SUNDAY SEPT 18th 2016 $5

presented by the Toronto Triumph Club www.BritishCarDay.com 2016 Souvenir Programme Special Anniversary

Featured Models MG TA – 80 Years Triumph Roadster 1800 – 70 Years Morris 1000 – 60 Years Sponsored by: Gold Partners Triumph GT-6 – 50 Years Jensen Interceptor – 50 Years SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15th 2013Lotus Esprit – 40 Years

Presented by: Presented by: SpecialPublished Anniversary By: Displays Bronze Partners Austin Healey 100 – 60 Years MGTF – 60 Years Triumph TR2 – 60 Years Gates Open at 8am for Show Cars, 10am for Spectators, Rain or Shine Entrance off Burloak Drive The Magazine Of The Toronto Triumph Club www.TorontoTriumph.com www.BritishCarDay.com

Sponsored by: from the editor

SUBMISSIONS Format: MS Word files are preferred. Send via email Welcome or on CD, 20Mb limit on email files. Send photos separately with clear cutline/captions; do NOT financial support of our sponsors and the embed in the text file. Hard copy submissions are loyal participation of our vendors. acceptable, but not preferred. Graphics must be in major graphics formats, jpeg, tiff or Photoshop One of the goals of the Toronto Triumph files. In Person: To the editor at a monthly meeting, Club through British Day® and an ad- other Club event or e-mail: ditional preview event, called A Taste of Celebrating Over 110 Years In Business E-mail: [email protected] British Car Day®, which is held at Black ADVERTISING Creek Pioneer Village in late June, is to raise Let Crescent Oil exceed your expectations when Contact the Club’s advertising representative for awareness of and provide funding for char- details of dates and submissions. Submit ads as ity. Over the past couple of years we have high resolution (min 300 ppi) PDF files, saved for sourcing and supplying lubricants. Crescent Oil is print in CMYK format, fonts embedded, by E-mail been supporting Toronto’s Hospital for Sick to [email protected] Children through the SickKids Foundation the largest independent supplying the golden The advertising year is from Mar. 1 to Feb. 28. A copy of Ragtop is sent to all paid advertisers. as well as the Black Creek Pioneer Village horseshoe for over 110 years. We have loyally Foundation. Children are the lifeblood and ADVERTISING RATES per year Welcome to the 33rd running of British Car future of our hobby and sadly any one of helped our customers achieve their goals with Rear Cover (full colour) ...... $500 Day® and the Souvenir Programme for 2016! them could fall victim to serious illnesses. Inside Front Cover (full colour) ...... $475 Inside Back Cover (full colour) ...... $450 This year we have produced a stand-alone The SickKids Foundation provides financial the highest quality products at competitive Full Page Inside ...... $305 souvenir programme for the show – usually, support to aid research and patient care via Half Page ...... $185 it was published as an additional 42 page the Possibilities Fund. The Toronto Triumph prices. Focusing largely on PCMO, Hydraulic and Quarter Page ...... $115 Business Cards ...... $70 insert in our Club’s award-winning quarterly Club and British Car Day® are proud to be Industrial customers but catering to all. Full colour ...... $115 extra magazine “Ragtop”. official partners with SickKids in raising Second colour ...... $75 extra much needed funds to help achieve their Flyer Inserts ...... $190/issue (max 4 pgs) In this issue, as well as highlighting the No business too big no order too small, Crescent (above rates apply to the 4 quarterly issues of Ragtop only) six featured British car models that are cele- goals. The official cheque presentation to Special advertising rates apply to the brating significant anniversaries in 2016, we our featured charities will take place dur- Oil is the right call in sourcing and supplying all BCD Souvenir Programme - contact Advertising Manager – [email protected] have reviewed a number of other anniversa- ing the Awards Ceremony after 2:00 PM. your lubrication needs. ry marques and models, examples of which The Toronto Triumph Club Executive 2016 SCHEDULE (most but not all) are represented through- and the Organising Committee hope you Issue Editorial Deadline Mailed out the show field. We also mark the anni- enjoy this year’s British Car Day®. If you Crescent Oil features Kendall GT-1 High Spring ...... February 22 . . . March 29 Summer ...... May 23 ...... June 30 versaries of two once-important British car aren’t presently an owner of a classic or Performance 20W50 which is fortified BCD Programme . . July 30 manufacturers – Austin and Bristol. current British vehicle, we hope that the Fall ...... September 20 . October 31 Bringing British Car Day® to Bronte each cars, trucks and motorcycles you see on Winter ...... November 7 . December 30 with additional zinc dialkyldithiophosphate year takes many hundreds of volunteer hours display today will inspire you to become General Enquiries from members of the Toronto Triumph Club, involved in this great hobby. (ZDDP) additive to provide enhanced wear pro- [email protected] as well as others from some of the participat- Have a great day and thank you for par- tection and oxidation resistance. It is particularly Ragtop is published quarterly by the Toronto Tri- ing British car clubs and from outside friends ticipating at Bronte! umph Club Inc. (“TTC”) and is distributed to its and supporters, including high school se- members as part of their annual dues. The TTC or Terence McKillen effective in turbocharged engines and in high the Editors cannot accept responsibility for the niors adding some community service vol- safe return of any submitted material. We will do unteer hours as well as by the staff of Parks Editor Ragtop Magazine performance engines with flat-tappet camshafts, our best, but accidents do occur. Ontario. We also gratefully acknowledge the [email protected] We accept no responsibility for errors or omis- especially during the critical break in period. sions. Opinions expressed are those of the authors ® ® and do not necessarily reflect those of the TTC Ex- British Car Day Committee British Car Day Programme ecutive or Membership. Chairman: Dave Sims Editor: Terence McKillen

Volunteer Coordinator: Ron Etty Non-profit groups may reprint articles from this Art Director: Michael Cleland publication, where the author has not reserved Sponsorship: Frank Manning David Fidler Advertising Sales: David Fidler rights, provided we get credited and both the au- Frank Manning thor and TTC receive a copy of the publication in Vendors: Tom Opratko Warren Beech its entirety. Publisher: David Fidler Distribution by Pillar Direct. Park Liaison: Dave Sims “British Car Day®” is the registered trademark of the Toronto Triumph Club Inc. This programme and its contents may not be reproduced or Printed by Printwell Offset for the Toronto Triumph Computer Services: Keith Stewart distributed by any means without permission of the TTC. Most articles Club. and photography contained herein have been supplied by various 136 Cannon Street West, Hamilton car clubs and are credited as such, where appropriate. This material Copyright © 2016 by the TTC. Event Photographer: Larry Llewellyn remains their property and reproduction is expressly forbidden, except by permission from them and the TTC. Canada Post Publications # 40022175 Field Layout: Johan Aaltink Printed by Printwell Offset, Brampton, Ontario. Call today 905 527 2432 * 1 800 263 6483 J.P. Gauthier Copyright © 2016 by the TTC. British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 3 Vendor Village WASHROOMS Show Vehicle Locations 3 Brothers Classic Make Model/Years Class AC ...... CC Armchair Motorist SHOW CAR Ace ...... CC ...... BB Autohibernation ENTRANCE/EXIT Austin . . . . . Sedans, pre-1960 ...... WW B&G Restoration Austin . . . . . Sedans, 1960 on ...... XX Austin Healey Roadster - 100, 3000 Mk . 1 . . . . . D British Auto Sport FAST LANE FAST LANE FAST LANE FAST LANE Austin Healey Wind-up window - 3000 etc . . . . . C Austin Healey . . . . Sprite ...... F British Model Cars PICNIC Austin . . . Coaches ...... JJ PUBLIC PARKING LOT ...... Coaches ...... JJ CAA Area Buses ...... VV N Caterham ...... EE Chris Hyland Cobra ...... CC Citation PUBLIC ENTRANCE Commercial Vehicles ...... VV Daimler ...... SP250 ...... HH Classic Car Restoration Daimler ...... Coaches ...... JJ DeLorean ...... YY Comat Motor Sports VIP & PRESS Ford ...... Sedans, pre-1960 ...... WW PARKING Ford . . . . . Sedans, 1960 on ...... XX

Crescent Oil PUBLIC ENTRANCE PUBLIC ENTRANCE WC WC Jaguar . . Large Saloons 1995 Onwards . . . . . LL Dirt “B” Gone Jaguar Large Saloons pre-1968 & 1968 to1995 . . MM Jaguar . . . . . XK8, XK, F-Type ...... NN DRB Transport Books FOOD AREA Jaguar ...... XJS ...... OO Jaguar Sports Pre-61 & Sports Saloons Pre-68 . . PP WC TREES Friends of Bronte FLEA ROAD Jaguar . .Sports Saloons 1999 onwards . . . . QQ J Jaguar . . E-Type Series I, 1961-1968 ...... RR MARKET H J J J Gallivanting Gallery (CS Trading) H H Jaguar . . E-Type Series II, 1968-1971 ...... SS TTC TENT REGISTRATION OVER FLOW AREA Jaguar . . . E-Type Series III, 1971-1975 . . . . . TT Gemstones “N” Silver LOST & FOUND AA Jensen ...... Y G COFFEE Friends of Bronte Creek PATHWAY Lanchester . . . . . Coaches ...... JJ Heritage Associates J J J J DDB E E . . . . . 1975 on ...... A International Diecast AWARDS Land Rover . . . . . Up to 1974 ...... B

MAP ROW 9 WC PRESENTATION London Taxis ...... VV JD Auto service H Z Z Lotus ...... Seven ...... EE ROW 10 ROW HH DISPLAY MG CLUB JJ Lotus . . Elan, Elan Plus 2, up to 1974 . . . . .DD KDC Ventures Lotus . . . . .Elan, 1975 and later ...... DDA K K HH W V GG KK Lotus ...... Elite up to 1974 ...... DD Klear Kustoms SPONSOR STREETS S WALKWAY G Lotus . . . . .Elite, 1975 and later ...... DDA C London Trading Post VENDOR 11 ROW Lotus ...... Europa ...... DD H Lotus ...... Cortina ...... DD IB VILLAGE Q AA Lotus ...... Esprit ...... DDA Martin Macgregor ROW 5 DDB Q V CC DDA WALKWAY JJ Lotus ...... Eclat ...... DDA H H H Mr. Grean II B F S Lotus ...... Elise ...... DDB CRESCENT OIL I Lotus ...... Exige ...... DDB Peninsula Import Auto Parts I I PATHWAY Z Z Lotus ...... Evora ...... DDB E E K K ROW 9 X X 10 ROW Lotus ...... Replicas ...... EEA Simply British Foods FF IB FF FF Marcos ...... HH IA I I WC ROW 1 I Q Q W Mayflower . . . . . Coaches ...... JJ UK 2 Canada Pension Transfers M M N L B N N O R McLaren ...... CC A CC

S TREES Ultimate Transportation Products BB MG ...... Midget ...... G FLEA R S KK U DDA MG ...... T Series ...... J GG YY MARKET WALKWAY T DD Vintage Car Connection EEA MGA ...... K IA C D MGB-GT ...... I WALKWAY EEA ROW 4 ROW 5 CANADA EE MGC ...... Roadster ...... IA

WALKWAY 11 ROW MGC-GT ...... IA VENDOR N BB MGF ...... IB Food & TRAILER Y MG V-8 ...... IB PARKING WASHROOMS MGB . . . . . Roadster 1962 - 1974 ...... H

N L ROW 7 ROW 8 ROW 9 A Slice of Pie A 10 ROW O T U X X MGB . . . . . Roadster 1975 - 1981 ...... E P FOOD Y MG ...... Saloons ...... FF British Bake Company DJ R R YY DD AREA P Mini . . . Sliding Window (1959 - 1970) . . . . . L

ROW 3 BOOTH EXIT S EE II Mini . . Wind-up Window (1970 - 2000) . . . . . N Friends of Bronte TREES D ROW 2 M M N SHOW CARS C ROW 1 Mini Rover . . . (1988 to 2000) ...... N Oakville Lions Club ROAD ROAD Mini . . . . BMW (2001 0nwards) ...... M VV Morgan ...... II OO PP RR SS British Saloon FOOD AREA Olympic Softee Inc. Car Club of Canada BUSES/COMMERCIAL VEHICLES Morris . . . . . Sedans, pre-1960 ...... WW ROW 21 ROW 22 ROW MOTORCYCLES & LONDON TAXIS Morris . . . . . Sedans, 1960 on ...... XX Simply British Foods UU 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt Some of the Badges you will see at the show. Motorcycles . . . . All British ...... UU Wraps-ture Gold Partners Other Coaches ...... JJ WW Other Sports Cars ...... CC Production Sedans Sedans, pre-1960 ...... WW ROW 31 SS Production Sedans Sedans, 1960 on ...... XX ROW 23 ROW Need directions to your PP WW . . . . 1975 on ...... A TT Range Rover . . . . Up to 1974 ...... B QQ WW Reliant . . . . . Sports Cars ...... HH Sponsor Street 22 ROW financial destination? TT ROW 32 Rolls Royce . . . . All models ...... KK Autoglym WW Rover . . . . . Sedans, pre-1960 ...... WW ROW 21 ROW

Marc Nutford TREES Rover . . . . . Sedans, 1960 on ...... XX XX Exotic Motorworks Financial Advisor RR Sunbeam ...... Alpine ...... GG . ROW 33 2387 Trafalgar Road QQ Sunbeam ...... Tiger ...... GG Visit Oakville Unit E2 XX Sunbeam ...... ...... GG Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 Triumph ...... GT6 ...... V Lant Insurance 905-844-4043 TREES FOOD LL Triumph . . . Spitfire 1961 - 1973 ...... W Hagerty Insurance AND Triumph . . . Spitfire 1974 onwards ...... Z Bronze Partners ROW 34 ICE CREAM Triumph ...... Stag ...... X Toronto Triumph Club NN Triumph . . . TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR3B ...... O Triumph . . . TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR250 ...... Q Featured anniversary cars www.edwardjones.com NN Triumph . . . . TR6, 1969 - 1973 ...... R Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund Triumph . . . . . TR6, 1974 - 1976 ...... S Registration ROW 35 OO Triumph ...... TR7 ...... T Friends of Bronte Creek (Coffee) NN Triumph ...... TR8 ...... U MM Triumph Other - Roadster, Herald, 2000, Vitesse . . P Awards Presentation Area Trucks ...... VV ROW 36 TVR ...... AA WC MM

