Classics Monthly June 2022

I like to think that I am a reasonably well-organised and efficient worker. To some extent that must be true, because working on multiple projects and getting this magazine to the printers on time every four weeks (not to mention fitting in a family life) means there is a lot to get through every day and I’ve not missed a deadline yet. There are, however, still efficiency gains to be made. For example, I can be lying under a car struggling with a particular task and know full well that something in the tool chest just a few short steps away could make my job easier, yet I will struggle on with what I have to hand. Somewhere in my head I have loosely calculated that stopping, getting up, fetching…

Staff at the performance car brand Abarth have used their knowledge of great driving roads to compile a selection of routes based on the excitement factor of driving each one combined with the scenery for drivers and passengers. From there, they analysed the number of images each specific route had been hashtagged on Instagram to rank the top 20. Ireland took the gold and silver spots with two stunning coastal routes – the Wild Atlantic Way was by far the most Instagrammed location with 1,570,313 hashtags recorded, while Ring of Kerry in second place had 222,293 hashtags. Scotland's North Coast 500 (141,529 hashtags) featured third, while England’s Cheddar Gorge and its twisty valley roads came in fourth (84,162 hashtags), and the vast Elan Valley in Wales placed fifth (53,204 hashtags).…

This year’s popular London to Brighton Classic Car Run will wave goodbye to current owners GE Classic Motor Events and welcome new owners Pop-Up Car Shows Ltd, as Stephen and Sandra Smith will be retiring after the Classic Car, Kit & Sports Car and Modern Classics Runs being held on Sunday 29th May. They will work with the new owners to ensure a smooth transition, keeping the same high standards and friendly atmosphere of the event. Stephen Smith said: 'Sandra and I have been the custodians of this event for the past 12 years and it’s now time for us to hand over the starting flag to a new team who will continue to grow and develop this and other events for enthusiasts to enjoy. We’d like to thank everyone…

A team from Bournemouth University and the National Motor Museum will be breathing new life into the legendary Sunbeam 1000hp which broke the 200mph Land Speed Record on 29th March 1927 – the team plans to start it back up again, making it run for the first time in over half a century. Students from the engineering programme started working on various projects with the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in June 2021. The Sunbeam project is led by Dr Adil Saeed and Dr Sarah Palmer-Smith. Dr Saeed said: 'Working on the Sunbeam 1000hp has created many exciting opportunities for our students to take their learning and research and put it into practice. Our work on the Sunbeam started in July 2021 with the core objectives of identifying, measuring, and…

Mazda Motor Corporation’s museum, located in its Hiroshima headquarters, has undergone a full renovation and is due to open to the public on 23rd May. That may be a little far away for most of us to go on a day out, but Mazda will also be opening an online museum to provide guided virtual tours with detailed explanations for each zone and immersive drone footage from inside the exhibition. Unfortunately this is only available in Japanese at present, but an English version has been promised in due course. See www2.mazda.com/ja/ onlinemazdamuseum/…

After decades of being off the road and in storage, the very first Bentley T-Series is being brought back to life via a complete wheels-up restoration. So far the 6¼-litre pushrod V8 has been started for the first time in at least 15 years, and the engine and gearbox have proven to be in good condition despite their extended rest. This, the oldest T-Series, completed manufacture on 28th September 1965. Owned by Bentley Motors and destined for trials work around the world, the T-Series was finished in Shell Grey exterior paint that was complemented with a Blue Leather interior. In October 2016 a group of apprentices started the rejuvenation process for T-Series VIN 001, starting with the removal of trim and the reconditioning of the Body-in-White. The work was put…