Month: January 2021

I didn’t even bother to make a New Year’s resolution to cut down on buying cars. What’s the point? After all, me saying I won’t be buying any more cars […]

It’s mid-March 1979, and the UK is bracing itself for a heavy snowfall. It’s a cold and bleak time as the after effects of the Winter of Discontent are going […]

Simon Weakley, a former Austin Rover marketing man, steps into the realms of counterfactual history by probing a scenario in which Leyland Motors and British Motor Holdings did not merge to become British […]

Central to Austin Rover’s plans for the late-1980s and into the ’90s was a fresh-looking replacement for the under-performing Montego. There were many promising design proposals, but the AR16 and […]

It’s August 1984 and we’re in the beautiful harbour town of Paimpol in the delightful region of Brittany in France. The relative peace of this region seems like a million […]

Keith Adams tells the story of the Rover Coupe Concept Vehicle, which acted as a showcase for Austin Rover design and starred at the 1986 Turin Motor Show. It also […]

I revisited an old friend this morning, and it was like I was never away. If you’ve not heard of Pathetic Motorways, then I genuinely recommend paying a visit. I’ve […]

This is counterfactual history. Bill McWilliam discusses what could have happened if Leyland had walked away from the merger with British Motor Holdings. The following counterfactual story, in the form […]

Keith Adams tells the little-known story of the three-seat Talbot-Matra Murena, a mid-engined sports car for the ‘masses’ that ushered its maker into a brave new world for the 1980s. Sadly, its […]

The Land Rover Freelander underwent a rather convoluted development programme; it started out as a joint Rover Cars/Land Rover project to produce a vehicle to compete in the emerging SUV […]

The 1977 Matra-Simca Rancho is one of those wonderful cars that made more of an impact than anyone realised at the time of its launch. Today, no-one would bat an […]

The Rover 35 – codename R30 – was the one that got away. A five-door hatch that oozed class and sophistication, it was due for introduction in 2003. Instead, it was canned in 1999. […]

The Austin Allegro 1300 Special, a version never offered on the British market, had a great deal more showroom appeal than most UK versions. Chris Cowin takes a closer look… […]

Keith Adams tells the story of the Rover 55 or R60 – the 75’s smaller brother, and part of a two-pronged attack on the premium car market for the mid-2000s. […]

And now… From Norwich! That would be the famous war-cry of ITVs late, great stalwart of off screen continuity – John Benson. Mr Benson worked freelance for the telly, usually […]

Raphael De Serres tells the story of how he ended up buying an MG ZS 180, and why it now occupies a place close to his heart thanks to being […]

Mike Humble sticks his head above the parapet to come to the defence of the Austin Montego and its marqueless later versions. After years of running and servicing the 1980s […]

The year 2021 sees the 45th anniversary of the launch of the Rover SD1, the great white hope for British Leyland and all who sailed in her. After years of […]