A Great British attraction

During the pandemic, so many things that were once normal have become rare or even vanished. Car shows, meets, races and more have all felt the force of social distancing and mitigation measures. Fortunately, things are now a little better, with more and bigger events now becoming a reality.

So now is the perfect time to introduce you to a great new visitor attraction. These are never a common event, even outside of the pandemic, so we were very excited to see not only a brand-new attraction opening, but one themed entirely around British cars.

The Great British Car Journey (GBCJ) is the brainchild of Richard Usher. If Richard's name is familiar to Veloce subscribers, it could be from his role as owner of Auto Windscreens, which he sold in 2001 to the RAC. If you're a track day fan, or take part in motorsports, you'll likely know him as the founder of Blyton Park circuit.

Richard has created an attraction with a unique aim: rather than showcasing the kind of rare and exotic cars that adorned the posters of our childhood bedrooms, GBCJ focusses on the everyday heroes that our Dads and Mums owned – the cars that heralded a revolution in personal transport worldwide. 

Situated in a former Derbyshire factory, Great British Car Journey has over 100 cars, spanning 100 years, and covering marques including Morris, Hillman, Austin, and Ford, to name a few. Each has been carefully chosen to illustrate how British-made cars changed the world for good, and among them you'll find gems such as the last ever MG Metro, and one of the 360 Morris Minor 'Millions,' of which an example of each was sent to every Morris dealer in the UK. 

For many of us, the cars at GBCJ stir memories of our childhoods, our first drives, and a myriad other personal milestones, and that’s the beauty of the GBCJ. These real-world workhorses are the stars, and their importance in the social and economic fabric of the UK and beyond, as well as the places in our hearts, is the cause of celebration. 

DO NOT TOUCH. Drive!

As with most attractions, the cars on display aren't for prodding or poking. But a unique – and brilliant – feature of GBCJ, is Drive Dad’s Car. Want to know what it felt like to drive your Dad’s Capri, or a Morris Minor Convertible? What about Mum's MG Midget, or your uncle's TR7, or even a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, or a Jaguar XJS? Well, now you can! From just £49, Drive Dad’s Car lets you drive a car from three collections; Classic, Premium, and Luxury, with over 30 models to choose from. Each car has a digital camera onboard, and you’ll be accompanied by an instructor – plus you get free entry to the GBCJ Experience. You can even buy 'bundles' that let you drive a selection of cars across categories.

The pandemic isn't over yet, but safety is paramount at the GBCJ, so you can still visit and enjoy the experience while staying safe (get all the details here). We can’t wait to make a visit ourselves, but in the meantime, book your Drive Dad's Car, and let us know what you think.

GBCJ has only been open for a short time, and we know it's already proving highly popular; we think this is one to watch, and we cannot wait to make a trip in person. We wish Richard and his team great success with the Experience, and we will, of course, be supporting Richard and the GBCJ as it cements its own place in British automotive history: in fact, you’ll very soon be able to choose from a great selection of Veloce books in the GBCJ shop, so you can drive the cars, then read all about their history and importance in British and world motoring.

The GBCJ is a fantastic idea, and we will be supporting Richard and all his team however we can. Even more books covering even more models and marques are planned, so don't be surprised to see them in the GBCJ shop – if you're planning a visit to this great attraction, you can pickup a great book while you're there!

The Great British Cars … of the Velocisti

Unsurprisingly, all this talk of great British cars has created a little reminiscing among the Velocisti, and you'll be even less surprised to hear that British cars feature prominently in our motoring histories. So how does the Velocisti's British Car Journeys stack-up? Let's hear from a few of them … I'll go first:

Kevin Atkins

My Dad didn't drive, so Mum's the word when it comes to my introduction to British cars and motoring. My mother's first car was pre-me (a 1963 Vauxhall Victor saloon with bench seats – still her favourite car). The first car on my radar, was Mum's Mk 1 Ford Cortina, in classic Lagoon and white livery, and with those wonderful 'Ban the Bomb' taillights, that for a '70s kid, were straight out of a science fiction comic. 

A fine example of a Mk1 Cortina, sci-fi taillights shown inset.

