The project, named R6, successfully showed that it was possible to come up with a car which was much better than the one from which it was derived. Discussing the history of the Austin Metro, we said that its successor was presented in 1990, branded a Rover. The group had already started working on the … More A British car to beat the world – Part 2
Throughout the history of the car we have frequently witnessed the birth of cars whose arduous task was to replace models which, during the course of their existence, had taken on cult status. The result was that, faced with the immense image of the progenitor, the model originally destined to be its replacement was often … More A British car to beat the world – Part 1
The new sports car was officially unveiled at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show and simultaneously with that event a press conference was held at the factory where the Healey would be produced, where it was welcomed with great enthusiasm. In the history of the car, the name Healey has often been associated with Austin and … More The last Healey
The car was sold in kit form, common in those days to avoid the Purchase Tax from which such unassembled cars were exempt. The car manufacturing adventure of the Welsh Gilbern began in 1959 with the co-operation between Giles Smith and Bernard Friese, a German engineer with experience in glass-fibre. Their first car was the … More Kit car passion
Stylistically the Samba continued the simple square lies of the other models together with particular finishes; mechanically it had a transverse front engine and front-wheel drive. The Talbot marque, founded in 1903 by Adolphe Clément with the financial help of Lord Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, remained active from 1905 until after the Second World War, when the … More The last Talbot
The car was officially presented to the press on 12th September, 1963 in Venice and was transported for the occasion by gondola, becoming the first car to be taken to St. Mark’s Square. At the start of the 1960s the Italian division of the British Rootes Group, based in Milan, was headed by George Carless, … More The English Venetian
The initials “IM3” merged the initials of the two brands Innocenti and Morris, whilst the “3” referred to the third model produced in collaboration with the British group, after the A40 and the Spider. In almost forty years of activities as a car manufacturer, Innocenti di Lambrate is remembered mainly for the Mini models produced … More The Anglo-Italian
Due to its mechanical characteristics the Imp was successful in rallying, winning the Rally of the Tulips in 1965. In the 1960s the British Rootes Group, which included the marques Sunbeam, Singer, Humber, Hillman and Talbot, decided to start on the design of a car capable of countering the growing success of the best-selling Mini. … More The anti-Mini
Cars Forgotten - Stories 