Automotive Stories
By Geoff Wheatley
Index 3

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MG HISTORY That we don't talk about! By Geoff Wheatley

I was born just a few miles from the M.G.. Abingdon factory in the UK and can claim to have cut my teeth on the success of the marque. I guess that I can justify this obsession with the fact that my father worked for MG most of his active life.

I won't bother to review the various pre 1935 vehicles that sold perhaps ten or even fifteen cars, at a financial loss of course but will start with the 1936 MGTA.
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Cars I Yearned For But Never Owned
by Geoff Wheatley

IRegretfully my father was not rich or even close to being in that special club so there were always a few cars that I yearned for but never owned.

As I followed in his footsteps as far as fortune was concerned, I know that the closest I can get to these mechanical delights is to write about them.
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Those Were the Days
by Geoff Wheatley

I recently spent a few days in Europe and whilst there visited two private car collections and a national car museum in the UK. Many of the cars on display I remember and some I even owned.

The most interesting thing about this visit was that almost each car had a special attraction and looked independent from a model aspect. Today it seems to be the reverse, that is that most cars look much the same except for the color and the technical trinkets that in theory are supposed to make driving more enjoyable!
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Telsa by Geoff Wheatley

I doubt if anyone reading this would be able to say "I don't know what TESLA is" However ...

The name was once associated with a unique man; Nikola Tesla, who's name can be included with such people as Edison, and Marconi.

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Who built the first motor car by Geoff Wheatley

As I have mentioned before, there are several conflicting stories about who or what was the fist vehicle on the road. You could start with an early steam car.....

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Oil is oil..Or is it ?
by Geoff Wheatley

The stuff was suspect when it was offered to the public in the mid 1940's.

A few days ago I took my car in for its regular oil change and while waiting , studied the hundreds of plastic containers of new oil awaiting dispatch to some vehicle. This led me to recall the birth of Multi Grade Oil when I was much younger!
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Be sure of what you are buying
by Geoff Wheatley

For the past two years most of the Motoring Publications that I have read seem to be promoting the wonders of the Electric Vehicle.

A recent publication indicates some of the benefits and problems of ownership of Electric vehicles and I would like to acquaint you with a few of the points that were made. The first comment concerns the true cost per mile.
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Where's the Spare
by Geoff Wheatley

I recently had an interesting experience with a spare wheel, or to be correct a Doughnut spare wheel. While visiting Ottawa, Canada on the fast ring road, my front tire disintegrated.
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The Chauffeur
by Geoff Wheatley

Long ago the well heeled had a large home several servants and of course at least one or more grooms to look after the horses, necessary in order to travel in semi comfortable carriages. However by the time the twenty first century was ten years old a completely different means of transport was popular, the horseless carriage.
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Lightweight Cars
by Geoff Wheatley

For a few years after the Second World War steel was in short supply and certain car manufacturers tried to use other materials including alloy's such as aluminum that had proved to be successful in the production of aircraft.

Companies around the world are looking into the possibility of creating a strong light product that could be used in the production of not only vehicles but also boats, trailers etc. such as form of light but durable plastic, that was as strong as steel and as light as any alloy.
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Sports Cars and Tractors
by Geoff Wheatley

The famous Ferguson Tractor had featured a Ford engine almost since its conception however.....
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Mini Stories
by Geoff Wheatley & Franklin Cunningham (Editor)

Interesting story Geoff. There are probably a million early Mini stories.
Here are some more.
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Clara Cunningham Photo

The Joy Of The Open Road by Geoff Wheatley

The craze in the 1930’s was to own a trailer that could be towed by your car to some exotic location for the weekend or even a holiday.

When my children were young back in the 1960’s I decided to buy a trailer, and take to the open road for weekend family breaks. The first thing that I noticed was that it was difficult to stop anywhere with half a house fixed to the rear of the car.
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Jerry Cans
THE CAN THAT WON THE WAR; by Geoff Wheatley

One of the major problems in any modern warfare is fuel for the trucks, tanks, airplanes etc. The Blitzkrieg was developed, a policy that was to sweep through Europe in the summer of 1940.

