Classic Motors News
The lunch that formed a landmark partnership
Way back in 1904 on a May afternoon at the luxurious Midland Railway Hotel in Greater Manchester two gentlemen met for lunch. One of the gentlemen was the aviation pioneer, motoring enthusiast,car salesman and aristocrat The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls; the other an ex Great Northern Railway engineering apprentice and owner of a successful electrical equipment that bore his name was Mr Henry Royce.
Feeling under pressure from larger German firms Royce had decided to branch out into car making. 1904 saw his first vehicle built with a further two more the same year. The third one that was built was bought by one of Mr Royce’s directors who turned out to be a friend of The Hon.Charles Stewart Rolls who had recently opened in Fulham a car dealership (one of the first in Britain) to import Peugeots .
So Mr Royce had a car but no dealer and Mr Rolls was a dealer who needed a car.
Although impressed with the quality of engineering on Mr Royce’s small two cylinder car Mr Rolls realised that it was too expensive to sell in its class so by the end of the lunch the two gentlemen had agreed that Royce would build a larger range of motor cars and Rolls would buy and sell all the vehicles that were built in 1904 and they would be badged Rolls-Royces.
The partnership proved to be a success so they formed a company in March 1906 called Rolls-Royce Ltd and so Rolls Royce was born.
The first ‘real’ Rolls-Royce car was the 6 cylinder 40/50 HP known as the SILVER GHOST. And between the years 1907 -1925, 7870 were produced.
In 1908 the factory premises were moved from Manchester to Derby and remains there to this day although now producing aero engine parts.
1939-1940 prototype Aston Martin Atom for sale by auction for the first time
Landmark 1939-1940 prototype Aston Martin Atom offered for sale by auction for the first time ever
Review of DVLA
A review of DVLA’s functions has been carried out by Mary Reilly a non-executive Director at the Department of Transport and it takes for some interesting reading.
A snippet for you – In 2012/13 the DVLA sold around 250,000 registration marks, collected some £68 million and processed over 750,000 transfer and retention applications.
To view the whole review
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/283795/review-of-dvla.pdf
Aston Martin DBS from The Persuaders up for sale
For those of you that can remember back to the super seventies I am sure you will also remember the TV programme ‘The Persuaders’ which starred Roger Moore and Tony Curtis, an action packed TV show shot in various exotic locations and the most expensive series filmed at that time.
As well as starring two of the best known actors at the time the show also featured two prestige cars an Aston Martin DBS and a bright red Ferrari Dino.
The rare Bahama Yellow painted DBS which was built in 1970 and specially modified for the TV show is going under the hammer on 17th May 2014 at the Bonhams Aston Martin Works Sale in Newport Pagnell.
The car featured in nearly all of the 24 episodes and was registered for the TV show with the number plate BS 1 (the Aston Martin’s real number plate was PPH 6H) . When Roger Moore took the role of James Bond the show came to an end and the Aston Martin DBS was returned to Newport Pagnell for reconditioning.
Over the years the car has had 5 owners and is now being offered on the open market for the first time in its 44 year history.
Update for you the Aston Martin DBS used by Roger Moore in The Persuaders! sold for an astounding £533,500 at Bonhams’ Newport Pagnell sale, the highest price ever paid for a DBS at auction.
Paris orders drivers with even car number plates off the road
Police hand out 4000 fines to enforce a scheme to cut traffic as Paris orders drivers with even numbers off the road for 1 day following five days of smog
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London proposes to ban Classic Cars?
According to recent reports Transport for London (TFL) may introduce an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London in the area that forms the Congestion Charge Zone. This proposal which the TFL are talking about to stakeholders and will consult with them and the general public later this year would be:
To ban older petrol and diesel powered vehicles that don’t or can’t meet the EU proscribed pollution limits. This proposed ban would affect many Classic Car owners and also local businesses such as Wedding Car Hire, Ice Cream Vendors, and Travelling Fun fairs ( who use old classic traditional vehicles and classic lorries). It would also affect the Routemaster buses and many of the popular vintage coaches as well as the second World War DUKW’s that provide the splendid tours of London and the Thames. The list is endless and we need to act now!