MOtoring Classics Magazine

Published on January 2017 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 58 | Comments: 0 | Views: 235
of 16
Download PDF   Embed   Report

Comments

Content

SPRING 2012
motoringclassics.co.uk
bmh-ltd.com

MGB
TRIUMPH
SPITFIRE
THE

50

AND

• Classic Motorsport 2012
• Important New Products From BMH

AT

CONTENTS

2

3

The Spitfire: A
Leyland Triumph

4

Who Put The
B In Britain?

6

New Products
From BMH

8

Missing Moniker

9

Classic Character

10

Classic
Motorsport 2012

12

Fresh Facts
From The Federation

14

Braking News

Motoring Classics© reproduction
in whole or any part of any text,
photograph or illustration without
written permission of the publisher
is strictly prohibited. The publisher
makes every effort to ensure the
magazine’s contents are correct but
can accept no responsibility for any
effects from errors or omissions.
NB Motoring Classics© is the printed
and online publication of British Motor
Heritage and its retail trading arm.
Publisher
British Motor Heritage Limited, Range
Road, Cotswold Business Park, Witney
0X29 0YB, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1993 707200
Email: [email protected]
Editorial
Gordon Bruce Associates
Email: [email protected]
Web: gordonbruce.com
Design and production
Bespoken
Web: bespokenmedia.com

MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012

WELCOME

The MGB line
at Abingdon,
1963 (BMIHT)

1962 – it was the year of the Beatles
first single, ‘Love Me Do’, and the
inaugural Bond film, Dr No. It was
also a vintage year for UK car launches,
and among the many now coveted
classics that broke cover during those
hectic 12 months were the AC Cobra,
Lotus Elan, Ford Cortina, BMC 1100,
Jensen CV8, MGB and Triumph
Spitfire. We’d love to have paid
tribute to them all, but sadly we
only had space to celebrate two on
this occasion – the ubiquitous MGB
and the Triumph Spitfire.
This issue’s Classic Character was
neither a designer nor industry mogul,
but a much adored eccentric who
brought motorsport to life for
thousands of fans via his monthly race
reports and assisted Sir Stirling Moss
to arguably his greatest victory.
We are, of course, talking about the
one and only Denis Jenkinson. The
Missing Moniker is WSM – the tiny
company that ceased manufacture of

its pretty, special-bodied Austin
Healey Sprites in 1965, but sprang
back to life in 2009.
British Motor Heritage’s MD,
John Yea, talks us through the coming
season’s Motoring Classics-sponsored
Thoroughbred Sportscar racing series,
and outlines the many exciting
motorsport events planned for racing
MGBs during 2012. He also details
how classic braking systems can be
suitably updated for modern motoring.
Last but not least, we bring you
details of some new British Motor
Heritage products and review the
fascinating findings of the FBHVC’s
latest survey on the UK’s £4.3 billion
historic vehicle movement. Enjoy!

Gordon Bruce
Editor
CREDITS: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

COVER PHOTO: THE WORKS MGB OF HOPKIRK/HEDGES, LE MANS, 1965 (BILL PRICE)

For all the latest news,
offers and great tips…

Subscribe for your free magazine
Visit motoringclassics.co.uk and click on
the Magazine page to sign up for your free
copy of Motoring Classics, which will then
be emailed directly to you every quarter.
motoringclassics.co.uk

TRIUMPH SPITFIRE
SLUG

Like the MGB, the
Spitfire is celebrating
its 50th anniversary
this year (BMIHT)

THE SPITFIRE
A LEYLAND TRIUMPH
T

here have been many fourwheeled casualties of Britain’s
up-and-down motor industry,
and the Triumph Spitfire very nearly
swelled the list. A new sports car had
been mooted by the company for a
while, but finally began taking shape
in 1960 in response to the success of
BMC’s Frogeyed Sprite. Spurning
the industry’s move to monocoque
construction, Triumph saw advantages
in basing its new model on modified
versions of the Herald’s backbone
chassis and running gear. As with
the Herald, the body was penned by
Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti.
However, by the time the promisinglooking prototype (code-named
Bomb!) arrived from Turin in October
1960, Standard-Triumph was in severe
financial trouble and the car ended up
sitting under a dust sheet for months,
until funds and enthusiasm resulting
motoringclassics.co.uk