What was needed was a simple can that an average man could lift and had its own non-spillage design.
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Mark J. Willison Photo

London to Brighton UK by Geoff Wheatley

Every year in London, England, a special auto event is held ending up some fifty miles away in the coastal town of Brighton. It’s known as the “Veteran Car Run” but in reality none of the cars that are entered run very fast,....

The date 1896 is important in respect to Motoring in the UK. Until that year all motor driven vehicles enjoyed a maximum speed limit of first four, then eight miles an hour.

The ability to enter your car in the London to Brighton event is rather demanding. First, the car must be in original condition, no modifications to anything from the breaks to the lights, the engine or the interior.
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Wolseley to Aircraft by Geoff Wheatley

Today the forecast for the future of private transport is self drive cars; eighty years ago it was an airplane in every garage. The success of such aircraft as the De Havilland Moth that sold for under a thousand dollars in 1926 and required limited service, started the idea that flight was the future.....

In 1926 Morris Motors launched a monthly publication for existing and potential Morris owners entitled of course THE MORRIS OWNER. It published a feature encouraging the readers to purchase a light aircraft with information on the estimated cost for such a purchase including maintenance costs.
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Mechanical Delight by Geoff Wheatley

Many of us who are interested in the history of the Motor Vehicle spend whatever time available on a vacation, in some Motor Museum, Usually we do this alone and past experience has shown that wives/ girl friends/ children and others who vacation with us, seem to be allergic to such educational experiences! In a way that has its benefits as we can linger for extended periods in front of some mechanical delight without being encouraged to return to the beach etc. Some of us have from time to time been accused of caring more for our motor vehicle than our family which of course is not quite correct.
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Chevrolet by Geoff Wheatley

Like many readers I am a sucker for Garage Sales. Usually the eventual purchase is not quite what I expected. However, in the world of old magazines I usually come out on the right side of the ledger! Obviously any sight of a Motor Publication instantly draws my devoted attention.

To show that I have a broad range of interests I recently purchased an early edition of the Saturday Evening Post dated December 1923 that featured a full page advertisement for the Chevrolet Motor Car or rather the new range of 1924 Chevrolet vehicles.

The principle theme of the advertisement was Value for Money and ...
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Hurricane Matthew and Cars by Geoff Wheatley

September 30 - October 9, 2016: Hurricane Matthew leaves path of destruction from the Caribbean to the Southeast U.S. Starting out as a Category 5 strength with 160 mph winds. It hit southeastern United States as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds.

Like many others my knowledge of Hurricanes’ was limited to news reels and T.V. Lots of water, fallen trees. Floating cars etc.... During our evacuation we did get pictures from the area where we live and were comforted by the fact that none of the damaged homes looked like ours.

My advice to anyone who faces a similar experience is “Get To Hell Out’, as soon as you can. I did not... Slowly we are recovering but it’s certainly a long term objective.
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Your New Toy .... Buying that Next Car: by Geoff Wheatley

I know that the vast majority of owners are experts of their particular vehicle or even vehicles however, even though I claim to be one of them I have, from time to time, purchased a lemon that looks wonderful the first time I saw the car but once my check had been cashed various problems seemed to appear almost like magic! So in order that you seldom if ever have this same experience here are a few suggestions that could save you both time and money.

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Self Drive Cars. Some Thoughts. by Geoff Wheatley

The fact that nothing is really new can be reviewed in an excellent article, written by Evan Ackerman entitled. ”Self Driving Cars Were Just Around the Corner”. It seems that as early as 1960 RCA engineers expressed the view that by 1975 we would be driving on electronic highways that took control of the vehicle once the system had been activated, by a simple switch on the dashboard.

It may sound attractive but close your eyes and think about such a trip especially if you have family members with you who will express concern every time the car overtakes or slows down. Of course the same can apply to any other passenger in your automatic drive vehicle. If you really want a self drive means of transport my suggestion is take a taxi or the local bus, it could be safer!

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Morris, MG and the Mini by Geoff Wheatley

It's impossible to tell the story of why MG almost disappeared in the mid 1930's without including the activities of Morris motors and of course the founder of the Morris empire.

For Billy Morris the great war had been a boom… his share of vehicle contracts was the highest in the country mainly because he made reliable vehicles that were simple to drive and maintain just like his mentor Henry Ford.

