By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse

A high performance European carmaker, set up over 30 years ago, is launching a new bespoke model which comes with an eye-watering price.

The Huayra Codalunga Speedster is the latest car from Pagani Automobili and promises a top speed of 217mph. Unfortunately, just ten cars will be made.

This exclusive car is powered by a V12 Mercedes-AMG engine in common with most of the Pagani range and is inspired by the racing cars of the fifties and sixties.

The company was founded in 1992 by Argentine-Italian engineer and entrepreneur Horacio Pagani and is known for developing low volume supercars incorporating stunning features. Pagani started out working on prestige projects with Lamborghini.

His entrance into the ‘supercar club’ came with the six-litre Zonda C12 and was followed by the Pagani Huayra and most recently the Utopia, revealed in 2022.

The new Huayra Codalunga Speedster is handcrafted by the best Italian designers and will be finished in a metallic mint green.

Inside, there’s a real nod to the best in European retro styling from hand-stitched leather seats and chrome dials to a carbon-fibre finished gear stick and mahogany trim.

Interested? Prices are expected to start well over £2.5 million and deliveries are not planned until next year.

Dean Clough Halifax: SUNDAY 27TH JULY – DON’T MISS OUT! Taking place during our next artisan market, resident LEGO builder  Michael LeCount will be hosting a free LEGO Mini F1 Car Make & Take  Workshop in the Crossley Gallery from 11:00 – 14:00 (WHILE STOCKS LAST). Suitable for ages 5+, no booking required. LEGO F1 sets  will be available to purchase on the day. Learn more

If you know, you know. You don’t need any more words than Eleanor to know that we are talking about a 1967 Ford Mustang that starred in the film, Gone in 60 seconds. Whether you are talking about original film or the later variations, these films were basically a series of car chases wrapped loosely around a car stealing ring story with a contract to deliver.

Eleanor has always been a desirable car and over the years there have been a few replicas. But now an American firm has committed to a limited run of recreations to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film.

That is the 25th anniversary of the second version starring Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie. Not the original which was made in 1974 and wrote off 93 cars in the film making process.

Cinema Muscle Recreations LLC, has announced the launch of “Eleanor: Gone Again,” a project to produce a limited series of the 1967 Ford Mustang-based ‘Eleanor,’. The goal of this project is to deliver the ultimate Eleanor, preserving the authentic look while enhancing the performance with subtle modern updates.

They will develop and build a limited-production run of 25 cars, badged and certified as Anniversary Editions, crafted by the same team who built the original film cars 25 years ago. Under the direction of Randy Wolff, CEO of Cinema Muscle Recreations, the project team also includes Ray Claridge, founder and former owner of Cinema Vehicle Services, which produced the original Eleanor movie cars for the film. The cars will be faithful to the original design, while incorporating modern updates and delivering the highest levels of performance and quality. Customers will be invited to specify their cars individually, and each car will be built to-order. A certificate of authenticity, signed by the project team, will accompany every vehicle. 

Cinema Muscle Recreations, LLC, and “Eleanor: Gone Again” have no sponsorship, association, approval, or endorsement from any motor company including Ford Motor Company. The names Ford® and Mustang® are trademarks of Ford Motor Company, and any other trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners. References to these trademarked names or marks are solely for identification purposes.

Visit Reserve | Eleanor 25th Anniversary to learn more, and place your order!

If you are planning a romantic trip to Paris in 2027 you may want to add this to your itinerary.

Renault is grouping its collection of historic vehicles, art works and archive documents in a new exhibition centre in Flins, Paris, set to open in 2027. Here you will be able to explore the brand’s heritage through tours and themed exhibitions. The project will showcase the Renault’s 125 years history while highlighting its impact on automotive innovation.

The project is a chance to (re)discover iconic models, each with their own story to tell: a story of technical innovation and social transformation. For visitors, the new venue will bring back personal memories associated with specific cars or commercials that marked their time, as well as giving them an opportunity to admire exceptional works of art from the Renault Fund.