from the merger with Leyland
brought the green light. The Spitfire
was finally launched at the London
Motorshow, 50 years ago this year.
The chassis ended up stiffer and
8.5in shorter than the Herald’s.
Power came from the four-cylinder
OHV Herald 1200 (1,147cc) unit
equipped with a higher lift camshaft,
9.0:1 compression ratio and a pair of
1.25in SU carburetters. Peak output
was 63bhp at 5,750rpm – sufficient for
a top speed of 92mph and a time of
15.5 seconds for the 0-60mph dash.
The engine was mated to the Herald’s
four-speed manual gearbox and the
fully independent suspension was
from the same source – there was a
tendency for the rear wheels to tuck
under during hard cornering, but this
problem was finally eradicated with
the MK IV version. Braking was by
discs/drums and the rack and pinion

steering featured an amazing turning
circle, matched only by that of a
London taxi! In comparison with
the diminutive Sprite, the Spitfire
offered more interior space and
luggage accommodation, a larger
fuel tank and the convenience of
wind-up windows.
Spridget fans may blanch at the
thought, but figures suggest the
Spitfire outsold its BMC competitors
for almost two decades. By the time
production ceased with the 1500
model in August 1980, 309,640 had
been built, more than 77 per cent of
which were exported. The model also
enjoyed a successful competition
career, being raced in such major
events as Le Mans and Sebring and
campaigned in the Alpine, Monte
Carlo and RAC rallies, among others.
Not a bad record for a model that
was so nearly stillborn.
SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS

3

A Roadster at rest,
1965 (BMIHT)

WHO PUT THE
B IN BRITAIN?
T

he long-awaited replacement
for the body-on-chassis
MGA, the B was MG’s first
monocoque sports car, the design
of which was evolved within MG,
complete with more than a hint of
the company’s record-breaker EX 181.
The Roadster broke cover first and
was a major success of the 1962
London Motor Show, while the

4

MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012

beautifully proportioned Pininfarinapenned GT was equally lauded when
it appeared three years later. The
many fans of the model could now
choose between the wind-in-thehair motoring of the open car and
the practicality of the 2+2 Coupe,
with its Aston Martinesque opening
tailgate and fold-down rear seat.
The car was smart enough to be

welcome in any company, while
sufficiently sporting for modified
versions to finish 11th overall at Le
Mans, achieve class victory in the
Monte Carlo Rally and win outright
the 84-hour-long 1966 Marathon
de la Route at the Nürburgring.
During its 18-year reign,
the B spawned a number of
memorable derivatives.
motoringclassics.co.uk

CREDITS: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well MG of course, and the 50th birthday of this immensely popular
sports car is now being celebrated the world over – not least in North
America, to where around 80% of the production was exported.
Though technically unremarkable, the B was good enough at
everything to win the hearts of all manner of motorists and etch
its name into a veritable library of record books

MGB
Rover’s ubiquitous V8 engine
provided extra oomph for numerous
cars over the years and, 40lb lighter
than the B’s standard four-cylinder
1,798cc unit, it was the obvious
solution to endowing the model with
more performance. Although BMC
opted for less output (137bhp) than
Ken Costello had for his aftermarket
V8 conversion (150bhp), the MGB
V8 was a fine touring car – good
examples of which are suitably sought
after today. They are also hard to find,
as the variant was only manufactured
in Coupe form, of which a mere 2,591
were produced.
The MGC was evolved as a potential
replacement for the Healey 3000. As
both V4 and V6 engines had been
considered for the B at birth, there
had always been plenty of room in the
engine bay for bigger powerplants, and
an updated version of the six-cylinder
C-Series unit was eventually chosen
for the C. Unlike the Rover one, this
was an overly heavy engine and, along
with the move to torsion bar front
suspension, created a car of very
different handling characteristics. The
press panned it from the outset – a
public drubbing from which it never
recovered – and production ceased at
8,999 units. In fact, improving the
handling is a simple task and those
lucky enough to have an MGC in their
garage today know only too well what
an endearing car it is.
Despite dwindling support from