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MG Some Thoughts, by Geoff Wheatley

We are talking about the BMW MGTF that was not quite the success that the German company had hoped for, when the MG Factory closed in 1980 after producing the same car, the MGB for almost twenty years.

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A Little More History on the British Motor Industry. 1945 To 1970 by Geoff Wheatley

The Second World war had been over for three years but Britain was still be rationed for most of the day by day niceties like food including bread, gasoline, cloths and virtually all luxury goods like a motor car. The waiting time for a new car was between twelve to eighteen months.

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Jaguar D Type History by Geoff Wheatley

In the 1950's there was one British car that dominated the racing world, the Jaguar D Type. Not only fast but like its brothers out of the Jaguar Stable, simply dramatic in design and style.

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Did you know about Rolls-Royce by Geoff Wheatley

As you may know Rolls-Royce is now part of B.M.W. But they did not manage to purchase either the RR symbol or the Lady who graces the front of the car...These two items now belongs to VW. It seems that when the financial vultures were pulling Rolls apart to sell off the company to the highest bidder, they did not do their homework and did not realize that several patents for Rolls-Royce existed, or rather parts of Rolls-Royce, including the name and of course the famous lady.

Its one thing to know that you are wearing a special watch but another not to be able to show it off to your friends

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Cars and Airplanes

1927 a year to remember if you like car and airplane history. Charles Lindberg flew the Atlantic solo in the Spirit of St Louis while six months later Henry Ford introduced the popular "Model A" Motorcar.

At Christmas drivers are seriously thinking of a new vehicle while buying in January gives you the very latest model although in the case of the Model A the car went on for the next seven years being for many, the very latest model.

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What Is Original

For my 1951 MGTD to be considered original it should fit a required criteria. The first should be that all the parts are original, original, this means they were fitted to the car on an assembly line in Abingdon England, and have not been modified in any way.

For the true purist may I pose yet another question in regard to my 1953 MGTD. When I replace the original fuel pump have I now reduced the car to a modified vehicle?

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Rose by any other name etc.

I have known owners who have cars named "Black Beauty" (Obviously the car was black) or "Red Dasher" (I don't need to explain that one) , or even "White Willey" (I can't explain that in print!)..

Names that are featured in fun can usually result in problems like "The Clunker" or "Dum-dum". Cars have been known to take their revenge on some wet lonely road around midnight for being called such terms of endearment!

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MG History by Geoff Wheatley

In 1938 sixteen months before WWII commenced the British sports car company MG attempted to introduce a new concept in the sports car field.

The highest selling British sports car in the 1960's was the MGB that was produced in much the same style over the seventeen years that it was in production.

In 1980 when the company closed its doors there was an attempt to keep production going and when BMW decided to buy Rover, this purchase included MG)

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1927 Ice Buggy by Geoff Wheatley

In 1926 a national Austrian newspaper printed a challenge for any four wheel vehicle with one or two drivers to complete the winter trip from Moscow Russia, to Vorkuta Siberia.

No one had ever tried such a journey and it was doubtful if the so-called roads would be in any condition to drive on or use in the winter. The usual means of travel in such conditions was by train and that took several days depending on the weather . Apart from the train stations on route there was not much choice where to stop or stay.

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Early Car Racing by Geoff Wheatley

The first attempt at racing cars against each other was in Europe. As early as 1892 road races were being held on country roads in France and Italy. In a few cases the results were deadly.

The winner of the first automobile competitive event held in the US (1895) was Frank Duryea who in company with his brother Charles was the inventor of the Duryea Car, manufactured in Springfield Massachusetts.

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The Car Radio, Some History by Geoff Wheatley

We take the car radio very much for granted and that includes the ability to play music, however this feature in our cars has a rather short history compared with the 130 years that we have used mechanical transport.

The history of the car radio in the USA goes back to 1929 when two young men decided to take their girl friends down Lovers Land to see the evening sunset.

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The Car Industry & Technology by Geoff Wheatley

I recently purchased a Lexus, yes I know the old man's car, but I guess when you join that age brigade the Porsche two seater becomes something of a challenge when you want to get the weeks groceries both in terms of space and comfort. The most challenging aspect of my new toy is trying to understand all the gadgets that the car has.

