Auto's - Guide To Antique British Cars

Guide To Antique British Cars

Some of the greatest, most stylish and popular cars of the twentieth century were built by British car manufacturers. Unlike earlier vintage vehicles, which can be seen in heritage museums and automotive history collections, many antique British cars are still in use and a pleasure to drive. These are cars designed for luxury, speed or popularity.

• The Austin A30

After having success in the 1930s with a range of small cars, Austin developed the A30 in 1951. With its 803cc engine, this car was originally known as the baby Austin. By 1953 this popular little car was available either with 2 doors or with 4 doors. Austin also introduced a similar light van, the Countryman, in 1955, and the Austin A30 continued in production up until September 1956.

• Aston Martin DB5
In 1947 David Brown acquired both Aston Martin and Lagonda car companies, and in 1955 he started production of the DB series. The Aston Martin DB5 was launched in 1963 and is best known as the silver sports car driven by James Bond, when the fictional British secret agent was played by Sean Connery. In the movies Goldfinger and Thunderball, James Bond drives the ultimate DB5, fitted out with many additional gadgets and extra devices. Regular FB5 production ceased in 1965, and only a total of 1021 cars were ever made.

• Bentley Silver Cloud
When the Silver Cloud was introduced by Bentley in March 1955, this luxury car was highly acclaimed by the press. Those reports are justified in the amount of prestige still associated with driving a Silver Cloud, and the fact that a chauffeur driven Bentley Silver Cloud is often the first choice of car for a bride and groom at a traditional wedding. More than 2,000 Silver Cloud Bentley cars were built between March 1955 and July 1959. Out of a total 5,460, or an average of 1,260 cars a year, almost half the Bentley "S" cars built were Silver Clouds.

• E-Type Jaguar
It was the predecessor to the E-type Jaguar that inspired the company slogan; Grace, Space and Pace. By 1950 the Jaguar Car Company had made its reputation for producing sports cars of excellence. The E-Type was launched in 1961 and was designed for the road rather than as a racing car. Jaguar is well known for its pioneering development of the disc braking system, and by the time the E-Type was launched, Jaguar had been perfecting this braking system for almost ten years. The speed and performance of an E-Type Jaguar was outstanding for its time.

• MG Midget
In 1961 the original design of the MG Sprite was replaced by a new design for a new sports car known as the Austin-Healey Sprite Mark II. This little car was renamed as MG Midget when a new version was launched, designed to be fast, safe, predictable and fun to drive. Around 230,000 MG Midgets were built, in four marks, until production ceased in 1979.

• Mini Cooper
One of the biggest icons in automotive history, and also one of the smallest cars, has been beloved by owners and drivers since the 1960s. The original Mini was designed to be tiny, but what made it different from other small cars is that at just over 10 feet in length the Mini can comfortably carry four people, that is three passengers plus the driver.

John Cooper developed the first racing version of the Mini in 1961, and the Mini Cooper went on to be hugely successful, not only as a rally car. The Mini Cooper was a three times winner of the Monte Carlo Rally, winning in 1964, 1965 and 1967, and also performed well on other race circuits. Several of these cars appeared in the movie The Italian Job, and the Mini Cooper remains one of the most popular British cars of all time.

• Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
The Silver Shadow was the most successful car ever produced by Rolls-Royce, and it is still one of top prestige cars. The Silver Shadow was produced in various forms between 1965 and 1980, including the Bentley Silver Shadows manufactured by Rolls-Royce. In total, more than 38,000 Silver Shadows were built. These remain popular as luxury cars, and are also used as traditional wedding cars.

The majority of antique British cars on the market have been around since the middle of the twentieth century. These include some classic designs, a few of the fastest sports cars, and the most luxurious prestige cars of all time. The best British cars in automotive history continue to be much sought after by specialist auto collectors, and many antique British cars increase in value when they are lovingly cared for by enthusiasts.