the (now British Leyland) hierarchy,
the MGB continued into 1980,
by which time a staggering
514,834 examples had left the
famous Abingdon production
line – making it not only the
best-selling MG of all time, but
comfortably the biggest volume
sports car of its generation. Despite
such phenomenal success on both
sides of the Atlantic, Leyland not
only axed the B from its portfolio,
but the MG brand as well, making
October 23, 1980 the end of
a truly memorable era.
Twelve years later, the company
created the handbuilt RV8 in an
attempt to simultaneously reverse the
brand’s fortunes prior to the launch
of the MGF and commemorate the
MGB’s 30th anniversary. It was based
on the British Motor Heritage MGB
shell, powered by a 187bhp 3.9-litre
version of the Rover V8 and featured
a thoroughly reworked interior. 2,009
examples were produced.
Happily, a very high percentage of
all variants of the MGB remain in
existence around the world. The model
is simple to repair and restore and
parts are readily available. Indeed,

2012 celebrations
It’s going to be a big party, with
activities already announced across
four continents – see mgb50.com
for details. The big bashes in the
UK will be MG Live! (June 23-24),
the Silverstone Classic (July 20-22)
and Blenheim Palace (September
23). We’ll see you there!

Don’t miss the MGB50
celebration book

British Motor Heritage can supply
everything from a boot lid hinge to a
complete new shell, produced on the
original tooling – 2,477 of the latter
have been made so far.

The Book of the B

As part of the celebrations, the
MGB50 Committee (comprising
representatives of the MG Car Club
and MG Owners’ Club) is producing
its own collectors’ book on everybody’s
favourite sports car. Professionally
designed and printed on quality paper,
it highlights the more fascinating
aspects of the car’s history and
development, and its competition
exploits (past and present). It also
features the B’s various derivatives,
plus the original Autocar road test.
Further details of this not-to-be-missed
publication will be available on the
clubs’ and BMH websites in due course.

The MGB featured
design cues from
the company’s
record-breaking
EX 181 (BMIHT)

motoringclassics.co.uk

SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS

5

The last production
MGB Roadster is
persuaded into the
Abingdon County
Hall Museum

WELCOME HOME
The last MGB Roadster makes a dramatic return to Abingdon

B

ritish Motor Heritage’s
usual role is manufacturing
replacement parts for others to
fit. Its input in December’s dramatic
homecoming of the last production
MGB Roadster was rather different.
The car belongs to the Heritage
Motor Centre at Gaydon and has
been placed on indefinite loan to the
Abingdon County Hall Museum.
However, while most such projects
would entail a journey by transporter
followed by a quick push through
a suitably wide door, practical
limitations created by the picturesque
17th-century building called for a far
more complex solution, for which
BMH provided both technical
resource and financial backing.
As the only way of getting the
Roadster inside the picturesque
Grade I listed premises was to

6

MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012

‘post’ it sideways through one of
the arched upstairs windows, the
first task was to strip it to its bare
shell. A specially designed cradle was
crafted, from which the car could be
suspended while it was hoisted up
and through the minimal space
available. The job was cunningly
timed to coincide with the road
outside being closed for late-night
Christmas shopping.
This allowed access for the gigantic
30 ton scissor lift required to raise the
car to the required height. Thanks to
careful preparation and no little skill
from those involved, two hours
after it had arrived back in the town
of its birth, the MGB was safely
housed in its new home without
so much as a scratch on its Bronze
bodywork. BMH’s final task was
to put the car back together again.
motoringclassics.co.uk

WELCOME HOME

BMH is now making galvanised
fuel tanks – this one’s for the Mini

Open-top fun
– the MGF
(MPL, National
Motor Museum)

A BMH replacement sill for the MGF

The museum is currently
undergoing restoration and, by the
time it reopens this summer, the B
will form the centrepiece of a suitably
large MG display. Said BMH’s
Managing Director John Yea: ‘As the
only manufacturer of original-quality
replacement panels and complete
bodyshells for the ubiquitous MGB,
we felt we were the appropriate
company to help bring this challenging
task to fruition for all concerned.
‘As 2012 is the 50th anniversary
of this perennially popular sports car,
it is very fitting that a representative
example will be proudly displayed in
the town where over 500,000 were
built, a high percentage of which
were exported to America.’

