The Smart design concept began at Mercedes-Benz in the early 70s and late 80s. After brief backing by Volkswagen, the first model was released by Daimler-Benz in October 1998. Several variants on the original design have been introduced, with the original being the ‘Fortwo’. The car launched successfully in nine European countries. Smart derives fr..
In response to the huge success of the Mini, Ford responded not with a small car but with a larger family offering which they could sell in large numbers. The result was the Cortina; a distinctively styled, mass-market compact car aimed at buyers of the Morris Oxford and Vauxhall Victor. It launched on 20th September 1962 and sold extremely well. I..
Jaguar cars today are designed in Jaguar Land Rover's engineering centres at the Whitley plant in Coventry and Gaydon in Warwickshire, whilst manufacturing takes place in Jaguar's Castle Bromwich assembly plant in Birmingham. The Jaguar XK series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5th March 1996; the first generation of the series being the..
John Cooper was well known for his involvement, with his father Charles, in developing the post-war rear engine single seater 500cc race cars that ran amok and beat the larger front engine cars of the period. John is also later renowned for his development of the iconic Mini with the Mini Coopers cleaning up in high profile race and rally events in..
The Mk. I Ford Escort was introduced in Ireland and the UK at the end of 1967 and made its show debut at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. It replaced the successful, long running Ford Anglia. The front suspension and steering gear were differently configured and the brakes were fitted with dual hydraulic circuits; also the wheels fitted on ..
The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1998 and 2005. On its debut, the 996 featured the most significant changes to the Carrera model since its 1963 introduction, namely the water-cooled engine replacing the previously air-cooled unit. Progressively stringent noise regulations, environme..
The iconic Land Rover Series I, II, and III are commonly referred to as ‘Series’ Land Rovers to distinguish them from later models. These easily recognisable vehicles were produced by the world famous midland manufacturer from 1948 until 1985. Land Rover state that 70% of the vehicles are still in use today. A superb achievement for any motor manuf..
Given the success of its long-running Seven, still manufactured by Caterham and much copied by others, perhaps the most surprising thing is not that Lotus had another stab at building a stripped-down, back-to-basics sportscar, but that it took them so long. First shown as a concept car at the 1998 British International Motor Show, the 340R uses the..
Regarded by many as one of the world's most beautiful cars when released in 1994, the DB7 received many subtle but effective changes over its ten year life to complement the elegant body design. Originally designed by Ian Callum to be both beautiful and practical and encompass all the unmistakable DB styling cues, it was initially deemed a little u..
The 1987 Lotus Esprit benefitted from a far reaching restyle by Peter Stevens. Out went many of the sharp lines, to be replaced by a more organic aero look. It worked, too - the Esprit certainly looked like a contemporary product when launched, and still looks timeless today. Originally, the name Kiwi was proposed for the Esprit but, in keeping wit..