Technically, my own motoring adventures began with a 500cc Weslake speedway bike, which was a bit of a handful for an 11 year old,. My road and driving career began proper with a pale brown Morris Marina, purchased from my then-girlfriend's brother for a few hundred quid, and complete with a sports steering wheel. I drove it just twice, and there was a decade gap before my next car; an MG Metro, which was given to me by my then boss; a great little go-kart of a car, albeit with a tendency to occasionally lose its suspension on one side … but I can at least add an MG to my list of owned cars *ahem*.

Jude Brooks, Publisher

"I was gonna say that our first family car was a pale blue Ford Pop, and here’s a pic of us about to set off on our happy hols – only this obviously isn’t a pale blue Ford Pop: it's an Austin Somerset. 

Jude and family, posing with the pale blue Austin Somerset.

"It was this car that overturned when someone hit us – we had to crawl out of the windows! My own first car was a Hillman Imp – dark green – which overheated on a drive from Portsmouth to Yeovil, and my dad had to tow me from Salisbury."

Rod Grainger, Publisher

"My first British car (following several German BMW 3-wheeler Isettas) was a powder blue/rust brown 1959 Ford 100E which I welded back together using steel cut from a scrapped car’s roof! I then resprayed the car in two-tone royal blue and white.

 

Rod's 100E. 

"Performance from the tired 1172cc side-valve engine was pretty poor, but the car’s party-piece was a vacuum-driven wiper system: meaning the harder the engine was working the slower the wipers moved, almost stopping on steep hills!"

Matt Bassett 

"A Rover P6 3500. The spare tyre mounted on the boot when luggage space was needed. I remember a couple of holidays getting the train via Motorail, from Brokenhurst to Inverness, then driving around Sutherland and the Eastern Highlands, where the country roads weren’t so much tarmaced, but consisted of two strips of fur from from the many, many crushed rabbits. 

Rover P6 3500, ram skeleton NOT included.

"The car struggled with the gradients, so frequent stops because of overheating were needed. The highlight for the seven or eight year old me, was finding a ram’s skeleton that had been picked clean by ants, but I wasn’t allowed to keep the skull."

Emma Shanes

"The first car I bought was a Ford KA. I have a Vauxhall Adam now; I wanted a newer car, as my go-to mechanics (my Dad and my brother) would often be away racing (Editor: Emma's brother is motorcycle racer James Shane, #ShamelessNameDrop) and wouldn’t always be around should I have a problem. Plus it looked nice and I wanted cruise control after a long journey home one night, where I had to pull over because my ankle and foot were hurting. 

Ford KA – that's 'Kaa' not 'Kay-Ay', BTW.

"Before the Adam, I was insured to drive a one-mirrored, 4 speed 1989 Nissan Micra (called Poppy), so to be honest, all I wanted for my first car was a blue car that had 2 mirrors, a rev-counter (I was shocking at hill starts), and a CD player. I wasn’t fussy or anything!"  

Kevin Quinn

"My Dad never actually owned a car, but occasionally (very occasionally) he would borrow his brother’s. The first car I ever remember being in was my uncle’s Austin A35 (a tiny, cream-coloured thing). 

An Austin A35 – not-so-happy motoring memories.

"My overriding memory is being squeezed into the back seat next to my cousin, with my Dad and uncle in the front, windows steamed up, and feeling dreadfully car sick the whole journey, as it lurched, rattled and struggled to even move. Hated having to go anywhere in that thing."

Becky Martin

"My first car was a lovely yellow Vauxhall Viva with brown vinyl seats. I seem to remember lots of jokes about the ‘Yellow Peril.’ I bought it very cheaply from a friend of my uncle, while I was learning to drive, and although it wasn’t the prettiest of cars, it helped me get some experience and pass my test.

A Vauxhall Viva – not the 'Yellow Peril' Becky remembers, but close.
Photo credit: SG2012, CC BY 2.0.

"It didn’t last long though – it broke down in the middle of nowhere late one night, and I had to hitch a ride to a phone box to call out someone to rescue me (pre-mobile phone days!)."

Becky's current daily driver … usually.

It seems Becky may have form in this respect; she currently enjoys driving an MGB GT … which has just broken down with a fuel pump issue. Perhaps a copy of Your expert guide to MGB & MGB GT problems and how to fix them will help?