I recently read of a Car Dealership in Massachusetts who had the bright idea of employing high school students to explain the workings of the latest automobile to people like myself.

I recall when the Owners handbook consisted of about twenty pages with pictures and each feature was both simple to read and even more simple to do.
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Geoff Wheatley on Longest Production Run

Recently I was asked what motor company had the longest run with a single model... to be honest I did not know but decided that I would do a little research to see who held that title.

My first thought was Ford but I was totally wrong. In fact Ford was not in the first three manufacturers.

Geoff Wheatley on Jaguar, MG, Morris and SS

This Review Will Be Of Special Interest To Readers Who Have A Soft Spot For British Cars And The History Of The Two Breeds!

MG is usually thought of as being a small swift sports car while the name Jaguar carries the image of the sleek, beautiful wealthy owners vehicle...There was of course the E Type and the post war XK Series but this story relates to the period before WWII when MG raced at Brooklands and Jaguar was viewed as a would be rich mans toy..

Geoff Wheatley on Rolls-Royce

As some of you may recall I have a soft spot for the Rolls Royce in fact as and when I win whatever that will be the first thing I will buy!!

The Phantom Five was the largest vehicle produced by the company in the post war years and was offered to the general public... (The ones with money of course) in the fall of 1960.
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TRABANT by Geoff Wheatley

Trabant Cars. No matter how bad you may think a car can be there are always one or two good points in the design and/or performance worth writing about...In the case of the "TRABANT"....
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Automotive Safety Features by Geoff Wheatley

Its fashionable today to discuss the safety features of the modern automobile, in fact several manufacturers sell their product totally on the safety features of their vehicles.

In the past it was a different story: American buyers looked for performance and comfort...Design and of course service costs.

It was assumed that the family car was also safe especially after seatbelts became available even if they were considered an extra feature, not included in the package deal. It is interesting to note that the post war car usually featured a radio but a set of seat belts were an optional purchase.
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The Car Industry Post WW II by Geoff Wheatley

After the First World War the international car industry, especially in Europe, virtually collapsed. The market was flooded with cars made under contract for various governments like Britain, France and Italy.

In 1945 the situation was totally different. Most of Europe's production capacity had been destroyed, factories in ruins, roads and services in need of extensive repair and with only three nations with the ability to produce anything ..The USA...Britain and Russia.

But in reality it was the USA and the UK who had the vehicle market and in reality whatever they made the world purchased, good bad or whatever.
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Geoff Wheatley shares his Memories of an
MG J2

A few years ago I purchased a J2 that needed some love and lots of attention. Why? I have no idea as the car was just a touch larger than the model pedal car I had as a child.

A few versions of the J2 were fitted with a supercharger, which had a tendency to blow the head off of the engine...
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Geoff Wheatley looks at the The Standard Motor Company of the UK.

The pre-war Triumph Company made hand built luxury cars and Motor Cycles but the effect of the depression eventually forced the company out of business.

Standard Motor Company's Chief Executive Officer, Sir John Black, wanted to produce a luxury vehicle that could compete in the luxury British market, so in 1939 he purchased the once successful but now bankrupt Triumph Motor Company
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Geoff Wheatley looks at the history of speed with cars.

Question... What was the fastest car one hundred years ago?
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Geoff Wheatley looks at the history of sports cars

At a recent car gathering I was asked who made the first Sports Car. Most people think it had to be some European manufacturer as most of the sports cars that we tend to remember come from Europe, (that includes the United Kingdom of course).

However America certainly was part of the early development of the Sports Car, a term that in many ways is somewhat vague...
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Sports Cars by Geoff Wheatley

Ever since I was taken to a car show around the age of eight or nine I have had a love affair with sports cars.

By the time I had enough spare funds to purchase a real sports car the kids were grown up... (A great blessing) and we boasted two family cars in addition to the new toy. As I recall comfort was not a redeeming feature of this model but that could be balanced by the sheer delight of driving the car.
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A Look at the early period of the American Automobile Association by Geoff Wheatley

By chance I recently obtained an original publication of the "American Motorist" June 1909, the official publication of the American Automobile Association.

