Classics Monthly March 2022

I have been looking at a couple of potential candidates for future project cars, both of them true design classics that can trace their origins back some 75 years or more. (There are no prizes for guessing what they are, but feel free to have a go anyway and send in your suggestions.) One of them was being sold without an engine, and that got me idly thinking about the possibilities of also carrying out a conversion to electric power. Now before you throw down the magazine in disgust, I should say that I have serious doubts about the global green credentials of electric cars, and I am also not totally convinced either way whether converting classics is a good idea that will allow us to continue driving them unhindered by…

I have been looking at a couple of potential candidates for future project cars, both of them true design classics that can trace their origins back some 75 years or more. (There are no prizes for guessing what they are, but feel free to have a go anyway and send in your suggestions.) One of them was being sold without an engine, and that got me idly thinking about the possibilities of also carrying out a conversion to electric power. Now before you throw down the magazine in disgust, I should say that I have serious doubts about the global green credentials of electric cars, and I am also not totally convinced either way whether converting classics is a good idea that will allow us to continue driving them unhindered by…

On a sad day for all Lotus enthusiasts worldwide, Hazel Chapman – the wife of Colin Chapman and co-founder of Lotus – died on 13th December aged 94. Her contribution to motorsport and the motor industry in the latter half of the 20th century should not be underestimated. She was a successful racing driver, a shrewd businesswoman and the rock upon which the Lotus foundations – since 1948, when the very first Lotus car was made – were built. Her involvement in the development of the Lotus business was almost without equal at the time in a world where women so often played second fiddle to their husbands. Hazel Williams was born on the 21st May 1927 in North London. She met Colin Chapman at a dance in 1944 when…

On a sad day for all Lotus enthusiasts worldwide, Hazel Chapman – the wife of Colin Chapman and co-founder of Lotus – died on 13th December aged 94. Her contribution to motorsport and the motor industry in the latter half of the 20th century should not be underestimated. She was a successful racing driver, a shrewd businesswoman and the rock upon which the Lotus foundations – since 1948, when the very first Lotus car was made – were built. Her involvement in the development of the Lotus business was almost without equal at the time in a world where women so often played second fiddle to their husbands. Hazel Williams was born on the 21st May 1927 in North London. She met Colin Chapman at a dance in 1944 when he…

To celebrate 35 years of production at their Sunderland plant, Nissan commissioned a very special conversion of the Nissan Bluebird – the first car off the factory’s production line in 1986. Called Newbird, the one-off project car is powered by the 100% electric drivetrain of a Nissan LEAF, the pioneering mass-market EV. The Nissan Bluebird was extensively modified to integrate the LEAF’s electric drivetrain. The original petrol combustion engine and gearbox were removed and a LEAF motor, inverter and 40kWh battery pack installed, with the battery modules split between the engine bay and the boot for optimised weight distribution. Updates and modifications were made to the power steering, braking and heating systems to enable them to be electrically powered. A custom suspension was also installed to support the additional weight…

To celebrate 35 years of production at their Sunderland plant, Nissan commissioned a very special conversion of the Nissan Bluebird – the first car off the factory’s production line in 1986. Called Newbird, the one-off project car is powered by the 100% electric drivetrain of a Nissan LEAF, the pioneering mass-market EV. The Nissan Bluebird was extensively modified to integrate the LEAF’s electric drivetrain. The original petrol combustion engine and gearbox were removed and a LEAF motor, inverter and 40kWh battery pack installed, with the battery modules split between the engine bay and the boot for optimised weight distribution. Updates and modifications were made to the power steering, braking and heating systems to enable them to be electrically powered. A custom suspension was also installed to support the additional weight from…