2018-BCD

35 th 

SUNDAY SEPT 16th 2018 $5 

Austin Healey 100-6 

presented by the Toronto Triumph Club www.BritishCarDay.com 

2018 Souvenir Programme 

Special 

Anniversary Cars 

Triumph TR 6 

50 Years 

60 years 

Sponsored by: 

Platinum 

Morgan Plus 8 

50 Years 

Gold 

Presented by: 

Silver 

Published By & Including: 

Bronze 

www.TorontoTriumph.com 

The Magazine Of The Toronto Triumph Club

EXOTIC 

MOTORWORKS 

65 George Street, 

Newmarket, ON, L3Y 4V4. 

Tel: 905-806-7127 

E-mail: 

info@exoticmotorworks.ca 

contents 

BCD8 



British & European Restoration & Service Specialists 

Head Mechanic, Alex 

Plestid, formerly of the 

hit TV series Restoration 

Garage, has over 20 

years of experience with 

all makes and models 

of Classic cars and has 

personally restored more 

than 150 cars to their 

former glory 

Our wealth of mechanical and restoration experience includes 

Triumph, Jaguar, MG, Austin Healey and Rolls Royce and many 

others. When you entrust your special vehicle to Exotic Motorworks, 

you can rest assured that we will treat your car like our very own! 

Our passion for working on these vehicles and making them better 

than new, comes from our love of owning and driving them ourselves. 

We would be pleased to answer any questions you might have. 

Give us a call for directions to the British Barn or to make an 

appointment for a quotation. It will be our pleasure to meet other 

vintage car enthusiasts and we look forward to helping you enjoy 

your passion for years to come! 

www.exoticmotorworks.ca 






BCD Field Map...............BCD4/5 

Welcome to British Car Day .... BCD7 

Anniversary Models 

The TR6 and TR8 .............. BCD8 

Aston Martin DB4, 60 Years ... BCD14 

Austin A40 Farina, 60 Years.... BCD17 

Morgan Plus-8, 50 Years ...... BCD20 

Land Rover Series 1, 70 Years.. BCD25 

Austin America, 50 Years ...... BCD26 

Austin Healey Sprite 60 Years.... BCD29 

Jaguar XK 120, 70 Years......... BCD33 

Jaguar XJ, 50 Years ............ BCD37 

Ausin Healey 100-6, 60 Years .... BCD39 

Special Articles 

Motor Oils................... BCD40 

Lighting Upgrades............ BCD45 



British Car Day Programme • September 16, 2018 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 3

Sponsor Street 

Exotic Motorworks 

Crescent Oil 

visit Oakville 

Autoglym 

Lant Insurance 

Edward Jones 

Hagerty 

Toronto Triumph Club 

Anniversary Cars 

Registration 

Awards Presentation Area 

Vendor Village 

3 Brothers Classic Rover 

ALS Canuck 

Armchair Motorist 

B&G Restoration Inc. 

British Auto Sport 

Best Quality Oils 

British Model Cars 

C.S. Trading 

CAA Insurance 

Chris Hyland 

Classic Automotive Repair 

Comat Motorsports-Miller oils 

Connect Hearing 

D-Day wear Attitude Ideas 

Digital Moments 

European Automotive 

Falun dafa Association 

Gemstones “N” Silver 

Heritage Associates 

Hollywood Loser Apparel 

Ideal Brake Parts 

International Die Cast 

J D Auto 

KDC Ventures 

Leatherique Canada 

Lotus (Peninsula Imports) 

McArthur Minatures 

MacGregor British Cars 

Maurice Bramhall 

Meguiars 

Mini Collectables 

Peninsula Import Auto Parts Ltd 

Robert J.Morris insurance 

Royal Rose Cars 

Rudy’s Auto Inc (Mr. Grean) 

Soccer Elite and Sports 

Transport Books DRB Motors Inc. 

UK 2 Canada Pension Transfer 

Ultimate Transportation Books 

Vintage Auto Insurance 

Vintage Car Connection 

Vintage Sports Cars 

Food Areas 

CRESCENT OIL 

EXIT 

SHOW CARS 

NorthWest Beaver Tails 

Lisa’s Cookhouse 

North East Friends of Bronte Creek Kettle Corn 

West British Baked Goods 

South Olympic Softee Inc. 

South West and East 

Lions Club of Oakville 

VENDOR 

& TRAILER 

PARKING 

WC 

WC 

WC 

VENDOR 

VILLAGE 

FLEA 

MARKET 

NORTHWEST 

FOOD AREA 

FLEA 

MARKET 

Platinum Partner 

Silver Partner 

3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt 

Need directions to your 

financial destination? 

Marc Nutford 

Gold Partners 

Financial Advisor 

. 

2387 Trafalgar Road 

Unit E2 

Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 

905-844-4043 

www.edwardjones.com 

Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund 

WALKWAY 

WALKWAY 

Bronze Partners 

WEST 

FOOD 

AREA 

B 

WALKWAY 

A 

A 

A 

B 

WALKWAY 

SOUTH CHECK POINT 

TREES 

F 

F 

C 

C 

OO 

OO 

WC 

WC 

WC 

PUBLIC ENTRANCE 

ROW 1 

ROW 1 

ROW 21 ROW 21 

G 

G 

IB 

IB 

WALKWAY 

D 

D 

H 

H 

IA 

IA 

M 

M 

PP 

PP 

QQ 

QQ 

ROW 2 

PUBLIC PARKING LOT 

H 

H 

I 

I 

WALKWAY 

M 

M 

ROAD 

RR 

RR 

SOUTHWEST 

FOOD AREA 

ROAD 

ROW 22 ROW 22 

H 

H 

I 

I 

M 

M 

ROW 3 

SS 

SS 

E 

E 

I 

I 

N 



MAPNORTHEAST 

E 

E 

I 

I 

MG CLUB 

TENT 

DJ 

BOOTH 

MOTORCYCLES 

UU 

ROW 33 

ROW 34 

ROW 35 

ROW 36 

WC 

WC 

N N N 

TT 

TT 

NN 

NN 

MM 

XX 

LL 

LL 

NN 

N 

XX 

ROW 4 

WW 

WW 

J 

J 

K 

K 

N 

WW 

ROW 32 

WC 

WC 

J 

J 

K 

K 

FF 

FF 

L 

L 

WW 

ROW 5 

ROW 5 

ROW 31 

WW 

LL 

LL 

R 

R 

O 

O 

P 

P 

SPONSOR STREET 

TTC 

TENT 

R 

R 

Q 

Q 

WW 

XX 

WW 

XX 

NN 

NN 

WW 

NN 

TTC TENT 

LOST & FOUND 

? 

TREES 

REGISTRATION 

COFFEE 

AWARDS 

PRESENTATION 

S S S 

S S S 

V W Z 

V 

Q 

Q 

WASHROOMS 

W 

ROW 7 

WC 

U 

U 

T 

T 

Z 

FOOD AREA 

ROW 8 

X 

X 

Z 

Z Z Z 

AA 

AA 

ROAD 

VV 

BUSES/COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 

ROW 9 ROW 9 ROW 9 

SHOW CAR 

ENTRANCE/EXIT 

FAST LANE FAST LANE FAST LANE FAST LANE 

CC 

CC 

BB 

BB 

Y 

Y 

TREES 

VIP & PRESS 

PARKING 

DDB 

DDB 

DDA 

DDA 

DD 

DD 

OVER FLOW AREA 

ROW 10 ROW 10 

ROW 10 

PICNIC 

Area 

PATHWAY 

DDB 

DDB 

GG 

GG 

EEA 

EEA 

EE 

EE 

HH 

HH 

II 

II 

ROW 11 ROW 11 

EAST 

FOOD AREA 

Some of the Badges you will see at the show. 

JJ 

JJ 

KK 

KK 

YY 

YY 

TREES 

TREES 

PATHWAY 

N 

WASHROOMS 

Show Vehicle Locations 

Make Model/Years Class 

AC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CC 

Ace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CC 

Aston Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BB 

Austin. ...... Sedans, pre-1960 . . . . . . . . . . . .WW 

Austin. ....... Sedans, 1960 on ............ XX 

Austin Healey Roadster - 100, 3000 Mk. 1 ....... D 

Austin Healey Wind-up window - 3000 etc.. ......C 

Austin Healey ..... Sprite. .................. F 

Austin Princess ... Coaches. ................ JJ 

Bentley .......... Coaches. ................ JJ 

Buses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VV 

Caterham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EE 

Cobra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CC 

Commercial Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VV 

Daimler .......... SP250. ................ HH 

Daimler ......... Coaches. ................ JJ 

DeLorean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YY 

Ford ........ Sedans, pre-1960 . . . . . . . . . . . .WW 

Ford ......... Sedans, 1960 on ............ XX 

Jaguar . Large Saloons 1995 Onwards ........ LL 

Jaguar Large Saloons pre-1968 & 1968 to1995 . MM 

Jaguar ....... XK8, XK, F-Type. ............ NN 

Jaguar ............ XJS. ................. OO 

Jaguar Sports Pre-61 & Sports Saloons Pre-68. ..PP 

Jaguar . Sports Saloons 1999 onwards. ...... QQ 

Jaguar ... E-Type Series I, 1961-1968 ........ RR 

Jaguar ...E-Type Series II, 1968-1971 ........ SS 

Jaguar .. E-Type Series III, 1971-1975 .........TT 

Jensen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y 

Lanchester ....... Coaches. ................ JJ 

Land/Range Rover. 1975 on ................. A 

Land/Range Rover Up to 1974 .................B 

London Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VV 

Lotus ............ Seven. .................EE 

Lotus ... Elan, Elan Plus 2, up to 1974 ....... DD 

Lotus ...... Elan, 1975 and later .......... DDA 

Lotus ........ Elite up to 1974 ............. DD 

Lotus ...... Elite, 1975 and later .......... DDA 

Lotus ............Europa ................ DD 

Lotus ............Cortina ................ DD 

Lotus ............ Esprit ................ DDA 

Lotus .............Eclat ................ DDA 

Lotus ............. Elise ................ DDB 

Lotus ............ Exige ................ DDB 

Lotus ............ Evora ................ DDB 

Lotus ........... Replicas ............... EEA 

Marcos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HH 

Mayflower ....... Coaches. ................ JJ 

McLaren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CC 

MG .............. Midget ................. G 

MG ............. T Series .................. J 

MGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K 

MGB-GT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 

MGC .......... GT/Roadster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IA 