WC

TREES Top to bottom, from the chairman Welcome to the 33rd running of British Car Day®! Executives inside and out, President ...... Dave Sims 905.331.1496 From humble beginnings as a picnic for Triumph and MG owners in Ken- Vice President ...... Secretary ...... Alastair Wallace 905.627.2941 dal, British Car Day® has grown into the largest British car show in North Treasurer ...... Clive Huizinga 905.884.2091 America. This will be my fifth year as Chairman - the first year was sunny Director of Communications ...... we’ve got you covered. Membership Chair ...... Wayne McGill 905.847.5532 and dusty so we got a sprinkler which helped in year two but in year Director at Large ...... Terence McKillen 647.202.8243 three, boy did it rain (no sprinkler required!). Last year was fantastic and Director at Large ...... Patrick Caria 416.562.1642 Past President ...... David Tushingham 416.419.2201 we hope for the same thing in 2016. 2015 was a banner year for British Car Day® with 1,097 British cars parked on the show ground. What a bril- Ragtop Magazine liant sight it was and the biggest challenge was making the time to see all Ragtop Editor ...... Terence McKillen 647.202.8243 Assistant Editor ...... of them. Six anniversary cars are featured this year. See them on Sponsor Street. Distribution . . . . Rod Jones – Pillar Direct 416.755.9494 • MGTA, 80 years, displayed by Rick Clark • Triumph GT6, 50 years, Warren Beech Art Director ...... Michael Cleland 905.873.7704 • Triumph Roadster, 70 years, Michael Walton • Jensen Interceptor, 50 years, Mike Lewyckj Advertising Sales . . . [email protected] Publisher ...... David Fidler 905.829.9340 • 1000, 60 years, Alan Brand • Lotus Esprit, 40 years, Brian Casselberry Please take the time to see what our terrific sponsors have on display. Autoglym, Visit Website Web Manager/Classifieds . . . Keith Stewart 519.660.1916 Oakville, Exotic Motorworks and Edward Jones can be found on Sponsor Street, Crescent Oil is in the vendor area and Lant and Hagerty are sponsoring us once more in 2016. The Club Coordinators Friends of Bronte Creek are selling Tim Horton’s coffee to raise money for their conserva- Meeting Coordinator . . . . Larry Llewellyn 416.245.9217 Interclub Coordinator ...... Tony Fox Sr. 905.632.0479 tion efforts (conveniently located at Registration). Elsewhere, Oakville Lions will be selling Ambassador-at-Large . . . . .Wayne McGill 905.847.5532 burgers, hot dogs & pop to help their many charitable endeavours and there are plenty Regalia ...... Dion Widrich 416.464.6057 Historian ...... Frank Manning 905.643.2359 of other great food vendors spread around the field to keep your appetites sated. Finally, Volunteer Coordinator ...... Ron Etty 905.547.2419 don’t forget to visit Vendor Village to find lots of interesting British car parts, food and other BCD Sponsors ...... Frank Manning 905.643.2359 David Fidler 905.829.9340 paraphernalia. I am proud to be the Chairman again this year and I want to thank everyone Dave Sims 905.331.1496 involved in making the 33rd British Car Day® an event to remember. Those fabulous cars Motorsports ...... Simon Rasmussen 905.853.2514 are the true stars of the show. Model Coordinators Dave Sims, British Car Day® Chairman TR-2, 3, 3A & 3B ...... Keith Stewart 519.660.1916 Alistair Wallace 905.627.2941 Fabric and upholstery for Cars, Trucks, TR-4, 4A, 5 & 250 ...... John Lille 416.231.3092 Dave Sims 905.331.1496 Important Information, Times & Events Keith Stewart 519.660.1916 Motorcycles, RVs & Boats all under the same roof. TR-6 ...... Colin Pillar 905.271.5869 7:00 am Gates open for Sponsors and Vendors Wayne McGill 905.847.5532 8:00 am Gates open for Show Cars and Flea Market vehicles • ...... Lyal Moffatt [email protected] Seat and Carpet Repair Spitfire, GT6 ...... J.P. Gauthier 416.631.8287 9:00 am Vendor Area / Flea Market opens, Park Gates open for spectators Warren Beech 416.824.3560 10:00 am Things to do: • Seat Covers (leather, vinyl or cloth) TR-7 & 8 ...... Ron Etty 905.547.2419 Larry Llewellyn 416.245.9217 • Visit Sponsor Street - Check out our anniversary cars • Brad Reynolds 905.332.3245 • Drop by The Friends of Bronte Creek for coffee and kettle corn Interior Restoration; Domestic & Foreign Stag ...... Tony Fox Sr. 905.632.0479 • Visit the Toronto Triumph Club tent – annual memberships are $40 p.a...... Terence McKillen 905.855.2463 • Convertible Top Repair & Replacement ...... Robin Searle 705.484.0071 • Don’t forget to visit Vendor Village where you can shop for your LBC and much more Herald, Standard Vanguard, Roadster . . . . . Kem Jones • Food vendors are spread around the field too so you won’t go hungry kemjones [email protected] • Boat Seats, covers and tops • Check out all those wonderful cars and chat with the owners Event Coordinators • Enjoy the sounds of Brit music brought to you by Jan’s DJ British Car Day® Chair ...... Dave Sims 905.331.1496 Canadian Classic ...... Alex & Sharon McLeod 1:00 pm Voting closes for Participants’ Choice awards. Submit ballot before 1p.m. 1033 Speers Road, [email protected] 2:00 pm Awards and Charity Presentations Spring Fling ...... MGCCT Oakville, L6L 2X5 Annual BBQ . . Warren Beech [email protected] • Sick Kids Foundation & Black Creek Pioneer Village. Mike Pearse [email protected] • Charlie Conquergood Award presented by Sandy McCrea Fall Drive ...... (Vacant) 647-343-6310 1/2 Day Drives ...... (Volunteers wanted) • Awards presentation for Participants’ Choice judging (You must be present to collect an award) appleautoglass.com Club Photographers . . . . .Larry Llewellyn 416.245.9217 • Best of Show Judges’ Award presentation Chris Lindsay 416.233.7360 3:00 pm Closing comments ® Apple Auto Glass is a registered Membership Mail trademark in Canada of Belron S.A. 74 West River Street Oakville Ontario L6L 3B5 and its affiliates SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR Ragtop Email Sunday, September 17th, 2017 [email protected]

British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 7

Apple.02.indd 1 14-09-03 7:25 AM Historically Speaking

®

Britishby Terence McKillen Car Day

This year, the Toronto Triumph Club BCD - The Early Years is presenting the thirty-third running of The first four BCD gatherings were held on British Car Day®. The first British Car Day® a farm owned by club member emeritus, (BCD) was held on Sunday, September Harold MacQueen, at Kendal (Clarington) 16, 1984 which was just two years after some 90km east of Toronto. Harold and his the last Triumph model had been sold in wife Betty had their 7 plus acres of grass cut Canada (the TR8) and only a month after and the cars were lined up as they arrived. production of the , the There was no parking by make or model. last Triumph model, had ceased at the Cov- Harold used to have a huge pot of corn on entry factory in and the Triumph the boil so everyone got to partake of fresh marque was reassigned to history after 62 corn-on-the cob but the order of the day years of car production. However, the Tri- was bring one’s chair and food and drink. umph name and trademark logos still re- Long-time club member, Glen Donaldson, main extant today, being currently owned recalls that participants used to meet up at by German auto manufacturer BMW, ac- Scarborough Town Centre, next to the Ea- quired through the purchase from British ton’s store and drive in convoy to Harold’s Aerospace plc of The in 1994. farm. The first few award ceremonies were British Car Day® has continued uninter- conducted from the back of a hay-wagon rupted for thirty two years, being held on using a megaphone. Glen recalls that David the third Sunday of September and has be- Haywood, a member of the MG Car Club, come the pre-eminent car show of its kind used to help out with the announcing (no in North America. PA system), as Glen puts it, “because he was In addition to the Triumph marque, British and had a clear voice.” The number the year 1984 also saw the demise of the of cars that participated in the first event then 72-year-old Morris marque and the was 61 – 27 Triumphs, 19 MGs, 5 Lotus, 4 construction by Nissan of the first foreign Austin Healeys, a Sunbeam, an Aston Mar- car assembly plant in the UK. Meanwhile tin, a Daimler and a TVR. While the venue in Canada, Pierre Trudeau retired as Prime was held in the east end, numbers in the Minister to be replaced by John Turner early years grew to about 135 with perhaps while Bill Davis was Premier of Ontario and 250-300 people in attendance. There were former Saskatchewan MLA Colin Thatcher no outside spectators; just the car owners was convicted of the murder of his ex- and their families enjoying a fun day out. Over 1100 cars are expected on the field at BCD TSN and Motoring TV. It was hoped that were placed in the field to the east of the ditch, facing the Vendor Village, not only wife Joanne. In the U.S., John DeLorean, not too many participants would be lost in south east washrooms (towards the Grey freed up space along the east side of the the man behind the collapsed DeLorean The Move to Bronte Provincial Park cal communities and the media. However, the relocation to the west end venue. Hap- pavilion) as the space in the main field was north field for the Rolls Royces, Bentleys carmaker, was cleared on drug trafficking In 1988, the event was moved to its current the show did not move to its present loca- pily, the first year at Bronte saw the num- needed for more cars but as Glen Donald- and DeLoreans but allowed the four-wheel charges and Apple Computer unveiled its location at Bronte Provincial Park, 50 kilo- tion on the north field at Bronte until the ber of registrants increase to 375 entries. son recalls, “We were darn near lynched for drive capabilities of the Land/Range Rov- revolutionary Macintosh personal com- metres west of Toronto, on the boundary following year. By 1989-90, Charlie Conquergood and that bright idea!” The following year Wayne ers to be fully demonstrated. puter. The miners’ strike in the UK pitted between Oakville and Burlington, where Continuing with the established prac- Wayne McGill were developing a new McGill and Bill Alexander came up with the the National Union of Mineworkers against local members Stewart Beatty, Charlie tice from the early days, participants gath- field layout and introducing the class and vendor location on the west flank of the Sponsorship Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative govern- Conquergood (then TTC President), Rob ered at Sherway Gardens (also adjacent to marque system that is still used for car dis- field and vendors have been coming back By 1993 or thereabouts, the concept of ment. In September of the year, Prince Cohen, Bill Gray and Wayne McGill (then an Eaton’s store) to drive in convoy to Bron- play. Formal registration of participants in droves every year since. obtaining sponsorship for BCD was con- Harry was born. Vice President) dealt with park officials, lo- te, often receiving coverage by the likes of was also introduced. One year, vendors Placing the Land Rovers across the ceived in order to help offset the risk for

BCD 8 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 9 MGs usually make up 25% of the participants at BCD

dition to line up with the many concours quality classic cars in their respective class. This is the opportunity to which everyone looks forward throughout the season, to chat, to scrutinize, to see if any ‘new’ classic cars have appeared out of the blue and, of course, to plan for the next season. BCD is a car show but it is also a big end-of-season social event. Last year, a record 1,100 cars were en- tered and an estimated 8,825 entrants, vendors and spectators were in atten- hand drive Citroën Traction Avant assem- Anniversary Models 2016 1960s British music is broadcast by Jan’s DJ Service dance at Bronte. The entry fee collected bled in Slough, England are both welcome At British Car Day® we typically celebrate but not all, of these models can be found from visitors and spectators by Bronte at BCD - the Ford because it was essentially between three and six anniversary British throughout the field display and many of Provincial Park remains with the Parks On- a design and the Citroën be- car models representing at least 30 years of them are described in greater detail within tario organization and neither BCD nor the cause it was manufactured in England. existence. This year, we will be celebrating this souvenir programme. Toronto Triumph Club receive any financial MG and Triumph models tend to domi- the 80th anniversary of the MG TA; the 70th the Toronto Triumph Club of bad weather rential rain in the early morning did have remuneration from Parks Ontario. In recent nate the field at BCD with about 230-260 anniversary of the Triumph 1800 Roadster; Awards resulting in no cars showing up but still be- a marked effect on participant numbers years we have had participants and visi- cars of each marque. In 2015, Triumph was the 60th anniversary of the Morris 1000; Registered exhibitors of British cars have ing faced with the expense of prizes and but did nothing to dampen the spirits of tors arriving from the north-eastern United the winner with 246 cars while MG had 229 the 50th anniversary of the Triumph GT6 the opportunity to vote for a ‘People’s other outlays. Glen Donaldson recalls that the attendees. Happily, the sun came out States (from Maryland, Massachusetts, cars. Jaguar, the fastest growing car make and Jensen Interceptor and the 40th an- Choice’ winner of models within each of members Ken Langsford and Bob Bieler by about 10:30 AM and the ground, if not New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsyl- at BCD, took third place with 149 cars. niversary of the Lotus Esprit. There will be the 56 categories on display while a team were involved in obtaining Meguiar’s as the access roadways, dried up quite well. vania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan), held on to fourth place with 84 cars. Lotus fine examples of each of these models in of five judges, comprised of a senior offi- the first BCD sponsor. Frank Manning has Dan Proudfoot, motoring correspondent the Maritime Provinces, Quebec, Manitoba was in fifth place with 60 cars followed by a special display along the approach road cer of the Toronto Triumph Club, the MG long been involved in auto product spon- for The Globe & Mail newspaper, summed and Saskatchewan as well as from Alberta, Austin Healey at 36 cars. to the Registration desk. Other British car Car Club of Toronto, the British Saloon Car sorship bringing Castrol and other manu- it up beautifully, “I’m so pleased for you and Texas, the UK, and New Zealand. models with anniversaries this year in- Club of Canada, the Ontario Jaguar Own- facturers to BCD over the years. In more all who contributed to putting together to- To be eligible to participate at British Vendor Village clude: 1936 (80 years) , er’s Association and the Morgan Car Club, recent years Ian Parkhill and particularly day’s gathering that the rain went away and Car Day®, the vehicle (car, motorcycle, bus The Vendor Village is generally a busy Morgan 4-4 Series 1; 1946 (70 years) Tri- together select the ‘Best in Show’ winner. David Fidler have built on the early suc- the sun did its good work. When Glen Wood- or truck) must have been largely designed scene throughout the day with over 60 umph 1800 Saloon; 1956 (60 years): Ford All of the awards are presented between cesses and have expanded sponsorship cock and I left Port Union Rd/401 at 8:30 a.m. or manufactured in Great Britain by a rec- vendor booths in the Village and in the ad- Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac Mk II, 2-3:00 PM during the closing ceremonies. support for this outstanding event. This it was pouring. I’d have assumed the day ognized British automobile manufacturer jacent Flea Market purveying a wide range Minx Series III, Jaguar Mk 1 2.4L, Standard year we are pleased to welcome Keith Sm- would be cancelled given the dismal fore- or manufactured or assembled in Great of British merchandise, both automobile- Vanguard III (Sportsman & Ensign), Austin Supporting Charity out and Alex Plestid of Exotic Motorworks casts, but as a British event I was confident Britain by a recognized foreign manufac- related as well as clothing, books, and col- A35; 1966 (50 years): Sunbeam Imp Sport; The Toronto Triumph Club believes in giv- as Gold Sponsors. a little downpour or even a hurricane would turer. Consequently, a left-hand drive Ford lectibles as well as food stuffs. 1976 (40 years): Aston Martin , ing back to the community in which we We particularly wish to acknowledge all have little effect. Everywhere we turned there Capri manufactured in Genk, Belgium, or in Located on the west field, the Vendor , Ford Capri II, Ford Fi- live and operate. Supporting local chari- of our sponsors, many of whom have been was another car I just had to get a close look Saarlouis or Cologne, Germany and a right- Village is a ‘must visit’ for British car enthu- esta, Hillman Hunter, Rover SD1; 1986 ties has been a part of British Car Day® supporting British Car Day® for a number at. Great! “ siasts. The Lion’s Club of (30 years): Rover 800. Examples of many, for many years. About two years ago the of years. Our Gold sponsors – Crescent Oakville and Simply British Club decided to estab- Oil, Autoglym, Exotic Motorworks and the Participants Foods provide food and lish a major partnership Town of Oakville (Visit Oakville); our Bronze From its humble beginnings, BCD has drink sales throughout the with SickKids Founda- sponsors – Lant Insurance Brokers, Hagerty grown into the largest British car show in day. The ‘Friends of Bronte’ tion in the support of Classic Car Insurance and Edward Jones fi- North America. In recent years, between are once again selling Tim the work of the Toronto nancial advisors. 1,000 and 1,100 British cars have been Horton’s coffee adjacent to Hospital for Sick Chil- entered for the event and displayed in 56 the Registration Desks at dren. Through British Car The Weather Forecast classes of classic and contemporary British the Green Pavilion. In addi- Day® and an additional Through the thirty-two year history of car models, commercial vehicles, and mo- tion to the businesses ex- preview event, called A BCD, inclement weather has never caused torcycles, running the whole range from hibiting in the Vendor Vil- Taste of British Car Day®, a cancellation of the event. In fact, our Mini to Rolls-Royce, from Austin to West- lage, some of our sponsors which is held at Black weather historians insist that it has never field and with model names from Anglia to have booths on “Sponsor Creek Pioneer Village actually rained during the official opera- Zephyr and everything in between. Many Street” on the approach to in late June, the Club is tion of BCD (between 9:00 AM and 3:00 people bring their daily drivers, or projects- the Registration Area. promoting British clas- PM) – at least not until 2014, when tor- in-progress, or cars of not quite mint con- Over 60 vendor booths are set up at BCD sic cars, raising aware-