Originally it cost fifteen cents but featured forty six pages of articles, advice, general information and some very interesting advertisements.
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Salt Water Powered Automobile

I recently saw a press release that stated a German firm had developed an engine that would run on salt water, not only that but when installed in a vehicle such as a car or truck its performance would be as good if not better than the normal internal combustion unit. To be honest I was a touch skeptical although I am aware of power units that are reported to run on compressed air and of course solar power.

Now add batteries that can last in an electric vehicle for many hours without any need for recharging and can cover in excess of 800 miles on one charge. It is more than feasible that some form of salt water power could be used as the technique of creating direct power from a combination of water and electricity has been around for some time.
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The Dagmar Automobile

Matthias Moller, a successful businessman purchased controlling interest in Crawford Auto from George Crawford, Matthias Moller then changed the name to Dagma Auto after his young daughter.
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The Duyea Automobile

Duryea, one of the earliest motor companies in the USA. In reality there were four companies with this name all the result of the engineering and design of two brothers, Frank and Charlie Duyea
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The British Mini and Beyond

The British Mini had arrived but to be honest the public reaction was at best Luke warm. Who would buy a car that with luck might hold three adults in moderate comfort assuming that they also had luggage or even the week's groceries...

It took a European manufacturer, BMW, to see the potential as illustrated when BMW purchased Rover;
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Log Book - Death of a British Friend by Geoff Wheatley

In the past it brought a splash of color to any British vehicle and informed any interested individual the age and type of vehicle that it represented. It also told you what county the vehicle called home and such important information as the type of engine and horsepower. Details of the number plate was also included and of course the age etc. As such plates never change once issued it made it easy to trace the history of the vehicle.
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Marketing Automobiles

Let's take a look at the way that certain automobiles are presented to the public.
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A Brief History Of The Motor Car

No one is quite sure when or who invented the first motor vehicle we know that Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz built experimental cars as early as 1885 and that Benz was the first to manufacture and sell his vehicles to the general public. However, as early as 1873 an Austrian engineer built three gasoline driven cars that were tested and achieved a speed in excess of five miles an hour...
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What was the most popular car ever produced

Please note the question was... "The most popular", not the largest production or the highest sales figures... Simply what car for reasons possibly unknown, attracted the highest level of interest in the motoring world perhaps creating thoughts of wishful ownership, coupled with such comments "One day I will get one of those".. Some may say the E Type Jaguar that took the motoring world by storm from the moments it hit the commercial car market.

Others may well choose the original Mustang...
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A look-back at the Microcars of the 1950s & 1960s

The market at that time consisted of three major manufacturers all German. My vehicle...The BMV Isetta that came with an option of either a single or double drive wheel at the rear....

Returning to the auction a 1958 FMR Tg 500 Tiger hit the top of the sales list at a cool $280,000. If you are not quite familiar with this car let me simply say that it looks just like a Messerschmitt...
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FORD A Brief Review The Early Years

Without doubt the name FORD is known all over the world. There is hardly a country where some example of a Ford Vehicle is not either made, sold or being driven. In the history of achievement there can be no better example of commercial success, but such success did not come easily. Henry Ford built his first automobile in 1896 while working for the Detroit Electric Company.
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More on Ford Company in the 1940s

With Henry Ford and his empire there was virtually nothing that this man would not tackle, from mass produced cars that left his factories at a rate of one every twenty minutes to military tanks that took a little longer! What most people do not know is that Ford built a special production plant at Willow Run... Michigan, the largest building in the world under one roof, to build the B 24 bomber.
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A Watkins Glen Story

Writer Geoff Wheatley tells about an encounter with Sr. Sterling Moss at Watkins Glen back in 1988
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Early Chrysler History

A look at the early days of Chrysler History
Walter Chrysler started his automobile career with Charles Nash, the year 1911. That relationship also ended when Chrysler raised enough money to purchase two existing automobile companies...Chalmers and Maxwell.
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Fake Cars

Automotive writer Geoff Wheatley takes a look at the booming classic car market
and the car forgery market it has spawned.
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Cars of the Future May Not be Treasures of the Past

I recall the same comments some years ago when BMW produced the then new mid engine MG.F (Later to be revamped into a modern MGTF) Today this once popular car is now the problem child of the so-called new generation of sports cars in fact you can't give them away in the UK where they first saw the light of day. Unlike my sixty year old TD that I can work on with a set of wrenches and a screwdriver, the modern sports car with its computer controlled engine is beyond the average owner's ability and certainly could not be renovated in their home garage.

