Around 500 classic cars with a collective value of £70 million will attend the London Classic Car Show this week. The event takes place from 20-23 February at Olympia in Kensington.
Among the highlights is a 1987 Aston Martin AMV8 Vantage Volante with the sought-after X Pack. Formerly owned by David Beckham, it’s one of just 78 similar cars.
With a five-speed manual gearbox and 432hp, the V8 is good for 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds. It’s for sale via Aston Martin Works, and predicted to make around £525,000.
Joining Beckham’s Aston at the show is a 1954 Jaguar XK120. It’s another car with a celebrity connection.
The Jaguar was recently restored and rebuilt over 2,700 hours for British model, David Gandy. The all-black body with ‘aged saddle tan’ leather was specified by Gandy himself.
Visitors can also see a very special piece of Formula 1 heritage. This Lotus 49B is currently owned by legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey.
Newey’s history with the 49B began as a 10-year-old, when he had a Tamiya model of the car. The Lotus he now owns is ’49BR8′, driven in-period by Graham Hill.
In Newey’s ownership, the Cosworth-powered Lotus has undergone a full restoration and seen action at a number of events. Newey will be present with his car, telling his own personal love story.
Other cars joining the show’s ‘Car Stories’ feature, hosted by classic car expert Max Girardo, include a brace of classic Aston Martins. One is the new ‘restomod’ Vanquish 25, the creation of car designer Ian Callum (who penned the original Vanquish).
Aston Martin Works will be showing the DB5 Goldfinger Continuation, with AM Works president Paul Spires demonstrating the gadget-laden machine. Spires will also be on hand to guide people around the new DB4 Zagato Continuation.
Big anniversaries are being marked at LCCS, too. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Audi quattro will be a 1985 S1 rally version, driven in period by Stig Blomqvist and Walter Rohrl.
Meanwhile, the Range Rover will celebrate its 50th birthday. Many examples will be in attendance, including a factory-restored ‘Reborn’ two-door model.
News coming out of Germany suggests we could be falling out of love with the Ford Fiesta.
Ford has cut production of the Fiesta in response to a number of factors, including a drop in UK sales. Production at the Cologne plant will reduce from five to four days a week, according to Automotive News Europe.
The plant builds 1,150 Fiestas a day, with a third of this output going to the UK. Although the Fiesta remains Britain’s best-selling car, registrations have been on a downward trend.
A Ford spokesperson told Automotive News Europe: “Southern Europe and the United Kingdom are seeing weaker demand [for the Fiesta] leading to the need to adjust production.”
In 2018, registrations totalled just under 96,000 – an amazing 50 percent higher than its nearest rival, the Volkswagen Golf. A year later, registrations fell to almost 78,000. Still the UK’s number one, but with registrations reflecting a falling market.
Year-to-date figures put the Ford Fiesta on 6,087 – 800 ahead of the Ford Focus in second place.
The UK new car market declined -7.3 percent in the first month of 2020, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) blaming “continued confusion surrounding diesel and clean air zones and ongoing weak consumer and business confidence”.
‘Moving the goalposts’
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “The new car market is a key driver of the UK’s overall economy, so another month of decline is unsettling. Consumer confidence is not returning to the market and will not be helped by government’s decision to add further confusion and instability by moving the goalposts on the end of sale of internal combustion engine cars.
“While ambition is understandable, as we must address climate change and air quality concerns, blanket bans do not help short-term consumer confidence. To be successful, government must lead the transition with an extensive and appropriately funded package of fiscal incentives, policies and investment to drive demand. We want to deliver air quality and environmental improvements now but need a strong market to do so.”
In January 1970, the first vehicle left the assembly line at the Ford plant in Saarlouis. Since then, more than 15 million cars have rolled out of the German factory, including the Escort, Capri, Focus, C-Max and Kuga. Here, we celebrate 50 years of the plant with the help of some archive photos.
Work begins in 1966
The Saarlouis plant is situated on the site of the former Roderberg airfield in Germany, about 15 minutes from the border with France. The foundation stone was laid by Ford General Manager Robert G. Layton on 16 September 1966.
Roderberg arfield
This photo from 1966 shows the Roderberg airfield before construction had started. Until then, the 1.4 million square-metre factory area was overgrown with meadows and trees.
30 years later…
Things looked a little different in 1996.
The first bodyshell
Although the Saarlouis plant didn’t officially open until 1970, the first Ford Escort body shell was completed on 20 October 1969. The plant also manufactured body parts for other European Ford plants, but also for Renault.