BCD 10 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 11 A Taste of...

presented by the Toronto Triumph Club & Black Creek Pioneer Village

ness of the classic car hobby with families serious illnesses. The SickKids Foundation organisation, which we are also pleased to and youngsters as well as collecting much provides financial support to aid research support. The official cheque presentation needed funding for SickKids. Children are and patient care via the Possibilities Fund. to our featured charities takes place during Lotus of Ontario the lifeblood and future of our hobby and Supporting us in this cause is the Black the Awards Ceremony. sadly any one of them could fall victim to Creek Pioneer Village, itself a charitable Organizers The organizing committee from the To- ronto Triumph Club for 2016 is led again LANT INSURANCE BROKERS by Dave Sims, in his fifth year as Chair, (A Division of Wayfarer Insurance Brokers Limited) with Ron Etty, David Fidler, Frank Man- ning, Alistair Wallace, Warren Beach, Tom Canada’s Leader In Classic Vehicle Insurance Since 1978 Opratko, and Clive Huizinga. Johan Aaltink has been responsible for the field layout and map making for many years. Organi- zation for the event takes the better part of ten months, commencing in January and ending in October, a month after BCD when a review of operations highlights any areas requiring change or attention for the subsequent year. BCD relies on hundreds, if not thousands of hours, of preparation work together with a further 130 or so Offering The volunteers from within and outside of the Toronto Triumph Club on the Saturday and Antique, Classic, Special Interest Sunday of the event to ensure everything goes smoothly. and Modified/Street Rod Automobile Insurance Program Future of BCD It is always interesting to speculate how British Car Day® may look thirty years from now. Will enthusiasts still be maintaining classic British Cars of the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that we see dis- played on the field today or will it be lim- ited only to contemporary British cars of the day and the survivors of current British cars such as the BMW Mini, the Ford and Gentry Lane Automobiles Tata-owned Jaguars, Lotus and such like? Only time will tell. BCD 37 Sandiford Drive, Suite 100, Stouffville, ON L4A 7X5 Tel: (905) 640-4111 • Fax: (905) 640-4450 www.lant-ins.ca

BCD 12 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme Featured Model Join a club MG Car Club of Toronto The MG Car Club of To- ronto is the oldest continu- ally operating MG Club in North America. Active since 1955, we are a member of the British Car Council Inc. and affiliated with the MG Car Club (UK), the MG Owners’ Club (UK), the North American MGB Register and the North American MGA Register. We currently have around 300 members and support all models of the MG Marque ranging from “T” series and earlier to the modern MGFs. The club meets on the second Tuesday of each month (Sep- tember to May – summer months are driving events) at the MGTA basement meeting room of the Danish Lutheran Church, 72 Finch Ave. W., Toronto. A warm welcome awaits new members. For more information on the club and our activities, please 80 Years visit our website at www.mgtoronto.com gram abruptly ended. at the Morris engine works at . At the same time, he It was a pushrod design with overhead by Richard Clark, MG Car Club was told that, due to valves, had a of 63.5 mm and a product rationalization of 102 mm, for a capacity of 1292 cc. The Although the MGTA story begins in methods under the new organiza- rating was 10, which was im- 1936, it helps to go back to 1892 when at and the bull- tion, the production of Wol- portant for motor taxation (£7.10s.0d). The the age of 15, William Morris left school nose Morris seley engines would cease, unit was fitted with 2 SU carburetors, a belt to apprentice as a bicycle mechanic. The quickly be- meaning the end of production for driven cooling fan and water pump with a bicycle craze of the 1890s, created by the came Britain’s During this time, MG also produced the the PA, PB and Magnette models, and that thermostat. It produced between 45 and invention of the chain driven “safety bicy- Model T, with KN (1933–34), a small saloon based on the MG design office was to be closed, its 50 bhp, and power was well down in the cle” and by Boyd Dunlop’s 1887 invention production rising the K-type Magnette and the 18/80, a work transferred to the head office at Cow- rev range, unlike the Wolseley engines MG of the pneumatic bicycle tire had just be- to 56,000 in 1925. medium sized automobile, available as ley. The first MG to appear after the reor- had used previously. gun. Nine months later, after being refused In the 1920s E.G. Wrig- a roadster or a saloon, using a Morris Six ganization of the company was the T-series Power was transmitted through a cork a pay raise by his employer, Morris set up ley and Company, which was sup- overhead cam engine. This car was the first Midget, introduced on June 19, 1936. faced clutch running in oil to a 4 speed his own repair shop in a shed at his par- plying rear axles to Morris, ran into finan- to be built with an MG designed chassis. The chassis was typical MG: under- non-synchromesh gearbox (later modi- ent’s house on James Street in Oxford. This cial difficulties and was later purchased by Then, in 1935, everything changed. Wil- slung at the rear and upswept over the fied to have synchromesh on 3rd and 4th was such a success that he soon opened a Morris. Cecil Kimber, a mechanical engineer In 1928 Morris liam Morris, who had become Lord Nuff- front axle, with box section side mem- gears), then to a high ratio bevel gear rear shop on High Street in the same city and who worked for Wrigley began to work for bought the bankrupt ield in 1929, had personally owned The bers braced with tubular cross members. axle and on to the 19” road wheels. began building bicycles under his own Morris, as Sales Manager of the Morris Ga- and used Morris Garages and the MG Car Company The track was 3’ 9”, the wheelbase 7’ 10”. The fuel tank, mounted at the rear, had a name, “The Morris”. By 1901 he began to rages and later as General Manager. In 1924, their overhead cam engine to power the since 1909. In 1935 he sold the Company The engine was mounted on rubber, so 15 gallon capacity. Since there was no fuel build motorcycles, then to operate a taxi he began sourcing bodies from new Morris Minor. Kimber rebodied this car to , a part of the larger Morris the front chassis was boxed in for rigid- gauge, there was a two-way dash operated service and sell, repair and hire out several of Coventry and started building rebodied and built the first M-type Midget. Various Organization. The purpose of the restruc- ity. Half elliptical springs were mounted tap to switch from the main tank to the 3 brands of cars, changing the name of the Morris models for sports and competition models (the C-type from 1931–1932, the turing was to increase profitability through on swivel pins on the front and sliding gallon reserve. Fuel was delivered to the en- business in 1909 from The Oxford Garage use, beginning with the 14/28. The first cars D-type from 1931-1932, the F-type Magna the rationalization of facilities and through trunion bearings at the rear, incorporat- gine by the dreaded SU electric fuel pump, to The Morris Garages. bore both Morris and MG badges, and the from 1931–1932, the J-type Midget from increasing the interchangeability of parts ing silent bloc bushes. Luvax lever arm mounted in the engine bay. Tool boxes were In 1912 Morris designed the bullnose MG Octagon was registered as a trademark 1932-1934, the K-type Magnette from 1932- within the organization. shock absorbers were fitted all around, built onto the bulkhead. Morris, using components bought from on May 1, 1924. Sales were brisk and the 1934, the L-type Magna from 1933-1934, Suddenly the Company’s indepen- and a Teclamit lubrication system was The body, built on an ash frame, secured other manufacturers. He began building production facility expanded regularly. By the N-type Magnette from 1934 – 1936, and dence was gone and Cecil Kimber went used. The Midget was the first MG fitted to the chassis by 10 bolts, was wider than the car in a factory at Cowley, Oxford. Dur- 1929, production had grown so much that the P-type Midget from 1934-1936) were from leading an independent company with Lockheed hydraulic brakes. previous MGs. There were two separate ing the First World War this factory mainly the company leased part of a leather fac- produced, each using a Morris chassis and a to becoming a manager of a subsidiary. The engine, coded MPJG (Morris Push- cushions with a common backrest that was produced munitions, but after the war tory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, where MG variant of the Wolseley 4 or 6 cylinder OHC He was instructed that his subsidiary had rod J-bore, for MG), was derived from the adjustable for rake. A felt-lined compart- Morris copied Henry Ford’s production production was to remain until 1980. engines. Some variants were supercharged. to return higher profits, so the racing pro- Morris 10 powerplant, and was produced ment behind the seats with a removable

BCD 14 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 15 floor gave access to the rear axle and the well, and in a little under 3 years of produc- In April of 1939, an XPAG 1250 cc engine, two 6 volt batteries. The dashboard was tion 3,003 T series Midgets were built. derived from the motor built for the Morris bookmatched wood, containing a 5 inch In that time, many small modifications 10/4 and the Wolseley Ten/40 was dropped speedometer, a 5 inch rev counter, an 8 were made. One major change occurred into a T-series, necessary modifications to day clock, an ammeter and an oil pressure on June 28, 1937, commencing at chas- the engine bay were made, a dry clutch was gauge. There were controls for head, side sis number TA1306, when a narrower rear fitted and the first of the new T-series came and fog lamps, a horn and dipper switch, body began to be used, causing a narrower into being. The new car became the TB, and a switch and a mixture control. Two fuel tank and wider fenders to be fitted. the car previously known only as the MG map lights were fitted, the driver’s side map Originally the car was only available as Midget T-Series became the MG TA. light also having a 30 mph warning light. a two seater, priced at a reasonable £222, Production of the TB, like that of most Instrument lighting was from the rear. The but in August of 1938 the Coupé automobiles, was halted by the onset of folding windscreen was fitted with Triplex was introduced. Using a T series chassis the Second World War in September, 1939. safety glass. Electric windscreen wipers and running gear, with associated fenders, Only 379 had been built, making the TB a were provided. running boards and radiator shroud, the very rare car. When production resumed Weather equipment included a fold- car was completed by Salmon and Sons after the war, MG slightly redesigned the ing hood and mica celluloid sidescreens, of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. It TB, naming it the TC. This was the the stored in a compartment behind the lug- featured a 3 position folding top, stronger sports car that conquered the world, but gage area. doors with roll up glass windows and a none of it would have been possible had it Available colours were Saxe Blue, Racing windshield that opened. 252 of these cou- not been for the change in the company’s Green or Emgee Red. The seats were leather. pés were made, each selling for £269.10s. It fortunes in 1935 which gave birth to the The remaining interior trim was Rexine. The is also thought that 2 fully enclosed Airline original T-series Midget, the TA. BCD car, in spite of some initial misgivings, sold Coupés were made.

