JustBritish

Ok, I know things have been going up in price and that Triumphs have really been undervalued for a very long time, but $44,000 for a TR-4A really is a lot of money. This one was beautiful though, with surrey top and everything.

Check out the full story here at Autoweek, and please let me know what you think!

Caterham Cars has joined forces with RS Performance to offer “the ultimate in bespoke Seven coachbuilding” to enthusiasts who want an expression of British sports car exclusivity.

Caterham has long been the epitome of personalized motoring with almost every version of the 12 000 Sevens on the road differing from one another. The joint venture takes that famous philosophy to an altogether new level.

RS Performance is an exclusive, niche engineering house. Born out of the passion and pedigree of its founder, Russell Savory, it will offer an “everything is possible” service to Caterham customers who want truly “built to order” cars.

Using the motorsport-honed Caterham chassis and benchmark technology as a cosmetic and engineering base, RS Performance, will “turn imagination into reality”, Savory said.

The heartbeat of every RS-badged Seven will be the unique RST-V8 engine.
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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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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

Jaguar may resurrect its legendary E-Type sports car.

The British motoring icon is tipped to revive the true two-seater sports car to take on the Italian and German sports cars.

The most loved of the Jag family was built in the Swinging England period of 1961 to 1974.

With its performance, handling and modern looks it was a huge sales success and is still a highly sought collector’s car. Even Enzo Ferrari said it was the most beautiful car ever made.

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Classical Drives has some great news for us super car fans: Proteus is coming to the US.

For those of you that don’t know, Proteus is a British car manufacturer that makes exacting replicas of the legendary C and D type Jaguars. These cars are not fiberglass knock-offs, they have all aluminum bodywork that is hand formed much as the originals were.

If you have a fetish for the great racers of the ’60s, you have got to check out these beautiful machines. Drool away.