The first Ford Escort
The first Ford Escort rolled off the Saarlouis production line on 16 January 1970. The prime minister of Saarland, Franz-Josef Roder, had the honour of driving the car off the assembly line. The Escort was powered by a 1.1-litre engine producing a rather modest 40hp.
A beautiful Ford plant
Henry Ford II, the grandson of the company founder, is pictured signing the founding certificate at the official inauguration of the plant in June 1970. He described the Saarlouis factory as “one of the most beautiful Ford plants in the world”.
The car you always promised yourself
From 1971 to 1975, around 150,000 examples of the Ford Capri rolled out of the Saarlouis plant. The one millionth Capri, an RS2600, was completed on 29 August 1973.
The first Ford Fiesta
The first Ford Fiesta rolled off the Saarlouis production line on 11 May 1976. By 1980, more than 700,000 units of the popular small car had been produced at the German plant. Today, it’s the best-selling new car in Britain.
Fiesta festival
What a brilliant photo – new Fiestas as far as the eye can see. Of these, how many are still on the road? Yellow was far more popular in the 1970s than it is today.
Two million and counting
The two millionth vehicle to be built at the Saarlouis plant was completed in 1980. A good way to mark the 10th anniversary of the German factory.
Ford Escort Mk3
In 1981, the Ford Escort was named European Car of the Year. As well as Saarlouis, the Escort Mk3 was also built in Halewood, Spain and Brazil.
Five million cars
Saarlouis production hit five million in February 1990. The milestone car was a fourth-generation Ford Escort. We suspect the factory workers were delighted to be chosen to hold one of the seven figures.
Saarlouis in 1997
This photo of the sprawling Saarlouis plant was taken in 1997. Note the railway line, which is used to transport cars across Europe. If you look closely you might be able to spot a yellow Mk1 Fiesta. Probably.
Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is another ‘son of Saarlouis’. Just a year after the start of production, the Focus was named 1999 European Car of the Year.
Ford Focus RS
The Ford Focus RS was built on its own assembly line at the Saarlouis plant. Production was limited to 4,501 units between October 2002 and November 2003. Nearly half were sold in the UK, making it the biggest market for the Focus RS.
Ford C-Max
Production of the Ford Focus C-Max began in November 2003. After the facelift of 2007, the Focus part of the name was dropped, with the MPV now known as the Ford C-Max. By 2019, some 1.2 million C-Max cars had been built in Saarlouis.
A Saarlouis wedding
Ford calls this a ‘wedding’. It sees the platform-sharing Focus and C-Max on the same production line, where the body and drive units are assembled.
10 million cars
Yet another milestone. In July 2005, Saarland’s prime minister, Peter Muller (left) and Ford’s Bernhard Mattes were on hand to celebrate the 10 millionth vehicle to be built in Saarlouis. Most of the people in this photo look delighted.
Ford Kuga
The first Ford Kuga rolled off the production line in 2008. Today, the Kuga is the most popular SUV in Germany.
We run green
From July 2008, vehicles at the Saarlouis plant were converted to liquified gas (LPG) for the first time, followed a year later by natural gas (CNG) technology.
Saarlouis at work
This photograph taken in 2010 shows a vehicle sidewall in production at the Saarlouis plant.
Ford Focus Electric
In June 2013, the first Ford Focus Electric rolled off the production line in Saarlouis. It was the first fully electric Ford in Europe and the first pure electric car to be produced in Germany.
C-Max returns to Saarlouis
Ford moved production of the C-Max to Valencia in 2010, but it returned to Saarlouis in 2014. Here we see the C-Max, Grand C-Max and lots of happy people.
15 million cars
Disappointingly, Ford didn’t re-use the figures from the five million milestone when celebrating the 15 millionth car. This photograph was taken in December 2019, just a month before the 50th anniversary of the Saarlouis plant. When the first Escort rolled off the production line in 1970, production capacity was 20 units a day. Today, that number has increased to 1,160.
Three percent of motorists thought a car radio not working would count as an MOT fail. That’s according to the results of a new survey.
Research shows that 7.6 million cars have been driven on the roads without a valid MOT – around 20 percent of the cars on the road. Thirty-one percent of the drivers polled in the Halfords survey were unaware that they could face a fine of up to £1,000 for driving without an MOT.
Meanwhile, 16 percent didn’t know that an expired MOT puts them at risk of invalidating their car insurance.