British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 17 Featured Model Join a club Triumph Roadster 1800 Toronto Triumph Club

The Toronto Triumph Club was founded in October 1982 when Bill and Nancy Gray gathered a small and very enthusiastic group, for a meeting in Toronto. They had done this by spreading the word and leaving notes on car wind- shields, sticking flyers up in repair TRIUMPH shops etc. – long before the Inter- net, smartphones and social me- dia. The original concept of the club was a source of fun and fellowship – for social outings and drives, plus the ex- change of information and parts, as well as recommend- ANNIVERSARies ing shops for getting repairs done properly. The President of Canada had even approached the new TTC to see if they could help move some new old parts 80, 70 and 50 Years stock. The TTC grew on the strength and enthusiasm of its by Terence McKillen members and their desire to get out and have fun and use their old British cars. “All to preserve and drive the Triumph” There are three anniversaries this umph Roadster 1800 of which two or three Vitesse – 80 years has been our Club’s motto, because the hard working year for Triumph models. It is the 80th an- are usually in attendance at British Car Day® Celebrating 80 years this year are a series people who built our cars back in the day in Britain made niversary for the pre-war Triumph Vitesse and the 50th anniversary of the Triumph of five Triumph models - saloons and drop- them for driving and sporting pleasure. We believe in driv- of which none survive in Canada, the 70th GT6, once called the “poor man’s E-Type Jag- head coupés, which were the last of the of ing our Triumphs and have circumnavigated Lake Ontario, anniversary of the immediate post-war Tri- uar” in contemporary press reports. pre-World War II offerings from Triumph be- Georgian Bay, Lake Erie and in 2017, will be circumnavigat- fore it became part of the Standard Motor ing Lake Superior, a trip of over 2,000 kilometres. Company. All of the models, manufactured The TTC and its members have continued to organize from 1936 to 1938, took on the name Vitesse, many events appealing to the varied interests of its mem- a model name that was resurrected with bers – including Spring Fling with the MG Car Club, The Ca- some success in the 1960s as a more up-mar- nadian Classic, A Taste of British Car Day®, ½ day, day-long, ket version of the equipped weekend-long and week-long drives and tours as well as with a 1.6 litre or 2.0 litre six cylinder engine. British Car Day® – now entering its 34th year. Through A The Vitesse name was first used in con- Taste of British Car Day®, the Club has given back to the junction with the Gloria range of cars from community through charitable support of Toronto’s Hos- 1934 to 1936. According to the Pre-1940 pital for Sick Children Foundation and Black Creek Pioneer Triumph Motor Club in the UK, somewhere Village Foundation. between 30 and 40 specimens of the 1936- Our club has a membership of approximately 300 and 38 Vitesses are known to survive in Britain. the $40 annual membership fee brings you four issues of They look very similar to the predecessor the award-winning “Ragtop” magazine, regular monthly Gloria Vitesses, but the later Vitesses can In addition, a saloon and a drop head coupé known as the Vitesse 2 Li- social meetings with complimentary food, technical ses- be identified by front wings which extend tre were also offered. These were the first to use Triumph’s new overhead sions, drives and car shows, plus the assistance and sup- down to the same level as the front bumper. valve engine based on some aspects of the old 6-cylinder Coventry Climax port of our members, TTC website and discussion forums. Three models were offered with a 1,767 designed engine rated at 15.72 hp (1,991cc in-line 6 cylinder, twin SU car- For membership information please contact our member- cc in-line 4 engine, known as the Vitesse burettors and 4-speed synchromesh gearbox). None of these cars appear ship secretary: [email protected] 14/60 (13.95 hp, twin SU carburettors, to have been exported to North American markets. overhead valves and 4-speed synchro- Website: www.TorontoTriumph.com mesh gearbox). There was a 14/60 saloon, Triumph 1800 Roadster – 70 years Follow us on Facebook Triumph Vitesse a six light saloon and a drop head coupé. The Triumph Roadster 1800 was Triumph’s first post-war offering produced

BCD 18 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 19 bined 6-cylinder engine and GT styling. Production ran from 1966 to 1973. Triumph marketing advertised the GT6 as being de- veloped from the “race winning Le Mans Spitfires” to capitalize on the aesthetic simi- A 1968 Mk 1 GT6 larities. The marketing spin was so success- ful that many people believed the Le Mans Spitfires to actually have been GT6s. The GT6 Mk I was often referred to as a mini E-Type or the “poor man’s E-Type.” It was really a 2-seater but a small extra rear seat could be ordered if required and was large enough for small children thereby allowing an aficionado to justify his purchase as a “family car.” The Roadster & 1800 Roadster head valves and built by Standard resemblance to the Spitfire Mk II was exclusively for SS-Jaguar before strong but the longer 6-cylinder engine under ownership of the Standard Motor World War II. The Triumph version necessitated a new bonnet with a pow- Company, from 1946 to 1949. The 1800 of the engine differed in having er bulge and the doors were provided Roadster was equipped with a 1,776cc OHV a 6.7:1 compression ratio in- with opening quarter light windows. The in-line 4 engine mated to a 4-speed manual stead of the Jaguar’s 7.6:1 and 6-cylinder engine was tuned to develop gear box. It was followed by the Triumph was fitted with a downdraught higher compression ratios while the Le 95 bhp at 5000 rpm, and produced 117 2000 Roadster from 1948 to 1949 which was Solex carburettor instead of the Mans cars had cast-iron heads. The 1,147 ft·lb of torque at 3000 rpm. The increased given a 2,088 cc version of the same engine Jaguar’s side-draught SU. A four- cc engine produced 100-109 bhp at 7300 power necessitated some changes to the but this time mated to a 3-speed manual speed gearbox with synchromesh Triumph GT6 – 50 years rpm. The rally cars were eventually fitted Spitfire mechanics; the radiator was new transmission. on the top three ratios was used. Introduced in 1966, the Tri- with 1,296 cc engines producing 117 bhp. and mounted further forward in the car The 1800 Roadster (code name 18TR) The tubular steel chassis was a short- umph GT6 is celebrating 50 The earlier Michelotti fastback design for and the gearbox was the stronger unit was designed in the closing days of World wheelbase version of the 1800 saloon, fea- years this year. It was origi- the GT4 prototype was adopted for the Le from the Vitesse, with optional overdrive. War II. Triumph had by then been purchased turing transverse leaf sprung independent A test by Autocar magazine in 1947, nally conceived as a Spitfire Mans racing-programme as it was deemed Front springs were uprated to cope with by the (in 1944) suspension at the front and a live axle with measured a top speed of 75 mph (121 GT coupé. In early 1963, Giovanni to provide an aerodynamic benefit over the the extra weight from the new engine and the managing director of Standard, Sir semi-elliptic springs at the rear. The rear track km/h) was recorded and 0–60 mph (0–96 Michelotti, the renowned Italian auto standard Spitfire body-shape. Fibreglass which topped out at 1,904 lb (864 kg). The John Black, wanted a sports car to take on was four inches wider than the front. Brakes km/h) took 34.4 seconds. The only signifi- designer who had a hand in almost all copies of the Spitfire GT4’s fastback were interior of the GT6 was well equipped; a Jaguar, who had used engines provided by were hydraulic. cant update in the Roadster’s production of Triumph’s offerings of the 1960s and grafted on to the race-modified Spitfires. wooden dashboard housed a full comple- Standard in the pre-war period. Frank Cal- The body design was somewhat out- came in September 1948 when the 2,088 1970s, was once again commissioned by The racing programme was very success- ment of instruments, carpets and heater laby was selected to style the new car. Af- dated. The front had large separate head- cc Vanguard engine, transmission, and Standard-Triumph to design a GT version ful for Triumph and, a year later, resulted in were included as standard. ter getting Black’s approval for the general lamps and the radiator was well back rear axle were fitted. A retrograde step was of the Spitfire 4 (or Spitfire Mk I as it is more a 13th overall and a 1st in class win at the The GT6 had some very solid selling shape, Callaby worked with Arthur Ballard from the front between large “coal scuttle” the fitting of a three-speed gearbox even commonly known). The styling of the ve- 1965 race. The com- points. The engine provided a top speed to design the details of the body. Walter Bel- wings. Passenger accommodation was on though it now had synchromesh on bot- hicle, based on a standard Spitfire chassis, petition successes together with the sales of 106 mph (171 km/h) and 0-60 mph in grove, who had styled the pre-war Triumphs a bench seat that seated three across. This tom gear. Apart from minor modifications engine and power train, was a success but success of the regular production model 12 seconds, a little better than its MGB and was employed as Chief Body Engineer, arrangement resulted in the necessity of to the mounting points, the chassis, sus- the extra weight of the GT body shell re- led Triumph to re-evaluate the earlier plans GT rival. Additionally, the GT6 was noted was not allowed to participate in the design a column gear change. The car’s unusual pension and steering were unaltered. This sulted in extremely poor performance with for a GT version of the Spitfire, especially to be comparatively smooth and control- of the 1800 Roadster. width also made it necessary to fit three later version of the Roadster was given the the 1,147 cc Spitfire power unit resulting in as by 1965, they were keenly watching the lable, in contrast to the MG’s rather harsh Early post-war steel shortages resulted windscreen wipers in a row, an example model designation TRA. plans for a GT4 being temporarily shelved. success of the new MGB GT. 4-cylinder engine. Fuel economy was in the body being aluminium and shaped followed by early shallow windscreen Jag- The car was never made in large num- During 1963, Triumph prepared nine To overcome the lack of performance considered reasonable for the period at using rubber press tools that had been uar E-Types. Additional room for two was bers and was mainly hand built. 2,501 ex- special Spitfires for rally and Le Mans com- of the heavier body-style, the 4-cylinder 20 mpg, and the interior finish well up to used making panels for the largely wooden provided at the rear in a dickey seat with amples of the 1800 and 2,000 of the larger- petition for the 1964 season. A special engine was replaced with a more power- contemporary standards. The major criti- bodied Mosquito bomber built by Stan- its own folding windscreen that was out- engined version were made. Production eight-port was developed ful 2-litre (1,998 cc) 6-cylinder engine taken cism was the problematic rear suspension dard. The frame was hand welded using side of the soft top that covered the front ended in October 1949. Today, surviving in conjunction with twin dual-choke We- from the Triumph Vitesse. The car was fur- inherited from the Spitfire. In the heavier steel tubing. The engine was a version of seat only. Entry and exit to the dickey seat examples are keenly sought and change bers, a free-flow exhaust system and an ther developed and refined and eventually and more powerful GT6, the over steer Standard’s 1.5-litre, four-cylinder side-valve wasn’t easy and a step was provided on the hands for surprisingly high prices. improved camshaft. The rally cars were launched as the Triumph GT6 (dropping the was even worse and Triumph received design that had been converted to over- rear bumper. equipped with aluminium heads and “Spitfire” title altogether) to identify its com- much criticism for introducing the new

BCD 20 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 21 Featured Model model without having resolved this issue. However, by 1969, the suspension issue was finally cured with the introduction of the GT6 Mk II, also known as the GT6+. The rear suspension was re-engineered using reversed lower wishbones and roto- flex driveshaft couplings. Other changes for the Mk II included raising the front bumper in common with the Spitfire Mk III to conform to new U.S. crash regulations, necessitating a revised front end, and side vents were added to Morris the front wings and rear pillars. The en- gine was uprated to develop 104 bhp es were made to the mechanics, but Engine power and torque for the Mk III with a new cylinder head (from the TR5), in 1973 the rear suspension was again was basically similar to the Mk II, but bet- camshaft, and manifolds. Performance changed for a cheaper but still effective ter aerodynamics led to a new top speed improved to 107 mph (172 km/h) and the “swing-spring” layout also fitted to the of 112 mph (180 km/h) and a 0-60 mph 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time dropped to Spitfire Mk IV. This was a modification of time of 10.1 seconds; which was consider- 10 seconds. The fuel economy was also the swing axle rear suspension with the ably better than the MGB GT (105 mph/169 improved to 25 mpgimp (11 L/100 km) av- transverse leaf spring mounted on a piv- km/h and 0-60 mph of 13 seconds). Fuel Minor erage. The interior was also updated with ot, eliminating roll stiffness at the rear, economy was also improved to 28 mp- a new dashboard and better ventilation, and therefore significantly reducing the gimp (10 L/100 km). The last U.S. models including a 2-speed heater fan. Overdrive jacking effect under cornering loads. To performed relatively poorly as compres- remained a popular option. compensate for the loss of roll stiffness, sion ratios were lowered to accommodate 60 years The final major facelift for the GT6 a larger front anti-roll bar was fitted. A lower octane unleaded fuel and safety reg- came in 1970 with the Mk III. This time brake servo was also added in 1973, and ulations resulted in a considerable increase the whole bodyshell was revised to seats were changed from vinyl to cloth. in weight while exhaust emission regula- match the changes made to the Spitfire There was still a fairly comprehensive tions reduced the power output. Mk IV; these included the familiar cut-off options list, but the wire wheels were no The net result was that the GT6 proved 1000 rear end, recessed door handles and a longer available. The unladen weight in- to be a very pleasant, well-behaved, sports Although the Morris Minor was first smoother front end. Only detail chang- creased slightly to 2,030 lb (920 kg). coupé, particularly after the over steer released at the Earls Court Motor Show problem was finally rectified in the Mk in September 1948, the final variant with II. However it never sold in the numbers the 1,000cc engine was released in 1956, that Triumph had predicted and it was and celebrates 60 years this year. The Mor- repeatedly beaten in the marketplace by ris Minor was designed under the leader- the MGB. The GT6 was dropped from the ship of Alec Issigonis (also creator of Triumph model range in November 1973 the subsequent Mini) and more more likely than not to allow BL to concen- than 1.3 million were manu- trate on MGB sales. factured between 1948 and It is reported that Triumph planned 1972, in three series: the MM to keep the Spitfire in production until (1948), the Series II (1952) 1982, however the last Spitfire rolled off and finally the 1000 series the assembly line at Canley in August (1956). Former Top Gear pre- 1980, shortly before the factory closed senter Jeremy Clarkson once and one year after the demise of the MG called the Morris Minor Midget. Over the 18-year manufacturing Britain’s Volkswagen Beetle. run 314,332 Spitfires were built plus a fur- Initially available as a two- ther 40,926 GT6s with the majority of the door saloon and tourer (convert- The Morris 1000 or total production being exported outside ible), the range was soon expanded Morrie Thou as it was the UK, mainly to the U.S., although the to include a four-door saloon in 1950, a affectionately known Spitfire also proved to be very popular in wood-framed estate (the Traveller) from Oc- Europe. BCD tober 1953 and panel van and pick-up truck GT6 rear view BCD 22 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 23 date with the engine capacity increased to 948cc - a new version of the A series engine with a power output of 37 bhp and a top speed of 74mph. A new gearbox was also fitted. The two-piece split wind- screen was replaced by a modern curved one-piece unit and the rear window was enlarged to increase visibility. The extra power was appreciated abroad, par- ticularly the U.S. where the additional ‘horses’ made entering freeways that The Morris Traveller or Woodie was introduced in 1952 much less hazardous. In fact, U.S. ing a separate chassis. They also differed sales peaked in 1959 with a total spiritual successor to the Morris Minor was in details such as telescopic rear dampers, for that year of 15,000 units. arguably the ADO16 Austin/Morris 1100 stiffer rear leaf springs and lower-ratio dif- In late 1960, the Morris Minor be- range, which had been launched in 1962 ferentials to cope with heavier loads. came the first British car to sell more and aimed at the same small family-car The commercials versions were initially than 1,000,000 units.The final major market. However, due to the British Mo- marketed as the Morris Quarter Ton Van and upgrades to the Minor were made tor Corporation’s commitment to both the Pick-up with a Series III designation applied in 1962. Although the name Minor Morris factory at Cowley, and Austin plant from 1956. The names Morris 6cwt Van and 1000 was retained, the changes at Longbridge – in addition to a healthy Pickup was used following the introduction were sufficient for the new model demand for both products – production of the 1098cc engine in 1962 and 8cwt ver- variants from May 1953. far more power- ful to be given its own ADO development of the two cars continued in parallel for sions were added in 1968. With Austin and Issigonis’ concept was to combine the cars behind on twisty number. A larger version of the existing nearly ten years. Morris both part of BMC, the Minor-based luxury and convenience of a good motor roads. did 0–60 mph in 50+ seconds. A A-Series engine had been developed for Closed van and open flat-bed versions Morris commercials were also marketed as car at a price affordable by the working Exports to the United fuel consumption of 42 miles per the then new ADO16 Austin/Morris 1100 of the Minor were built from 1953 until the the Austin 6cwt and Austin 8cwt. classes. The Minor was a roomy vehicle States began in 1949 with imperial gallon (6.7 L/100 km) was range. This engine used a taller block with end of production. They were designed The enduring affection for the “Moggie” with superior cornering and handling the headlamps removed recorded. The test car cost £382 includ- increased bore and stroke, bringing total for commercial use with small businesses, or “Morrie” as the quintessential British mo- characteristics. Manufacturing was based from within the grille surround to ing taxes. capacity up to 1,098 cc. Although fuel con- although many were also used by larger tor car is reflected in the number of exam- mainly in Cowley, Oxfordshire. The Minor be mounted higher on the wings to meet In 1952, the Minor line was updated sumption suffered moderately at 38 mpg, corporations. Both the van and the pickup ples currently running in many countries became Britain’s first million-seller and was local safety requirements. In 1950 a four- with an Austin-designed 803 cc (49.0 cu in) the Minor’s top speed increased to 77 mph differed from the monocoque construction around the globe although somewhat rare exported globally. Production continued door version was released, initially avail- overhead valve A-series engine, replacing (124 km/h) with noticeable improvements of the saloon and Traveller variants by hav- in Canada and the U.S. BCD in until 1972 (for the com- able only for export, and featuring head- the original side-valve unit. The engine had in low-end torque, giving much more re- mercial variants and estate only). The last lamps faired into the wings rather than set been designed for the Minor’s main com- sponsive drive. The last Convertible/Tourer Morris Minor (commercial) was assembled lower down on either side of the grille. The petition, the , but became avail- was manufactured in August 1969 and the at Nelson, New Zealand in 1974. raised headlight position became standard able as Austin and Morris were merged into saloon models were discontinued the fol- The original Minor MM series had a on all Minors in time for 1951. From the the British Motor Corporation. Acceleration lowing year. Production of the more prac- front shared with start, the Minor had semaphore-type turn to 60 mph (97 km/h) took 52 seconds, with tical Traveller and commercial versions the larger , as was the al- indicators, and subsequent Minor versions 63 mph (101 km/h) as the top speed. Fuel ceased in 1972, although examples of all most unibody construction. The Minor persisted with these until 1961. Another consumption also rose to 36 miles per im- models were still theoretically available was powered by a 918 cc (56.0 cu in) side- innovation towards the end of 1950 was perial gallon (7.8 L/100 km). from dealers with a surplus of unsold cars valve inline-four engine, little changed a water pump (replacing a gravity depen- An estate version was introduced in for a short time afterwards. Approximately from that fitted in the 1935 Morris 8, and dent system), which allowed an interior 1952, known as the Traveller. The Traveller 1.6 million Minors were made over the 23 producing 27.5 hp and 39 lbf·ft of torque. heater to be offered as “optional equip- featured an external structural wood frame year production run. This engine pushed the Minor to just about ment”. When production of the first series for the rear bodywork, with two side-hinged The Minor was officially replaced on 62 mph (101 km/h) but delivered 40 miles ended, just over a quarter of a million had rear doors. The frame was varnished and the Cowley production lines by the Mor- per imperial gallon (7.1 L/100 km). Brakes been sold, 30 per cent of them the convert- a highly visible feature of the body style. ris Marina (ADO28), which was developed were drums all around. Everyone who ible Tourer model. Commercial models, marketed as the Mor- primarily as a response to Ford’s top-selling drove the Minor quickly discovered its A 1,098 cc-engined tourer tested by the ris Quarter Ton Van and Pick-up were added Escort model. Building a mid-sized car ca- sure-footedness and light, rack-and-pinion British magazine The Motor in 1950 had in May 1953. Rear bodies of the van versions pable of volume sales was becoming in- steering (another innovation for a small a top speed of 58.7 mph (94.5 km/h) and were all steel. The 4-seat convertible and sa- creasingly key in generating healthy profit car) which made it a delight to drive. Mi- could accelerate from 0–50 mph (80 km/h) loon variants continued as well. margins, and was an issue BMC had con- nor owners were soon having fun leaving in 29.2 seconds. However, the 918 cc engine The Morris Minor 1000 was a 1956 up- sistently failed to address. However, the The Morris 1000 van saw extensive service with the British Royal Mail

