Friday 21 March 2014

GOODWOOD LAUNCHES 2014 FESTIVAL OF SPEED WITH LONDON MEDIA EVENT




The 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed was launched on Thursday with a media reception in central London that featured some of motor sport’s most legendary figures.

The world’s largest motor sport garden party, which takes place deep in the West Sussex countryside, has adopted the theme: “Addicted to winning” for its 22nd running on June 26-29 this year.

Goodwood owner Lord March was joined at the Bonhams auction house on New Bond Street by Formula 1 legends Sir Stirling Moss and John Surtees on stage; Surtees celebrating the 50th anniversary of his 1964 world title this year by announcing that he will drive a Ferrari 158 – among other cars – up the iconic 1.16-mile hillclimb.

Le Mans 24 Hours victors Jochen Mass and Richard Attwood also attend the event, along with the man that put Mini on the motor sport map – 1964 Monte Carlo Rally winner Paddy Hopkirk – Indianapolis 500 victor Kenny Brack, two-time European Trials champion motorcyclist Sammy Miller and current Toyota Le Mans driver Anthony Davidson.

Among the highlights announced for the Festival of Speed were NASCAR’s most successful driver Richard ‘The King’ Petty, 15-time grand prix motorcycle world champion Giacomo Agostini and nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb all confirming their presences. Frenchman Loeb will be reacquainted with the Peugeot 208 T16 in which he shattered the Pikes Peak hillclimb record last year.

Honda confirmed that it will use the Festival of Speed to give the brand-new NSX its world debut while it was also announced that the Michelin Supercar Run will be run against the clock for the first time, adding an exciting new dimension to the event.

Source: Goodwood

Wednesday 19 March 2014

NEW SERIES OF WHEELER DEALERS!

Wheeler Dealers is back! Check out series 11 schedule ...



Ford Fiesta XR2

17th March

Mike decides to go back to the 80’s and bags a bargain example of one of his dream cars - but there’s only £1000 to spend on repairs or the profit’s at risk. Edd isn’t convinced the XR2 deserves all the praise, but comes up with cheap and innovative solutions to add value. Mike finds a clever way to get Edd all the rare parts he needs and pulls out all the stops to prove the Fiesta is the hot hatch that started a fast Ford revolution.

Porsche 993 Targa

24th March

The last of the air-cooled legends. Mike goes in search of what many fans consider to be the last truly great Porsche. What he finds is the cheapest, tattiest 993 in the country. Mike however, can see a mechanically sound motor and potential profit lurking beneath seventeen years of muck and grime. Edd sets to work on a rescue mission to restore the car’s racing pedigree. It’s unloved and underpowered but after Edd lavishes some care and attention on the car, will the smart engine fixes and custom handling package spell profit on a Porsche that is still major money?

Mazda RX7

31st March

With its legendary mix of unique technology and awesome performance, Mazda’s coupe is unlike any other. Mike finds one that appears to have nothing wrong with it and challenges Edd to make a good car even better. But these cars are complex and unforgiving. So while Edd handles with care, Mike sorts out some stylish mods to make the RX7’s looks match its performance.

Citroen 2CV

7th April

Mike finds a fifty-six year old Citroen 2CV, retired in the sunny south of France. It’s a real people’s car with bags of charm. With cheeky bug-eyed headlights and rare suicide doors, the 2CV is one of the most recognisable cars ever designed and renowned, over its forty-two year production cycle, for its stark simplicity. Almost every aspect of this quirky car requires attention; Edd strips it back to bare bones to breathe new life back into the smoky old engine. A fresh paint job and interior will help to secure the car’s future for another fifty years but can Mike get top dollar for a car with no frills?

Chevrolet Camaro

14th April

It’s time for the boys to tackle one of the meanest muscle cars around. But finding the right one won’t be easy as the Camaro is already a cult classic. Mike tracks down a part-finished restoration in California with its fair share of problems. Edd has his work cut out with loads of missing parts to find and fit. With all this time and effort, is there still a profit on the cards?

Maserati 3200gt

21st April

Mike buys a supercar from the super saver menu. An Italian thoroughbred for under £10k. But supercars mean super bills. Mike’s reports of wayward handling and a hair-trigger throttle could lead to either bankruptcy or a very nasty accident. Some of Edd’s smart solutions could help to keep the budget under control but will it be enough to tame this technology packed, turbocharged V8? Techy tyres help get the luxury GT powerhouse back on track and an overhauled air-conditioning system restores some Italian flair.

Amphicar

28th April

Mike takes the ultimate plunge and invests in a car - and a boat, all in one. It’s the Amphicar, an amphibious vehicle that Edd has been dreaming of for years. But when he peels back the layers and discovers the car’s problems are serious, will he find himself in deep water and rinse away all the profit? This challenge truly puts Mike and Edd’s skills to the test and could see them literally sink or swim!