From MGB
shells to MGF sills…

The world is cottoning on to what
incredible value MGFs represent
in the current market, which in
motoringclassics.co.uk

turn is increasing the interest in
replacement parts for these pretty
mid-engined two-seaters.
Under the circumstances,
British Motor Heritage is delighted
to announce the reintroduction of
both left- (ALG460050) and righthand (ALG460040) sill panels for

Further information on BMH’s
ever-increasing range of
replacement parts for the Mini;
MG B, RV8, F, TF and Midget;
Triumph TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire,
GT6 and Stag; Austin-Healey
Sprite; Morris Minor etc can be
found at bmh-ltd.com, along
with a global list of suppliers.

the model, which have been
unavailable for the past year or so.
They are manufactured on the
original tooling in the same zinc
coated steel as the original panels
and, like all such BMH products,
finished in industry standard
electrophoretic paint. They are
available now from all the company’s
MG specialists, as listed on the
website bmh-ltd.com. The suggested
retail price is the same as when the
items were last available – £72.60
per sill, including VAT.

…and new galvanised
fuel tanks for most
MGBs, Minis, Midgets
and Spitfires

The Achilles heel of most original
fuel tanks is their lack of corrosion
resistance. This is especially true
of MGB ones, which tend to rust
from the top down due to the
water trap between the tank and
the boot floor.
To overcome the problem,
BMH has invested in the
refurbishment of its roller welder,
the uprated performance of which
has allowed the company to
manufacture the pressings from
galvanised rather than ordinary
steel. All the new tanks are produced
using this original tooling and to the
original specification – ie, if the
original tank was equipped with
baffles, then so is the replacement
one, which is not the case with
examples sourced elsewhere.
SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS

7

MISSING MONIKER

WSM
MISSING MONIKER

A WSM shot from 1963: (L-R) Douglas
Wilson-Spratt, Peter Jackson, Jim
McManus, George Snively (who’d come
from the USA to receive and ship 203S) and
Mike White (who was collecting 205S)

There’s a bit of journalistic licence in choosing WSM as the second
manufacturer in our Missing Moniker series – although the last of the
original cars was built in 1965, the marque made an unexpected, phoenixlike re-emergence 44 years later and is therefore missing no longer

T

he WSM story began in 1961,
when Peter Jackson damaged
his Sebring Sprite on the
Gold Leaf Rally and commissioned
a bespoke new alloy bodyshell from
Peels Coachworks of Kingston.
With input from his boss at Delta
Garage, Leighton Buzzard – designer,
racing driver and aviator Douglas
Wilson-Spratt – a notably pretty
and rapid racer was created. The
potential to commercialise such a
car was evident and a prototype
(chassis 201S) was built and unveiled
at Silverstone in October 1962.
The response was positive and
sparked a production run
of 10 Sprite MKII-based
cars, several of which were
exported to America and
mainland Europe and at 
least six of which remain
in regular use today.
The name WSM is a
compounding of WilsonSpratt and McManus – Jim
McManus being another key

8

MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012

player at Delta Garage, who had
previously been sales manager at the
Donald Healey Motor Company
premises in London. Though each
WSM Sprite was arguably unique,
there were ostensibly two types
offered – the GT, which was based
on an unmodified Sprite chassis
and primarily intended for road
use, and the Sprint, which featured
a lightened chassis and was aimed
at competition customers. The bodies
were formed in either aluminium or
fibreglass, depending on the weight
requirements of the customer. Probably
the lightest of all was the fibreglass-

bodied chassis 206S, successfully
campaigned by Douglas WilsonSpratt himself – the current
whereabouts of which is unknown.
Four other cars received the WSM
treatment in period – an MG 1100
saloon, Healey 3000, Jaguar XK150
and MGB. The latter is now owned
by Douglas’s son, Tony Wilson-Spratt,
along with WSM Sprites 208S
and 301GT.
Douglas passed away in April last
year, only weeks away from his 90th
birthday, but not before hearing that
his beloved ‘Wuzzums’ (as his wife
Laurette nicknamed them) had just
qualified 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th
and 10th for an HRDC
Touring Greats race at
Brands Hatch. Moreover,
under the guidance of his
son Tony, five ‘Sanction 2’
WSMs were already in build
and others available to order
Tony Wilson-Spratt
– see wsmcars.com. Douglas
campaigning 208S at
had every reason to die a
Brands Hatch, 2009
proud and happy man.
motoringclassics.co.uk

