MX-5 AND GT-R BIRTHDAYS MARKED AT BEAULIEU’S SIMPLY JAPANESE

MX-5 AND GT-R BIRTHDAYS MARKED AT BEAULIEU’S SIMPLY JAPANESE

Two of Japan’s best-loved performance cars will be honoured as part of Beaulieu’ssuper-size Simply Japanese on Sunday, July 28th, as 30 years of the Mazda MX-5 and 50 years of the Nissan GT-R are marked with special display areas in the vibrant show.

Owners of these iconic motors are invited to park in the grounds of the National Motor Museum as highlights of the show, which is anticipated to attract as many as 900 Japanese cars of every age and variety.

The globally successful Mazda MX-5 has become the roadster of choice for millions since its 1989 launch. The iconic Nissan GT-R traces its history back even further to 1969 when it was unveiled as the ultimate performance version of the six-cylinder Nissan Skyline. Owners of both of these legendary models, from the earliest examples right up to the latest showroom versions, will be taking their places in the busy showground.

Club stands are always at the heart of the show, with 450 cars across 29 club stand already booked to attend the eighth Simply Japanese. Mighty 5s will be bringing along a selection of Mazda MX-5s, Del Sol UK will be showcasing the targa-top Honda CRX and Celica-Club will celebrate the many incarnations of Toyota’s sporty Celica, while Hampshire Honda Crew, the Toyota GT86, Subaru BRZ Drivers Club plus the SouthCoastJap and Nihon Kuruma Alliance enthusiasts’ groups will be out in force, as members each park their pride and joy on the club stand.

Throughout the day, visitors and event-goers will be able to vote for their favourite Japanese car of the show in the People’s Choice Award, with the winner receiving a Beaulieu trophy.

Event tickets include entry to all of the Beaulieu attraction, including the National Motor Museum with its Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50 years exhibition, World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, the Montagu ancestral home of Palace House and its grounds and gardens.

For those driving Japanese cars and taking part in the show, participant tickets are £10 an adult, £5 a child (aged 5-16) if bought in advance online before 5pm on July 25th, or £12 an adult and £6 a child on the day. All other visitors can buy general admission tickets to Beaulieu at the standard attraction price. For tickets and information see www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/simply-japanese.

Entry is from 8.30am - 3pm for rally participants. The Brabazon Restaurant will serve hot drinks and breakfast snacks from 9-11am. All other visitors should enter Beaulieu though the Visitor Reception building with a standard attraction admission ticket, from 10am.

Simply Japanese will be Beaulieu’s eighth Simply rally this year, followed by the first Simply Mercedes on August 18th and Simply Smart on November 10th. For tickets and details see www.beaulieu.co.uk/events.

Find us on Twitter @Beaulieu_Hants, on Facebook at /nationalmotormuseum or on Instagram @national_motor_museum and join the conversation.