MGF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IB 

MGB ....... Roadster 1962 - 1974. ........... H 

MGB ....... Roadster 1975 - 1981. ............E 

MG ............. Saloons ................. FF 

MG V8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IB 

Mini ....Sliding Window (1959 - 1970) ......... L 

Mini ...Wind-up Window (1970 - 2000) ....... N 

Mini Rover .... (1988 to 2000) .............. N 

Mini .......BMW (2001 0nwards) ........... M 

Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II 

Morris. ...... Sedans, pre-1960 . . . . . . . . . . . .WW 

Morris. ....... Sedans, 1960 on ............ XX 

Motorcycles ......All British ............... UU 

Other Coaches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JJ 

Other Sports Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CC 

Production Sedans Sedans, pre-1960. ........ WW 

Production Sedans Sedans, 1960 on .......... XX 

Range Rover ..... 1975 on ................. A 

Range Rover .... Up to 1974 .................B 

Reliant ......... Sports Cars .............. HH 

Rolls Royce ..... All models. .............. KK 

Rootes Sedans . All Models, pre-1960. ....... WW 

Rootes Sedans . All Models, 1960 on ......... XX 

Rover ....... Sedans, pre-1960 . . . . . . . . . . . .WW 

Rover ........ Sedans, 1960 on ............ XX 

Sunbeam ......... Alpine. ................ GG 

Sunbeam ..........Tiger ................. GG 

Sunbeam ......... Talbot. ................ GG 

Triumph ........... GT6. ...................V 

Triumph .....Spitfire 1961 - 1973 ............ W 

Triumph ....Spitfire 1974 onwards ............Z 

Triumph ........... Stag .................. X 

Triumph .... TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR3B ........... O 

Triumph ....TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR250 . . . . . . . . . . . . Q 

Triumph ...... TR6, 1969 - 1973 ..............R 

Triumph ...... TR6, 1974 - 1976. ..............S 

Triumph ........... TR7. ...................T 

Triumph ........... TR8. .................. U 

Triumph Other - Roadster, Herald, 2000, Vitesse. ..P 

Buses/Trucks/Taxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VV 

TVR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AA 

MM 

TREES

Welcome to the 35th annual British Car 

Day® and the Souvenir Programme issue 

of the Toronto Triumph Club’s awardwinning 

magazine, Ragtop. 

This year we are celebrating eight 

anniversary cars on the show field, 

ranging from the 1948 introduction of the 

Series I Land Rover through to the 1978 

introduction of the Triumph TR8 roadster. 

As well as highlighting these featured 

British car models, we have also reviewed 

a number of other British marques and 

models with a significant anniversary this 

year, examples of which (most but not 

all) can be found on the show field today. 

This year also marks the 80th anniversary 

of the establishment of Sunbeam-Talbot 

(1938) under the Rootes Group brand, 

although the company had traded 

independently from 1902 under the name 

of Clément-Talbot Limited; and the 70th 

Welcome to British Car Day 

Important Information, Times & Events 

7:00 am Gates open for Sponsors and Vendors. 

8:00 am Gates open for Show Cars and Flea Market vehicles. 

9:00 am Vendor Area / Flea Market opens, Park Gates open for spectators. 

10:00 am Things to do: 

• Please take the time to visit Sponsor Street and see what our terrific sponsors have on 

display. Sponsors for this year include Exotic Motorworks, Crescent Oil, visit Oakville, 

Hagerty, Lant, Autoglym and Edward Jones. 

• Check out our anniversary cars: Land Rover S1 (70 years), Austin A40 Farina, Austin 

Healeys 100-6 & Sprite (60 years), Triumph TR6, Morgan Plus 8 and Jaguar XJ6 / 

Sovereign (all 50 years). 

• Drop by The Friends of Bronte Creek for a coffee. 

• Elsewhere on the field Oakville Lions will be selling burgers, hot dogs & pop to help 

fund their many charitable endeavours. 

• Other food vendors are spread around the field too so you won’t go hungry! 

• Visit the Toronto Triumph Club tent to buy a T-shirt, BCD Programme or poster. 

Annual memberships are $40 p.a. 

• Don’t forget to visit Vendor Village where you can shop for your LBC and much more. 

• Check out all those wonderful cars and chat with the owners. 

• Enjoy the sounds of Brit music brought to you by Jan’s DJ. 

1:00 pm Voting closes for Participants’ Choice awards. 

• Please submit your completed ballot no later than 1 p.m. 

2:00 pm Awards and Charity Presentations 

• Charlie Conquergood Award presented by Sandy McCrea. 

• Awards presentation for Participants’ Choice judging. You must be present to collect 

an award. 

• Best of Show Judges’ Award presentation. 

3:00 pm Closing comments. 

SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR 

Sunday, September 15th, 2019 

anniversary of Land Rover and Bond Cars 

(1948), with Land Rover being the only 

surviving manufacturer today. 

British Car Day usually presents a truly 

A to Z of former and current British car 

models and marques, some from the glory 

days prior to the Second World War while 

most of the classics you will see today 

were manufactured during the 1950s, 60s 

and 70s which spanned the recovery years 

after the War through to the near demise 

of the British car industry during the 

1980s, while the more recent models, from 

Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus, Morgan, MINI, 

Rolls Royce, Bentley and McLaren, are fine 

representatives of the modern revival of 

the British motor industry. 

Bringing British Car Day to Bronte each 

year takes many hundreds of volunteer 

hours from the members and immediate 

family of the Toronto Triumph Club, as well 

as others from some of the participating 

British car clubs and from outside friends and 

supporters, as well as by the staff of Parks 

Ontario. We also gratefully acknowledge the 

financial support of our sponsors and the 

participation of our vendors. 

The Toronto Triumph Club Executive 

and the Organising Committee hope you 

enjoy this year’s British Car Day. If you 

aren’t presently an owner of a classic or 

current British vehicle, we hope that the 

cars, trucks and motorcycles you see on 

display today will inspire you to become 

involved in this great hobby. 

Have a great day and thank you for 

participating at Bronte! 

Terence McKillen 

Editor Ragtop Magazine 

Editor@TorontoTriumph.com 

Dave Sims 

BCD Chairman 

President@TorontoTriumph.com 

British Car Day Committee 

Chairman/Park Liason: Dave Sims 

Volunteer Co-ordinator: 

Sponsorships: 

Advertising Sales: 

Vendors: 

Event Promotion: 

Financials: 

Field Layout: 

Computer Services: 

Programme Editor: 

British Car Day Programme 

Editor: 

Assistant Editor: 

Sub Editor: 

Art Director: 

Advertising Sales: 

Ron Etty 

Frank Manning 

Dave Sims 

Frank Manning 

Warren Beech 

Al Benvenuti 

Clive Huizinga 

Johan Aaltink 

Keith Stewart 



Sean Doherty 

Alison Postma 

Michael Cleland 

Frank Manning 

“British Car Day ® ” is the registered trademark of the Toronto Triumph 

Club Inc. This programme and its contents may not be reproduced or 

distributed by any means without permission of the TTC. Most articles 

and photography contained herein have been supplied by various 

car clubs and are credited as such, where appropriate. This material 

remains their property and reproduction is expressly forbidden, except 

by permission from them and the TTC. 

Printed by Printwell Offset, Brampton, Ontario. 

Copyright © 2017 by the TTC. 


Triumph 

TR6 & TR8 

We take a look at the best-selling and last of the traditional Triumph Roadsters celebrating 50 years 

and its later iteration, the final Triumph convertible –celebrating 40 years in 2018 

by Terence McKillen • Photographs by Dave Sims & Terence McKillen 

Introduced a decade apart, the TR6 

was the last of the line of body-on-frame 

Triumph Roadsters, a series of models 

that began with the TR2 back in 1953 and 

reached its final evolution with the 150 

bhp fuel injected, in-line, six cylinder TR6 

(UK and rest of world markets only). The 

TR8, like its smaller engined sibling, the 

TR7, were of unibody construction and, 

like the TR6, were designed specifically for 

the North American market. If Triumph’s 

standard model naming protocol had 

been followed, the TR8 should have been 

named the TR7A or TR7B but with the 

availability of the Rover (ex-Buick) small 

block V8 engine (3.5 L), the designation 

TR8 was too good to pass up. Both cars 

were acknowledged, in their day, with 

acclamation. The TR6 was dubbed the ‘last 

of the hairy-chested British sports cars’ 

and has been a firm favourite for 50 years 

while in 1980, Car & Driver commented 

that the TR8 represented, “nothing less 

than the reinvention of the sports car.” 

The TR6 

The Triumph TR6 ranks as one of the 

most popular British sports cars ever 

made. Introduced in 1968, it was 

basically a re-skinned TR5, complete 

with fuel-injected (not North American 

markets), six-cylinder engine mounted 

to an IRS chassis. Long-time Triumph 

designer, Giovanni Michelotti, was 

unavailable at the time so German firm 

Wilhelm Karmann GmbH was retained, 

producing a sharp redesign but cleverly 

utilising the same body tub. Many saw 

the ‘Six’ as the last of a breed of macho 

British sports cars, and as such was a 

fitting replacement for the likes of the 

Austin Healey 3000, which had ceased 

production in 1968, just before the 

TR6’s release. 