BCD 24 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 25 Featured Model

1969, with slightly revised styling around the headlamps, front grille and bumper and revised rear lights. The interior was substantially revised in order to meet US regulations, and air conditioning was an option. The Mark III, introduced in 1971, revised the front grille, headlamp finishers and Jensen bumper treatment again. It had GKN alloy wheels and air conditioning was standard. It was divided into G-, H-, and J-series de- pending on the production year. The 6.3 litre 383 cu.in. engine was superseded by a 7.2 litre 440 cu.in. in 1971. Interceptor By 1975, the company was in financial difficulties and problems with The Jensen Interceptor was introduced its Jensen-Healey sports in 1966 as a sporting GT-class car. Intercep- car. It was placed into son Formula). It was also fitted with Dunlop A Jensen specialist based in Oxfordshire tors were hand-built at a West Bromwich receivership and Maxaret mechanical anti-lock brakes and currently rebuilds original Interceptors us- factory near Birmingham by 50 Years production was traction control. The FF car is five inches ing modern components, with a General between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor wrapped up us- (127 mm) longer than the Interceptor, and Motors supplied 6.2 litre LS3 engine and name had been used previously by Jensen ing the avail- although looking virtually the same the ex- transmission from a Chevrolet Corvette. for the model produced between 1950 and able supply tra length is identified by an additional side In May 2010, Jensen International Auto- 1957. Jensen had extensively used rein- of parts. Pro- vent ahead of the doors on the front flanks, motive was set up, and a small number of forced fibre-glass for the fabrication of duction of the and an additional swage line in the leading Jensen Interceptor SS, which had started body panels in the preceding two Interceptor edge of the front wing. Press articles from production under a previous company, are decades, but the new Intercep- ended in 1976. A the time quote “drag-strip” performance being completed by JIA, in parallel with tor saw a return to a steel body- group of investors when describing the car. In total 320 FFs JIA’s own production of a new Jensen In- shell. The body was designed by stepped in and re- were produced; 195 Mark I, 110 Mark II and terceptor R. Deliveries of the latter started an outside firm, Carrozzeria Tour- launched produc- 15 Mark III. at the beginning of 2011. BCD ing of Italy. The early bodies were tion of the Intercep- built in Italy by Vignale and fully tor, which was briefly re-introduced trimmed and painted body-shells in the late 1980s as the Series 4. Though were delivered for assembly at the body remained essentially the same as West Bromwich. Jensen eventually the last of the main production run of series took production in-house, making some 3; the engine was a much smaller subtle body modifications. supplied 360 cu.in. (5.9 litre) which used Jensen used Chrysler V8 engines for the with the 440 “Six more modern controls to reduce emis- Interceptor, starting with the 6,276 cc (383 Pack”, and had the sions. In addition, the interior was slightly cu.in.) with optional manual transmission distinction of being the most re-designed with a revised dashboard and (Mark I, only 22 built) or TorqueFlite auto- powerful car ever to have been made by electronics. matic driving the rear wheels through a Jensen. In 1990, ownership was acquired by an limited slip differential in a conventional For 1972, the 440 cu.in. engine with Brazil between 1964 and 1966, having a engineering company believed to be in a Salisbury rear axle. In 1970, the 383 cu.in. three 2-barrel carburettors was no longer similar distinctive, large, curving wrap- stronger position to manufacture the car produced 335 hp SAE gross, or 270 hp SAE produced by Chrysler. The 440 cu.in. en- around rear window that doubled as a which lasted until 1993 with approximately net. In 1971, Jensen adopted the 440 cu.in. gine that remained was detuned to 280 tailgate. The original specification included 36 cars built, and while work commenced (7,200 cc) Chrysler engine. Two 440 cu.in. hp SAE net but Chrysler continued to of- electric windows, reclining front seats, a on development of a series 5 Interceptor, engines were offered, one had a 4-barrel fer a high performance 440 cu.in. engine wood rimmed steering wheel, radio with once again receivers were called in and the Edelbrock carburettor and produced 305 through to 1976. twin speakers, reversing lights and an elec- company was liquidated. hp SAE net. The other, which had three The Interceptor may have taken some tric clock. Power steering was included as Jensen were one of the first manufac- 2-barrel carburettors which produced styling cues from the Brasinca Uirapuru, standard from September 1968. turers to equip a production car with four- 330 hp SAE net. Only 232 cars were built a GT-class sports coupé manufactured in The Mark II was announced in October wheel drive, in the 1967 Jensen FF (Fergu-

BCD 26 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 27 Join a club Featured Model Every year the Lotus Club of Canada hosts Fall and Spring Runs, a Garage Tour, Winter Party and Summer Barbecue. Pub meetings with our cars, beer, food and opinions are held monthly. Our newsletter comes out four times a year. Annual membership is a meagre $10. Next year is our 40thAnniversary. 40 Years To learn more, or even join, visit: www.lotusclubcanada.ca LOTUS ESPRIT A typical club meeting. by Daniel Fish, Lotus Club of Canada

LOTUS CLUB of CANADA

the rear quarter window, tail lights from a Most car nuts know of the Lotus Esprit Rover and an integrated front spoiler. and that it has been around since forever; The first turbocharged Esprit was the but 40 years, really! It all started when Lo- cept car. It was so rare and full of unobtani- special edition Essex Esprit of 1980, com- tus owner presented a car um that it was nowhere near being on my memorating Lotus’ ties to F1and sponsor- to the world that still turns heads today 14-year old radar. The car was developed ship by Essex Petroleum. This was the turbo Esprit S2 just as it did when first introduced. Some from a stretched Lotus Europa chassis and era and Lotus capitalized on the synergy say it’s like a bullet from James Bond’s Wal- was one of designer Giorgetto Giugiaro’s In 1977, a modified S1 was used in the between the F1 team and the production Esprit Essex 1980 ther PPK; my brother calls it “the weapon.” first polygonal “folded paper” designs. film The Spy Who Loved Me, as the now- car company to produce one of the most G ree n la n d G ree n la n d

org . J e ff J e ff The Esprit was introduced at the Turin was blown to wee fibreglass bits by its sup- done, ‘turbo esprit’ decals on the nose and : The production Esprit was finally famous submarine car which was recently : exciting models in their stable. Motor Show in 1972 as an ItalDesign con- purchased at auction by Elon Musk of Tesla posed anti-burglar system. That scene still sides. The turbo version included ground

I mage launched in October 1975 at the Paris Auto I mage The new engine was a dry-sump, type Show, and was released in June 1976 as fame, for £650,000. The Esprit was placed 910 engine which produced 210hp and brings a tear to my eyes! effects design that trickled down from Ma- the Series 1. The S1 model was in produc- in the front lot of Pinewood Studios (with- 200 lb·ft of torque with a 0-60 mph time of The S3 and Turbo Esprit debuted in April rio Andretti’s F1 Lotus 98T, with underside tion from 1976 to 1978 and used a 2.0L, out badging) by Lotus’ Roger Becker to get 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 150 mph, of 1981 and were a consolidation of three body panel venturis to create downforce. type 907, four cylinder engine, producing the car placed in the movie and the rest seriously impressive numbers for the day. previous models which now had common In April 1986, the final iterations of the k imedia wi n s h ire p to h am Nort f rom an asphalt-rippling 140hp in US specifica- is history. Becker eventually replaced the During development, the chassis and rear body moulds. The S3 continued to use the Giugiaro Esprit were introduced with high-

tion, mated to a Citroen SM gearbox with movie’s stunt driver to bring out the best in suspension were strengthened and rede- 2.2L type 912 engine of the S2.2, while the er compression engines, thus the HC mod- M ic k inboard brakes; a brake design which is the car and drive it to the limit as required signed and a new aero kit was installed to Turbo Esprit used a less complex wet-sump el description of these last versions. The still used in race cars to this day. The S1 by the film director. further distinguish the model. engine that retained the power and torque output of the Turbo Esprit HC was 215hp weighed less than 1,000kg, so really, 140hp The S2 model of 1978 included a series Only 45 Essex Esprit’s were built, two outputs of its dry-sump predecessor. Ex- and 220 lb·ft. was a balanced amount of power for such of improvements made during the S1 ini- of which were featured in the 1981 James ternally, the Turbo Esprit retained the full In 1987 Peter Stevens (of McLaren F1 a light car, and so very Lotus which was, tial run. The most obvious of these were in- Bond film ForY our Eyes Only. Sadly, the aerodynamic body kit of the Essex model fame) was commissioned to redesign the Esprit S1 1977 and still is, all about lightness and finesse. take and cooling duct ears located behind white Esprit (plate number OPW 654W) and had prominent, some would say over- Esprit, and the more rounded body style sur-

BCD 28 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 29 Esprit V8 2002

of the model and only 50 were made. Vari- ous engine, chassis and braking improve- ments were incurporated and some visual changes such as a large carbon fiber rear wing on aluminum uprights in place of the standard fiberglass rear wing. This ver- sion of the Esprit could reach 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and hit the 100mph mark in less than 10 seconds. After 1999 the Esprit saw little develop- ment aside from minor cosmetic changes for the 2002 model year. Sadly, Esprit pro- Bu ll -D oser

: Turbo Esprit 1985 duction ceased in February 2004 after a 28

I mage year production run and a total of 10,675 vived in various versions including the S4S tional torsional rigidity. cars produced. (300hp and a top speed of 168mph) and the The V8 Esprit of 1996 The Esprit had quite a storied history for much anticipated V8 version (350hp and a used a Lotus-built all one of the lesser-known cars to come from top speed exceeding 175mph), until 2004. A aluminum, twin-turbo the mind of Lotus’ founder, Colin Chap- new Lotus-patented Vacuum Assisted Resin V8. Finally, some serious man. From conception, the Lotus Esprit com Injection (VARI) process was introduced to grunt was at hand (and . underwent numerous and distinct model create the new body which offered advan- foot) and these models improvements making it the automobile it bo n dmotors tages over the previous hand laid method. are highly sought after. . is today; a rare sports car with a rich history

Kevlar reinforcement was added to the roof The 1999 Sport 350 was www : and dedicated fan base. BCD and sides for roll-over protection and addi- the ultimate expression I mage 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt DARBY Need directions to your AUTO ELECTRIC financial destination? Repairs to all Marc Nutford Financial Advisor Makes & Models . 2387 Trafalgar Road Complete Electrical Unit E2 Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 Analysis & Service 905-844-4043 Owned & Operated by Rick Meade