SEAT CELEBRATES 50th ANNIVERSARY OF 1430 AND 850 SPYDER AT THE TECHNO-CLASSICA

SEAT CELEBRATES 50th ANNIVERSARY OF 1430 AND 850 SPYDER AT THE TECHNO-CLASSICA

Once again, SEAT will be part of Techno-Classica, the renowned world show for vintage, classic and prestige cars in Essen, Germany. At this year’s edition, the Spanish carmaker is showing the variety and diversity of its history with some of the most popular vehicles to have driven off the brand’s production line.
Two versions of the 50-year-old 1430 – a first series saloon and a more powerful estate – as well as a gorgeous example of the 850 Sport Spider – the only convertible SEAT, has ever developed which also turns 50 this year – will be on show.
The SEAT that brought greater refinement to saloons: the SEAT 1430
The SEAT 1430 was released in 1969 and so marks its 50th anniversary in 2019. It was a 124 derivative, a unique Spanish model which can be considered the most complete Spanish saloon car of the time. The 1430 is easily recognisable by its twin-headlights, (the 124 always had a single headlight), and bigger taillights, while under the bonnet was a 1,438cc, 70PS engine, (10PS more than the standard 1.2-litre 124).
Although the design of the 1430 was very similar to the standard 124, the simple modifications to the lights and the bigger, more powerful engine were enough to make it a different, more up-market car. The 1430 was produced until 1976, when the 124 evolution called “Pamplona” was launched, inheriting the full 1430 engine range. More than 255,000 examples were built, powered by the standard 1430 engine as well as 1.6 and 1.8 twin-cam versions, known as FU, (the letters that identified the chassis numbers).
The 1430 was also produced defining moments in SEAT’s motorsport history. The most powerful versions were incredibly successful in rally competition, winning four Spanish rally championships in the mid-’70s, a golden period for SEAT Competition, the Spanish carmaker’s racing division at the time.
The 1430’s importance to the brand doesn’t end there. Its engine was used to power the Formula 1430, the first Spanish single-seater championship, created by SEAT at the beginning of the 1970s. Formula 1430 formed the training ground for a new generation of Spanish drivers who would go on to achieve great success, while at the same time establishing a breeding ground for Spanish chassis constructors.
The grandfather of today’s Leon ST Cupra: the SEAT 1430 Especial 1600 Familiar
Nowadays high-performance estate models are revered and loved by car enthusiasts, proven by the success of the FR and Cupra versions of the current SEAT Leon ST. But in the ‘70s cars with a fifth door, generous load space and easy access lacked the dynamic image that we take for granted today.
So imagine the shock on the average Spanish driver when in mid-1974 SEAT launched a Familiar (or estate) version of the 1430 saloon powered by the 1.6-litre twin-cam engine of the 1430-1600 (known as the FU). At the time it was the first Spanish-built sports saloon, delivering 95PS and weighing only 980kg, giving its a top speed of 105mph. At the time, performance figures that no one would have put next to a sedate-looking estate car.
The 1430 Especial 1600 Familiar (type FM) was so far ahead of its time that commercial success was difficult to come by as the domestic market still wasn’t ready for a vehicle that was the ST Cupra of its era. Only 852 examples were made between 1974 and 1976 when production stopped. It was replaced by the SEAT 131 estate, powered by the same engine but bigger and heavier, making it far less fiery.
The SEAT 1430-1600 estate’s farsighted performance make it a very rare car today, and one that is appreciated and venerated by collectors.

A unique and gorgeous slice of SEAT’s history: the SEAT 850 Sport Spider
The SEAT 850 Sport was the first niche car produced by SEAT. It also back in 1969, the same year the 1,000,000th car built by the Spanish car maker left the Barcelona assembly line since 1953.
These two apparently unrelated landmarks illustrate the great evolution experienced by both SEAT as a company and the Spanish domestic market. In SEAT’s formative years the brand made cars to satisfy the urgent need for mobility of the Spanish population, by the time the 1,000,000th car was built, both the domestic market and SEAT were mature enough to offer a car with no other raison-d’etre than pure driving pleasure.
The base of the 850 Sport, (its official name, though it’s also known as Sport Spider to differentiate it from the coupé version), was the 850 saloon, launched three years earlier, but the two vehicles couldn’t have been more different.
The Sport was a gorgeous two-seater convertible designed by the renowned Italian car designer Bertone and was also optionally available as a hardtop.
Not only was the car a milestone for the company, but so too was its engine. Under the bonnet was a 903cc, 52PS petrol engine that was later used by the 850 Sport Coupé version, and, set the groundwork for a myriad of future SEAT cars, including an entry version of the new Ibiza in the mid-’80s

.
Only 1,746 examples of the SEAT 850 Sport Spider were built when production ended in 1972, and it holds a unique place in SEAT’s history. With no successor, the Spider was the first and only production convertible ever built by the brand, a symbol of what SEAT could make possible but also a sign of how the Spanish carmaker and its domestic market had developed, with increasing demand for more mainstream vehicles.
SEAT and its historic models can be found in Hall 4 at the 31st Techno-Classica Essen 2019, which runs from 10th – 14th April.

