British Car Festival 2011 Theme Artwork

I am pleased to unveil the the theme artwork for this year's British Car Festival. The event will honor the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Jaguar E-Type. This artwork will grace the dash plaques, banners and perhaps a few more goodies. 

See you at British Car Festival in October!

MINI of Pensacola to Sponsor British Car Festival Again

The nice folks at MINI of Pensacola have signed on as title sponsors of British Car Festival again this year. MINI of Pensacola, one of the dealerships in the Sandy Sansing organization, has supported our event since they opened the dealership in 2009. Their generosity helps us put on a great show as well as allow us to make a donation to a local charity.

Thank you MINI of Pensacola!

The "Most Beautiful Car Ever Made" Turns 50

In 1961 it looked like it came from another planet. Today it still stops people in their tracks. Happy 50th birthday, Jaguar E-Type!

When Marketers and Lawyers Clash

I love Harbor Freight Tools - I really do. I look forward to my infrequent visits because I find dozens of items that I didn't know I needed but somehow wind up in my shopping cart. Since I'm a hobbyist, the tools and other gizmos sold there meet my needs without breaking the bank.

Recently, my '76 MGB exhibited some running issues most likely caused by the fuel in the tank that dates back to October of last year. Since most motor fuel contains up to 10% ethanol, it can go stale pretty quickly. In fact according to a study or two, the fuel will become waterlogged. Now the last time I checked water is not really flammable (unless it was the Cuyahoga River of the 1960's) so it will play havoc with an internal combustion engine.

Anyway, the 'B started up just fine, but ran poorly when I drove it, especially under cornering. It was down on power for a short time and required full choke until it cleared itself of the problem. I decided that I needed to siphon the old fuel out and give it a splash of fresh.

I noticed in my Hagerty's Magazine (a nice perk for Hagerty Insurance customers) a large Harbor Freight Tools ad and one of the promoted items was a siphon pump kit with hoses and accessories. Perfect for my task of removing the old fuel from the tank.

I dropped into my local Harbor Freight Tools store in Mobile (c'mon open one on the Eastern Shore, already!) and bought the kit for the princely sum of $4.00. When I got it home, I read the fine print - the front of the package says its ideal for siphoning gas. The back side says it should not be used with flammable fluids.

Hmm. I suppose that the fuel in the tank is only semi-flammable. I wonder if Harbor Freight considered this possibility?

Ford of Britain Turns 100

We don't see many of them on the roads these days, but at one time the best selling imported car brand in the USA was Ford. That's right, the quintessential "English Ford" was the nation's leading automotive import in 1950. This week the maker of those cars turns 100.

A bug's rear - geddit?

Ford of Britain traces their roots back to the first batch of American built Model A vehicles imported in 1903. In 1911, Ford opened an assembly plant in Manchester in a former trolley car factory. Employing 60 people, the factory assembled cars from imported American mechanical components with the bodies supplied by UK manufacturers. The enterprise was so successful that a new plant was built in 1914 utilizing the moving assembly line perfected by Ford in the US. The British driver regarded Ford products so highly that, just 5 years later, 41% of all cars registered in the UK were Fords.

By the time the second World War ended, the UK was in dire financial straits and an "export or die" decree went out from the government. The need for foreign currency to pay off war debts was urgent and Ford of Britain realized that their very survival depended on exporting cars. A ready market was found in North America.

Although not the first time British Fords were shipped to Canada, they especially embraced these post-war small cars built by a familiar name. In 1950, Canadians bought almost 15,000 UK Fords. America took in just over 1,800 but our interest in smaller cars was a bit behind that of our neighbors to the north. 

Worldwide, by 1955, Ford of Britain exported over one million vehicles, almost one quarter of all British vehicle exports. By 1970, over 250,000 British built Ford cars and trucks had been sold in the US and Canada.

Probably all of us interested in British cars had some experience with an "English Ford" at one time or another. I hope you would share your experiences with me in the comments sections.

Happy Birthday, Ford of Britain.       

Experts in the Care and Feeding of Your British Car

The South Alabama British Car Club is very fortunate to have two experts to help us look after our British cars. I am very pleased  to consider both of these gentlemen my friends.

Jean-Pierre Fontana

Jean-Pierre Fontana is a long time resident of Mobile where he is considered one of the most knowledgeable people in local automotive circles. Pierre works with classic cars of all types, European or American, classic, vintage or veteran Pierre has the ability to bring them back to rude health.

I've known Pierre since the mid 1970's when he got my brother out of a couple of mechanical jams with his '71 MGB (like the time he ran the diff dry and it locked up- but I didn't tell you that). In that time Pierre has been an indispensable source of information and advice for my MGB as well. Pierre writes a monthly column for the South Alabama British Car Club's NEWSLETTER. You can check out some his wit and wisdom here.

Mike Darby

The other expert is Mike Darby, the proprietor of Darby Classic Restoration in Silverhill, Alabama. Mike is known nationwide for his meticulous restorations of classic British cars. I am a frequent visitor to Mike's shop and I am constantly amazed at the variety of vehicles there in various stages of renovation.  Mike provides comprehensive services for British cars primarily, but he is also expert in other imported marques as well.

