Latest news with #BritishCars
Top Gear
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Everything you asked the internet about British cars, answered by Top Gear
Top Gear Advice You put some questions into infinite digital space, and TG came to the rescue. You're very welcome Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Does the Pope still pray? Is The Traitors still entirely nonsensical when you really stop to think about it? Of course! Though the UK automotive industry has declined somewhat in recent years, our proud shores still produce many unique and idiosyncratic cars, including the Beauchamp Trunnion, Nether-Frotting Type G, Digby Wimble Sport and Riversimple Rasa. OK we made the last one up. Why do British cars have the steering wheel on the right? Because it's tricky to drive a car with no steering wheel. Advertisement - Page continues below How very dare you? You're thinking of spineless, timorous German cars, which have been limited to a piffling 250kph since a 'gentlemen's agreement' of the 1970s. British cars, on the other hand, aren't artificially constrained by some overzealous health and safety fat cats, and are free to run to their very limit. Which, in the case of a performance machine like the Vauxhall Combo Life Electric, can be as high as a searing 81mph. Why do British cars lose so much money? Forgetfulness and an overly trusting nature. You might like Yes, but we've not had to use it since that freak heatwave of 1996, when temperatures in some parts of the country rose to a sizzling 19°C. Why do British cars leak oil? To create a fiendish slick on the road behind, upon which the car containing the gaggle of pursuing baddies shall skid, leave the road, plunge over a convenient cliff and burst inexplicably into flames. No, you've been watching too many old Bond films. Advertisement - Page continues below We're assuming this question is mostly asked by Americans? In which case, Americans, it's not that our cars are small, it's that you're a long way away from them. Come a bit closer. Closer. Scooch more... there you go. See? Totally normal size. Can British cars drive in Europe? They can, but frankly why would you bother? What's Europe got that Britain doesn't? Apart from pain au chocolat. And siestas. And proper mountains. And tiramisu. And autobahns. And... hang on, just checking last minute LeShuttle prices, give us a tick... Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A Legendary British Brand Eyes Miata Territory
A Legendary British Brand Eyes Miata Territory originally appeared on Autoblog. If you're unfamiliar with Marcos, you're not alone, but British car fans of a certain age will remember it well. Founded in 1959 by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin (hence the name Mar-Cos), the brand earned a reputation for its quirky engineering and racing pedigree. Its earliest cars featured wooden chassis and unorthodox styling, with the Xylon being nicknamed the "Ugly Duckling." And yet, big names like Jackie Stewart of Formula One and Derek Bell of Le Mans raced them. Later models like the swoopy Marcos GT, which is no stranger to the Jaguar E-Type's silhouette, helped cement its place as a low-volume but charismatic sports car maker, before financial troubles pushed it into a cycle of closures and rebirths. After fading out in 2007, Marcos went silent. Until recently. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Marcos is officially back under new leadership. Businessman Howard Nash acquired all original assets of the brand in 2022, including tooling, molds, production rights, and the still-active Marcos Heritage Spares division. The newly formed Marcos Motor Company is already developing three major projects aimed at reviving the name with authenticity and relevance. The first, dubbed Project #1, is a modern reinterpretation of a classic Marcos model. While details are slim, expect a sleek, rear-drive sports car that honors the brand's past while adopting a contemporary drivetrain and platform. Project #2 is an entirely new creation, unconnected to any legacy model, engineered for both road and track use. A crash-tested rolling chassis is already complete, signaling serious intent. Project #3 focuses on continuation models, built using original body molds and CAD files. This program, alongside the Heritage division, will serve existing owners while keeping the classics alive. Marcos says the goal is to preserve the analog, driver-centric feel that once set it apart, while attracting a younger audience eager for raw, unfiltered performance. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Of course, just like the Delorean and its current predicaments, no revival story would be complete without some off-track drama. Around the same time as Nash's plans were announced, a separate company – Marcos Cars Ltd, headed by Rich Energy CEO William Storey – also claimed to own the rights to the Marcos name. Storey, best known for his disastrous sponsorship of the Haas F1 team in 2019, says his group will launch a lightweight supercar with F1-derived technology this November and has called Nash's efforts "misleading." The Marcos Motor Company quickly refuted this, stating it holds the complete asset lineage and trademarks dating back to 1959. According to board advisor Mark Carbery, Storey's company is not affiliated in any way. So while the real Marcos appears to be taking shape, the road ahead may still involve legal skirmishes. A Legendary British Brand Eyes Miata Territory first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 30, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Sun
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Beloved car brand will RETURN to UK after two decades as it unveils new ‘forward-looking' model
A BRITISH sports car maker is set to make a comeback after not producing any vehicles for over 20 years. The small car manufacturer revealed that they have three new projects underway. Dating back to 1959, Marcos began producing sports cars designed for racing, such as the Xylon before it went into liquidation more than two decades ago. Owner and chairman of Marcos, Howard Nash, said: "Marcos is a much-loved British sports car brand. "It has a wonderful history but also an ethos of simplicity for raw, driver-focused handling. "It's an analogue experience you can't get from large car manufacturers and supercar brands, and one which I think enthusiasts hanker after today.' He added: 'We want to honour that original ethos while being forward-looking too, giving Marcos a new, younger audience, as well as bringing the brand back for those who grew up with it.' F1 champions, including Jackie Stewart, and Derek Bell who has won Le Mans multiple times, have been behind the wheel of these British motors. The new Marcos projects are reported to be under evaluation at the moment. The first one is teased to be a "faithful reimaging of a much-loved Marcos model," according the firm. The second is expected to be a completely new model, that may even be suitable for use on the track and road. It will, however, "honour the brand ethos of light weight, simplicity and seat-of-the-pants handling," the company states. Major sporting event returning to UK for first time in six years as fans vow to buy tickets 'as soon as they come out' The final project hopes to stay true to the cars' history on the road. This comes with the Marcos Car Company's rights to original body moulds in its vehicles, as well as their manufacturing tooling. Further details are likely to be revealed later. The three new projects will be the first cars the manufacturer has produced in more than 20 years 2
Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Trump to cut tariffs on British cars ‘very soon', minister suggests
Donald Trump is set to cut tariffs on British cars within days, the Business Secretary has suggested. Jonathan Reynolds said he is 'very hopeful' that the carve out agreed as part of the UK's new trade deal with the US will be implemented by the end of the week. He said an update was expected 'very soon'. As part of the trade deal announced last month, the UK secured cuts to US tariffs on British cars from 25pc to 10pc for an agreed quota of 100,000 vehicles. Mr Reynolds also said Britain is 'ready to go' on its side of the bargain, which will involve slashing tariffs on US beef and ethanol imports which are used to make biofuels. While he has agreed a carve out for the UK, Mr Trump said on Thursday that he might increase tariffs on car imports more generally in the 'not too distant future'. US auto shares slumped shortly after his remarks, with shares in Ford down 1.6pc and those for General Motors sliding 1.5pc. The UK will be spared completely from levies on steel and aluminium, which rose to 25pc after Mr Trump kicked off his trade war in February. At the time, Sir Keir Starmer hailed the ' historic deal ', claiming it would 'protect thousands of British jobs in key sectors including car manufacturing and steel'. But it has still not been implemented more than a month later, with both Washington and London yet to take the necessary steps to put the plans into action. Speaking at a lunch for Westminster journalists on Thursday, Mr Reynolds said he was 'hopeful' that the first changes would be in place by the end of the week. It comes after the Business Secretary pushed for progress on the deal in talks with his US counterpart, Howard Lutnick, in Downing Street on Tuesday. Asked when British carmakers could expect tariffs to be cut, Mr Reynolds said: 'Very soon.' He added: 'Secretary Lutnik and I, with the Prime Minister, talked specifically about the institution of the automotive tariff reduction for the quota, which is part of our deal. And I am hoping to be able to update you all on that very soon.' Pressed on whether the changes could be in place by the end of the week, and if Sir Keir would raise the issue with Mr Trump at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, he said: 'I'm very hopeful. It was a specific area of conversation on Tuesday in that bilateral meeting. 'We are ready to go on our side. In terms of the steps I need to take, I will inform the House with a written ministerial statement and lay the statutory instruments for the reciprocal part of that deal, which is obviously about beef and ethanol for us on this side. 'So we're ready to go, and as soon as the president and the White House on their side are able to, we will implement that part of the deal.' Mr Reynolds also defended the UK's nuclear submarine deal with the US and Australia after the Pentagon launched a review of the pact. It emerged on Wednesday that the US was considering ending the Aukus agreement, signed to great fanfare in 2021, in a potential blow to a security alliance between the three countries. Asked if he had concerns about the future of the deal, Mr Reynolds said: 'I would have a lot of confidence in anyone looking at the merits of that agreement and saying that is an incredibly strong and important agreement for the future. 'So if US colleagues want to look at it, ok, that's their right to do so. I think it is an incredibly compelling and strong agreement.' Meanwhile, Mr Reynolds revealed that he had been cleared by the solicitors' regulator over claims he lied about his legal career. The watchdog, which protects the public from bogus lawyers, launched an investigation into the Business Secretary earlier this year after it emerged he repeatedly described himself as a solicitor despite never qualifying. Asked for an update on the probe, Mr Reynolds said: 'They came back shortly after that media period to say look, always be careful to be accurate, but there's no misleading here, and there's nothing else to look into.'
Auto Express
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
You could soon be forced to rectify MoT advisories, and here's why
Over one in three MoT test failures in 2024 were found to be caused by faulty tyres, with safety concerns surrounding the decaying state of the rubber on British cars leading to calls for mandatory advisory follow-ups. Last year (2023-24), more than 2.15 million vehicles failed their annual MoT test after they were found to be fitted with heavily degraded tyres. This represents around one-in-five MoT failures and is an increase of roughly 100,000 over the previous year, as well as contributing to a total over a quarter of a million since 2019-20. Such a decline in the condition of the tyres on British cars is also highlighted by the fact that, of the over two million vehicles that failed, 750,000 had previously been flagged with a tyre-related advisory. This suggests that many drivers are ignoring advisories given during MoTs and could be driving around with illegal, or even dangerous tyres. Advertisement - Article continues below With the number of tyre-related MoT failures on the rise and some 1,700 people losing their lives in 2023 after being involved in accidents where tyre defects have been cited as aggravating factors, road safety charity TyreSafe is calling on the government for change. The charity's chairman, Stuart Lovatt, said: 'These figures strongly suggest a widespread lack of attention to a component that is literally the only contact between a vehicle and the road.' TyreSafe, alongside the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), is now asking for what it describes as 'mandatory follow-up action within three months of a tyre advisory – such as driver alerts, prompts or proof-of-replacement requirements'. Of course, asking drivers to replace their tyres more frequently will, of course, come at a cost to the consumer. However, director of fleet risk management firm Verifleet, Richard Stowe, was keen to remind the public that, 'The consequences of inaction can be fatal. It's time we treated tyre safety with the seriousness it deserves.' All of this follows Auto Express' recent investigation into part-worn tyres, which found that shady businesses across the country are selling tyres that are below the legal requirements stated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Consumer editor, Chris Rosamond, wrote to the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, calling for an immediate review of the regulations surrounding the part-worn tyre industry because, with TyreSafe estimates suggesting 94 per cent are being sold illegally, action must be taken to protect road users. Looking to replace your car tyres? Discover the best car tyres to buy now ...