CLASSIC CHARACTER

DENIS JENKINSON
(1920-1996)

‘Panda eyes’ – Jenks and
Stirling Moss celebrate
their Mille Miglia victory

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF GEOFFREY GODDARD/THE GP LIBRARY

I

t has been said that achievers achieve
and the rest of us either tell them
what to do (teachers) or report on
their results (journalists). But there
will always be exceptions – multitalented characters for whom one
classification is insufficient. Denis
Sargent Jenkinson was just such a
mortal. As vital a component of motor
racing as the starting grid or chequered
flag, he will never be forgotten by those
who played a part in his endearingly
eccentric existence, or those for
whom he brought motorsport fully
to life via his 40-plus years as the
Continental Correspondent for
Motor Sport magazine.
Jenks to his friends and DSJ to his
loyal readers, was born in London in
December 1920 and obsessed by cars
from the age of three. By 12 he had
discovered Motor Sport, for which he
religiously saved the required eight
pence a month. By his teens, he was
cycling up to 220 miles a week,
attending every race and hillclimb
event he could. Always of firm
convictions, he registered as a
conscientious objector in 1940,
and on completing his engineering
studies joined the Royal Aircraft
Establishment at Farnborough.
motoringclassics.co.uk

It was there he met
Bill Boddy, who
was editing Jenks’s
favourite magazine
in his spare time.
Driving a £250
Frazer Nash, he
competed in the
first post-war UK
motorsport event.
However, it was
soon exchanged
for a more
affordable
350cc Norton
International, and
it was astride this
that he joined the continental racing
circus in 1948, and progressed not
only to passengering Eric Oliver in
the inaugural FIM Sidecar World
Championship of 1949, but helping
him to outright victory in the Series.
By 1953, he’d abandoned his own
competition career to cover F1 for
Motor Sport fulltime. In that revered
role he travelled up to 45,000 miles
a year, progressing from a company
Lancia Fulvia via a Porsche 356
to a Jaguar E-Type. Jenks’s finest
achievement, though, was surely
co-driving Stirling Moss to victory

Jenks’s
favourite
photo of
himself that
he christened
‘two cranks
together’

on the 1955 Mille Miglia, aided by a
self-devised metal box housing a
14.5ft-long roll of carefully-honed
instructions – the prototype for today’s
rally pace notes.
Diminutive in form but a colossus
in character, the red-bearded Jenks
was highly respected by the drivers
he reported on – not least Senna,
Clark and Moss. Of modest means
(his ramshackle Hampshire home had
neither mains electricity nor water!),
his legacy of motorsport books and
articles is however as rich as they come.
SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS

9

A quartet of Works
MGBs that will be in
action during 2012

CLASSIC
MOTORSPORT 2012
British Motor Heritage MD John Yea previews the Motoring Classicssponsored MGCC Thoroughbred Sportscar Championship and his
own season on track

M

otoring Classics is pleased and
proud to be supporting the
MG Car Club Thoroughbred
Sportscar Championship again this
year. The provisional 2012 calendar
is shown opposite and features races
on many of the best UK circuits,
and may even include a rare foray
overseas to the fabulous Spa
Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
Once more I will be contesting the
series at selected meetings in my

10

MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012

Class B 1964 MGB Roadster.
This year being the 50th anniversary
of the MGB, there are a number
of racing events planned to mark
the occasion. The premier one
is being staged by the MG Car Club
at MG Live!, on the Silverstone Grand
Prix circuit during the weekend of
June 23-24.
This is a 50-minute race for two
drivers competing in FIA-compliant
MGB Roadsters, and is likely to attract

a full grid of 50 cars. I hope to be
among them for what should be a
very special event.
MGBs will also be represented
at the 2012 Le Mans Classic event,
courtesy of Barry Sidery-Smith in his
ex-Works Le Mans racer (DRX 255C)
and Anthony Binnington in his exSebring car – Motoring Classics is
planning to support their endeavours.
There is also an MGB 50th race series
being organised by Julius Thurgood
motoringclassics.co.uk