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BCD 30 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 31

Darby.00.indd 1 15-07-31 11:23 AM org Other Anniversaries 2012 Mk VI Ford Fiesta. . wi k imedia . at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Septem- n s commo : ber 2007 and marketed in principal Eu-

I mage ropean markets, Australia and the United States. This model is based on Ford’s new global B-car platform. The sixth genera- tion is known as Mark VII in the . Production started at Ford’s Co- logne plant in Germany in August 2008. A second plant in Valencia, Spain started production in early 2009. Production in for a semi-independent China, Thailand and Mexico started from torsion beam arrange- late 2008 to 2010. In Brazil the production Fordby Terence McKillen Fiesta ment and looked radi- of the hatch version started in the end of cally different, addressing 2012, in São Paulo. BCD One of Britain’s most successful small 40 Years the principal weakness of the hatchbacks, the Ford Fiesta is celebrating previous generation – the lack of a 5 door 40 years. The Ford Fiesta model is currently derivative, something that was by then still in production and is on its seventh available in its major rivals such as the Fiat generation. It has been manufactured in Mk 1 Ford Fiesta. Uno, 205 and Corsa/Vauxhall Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, China, Nova. The other main change was to the India, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Africa. running gear – the improved HCS (High In 2010, the sixth generation Fiesta was Compression Swirl) version of the Kent/ introduced worldwide, making it the first Valencia powerplant. The CVH units from Fiesta model to be sold in North America the second generation were carried over since the Fiesta Mark I was discontinued at largely unmodified. The diesel engine was the end of 1980. enlarged to a 1.8L capacity. The Fiesta has sold over 16 million units port) was As for sports models, the XR2i was since 1976 making it one of the best-sell- offered in launched in 1989 with an eight-valve Meet Davin, OUR PARTS FINDER ing Ford models behind the Escort and the Europe for the CVH (standing for “compound valve-angle / “SEARCHING FOR HARD-TO-FIND PARTS

org hemispherical combustion chamber”) en- F-Series pick-up truck. It was initially avail- 1980 model year, . able in Europe with the Valencia 957 cc I-4 using the 1.3 L gine. This was then replaced by a Zetec 16 IS A LOT LIKE PEELING AN ONION. YOU GO (high compression and low compression Kent Crossflow en- genera- valve version in 1992, which also saw the ONE LAYER AT A TIME AND TRY NOT TO CRY.” options), and 1,117 cc engines and in Base, gine, effectively to tion. The Fiesta Mark II RS Turbo being supplanted by the RS1800 er wi k imedia S tric k er Popular, L, GL trim and from 1978 onward, test the market for appeared towards the end of summer as the CVH engine was being phased out. Ru dol f in Ghia and S trim, as well as a panel van. the XR2 introduced a 1983 with a revised front end and inte- : The RS1800 shared its 1.8 litre Zetec fuel- I mage The U.S. Mark I Fiesta was built in Cologne, year later, which featured a 1.6 L version rior, and changes to the boot lid. The 1.3 injected engine with the 130 bhp version Germany but to slightly different specifica- of the same engine. Black plastic trim was L OHV engine was replaced in 1984 by a of the then current Ford Escort XR3i and tions. U.S. models were Base, Decor, Sport, added to the exterior and interior. The CVH powerplant of similar capacity, itself had a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). and Ghia. These trim levels changed very small square headlights were replaced superseded by the lean burn 1.4 L two The XR2i name was also dropped in early little in the Fiesta’s three year run in the with larger circular ones resulting with years later. The 957 and 1,117 cc Kent/Va- 1994, and the insurance-friendly “Si” badge USA, from 1978 to 1980. All U.S. models the front indicators being moved into the lencia engines continued with only slight appeared in its place on a slightly less featured the more powerful 1,596 cc en- bumper to accommodate the change. alterations and for the first time a Fiesta sporty-looking model with either the 1.4 L gine, which was the older “Crossflow” ver- With a quoted performance of 0–60 mph diesel was produced with a 1,600 cc engine PTE (a development of the CVH) or the 1.6 When your claim requires finding some automotive needle in a haystack, Davin’s your man. He has one job here at sion of the Kent engine fitted with a cata- (0–97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds and 105 mph adapted from the Escort. The new CTX con- L Zetec engine. Hagerty: when a client needs a replacement part, he finds lytic converter and air pump to satisfy strict tinuously variable transmission, also fitted From 1995 the vehicle was built and it. And though that sometimes involves hours of searching (169 km/h) top speed, the XR2 hot hatch and frustration – maybe even a few tears – he wouldn’t Californian emission regulations. Energy- became a cult car beloved of boy racers in the Fiat Uno, eventually appeared early sold at the same time as the new Mark IV. trade his job for anything in the world. It’s that kind of To distinguish the car, trim levels were re- passion that makes him perfect for Hagerty, and makes absorbing bumpers, side-marker lamps, throughout the 1980s. in 1987 on 1.1 L models only. Hagerty perfect for you. CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE round sealed-beam headlamps, improved Minor revisions appeared across the The third generation Fiesta Mark III was vised, and it was marketed as the “Fiesta 800-92877-922-97012-4050 | HAGER T| Y HAGERTY.CA.COM | LOCAL AGENT Hagerty. We may sell insurance but we live classics. crash dynamics and fuel system integrity range in late 1981, with larger bumpers unveiled at the end of 1988 and officially Classic”. This version continued until pro- as well as optional air conditioning were to meet crash worthiness regulations and went on sale in the February of the follow- duction finally ceased in 1997. The sixth fitted on the US models. other small improvements in a bid to main- ing year. The car was based on a new plat- generation, or Ford Fiesta Mark VI was A sporting derivative (1.3 L Supers- tain showroom appeal ahead of the second form ditching the old car’s rear beam axle shown in concept form as the Ford Verve

BCD 32 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 33 Other Anniversaries Hillman Hunter– Rootes Arrow 50 Years ommo n s C imedia W i k imedia

: P h oto

1967 Hillman The Rootes Arrow was a name given Hunter to a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques owned by the dent Rootes sold under the Sunbeam marque (Sun- during the period from 1966 designs and beam Sceptre), but at other times used to 1979 prior to it becoming Chrysler Eu- the best known UK marque/model names. To add further rope. The Arrow range came in to being as model was the Hillman complication, /Vogue mod- a result of Rootes management’s determi- Hunter, first introduced 50 years ago. els were also sold in the UK for one sea- nation to replace the earlier Audax range A number of separate marque and son badged as Sunbeams, after the Singer of cars with something very conventional model names were associated with this car brand was withdrawn. and inexpensive to produce as they had at platform. Some were given different model The various models comprising the Ar- the time sunk a lot of investment into the names to justify trim differences (Hillman row range included: Chrysler Hunter, Chrys- under-performing rear-engined Hillman GT, Hillman Estate) while others desig- ler Vogue, Dodge Husky, Hillman Arrow, Imp. The Arrow was the last of the indepen- nated for European or U.S. markets were Hillman Break de Chasse, Hillman Estate,

British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 35 Fastback on Arrow Platform

blies. The wheel-base of the new car was actually 2½ inches (6.4 cm) shorter but the length of the passenger cabin was none- n D omai theless increased by moving the engine and the toe-board forwards. For the first two years there were few changes. Howev-

blic P u blic Parrott avid er, in May 1968 power assisted brakes were D

y made available as a factory fitted option. A

mage b I mage mild facelift in 1970 gave new grilles to the Hillman GT, Hillman Hunter, Hillman Hus- new car was more conventional and closer various Hunter trim levels, and some de- tler, Hillman Minx, Hillman Vogue, Humber to the layout of the existing Audax series rivatives gained a more fashionable dash- Sceptre, Singer Gazelle and Singer Vogue, (which included the previous Hillman Minx board, exchanging wood for plastic, but Sunbeam Alpine and Sunbeam Rapier fast- and Sunbeam Rapier models). the car remained fundamentally the same back coupés, Sunbeam Arrow, Sunbeam With cash-strapped Rootes struggling throughout its life. Break de Chasse, Sunbeam Hunter, Sun- amid continuing engine cooling prob- MacPherson strut suspension featured beam Minx, Sunbeam Sceptre, and Sun- lems with the Imp, which often resulted at the front was featured for the first time beam Vogue. There was a short production in warped cylinder heads, the cautious Ar- in a Rootes car with a conventional live axle run of Sunbeam Vogues exported to the row broke little new engineering ground. mounted on leaf springs at the rear. Other USA and Canada, slightly later followed by New parts were largely based on tried and firsts for Rootes in the new car were curved a short run of Hillman Avengers, badged as tested Rootes components, using a new side glass and flow-through ventilation. Plymouth Crickets. but strong 5-bearing version of the well- Manual transmissions were available in four- The most prolific model was the Hill- proven 1,725 cc overhead valve engine speed form with an optional Laycock de Nor- man Hunter which was Ryton’s challenger as a starting point which varied in output manville overdrive, or Borg-Warner automat- in the medium-size family car segment. from 66 bhp to 88 bhp. The engine was in- ic transmission, again as an option. Initially, During its 13-year production run, its UK clined by 15 degrees, to allow for a lower the Borg Warner Type 35 3-speed automatic market contemporaries included the Ford bonnet line and to enable fitting of the was offered, then the Type 45 four-speed au- Cortina, , Vauxhall Victor, and carburettors. This engine was further up- tomatic became available in 1973. Austin/Morris 1800. The sports-oriented rated by specialists, employing two Weber Following the 1967 acquisition of Roo- Sunbeam Rapier occupied a segment con- 40DCOE carburettors to produce 107 bhp tes by Chrysler, the Arrow derivatives were tested by the Ford Capri, MGB GT, Vauxhall for the Sunbeam Rapier H120 and Hillman rationalised until only the Hillman Hunter Firenza, and to an extent the Triumph Do- Hunter GLS. A smaller 1,500 cc engine was version was left by 1976. From September lomite, while the more upmarket Humber the standard for manual versions of the 1977 it was re-badged as a Chrysler for the Sceptre competed with other premium- Hillman Minx and the Singer Gazelle, and remaining two years of its production. The specification cars based on conventional the Hillman Hunter DeLuxe model which car’s image was boosted when a Hunter saloons, such as the 1300 and succeeded the Minx. Automatic models driven by Andrew Cowan won the 1968 1500, the Wolseley 18/85, and the Ford were all powered by the 1,725 cc engine. London-Sydney Marathon rally. Hunter Cortina 1600E and 2000E. Particular attention was paid to weight production was switched in 1969 to the The Arrow range extended to several and cost to bring the vehicle in line with troubled plant at Linwood body styles which included saloon, estate, its competitors, including the Mark 2 Ford from its original home at Ryton. fastback coupé and a two different coupé Cortina. Performance was adequate for its Sales were lower after 1975 following utilities (pick-ups) - the Dodge Husky from day: 0-60mph in 13.5secs and a top speed the launch of the Chrysler Alpine, a similar South Africa and the Paykan in Iran. De- of 97mph, but compared with the perfor- sized car but with front-wheel drive and a pending on the model, they had two or mance of the 1971 Cortina 2000, it began hatchback body style, at a time when rear- four doors. Not all marques were repre- to look a little under rated. wheel drive saloons still dominated in this sented in all body styles, with the coupés The Hillman Hunter was presented as a sector. Following the production move to being reserved for Sunbeam. replacement for the . Linwood in 1976, the very last European The Arrow range was conceived in 1962. The Arrow monocoque was around 70kg Hunters were assembled at a plant in Dub- Following the Hillman Imp, consideration lighter than the Super Minx, with an overall lin, Ireland from “complete knock down” was given to developing a larger rear-en- weight of 262kg. The body structure was kits until production ended in 1979. The fi- gined car, but this concept was dismissed, built by Pressed Steel Fisher Ltd., and was nal Chrysler Hunter was built in September and the engineering settled on for the comprised of seven separate sub-assem- 1979 in Porirua, New Zealand. bcd