Renault has chosen the Flins site, just 40 kilometres from Paris. Opened in 1952, and where over 18 million vehicles were built. Home to iconic models such as the Dauphine in the 50s, Renault 5 in the 70s and 80s, Renault 4, four generations of Clio and ZOE. Now Flins has reinvented itself as in 2021, it became the Refactory, a site dedicated to the circular economy of mobility.

The new centre will feature a 2,800 m² events space surrounded by areas for work, meetings and storage. The most spectacular area houses the Collection, with hundreds of vehicles mounted on racks. Seemingly sitting on giant shelves, the cars form a wall that can be seen from the event space, and also from the outside through the apertures in the facade.

The events space takes the form of a large hall, with a ceiling rising in tiers, from the entrance up to the gigantic showcase of cars on racks. The building also includes a vehicle restoration workshop and storage areas for parts and equipment.

Renault’s heritage is not limited solely to its vehicles. The company also owns a large number of objects telling their story since 1898. With over 2,400 linear metres of archives, Renault has an impressive collection of documents and objects tracing the company’s history. Among the thousands of documents and objects are posters, design drawings, miniatures and toys, pedal cars, cups and medals.

The project will give access to an automotive treasure trove, comprising several hundred vehicles in perfect condition. Carefully conserved and restored, these vehicles span the history of Renault from the first car built by Louis Renault in 1898, the Type A, to pre-war models, Formula 1 cars, iconic Alpines and visionary concept cars.

More than half of the cars are still running and it has been the work of six qualified technicians to restore and service all the vehicles in the Renault Collection, making sure that each model can take to the road to tell its own unique story. Building on this recognised expertise, the new venue will also house a restoration workshop for both powertrains and bodywork.

Renault also owns several hundred works of art, which will also be on display. This unique art collection was set up to build bridges between art and industry.

By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse

As we move full throttle into a new age of motoring where cars are electric, keyless and digital it’s worth taking a moment to remember some of the special car features from a bygone era that have disappeared.

Here’s my top six and I’m sure you have your own favourites. Why not share yours by leaving a comment with this story?

Trunk racks

Remember the rear-mounted chrome luggage racks that helped make many holiday break that bit special. The boot rack gave you extra storage but also gave your car a distinctively classic look. They first appeared in the US in the 1900s when cars were made with little interior storage and became a common feature in the sixties. These were fitted to British classics like the MGB, TR6 and Austin- Healey.

Dashboard switches

For me physical buttons, knobs and switches to press and touch is all part of the joy of driving. It adds to that feeling of control. Today’s move to touchscreens (plus ‘voice command’) might ‘fit’ with today’s lifestyle but give me a button to set the air con or work the CD anytime.

Vinyl roofs

In the seventies the vinyl roof was an aspirational addition to any car, not least it gave the appearance of a convertible to a fixed roof.

Growing up, I remember seeing black, brown and beige vinyl on cars like the Mk1 Cortina, Opel Mantra and even the Hillman Avenger. Unfortunately, the move to more aerodynamic car design put paid to this feature. I guess it didn’t help that the vinyl trim was often liable to crack, bubble or fade!

Where’s my spare wheel?

Tyre issues will never go away, especially as the condition of some road surfaces worsen. So why do car manufacturers replace the spare wheel with a can of goo? A repair kit, provided with new cars today, will only help get your vehicle a short distance down the road.

Car radios

An iPod might be a modern accessory for a road trip away, but it’s hard to beat the charm of an early car radio set into the dashboard. To find out more about the joys of old classic audio systems see my Blogs on Agenta Audio (9^th and 16^th February).

Car brochures and manuals

Old car brochures are wonderful marketing guides to any car and sadly, such detail is now largely only available in digital format. I want to know the ins and outs of my motor, if only to fix a fault or source parts.