When asked why they had driven without an MOT, 64 percent of drivers said they had forgotten when the test was due. Two-thirds of drivers (33 percent), believed there’s a grace period for driving without an MOT. There isn’t.
It’s worth remembering that the government runs a free MOT reminder service. You just need the car’s registration number and a phone number or email address. Click here to access the service.
‘An anxious time’
Aaron Edwards from Halfords Autocentres said: “The MOT test can be an anxious time – it can be a little bit like waiting for your exam results. When it comes to doing things that may cause stress and cost money, people tend to leave these things to the last minute.”
The biggest MOT myths
Rank
Myth
Percentage
1.
Didn’t realise that running out of water in the screen wash bottle would count as a fail
71 percent
2.
Didn’t know that windscreen stickers that obscure the driver’s view would be classed as a fail
60 percent
3.
Weren’t aware that having under-inflated tyres would mean a fail
56 percent
4.
Thought that window not opening would be a fail, but that isn’t the case
33 percent
5.
Didn’t know that driving with damaged windscreen wipers would be a fail
31 percent
6.
Thought they could pass their MOT without having a registration plate
25 percent
7.
Thought they could pass their test with a missing door mirror
New research reveals 49 percent of British people suffer with ‘green guilt’. That’s the worry your lifestyle isn’t eco-friendly enough, whether that’s down to the car you drive, your recycling habits or anything else.
The research, conducted by Kia, found seven in 10 Brits face pressure from family and friends to be more eco-friendly. Some even admit to exaggerating their green credentials as a result.
Even children are making demands, with 46 percent putting pressure on their parents about green choices.
Under the influence
Peugeot e-208 goes far enough for long-distance couples
Sir David Attenborough is the most influential celebrity in encouraging a greener lifestyle – even more so than Greta Thunberg. A sizeable 53 percent say their green choices are influenced by social media influencers, too.
According to the research, a massive 77 percent plan to buy an ‘eco’ car in the next three years. Note, that doesn’t necessarily mean an EV. Just over a third (34 percent) are looking to buy an electric car next, while 60 percent are ‘ready to embrace the electric revolution’.
What’s putting people off for now? Well, 43 percent said they fear running out of charge, while 40 percent worry about finding somewhere to plug in. Also 35 percent say EVs take too long to charge.
“It’s great to know that Brits are ready to embrace the electric revolution but it’s clear there’s still a lot of myth-busting to be done,” said Steve Kitson, director of corporate communications at Kia UK.
“We now need to help consumers see how they can tackle ‘green guilt’ and make a positive impact on the environment by taking the leap and going green with their next car. At Kia, we’ve announced our plans to have 11 electric models in our line up within the next five years to ensure we are leading the way for the electric revolution.”
The latest player to join the flourishing hypercar fray is Czinger. The Los Angeles-based company has ideas on how to revolutionise high-performance supercars and how cars are made.
It has already teased the aggressive 21C, and now, it’s ready to reveal some power and performance figures. We’ve also got a few more teaser shots of this remarkable looking machine.
1,250hp hybrid hypercar
But first, the performance. If an Aston Martin Valkyrie seems a bit tame to you, perhaps the 1,250 hp Czinger will more tickle your fancy. That makes the 21C good for 0-62 mph in 1.9 seconds.
Not many cars can show a Bugatti Chiron a clean pair of heels, but the 21C appears to be one of that rarest of breeds.
What exactly is producing that 1,250 hp is still partly under wraps. What we do know, is that Czinger calls its in-house developed unit a ‘strong hybrid powertrain’.
Judging by the sounds in the teaser videos, it’s certainly not got some generic American V8 sat out back, even in spite of both car and creator Kevin Czinger taking inspiration from Lola’s classic big-banger V8 racers.
There’s an industrial howl to it that wouldn’t sound out of place spilling from the back of a modern LMP2 racing car. It’s certainly more mysterious than the kind of twin-turbocharged V8 crate motors you’ll find in some other recent American hypercars.
Some might worry that hypercars are much of a muchness these days. Every man and his dog’s got an autoclave and dreams of sharing show floor space with Horatio Pagani and Guinness World Record book space with Christian Von Koenigsegg. To that end, it’s best make your new hypercar genuinely revolutionary and innovative.
Czinger believes it has with the 21C. With its unique two-seat in-a-row design and 3D printing in amongst the “world’s most advanced production technologies”, it’s certainly something we’ve not seen before.