British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 37 Join a club Other Anniversaries Morgan Sports Car although the original engine and transmis- mounted engines in 1981, Morgan found sion have been updated. The new 4/4 was themselves without a suitable engine and Club of Canada the cheapest open two-seater on the UK turned to Fiat for a short while, although The Morgan Sports Car market until the introduction of the Austin- a total of only 93 cars were produced. This Club of Canada be- Healey ‘Bugeye’ Sprite in 1959. 98 bhp twin overhead cam engine also gan life in 1967 and In 1959, Ford introduced the first of their came with a five speed gearbox. The story was originally known as the Toronto Morgan ‘Kent’ range of engines. These were of over- goes that a Ford executive had a Morgan Owners Group – the first meeting was at- MORGAN 4/4 head valve design, and the 997cc unit was on order and was dismayed to hear his tended by 12 Morgans. By 1968 the club was given the designation 105E and used in the new car would have a competitor’s en- up to 25 cars and joint meetings were be- 80 Years radical new Anglia range. Morgan began to gine. Hence Ford converted their 1597cc ing held with the Great Lakes Morgan group use the engine in the Series III 4/4 in 1960. CVH (Compound valve angle hemispheri- from Detroit and an effort was made to form Power was slightly up at 39 bhp but thank- cal chamber) engine to run in the con- by Colin J. Bray, Morgan Sports Car Club of Canada a group in Vancouver. The club was affiliated fully, it had a 4 speed gearbox but still used ventional rear wheel drive configuration with the Morgan Sports Car Club of the UK, a This year denotes the 80th anniversary designating the ‘Citroen Style’ gear change mechanism. for Morgan. The new model with the Ford tradition that continues to this day. of the introduction of the Morgan 4/4. In a 4 cylinder As Ford developed their Kent engines, Mor- engine, still called the 4/4 1600, was intro- Doug Price went onto become a long fact, the model is still being produced engine and gan would also use them on the 4/4. The duced in 1982 and produced 96 bhp. The term editor of the club newsletter The Blurb to this day. The 4/4 was a radical depar- 4 wheels. The 1340cc 54 bhp 109E engine from the Ford Morgan 4/4 could be ordered with either – Doug is fondly remembered for his enthu- ture for the as car was extremely water pump known Classic was used on the Series IV and intro- the Fiat or the Ford engine. The Ford unit siasm of all things Morgan, his rare 4 seater all its vehicles until then had been three competitive with other as the ‘Godiva’ which duced in 1961 and the extra power revo- still used a four speed gearbox giving the drop head coupé and for the club being re- wheeled ‘cyclecars’. These were produced British sports cars of similar size such as the became standard lutionized the performance of the model. Fiat engined car a definite advantage al- ferred to as Hog Mog – the Hog coming from in large numbers in the 1920s, but sales be- Triumph Gloria, MG TA and Singer Nine Le equipment for the Civil Girling front discs were also introduced giv- though it was more expensive. The Ford Toronto’s old nickname, Hog Town, and Mog gan to fall towards the end of the decade Mans. In fact, an almost standard 4/4 with Defence and Armed Forces and was ing the light 13cwt car exceptional braking. engine soon acquired the five speed gear- for Morgan Owners Group. due to strong competition, initially from a slightly smaller 1098cc engine finished used in WW2 during the blitz on London. The gearbox was of all synchromesh design box from the new Ford Capri/Sierra and The club changed its name in 1994 to bet- the Austin Seven, but also products from 13th overall at the 1938 Le Mans race win- Despite claims by the Morgan Company and there was also an optional ‘Wooler’ the Fiat engine was dropped in 1983. In ter reflect the history of the club and also its Britain’s largest manufacturer – Morris Mo- ning the 1100cc category. and others, the Morgan 4/4 has not been remote-linkage made available to convert 1991, Ford’s 1598cc EFI CVH engine was mandate which was to serve Morgan owners tors. When William Morris introduced the A 4 seater version of the 4/4 was intro- in continuous production for 80 years. The the push-pull gear change to conventional introduced. This had fuel injection and a from coast to coast in using and enjoying stripped down 2 seater Minor for a hun- duced in late 1937, followed in the autumn new version of the Plus 4 was introduced in style. The 1498cc 60 bhp 116E engine from computer engine management system their cars and became the Morgan Sports dred pounds in 1931, the writing was on of 1938 by the Drop Head Coupe (DHC) 1953 with the curved grille rather than the the Cortina was introduced in 1963 on the as well as a catalytic converter and an im- Car Club of Canada. We currently have about the wall for the Morgan three wheeler and which consisted of normal doors rather flat radiator design. It also used the new Series V. Originally the crude push-pull gear pressive output of 100 bhp. 85 members, mainly in Ontario but spanning sales began to fall at a faster rate. than a cutaway design, plus a non detach- much more powerful Triumph TR2 engine, change was still used but was changed on As new engines were developed by the breadth of Canada. Henry Morgan, always referred to as able soft-top, the front part of which could producing 90 bhp rather than the 68 bhp later models to a conventional shift by using Ford, they found their way into the Mor- In the past the club focused on track, rally ‘HFS’, started work on developing a 4 be rolled back leaving the rear section Standard Vanguard engine. HFS Morgan the longer gearbox. gan 4/4; in 1993 the 114 bhp 1798cc and driving competitions, while today the wheeled car in 1934 by adapting a three- intact in ‘Coupe de Ville’ style. The Drop noted there was now an opening for a less In 1968, Ford made a radical improve- Zetec engine, in 2005 the 1800 Duratec club is mainly focused on driving and social wheeled F-type to take an extra wheel at Head also utilized the new ‘Standard Spe- powerful and therefore cheaper model ment when they introduced the new Kent and from 2008 the 1600 Sigma, which is events – pretty much a social club that has the back along with a Meadows gearbox cial’ engine produced by Standard specifi- than the Plus 4, and so after a five year hia- 2737E engine. This 1599cc engine was of the current model. In March of this year, the wonderful world of Morgan cars as their driving a Moss rear axle. The same Ford en- cally for his friend HFS Morgan. This was an tus, the 4/4 was reintroduced in 1955 with cross flow design and was used in the new Morgan released a special 80th anniversa- focus. We organize driving tours and week- gine as in the F-Type was utilized. In 1935 overhead valve engine of 1267cc capacity an 1172cc Ford 100E side valve engine. This Mk2 Cortina. Output was 74 bhp and it ry edition of the 4/4 at the Geneva Motor ends away as well as an annual spring shop two more prototypes were developed be- and was not used in any other car except engine had exactly the same power output was immediately used by Morgan, the new Show. The model has cream period style tour, club picnic and BBQ as well as the AGM fore the production model was finalized, the Morgan. It replaced the Coventry Cli- as the prewar Standard Special unit and, in model being designated the 4/4 1600 rather instruments, wooden veneer dashboard and Christmas party. which used an 1122cc Coventry Climax en- max engine for all of the 4/4 models later fact, the car was actually designated the 4/4 than using the series number as previously. and various other detailing harking back 2017 will mark the club’s 50th anniversary gine of overhead inlet/side valve exhaust in 1938 and was used in the car after hos- ‘Tourer’. This model was referred to as the However the GT engine, using a twin choke to earlier days. Only 80 of these models and many special events are planned including design and produced significantly more tilities ended in 1945. The 4/4 continued ‘Series II’ 4/4 and unlike the pre 1950 ‘Series Weber carburetor, hotter camshaft and a are being produced. a gathering in August with a dinner planned at power than the Ford side valve (flathead) production with some small but significant One’ cars, only had a three speed transmis- more efficient exhaust, was also introduced Unfortunately, due to various safety the Canadian Warplane museum with Morgans engine. HFS entered and won awards in changes up until 1950 when the new much sion. The engine and gearbox were fitted as at the same time. Output had now increased and emission regulations, Morgan cars attending from as far west as BC. the London-Exeter and London-Lands End more powerful Plus 4 was introduced. a unit, unlike the Series One 4/4 and the Plus dramatically to 95 bhp and the model was have not been available in Canada since www.morgansportscarclubofcanada.com trials in December 1935 and April 1936 re- The reason Morgan dropped the use of 4, which used a torque tube arrangement known initially as the ‘1600 Competition’ and 1991 and there is little hope the company spectively. These were used as publicity for the Coventry Climax engine was of necessity between the engine and gearbox. Conse- from 1971, as the 1600 GT. Morgan also de- will be reintroducing their cars, due to the see a 4/4 than any other model. There will the official launch of the car at the London as the company decided to stop producing quently, a rather crude remote linkage was cided to reintroduce the 4 seater which had perceived small market in comparison be several 4/4s at British Car Day® here in Motor Show in October 1936. automobile engines in 1938 and concentrate used to change gear, a straight rod coming not been available since the TR engined Plus to other countries. Morgan 4/4s in North Bronte, but alas, no Series Ones. Two are The new car was given the model name on producing engines, initially to drive elec- from underneath the dashboard much like 4 had stopped production in 1968. Over 40% America were always outsold by the more in the advanced stages of restoration and 4/4 or 4-4 – experts and aficionados are still tric generators, but subsequently for water the pre-war Citroens. The very first Series 2 of 4/4 1600s were produced as 4 seaters. powerful Plus 4 and Plus 8, whereas in their should be here for the Morgan Sports Car arguing about the official terminology – pumping. The company produced a trailer car rests here in Canada, in British Columbia, When Ford started to use transverse home country you are much more likely to Club’s 50th anniversary in 2017. BCD

BCD 38 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 39 Other Anniversaries Rover SD1 40 Years Rover 3500

Celebrating 40 years this year is the Rover SD1 which was a series of executive cars built by British Leyland (BL) under the Rover marque as replacements for in as much Antique Automobile Appraisals & Collector Car Classifieds the earlier P6 Rover and the as different ver- Triumph 2000 and 2.5PI execu- sions of it could be tive saloons. It was produced by the used for different ap- Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions plications. Jaguar also from 1976 until 1986, when it was replaced used this transmission in by the Rover 800. The SD1 was marketed the XJ6 4.2L in 1979. LOOK FOR OUR BOOTH Serving the Greater Toronto under various names including Rover 3500, plicity of manufacture in mind, in contrast The dashboard of the SD1 Area and Central Ontario Rover 2300 and Rover Vitesse. In 1977, it to the P6, the design of which was rather featured an air vent, unusually, directly in the main vendor row! including Muskoka. won the European Car of the Year title, the complicated in areas such as the De Di- facing the passenger. The display binnacle first year of the prestigious award. on-type rear suspension. The SD1 used a sits on top of the dashboard in front of the Collector cars, classic cars, The “SD” refers to “Specialist Division” live rear axle. This approach was chosen driver to aid production in left-hand drive and “1” is the first car to come from the in- because surveys showed that although markets. The air vent doubles as a passage muscle cars, hot rods, sports house design team. The SD1 can be con- the automotive press was impressed by for the steering-wheel column, and the cars, exotics, kit cars, trucks, sidered the last “true” Rover, being the final sophisticated and revolutionary designs, “podular” display binnacle can be easily fit- Rover to be produced at , as well the general buying public was not, un- ted on top of the dashboard on either the we've done it all! as being the last to be designed by Rover less the results were impressive. Another left or right-hand side of the car. Company engineers. Future Rovers would retrograde step was the car’s braking sys- The SD1 was intended to be produced Detailed reports for insurance be built at the former British Motor Corpo- tem used rear drums rather than discs. The in a state-of-the-art extension to Rover’s purposes. ration factories at Longbridge and Cowley; front shape was futuristic with no air grille. historic Solihull factory alongside the TR7. and were to rely largely on Honda engi- The air inlet for the radiator was placed It was largely funded by the British govern- Pre-purchase inspections neering. beneath the bumper and an additional air ment. Unfortunately this did nothing to In 1971, designers from both Triumph inlet was placed on top of the bonnet to improve the patchy build quality that then Owned and operated by British for local and foreign buyers. and Rover submitted plans for the new car provide fresh air to the interior. plagued all of British Leyland. That, along car enthusiast Allan Lewis. and the Rover design was chosen. David Rover’s plan to use its new 2.2 L four- with quick-wearing interior materials and A member of the Toronto Ontario Ministry of Finance Bache headed the design team while Spen cylinder engine was abandoned in favour poor detailing ensured that initial enthusi- Triumph Club, MG Car Club appraisal forms for Ministry King was responsible for the engineering. of redesigned versions of Triumph’s six- asm soon turned to disappointment. of Toronto, the Georgian of Transportation The pair had previously collaborated on cylinder engine. The top-of-the-line mod- This car was launched in the UK mar- Bay British Car Club and the the P6 Rover and the Range Rover and King el was equipped with the 3.5 litre Rover ket in June 1976 in hatch-back form only, Professional Association vehicle transfers. had worked on the . There which was also used in the Tri- as the V8-engined Rover 3500; the SOHC of Vehicle Evaluators. was a market for a big, versatile hatchback umph TR8. A three-speed Borg Warner 65 ex-Triumph 2.3 L and 2.6 L sixes followed and Rover, Citroën and Renault were early automatic gearbox was provided on the a year later, when the P6 range was finally to exploit that segment. Later Opel (Mon- V8. A new Triumph designed five-speed discontinued. za) and Ford (Scorpio) would follow. gearbox was also used in the SD1 range. The SD1 was launched in Europe at the The new car was designed with sim- The design of this gearbox was modular, Geneva Motor Show in March 1977. How-

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equip- lic awareness of the SD1 may have been low ment and as the dealership network across America trim levels was small, while Rover’s expenditure on the were similar modifications, testing and approval for the ever, to that of the UK market’s US market left limited budget for publicity dealers then top-of-the-range V8-S and advertising. To save money the official had no left-hand model. The main differences press launch was combined with that of the drive cars for sale, since pro- were a smaller steering wheel, Triumph TR8. duction had been blocked by a tool the sunroof being an optional extra and Major restructuring of BL following the makers’ strike affecting several British Ley- rear passenger head restraints were not Ryder Report resulted in the SD1 produc- land plants and a “bodyshell dispute” at the made available. Small Union Jack decals tion line being moved to the former Morris company’s Castle Bromwich plant. were fixed to the lower section of each plant in Cowley in 1981. The Poor construction quality was apparent front wing, just ahead of the doors, to was turned over to production of Land Rov- even in the company’s press department promote the car’s British origins. The five- er models. The hugely expensive extension fleet. The British magazine Motor pub- speed manual gearbox was supplied as to Solihull, which had been built specifically lished a road test of an automatic 3500 in standard, with the three-speed automatic for the SD1 and Triumph TR7, was closed. January 1977, and while keen to highlight version being an option. Early in 1982, Rover changed the auto- the Rover’s general excellence, they also re- American emissions regulations neces- matic gearbox to a GM180 model, still offer- ported that the test car suffered from poor sitated some other differences including ing three speeds but better ratios and a fully door seals, with daylight visible from inside replacement of the carburettors with Lu- automatic choke was adopted. 1982 was past the rear door window frame’s edge on cas L-Jetronic fuel injection and the fitting also the year when SD1 buyers could finally the left side of the car, and a curious steer- of dual catalytic converters, a modified ex- opt for a four-cylinder engine, since the ing vibration at speed. Disappointment haust manifold and de-smogging equip- two-litre BL O-Series engine of the Morris was recorded that the ventilation outlet di- ment. The engine’s compression ratio Ital was offered. This engine was particularly rectly in front of the driver appeared to be was modified to 8.13:1. Publicity material aimed at company-car fleets where its size blocked, delivering barely a breeze even claimed it was capable of producing 148 enabled it to beat a taxation threshold. This when fully open. Nevertheless, in March hp (SAE) at 5100 rpm but the car as sold ac- broadened the SD1 range and made it more 1977, Autocar published a further article tually peaked at 133 hp (at 5000 rpm). affordable to potential buyers, giving British after driving the SD1 for 12,000 miles, and Despite the necessary modifications, Leyland a rival to the Ford Granada, which considered the Rover 3500 as “the best car Rover chose not to set up an assembly had always featured a four-cylinder version. ever,” both for its many qualities as a driv- plant in the US but built and shipped the The flagship model was created when er’s car and for its excellent fuel economy cars from the Solihull factory. The SD1 Rover introduced a 190 bhp (142 kW; 193 even when driven hard. Another area of gained positive reviews in the American PS) fuel-injected version of its V8. Borrow- concern was flaking paint on early models. press and was competitively priced against ing from technologies pioneered in the US Between 1976 and 1981 there were rivals such as the BMW 5-Series and corre- and Australian markets the new derivative some very minor updates to the car in- sponding Mercedes-Benz models. Unfor- was originally only available in the Vitesse cluding new badging (front and rear) and tunately, only 480 cars were sold between model but from 1984 onwards it was also chrome backed door mirrors. Mid-1979 saw its launch in June 1980 and the end of that offered in the luxury Vanden Plas range, the introduction of the then range topping year. The whole of 1981 totalled 774 sales, badged as the Vanden Plas EFi. V8-S model with no mechanical changes, although most of these cars had actu- The car was never marketed as the “SD1”. but available in a number of bright colours ally been built and stockpiled the previous The models produced were usually named with either gold or silver-painted alloy year. Rover ceased the supply of American according to their engine size: Rover 2000, wheels depending on the body colour. Inte- market SD1s at the end of 1981, although Rover 2300, Rover 2300 S, Rover 2300 SE, rior specification included air-conditioning, unsold cars remained available from deal- Rover 2400 SD Turbo, Rover 2600, Rover thick luxurious carpets, velour seats and a ers well into the following year. 2600 S, Rover 2600 SE, Rover 2600 Van- headlamp wash/wipe system. Reasons for the commercial failure of the den Plas, Rover 3500, Rover 3500 SE, Rover In 1980, Rover obtained US type approv- SD1 in the US are open to speculation. The 3500 Vanden Plas, Rover 3500 Vanden Plas al for the SD1 and re-entered the American weakness of the American dollar against Eu- EFi, Rover V8-S and Rover Vitesse. The SD1’s market after a ten-year absence. The car ropean currencies at the time rendered im- successor, after a 10 year production run, was only made available as a single variant, ports relatively expensive. A significant rise was the Rover 800 which was built in co- using a modified version of the V8 engine in oil prices during 1979 led to many motor- operation with Honda, making the SD1 the and badged simply as “Rover 3500”. The ists opting for more fuel-efficient cars. Pub- last real British Rover. BCD