Source: SEAT

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AT LAND ROVER LEGENDS

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AT LAND ROVER LEGENDS

Four very special anniversaries will be celebrated at Land Rover Legends at Bicester Heritage on 25th and 26th May, each one marking a highly significant milestone in the history of the Land Rover marque.

50 years of the Pink Panther

The 50th anniversary of the entry into service of the Series IIa SAS Pink Panther will be commemorated with what is expected to be the largest-ever gathering of these fascinating vehicles, supported by two surviving examples of the Series One and some of the few surviving later 110 SAS vehicles.

The Pink Panther was born during the late 1960s, as a follow on from the adapted WW11 Jeep and the Series One. The MOD acquired 72 Series IIa 109 Land Rovers for special ops missions and long-distance reconnaissance. Marshalls of Cambridge converted them to SAS desert duty specification, with modifications including heavy-duty springs and chassis, additional fuel tanks to carry 100 gallons, smoke grenade launcher, rifles, machine guns, hand grenades and an anti-tank rocket launcher. The Land Rovers were delivered to the SAS in standard green livery but the SAS had many of them repainted in pink. This might seem an unlikely colour for a military vehicle - especially one in service with the SAS - but it is actually the perfect colour for camouflage in the desert, especially at dawn and dusk when the ground in their theatres of operation takes on a red or pink shade. Thus the ‘Pink Panther’ name was born. Often shortened to ‘Pinkie’ the name was even applied to the vehicles the SAS kept in their original, green colour. Pinkies would remain in service until 1984 when the coil sprung Hi–Cap was introduced as a replacement.

40th anniversary of ‘the best Land Rover that Land Rover never produced’

In the late-1970s, Land Rover built around 36 100-inch wheelbase prototypes for evaluation by the French, and later the Swiss, military. Based on various axles adapted for coil springs, petrol 4-cylinder and V8 engine options, with manual and automatic gearbox options and a one-off chassis, and a 24V electrical system, they were produced in a range of configurations, most with twin fuel tanks. Although these vehicles never went into production, the 100-inch wheelbase was felt by many to be the perfect dimension for a Land Rover, and enthusiasts went on to create their own ‘hybrids’ based on modified Range Rover chassis and Land Rover panels. 

The 40th anniversary of these exceptionally rare 100-inch prototypes – considered by many to be the best Land Rover that Land Rover never produced – will also be celebrated at Land Rover Legends with what is expected to be the largest-ever gathering. 

The 30th anniversary of ‘the vehicle that saved Land Rover’

In the mid-1980s sales of Land Rover’s utility vehicles were in decline, and the company was also facing challenges from new 4x4 vehicles such as the Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Shogun. The company’s response was to develop a new vehicle that would sit between the 90 and 110, and the Range Rover. In 1989 Land Rover unveiled its new Discovery at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The 3-door vehicle, deliberately described this way as part of the programme to differentiate it from the 2-door Range Rover, although both had two doors and a tailgate, actually shared the Range Rover’s chassis and drive train, body frame, and many other components, all of which were clad in a brand-new, trend-setting design that ensured the new vehicle would appeal to a new, younger and ‘lifestyle-oriented’ market. The Discovery was an instant sales success and was quickly followed by the 5-door version that further cemented its appeal as a family vehicle. Land Rover had a winner on its hands and had launched it with perfect timing to ride the wave of the soaring popularity of recreational and lifestyle off-roaders that followed in the early 1990s. Land Rover Legends will celebrate the 30th anniversary of this hugely successful vehicle.

The 25th birthday of the launch of the P38a

In September 1994 Land Rover launched the second-generation Range Rover - 24 years after the original was introduced. The new car was developed in building P38a of the Solihull factory, and so became known as the P38a. This was undeniably a luxury vehicle with leather upholstery, premium trim and burr walnut rivalling the interiors of upmarket saloon cars, putting the four-wheel drive in front of a new audience. It was a step forward from the first-generation Range Rover not just in terms of luxury, equipment and updated engine but also in its off-road versatility and abilities, with height-adjustable air suspension now standard. Exterior design changes were relatively subtle however, in order not to alienate loyal Range Rover customers, but the new vehicle was well-received by both the press and the buying public. Subsequently, the vehicle developed a reputation for poor reliability, primarily to do with its electrical systems, but over recent years enthusiasts have come to appreciate the design and the impressive capability of the P38a. And most of its electrical gremlins have by now been tamed!