In simple terms the success of these old cars is that we, the current owners, can keep those on the road like our fathers did and I hope our grandchildren will. I am not in any way belittling the modern vehicle which is comfortable, fast, reliable and nice to own but to suggest that these are the classic cars of the future is a touch ambitious.
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Geoff Wheatley Takes a look at Electric Vehicles

Don't know about you but I am getting a little tired of all this talk about: Electric/Semi Electric/Assisted Electric/ vehicles. We have had them for the past one hundred or more years and they seemed to fit the need both then and now providing you don't want to go too far and have no desire for a fast trip!
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In With The New Out With The Old

Automotive writer Geoff Wheatley shares his vast experiences and insights on the best way to sell your car.
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Some History on Air Cooled Engines

When we talk about air cooled engines in motor cars the usual conversation centers around the German VW. However in reality there was, some thirty years earlier, a successful car based on the same principle made in Up-State New York from 1901 through to 1934.

If you think about it air cooling makes a lot of sense and is/was somewhat less expensive than liquid cooling.

In 1915 a Franklin was driven a total of 860 miles in first gear without over heating to prove that an air cooled power unit was reliable.
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Safety Fast

Safety has always been associated with the MG as illustrated by both pre-war and post war advertising for the marquee.

Rick Smith and his Colleague Paul Allen have, over the past twenty five years inspected hundreds of classic MGs. In fact too many to remember.

Their inspection sheets are now used in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. by various MG clubs.
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Will China become the center of automobile production in the future?

If I could turn the clock back twenty five years and was writing about successful car industries my choice would certainly have been Japan. At that time Japan was the shining example of commercial and industrial success.
&
In all those years I could never remember which side the filler cap might be when I hired a rental car.
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Cars You Drive and Their Status

We all know that food and other manufacturers market their products to select groups of customer, I.e. Young Family Households, Middle aged customers and of course Senior Citizens.

Let's take a look at the way that certain automobiles are presented to the public. We all agree that Safety...both for the driver and his/her family is a strong incentive yet...

... After the Second World War ended the VW Beetle was offered to the British who turned the offer down on the grounds that there was no future for the car.
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FORD A Brief Review The Early Years

Without doubt the name FORD is known all over the world. There is hardly a country where some example of a Ford Vehicle is not either made, sold or being driven. In the history of achievement there can be no better example of commercial success, but such success did not come easily. Henry Ford built his first automobile in 1896 while working for the Detroit Electric Company.
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FORD MOTOR COMPANY

If asked to name the best known car manufacturer in the world I would suggest Ford first then VW followed by Rolls Royce.

Where ever you may go in the world including Africa, Asia or South America, you will see FORD, on private vehicles, commercial trucks and even tractors.

Ford unlike other US manufactures of his day was not afraid to take his manufacturing capacity overseas.
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Fake Cars

Automotive writer Geoff Wheatley takes a look at the booming classic car market
and the car forgery market it has spawned.
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Cars I should have purchased, never did, but wish I had!

In 1949 the French Motor Company "Citroën" decided that there was a market for a cheap, ugly and totally different car for the French Driver. No one in the company had any idea that this vehicle would become a collectors must! Named the "Tin Snail" by the motoring press with a forecast that it would die on the showroom floor within six months the Citroën 2 CV saw the light of day at the 1950 Paris Motor Show.

To prove how wrong the motoring experts can be the Citroën 2CV was in continuous production from 1949 through to 1990 and today a decent example can fetch five figures.

The Citroën DS. The famous car that saved General de Gaulle's life when a bunch of terrorists attempted to kill the man and shot out the car's tires on a mountain road. However the hydro pneumatic suspension saved the day and compensated for the damage enabling his driver to escape with his VIP sitting on the rear floor all six foot five of him! Launched in 1955 the car was light years ahead of any car produced at that time. Top speed over 120 MPH...