In period, more TR6s were 

produced than any TR model 

before it. The last fuel-injected TR6 

was made in February 1975, while 

production of the ‘Federal’ car continued 

on in carburetted format and with everincreasing 

emissions strangulation until 

July 1976, although in fairness Triumph 

managed to hold on to an output of 104- 

106 bhp throughout. When it was finally 

replaced by the TR7, 94,619 examples 

of the Six had rolled off the Canley 

production line. A contemporary road test 

noted “the protesting creaks and groans 

from a chassis which still does not feel 

completely rigid on really rough roads.” 

Although the Karman designed 

body was different from the preceding 

TR5 and 4 models, it cleverly was not 

as different as first appearances might 

suggest. The TR6 essentially received new 

front and rear sections while the centre 

section remained as the old TR4/5/250. 

The German studio redesigned the TR6 

to utilise many of the existing body 

pressings. The external boot and bonnet 

shapes were changed significantly 

resulting in more luggage space, however, 

the existing scuttle, doors and inner 

panels were retained. 

The front and back had a more 

squared-off look with a matte-black rear 

valance 

and with 

the headlights 

moved out to the wing edges, 

resulting in a more aggressive appearance 

and finally shedding the rounded design 

of the earlier TRs. Triumph retained the 

2.5 litre in-line six-cylinder engine and 

added a front anti-roll bar and wider (5½ 

J) wheels, the latter giving the car a lower, 

leaner look. The contemporary advertising 

by Triumph claimed that the “TR6 beats 

any previous TR for road holding, and 

that’s really saying something.” 

In the cockpit, the facia 

and trim followed that of the 

TR250 except the ammeter 

became a voltmeter and the 

instruments changed from 

the needle hanging down 

to being upright and bezels 

went back to being chromed. 

The ignition key migrated 

from a central position on 

the facia to the lower side 

of the steering column as 

a steering lock was added. 

Seating 

was improved 

with contoured and 

adjustable bucket seats 

with headrests provided 

in the Federal specification 

models. For some reason, the fuel tank 

got smaller, with only a 43 litre capacity 

compared to the 53 litres of the TR4A. 

The UK CP series (with PI), produced 

from 1969 to 1972, had a nominal 150 bhp 

output at 5500 rpm. The corresponding 

North American models, the CC series 

(twin carb) had a nominal output of 106 

bhp at 4900 rpm. The 1973 to 1976 UK 

BCD 8 www.BritishCarDay.com September 16, 2018 • British Car Day Programme 

Ragtop I Summer I 2013 www.TorontoTriumph.com 9

TRF Wishes You a Great Day 

We are hoping you have great weather and a good turnout for British Car Day. 

As Jack McGahey has said, “We come together for the cars, but we stay for the 

people.” This is something that does not change for us at The Roadster Factory 

with regard to national politics. Our relationship with Toronto Triumph Club goes 

back a long way, and we hope it will last forever. 

Parts Catalogues 

Most of The Roadster Factory’s parts 

catalogues are found on our web site, but 

we are in process of publishing a new “TRF 

Shopping Guide.” It is also found on the 

web site, but we will send paper copies to 

the club when it comes out in September. 

Email Newsletters 

Our Philosophy 

TRF arranges to manufacture as 

many parts as possible, actually a 

large number for a small company. 

It is our goal to make parts that look 

like original Triumph parts and 

function as well as they did or even 

better in some cases. Concours 

enthusiasts like our parts because 

they look right. Hard drivers like 

them because they are always the 

best we can offer. We never sell a 

part to a customer that we would 

not use on our own cars. 

TRF transmits two newsletters every week. They offer short and long term 

sales and sometimes special shipping. They also promote our hobby generally and 

provide various insights and historical perspectives. If you don’t currently receive 

the newsletters, please subscribe on our home page. You can easily unsubscribe 

later if you wish... 

“Thanks to Canada for Continuing to Stand up for 

Human Rights Worldwide” 

The Roadster Factory, 328 Killen Road, Armagh, PA 15920, U.S.A. 

Telephone 800-234-1104 • Fax 814-446-6729 

www.the-roadster-factory.com or at www.trfweb.us 

models (with PI) had the power output 

reduced to 125 bhp at 5000 rpm to meet 

European emissions regulations while the 

corresponding Federal cars produced 104 

bhp at 4500 rpm. To Triumph’s credit, they 

attempted to keep the Federal model’s 

power output consistent throughout 

which they almost achieved despite some 

extra weight gain, more complex bumpers 

and door inserts and yards of rubber 

tubing being added along the way. 

Contemporary road test numbers for 

the UK TR6 indicated a zero to 60 mph (97 

km/h) time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed 

of 119 mph (190 km/h), while the federal 

cars achieved 0-60 mph in 10.7 seconds 

and a top speed of 110 mph (177 km/h). 

Some of the progressive changes 

made to the TR6 included the change in 

1970 of the windscreen frame from body 

colour to black, and a change in cooling 

hoses from ‘bumble bee’ black-yellow 

to green colour as well as the air intake 

flap on the cowl being replaced with a 

plastic grill. In 1972, the compression 

ratio was dropped from 8.5:1 to 7.75:1, in 

the UK cars and in 1973, the Union Jack 

decal replaced the TR6 logo on the rear 

wing of the Federal models. In 1974, new 

interior trim included centre door pulls 

while in 1975 rubber bumper overiders 

were introduced to the Federal models 

and the front bumper was raised with 

the front indicator lamps moved under 

the bumper and an air injection system 

introduced. 

The TR6 featured a four-speed allsynchromesh 

manual transmission 

with optional overdrive initially using a 

Laycock-de-Normanville A-type which was 

replaced by the J-type unit for 1973. The 

TR6 also continued with the semi-trailing 

arm independent rear suspension, rack 

and pinion steering, 15-inch wheels, pile 

carpet in both cockpit and trunk which 

was now fitted with a courtesy light. 

Braking was accomplished by servoassisted 

disc brakes at the front and drum 

brakes at the rear. 

In addition to overdrive, options 

included a steel hardtop, vinyl tonneau 

cover, AM or AM/FM push-button radio, 

wire wheels, cigarette lighter, luggage 

rack, driving/fog lamps, rubber floor mats, 

walnut gear shift knob, Koni adjustable 

shocks, striping kit, and in the U.S., air 

conditioning. Michelin 185 SR-15s or 

Goodyear G800s were the standard tyres 

of the day but most owners now run on 

205/70R15 radial tyres. 

The TR8 

The TR7/8 combination was one of the few 

Triumphs that didn’t evolve directly from 

an earlier model and shared no DNA with 

any of the earlier roadsters. The wedgeshaped, 

unibody design was a completely 

new departure for a Triumph roadster 

and, like the larger Triumph Stag, was 

specifically focused on North American 

sales. Contemporary Triumph advertising 

promoted the TR8 in North America as 

the “English Corvette”. The monocoque 

body provided welcome rigidity that was 

missing in all of the predecessor Triumph 

roadster models. 

Plans for a V8-engined car were on the 

design table from the very beginning of 

the TR7 project but labour unrest, engine 

availability and other factors delayed its 

introduction until 1978. Final styling of 

the ‘Wegetarians’ was completed in 1971 

under Harris Mann, a stylist working out 

of the Austin-Morris design studio rather 

than the Triumph division. The front 

independent suspension used coil spring 

and damper struts and lower single link 

at the front, and at the rear was a fourlink 

system, again with coil springs. The 

suspension was adapted from the Rover 


"Keep‘em On The Road"® 

3500. Front and rear anti-roll bars were 

fitted and the car was provided with front 

disc brakes and drums at the rear. 

The Rover V8 engine began 

life as the Buick 215, an 

all-aluminium engine 

introduced in 1960. 

The compact engine was 

light, at just 144 kg (318 lb), and 

capable of high power outputs. Rover 

purchased the rights to the engine in 

1964 and following further in-house 

development, introduced the 3,528 cc 

engine for the Rover 3500 (P6), the Rover 

SD1 and various Land/Range Rover 

models. Shifting the Triumph-built five 

speed transmission is easy, once warmed 

up. When cold, the box has a somewhat 

difficult 1-2 shift. Careful lubricant 

selection has alleviated this, as the factory 

specified too heavy an oil for the built in 

pump to circulate. The 3.08:1 differential 

ratio makes highway cruising comfortable. 

In 1980, two Stromberg carburettors 

were standard but Bosch fuel injection 

was later required for the California 

market. By 1981, all TR8 cars being 

delivered to the U.S. market had a 

Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection system 

with a specially designed Lucas fuel 

injection computer. Instrumentation is 

comprehensive and can be seen clearly 

through the top part of the small padded 

steering wheel. Switches and controls are 

easy to locate and use. 

The TR8 came well equipped with 

extras and options. Power steering was 

standard. The heating/cooling system 

was outstanding in comparison to most 

British cars of its day, being able to keep 

the car comfortable in both summer and 

winter conditions. 

The TR7/TR8 model production had 

a very chequered production history. 

There were three factories involved in the 

production run from 1975 to 1981, initially 

at Speke, then Canley and finally at the 

Rover plant in Solihull. On occasion, cars 

were being assembled in two factories at 

the same time, resulting in better quality 

build control at one over the other. It is 

reported that cars assembled at Speke 

suffered from significantly more problems 

than cars produced at Canley or Solihull. 

Our TR8 was provided by Brad 

Reynolds of the Toronto Triumph Club. 

Brad’s car is a 1981 example in metallic 

green over tan with five-speed manual 

transmission. Goodyear G800s were the 

factory supplied tires, on 13 x 5.5 inch 

vented cast alloy rims but most owners 

now run on 185/70R13 radial tyres. 

The car feels very solid especially 

compared to the TR6 and earlier 

roadster models because of the unibody 

construction. Brad’s engine bay and 

bodywork are in good shape, having 

been repainted in 2010. The instruments 

on the dash panel are easy to read but 

gone are the wooden panels fitted on 

Triumph’s earlier roadsters. The unibody 

construction and the shortest wheelbase 

of any TR roadster, provides the TR8 with 

great agility. The Rover V8 emits a great 

sound under acceleration and has good 

low-end torque and the car is a joy to 

power around corners. Everything seems 

to come together providing for a great 

deal of fun. 