A different kind of family album

Whilst all of us here have strong memories of our childhood car experiences, finding photos of the actual cars our families owned is tricky. Fortunately, we have a 'family album' of a different kind, in the shape of our current and back-catalogue, so we took photos from some of our British marque books.

The perfect books for British car nerds.

The colours and trim may vary a bit, but these are essentially the cars we recognise from our own personal great British car journeys. With books like our A Pictorial History series, or The Cars of the BMC (coming soon) to name just a few, finding the model was surprisingly easy …

… although …

Whilst our catalogue covers dozens of marques and hundreds of models, it still has a few gaps that we'd love to fill. One such gap is Vauxhall, another great British marque. If you have next-level knowledge of Vauxhall cars, or know someone who does, and think you can author a book on the subject – whether it's a buyer's guide, a marque history, or something else entirely – get in touch to discuss. Email us at writeforus@veloce.co.uk and tell us your idea; we'll take a look, and you could see your book in print with Veloce!

Here yesteryear, gone tomorrow ...

Now, I'm a 90's kid, so it's nice to see a resurgence of things that I grew up with, such as Blind Date, Nokia reissues, and of course, the revival of the much loved Tamagotchi. It's a shame that the same cannot be said for the cars of this, which are heading the same way as the dinosaurs from that famous 1993 film... 

New research from Honest John Classics shows that the cars we grew up with, that our mums and dads drove us around in, are dying out. To give you an idea, 2613 Rover 400s were taken off the road in 2016 – that's just over a fifth of the total number left. At this rate of decreased use, they will all be gone in five years.

It's a similar story for the Vauxhall Cavalier and the Citroen Saxo. Once beloved of sales reps everywhere, just over 10% of 1990s Cavaliers have been scrapped. While the Saxo, which defined modified motoring for the Max Power generation saw 2505 destroyed – almost a quarter of the total left!

Not even the youngest cars from the 'dot-com' decade are safe. The Ford Focus changed car design forever when it was launched in 1998, but examples are vanishing at the rate of 25% a year – meaning, if they continue to disappear at the current rate, there will be no 1990s Mk1 Focuses left in just four years. It's a similar story for the Ford KA, with 29% of examples disappearing every 12 months.

"Many people think of a classic car as an MGB or and E-type Jag, but the reality is that there's a huge amount of interest in cars from the 1990s. I'm not talking about the supercars that adorned posters on bedroom walls, I'm thinking about the cars that we grew up with. The cars that our dads had – that took us to school, to the cinema, on holiday. These cars were part of our lives every single day – and now they're nearly all gone," said editor of Honest John Classics, Keith Moody.

"The startling survival rates of the cars that you used to see on every street and at every service station means that demand for them is starting to outstrip supply. And while we've seen a lot of 1990s nostalgia in the past few years, with everything from Britpop to Blind Date making a comeback, it's shocking that the cars from this decade in automotive history are on the brink of extinction."

But why are many of the cars our dads used to drive on the endangered species' list? There are several reasons, but one of the biggest is that 2009-10 scrapage scheme. Here, the Government encouraged people to trade-in cars more than ten years old for £2000 off a new car – a discount that you could've got by haggling. In total, 392,227 future classics were taken off the road because of the scrapage scheme.

When does a car become a classic?

While some turn their nose up at 1990s 'bangers', such as the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Cavalier, by saying that they will never be proper classics, research from Honest John Classics shows this simply isn't the case.

Honest John researchers looked at the most recent MoT data to find out when a car made the transformation from cheap runabout to cherished family member. Analysing the data, they were able to see when the rate of cars failing their annual roadworthiness test stopped declining and started to rise again. 

"This is the point at which a car crosses over from a banger that gets run into the ground to something that is appreciated and that the owner wants to invest both time and money in. This is the decisive moment – this is the point where values stop falling and prices start rising," says Keith Moody. 

Currently, cars from the year 2000 have the worst MoT pass rate with just over half failing. After this point, the figure improves for older cars as they find their way into he hands of enthusiastic owners. In fact, cars from 1993 have a better pass rate than cars from 2005, with 56.5% passing the annual roadworthiness test compared to 55.3%. A fact that underlines 1990s cars as emerging classics.

