VotW - Magnificent Machines - The Golden Age of the British Sports Car
Articles

VotW – The Golden Age of the British Sports Car

Our video this week is titled “Magnificent Machines – The Golden Age of the British Sports Car”. I thought it was time to get a little less marque specific and a little more all-inclusive this week. You know, broaden our horizons a bit, just like going to shows does. When I got to car shows, I often find myself marveling at some creation that either I didn’t know existed or would not have believed myself to be at all interested in. This documentary was broadcast by the BBC in 2012 as part of the “Timeshift” series. It takes a look back at the golden age of British Sports Cars using both in period and modern footage to emphasize the craze around the Jaguars, Austin-Healys, MGs and Triumph’s of the early days. This was the golden age of the British sports […]

MG Car Channel - The First MG
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VotW – The First MG from the MG Cars Channel

Our Video of the Week this week is not just a single video but an entire channel. The MG Cars Channel was created by of David Shelburne of Shelburn Films. In David’s words, “there are lots of individual MG videos out there, on YouTube and others. But it’s not easy to find the specific videos you are interested in. What I am trying to do is create one place where people can go and find a large variety of MG videos to choose from.” This is the place to find videos about all things MG.  You can become familiar with the history of MG by learning about the various models produced through the years; start with “The First MG,” to learn that it was not the car we call “Old Number One.”  Follow the link at the end of each video to find […]

VotW - Lotus Evora 400 – From Road To Track
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VotW – Lotus Evora 400 – From Road To Track

Our Video of the Week (VotW) this time around is a brand new marketing video from Lotus for the Evora 400. As they say, “The most powerful production Lotus ever – the new Lotus Evora 400 is a superior machine to the previous model in every aspect.” Over two thirds of the Lotus Evora 400 is new, including its supercharged and charge-cooled mid-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine. Power has been increased from 345 hp (350 PS; 257.3 kW) to 400 hp (406 PS; 298.3 kW) at 7,000rpm. Torque has also been increased to 302 lbs ft (410 Nm) achieved between 3,500 to 6,500 rpm. 42 kg lighter than the previous model, with a completely new aluminium chassis and significantly revised lightweight composite body front and rear. The new Evora 400 is also ergonomically more refined, with easier cabin exit and entry, […]

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Articles

VotW – VARAC Car Profile – The MG

Time for a little vintage racing. Yes, our video this weeks comes from the VARAC. The VARAC, the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada, is the main Vintage Racing Club in Eastern Canada. All VARAC members share a desire to preserve, restore and race historically significant cars in a form as close to the original specification as possible As for the video itself, it is a profile of MG. Who doesn’t love the MGs? (Don’t answer that. We don’t want to hear it.) Featured in this fantastic video by KarmaComa Studio are three uniquely different versions of the MG. Owned by VARAC members David & Evan Holmes, Dave Good and Gary Allen, these cars have been restored and carefully prepared to race the toughest circuits in North America. More info about racing with VARAC is available at www.varac.ca and about […]

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Articles

VotW – MG Motoring Memories

MG Motoring Memories is our video of the week this go round. Composed of current and old footage from MG’s heyday, this video from the Magnificent Motorcars series by Green HD Production really does bring back the memories. Part of the real interest in this video is that it documents not only MG’s history, but the brands history in the United States and how that affected cars in both America and Europe. The influence of MG on the Chevrolet Corvette is a primary focus. I also have to say, on a personal note, that the video mentions Clemson University, the college that my son is currently attending. How can a connection like that be resisted?

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Articles

VotW – New Morgan Aero 8

In honor of the announcement at the Geneva International Motor Show of the new Morgan Aero 8, our video this week is Morgan’s promotional clip of the new sports car. • Over 1250 Aero platform cars delivered since 1st generation launch in 2000. • New Aero 8 signifies return to soft top motoring within the current Aero range. • Significant changes to the aluminium chassis, suspension and vehicle aerodynamics. • Powered by a 4.8 litre V8 BMW engine producing 367bhp. • Available with 6 speed manual or automatic transmission (with paddle shift). • New Hand sculpted aluminium body and revised interior styling. • Largest options list of any Morgan sports car to date. • The Aero SuperSports and Coupé cease production in April 2015. • Production begins during quarter 4 of this year. For more information on the new Morgan […]

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Classic Cars

VotW – 1969 British Saloon Car Racing

For this week’s Video of the Week we are going to go 35 years back. Yes, back all the way to 1969 for some great BBC footage of the British national saloon car championship from Crystal Palace. Above the race, you can hear commentary from Murry walker. As the original poster of this video to YouTube stated, “this is a great video and I wish motorsport was a bit more like this these days and less technical and money orientated.” I can whole-heartedly agree with that. 1969 was the last year of Group 5 in Britain – and the last year of that plastic bomb called the Falcon Sprint. The rules had become a little more strict now – so no FVA engine in Cortinas or Escorts now, in line with the rest of Europe. Class divisions were like 1968 […]

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Articles

VotW – MGB The Car’s The Star

After a brief absence, we return with a new Video of the Week. This week MGBs are on the mind and so our video will be one entitled “The Car’s the Star”. It is a documentary on the famous MG which was produced for basically two decades. For those who have been living under a rock and aren’t familiar with the MGB, the ‘B’ as it is known is a two-door sports car manufactured and marketed by MG Cars and its successors as a four-cylinder, soft-top roadster (1962-1980) — along with variants including the MGB GT three-door 2+2 coupé (1965-1974), the six-cylinder roadster and coupé MGC (1967-1969), and the eight-cylinder 2+2 coupé, the MGB GT V8 (1973-1976). Replacing the MGA in 1962, production of the MGB and its variants continued by the British Motor Corporation and its successors, British Motor […]

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Articles

VotW – Morgan

This week we are happy to feature the latest video from the Morgan Motor Company. in our VotW (Video of the Week). “This Is How We Do It” takes you behind the scenes at the world’s oldest privately owned car manufacturer. Take an exciting look at the production line of our Pickersleigh Road factory and allow the Morgan craftsmen and women to talk you through how they hand build each Morgan Sports Car. From cutting the first intricate pieces of the ash wood for the frame through to final road test and PDI, this video guides you through the unique production process. Condensing a complex process of manufacture that takes over 4 weeks into just 8 minutes of footage was difficult. For the full Morgan factory experience visit www.morgan-motor.co.uk/tours  

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Articles

VotW – The Quality Connection

Our video this week is a little something different. It is a internal corporate video from British Leyland on the importance of quality in building a car. Some may laugh at this now, but it is obvious that the powers that be at British Leyland knew the had a problem and had to do something to address it. “The Quality Connection” is just such an attempt. If nothing else, view this 24 minute video for all the period cars you will see. And try, just try, not to imagine Eric Idle, John Cleese, or any other of the Monty Python bunch coming out to stop the video as “too serious” or something. It really does look almost like a comedy sketch to us these days, but then history and perspective can do that.

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Articles

VotW – Top Gear’s Aston Martin DBS Review

All of our recent weekly videos have been of the more educational and historic nature, but now for something completely different. This week’s VotW (Video of the Week) is a review from a few years ago of the Aston Martin DBS by the fine folks at Top Gear. Don’t know Top Gear? You call yourself a British car fan? If you don’t know them yet, you will after watching this video. Oh, and we of course mean the UK version produced by the BBC, not the rather lame US version. In this review from the BBC series, Jeremy Clarkson test drives the flashy Aston Martin DBS in his unmistakable style, before Top Gear’s tame racing driver, the Stig, takes it out for a spin round the track. And as with all Top Gear segments, be careful about watching this at work. […]