I’ll come clean I don’t drive a modern car. I have a 20-year-old Rover that is a pleasure to start up by key every morning and doesn’t need an onboard computer to tell me it’s raining. Yes, give me simple and basic motoring experience any day of the week.

Kicking off today, and taking place until 20^th July, Motorsport UK’s annual campaign celebrates all forms of motorsport and our incredible community that powers the action. With over 100 events happening up and down the country, it’s the perfect excuse to get out there enjoying the sport.

Head over to our National Motorsport Week website to find an event near you or enter our exclusive competitions with event tickets and promotional offers up for grabs. Whatever you get up to this National Motorsport Week, we hope you have a blast.

GET INVOLVED

For those of you who enjoyed our article on Race the Waves (our most popular article on the internet this year) we now go to the opposite end of the scale. Yorkshire Elegance is the most upmarket event in the north of England and features some of the rarest cars in the world. I know there are those who complain about how expensive it is, but, it is a bargain compared to the London Concours, and it compares favorably with their display. Here is what you can expect to see.

Wood & Pickett Mini by Callum

You may have seen in the media, – Ian Callum’s design house announcing the new “Wood & PIckett” MINI: a redefinition of the classic British icon…

Callum will be displaying the new build-to-order Mini at Yorkshire Elegance and it will be the first chance, other than a privileged few, to see the new car. 

Ian Callum himself will be at Yorkshire Elegance to help with Concours Judging and to talk about his fantastic new motor which is built on a fully restored Mk5 Sportspack body shell. It incorporates an entirely bespoke design package, drawing on both Wood and Pickett’s coachbuilding legacy and CALLUM’s contemporary design expertise. The first car is due to be delivered to David Gandy shorly.

CONCOURS & DISPLAY
The display this year will feature five different categories spanning 14 decades of motoring history plus two additional special classes…

Pre WW1 Veteran & Edwardian (pre-1918)

Pre WW2 Vintage (1919-1940)  

Classic (1945-1970) 

Modern Classic (1971-2004)

Future Classic: super/hyper cars built since 2005 (supported by Apollo Capital)

Plus…Aston Martin – the DB era 1947-1972

Classic Resto-Mod: restored & customised classics pre-2000.

Do you have a special car worth of being added to the Concours Display on the lawns at Grantley Hall? Please click on the link below to submit details…

ENTER YOUR CAR

50 YEARS of the PORSCHE 911 TURBO

It was in 1975 when Porsche added a turbo charger to their 3.0L engine to create the legendary 930 Turbo. To mark the 50th anniversary, we will putting on a display of each of the 7 different versions of the iconic model.

CALLING ALL 911 TURBO OWNERS…
We are still looking to invite owners of 911 Turbos to add to the display, particularly 964 & 993 Turbos  – if you own a 964 or 993 Turbo or know someone who would like to add their car to the display over the two show days, please get in touch

For more information go to the website: Home – Yorkshire Elegance

Buy your tickets here: BUY TICKETS

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The long awaited movie, imaginatively called, F1 The Movie, has finally arrived in cinema’s. The reviews have been mixed but that won’t stop enthusiasts wanting to see it. In fact it was the UK’s number one box office film last weekend .

We heard that viewing it on Imax enhanced the racing scenes considerably so we headed to The National Science and Media Museum to watch it on a proper Imax screen. Unlike many Imax screens which are in Imax proportions, their screen is huge and puts you in the centre of the action. At £12.50 a ticket its not cheap, but in my view well worth the extra.

Before entering the cinema you need to park any specialist knowledge of Formula1. If you going looking for flaws then you will surely find them, but it will spoil your enjoyment of the film. The story is pretty obvious from the opening seems and stretches credibility for anyone with a knowledge of racing. It would be wrong for me to reveal the plot but suffice to say it features an aging driver (the impossibly handsome Brad Pitt) being called in to save a failing team, and of course a love interest.

