
The cars : Mini Convertible development story
Rover offered one of the fullest ranges of cabriolets on the market – starting with the Mini, through the Metro/100 and onto the R8 (as well as the convertible MGF […]
Rover offered one of the fullest ranges of cabriolets on the market – starting with the Mini, through the Metro/100 and onto the R8 (as well as the convertible MGF […]
Keith Adams continues AROnline‘s series devoted to celebrating the great and the good that used to be familiar UK street furniture. Who remembers the Astra Mk1, a blisteringly capable, fun-to-drive […]
UK car production dropped to its lowest level since 1956, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Last year, the UK produced 775,014 cars, […]
Ten years on from the end of its UK production, James Godwin tells the story of the design process of the 1986 Ford Transit at the firm’s Dunton facility in […]
Ken Clayton recalls the highs – and lows – of launching the Austin Maestro (LM10) to the trade in 1983. There were logistical issues, management mismanagement and a sense that […]
Ah, the MGA. The good-looking sports car that sparked the real kick-off of MG’s expansion in the 1950s and, for a while at least, became the best-selling sports car in the […]
It’s 12 January 1979, and we’re standing on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield heading away from the Hunter’s Bar roundabout on the main road in from the Peak District to the city. […]
The good-looking Vauxhall Victor FE Series went on sale in 1972 and was met by indifference from the motoring press. But a programme of constant improvements saw it become increasingly […]
September 1994 and, as a new Jaguar XJ and Range Rover are launched during the same week, the fortunes of their respective manufacturers take an upward turn. Keith Adams compares […]
Ian Nicholls unravels the production data to try and come up with a definitive number of Minis built. He finds more questions than answers – but it looks like more […]
It’s been a long-held belief that building small cars was less profitable than large ones. However, as Chris Cowin explains, things are never that straightforward. Making the Mini pay for […]
Chris Cowin delves into the history of building the Triumph Acclaim at Cowley, countering the myth it was simply a screwdriver operation unpacking and assembling Japanese kits. Such a belief […]
Keith Adams recalls the UK Government’s bailout of Chrysler (UK) following the US company’s threat to pull out of the UK, potentially costing 25,000 jobs. At the time, Harold Wilson’s […]
Mike Humble ponders the Vauxhall Senator – a car once beloved by the UK’s management classes. However, what truly set this car apart from its rivals was the fear it […]
Keith Adams tells the short-and-sweet story of the Austin Allegro Equipe – a go-faster saloon that its maker sold as a homegrown alternative to the Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti or […]
The Nissan Qashqai has emerged as the UK’s best-selling car of 2022, and the first British-built model to top the annual sales charts for 24 years. Figures released today by […]
The issue of the strength of the UK Automotive sector comes up regularly – and Robert Leitch’s recent piece bemoaning the loss of a British-owned (or ‘indigenous’) industry ultimately asks […]
It’s time to discuss the political influences on the BMC-Leyland merger of 1968, some 55 years ago this week. Harold Wilson’s Labour Party was four years into government and had […]
Thomas Josef Derrick Paul Karen OBE, Automotive and Industrial Designer, has died aged 96. Once described as the man who styled our childhoods, Tom passed away following a short illness. […]
A Volkswagen Golf? On AROnline? Why? This is my partner’s car, and I regularly get the chance to play with it. It’s not that I really like the Golf, but […]
Well, well, well, thank goodness that one’s over. It’s fair to say that 2022 was a roller coaster of a year – somewhat of a surprise as I think many […]
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