Classic Cars – Jaguar XK120
The Jaguar XK120 was first revealed to the public at the London Motor Show in 1948, and it reinvented the world of sports cars by providing a car with elegant curves, a fantastic chassis, and a remarkable price. It became the fastest production car at the time of launch, and was rivalled only by the V12 Ferrari which was 4 times the price.
This proved to be an unbeatable combination, and became a milestone for Jaguar whilst reviving the motor industry with much fanfare after the war. Interestingly, the XK120 was only really designed as test bed with which to show off the XK engine, but with orders flooding in Jaguar wasted no time and put the car into full production. Several versions were eventually released, with the Roadster version being a hit amongst Hollywood stars like Clark Gable. It is still a design classic today, and in 1999 the car featured in the box office hit Cruel Intentions, driven by Ryan Phillippe & Reese Witherspoon. Read more
Classic Cars – Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle began production in 1983, and was produced right up until 2003. This is an impressive 65 years of production, which has seen a total of 21.5million Beetles having rolled off the production lines worldwide. It featured a rear air cooled engine feeding power to the rear wheels, and was designed for sustained high speed on the German Autobahns, and thanks to this extremely robust design featuring high build quality it ultimately became the longest-running and most-produced automobile of a single design in the entire world.
The original brief was to produce a cheap, economical and reliable car for the working class. Adolf Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche were the two men responsible for kick starting the birth of the Volkswagen Beetle, and it went on to become a true classic thanks to its legendary reliability with an almost unbreakable gearbox, and both its unique shape and the unmistakable sound of its air cooled engine. Read more
Classic Cars – Karmann Ghia
The Karmann Ghia was essentially a VW Beetle with a different body shell attached, yet it is considered an elegant sports car. So what constitutes a sports car? For the Karmann Ghia it was all about styling.
In the years following World War II VW had been successfully producing small and efficient automobiles like the Beetle, with a reputation for outstanding reliability. But as time wore on consumers began demanding vehicles with style and elegance, reflecting the changing attitudes at the time. This call was answered by the Karmann Ghia. Read more
Living with a Classic Car
There seems to be as many reasons for owning a classic car as there are classic car owners. For some owning a classic car can simply be an investment, whilst for others it provides a gateway to the nostalgia associated with days gone by. Whatever the individuals reasoning, owning and driving a classic car certainly makes a personal statement.
A lot of people will agree on the fact that they don’t make cars like they used to, and driving a beautifully restored classic car provides an escape to the days of motoring bliss, if only for a short while. These same people naturally congregate and form the various clubs, rallies and shows that appear around the globe. All of these provide the enthusiast with a much needed medium with which to vent their enthusiasm, and it’s a much needed outlet for a very absorbing hobby. Read more