The original fuel injection has been 

swapped out of Brad’s car in favour of a 

4-barrel Holley carburettor with a very 

neat Edelbrock pancake air canister. Brad’s 

car is pretty much stock excepting the 

Holley carburettor, and he has added an 

Offenhauser 4-barrel, dual port intake 

manifold and Bilstein adjustable struts. 

The power output varies depending 

upon the source of the data but it seems 

that the TR8 in standard Federal trim 

developed around 137 bhp at 5,000 rpm, 

sufficient to achieve a top speed of 120 

mph (190km/h) and acceleration from 

0-60 mph (100km/h) of about 9 seconds 

which is comparable to the V8 Triumph 

Stag and significantly better than a 

normally aspirated Federal TR6. At 60 mph 

(100km/h) in fourth gear the tachometer 

is reading 2,700 rpm and in fifth it drops to 

2,300 rpm for very comfortable highway 

cruising. Fuel consumption is a relatively 

thirsty 21-22 mpg. 

TR8 Coupé 

It is a not a particularly well known fact 

that the Triumph factory produced 145 

pre-production LHD TR8 coupés for 

evaluation in the United States, powered 

by the Rover V8 engine, prior to making 

the commitment to go ahead with the TR8 

convertible. The cars were well received 

by U.S. dealers and Triumph subsequently 

decided to put the TR8 into production. 

A further number of production coupés 

(somewhere around 100 to 120 units) 

were shipped to the U.S. in 1979 and 1980, 

immediately prior to the introduction of 

the TR8 convertible. Currently, these TR8 

coupés are as rare as hen’s teeth. 

Conclusion 

Both these cars are brilliant classic models 

and a reflection of the great design and 

engineering thought that was emanating 

from Triumph in late 1960 into the 1970s 

despite the deteriorating business world 

in which the development and production 

teams were operating. Both cars deserved 

to succeed in their targeted market 

segments, and the TR6 certainly did, but 

what a great pity the “reinvention of the 

sports car” hit the proverbial brick wall 

before it could reach a wider market. Only 

an estimated 2,750 TR8s were built over the 

three year production run. BCD 

Parts and Accessories for 

TR2, TR3, TR4, TR4A, TR250, TR6, TR7, TR8, GT6, Spitfire 

VictoriaBritish.com (800) 255-0088 

©2016 Long Motor Corp. 

BCD 12 www.BritishCarDay.com September 16, 2018 • British Car Day Programme

Aston Martin 

DB4 

-60 Years 

Auto 

Hibernation 

The DB4 was the fourth grand 

tourer produced by Aston Martin, 

under the ownership of David Brown, 

from 1958 until 1963. Technically, it 

was a development of the DB Mark III it 

replaced, but with a completely new body. 

The DB4’s design formed the basis for later 

Aston Martin classics, such as the DB4 GT 

Zagato and the Lagonda Rapide 4-door 

saloon. It was eventually replaced by the 

Aston Martin DB5. 

Brown had made his fortune in farm 

tractors and transmissions and proceeded 

to build a well-known line of Aston Martin 

sports cars, starting with the Aston DB1 

(1948-50). However, the DB1 was just a 

low-volume interim car, and Brown began 

producing really serious sports cars with 

the faster, sleeker DB2 model (1950-53). It 

was a race winner trimmed like a Rolls- 

Royce, as were subsequent Astons. Aston 

Martins were expensive cars built mainly 

for gentlemen, although a young rock star 

called Mick Jagger owned one in the 1960s. 

It was the subsequent model, a 

1964-65 Aston Martin DB5 driven by 

James Bond in the first Bond movies, 

that introduced the Aston Martin brand 

to most North Americans. Aston Martin’s 

history actually dates back to 1917, but 

auto racing enthusiast Brown bought 

the financially troubled Aston Martin 

company to have, as he lightheartedly 

put it, “a lot o’ fun.” The first prototype 

Aston Martin was partly developed by 

Lionel Martin, and the Aston part of the 

company’s name was derived from Aston 

Clinton, Buckinghamshire, which used to 

host a hillclimb event (now known as the 

Chiltern Hills Vintage Vehicle Rally). 

About 1,204 DB4s were produced 

over its five-year production run. The 

lightweight superleggera (tube-frame) 

body was designed by Frederico Formenti 

of Carrozzeria Touring in Milan, and it 

caused quite a sensation at the 1958 

London Motor Show. Although the design 

and construction techniques were Italian, 

the DB4 was the first Aston to be built at 

the company’s Newport Pagnell works in 

Buckinghamshire. Every major part of the 

DB4 was new, with a new frame designed 

in six weeks which went on to be used 

through the 1960s and 1970s. 

The 3.7 litre engine was designed by 

Tadek Marek, a Polish engineer, who had 

studied at Berlin’s Technische Universität 

before joining Fiat in Poland and also for 

General Motors. He moved to England 

in 1940 to join the Polish Army in exile 

and in 1949 joined the Austin Motor 

Company, eventually joining Aston 

Martin in 1954. There he designed three 

engines – developing an alloy straight 

six-cylinder for the Aston Martin DBR2 

racing car (1956), later refined for the DB4; 

redesigning the company’s venerable 

straight six-cylinder Lagonda (1957); and 

developing the Aston Martin V8 (1968). 

The DB4’s engine was prone to 

overheating initially, but the 240 hp 

produced by the twin-SU carburetor 

version made buyers forgive this 

unfortunate trait. Servo-assisted disc 

brakes were fitted all-round. The 

independent front suspension used 

ball-jointed wishbones, coil springs and 

rack-and-pinion steering. The live rear axle 

also used coil springs and was located by 

a Watt’s linkage. 

A car tested by The Motor magazine in 

1960 had a top speed of 139.3 mph (224.2 

km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 

mph (97 km/h) in 9.3 seconds. The test car 

cost £3,967 including taxes. The DB4 could 

do 0-100 mph and stop in 27 seconds - 

sensational for the late 1950s and early 

1960s. No American car, regardless of 

power rating, could match that feat, which 

Aston proudly advertised. 

There were five “series” of DB4. The 

most visible changes were the addition 

of window frames in Series II and the 

adoption of a barred grille in Series IV. 

The Series III cars differed from the earlier 

ones in having taillights consisting of 

three small lamps mounted on a chrome 

backing plate. Earlier cars have singlepiece 

units and the last Series V cars of 

September 1962 have similar taillights 

but recessed. The Series V also has a taller 

and longer body to provide more interior 

space, though the diameter of the wheels 

was reduced to keep the overall height 

the same. The front of the Series V usually 

was more aerodynamic as already used 

on the Vantage and GT models, a style 

that was later carried over to the DB5 

cars. A convertible was introduced in 

October 1961. BCD 

By 

Parkfield Motor Cars Ltd. est. 1974 

Fully Insured, Free Standing 22,000 sq. ft. 

Building with No Columns or Posts 

• CCTV-Monitored 24/7 Security at Discreet Location 

• Spotless, Vermin and Climate Controlled 

• Seasonal Complimentary Chauffeured 

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Contact Chris Sas at 416-720-4133 or 905-833-4336 

email: chris@saspark.com 

www.autohibernation.ca 

BCD 14 www.BritishCarDay.com September 16, 2018 • British Car Day Programme

Austin 

A40 Farina 

-60 Years 

by John McLaine 

The Austin A40 Farina was a midsized 

family car introduced by Austin in 

saloon format at the 1958 London Motor 

Show and in the Countryman (estate) 

version the following year. Although 

usually referred to as the A40 Farina, 

to distinguish it from previous models 

bearing the A40 name, it was badged 

simply as the Austin A40. It was also 

produced in and for other markets, mainly 

exports to Commonwealth countries 

in CKD format but also built in Italy by 

Innocenti, who contemporaneously and 

subsequently built Minis and Allegros 

under licence. The A40 was introduced at 

a time of growing prosperity in the UK, 

when families were acquiring a car for the 

first time or acquiring a second family car 

for mom and the older teenagers to share. 

Although it is often overlooked in the 

history of BMC, the Austin A40 was an 

important model. It marked a transition 

or turning point in the evolution and 

direction of BMC’s automotive designs. It 

was the first post-WWII Austin to be styled 

without input from Ricardo ‘Dick’ Burzi, 

the Argentinian designer who had moved 

over to Austin’s design team from Lancia 

in 1929. More importantly, it presaged the 

fashion in Britain for employing Italian 

design houses to style regular family 

cars rather than just exotic models; in 

the case of the A40, Battista Farina of the 

Pininfarina Studio was employed while 

Triumph engaged Giovanni Michelotti 

for the contemporary Herald models. 

It also was the last rear-wheel drive 

small car introduced by BMC before the 

introduction of the front-wheel drive 

Austin 

and 

Morris Minis a 

year later, in 1959. 

Initially 

conceived to 

replace the ageing 

A35, the A40 

emerged as a cleanstyled 

two-door, two-box design. Under 

the bodywork, the same A-series engine 

that powered the A35 and the Morris 

Minor was used, and the running gear 

was absolutely conventional, despite 

the innovative styling. It used the A35’s 

underpinnings, including the dubious 

hydro-mechanical brakes. 

The Countryman hatchback appeared 

a year later in October 1959, and differed 

from the saloon in that the rear window 

was now a horizontally-split tailgate 

having a top-hinged upper door and 

bottom-hinged lower door – actually a 

small estate car. Individual seats were 

fitted in the front, with a bench at the 

rear that could fold down to increase 

luggage capacity. Options included a 

heater, radio, and windscreen washers. 

The gearshift was floor-mounted and 

the handbrake positioned between 

the seats. The door windows were not 

opened by conventional winders, but 

pulled up and down using finger grips. 

