Gripping as some period film and TV dramas are, it can be difficult for we vehicle enthusiasts not to be distracted by the chosen modes of transport – ‘oh look, a MKII Ford Zephyr, my dad had one of those’ or ‘that’s wrong, this is supposedly set in WWII but those chrome headlights weren’t fitted until 1946’. As our feature on pages 5-7 shows, there’s an entire industry dedicated to such matters, one you can be a part of.
The accidents you see are faked and generally involve vehicles specially created for the purpose.
| Publication Information |
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| Cover Price: Free |
| Page Count: 20 pages |
| Subject: Aviation, Cars, Maritime, Military, Motorsport, People |
| Format: Digital (pdf) |
| Frequency: Quarterly |
| Publisher: British Motor Heritage |
| Lights. Camera. Classic... |
Download British Motor Heritage’s Spring 2015 Motoring Classics Magazine below!
Motoring Classics Spring 2015
Gripping as some period film and TV dramas are, it can be difficult for we vehicle enthusiasts not to be distracted by the chosen modes of transport – ‘oh look, a MKII Ford Zephyr, my dad had one of those’ or ‘that’s wrong, this is supposedly set in WWII but those chrome headlights weren’t fitted until 1946’. As our feature on pages 5-7 shows, there’s an entire industry dedicated to such matters, one you can be a part of.
The motorcar can be enjoyed in many and varied ways and we engaged the help of a longstanding international Concours D’Elegance judge to better understand this particular brand of automotive amusement. Switching from excellence on land to perfection in the sky, we learn about Martin-Baker, the British technology company that leads the world in the design and manufacture of ejection seats and has saved 7,456 lives to date as a result.
This issue’s Classic Character is best remembered as the voice of ‘Tomorrow’s World’ but kept us spell-bound through 20 Grands Prix, 30 Farnborough Air Shows and countless state occasions too. He also survived 2.5 tours as a WWII Spitfire pilot and was a rally driver of note. His name – Raymond Baxter OBE.
The subject of Missing Moniker is Piper, a company that built striking road cars and a decidedly avant-garde Le Mans challenger (see above) – 2016 is the 50th anniversary of the marque’s foundation.
Do you know the make of your classic’s wipers or mirrors? Like as not it’ll be Tex, a brand we now own and manufacture – find out more on pages 18-19. Read too about BMH dealer Brown & Gammons, which has been ably serving the MG community since 1977. Finally, are you a channel tunnel or ferry person? Whatever, the history of P&O makes pretty fascinating reading.
Enjoy!
Gordon Bruce, Editor
For all the latest news, offers and great tips … Motoring Classics
Dealer Spotlight: Brown & Gammons
Brown & Gammons’ name has been synonymous with MG for as long as most enthusiasts can remember; in fact since 1977 when T-Type racing friends Ron Gammons and Gerry Brown first pooled their expertise for the benefit of the make’s budding community. The company continues to operate from Baldock, Herts where it was founded; nowadays with Ron as Chairman and his son Malcolm as Managing Director.
Motoring Classics in Motorsport
British Motor Heritage MD John Yea previews the season ahead.
Lights, Camera, Classic…
Two things date films and TV programmes more than any other –costumes and cars – and even those uninterested in vehicles can define particular eras by them. Their sourcing is therefore a vital ingredient of programming and long ago spawned an entire industry of its own. Motoring Classics decided to delve behind the scenes – where, we wondered, did the cars, vans, trucks and other vehicles for such popular dramas as Downton Abbey, Foyle’s War, Mr Selfridge, etc. emanate from?
Soaring To Safety
This is the remarkable story of Martin-Baker, a Middlesex-based company that has led the world in the design and manufacture of aircraft ejection seats for over 60 years, during which time it has delivered over 80,000 such items to 92 air forces, saving the lives of 7,456 aircrew, to date.
News From BMH
Managing Director John Yea provides updates on all fronts.
Changes In The Channel: The Story Of P&O By Chris Laming
A small creekside community of pearl fishermen in the Arabian Gulf have transformed their local skyline into the HQ of a global economic powerhouse in the space of just a few decades. This is Dubai, and when their oil reserves started to dwindle they began investing in businesses around the world in order to sustain their future.
Missing Moniker: Piper Cars
According to the Piper Sports & Racing Car Club, some 57 of the 90(ish) Piper road cars produced between 1968 and 1974 still exist, together with a number of the 20 or so racing ones. The marque was established in 1966 at Campbell’s Garage, Hayes, Kent, by proprietor George Henrotte, former Weslake engineer Bob Gaylor, and McLaren M1A designer Tony Hilder. The new car’s name was inspired by the establishment’s logo of a kilted bagpiper.
Classic Character: Raymond Baxter OBE (1922-2006)
Baxter was a pioneering radio and TV broadcaster for over 30 years, prior to which he had completed 2.5 operational tours as a WWII Spitfire pilot. He was also an accomplished competition driver who competed in no less than 12 Monte Carlo Rallies.
Best Of Show
As the name implies, the Concours D’Elegance (lit. a concourse or coming together of elegance) originated on the other side of the Channel. Though a form of competition now inextricably linked with the motorcar, it is understood to have predated the automobile by some two centuries, and been an invention of the Parisian aristocracy, who whiled away their summer weekends parading horse-drawn carriages though the city’s parks.
Classic Reflections From Tex: Courtesy of British Motor Heritage MD, John Yea
Tex was established in the 1940s as Magnatex Ltd, who registered the Tex trademark on October 25, 1944. The company commenced supply of parts to British manufacturers in 1947 and quickly grew to be a major supplier of windscreen wipers and interior mirrors to the recovering British motor industry. It also established a major presence in the design and supply of vehicle wing mirrors, which were a major item for both OEM and dealer fitment all the way through to the mid-1970s.
British Motor Heritage
British Motor Heritage Limited was established in 1975 to support owners and the marketplace by putting genuine components for classic British cars back into manufacture, using original tools wherever possible. Since 2001, when the company was acquired from BMW, it has been successfully run as an independently owned company.
British Motor Heritage is the largest organisation of its type in the world. With access to unparalleled knowledge, authentic production information and original drawings and patterns, the company manufactures previously unobtainable body parts for British classic cars.
It occupies a unique position since it assembles 32 derivatives of body shells and has built total production volume of over 7,000 for the MGB, MGR V8, MG Midget, Austin-Healey Sprite, Triumph TR6, Original Mini and Mini Clubman using original press tools and assembly jigs.
Website: https://www.bmh-ltd.com/
Tex Automotive
Tex Motor Accessories have been manufactured in England for over fifty years, and many of our products are still produced in our factory in Witney on the original tooling.
Since their first appearance on British cars in 1947, Tex products evolved over the years to keep in step with changing car designs. The current range includes wipers and mirrors that were original equipment on a huge range of Austin, Ford, Morris, MG, Triumph, Vauxhall, etc. from 1974 to 1983.
Tex are also major distributors of the Renovo car care product range (specialising in hood refurbishment) and Samco Silicone hose Kits.
Website: https://texautomotive.com/
Motoring Classics is the printed and online publication of British Motor Heritage and its retail trading arm.
Motoring Classics reproduction in whole or any part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
The publisher makes every effort to ensure the magazine’s contents are correct but can accept no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions.
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