F1® The Movie | Main Trailer

The story moves along at pace and the race scenes are spectacular (especially so in Imax). It is well acted and realistic(ish) and heads around the world to the F1’s best circuits. Much of the filming was done within the F1 circus so you will see plenty of characters that you recognise from real world F1. The soundtrack did much to enhance the movies, though it was a touch too modern for my taste.

How does it stack up against other F1 films? Well this is purely my opinion but it is significantly better than Rush, on par with Ferrari. But it doesn’t stand up against Grand Prix (but that’s probably just my age). Incidentally Grand Prix can be seen in CINERAMA on the worlds only CINERAMA screen at the Science and Media museum. See it on the widescreen weekend.

National Science and Media Museum

I enjoyed the film and any F1 enthusiast should see it. But remember its a film made for entertainment, not a documentary.

By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse

We haven’t covered too many Toyotas in our Blogs and the likes of Corolla and Camry, although worldwide best sellers, don’t tend to excite classic car markets.

But, go back to the sixties and Toyota came up with a rare gem in the Toyota 2000GT, the company’s first supercar. 

This two-seater, was first revealed to the industry at the 1965 Toyota Motor Show, before going into production two years later.

The car was given a dream ‘lift-off’ when it appeared in the 1967 James Bond classic ‘You Only Live Twice’. Toyota made two convertible models for the film.

Back then, the sports car market was an untapped area for Japanese motor manufacturers and designers looked to the West for ideas and styling. Not surprisingly, many people looking at the 2000GT quickly saw a car with more than a passing resemblance to the Jaguar E-Type!

As well as ‘shades’ of the E-Type’s aerodynamics, designer Satoru Nozaki, was influenced by the chassis of the Lotus Elan. Under the bonnet, the car came with a Yamaha-developed 2-litre, 150 bhp straight-six engine, based on the motor fitted in the Toyota Crown saloon.

Inside, the 2000GT continued the feel of a luxury grand tourer with rosewood veneer dashboard, mahogany rimmed steering wheel and slim fitting seats.

On the road, the engine had a gutsy feel and ride and handling was top notch.

Sadly, Toyota struggled to turn their first sports venture into profit and, between 1967 and 1970, only 337 were sold for the road.

Despite poor sales, the car proved a trailblazer for Toyota, not least in their ambitions to successfully develop a sports coupe range.

As an investment, the passing of time has been kind to the car. Today, when a top condition 2000GT comes onto the market, prices start at well over one million pounds.

If that’s a sales price that’s a bit ‘punchy’ you can always view this cool classic online by clicking the link https://youtu.be/3D0BNhFLOpc The YouTube video tours an amazing car collection, including 2000GT models, all owned by Japanese businessman Takeshi Moroi.

If you have a spare 173 seconds then I think you might enjoy this video where Alpine looks back on the highlights of its history. It sets to music the vision of Alpine’s founder, Jean Rédélé, and the brand’s mantra: making lightness a strength.

This anniversary creation pays tribute to the highlights of Alpine’s epic journey: from the first nights spent lightening the 4CVs in Jean Rédélé’s Parisian garage in 1950 to the creation of the brand in 1955 and its participation in the Mille Miglia, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Monte Carlo Rally, the REBIRTH of the brand in 2017, and its historic FORMULA 1 victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

This story continues with Alpine’s Dream Garage and the launch of its first 100% electric sports models: the A290 and A390, the brand’s very first sport fastback. The film adopts a bold visual style, combining footage of vintage models with animated scenes inspired by comic books, a graphic code emblematic of the automotive world.

Click the link below.

70 Years of Lightness

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Caterham has launched its latest limited-edition model, the Seven 310 Encore, which celebrates the final farewell of the Ford Sigma engine.

Since the brand’s inception in 1973, Ford’s 1.6 litre four-cylinder engines have been at the heart of Caterham Seven road and race cars. Introduced in 2007, the Sigma has proved to be one of the most popular and enduring power units of this long association with Ford.

Only 25 examples of the 310 Encore will be made available to customers in the UK, US and UAE, with prices starting from £39,995.