"Petrolheads in their 30s and 40s grew up with these 1990s cars. They learnt to drive in them. They went on family holidays in them. They are the next-generation of classic cars – and they're being bought by enthusiasts who want to be reminded of their connection to times, people, and places who might no longer be with them," adds Keith Moody.

The best selling cars from 25 years ago

A quarter of a century ago, the Mk5 Ford Escort was Britain's best-selling car. It sold 122,002 units that year – but now there are just about 460 of those left on the road. That's a survival rate of 0.37%. It's a similar story with the Mk3 Fiesta, which was second in the best-sellers list with 110,449 finding new homes in 1993. Now just 435 of those are still on the road – a survival rate of 0.39%. In fact, non of the best selling cars from 1993 have a survival rate of more than 1% – that means 99% have been crushed.

Maybe it's time to do your bit for the classic car scene of the future, and start nurturing these soon-to-be-forgotten models! And if any of you want to try your hand at writing an Essential Buyer's Guide to one of these future classics, then get in touch, as we'd love to do our bit to help preserve classic cars! – Siân

AMPERA E-REVS UP FOR UK’S LONGEST EV-ER ROAD TRIP

Luton –Tuesday June 22 will mark a turning point in UK automotive history when a Vauxhall Ampera E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) undertakes the longest single journey by an electric car on British roads.

The prototype Ampera, which goes on sale in the UK in early 2012, will appropriately be driven in relay by a selection of drivers from Vauxhall’s home in Luton, Bedfordshire to its passenger car plant in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire - a journey of more than 170 miles.

Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s MD, who will drive the Ampera on the first leg of its journey from the company’s Heritage Centre in Luton, said: “It’s quite poignant that Luton, our home for the last 105 years, should mark the starting point of not just this historic journey, but also the future of E-REV vehicles in the UK. In the last century, Vauxhall has pioneered innovation and technology for mainstream car buyers, and this commitment will continue with the Ampera. We’re truly energising the future for British motorists.”

With a real-world range of 350 miles, the Ampera will be using under half its available power as it travels north up the M1 and M6 motorways, calling in at Vauxhall’s Brand Centre at Star City, Birmingham on the way. Electricity drives the Ampera’s wheels at all times and speeds, and for the first 40 miles of the trip power will be supplied by electricity stored in a cutting-edge, 16kWh lithium-ion battery, meaning the Ampera will emit zero tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s energy is depleted to a minimum state, a small petrol/E85-fuelled engine generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the electric drive unit, boosting range by a further 310 miles.

Once at Ellesmere Port, the Ampera, which is built on the new Astra platform, will complete its journey at the end of the new Astra’s production line, welcomed by plant director, Tony Francavilla.

Source: Vauxhall

Coming soon! Electric Cars - The Future is Now!
By Arvid Linde

Arvid has been known to take a rather sceptical stance on electric cars, but in this book he shows both their good and bad sides, ultimately encouraging people to embrace the future of green motoring.

More info.

VAUXHALL STARTS THE ELECTRIC CHARGE

The Vauxhall Ampera passed an important milestone last Friday, when the first pre-production car rolled off the line at GM's Pre-Production Operations' assembly line in Warren, Michigan.
More validation Amperas will be built in coming months, and will be used by engineers in Europe and the United States for testing the production-intent design. The focus will be on developing the final vehicle software and controls, fine tuning the vehicles' driving characteristics, and performing safety and structural integrity testing.

"We're right on target for producing the Ampera for European markets later next year," said Andrew Farah, Vehicle Chief Engineer for Ampera. "There's still work to be done, but being able to drive an Ampera off our pre-production line is a great accomplishment for the teams here and in Europe."

The Ampera extended-range electric vehicle delivers up to 40 miles of pure electric driving before an engine-generator kicks in to sustain the battery charge and seamlessly extends the range to more than 300 miles. The battery can be charged by plugging the vehicle's on-board charge system into a standard household outlet. It is scheduled to be in UK showrooms by early 2012.

Coming soon! Electric Cars - The Future is Now! by Arvid Linde.
What if we all had to say goodbye to petrol cars tomorrow? Would you be ready?
There might be several reasons why you’re holding this book in your hand. Concern about the environment, determination to cut your fuel bill, or simply curiosity. Whatever the reason, the answer is within. This consumer guide is for housewives, petrol-heads, pedestrians, green activists, everyone – but most importantly, it’s for you. It will introduce the electric car to potential advocates and opponents, revealing all the pros and cons. Is such a vehicle really what it promises to be - the perfect answer to the fuel crisis and environmental issues? This book will help you find out. More info.