The Countryman design presaged the 

advent of hatchbacks that would become 

dominant in the industry 15 or more years 

later. In Italy, Innocenti went a step further 

and added a single-piece tailgate, calling 

it the Combinata. (I have fond memories of 

setting off on camping and canoeing trips 

with friends in a new 1962 A40 Countryman. 

The car was quite capable of hauling all 

the necessary paraphernalia for a weekend 

under canvas together with a couple of 

kayaks strapped to a roof rack – Ed.) 

An A40 Farina Mark II was introduced 

in 1961. It had a 3.5 in. longer wheelbase 

which served to increase the passenger 

area in the back and the front grille and 

dashboard were redesigned. The Mark 

II had more power (37 hp) and an SU 

replaced the previous Zenith carburettor 

but was otherwise similar mechanically. 

An anti-roll bar was fitted at the front. 

The 948cc engine was replaced in the 

late 1962 by a larger 1,098cc version with 

an output of 48 bhp. The A40 shared 

this engine with the Morris Minor. An 

improved gearbox was fitted to the A40 

at the same time although still sans 

synchromesh on first gear. 

Further changes were minimal. However, 

in 1964 a new fascia with imitation wood 

veneer covering was fitted. This version of 

the model remained in production until 


Creative Commons 

1967. The brakes 

also became fully 

hydraulic, replacing 

the semi cableoperated 

rear system 

that the Mark I had 

inherited from the 

A35. Nevertheless, 

the introduction at 

the end of 1962 of 

the similarly sized 

Morris 1100, followed 

by an Austin-badged 

counterpart a year 

later, left the A40 

looking cramped on 

the inside and outclassed in terms of road 

holding and ride. 

A deluxe version tested by The Motor in 

1958 had a top speed of 66.8 mph (107.5 

km/h) and could accelerate from 0–50 

mph (80 km/h) in 19.5 seconds. A fuel 

consumption of 38 miles per gallon (7.4 

L/100 km) was recorded. The test car cost 

£689 including taxes. 

Believe it or not, the 

A40 Farina played a 

very significant role in 

British saloon car racing 

over the years, starting 

most notably when 

Doc Shepherd secured 

the British Saloon Car 

Championship in 1960. 

Race-prepared cars 

frequently achieved 

more than 70 bhp 

from the A-Series 

engine. 

The production run ended in 

November 1967 after approximately 

342,000 had been built in the UK (plus 

67,207 in Italy as the Innocenti A40). As 

the BMC 1100/1300 range established 

itself as the UK’s top seller, the newer 

more space-efficient ADO16 took sales 

away from the A40. In its last year, only 

12,000 A40s were built. The last of the A40 

The Austin Motor Company was one of 

England’s earliest car manufacturers, founded by 

Herbert Austin in 1905 with its factory at 

Longbridge near Birimingham, and merging with 

Morris Motors Ltd in 1952 to form the British 

Motor Corporation. The A40 ‘Farina’ was actually 

one of the last Austin-badged cars; other 

Longbridge models wore differing marque badges 

denoting their levels of equipment and trim. 

The new “baby Austin” was in development between 1955–58 and was designed 

by the Italian stylist Battista Pininfarina. It was launched on 18th September 1958 

and the standard model (heater and extra trim not included!) cost £676 7s 0d. The 

Mk 1 was propelled by the wonderfully compact 948 cc A-series engine (which 

grew from a design originated in the late 1940s by Eric Bareham). It returned an 

average of 45 mpg, did 0–60 in 35.6 seconds (!) and could reach 73 mph. 

A ‘Countryman’ version of the saloon (with top-hinged rear window – arguably 

one of the first “hatch-backs” in UK mass-production) was announced in 

September 1959 and, two years later, the Mk 1 models were restyled into the Mk 2 

which (later to have 1098cc engines) continued in production until 20th November 

1967, by which time a grand total of 342,180 A40 Farinas had been built. 

Today the A40 Farina Club Ltd estimates that less than six hundred of the little 

cars now exist but they still represent economical classic motoring. The Club was 

founded in 1979 and has almost 400 members around the world. Annual subscription 

is just £17.50 and technical advice is always available, plus the Club has a thriving 

spares supply service combining top-quality components with sensibly low prices, 

while steadily expanding their list of remanufactured obsolete items unavailable 

elsewhere. 

Farina News, a 42-page A5 full-colour magazine is published quarterly, while 

several friendly meetings are organised during the year. Many members attend various 

car shows while others are enthusiastic race or rally participants (specially-prepared 

A40s can be very, very quick!) 

For further details do please contact us either by post to 36 Wood End, Banbury 

OX16 9ST, e-mail us to info@A40FarinaClub.co.uk or else feel free to visit our 

website at www.A40FarinaClub.co.uk or find our official club page on facebook. 

thanks for your interest 

production 

run enjoyed a final burst of 

publicity as Unit Beat ‘Panda’ cars for 

Birmingham City Police. The UK based 

A40 Farina Club now estimates that less 

than four hundred of these unique little 

cars exist world-wide (a one-tenth of one 

percent survival rate). BCD 

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Morgan 

Plus-8 

– 50 Years 

by Norm Hendrycks 

The history of the Morgan Plus-8 

using the Rover 3.5L V8 engine is well 

documented in the book titled “Morgan 

- First and Last of the Real Sports Cars” 

by Gregory Houston Bowden. The first 

Morgan Plus-8 had chassis number R7000 

and the last was chassis number R13233. 

The total Plus-8 chassis numbers allocated 

was 6,233 but 31 were never built. There 

were five duplicate chassis numbers 

leaving the total number of Plus-8 (Rover) 

manufactured from 1968 to 2004 at 6,207. 

The concept of the Morgan Plus-8 

began in May of 1966 and in 1967 Morgan 

was ready to fit the Rover V8 engine into 

the chassis of the Plus-4. The first Morgan 

Plus-8 was produced in October 1968 and 

the last one was in May 2004. 

The body of the first production run 

had to be widened by two inches to 

accommodate the wider tires used on 

the Plus-8. This was accomplished by 

widening the wings by one inch on either 

side. The body was also lengthened by 

two inches 

From 1968 to 1972 the Plus-8 had the 

Rover 3.5L V8 with 

a 10.5:1 CR, 

184 BHP at 5200rpm, and used the Moss 

gearbox 4-speed manual transmission 

with synchromesh on 2nd,3rd,and 4th. 

The carburettors were twin SU type HS6. 

From 1972 to 1977 the Plus-8 Rover V8 

engine was reduced to 9.25:1 CR and used 

the Rover 3500s 4-speed all-synchromesh 

manual transmission, which required a 

modification of the chassis to accept the 

new transmission. 

From 1974 to 1992 all imported Morgan 

Plus-8s to the United States were converted 

to propane by independent dealers in 

order to pass the U.S. emissions regulations. 

From 1977 to 1995 the Plus-8 Rover 

V8 compression ratio was raised to 9.35:1 

and used the Rover LT77 5-speed allsynchromesh 

manual transmission which 

required a further widening of the body 

in order to fit the new transmission and 

changes in tyre size. 

In 1981 the engine’s twin carburettors 

were changed to Stromberg CD175. 

In 1990 the 3.9L 

version of the 

Rover engine was fitted with Lucas fuel 

injection. 

In 1995 the Rover R380 - speed allsynchromesh 

manual transmission was 

introduced which was used until 2004. 

In 1996 the Rover 4.6L engine became 

an option. 

In May of 2004 production of the Morgan 

Plus-8 using the Rover engine stopped with 

the last chassis number R13233. 

In all, the Morgan Plus-8 grew from 

57.5 inches in 1968 to 67 inches in width 

by 2004 and the Rover engine size 

increasing from 3.5L to 3.9L to 4.6L. 

In 2012 a new Morgan Plus- 8 was 

introduced powered by a 4.8L BMW V8. 

In 2014 Morgan announced a Limited 

Edition run of 60 Plus-8s. 

My 1969 Morgan Plus-8 Chassis # R7077 

My Morgan Plus-8 was purchased from 

the factory in Malvern, Worcestershire 

on December 23, 1968. It came off the 

assembly line and was test driven on the 

19th of May 1969 by Charlie Curtis. It left 

the factory on 23rd June 1969. I received it 

on July 26, 1969, delivered through Metro 

Motors in Windsor, Ontario. I ordered 

my Plus-8 in black with red interior, but 

received it in gray primer with black 

interior. I was informed that I could have it 

painted the colour of my choice. 

The standard 1968 finishes for 

Morgans was Westminster Green, 

Crimson, Indigo Blue, Orange Chrome or 

Broken White. WOW! Alternative colours 

were at an extra charge of £15. A rear 

bumper was an extra £5, seatbelts - lap 

and diagonal, an extra £9.1s. 

There was an interesting statement 

in the original brochure which read, 

“Powerful yet docile, you can sing up 

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to seventy mph in 7.5 seconds or start 

from standstill in top gear, as a test of 

strength”. It has been stated that the 

suspension was so stiff that if you drive 

over a Canadian quarter you could tell if 

it was heads or tails. 

After a short pre-delivery discussion 

with Doug Ellis of Metro Motors, we were 

on our way home. Keep in mind that 

when driving a Morgan there is always an 

adventure associated with it. I was having 

an exciting time driving while my friend 

George was reading the Owner’s Manual 

giving me details as we travelled along. No 

more than 40 miles or so from Windsor we 

heard some funny noises; a grinding noise 

from the rear axle every time we turned 

a corner. “George, what was that?” I asked 

“I don’t know,” was George’s reply, “There 

is nothing in the manual about that.” 

We stopped and called Metro Motors. 