CLASSIC MOTORSPORT 2012
and his respected HRDC organisation,
details of which can be found at the
website hrdc.eu.
I shall be competing in the MG
Car Club’s new Ecurie GTS series
too, dates for which are also included
below. This is one of two series to have
evolved from the old Equipe GTS one,
which suffered organisation problems
last year. It is for FIA specification ’60s
sports cars, and with the benefit of
seasoned racers on its committee and
the excellent administrative support
one has come to
expect from the
MG Car Club, it
will hopefully enjoy
a stable platform
going forward. A
popular concept, it
is known for the
high-quality
...keep an eye
open for the
presentation of the
BMH Midget too
cars and the strict
enforcement of
good driving
standards, which makes it appealing
to competitors, spectators and race
organisers alike.
The 2012 season will comprise
two 30-minute races at MG Car
Club two-day events, and a single
50-minute one at MGCC one-day

The BMH MGB
has another busy
season ahead of it…

meetings.
The only
exception
is the MG
Live! two-day extravaganza, where
there will be a single 50-minute race,
recognising that many MGB drivers
will also want to compete in the special
anniversary race that weekend.
Somewhat confusingly, the second
series retains the Equipe GTS name

Date

Circuit

Organising
Club

April 8

Donington

MG CC

May 5

Brands Hatch

May 6

Brands Hatch

June 4
June 23/24

Donington
Silverstone GP

August 11

Oulton Park

August 27
Sept 9



Sept 22/23
October 13

October 14

Castle Combe
Thruxton
Spa, Belgium
Snetterton
200
Snetterton
200

motoringclassics.co.uk

Series

Race
Duration

Motoring Classics 20 mins
Ecurie GTS
50 mins
Motoring
Classics
20 mins
MG CC
30 mins
Ecurie GTS
Motoring Classics 20 mins
MG CC
30 mins
Ecurie GTS
Morgan SCC Motoring Classics 20 mins
MG CC
Motoring Classics 20 mins
50 mins
Ecurie GTS
MG CC
Motoring Classics 20 mins
50 mins
Ecurie GTS
Motoring Classics 20 mins
CCRC
Motoring Classics 20 mins
MG CC
Ecurie GTS
50 mins
Motoring Classics 60 mins
BSS
MG CC

MG CC

Motoring Classics 20 mins
Ecurie GTS

30 mins

Ecurie GTS

30 mins

Heritage Relay

240 mins

and has been established under the
wing of the new Aston Martin Club
Racing (AMCR) organisation. It is
expected to comprise 30-minute-long,
single-driver races at five meetings
throughout the year, plus two
30-minute races at the St John
Horsfall trophy meeting that’s being
held over the Queens Jubilee holiday
( June 4-5) on the Brands Hatch
Indy circuit.
It will also form part of the
AMOC sprint event at Goodwood.
This series will benefit from the
professional organisation of the
AMCR and the invaluable
experience of Jim Lowry, one of
the original founders of Equipe
GTS. Hopefully, the two GTS series
will develop complementary paths
with similar regulations, so further
widening the choice of events for
FIA-specification cars.
All in all, there is a fantastic array
of events from which to choose,
with the chance to drive on some
of the best British circuits. As if
this wasn’t enough, we are planning
to sprint and hillclimb the BMH
MG Midget when the dates don’t
clash with our circuit plans; so yet
again ensuring a good variety of
driving disciplines. We will bring
you news of our exploits as the
year unfolds.
SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS

11

The FBHVC’s
latest research
report

The Scottish Military
Vehicle Club on
manoeuvres

FRESH FACTS FROM
THE FEDERATION
Our hobby now contributes £4.3 billion to the UK economy