IN THE NEWS

GM files for bankruptcy in US

A new chapter in the 101-year history of General Motors was has started today (Monday, June 1) following the company’s decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States.

In a statement GM said: “Pending approvals, the ‘New GM’ is expected to launch in about 60 to 90 days as a separate and independent company from the ‘current GM’ with two distinct advantages: it will be built from only GM’s best brands and operations, and it will be supported by a stronger balance sheet due to a significantly lower debt burden and operating cost structure than before.”

US President Barack Obama is due to make a statement explaining why the American government was supporting the move.

The decision to file for bankruptcy protection makes GM, until last year the world’s largest carmaker, the largest bankruptcy of an industrial business in history and the third largest corporate failure in US history.

Chapter 11 bankruptcy protects GM from its creditors, while it restructures the business.

The announcement will trigger a shutdown at GM’s 47 plants across North America and the factories will remain closed until the company is able to emerge from the Chapter 11 process.

As part of GM’s bankruptcy package, the US government is expected to offer the company a further $30 billion of new loans.

The restructuring is likely to see more than a dozen North American plans close, relations severed with around 40 per cent of GM’s current dealers and four of GM’s eight brands - Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab - sold or disappear.

If all goes to plan, the ‘new’ GM will emerge within two to three months and include four brands - Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC - as well as operations in Latin America and Asia. The unwanted businesses - mostly plants and properties - will remain in Chapter 11 to be sold or wound down.

In the ‘new’ GM it is expected that the US Treasury and the Canadian government will together hold 72.5 per cent, the United Auto Workers union will have a 17.5 per cent stake, leaving 10 per cent for unsecured bondholders. (GM: June 1/National newspapers: June 1/May 31).

Vauxhall cars to be badged Opel?

Vauxhall cars in Britain will be rebranded under the Opel name in an effort to appeal to the Russian car market, according to the former managing director of Rover.

Professor Kevin Morley, who is now director of business studies at the University of Warwick, said the involvement of Russian companies in the deal to save Opel and Vauxhall would lead to thousands of cars being imported into Russia under the Opel brand.

“No one in Russia knows what a Vauxhall is,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll see Vauxhall the brand disappear soon after the deal. Vauxhalls in the UK will sell here as Opels.” (The Times Online: June 1).

‘New’ Chrysler could emerge within 48 hours

A ‘new’ Chrysler could emerge from bankruptcy protection on Wednesday (June 3) after a judge today (Monday, June 1) ruled in favour of the sale of the slimmed down company.

The bankruptcy court approved the sale of most of Chrysler’s assets to Fiat, the US and Canadian governments and the United Auto Workers union for a $2 billion cash payment to senior lenders.

Under the terms of the deal, Fiat will control 20 per cent of Chrysler, while 68 per cent will be owned by a union trust, and the two governments will share 12 per cent. The two governments have agreed to provide about $8bn in loans to the new Chrysler.

Bankruptcy judge Arthur Gonzalez said in his written ruling that the only alternative to the sale would have been the ‘immediate liquidation’ of Chrysler. (BBC.co.uk/Financial Times: June 1).

VAUXHALL COLLECTIVE

The UK's most talented and exciting creatives are announced

Six of the UK's hottest young creatives have been chosen by Vauxhall to receive a commission of up to £20,000 each.
As part of its ongoing commitment to style and design, car company Vauxhall in conjunction with a Style Council made up of arts industry experts, has identified six of the brightest creative stars and given them a commission of up to £20,000 each, accompanied by a high profile PR campaign, to help them take their careers to the next level.
The six commissions will tie into the theme of The Great British Road Trip, a re-telling of the classic road trip story, with a very British twist. With the commissions totalling in the region of £120,000 this significant arts support programme in the UK, reflects Vauxhall's ongoing commitment to supporting style and design.
Click here for more info.

World Fastest Car - Car Tuning and Modified Cars

World Fastest Car - Car Tuning and Modified Cars

Apparently it's this Vauxhall...