We were reassured that it was only the 

Salisbury Limited Slip differential breaking 

in and there would be no problem. We 

set off again somewhat assured that 

there would be no more surprises. We 

were on our way again, top down, wind 

in our hair, George still reading the 

Owner’s Manual. Just past London we saw 

potential rain clouds so we stopped under 

an overpass to put the top up and install 

the side curtains. The Manual refers to 

the convertible top as “The Hood”. On our 

way again, we were greeted with a steady 

rainfall and we soon realize that there 

is limited protection in the car with the 

“Hood” up. Wet outside and wet inside and 

no defroster. The defrosters were installed 

in later years. We used whatever we had 

on hand to keep the windshield inside 

clear and with not a lot of dry clothes 

available it was difficult. However, after a 

lot of laughs we made it home. 

I decided that the Morgan Plus-8 was 

to be painted “Smokey Gray” to match 

the colour of the Owner’s Manual. Not a 

good colour for dawn and dusk driving, 

as I soon discovered. Some years later 

the car was repainted with a red body 

and black wings. It was at this time that 

I detected some wood deterioration 

caused by retained water in the padding 

material under the vinyl interior covering. 

I purchased some Belgian Ash and made 

new wood chassis parts to replace the 

deteriorated wood. I decided to leave 

the new wood exposed so it could dry 

when it got wet. I like it better, no more 

moisture problems. The mechanical fuel 

pump was replaced with a Carter P4070 

electric fuel pump. 

With having three children, I had to 

store the car for a few years but now the 

Morgan is back on the road. 

It is an interesting car with an 

interesting history made by a familyowned 

business in a small English town. 

It has maintained the “Morgan Shape” 

with little to no change in the body shape, 

which was introduced in 1935 when the 

first 4-wheel car was produced. BCD 

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Attacking the twists and bends with the sun shimmering on pristine bodywork and supple leather – it makes that bit of effort worthwhile. Don’t 

worry, you’re not alone, we share your passion for detail. For us it’s an obsession that started over 40 years ago and continues to drive us today. 

That’s why our products work beautifully, are quick and easy to use and more durable than ever. It also means you and your car get to look 

good for longer. That’s the Autoglym way. Always has been. 

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Now exclusively available at Canadian Tire and PartSource 

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2286 K.L.O. Road, Kelowna, B.C., V1W 3Z7 


AutoGlym.00.indd 1 

13-08-30 5:30 PM 

British Car Day Programme • September WWW.DRAKESBRITISHMOTORS.COM 

16, 2018 www.BritishCarDay.com BCD 23

Land Rover 

Series 1 (LR 1) – 70 Years 

Staff Report 

I’m not an expert on the Land Rover 

marque but even the most basic research 

would not dispute that the brand and 

early model is regarded as an enduring 

British icon. You have probably seen 

images of the Queen, in her wellies 

and headscarf, piloting her Land Rover 

across the countryside at Balmoral or 

Sandringham. Indeed, the Land Rover was 

granted a royal warrant by King George VI 

in 1951, only three years after the vehicle 

was first launched. In preparing this 

revue I have drawn heavily on input from 

Wikipedia and the Ifixit and Land Rover 

FAQ websites. 

The initial design was scratched out on a 

Welsh beach in 1947 by Maurice Wilks who 

at the time was chief designer at the Rover 

Company. He collaborated with his brother 

Spencer, Rover’s managing director, on 

the project. Maurice had been using a 

Willys Jeep for light utility on his farm in 

Newborough, Anglesey and was pleased 

with the Jeep’s usefulness but found that 

parts were very difficult to acquire and only 

available in bulk from military surplus. He 

thought there would be a market niche 

that Rover could step into with a similar 

vehicle, so he and Spencer set about 

building a prototype. The project was 

simply called Land Rover (the terms “Series” 

and “Defender” are retroactive and only 

introduced in the 1990s). The prototype, 

later nicknamed Centre Steer, was built 

on the Jeep chassis and axles coupled to a 

Rover car engine. 

In April 1948, the Land Rover was 

officially launched, at the Amsterdam 

Motor Show to a positive reception. 

Three thousand production models were 

produced for 1948 and approximately 

182,000 vehicles were produced until the 

introduction of Series II in 1958. The early 

choice of colour was determined by a 

surplus of military aircraft cockpit paint, 

so vehicles only came in various shades of 

light green; all models until 

recently feature sturdy 

box section 

ladder-frame 

chassis. The 

use of 

simple 

body panels 

made from 

light alloy 

and a chassis fabricated from 

off-cuts avoided the use of rationed steel 

and the need for complex and expensive 

press tools. Early vehicles were field-tested 

at Long Bennington and designed to be 

field-serviced. Fourty-eight prototypes were 

produced during development at Rover’s 

Solihull facility that first year. 

Rover quickly realised that this ‘stop 

gap’ product was set to outsell its other 

vehicles – and by the end of 1948 was 

exporting the Land Rover to nearly 70 

countries. The U.S. received their first Land 

Rovers the following year. 

During the life of the Land Rover many 

different engines have been fitted. The 

inlet-over-exhaust petrol engines (“semi 

side-valve”), in both four- and six-cylinder 

variants, which were used for the Series I 

Land Rovers, and which had their origins 

in pre-war Rover cars had a displacement 

of 1,600 cc. In 1951, Land Rovers received 

2.0L motors to replace the 1.6L powerplant. 

The 1,997 cc Petrol, inlet-over-exhaust 

Series I engine, carried over for the first few 

months of Series II production. 

In 1950, changes were made to the 

original Land Rover design, which included 

larger and more powerful headlamps that 

shone through apertures in the grill, and 

a hard-top. The four-wheel system was 

modified to shift dynamically, with drive to 

the front axle in high range being activated 

by pressing down on one lever, while low 

range was selected by pulling another lever 

rearward. In selecting low range, four-wheel 

drive was automatically engaged. 

Then, in 1953, to increase the 

load space area, the wheelbase 

of the Land Rover 

was extended to 

86 inches. A new 

long-wheelbase 

pickup version and 

a Station Wagon were 

introduced and well 

received. 

1956 saw more tweaks to the size of 

the platforms with the introduction of 

a 10-seater, 107-inch wheelbase Station 

Wagon. Other wheelbases were extended 

to 88 and 109 inches to make room for a 

new diesel engine under development. 

One of the last major improvements to 

the “LR1” came in 1957 with the introduction 

of the 2.0L overhead valve diesel engine. 

This engine has endured and evolved over 

the years to become the 300 TDi turbodiesel, 

which remains in production today for some 

international markets. In 1965 Rover acquired 

from General Motors an alloy 3.5 L V-8 engine 

which after further design changes in Solihull, 

went on to power many subsequent Rover, 

Land Rover and Range Rover models as well 

as the Triumph TR8 and Morgan +8. 

Various Land Rover models have been 

used in a military capacity, most notably 

by the Australian Army and British Army 

which purchased a trial batch of Series 

I Land Rovers in 1949. The earliest Land 

Rovers were found to complement the 

Austin Champ very well. The Land Rover 

was cheaper, lighter, consumed less fuel, 

and was ideal for behind-the-lines transport 

duties. However, the Champ was better 

suited as a front-line combat vehicle. 

Military modifications may have included 

“blackout” lights, heavy-duty suspension, 

uprated brakes, 24 volt electrics, convoy 

lights, electronic suppression of the ignition 

system, blackout curtains and mounts for 

special equipment and small arms. BCD 


416.871.2358 

9 Forster Park Drive 

Oakville, Ontario Canada L6K 1Y5 

info@winslowdelaney.com 

www.winslowdelaney.com 

Austin 

America 

– 50 Years By Mark Margetts 

Todd Miller of the Austin America 

Club has kindly authorized the publication 

of this short history of the Austin America. 

The Austin America was a special version 

of the two-door Austin 1300 (ADO 16). 

Approximately 59,500 of them were made 

exclusively for export to the USA and were 

sold from 1968 to 1972. The Americas 

were intended to compete directly with 

the highly successful VW Beetle and 

throughout the sales, the marketing 

campaign advertised them as, “the perfect 

second car.” One ad compared the road 

holding stability of the two by showing 

an image of the Beetle as a kite and the 

America as a brick. 

The Austin America was available with 

either a 4-speed all synchromesh, manual 

transmission or with an Automotive 

Products 4-speed automatic transmission. 

The automatic transmission could be 

shifted manually, or left in “Drive” to shift 

on its own. All models had a single HS4 

(1½”) SU carburettor and a smog pump to 

meet emission standards. 

A sad reputation 

Unfortunately, most of the cars were 

plagued with numerous mechanical 

problems and in damp climates, severe 

rust. In the U.S., they suffered from being 

underpowered and not able to withstand 

the fast freeway driving to which the 

American consumer was accustomed. Since 

the automatic transmission version was 

heavily advertised and sold, it subsequently 

failed most often. Like the manual 

transmission, the automatic, also being the 

oil pan, ran in the engine oil. This made it 

extremely susceptible to failure and many 

of the automatics were in for transmission 

repairs while still under warranty. 

Since the engine and transmission 

shared the same oil, and sat one on top 

of the other, when one failed, it often 

caused problems and damage to the 

other. The cars gained a reputation for 

being unreliable and they soon paled 

in comparison to the VW’s, Hondas, 

Datsuns and Toyotas of the time. With 

an original sales price of between $1,900 

and $2,200, it was probably difficult 

to justify the expense of rebuilding an 

engine or transmission after a serious 

failure, when the car was only a few years 

old. A testament to this is the number of 

Americas that used to be in the wrecking 

yards with less than 50,000 miles on the 

odometers. 

Fate of a great car 

The final fate of many Americas was as 

engine donors for the Mini enthusiasts 

who were looking to replace their smaller 

engines with a 1275cc engine. The bodies, 

which didn’t share anything in common 

with their little brother Minis, were then 

scrapped at the wrecking yard. 

Today, very few Americas remain. Of 

those that are left, even fewer are still 

on the road and fewer still are driven 

regularly. A sad fate for a car that, along 

with the Mini, is credited with being the 

first mass produced front-wheel drive 

passenger car. And, a car that ultimately 

set a design standard by which “economy” 

cars still follow. BCD 

Thanks to Todd Miller of the Austin America 

Club (www.AustinAmericausa.com). 

