Triumph Spitfire 1500

Posted on 18/06/2010 by Sam Skelton

Why be pedestrian? The Triumph Spitfire is - if you're too big to fit into an MG Midget properly, or see the Abingdon octagon as transport for the Devil himself - the archetypal classic British sportscar. Over the last few years, I've looked at MK4s, 1500s, and even those converted to GT6 power - and I've thought "Hmm, I wonder if they're as good as they look?" But I've been put off the idea of owning the Michelotti-styled sportster by the fact that I'm used to the soft life. I enjoy cars Read more [...]

A mistake for Morgan?

Posted on 17/06/2010 by Sam Skelton

Just checked my e-mail inbox, and one's popped in informing me of a new Morgan. The EvaGT is said to be a 4 seat coupe, based on the Aero 8 chassis, and is to be a limited run model only. The company have released a teaser sketch - one of those that barely shows you anything. But what it does show is pure pornography - rather like a coupe version of the unique Wallis Special Austin Seven, built by Wing-Commander Ken Wallis, but swoopier. If it's based on an Aero 8 it should drive well enough, Read more [...]

Torino, twinned with Detroit

Posted on 09/06/2010 by Sam Skelton

I understand, from the popular motoring press, that the FIAT/Chrysler merger means the end of Chrysler in Europe. Their models will be rebranded Lancia, and Lancia models branded Chrysler for non-European markets. Strangely, however, the UK market will recieve the Chrysler branded cars, not those bearing the more evocative Lancia nameplate. I'm not sure that any of this is a wise move, mainly because I'm not convinced that Lancia and Chrysler do good bedfellows make. I've had a good crawl Read more [...]

The Bangernomics theory

Posted on 28/05/2010 by Sam Skelton

I've been neglecting this place of late. Not deliberately, but I've had rather a lot to do, and I've had to give writing the back seat for a while. So much neglect indeed that the last thing I wrote is hideously out of date. I wrote about Oli South's 420SLDi, and how at 190,000 miles it still felt fairly good. For £350, it had done him proud, lasting a year and thirty odd thousand miles. Since my drive in mid-April, though, the car has started to show it's age. It was taken off the road a month Read more [...]

A Roving Report

Posted on 17/05/2010 by Sam Skelton

Rover's largest cars may have been aspirational products when new, yet the last two decades have seen them depreciate badly, and many become scrapped as they reach the level at which they cannot depreciate further. With the earliest 75s beginning to reach this position, now is perhaps a good time to ask if history has been kind to the best of mainstream British. Sam Skelton pits three big Rovers against each other to find out if history should regard them well, and ultimately which he'd most like Read more [...]