Seating in the centre is a unique offering, too, outside of the McLaren F1, Speedtail, and soon Gordon Murray’s T.50. That there are serious performance figures, and evidently finished and running cars, is a riposte to the sceptics, too.
That single-seat layout, combined with the fact that, unlike the aforementioned McLarens and the GMA T.50, it doesn’t have two seats akimbo, means the 21C can have an extremely narrow glasshouse. The fighter plane cockpit and Le Mans wedge cliches are well-worn, but they really apply here.
In terms of styling, the Czinger is La Sarthe meets the long-standing supercar tribute acts of Grand Theft Auto.
There are hints, curiosities, that make you wonder whether some other cars inspired it. There are very of-the-moment styling tropes, too, with the width-spanning rear LED light bar.
All in, the 21C, in fading light at the Alameda Naval Base in San Francisco, looks to be a rare thing. Genuinely original, inside and out. We look forward to seeing it in full at Geneva next month.
Many German companies produce modified versions of Porsche sports cars, but RUF stands out from the rest of the crowd.
Building models completely from the ground up using bare chassis, RUF is seen by the German government as an automotive manufacturer in its own right.
A new limited-edition book aims to capture the story of the company first founded in 1939, and how it has created some of the fastest sports cars on the planet.
A story of junior and senior
Founded by Alois Ruf Sr. in Pfaffenhausen, Germany in 1939, RUF first operated as a simple service station. Although Alois Ruf Sr. experimented with his own vehicle designs, it would not be until the 1970s that the Porsche fascination began.
Following the death of this father, Alois Ruf Jr. took charge of the company in 1974. An interest in the Porsche 911 led him to start creating modified parts for the famous sports car. RUF would then build its first full production model in 1975.
This story of the origins of RUF is the subject of the eponymously titled book from Waft Publishing, acting a complete archive of the 37 different RUF cars made to date.
Rapid history lesson
Broken into two sections, the first part of the book is titled “Alois and Friends”, which details the story of the man behind the brand. In “Yellowbird and Friends”, the evolution of RUF vehicles is chronicled, with the hardcover book spanning 588 pages in total.
Waft has made the book in two types, with 911 copies of the the $310 (£240) ‘Limited Edition’ version to be sold.
Fans can also buy the ‘Very Limited and Personalized Edition’ for $600 (£465), that comes finished in the same Pepita Ruf fabric as used in RUF cars. Limited to 356 copies, opting for the ‘Personalized Edition’ also sees the buyer’s name embroidered onto the front cover.
Given the price of new RUF cars, opting for the book might be a more affordable option for fans of the marque.
Pagani has revealed the latest mutation of its long-serving Huayra hypercar, the Imola – which comes with a remarkable price tag of €5 million, not including VAT, or just under £5 million with VAT.
That makes it the most powerful and (second) most expensive Pagani yet. Just were five available. That was, before they all sold out.
The Imola is the latest in a succession of Huayras, and a veritable army of Zondas. Curiously, Pagani refers to it only as ‘Imola’, not ‘Huayra Imola’. Technically, that makes it Pagani’s third distinct model, after the Zonda and the Huayra, though it is very obviously based on the latter.
It follows the BC and BC Roadster, as well as the ‘Tempesta package’, in terms of performance and track capability, but should outdo them all some margin. Pagani calls the Imola a “powerhouse of technology” and “a vehicle laboratory”.
Hyperbole aside, the car has allegedly been something of a testbed, both for components that wound up on the Roadster BC, and what will “be a feature of Pagani’s future creations”.
Horatio Pagani – “We can’t say that it’s an elegant car”
Exclusive look: London’s new hypercar showroom – and a Pagani Huayra Roadster
Even the boss has admitted that the Imola is somewhat challenging to behold. An arsenal of diffusers, intakes, winglets and channels rivals that of a McLaren Senna.
Odd, for Pagani, is the utter absence of exposed carbon fibre, at least on the ‘show’ car. This will be the first time the marque has debuted a car without any exterior carbon on show since the original Huayra in 2011, and before that, the first Zonda.
“We wanted an efficient vehicle,” Pagani said of the Imola.
“Just as you’d expect if you were looking at an F1 single-seater, this led us to design a car with additional aerodynamic features. So, although on the one hand these details may detract from the lines and overall aesthetics of the vehicle, on the other, they also allow to improve lap time, ease of driving and especially safety.”
