Archive for March, 2011
MG Car Club : MGLive! 2011 gathers pace…
The MG Car Club reports that the tickets for this year’s MGLive!, the world’s largest MG event, are selling briskly and that, with the all-new MG6 going on sale in April, interest in the famous MG brand is booming! MGLive! is the MG Car Club’s showpiece event and returns to Silverstone for its sixty-first successive year, taking centre [...]
March 31, 2011
· 
Clive Goldthorp · 
No Comments
Jaguar : New 2.2-Litre diesel engine debuts in XF development mule
Jaguar has unveiled its most efficient engine yet in the form of a new 2.2-litre diesel unit. The new engine develops 187bhp and 332lbs/ft of torque and is capable of returning 52.3mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 149g/km of CO2. Making its debut on UK roads fitted to a prototype development vehicle, the new [...]
March 30, 2011
· Clive Goldthorp · 23 Comments
Press Report : Will Riley unveils new sports car project
Birmingham Post, 25 March 2011 A Worcestershire sports car fanatic says he will be building up to 10 £65,000 coupes a month by this time next year after steering his troubled firm back on to the right road. Will Riley’s plans to market the 190mph SV model originally developed by MG Rover have been mired [...]
March 28, 2011
· Clive Goldthorp · 43 Comments
Tata Motors : UK engineering base at Warwick University set to expand
The UK’s technology base was given a major boost today when Tata Motors Limited’s European Technical Centre (TMETC), a wholly-owned UK-based subsidiary of Tata Motors, announced that it will be expanding its partnership with WMG (formerly known as Warwick Manufacturing Group), at the University of Warwick. TMETC plans to increase its team of highly skilled [...]
March 28, 2011
· Clive Goldthorp · No Comments
Land Rover : Halewood celebrates production of 250,000th Freelander 2
Land Rover employees at the company’s Halewood manufacturing plant on Merseyside are today celebrating an important milestone achievement − the production of the 250,000th Freelander 2. Production of the Freelander 2 began in 2007 and, today, the plant’s 250,000th Freelander 2 will be driven off of the line. Land Rover is also celebrating a growing demand [...]
March 28, 2011
· Clive Goldthorp · No Comments
Rover SD1 : Brake time for me!
The Polski-Rover is now being given the final touches. Work has re-commenced after four weeks of self-confessed neglect. Words and Photographs: Mike Humble Why do it today, when you can put it off until tomorrow? That’s not normally an idea I succumb to but, in the case of the Rover SD1, I’m as guilty as sin. You see, as a rule, [...]
March 27, 2011
· Mike Humble · 5 Comments
CPP : Coventry’s newest supercar maker
Keith Adams You might not have heard of CPP Global Holdings Limited but the company, which operates under the trading name of Coventry Prototype Panels, now seems set to emerge as the UK’s newest supercar manufacturer. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding to acquire the assets of the Spyker sports car business from its publicly-listed holding company, Spyker Cars N.V., in [...]
March 27, 2011
· Keith Adams · 3 Comments
MGF Prototypes : First and last
Keith Adams It was strange seeing MGF prototypes PR1, PR2 and PR3 for the very first time on a recent visit to Longbridge. I had seen them in the pages of David Knowles’ excellent MGF and TF book as well as on the pages of this very website but had never really appreciated the huge differences between the [...]
March 26, 2011
· Keith Adams · 14 Comments
Track Test : Potential buyers evaluate the MG6 1.8T TSE Fastback
Words: Clive Goldthorp Photographs: Simon Davies/Pegasus Photographics AROnline’s Editor, Keith Adams, has already given readers his First Drive impressions of the new MG6 1.8T TSE and, like our colleagues at Autocar, Auto Express and CAR Magazine, he concluded that ‘it’s rather good, with one or two rough edges.’
March 26, 2011
· Clive Goldthorp · 9 Comments
Tata Motors : UK production gives Vista EV a headstart on Nissan Leaf
Andrew Elphick Tata Motors Limited announced this week that small scale production of the Vista EV supermini has now begun in Coventry and that full scale production should commence next year. The Vista EV is the final production version of the Vista EVX prototype which proved its credentials by winning the Most Economic Small Passenger [...]
March 26, 2011
· Clive Goldthorp · 68 Comments
Reps : Britain’s hardest working professionals
Steven Ward This morning, on my gentle canter into work, I saw what we commonly refer to as a ‘rep’ in his smart LeasePlanned Mondeo-alike. Nothing unusual in that – our road network is full of such characters. Our Man on a Mission was on the ‘phone and he had his SatNav and Road Angel [...]
March 23, 2011
· Keith Adams · 14 Comments
Blog : RDX60 ten years on
Keith Adams A recent visit to Longbridge saw me set eyes upon the RDX60 for the first time ever and I have to say that it evoked mixed emotions in me. For sure, more than anything else, it represents the embodiment of all those shattered dreams in May 2005 when MG Rover went into administration… [...]
March 22, 2011
· Keith Adams · 33 Comments
Buses : A part of history lives on
Mike Humble on how a piece of history lives on to this day – and he’s a part of it too! Well, as some of you may know, I recently went back into the whirling dervish that is vehicle sales and although cars have been my comfort zone historically, its now buses and coaches. My [...]
March 22, 2011
· Mike Humble · 12 Comments
eBay Watch : Mint 2600 raises the bar
Keith Adams eBay user, The Doctor, is becoming a bit of a celebrity around these parts for his ability to sniff out the nicest BMC>MG cars and sell them perfectly. There can’t be many AROnline readers who’ve not spent time drooling over his adverts – and to tempt us some more, he’s offering this amazing [...]
March 21, 2011
· Keith Adams · 27 Comments
Rover 75s : They’re still out there
Steven Ward Another Friday which means another four motor auctions to cast my critical, bargain-hunting eye over. Buying cars at auction has been very hard graft this year – in fact, the hardest I’ve ever known. The effects of Scrappage, an economy in recession and the promise of tens of thousands of public sector jobs being [...]
March 20, 2011
· Keith Adams · 27 Comments
Events : AROnline celebrates 10 years online
Keith Adams AROnline is 10 years old in 2011! That’s something to celebrate so we’re holding a birthday party and you’re all invited. We’re getting together on Saturday 16 July and, because the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon is the spiritual home of the website, where much of its early research was undertaken, it’s only right to [...]
March 20, 2011
· Keith Adams · 85 Comments
Why AROnline needs to buy Bristol Cars
Keith Adams Okay, so we have a week or so to get our bids in for Bristol Cars and help save it from a horrific break-up. Back in 2000, John Towers and his chums stumped up some pin money and sweet talked BMW into selling Rover for the nominal sum of £10. We know that [...]
March 20, 2011
· Keith Adams · 53 Comments
Jaguar : Set for a starring role at Goodwood
Keith Adams The 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed was launched with Jaguar playing a key role as the event celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the E-type. Present at the launch were Yasmin Le Bon with her daughter and fellow model, Amber, who posed alongside arguably the most famous E-type of all – one of two [...]
March 19, 2011
· Keith Adams · 3 Comments
Why I love the MG TF
s
March 19, 2011
· Keith Adams · 21 Comments
First Drive : MG6 GT 1.8T TSE
Keith Adams Well, here it is at last. After three years of speculation, discussion and politicizing, we’ve driven the MG6 on British roads. Let’s get this out of the way first before moving on: the MG6 is a very good driver’s car, and one that the British Engineers, Designers and – yes – Assembly Line workers [...]
March 15, 2011
· Keith Adams · 120 Comments
