Aug
9
This 109″ Station Wagon, NADA specification, the Rover Motor Company of North America Ltd, South San Francisco, CA, imported #140 out of 811, and it arrived at San Francisco in 1966. The NADA 109s were the first production Land Rovers to have not only a key-starter, but had a single wiper motor and purpose-built heater system.
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Aug
8
Charles Panter and Lawrie Bond (originator of the Bond minicar, not James’ father) set out to build a small, inexpensive, light sports car that could compete successfully in the 750cc class. The result was the Berkeley Sports and it was introduced to the public at the 1956 Motor Show, a year ahead of the fiberglass monocoque Lotus of Colin Chapman. Read More
Aug
7
A vintage Jaguar Saloon, or Sedan on this side of the pond, is a thing of beauty.. They adhered to Sir William Lyon’s philosophy of “grace, pace and space”, when they conceived this elegant 4-door. Like many old luxury cars, they were not respected by collectors as much as sporty coupes and convertibles. We get that. However with the increasing popularity of historic rallies and enjoyable classic car tours, they are gaining some serious respect. Why not be comfortable while you’re having fun. We are not suggesting taking Grandpa’s Buick Electra 225 on the New England 1000 mind you. Read More
Aug
7
The Italia 2000 GT was produced over the period 1959 to 1964. Produced is a relative term when it comes to Italias, since something less than 300 were ever made. Unique marketing efforts in the U.S. included each original owner having to sign a contract that included among its clauses the fact that no body panels or trim pieces were available as spares! It wasn’t inexpensive having a $5000 list price, which was close to an E-type Jag or Corvette.
The dealers had their difficulty finding a home for them because the average U.S. sports car buyer didn’t exactly beat down the doors to purchase one. Read More
Aug
2
The inventors of the horseless carriage had one thing in mind: transportation. Were they afraid horses would become extinct? It didn’t take long for that utilitarian invention to be turned into something competitive. Sports versions featuring bigger engines and less weight was the formula for success back in the day. And we would venture to say that Lotus Cars perfected that formula with Exige S. The Exige has an attractive power-to-weight ratio with only 2077 pounds of car to push around. Read More
Aug
1
White Rabbit, White Rabbit has absolutely nothing to do with the Morgan Motor Company. It is a traditional way of welcoming in the new month – if you say it in the morning of the 1st day before you utter any other word that is. It’s really old school – like The Morgan Motor Company.
2013 Morgan 3 Wheeler, Super Dry Edition
We will always feature a Mintworthy Morgan when they come available. And we always try and dispel any falsehoods on how these classic cars were built. Well they are built pretty much the same way then as now – in a gravity run factory and entirely by hand. We came across a neat video that is basically a factory tour and interview with Charles Morgan. It takes some time to get through so have a full cup of coffee and be prepared for the desperate urge to buy a pair of backless driving gloves and a tweed cap (worn backwards like Samuel L. Jackson). Morgans are traditional but they are very cool.
Jul
31
Almost everyone who likes sports cars likes the Triumph TR6. The Michelotti designed body has aged well and remains quite handsome. They were very successful and sold well here in the states.Today, TR6s are popular recreational sports cars. What we see very frequently are spent TR6s either in red or green that have been treated to a rattle can restoration and presented as fully restored. That is the fate of many high volume sports cars. But that also does not diminish their desirability. You just have to persist until you find the right one. Read More
Jul
29
The TR3 was introduced in October 1955 as a successor to the TR2. The original TR3 had a very small grill opening. The new model, the TR3A, had a large mouth and was powered by the same 1991 cc, straight-4, overhead valve engine as its predecessor. Modifications pushed power to 110 hp, mated to a four-speed transmission gave the TR3A a top speed approaching 110 mph. These sporty Triumphs had low-cut doors and minimal weather protection. Odd considering the climate of the home market. Today’s featured Triumph has a story and we like stories. Read More
Jul
24
We featured MGC GTs before because it is a very interesting car. Here’s a bit of background on how they came to be. BMC had a rather fuzzy product planning department back then. They really didn’t have a clear vision of how to begin to badge-engineer Austin-Healeys and the cars from Abingdon. They even hired our friend Donald Healey to develop prototypes of cars using a lighter weight straight-6 than the engine that powered the A-H 3000. Old Syd Enever, chief engineer at BMC, was given the task of developing a new engine using more modern thin-wall technology that should have reduced the weight of the engine by over 100 pounds.Unfortunately, Syd didn’t hit the mark. Read More
Jul
22
We absolutely love it when we stumble across a really nice, honest car particularly one that isn’t marketed on eBay currently. That’s not a poke at eBay for they are to be applauded for becoming the popular site to find good stuff. And of course, how can you not get excited by finding a Silver Blue Metallic, E-Type Fixed Head Coupe. God, do we love Fixed Head Coupes. On any given day, you can find a bunch of decent or extraordinary E-Type OTSs but not so many Fixed Head Coupes. Read More
Jul
18
No, the headline isn’t some perverse trick to get you to read the story of today’s featured Jaguar. The XK140 is the second iteration of road going post-war Jaguar sports cars. The first being the fabulous XK120, the darling of the Hollywood set and yes, the rest of the world too. XKs came in 3 body configurations: a Fixed Head Coupe (FHC), a Roadster or Open Two Seat (OTS) and the Drophead Coupe (DHC). That continued in 1955 when the XK140 was introduced. The XK140 made things a little more livable for driver and passenger by moving the firewall and engine forward 3 inches. The bumpers were redesigned to afford more protection for those gorgeous flanks. Read More
Jul
18
What can you say about the trend to build a car/truck that will pretty much go anywhere. Is it based in the popularity of Expedition Explorers who want to drive around the world, people who just like off-roading in the country, or are they people who are concerned the grid will eventually collapse and everyman for themselves? We have friends who own a similar vehicle lovingly named Irene. It was not named Irene after a favorite Aunt but an epic storm that decimated the northeast. So all of these are good reasons to buy this truck, a wonderfully spectacular, fully rebuilt, Landie Series IIA. Read More
Jul
14
They call these MGAs Streamliners because they were the MG model that followed the TF. Anything without wings is considered streamlining in those days. We all like MGAs for their classic good looks and strong, solid performance. Read More
Jul
11
We have been waiting months for a Range Rover to appear good enough to be Mint-worthy. Today is the day and if you have been looking for a cool off-road capable, streetable classic, your Rover has arrived. Read More
Jul
11
When Sir Alec Issigonis designed the Austin Mini, he planned another vehicle to share the Mini’s mechanical parts, but with a more rugged body shell. The intention was to carve out a slice of the military market away from Land Rover. They named it the Moke which is some sort of slang for Donkey. But the real jackass might be the guys who designed an off road vehicle with no ground clearance. They tried everything to sway the military but alas, it was not to be. Read More
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