Available from Veloce!

Mike Brewer’s The Wheeler Dealer Know How!
Written by Mike Brewer, cheeky chappie and TV's best-known car dealing expert. In a career spanning almost 30 years, Mike has seen and done everything when it comes to buying and selling cars, and having established a successful career as a television presenter, is eager to share his knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for cars.
Telling you all you need to know about buying, preparing and selling modern classic cars, this book guides you through the minefield that is the world of car dealing, and helps you avoid the pitfalls that await the unwary. Plus, with stories and anecdotes from Mike’s time in the trade, you'll gain a fascinating insight into the world of wheeler-dealing.
Packed full of information and tips, The Wheeler Dealer Know How will give you the confidence to buy the car of your dreams and avoid ending up with a lemon. You’ll find out how to prepare a car to expert standards – from cleaning, to repairs and improvements – and when the time comes to sell, Mike tells you how to get the best price and avoid being ripped-off.
More info.

Porsche 993 – The Essential Companion: King of Porsche
By Adrian Streather

The 993 version of the evergreen 911 is sometimes described as the “King of Porsche”. This book chronicles the development, racing history and all ownership issues of the 993 in tremendous detail. Containing a buyers/owners guide and well over one thousand photographs, this book features incredibly in-depth information about all aspects of the Porsche 993. More info.

How to restore Citroen 2CV - Enthusiast's Restoration Manual
By Lindsay Porter

All the information needed to rebuild your 2CV in step-by-step detail, supported by over 1500, mainly colour illustrations. Covers body, trim and mechanical restoration, and gives advice on what to look for when buying a car or van, and originality guidance (colour schemes and production changes). More info.

Friday 14 March 2014

IN REMEMBRANCE OF TONY BENN 1925-2014

John Rosamond, author of Save the Triumph Bonneville sent us this tribute to Tony Benn (1925-2014).

"It is with great sadness that I have to inform Triumph Motorcycle enthusiasts across the world that 88 year old Tony Benn passed away peacefully in his sleep on 14th March 2014, his family at his bedside.
Without Tony Benn's total support as Labour Government Secretary of State for Industry, the "Meriden Co-op" would never have had the chance to demonstrate what a totally committed group of British workers could achieve with the support a true conviction politician. Tony not only believed in the potential and commitment of the Triumph Meriden workforce, but as a "Minister of State" invested in them! The result of this "belief and investment" was that Triumph enthusiasts across the world were provided with new classic Triumph twin cylinder motorcycles that would otherwise not have seen the light of day!
All who knew Tony Benn and those who only knew of the massive contribution he had made during his very active 50 years in British socialist political life, recognized that his was not the normal politicians' "political life"! He certainly did not mellow, become less militant regarding the socialist principles he had always believed in, and as the years passed by he became more committed and principled not less, he will be sadly missed.
Our sincere thoughts are with his family at this sad time."

John Rosamond
(Former Chairman of the Meriden Workers' Co-op).

Tony Benn pictured here at his home in 2009 reading his own personal copy, supplied the foreword for the book. He described the book as "one of the most important and relevant histories of British industry that I have ever read ... and I strongly recommend anyone interested in the future of Britain to read it carefully."

Thursday 13 March 2014

VELOCE DIGITAL: NEW VESPA SCOOTERS APP!

Looking to buy one of these iconic scooters? Then this app is for you! It will help ensure that you avoid the main pitfalls and end up with your very own slice of La Dolce Vita on the driveway.


The app includes expert advice, with images and videos, on all aspects of buying a Vespa. Included is a unique Evaluation Calculator so you can assess the true quality of a potential purchase, and make sure you don’t forget to check any of the important areas. You can store key information and notes, plus images of the Scooters you view for easy reference later. The app also includes a handy tool to search for Vespas which are for sale on various popular websites.

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Available from: Apple App Store, for iPhone / Google Play Store, for Android phones and tablets / Microsoft Store for Windows phone. / Amazon Apps for Kindle Fire, and Android devices.


Monday 10 March 2014

A TRIBUTE TO GRAHAM WARNER (1929-2014)

A fitting tribute to Graham Warner, who sadly passed away at the weekend, by the author of his recently published biography.

"Some of you may know that I worked with Graham Warner on a biography which was published last November. Graham had been ill for some time and he passed away peacefully yesterday. He packed more into his 84 years than seems feasible: a flyboy during the early days of jet fighters, a sports car ace in the 1950s and early ’60s, a team entrant in just about every category of motor sport, a record label owner and latterly a restorer of historic aircraft. Working with him was two parts inspirational, one part maddening, and I’m going to miss the bugger. Coming so soon after Tony Crook, another grandee who I liked enormously, this is all very sad. I hope you will forgive me posting this. RIP Graham, I’m glad to have called you a friend." – Richard Heseltine

Tuesday 4 March 2014