At home on track as it is on the road, this unique limited edition run uses the most powerful 1.6 litre version of the Sigma engine. It delivers 152bhp at 7,000rpm for a thrilling power-to-weight ratio of 281bhp/tonne. Mated to a five-speed gearbox, it allows the Encore to accelerate from 0-60mph in just 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 127mph.

For the Encore there are also several enhancements inspired by the successful, Sigma-powered Caterham 310R Championship. These include a lightened flywheel, sports suspension pack (widened front track, with adjustable spring platforms and adjustable rear anti-roll bar) and 254mm vented front brake discs that use red-finished quad piston calipers and a race brake master cylinder. As a result, the Encore can lap the famous Donington Park National circuit in just 1min 18 secs.

The Encore has the looks to match the performance with a range of six bold colour schemes each combining a unique new paint finish with distinctive body stripes. Inspired by six well-renowned pop and rock songs, the new paint colours are named, Blue Monday, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Green Light, Orange Crush, Back in Black and White Noise.

Other exterior upgrades include a 620 aero nose cone, CUP grille, carbon fibre front wings and standard black pack finish for the windscreen surround, headlight bowls and exhaust heat shield cover. Also included is a bespoke gun metal finish for the chassis and 13” black Apollo alloy wheels with track-ready TOYO R888R tyres.

The Seven 310 Encore interior features black leather seats with dark grey stitching and a unique Encore logo. It also includes a carbon fibre dashboard and bespoke Encore edition dials, while motorsport-inspired touches include the gearshift light, four-point harness and removable MOMO steering wheel.

For a final touch, each car is finished with a numbered plaque that is located between the seats on the rear interior panel, denoting the individual car number of the 25 available.

For more information, visit the Caterham website. 

By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse

The closure of Vauxhall’s Luton plant earlier this year brought back memories of a ‘game changer’ moment for the company in 1975 – the launch of the Chevette.

The Chevette, the first British-built hatchback of its size, started life in Bedfordshire before moving production to Ellesmere Port. The Chevette (and Cavalier range, also launched in 1975) is credited with turning around Vauxhall’s fortunes.

After struggling to keep up to the likes of Ford, along came this new supermini, based on General Motors ‘T Car’ platform and using the template of the Opel Kadett C.

Extensive research went into getting this new Vauxhall right and, in May 1975, the new Chevette went on sale with a starting price of £1,593.

The Chevette was sold under the slogan ‘It’s whatever you want it to be’ and came with a whole new fresh look. Remember the ‘shovel nose’ front!

There was a lot riding on this new car as bosses strived to reverse faltering sales from Vauxhall’s tired range in the mid seventies.

The first Chevettes came as three-door hatchbacks with a 1256cc engine. In 1976, two and four-door saloons were introduced and an estate version followed, but all used the same sized engine.

It was a huge success, becoming the UK’s best-selling hatchback between 1975 and 1978. At the same time, production of the once popular Vauxhall Viva range was drawing to an end.

The car’s stock rose even further when Vauxhall Dealership group, Dealer Team Vauxhall, pushed for the development of a racing version.

In 1978, the Chevette HS, powered by a 2279cc twin-cam engine made its debut. It was followed by the 150 bhp HSR to keep the brand rally competitive into the eighties.

A string of successes followed including winning the British Open Rally Championship for drivers in 1979 and manufacturers’ crown in 1981.

These high performance models gave the humble 1.3l hatchback bags of kudos amongst young driver.

Over 415,000 Chevettes were sold in the UK over 19 years and sales in its early years was followed by successful sales for its big brother, the Cavalier.

But, by the early eighties, rivals were coming up fast in its rear view mirror! Notably, cars like the Fiesta and Metro as well as its stablemate, the Nova (launched in 1983).

Competition was fierce in the small car market, but records show the little Chevette helped breathe new life into Vauxhall Motors at a critical time and kept many thousands of car workers in jobs.

Looking back, 1975 proved a memorable year for Vauxhall.