W

e owners and drivers of
historic vehicles know
better than to assume
they will start first time, or that air
will have remained in their tyres since
the last outing. However, we do take
it for granted that, once they’re firing
on all cylinders, we can drive them
exactly where and when we choose.
The purpose of the Federation of
British Historic Vehicle Clubs
(FBHVC) is to try to ensure we can

12

MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012

continue enjoying our old 
cars, motorcycles, commercial
vehicles etc in this gloriously
unrestricted way. To that end, its
membership comprises 500 clubs
(representing 250,000 people),
transport museums, 300 or so
specialist traders and many
individual supporters.
Formed in 1988 by the
amalgamation of the Historic Vehicle
Clubs Committee (HVCC) and the

Classic Vehicle Clubs Committee
(CVCC), the Federation achieves
its aim by:
• Monitoring legislative
developments and responding
to consultations as necessary
• Lobbying MPs, MEPs, civil
servants and Government
agencies so they are aware
of our interests and needs
motoringclassics.co.uk

FBHVC
• Liaising with
related bodies
in the UK and
Europe in order
to share concerns
and information
and maximise
political influence
• Publicising its lobbying activity
and informing its subscribers of
measures that might affect historic
vehicle owners

It also regularly researches the British
historic vehicle movement so it has
up-to-date facts that allow a quick and
effective response to any worrying
developments – eg, proposed changes
in fuels, taxation, emission regulations,
MOTs etc. The most recent such
report was published last December,
and makes extremely interesting and,
in the main, very encouraging reading.
The stand-out findings from this very
comprehensive document show:
• The value of the UK historic
vehicle movement had risen from
£3.3 billion per annum in 2006 to
no less than £4.3 billion in 2011

• 82% of these vehicles
are used no more than
twice a month and
cover fewer than 500
miles a year
• They are responsible
for just 0.24% of the overall
traffic mileage
• 68% of the vehicles are valued
at less than £10,000
• There are 4.5 million personattendances per annum of events
organised by FBHVC clubs
• 52% of the traders involved in the
movement expect their businesses
to grow over the next five years and
41% expect to recruit new staff
during that period

The only really downbeat message
seems to be that 66% of traders
are concerned about increasing
regulation hampering future growth
– an understandable fear that
underlines exactly why the FBHVC
is so important to all those involved
in the historic vehicle movement,

in whatever capacity.
Said John Yea, the MD of British
Motor Heritage (an avid supporter of
the FBHVC and its work): ‘We are
very lucky to have such a dedicated body
looking after the interests of our hobby
and the industry that underpins it.
‘The FBHVC enjoys the respect
and cross-party support of our
politicians, and has more than
proved its worth in staving off
legislation that could have so badly
affected the old vehicle fraternity.
It relies on the voluntary services
of some very dedicated and gifted
individuals, and I have no hesitation
in encouraging all enthusiasts, clubs,
relevant businesses etc to support
the Federation’s activities in any way
they can.’
An eclectic gathering
at Bishopstone

• The export value of such business
is now almost £1 billion per annum
• The number of people employed
by the movement is 28,000
• There are over 850,000 pre-1981
vehicles in Britain today

Drive It Day 2012
April 22

One of the ways the Federation
maintains and raises awareness for
the historic vehicle movement each
year is by encouraging owners to
take to the roads en masse on a
dedicated day. That day is always
the nearest Sunday to April 23, the
date in 1900 when 64 cars set off
from London on the Thousand Mile
Trial – an incredible undertaking
so early in the history of motoring
and one surely well worthy of
ongoing celebration.
Further details of the FBHVC, its
many activities (including Drive It
Day) and the recent survey can be
found at the body’s excellent
website, fbhvc.co.uk.

motoringclassics.co.uk

The Cornish Austin
7 Club in search of
a cream tea

SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS

13

PowerStop’s X25
brake upgrade
kit for the MGB

BRAKING NEWS!
FROM

MOTORING CLASSICS

by British Motor Heritage MD, John Yea

E

fficient and effective brakes
are a necessity for safe and
enjoyable motoring. They are
the second most important part of any
car in my personal opinion, coming
only behind tyres. Tyres top the list
simply because they are the only point
of contact with the road. They need to
be the size and make specified for the
car, in good condition with adequate
tread depth and inflated to the correct
pressure. If they are not, every other
aspect of the car’s safety and