London Trading Post 

Classic British Countrywear 

www.londontradingpost.ca 

Spencefield House 

189 County Rd 49 

Bobcaygeon, ON K0M 1A0 

Tel/Fax: (705) 738-1956 

Open most weekends 

Sat. 10am-3pm Sun. 11am-3pm or by appointment 

The UPS Store 

APPLEBY 

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| Creative Solutions 

2338 Wyecroft Rd., Unit K5-7, Oakville, Ontario L6L 6L4 

Tel: 905-825-2045 Fax: 905-825-0208 

Your source for all your repairs 


Phone: 416-822-0096 or 905-616-0421 

Toll Free: 1-866-532-3630 

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Web: http://www.a-professional-appraisal.ca 

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J.D. AUTO SERVICES 

British & European SPORTSCARS 

Josip (Joe) Dukova 

Austin-Healey 

SPRITE 

– 60 Years 

by Ron Redshaw 

Rexdale Blvd. 

301 Rexdale Blvd. Unit C, 

Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R8 

TEL: (416) 746-1048 

Martin Grove 

BRITISH CAR 

REPAIR SHOP 

l TRIUMPH 

l MG 

l LOTUS 

l JAGUAR 

May 20, 2018 marked the sixtieth 

anniversary of the launch of the Austin- 

Healey Sprite. The Sprite became a sales 

success for British Motor Corporation, 

filling a void in the sports car market for 

an affordable sports car aimed at the baby 

boomer generation. Those who know 

British sports cars will be familiar with 

the Sprite. Sprite owners have included 

George Harrison, David Letterman, and (of 

course) Jay Leno, while the racing world’s 

who’s who have competed in Sprites both 

in rallies and at the track. On the field 

today you can expect to see about two 

dozen Sprites as well as a complement of 

‘sister’ MG Midgets. 

In the winter of 1956 a meeting took 

place between Donald Healey and BMC 

director Leonard Lord. Lord wanted 

a low-cost sports car to replace the 

Austin7 Nippy and Austin Ulster models 

of the 1930s. Donald took this request 

to the Healey works 

in Warwick and 

met with his son 

Geoff and the 

small Healey 

team. This team 

had previously 

conceived and 

developed the 

Austin-Healey 100. 

They were given two 

constraints: minimize 

the cost and use existing 

BMC spec parts. The team used the stateof-the-art 

D Type Jaguar and Porsche 356 

as models even though they were working 

to a strict budget. 

The BMC directives required that, 

where possible, existing BMC parts were 

to be utilized. The Austin A35 A-series 

948cc engine, gearbox, front suspension 

and rear axle, along with the Morris Minor 

rack-and-pinion steering were specified. 

The combination MGA brake and clutch 

master cylinders were used. While the 

front brakes were A35 standard, Geoff 

Healey contacted Lockheed to develop a 

superior rear drum brake setup. 

Barry Bilbie, the Healey chassis 

designer, working with Gerry Coker, the 

body designer, came up with a unibody 

platform based on the size of the BMC 

components. This chassis featured 

compactness and structural strength all 

contained within the wheelbase. Gerry set 

about designing a car that would be as 

light, uncomplicated and cost-effective as 

possible. His proposal was to eliminate 

the boot lid, which saved both cost 

and weight, and to integrate a full front 

bonnet lift-up to save weight and provide 

easy access. While the bonnet is not light 

it is appreciated by both owners and 

racers for its ease of access. 

The car features a tip of the hat to the 

Ferrari Testarossa and its sibling Austin- 

Healey 100 but was to contain several new 

features. The original oval grille, inspired 

by the 100S Healey, looked a bit dull so a 

piece of chrome was added above. To have 

a clean shape Coker proposed concealed 

headlamps. These were later deemed too 

expensive and abandoned. Gerry Coker 

departed the Healey company in January 

’57 to work for Chrysler in the United 

States. Les Ireland, who had worked with 

Donald Healey before the WWII took over 

the final body design responsibility. The 

Sprite’s appearance was subsequently 

changed; the concealed headlamps 

were replaced with “Frogeye” 

(“Bugeye” in America) lamps. 



John Thompson Motor Pressings 

was hired to produce two prototype 

chassis. The welded chassis comprised 

of 55 simple pressings. The two tubs 

were delivered six weeks after the order. 

The first was built up as a rolling chassis 

primarily for engine testing. Panel Craft 

were contracted to provide a single body 

which was mated to the second chassis. 

This was assigned to Lucas to develop the 

electrics including a mechanical pull start 

starter solenoid. 

The car featured exterior hinges, 

“cheapened” Healey 100 seats, a twincarb 

setup from MG and the technically 

interesting quarter-elliptic rear springs 

and torque reaction arms. Armstrong 

dampers were fitted. Again this was 

done in the name of cost minimization 

and simplicity. In keeping with the 

“poor man’s Ferrari” motif the car was 

painted in Dockers Carmine, a bright 

red. This car was presented to George 

Harriman, deputy chairman of BMC, on 31 

January 1957. Leonard Lord first saw the 

completed car on February 20, 1957. Both 

Harriman and Lord approved the Sprite 

for production and agreed on conditions 

for manufacture. While the prototype was 

close to the final product a few further 

modifications were required. The Austin 

designation for the car was AN5. The 

projected selling price was GBP 450. 

BMC assigned final assembly to the 

MG factory in Abingdon. At this time the 

engine development was entrusted to Ed 

Maher of MG. He was assigned the task 

of developing the 34 bhp A35/Morris 

Minor motor for the Sprite. The engine 

was improved to develop 43 bhp through 

revised camshaft, improved bearings and 

twin 1 1/8 SU carburettors. 

Production logistics saw the chassis 

from John Thompson delivered to Pressed 

Steel where the body was mated, then off 

to Morris Motors’ paint shop in Cowley 

before reaching Abingdon. The motors 

were assembled in the Morris Motors’ 

engine works at Coventry. Subcontractors 

such as Lockheed and Lucas delivered 

directly to Abingdon. 

Donald Healey decided to introduce 

the Austin-Healey Sprite on 20 May 1958 

in Monte Carlo at the Monaco Grand 

Prix weekend. This was to ensure ideal 

conditions, a full motoring press, access 

to ideal roads and sunny weather. Cars 

were made available to members of 

the press and received rave reviews – 

of particular note were the handling, 

performance and mileage. 

While production was announced 

on May 20, 1958, assembly had actually 

started on March 31st. Cars were rolled 

out across the world but, unlike the earlier 

Austin-Healey, no preference was given to 

the North American market. Production 

for the Mark I Sprite totalled 49,901. This 

included knocked down kits for Australia. 

Production of the Mark I ceased on 

December 21, 1960. 

The Sprite was an immediate 

sales success. Its low initial price and 

sporting characteristics brought with 

it a clamouring for more add-ons and 

go-faster bits. The basic car came without 

rev counter, windscreen washer, tonneau 

cover, heater or front bumpers and 

rudimentary side curtains. Some items 

were standard for export markets. Soon 

both BMC and aftermarket suppliers were 

making accessories specifically for the 

Sprite. Donald Healey Motor Company 

and Speedwell Performance Conversions 

were in the forefront of these suppliers 

offering a hardtop, side-screens, engine 

tuning kits, improved front brakes and a 

host of cosmetic options. 

No story about the history of the 

Sprite would be complete without 

mention of John Sprinzel. Sprinzel 

started racing in an Austin A35 in the 

spring of 1957. As a result of his efforts 

to tune the A35, Speedwell Performance 

Conversions was established. Speedwell 

was at the forefront of A-series engine 

development and was a natural for the 

newly-introduced Sprite. Sprinzel was 

able to obtain a Sprite from the first batch 

of production and at once began to 

prepare it for the 1958 Alpine Rally, held 

in July. Sprinzel’s Sprite came first in class 

beginning the long series of successful 

Sprites in competition. 

In 1958-59 Speedwell developed 

a new-style bonnet, a coupe, as well 

as engine and suspension tuning. 

Sprinzel joined the Donald Healey 

Speed Equipment Division in 1960. 

While employed by the Healey company 

Sprinzel developed the “Sebring Sprite”. 

Sebring Sprites featured wire wheels, 

disc brakes, uprated to almost 1000cc 

engines and a defining wood-rimmed 

steering wheel. Sprinzel then purchased 

the London inventory of Healey Speed 

Equipment and set up on his own as John 

Sprinzel Ltd. Sprinzel Limited developed 

the Sebring Sprite concept adding 

additional equipment and building 

purpose-built competition cars. These cars 

featured a revised front styling and a full 

aluminum body, produced by Williams 

and Pritchard. Sprinzel was not alone – 

there were other companies doing similar 

work. Therefore not all Sebring Sprites are 

“Sebring” Sprites. 

In May 1961 the new Mark II Austin- 

Healey Sprite was introduced. While much 

the same beneath the skin, the new car 

featured the “square body” shape that was 

to define Sprites from that day forward. 

At the same time MG introduced the new 

MG Midget, a Sprite clone. Production of 

Sprites and Midgets went along side-byside 

through the 1960s. Both cars were 

selling in almost equal numbers. During 

this time the cars gained larger engines, 

from the 948cc through 1098cc to finally 

1275cc. Windup windows and improved 

creature comforts were developed as 

upgrades were introduced during the 

decade. With the termination of the 

Healey contract Austin-Healey Sprite 

production ceased on December 31, 

1970. A further 1022 Austin Sprites in 

1971 completed Sprite production, which 

totalled 129,362. 

While the distinctive shape of the Mark 

I Sprite is most memorable, more “square 

body” cars were produced. Square body 

cars, along with the Midget twins, earned 

the name “Spridgets”. The nickname has 

stuck, but 60 years ago it was just a Sprite 

that moved on the open road and began 

the tradition of ‘Spritely Motoring”. BCD 


BUILDING 

CHARACTER 

SINCE 1948. 