National Land Rover Awards

The ultimate show for Land Rover connoisseurs, preservationists, restorers and enthusiasts will also see the announcement of the results of the National Land Rover Awards 2019, the winners of which will be chosen at Land Rover Legends. Nominations for the awards are open at www.landroverlegends.com. Shortlisted vehicles will be invited to be displayed as part of a dedicated indoor exhibition at the Bicester Heritage event where, on Sunday May 26th, a panel of expert judges will select the Winner and Highly Commended entry in each category.

All Land Rovers welcome

Land Rover Legends is an event for all Land Rovers. In addition to the main exhibits and demonstration vehicles, over a dozen major Land Rover Clubs have booked display space for the event and every Land Rover attending - whether with a club or not - will become a part of the show by being displayed in the dedicated forward-parking area that will be set aside to showcase representatives of the marque.

This year, for the first time, canine companions are welcome to attend the event (regardless of whether or not they arrive in a Land Rover!). So there’s no need to leave well-behaved four-legged friends at home; just pop them on a lead and bring them along.

Other new features for 2019 include on-site camping and Saturday evening entertainment. Camping bookings are coming in thick and fast, and Land Rover fans are advised to book early if they want to make a weekend of it in the atmospheric, inimitable setting of Bicester Heritage.

In addition to the fantastic range of very special vehicles on show, Land Rover lovers will find a host of other things to fascinate and tempt them, with top Land Rover restorers, specialists and associated suppliers, plus carefully-selected exhibitors and traders, all positioned in and around Bicester Heritage’s magnificent main exhibition hangar. 

For more information or to book tickets please visit: www.landroverlegends.com

THE ULTIMATE ITALIAN JOB TOUR TO COMMEMORATE THE MOVIE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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THE ULTIMATE ITALIAN JOB TOUR TO COMMEMORATE THE MOVIE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Classic car owners are being invited to commemorate the 50th anniversary of The Italian Job on an extraordinary 11-day driving tour which takes in many of the famous roads and locations featured in the movie. The Ultimate Italian Job Tour, created by Classics on the Road and the Jaguar E-type Club, will treat drivers and their companions to some of Europe’s most fabulous roads and scenery as its route passes through France, Italy and Switzerland between October 6th and 17th 2019.

Highlights of the Tour will include a driving experience on the rooftop test track of Fiat’s former Lingotto factory in Turin, which appeared in the movie’s legendary car chase; driving some of the most spectacular mountain roads in Europe, and an evening with key personalities involved in making the film.

Participants in the Ultimate Italian Job Tour will be accompanied throughout the 1,400-mile drive by a swarm of red, white and blue Minis, and by the red Jaguar E-type roadster, orange Lamborghini Miura P400, and silver Aston Martin DB4 convertible seen in the movie. The Tour visits the St. Bernard Pass, scene of the film’s opening credits, where the Miura was blown-up in a tunnel and the E-type and DB4 also met their fates.

While in Turin, Tour participants will spend a few days in the company of The Italian Job producer Michael Deeley; stunt director Rémy Julienne; actor David Salamone, who played Dominic, one of Charlie Croker’s gang of ‘Chinless Wonders’; and subject-expert Matthew Field, whose new book, The Self Preservation Society – 50 years of The Italian Job, will be published later this year.

The three-day Italian Job experience will also include a private screening of the film; a ‘soirée’ hosted by Field; a Walking Tour in the city of car-chase locations with commentary by Field, visiting the Baroque staircase of the Palazzo Madama, the crowded porticoes on Via Roma, the cathedral steps and the weir on the River Po. Tour participants will also receive a copy of his book.