14

MOTORING CLASSICS | SPRING 2012

performance, particularly the braking,
will be compromised.
It is too easy to take a car’s brakes for
granted, and ensuring that the system
is in good condition is an absolute
must. We also need to recognise that
braking performance is a field in which
there have been huge improvements in
recent years. So much so that many
classic cars, particularly those of
relatively humble origin, cannot begin
to match the stopping power of
modern machines. Indeed almost

any car of 30 years old or more will
take far longer to arrest than even the
most basic of contemporary small
vehicles, most of which have anti-lock
braking (ABS) and electronic stability
control (ESC) systems as standard.
Driving most classics with original
braking systems requires drivers to be
keenly aware of all road hazards and
the traffic around them, as the
stopping distance required is likely to
be much higher. Added to which, there
are too many sub-standard brake parts
motoringclassics.co.uk

BRAKES
on the market, and I am
particularly concerned about
some of the very cheap pads and
linings that are sold within the
classic sector. It is an old adage
that there is no such thing as a
‘free lunch’, and with brake
components I’m afraid you largely
get what you pay for. In the extreme,
cheap brakes might not just cost you
your car, but your life as well.
Fear not, however, as help is at
hand, and it is relatively easy to
enhance braking performance without
excessive expenditure. For example, the
acclaimed range of EBC brake pads
is a proven and cost effective means of
obtaining an immediate improvement,
with the fitment of Greenstuff pads
demonstrably improving the braking
performance of disc-braked cars.
British Motor Heritage became the
classic sector distributor for EBC brakes
when it acquired PowerStop Brakes,
and the entire range is available
through motoringclassics.co.uk.
Going a stage further, there are
two PowerStop-developed kits that
will further enhance the braking

Vented PowerStop disc plus Greenstuff
pads equals powerful braking

performance of the MGB and the
Triumph TR6. The PowerStop X25
package for the MGB includes thicker
brake discs that result in faster heat
dissipation and, when coupled with
Greenstuff pads, dramatically increases
the available stopping power. The TR6
kit features vented discs for even better
heat dissipation. As with the B kit,
when paired with Greenstuff pads,
the results are extremely rewarding.
Of course, rear brakes should not
be ignored either, and PowerStop also
offers replacement brake shoes fitted
with either competition or standard
materials. Common fitments are

available from stock, but there is
a bespoke service through which
any shoes can be relined quickly
and efficiently.
Equally important is the hydraulic
operating system, and it is all too
easy to suffer from poor braking
performance through loss of efficiency
in these components. All brake lines
should be checked regularly, as should
the master cylinder, disc callipers and
wheel cylinders. A frequent weak
point in these older systems is the
flexible hoses on the front wheels. The
traditional rubber type deteriorate over
time, literally bulging when the brakes
are applied and reducing the available
braking effort. PowerStop offers an
easy solution to this problem with the
availability of the acclaimed range of
Goodridge reinforced hoses.
So before venturing on to the road
with your cherished classic, make sure
the braking system is as efficient as it
can be. Confidence in its stopping
power will pay big dividends in your
overall driving experience. The best
news is that this peace of mind comes
at relatively little cost.

EBC have developed their world renowned brake discs
and pads for your classic and they are available from the
PowerStop on-line shop at Motoring Classics.
EBC ‘Greenstuff’ pads
give
- REAL stopping power
- HIGH grip
- LOW dust
EBC ‘Redstuff’pads are
a heavy duty upgrade
for sport, race and high
performance road use.
EBC ‘Yellowstuff’ pads
are the agship awardwinning race and
extreme road brake pad.

motoringclassics.co.uk

on-line at
www.motoringclassics.co.uk
or phone 01993 707230
SPRING 2012 | MOTORING CLASSICS

15

Tailpiece – three Works
Spitfires at Le Mans, 1964

Choose equipment
for your Triumph
Spitre or clothing
and accessories for
yourself from top
e at
British brands, online
Motoring Classics.
Buy on-line at Motoring Classics or contact:

British Motor Heritage Limited, Range Road, Witney, OX29 0YB
t: 01993 707200 e: [email protected]

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close