Page through the CAR guide section at the back of the magazine and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a new model that does not incorporate some form of smartphone integration; be it simple Bluetooth connectivity, or touchscreen systems that accommodate Android Auto or Apple CarPlay functionality. And it was the latter that set the scene for the sort of phone-to- car interaction we enjoy in so many of our vehicles right now.
Ercole Spada’s strikingly styled Lancia Flavia SS Zagato coupe was all set to become a regular Lancia production model. It’s tragic that such a missed opportunity was also such a timeless design classic.
Showcasing Buick’s turbo technology in the early Eighties was this one-off model, the PPG Buick Skyhawk Turbo, that was built to pace the Budweiser Cleveland 500 in 1982…
There was plenty of excitement when it was announced in March 1976 that Jaguar was to participate in the European Touring Car Championship. Not only was the powerful 5.3-litre XJ12 Coupe chosen to compete in the BMW-dominated series but it would be prepared and entered by Ralph Broad’s successful Broadspeed Engineering outfit.
The man, the myth, the Lagonda…… .and so much more. Peter Tomalin celebrates the life and works of a remarkable design talent — with special guest stars from Aston Martin, including DBS V8 and Bulldog.
By and large, when it comes to the business of fitting innovative technologies into their cars, automobile manufacturers tend to reserve such features for their flagship models or limited-run offerings. The price tags and discerning clientele who can afford it justify the cost of such fancy features.
As an ardent supporter of British industry, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II often visited car factories throughout her 70 year reign, including Jaguar’s Browns Lane plant in March 1956. Following Sir William Lyons’ knighthood earlier the same year, the visit was in recognition of the company’s success in the UK’s postwar drive for exports.
When posing the question of which technological steps to take to improve vehicle fuel economy, the answers tend to fall on the side of engine downsizing.
With much made both then and now of Jaguar’s 1988 and 1990 victories of the Le Mans 24 Hours, its utter domination of the 1987 World Sportscar Championship has been largely forgotten. Yet it was arguably a much bigger achievement than winning a single, albeit 24-hour, race.