In 1958 the Ford Motor Company in a blaze of publicity launched the EDSEL. Originally produced the fill the gap between the Expensive, top of the line Lincoln and the more modest Mercury range. Named after Fords only son Edsel Ford, why is anyone's guess and I am sure that Edsel had little to say about the choice. P.S. The 1960 model had a very limited life with only 2846 being made which makes it a rare bird!!
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LAND ROVER

The Rover Corporation was a medium size, successful motor company that had based its products on supplying a middle class market. The style was more pre war than post war.

During the war Rover had produced aero engines in company with aircraft bodies and inconsequence had the ability to work light ally sheet, a metal a product that was not rationed at that time.

It was not long before this utility vehicle grew into an estate car . . .
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FIRST AUTO??

Who made the first automobile ? The question that has been debated since the turn of the last century and as yet seems to be as elusive as ever. Now you would think it's a simple question but. . .

Daimler and Benz are names associated with the development of the Motor Car but I would not suggest that they were alone in 1885,
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LAGONDA

Wilbur Gunn was an American residing in England, in 1909, fascinated by the increasing demand for the Motor Vehicle, which started in the country when King Edward obtained a private vehicle and became the patron of the Royal Automobile Club.

Gunn began building twin cylinder "Tricars" in his garden shed at the rear of his home in Middlesex just a few miles from London. Within a couple of years he had progressed to building four wheel vehicles with a larger engine and relatively more comfort.

By 1913 Gunn decided to design a totally new style of car
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Jaguar E Type
The Swinging Sixties and all that stuff!

I think most readers of this publication will recall the Swinging Sixties. The image of Mini Skirts, Flower Power, The Beatles, etc. are always associated with this period... However there was one rather special product that you may not automatically associate with "The Swingers"!

A few days after the show ended "Enzo Ferrari" called the XKE "The Most Beautiful Car Ever Made"
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Cars that most people wish to foreget!

Germany has produced some outstanding vehicles like the BMW or Porsche not forgetting the Mercedes, however between 1957 and 1900 another vehicle hit the street of Germany or I should say East Germany. Produced by VEB Sachsenring located in Saxony. Its name the "Trabant", a two stroke 500/600cc, two door sedan. In total well over three and a half million of these cars were produced and any would be buyer had to wait as much as three or even four years to obtain this vehicle.

Trabant production ceased in 1991 and the factory was eventually sold to VW. After the unification of the Germany, it is now producing parts for "Audi" and certain other VW interests. In the late 1990s there were plans to put the "Trabant" back into production but that's as far is the project went. Strange to report this car has now become a collector item and many have been exported to collectors all over the world.
For compleate story: Enter Here Geoff Wheatley

How do I start a Restoration Project?

I know this is a rare event and in all my years of restoration I have never found that MG, Roller, or Jaguar in an old barn although I have met a few people who claim to have had such luck.

All my restoration work has been confined to restoring cars that some idiot has played around with and/or vehicles that need a complete overhaul to get them back to their original glory. As most of my work has been on MGs of prewar vintage through to the semi modern MGB I feel I can give would be restorers a few tips on what not to do.
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Hillman Imp Fifty Years
1963 - 2013

In 1963 the Roots Motor Company in the UK presented a challenge to the then established Mini, the Hillman Imp. It was larger than the Mini with more space and a rear window that could be opened and the rear seat could be folded to give optional storage space. The rear engine, (a feature not usually associated with British Cars) was easy to access, located in the lower section of the rear, with the performance listed as 75 MPH. Engine size similar to the Mini at 875 cc, while MPG was slightly better despite the extra size.

Around 1967 I purchased a Hillman Imp for family use. It was ideal for collecting groceries or whatever especially with the rear seat down.

In total over 440,000 Hillman Imps were produced at Linwood, how many survive today is unknown... However I can say for certain that mine never did!
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British Cars Long Gone
Armstrong Siddeley, Alard, Alvis

Over the years we have lost so many wonderful cars that graced our streets and highways. Cars that simply said drive me, and buy me!

As there are far too many throughout the world to remember and mourn their passing, so let me concentrate on two or three that I recall when I lived in the UK.

First on my list is the graceful ALVIS produced from 1920 through to 1967.
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