Since Mike's shop is close to my home, I almost always bring my cars there for help when I run out of mechanical talent (and it doesn't take me long to do that). He is incredibly patient and takes his time to actually explain the details of the malady as well as how an owner can prevent a re-occurrence of the of the problem. Mike is also a columnist for the SABCC NEWSLETTER and you can read his columns here.

Owning and driving a classic British car would be much more difficult without the help of these two great resources.

Triumph Herald Advert

Don't you just want to take it home? It's sad that we don't see more of these in the wild, but like most cars of the era, the Herald was biodegradable - especially in convertible form.  

Spitfire drivers would probably recognize the mechanicals in the Herald - they were closely related and it's not too much of a leap to consider it a four seat Spitfire. The chrome headlight peaks and "flinlets" at the rear capture the time in which it was designed. The Herald was built from 1959 through 1971. 

With its wood dash and sharp Italian styling by Michelotti, the Herald was a small car with a bit of flair.

Alabama Astons

Aston Martins aren't exactly thick on the ground here in South Alabama, so it was with some surprise that I saw two examples of the storied marque in one day. I'm sure Aston sightings are not all that unusual in the larger metropolitan areas of Atlanta or Houston but here on the central Gulf Coast it really is out of the ordinary.

I could do orange...

I was with Mike Darby in his MGA  returning from the February Mugs & Motors event when we noticed the first one of the day. It was a rather tasty dark green Vantage that we spotted on Hillcrest Road pulling into a local eatery. It was driven by a lady (obviously of means) and she was none too gentle with it. She certainly knew where the loud pedal was as she was crossing four lanes of traffic in a hurry to get to the restaurant. 

Later that same day, my long-suffering spouse and I were heading into a grocery store in Daphne to buy our rations for the week. A lovely black DB9 convertible was idling while parked in a handicap spot (with the proper credentials, of course). The older gentleman behind the wheel seemed to be enjoying the stereo while he waited on his companion to return.The car had a dealer card from Aston Martin Palm Beach in place of the license plate. Apparently it was still on break-in mileage as the car looked fresh off the boat new. I just had to pause to listen to the intoxicating exhaust burble of the six liter V12 while it turned dead dinosaurs into greenhouse gasses. 

Yes, it is better to be rich.

SABCC YouTube Channel: "It's Alive!"

As if we didn't have enough ways to reach out and bore the living crap out of entertain you, the South Alabama British Car Club now has its own YouTube channel where we plan to post videos of club events. The first video, shot by video guru Richard Cunningham, covers our February Mugs & Motors event where we visited the Continental Collection. 

Stay tuned for more updates as they develop.

Says it All, Doesn't it?

A sad commentary on the demise of the firm that built so many of the cars we enjoy today. 

British Car Week 2011

Since 1997 British Car Week has been the way to for enthusiasts to bring the public's attention to our hobby and to let them know that the cars they loved many years ago are alive and well and in good hands. The genesis of British Car Week came from an article written in Road and Track by Peter Egan in which he laments the fact that he saw few classic British cars on the road. 

The first BCW was organized by word of mouth and something called an "internet bulletin board" and an "email list". Today, the organization has a top notch web site and literally dozens of clubs that participate to varying degrees. The folks that run BCW encourage all British car owners to drive their UK-built machines at least one day during the week. Even better is an organized drive where a group of cars can be seen together that will bring attention to the hobby. 

This year's British Car Week is May 28th through June 5th. I hope you will be able to show off your British pride and joy. I know I'm looking forward to it. 

An MG with Room for the Family

Only 116 in existence says the seller

Back in the prewar days, MG had designs on competing head to head with the likes of Bentley and SS-Jaguar in the high performance saloon car market. Large MGs such as the SA, VA and WA models were creditable offerings from the company known more for smaller sports models.

During one of my recent trolls of the Hemmings Motor News site, I ran across this lovely 1937 MG VA for sale by the owner. This car checks all the correct boxes for me with its' suicide front doors, tall wire wheels and two tone paint scheme. Powered by a 1-1/2 liter pushrod four cylinder engine, the pace would be considered leisurely today since the output was only around 54 BHP.

Production ended at the outbreak of World War II with a total of just over 2400 built.

It could be mine for only $39,000.00. One more reason for me to hate my poverty. 

550 Horsepower & 502 Foot-Pounds of Torque; That Sounds About Right

The top-of-the-heap Jaguar XKR has been bested in the performance sweepstakes by the all new Jaguar XKR-S.

The new super coupe, to be unveiled at Geneva's International Motor Show, is a thinly padded and tamed racer for the road. Jaguar is quoting 186 MPH top speed and a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds. All this power is held on the road by a heavily revised suspension and there are a few tweaks to the aerodynamics, some of which are quite visible in the publicity photos distributed by Jaguar.

Jaguar will also be hosting drives in the legendary E-Type at the Parc des Vives in Geneva, where the original car was introduced to the world by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons a half century ago.

I'm sure that most of the members of the press covering this event weren't more than a tingle in dad's loins when the E-Type was launched.