In terms of weight, the Huayra Imola is down to 1,246 kg (dry). One of the developments Pagani has made to get the weight lower, is its new Asquarello Light painting system. It allows a saving of 5 kg in paint alone, while still maintaining the kind of richness of colour you’d normally expect. Under the skin the Imola is constructed of Pagani’s signature carbon-titanium material.
As is often the case with Pagani, the name is a tribute of sorts. It’s Horatio Pagani’s way of saying thank you to a circuit that’s been the scene of legendary race victories, and key developmental miles for road cars.
The latest, naturally, is the Huayra Imola, which has seen near-on 10,000 miles of race-pace testing at the circuit. Pagani reckons that’s equivalent to three times the 24 hours of Le Mans.
“Imola is a sacred place for car enthusiasts,” Pagani continues.
“It’s a fast, difficult, technical circuit that has always separated the wheat from the chaff, in terms of both men and machines. A circuit that has made the fastest drivers faster, one that has given rise to fierce duels between opponents and gentlemen, and where the sweetest victories and bitterest tragedies have been witnessed.”
“A circuit in the Motor Valley of Emilia Romagna. A place that has given so much to the automotive industry. That has given so much to Pagani.”
Expect the Imola to make its first official appearance at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Then, for your spotter’s guide, you won’t go too far wrong in Central London, LA or Monaco, if you want to spot one in the wild.
Here’s hoping one of the lucky owners takes an Imola to the circuit after which it was named.
With Storm Ciara battering the UK over the past week and Storm Dennis on the way, new research reveals British drivers’ lack of confidence in difficult weather conditions.
The study by Young Driver found one in five UK drivers said they’d had no experience of driving in bad weather when they passed their driving test.
Another fifth admitted they don’t like driving in the rain. And 46 percent said they felt unprepared to deal with ice or snow on the road.
A bit of experience helps. The most confident drivers in bad weather were aged between 25 and 34. Regardless, those in this age group also had their concerns.
Eighteen percent said they worried about driving in the rain, and 28 percent in frost. The youngest drivers, aged 18-24, were most worried about driving in the rain.
Tired drivers labelled a ‘significant safety threat’
“Obviously when conditions are as bad as we have seen in the last week, the advice is not to travel unless absolutely necessary,” said Sue Waterfield, head of marketing at Young Driver.
“But living in the UK we often have rain or frost over the winter months and motorists do need to be confident that they know how to handle their vehicle if they’re driving in those situations.”
Camper van tax could push ‘staycation’ families abroad
“Unfortunately, it seems many feel they were unprepared during their learning journey, with one in five new drivers never having experienced driving in any kind of difficult weather.”
Storm Dennis is expected to bring more than a month’s worth of rainfall to some parts of the UK. Expected to hit the UK today, Dennis will continue its assault over the course of the weekend.
Highways England is to install bins and ‘Keep it tidy’ signs in 14 lay-bys in the South West of England. This follows the work of local councils in identifying the worst affected lay-bys for roadside rubbish.
Signage has been installed along the A30 and A38 in Devon and Cornwall, but Highways England is also teaming up with councils in Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Tewkesbury, Gloucester and the Forest of Dean.
Work on the £80,000 scheme will start this weekend, initially in three lay-bys near Bath. Lay-bys to receive attention over the coming weeks are on the A303, A36, A40, A46 and A4.
Highways England says the work will improve the lives of local communities and motorists, but will also save time and money spent clearing rubbish from the roadsides.
Around 200,000 bags of rubbish are collected from England’s motorways every year. Although removing litter from the side of A-roads is the responsibility of local authorities, Highways England assists with any necessary road closures.
‘Littering is a social problem’
Chris Regan, South West head of service delivery for Highways England, said: “Littering is a social problem across the country and our priority, working closely with our partners, is to keep our roads safe and well maintained for drivers and neighbouring communities.
“Roadside litter is not just unsightly but it’s a threat to wildlife and the environment and it can also be a safety hazard for drivers, can block drains and picking it up puts roadworkers at risk.
“Litter collections are the responsibility of local authorities, but we’re delighted to be working in partnership with our councils and hopefully the layby work will not only help to get the message across but also reduce the work and risk for the councils’ workers.”
Councillor Bridget Wayman, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Highways, added: “We welcome this initiative on our major roads in Wiltshire, and we are pleased to be working in partnership with Highways England to reduce litter throughout the county.
“Wiltshire is a beautiful county and we are committed to keeping it that way, so please, use these bins and help to keep our lay-bys litter free.”