BCD 42 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme Car Companies

Metro, launched in October 1980, twenty- Bristol one years after the launch of the Mini, gave Limited cel- BL a much-needed supermini to compete ebrates its 70th anniversary with other contemporary offerings from this year. It was known as Ford (Fiesta), Vauxhall (Nova), VW (Polo) a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars and Renault (R5). It was an instant hit with which were manufactured in Bristol while Company Anniversaries buyers and was one of the most popular the head office was located in London. As well as specific British car mod- was initially called the Austin Seven, but British cars of the 1980s. It was intended as Bristol Cars was the last remaining descen- els, a number of British auto manufactur- the Morris Mini Minor name caught the a replacement for the Mini but, in fact, the dant of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, a ers celebrate anniversary dates in 2016. public imagination and the Morris ver- Mini outlived the Metro by two years. major aircraft manufacturer that at one These include Austin Motors, sion outsold its Austin sibling. In 1970, In 1982, most of the car division of Brit- point employed in the region of 70,000 Ltd. and Lagonda at 110 years, Jensen British Leyland dropped the separate ish Leyland was rebranded as the Austin people. After the Second World War, the Motors at 80 years and Bristol Cars Ltd. Austin and Morris branding of the Mini, Rover Group, with Austin acting as the car division was formed and later became and Motor Co. at 70 and it was subsequently known simply budget and mainstream brand to Rover’s Bristol Cars Limited. years. as the “Mini”. more luxurious models. The MG badge Bristol was always a low-volume manu- The principle of a transverse engine was revived for sporty versions of the Aus- facturer; making at most only a few hun- Austin with gearbox in the sump and driving the tin models, of which the MG Metro 1300 dred cars a year. The British aircraft industry The Austin Motor front wheels was applied to larger cars, be- was the first. Austin revitalized its entry suffered a dramatic loss of orders and great Company Limited was ginning with the 1100 of 1963, the 1800 of into the small family-car market in early financial difficulties following the end of probably one of the 1964 and the Maxi of 1969. BMC already 1983 with the launch of its all-new Mae- the First World War. To provide immediate most important Eng- had a 10 year head start with front wheel stro, a spacious five-door hatchback that employment for its considerable work- lish car manufacturers of the twentieth drive, transverse-mounted engine models, replaced the Allegro and Maxi models and force, the company undertook the manu- century. It was established 110 year ago while most of their UK competitors had remained quite popular until the end of facture of a light car (the Bristol Monocar) in 1906 by Herbert Austin. In 1952 Austin only just started to invest in such changes. the decade. as well as the construction of car bodies merged with its main rival, Morris Motors Dukes, Princesses, Bish- In 1965, BMC completed the purchase Early in 1984 the Montego saloon was for and bus bodies for Limited, to create the British Motor Cor- ops, high officials of the of its major supplier, Pressed Steel. Twelve introduced as a successor to the Mor- Bristol Tramways. On the outbreak of the poration Limited (BMC) and the Austin Spanish government and months later it completed the purchase ris Ital. The new car received praise for Second World War, Sir G. Stanley White, marque continued in use until 1987. The a long list of Britain’s nobil- was steadily updated by the introduc- of Jaguar and in December 1966 changed its interior space and comfort, but early managing director of the Bristol Aeroplane trademark is currently owned by Shang- ity and gentry. tion of all-steel bodies, Girling brakes, its name from BMC to BMH, British Motor build-quality problems took time to Company was determined not to suffer the hai Automotive Industry Corporation Following the end of the First and synchromesh gearboxes. However, Holdings Limited. In early 1968 under gov- overcome. An estate version, launched in same difficulties a second time. He knew which acquired the company as part of World War, Austin decided on a one- all the engines retained the same side- ernment pressure BMH merged with Ley- early 1985, was one of the most popular plans had to be made for the return of the MG Rover Group in 2005. model policy based on the 3,620 cc 20 hp valve configuration. land Motors Limited and Austin became estates of its era. peacetime. The company began working Mr. Austin managed Wolseley Motors engine. There were a number of variants During the Second World War, Austin a part of the large British Leyland Motor In 1986 Austin Rover’s holding com- with AFN Ltd, makers of Frazer Nash cars in the late 1890s and during the same pe- including cars and commercial vehicles continued building cars but also made Corporation (BLMC) combine, including pany BL plc became Rover Group plc and British importer of before the riod built three cars in his free time. They but sales volumes were never enough to trucks and aircraft, including Lancaster Standard-Triumph. and was privatized by selling it to Brit- war, on plans for a joint venture in car man- were among Britain’s first cars. In 1905 he fill the vast factory that had been built bombers. Post-war car production re-start- During the BLMC era, Austin’s most ish Aerospace (BAe). Plans to replace the ufacture. It was eventually decided that the fell out with Wolseley over engine design to cope with wartime production. Like ed in 1945 with the early designs being infamous model was the Allegro (1973), Metro with a radical new model, based best way to achieve that goal was to pur- and left the company, which at the time many post-war businesses, the Austin similar to those of the late 1930s but did in- successor to the 1100/1300 ranges, which on the ECV3 research vehicle and aiming chase an existing manufacturer. Alvis, As- had become Britain’s largest motor vehicle company went into receivership in 1921 clude a 16 hp overhead valve engine, a first was criticized for its styling as well as build for 100 mpg, led to the Austin AR6, with ton Martin, Lagonda, ERA and Lea Francis manufacturer. Austin obtained the finan- but rose again after financial restructur- for Austin. quality and indifferent reliability. It was still several prototypes tested. The desire to were considered with a take-over of Frazer cial backing from Frank Kayser (a steel ty- ing. In a quest to expand market share, From late 1950 to mid-1952 products a strong seller in Britain. The subsequent drop the Austin name and take Rover Nash winning out. coon) and Harvey du Cros (the holder of smaller cars were introduced in 1922 and advertisements displayed “Austin of wedge-shaped 18/22 series was launched upmarket led to the project’s demise in With the support of the War Repara- the Dunlop tyre patents) and acquired an - the 1,661 cc Twelve and the Seven, an England” in flowing script but this was as Austin, Morris and Wolseley marques early 1987 when the Austin marque was tions Board, Bristol purchased the rights empty factory in Longbridge, south-west inexpensive, simple, small car and one dropped after the merger with Morris in 1975. But within six months, it was re- discontinued and Austin Rover became to manufacture three BMW models and of Birmingham. In April 1906, the first Aus- of the earliest to be directed at a mass Motors. Subsequent models followed christened the Princess, which became a simply the Rover Group. Austin cars con- the 328 engine. By July 1945, BAC had cre- tin was introduced - a four-cylinder model market. At one point, the “Baby Austin” the Morris policy and became badge- new marque in its own right. The Princess tinued to be manufactured becoming ated a Car Division and established a fac- using a chain drive and available as a 15/20 was built under license by BMW in Ger- engineered versions of each other. With did not have quite such a bad reputation “marqueless” in the UK market with bon- tory at Filton Aerodrome, near Bristol. Its hp listed at £500 (chassis, £425) or a 25/30 many, as well as by Datsun in Japan, and the threat to fuel supplies resulting from as the Allegro and was noted for its prac- net ornamentation of the same shape first car was the Bristol 400, prototyped in hp for £650 (chassis, £550). The sole con- in the United States and France. With the the 1956 Suez Crisis, Alec Issigonis, who tical wedge shape, spacious interior, and as Rover’s “longship” badge but without 1946 and introduced at the 1947 Geneva cessionaire for sale of the cars was Harvey success of the Seven, Austin weathered had been with Morris from 1936 to 1952, decent ride and handling. the word “Rover”. Following the Austin Motor Show. It was derived from pre-war du Cros’ son. The Austin cars, like those of the worst of the Great Depression and was tasked with the design a small car; By the end of the 1970s, the future of marque’s discontinuance, Rover and MG BMW models. The chassis was based on Wolseley, were luxury vehicles drawing remained profitable through the 1930s, the result was the revolutionary Mini, the Austin marque as well as the rest of Brit- continued to use the the BMW 326, the engine on the 328, and customer from the ranks of Russian Grand producing a wider range of cars which launched in 1959. The Austin version ish Leyland was looking bleak. The Austin until their ultimate demise in 2005. the body on the 327. Even a variation on

BCD 44 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme British Car Day Programme • September 18, 2016 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 45 the famous double-kidney BMW grille was Alexander Plestid retained. Bristol, however, did a thorough EXOTIC examination of the car’s handling and end- Tel: 905.806.7127 ed up with a performance reported at the MOTORWORKS Goodwood, Ontario time “only matched by outright purpose- built competition cars”. About 700 of the Bristol 400 cars were built. In 1949, the 400 was joined by the five-seat 401. It was aerodynamically sleeker, accelerated bet- ter, and had a higher top speed. It was fol- lowed by the drophead 402, of which just 24 examples were built. The 403 followed in 1953, which fea- td tured improved brakes, gearbox, damp- L ars ars ers, heater, and engine. Along with the C 403 came the 404, on a shorter wheelbase, ristol B ristol

: with more powerful engine and styling P h oto reminiscent of the 450. The 404 introduced The 2016 Bristol Bullet a concealed front wing-mounted spare wheel and battery. It was built to extremely which were more suitable for the increas- fully into the ownership of Silverton and exacting standards. ingly heavy cars. the Tavistock Group. Crook finally relin- The 405, which entered production in Bristol Cars was sold after its parent quished his connection with Bristol Cars in British & European Restoration & Service Specialists 1954, was much more successful. It was joined with other British aircraft companies 2007 and in 2011, it was announced that Bristol’s only four-door model. It remained in 1960 to create the British Aircraft Corpo- Bristol Cars had been placed into admin- in production until 1958, with 297 saloons ration (BAC), which later became part of istration. Shortly after, the company was and 43 drophead coupés produced. Bris- . The car division origi- purchased by Kamkorp, which also owned tol introduced the 406 in 1958, and it re- nally merged with Engines the Frazer-Nash Group of Companies. mained in production until 1961. The 406’s Ltd. and was later purchased by George As we went to press, Bristol Cars an- replacement, the 407, has a Canadian con- S.M. White, the original Managing Director. nounced it was marking its 70th anniversa- nection as it was powered by a 5.2 litre V8 White retained management of the com- ry with the unveiling of the Bullet - its first provided by Chrysler of Canada. It was fol- pany, but sold a significant shareholding new model in 12 years. The Bullet is pow- lowed in 1963 by the 408, with dramatic to Tony Crook, a leading Bristol agent who ered by a BMW-built 4.8-litre naturally-as- restyling as well as improved suspension. became sole distributor. In 1973, Crook ac- pirated V8 rated at 370 hp and 370 lb-ft of This was succeeded by the 409. Many buy- quired full ownership of the company and torque mated to either a ZF six-speed man- ers preferred the crisp steering and gear- moved the factory from Filton to nearby ual or automatic box. The retro sheetmetal box of the earlier six-cylinder cars. Patchway. The showroom in Kensington body, believed to be designed by Pininfa- Head Mechanic, Alex The 410, introduced in 1966, was a return High Street in London became the head rina, was inspired by a 1966 prototype that Our wealth of mechanical and restoration experience includes to the high-performance touring tradition, office.U nder Crook’s direction the com- new owners Frazer Nash Research found Plestid, formerly of the offering the same top speed as the 409, with pany produced a number of new models, hiding in the factory. Triumph, Jaguar, MG, Austin Healey and Rolls Royce and many superior acceleration from the same power- the names of which were largely borrowed Despite its classic styling, the Bullet hit TV series Restoration others. When you entrust your special vehicle to Exotic Motorworks, plant. In 1969, the Bristol 411 appeared, with from Bristol’s distinguished aeronautical comes equipped with cutting edge tech- you can rest assured that we will treat your car like our very own! a new 6.2 litre Chrysler V8 (rebuilt and modi- past: the Beaufighter, Blenheim, Britan- nology. Carbon-fibre composites dress an Garage, has over 20 fied by Bristol) delivering a higher top speed nia and Brigand. In 1997, Crook sold a fifty aluminium chassis resulting in a 1,100-kg years of experience with Our passion for working on these vehicles and making them better and even better acceleration. per cent holding in Bristol Cars to Toby Sil- curb weight. 0-62 mph is a claimed 3.8 sec- than new, comes from our love of owning and driving them ourselves. Up until 1961, all Bristol cars used Bris- verton, with an option to take full control onds and top speed is limited to 155 mph. all makes and models tol-built derivatives of the BMW M328 2-li- within four years. Silverton, then son-in- Only 70 Bristol Bullets will be built priced tre six-cylinder engine. These engines also law of Joe Lewis of the Tavistock Group and at £250,000 pounds, or around $330,000, of Classic cars and has We would be pleased to answer any questions you might have. powered a number of other sports and son of Arthur Silverton of , joined before options. Each unit takes two weeks personally restored more Give us a call for directions to the British Barn or to make an racing cars, including Frazer Nashes, some the board. to assemble, and will be handmade in the appointment for a quotation. It will be our pleasure to meet other ACs, some Lotus and Cooper racing cars. Crook and Silverton produced the company’s Chichester factory and sold via than 150 cars to their vintage car enthusiasts and we look forward to helping you enjoy Following the launch of the Bristol 407, Speedster, Bullet and 411 Series 6, though Bristol’s only dealership, in Kensington, your passion for years to come! larger Chrysler V8 engines were adopted, 2002 and saw the transfer of Bristol Cars London. BCD former glory BCD 46 www.BritishCarDay.com September 18, 2016 • British Car Day Programme [email protected]

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