In keeping with its theme, the Ultimate Italian Job Tour is open exclusively to E-types, and to pre-1970 Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, and Minis. The price –  €5,495 per person in double occupancy or €6,575 per person in single occupancy – includes accommodation in carefully selected four- and five-star hotels in France and Italy; three lunches and 10 dinners; a comprehensive Road Book with Tulip notes, maps, rally plates, information about places being visited, and recommendations of other places worth seeing; a private evening screening of The Italian Job; and guided visits to the Domaine Pommery champagne cellars, Arc-et-Senans Royal Saltworks, Museo Nazionale dell Automobile in Turin, Mont Blanc Skyway, and Matisse Museum in Le Cateau-Cambrésis.

Tour participants will be accompanied by the event organisers, including E-type Club co-founders Philip and Julie Porter in their E-type, the original Italian Job roadster, 848 CRY; a film crew and professional photographer; and a mechanic.

Philip Porter commented:

“The Ultimate Italian Job Tour is going to be amazing. It will be unique and probably the last opportunity to celebrate this iconic movie with key people from the film, combined with fantastic driving, the star cars and informed visits to most of the charismatic locations”.

To find out more about the Ultimate Italian Job Tour or reserve a place, please visit www.classicsontheroad.com

Jaguar E-type Club

Founded 15 years ago by Philip and Julie Porter, the Club has members in more than 50 countries. Porter has written 30 motoring books, including a number on Jaguars, and owns two early E-types of historical significance: the prototype registered ‘9600 HP’, which was the first Fixed Head Coupé and one of the pairs which launched the E-type at Geneva in 1961; and the roadster ‘848’ CRY, which appeared in The Italian Job. The E-type Club’s patron is Norman Dewis (OBE), who joined Jaguar in 1952 as Chief Test Driver and helped develop production and competition cars including the E-type.

Classics on the Road

Classics on the Road specialises in organising tours and events for classic and sports cars, encouraging the enjoyment of driving on unfamiliar roads and visiting new places. Classics on the Road’s precise tailoring of events includes the selection of memorable routes, hotels, restaurants, and sightseeing locations.

CLASSIC FORD SHOW -WHAT'S ON IN 2019

Sunday 2nd June | Mallory Park View this email online TICKETS ON SALE

The Classic Ford Show has a brand new home for 2019, with Mallory Park playing host to thousands of the best classic Ford vehicles in Europe. As ever, CFS will host dozens and dozens of the foremost Classic Ford clubs in the UK, while 2019 will also see us celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Anglia and the 50th birthday of the majestic Capri. Classic Ford Magazine will once again have a strong presence at the show, and we will also have a live stage where some of the most influential figures in the Ford scene will take part in live Q&A sessions. If you fancy yourself as a Classic Ford expert then you might want to get a team together for our CFS Quiz, and there is, of course, plenty of opportunities to take your own vehicle onto one of the country's best circuits with our track time slots. For more information on the show, take a look at the links below and keep your eyes peeled on classicfordshow.co.uk for more show news coming soon!

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60 Years of the Anglia There are few Ford's with as much heritage as the Anglia and 2019 sees the marque celebrate it's the 60th anniversary, and we will of course be commemorating it with a display of some of the very best Anglia's on the scene. Read more

Classic Ford Magazine Stand The Classic Ford Show wouldn't be complete without your favourite magazine in attendance, so you can expect to see another brilliant Classic Ford Magazine display at CFS 2019! Read more

50 Years of the Capri The iconic Ford Capri celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and it would be remiss of us not to celebrate the birthday of one of the most-loved blue oval beauties of our time.  Read more

Track Time Do you fancy taking your classic Ford on track at Classic Ford Show 2019? Well here's your chance... Read more

CF Show Quiz Do you back yourself as a quiz-whizz? Reckon your blue oval knowledge is prize-worthy? Here's your chance to prove it! Read more

Live Q&A's If you've always wanted to pick the brains of some of the Classic Ford scene's most prominent figures then make sure you head to the live stage for our Q&A sessions. Read more

Special Display If you’re not part of a club and have a Classic Ford (pre 1994), you can still be part of the show!  Read more

Club Displays If you want to spend hours exploring some of the very best classic Ford cars on the scene, then there’s no better place than The Classic Ford Show.