965.

Popularity: 23% [?]