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Jaguar 

XK 120 

– 70 Years 

by Terence McKillen 

Phone: 289.738.2035 

Website: KlearKustoms.com 

205 Cross Street East, Dunnville, Ontario 

The Jaguar XK120 sports car was 

manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 

and 1954. It was the company’s first 

sports car since the introduction of the 

SS 100 which ceased production in 1940. 

The XK120 was launched as an open 

two-seater or roadster form at the 1948 

London Motor Show as a testbed for 

the new Jaguar XK engine. The display 

car was the first prototype and looked 

almost identical to the production cars 

except that the straight outer pillars of 

its windscreen would be curved on the 

production version. The roadster caused 

a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar 

founder and Chairman William Lyons to 

put it into production. 

Beginning in 1948, the first 242 cars 

were wood-framed open two-seater 

bodies with aluminium panels. Production 

switched to the heavier all-steel body 

in early 1950. The “120” in the name 

referred to the aluminium car’s 120 mph 

(193 km/h) top speed, which made it the 

world’s fastest production car at the time 

of its launch. In 1949 the first production 

roadster was delivered to Hollywood film 

actor, Clark Gable. 

The XK120 was ultimately available 

in three body styles, first as an open 

two-seater; then also as a closed, or fixed 

head coupé (FHC) from 1951; and finally 

as a drophead coupé (DHC) from 1953. 

A smaller-engined version with a 2-litre 

4-cylinder engine, designated the XK100, 

intended for the UK market was cancelled 

prior to production. 

In May 1949, on the Ostend-Jabbeke 

motorway in Belgium, a prototype 

XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal 

Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an 

average of runs in opposing directions of 

132.6 mph with the windscreen replaced 

by just one small aero screen and 135 mph 

with a passenger-side tonneau cover in 

place. In 1950 and 1951, at a banked oval 

track in France, XK120 roadsters averaged 

over 100 mph for 24 hours and over 130 

mph for an hour, and in 1952 a fixed-head 

coupé took numerous world records for 

speed and distance when it averaged 100 

mph for a week. 

The first roadsters, hand-built with 

aluminium bodies on ash framing 

mounted on a steel chassis, mostly copied 

from the Jaguar Mark V chassis using 

many of the same parts, were constructed 

between late 1948 and early 1950. To 

meet demand, and beginning with the 

1950 model year, all subsequent XK120s 

were mass-produced with pressed-steel 

bodies. They retained aluminium doors, 

bonnet, and boot lid. The DHC and FHC 

versions, more luxuriously appointed than 

the roadsters, had wind-up windows and 

also wood veneers on the dashboard and 

interior door caps. 

With alloy cylinder head, hemispherical 

combustion chambers, inclined 

valves and twin side-draft SU carburettors, 

the dual overhead-cam 3.4 L straight-6 

XK engine was comparatively advanced 

for a mass-produced unit of the time. 

With standard 8:1 compression ratio it 

developed 160 bhp using 80 octane fuel. 

Most of the early cars were exported 

while a 7:1 low-compression version with 

reduced performance was reserved for the 

UK market, where the post-war austerity 

measures restricted buyers to 70 octane 

petrol. The XK engine’s basic design, later 

modified into 3.8 and 4.2 litre versions, 

survived well into the late 1980s and 

powered the subsequent E-Type models. 

All XK120s had independent torsion bar 

front suspension, semi-elliptic leaf springs 

at the rear, recirculating ball steering, 

telescopically adjustable steering column, 



and all-round 12-inch drum brakes which 

were prone to fade. Some cars were fitted 

with Alfin (ALuminium FINned) brake 

drums to help overcome the fade. 

The roadster’s lightweight canvas top 

and detachable sidescreens stowed out of 

sight behind the seats, and its barchettastyle 

doors had no external handles; 

instead there was an interior pull-cord 

which was accessible through a flap in the 

sidescreens when the weather equipment 

was in place. The windscreen could be 

removed for aeroscreens to be fitted. 

The drophead coupé (DHC) had a 

padded, lined canvas top, which folded 

onto the rear deck behind the seats when 

retracted, and roll-up windows with 

opening quarter lights. The flat glass twopiece 

windscreen was set in a steel frame 

that was integrated with the body and 

painted the same colour. 

Dashboards and door-caps in both the 

DHC and the closed coupé (FHC) were 

wood-veneered, whereas the more spartan 

roadsters were leather-trimmed. All models 

had removable spats (“fender skirts” in 

America) covering the rear wheel arches, 

which enhanced the streamlined look. On 

cars fitted with optional centre-lock wire 

wheels (available from 1951), the spats were 

omitted as they gave insufficient clearance 

for the chromed, two-eared Rudge- 

Whitworth knockoff hubs. Chromium-plated 

wire wheels were optional from 1953. When 

leaving the factory it originally fitted 6.00 

× 16 inch cross ply tyres on 16 × 5K solid 

wheels (Pre–1951). Later cars could also 

specify 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato tyres as a 

radial option. 

In addition to wire wheels, upgrades 

on the Special Equipment, or SE, version 

(called the M version for Modified in the 

3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt 

United States) included increased power, 

stiffer suspension and dual exhaust system. 

The Motor magazine road-tested 

an XK120 roadster in November 1949. 

This pre-production car, chassis number 

660001, road-registered as HKV 455, was 

the first prototype built. It was also the 

1948 London Motor Show display model, 

and had been driven by Prince Bira in the 

1949 Silverstone Production Car Race. 

When tested, it had the 8:1 compression 

ratio, was fitted with an undertray, and ran 

with hood and sidescreens in place. The 

magazine reported a top speed of 124.6 

mph (200.5 km/h), acceleration from 0–60 

mph (97 km/h) in 10.0 seconds and fuel 

consumption of 19.8 miles per imperial 

gallon (14.3 L/100 km; 16.5 mpg US). The 

car as tested cost £1263 including taxes. 

12,055 XK120s were manufactured 

during the six year production run. BCD 

Trust us to deliver...Worldwide. 

Millions of parts in stock. 

PARTS & ACCESSORIES 

FOR TRIUMPH MODELS 

1953 ONWARDS 

Looking for direction in 

today’s market? Let’s talk. 

Marc Nutford 

Financial Advisor 

. 

2387 Trafalgar Road 

Unit E2 

Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 

905-844-4043 

Parts service also available for Land Rover, 

MG, Rover, Mini & Jaguar ‘98 on. 

www.edwardjones.com 

Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund 


We’ve Expanded our Call Centre Hours - Now Open up to 20 Hours a Day - 7 Days a Week! 

www.rimmerbros.com 

Triumph House, Sleaford Road, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN4 2NA. England 

Telephone: 1-855-746-2767 Toll Free Fax: 01144 1522 567600 E-mail: sales@rimmerbros.com

Top to bottom, 

inside and out, 

we’ve got you covered. 

JaguarXJ 

– 50 Years 

by J. David Smart 

Fabric and upholstery for Cars, Trucks, 

Motorcycles, RVs & Boats all under the same roof. 

• Seat and Carpet Repair 

• Seat Covers (leather, vinyl or cloth) 

• Interior Restoration; Domestic & Foreign 

• Convertible Top Repair & Replacement 

• Boat Seats, covers and tops 

1033 Speers Road, 

Oakville, L6L 2X5 

647-343-6310 

appleautoglass.com 

Apple Auto Glass ® is a registered 

trademark in Canada of Belron S.A. 

and its affiliates 

The introduction of the XJ model 

on September 26, 1968 was met with 

acclaim from the motoring public, as well as 

being voted Car of the Year due to its styling, 

performance, handling, interior design 

and price. It was also the most important 

car launched by Jaguar since it replaced a 

number of other models, namely two Mark 

II derivatives, two S-Type derivatives, two 

420 derivatives plus the Daimler versions 

of some of these models. This XJ reflected 

the company’s new strategy having only 

one saloon platform in the line-up; a policy 

that lasted until the introduction of S-Type 

launch in 1998. This one-model policy was 

critical to the survival of the company in the 

1970s and beyond. 

Since the launch of the original XJ6, 

Jaguar has made six generations of XJ series 

saloons, which among them have reached a 

total production figure of over 800,000 cars 

– in other words, more than half of all Jaguars 

ever built are XJ models. The original model 

was the last Jaguar saloon to have had any 

input from Sir William Lyons, the company’s 

founder. The car was variously called the 

Jaguar XJ6, Jaguar XJ12, Daimler Sovereign, 

and Daimler Double-Six. The Daimler versions 

were launched in October 1969. 

In 1973, which was available with Jaguar’s 

V-12 beginning in May of 1975, and the 

Series III in 1979. The Series II models were 

known for their poor build quality, which was 

attributed to Jaguar being part of the British 

Leyland group and to problems inherent 

in the design of certain Lucas-sourced 

components. The Series III with the XK in-line 

6 cylinder double overhead cam engine was 

produced until May 1987. The XJ Series III 

carried on into the 1990’s in V-12 form only. 

Power-assisted steering and leather 

upholstery were standard on the 2.8 

L Deluxe and 4.2 L models and air 

conditioning was offered as an optional 

extra on the 4.2 L. The original specification 

of the key mechanical components of the 

Series I were as follows: 

ENGINE: Jaguar XK 4.2 litre, DOHC in-line 6 

cylinder engine producing 173 hp 

utilizing twin SU carburetors 

TRANSMISSION: Borg Warner Model 35 automatic, 

three-speed 

SUSPENSION: Fully independent front and rear 

suspension with coil springs, subframe 

mounted 

STEERING: Power assisted rack and pinion 

BRAKES: Girling disc brakes all round 

Wheels: 15 inch rims, Dunlop E70 VR tyres 

PRODUCTION: All models, include Daimler 4.2 and V-12 

Series I: 75,517 units 

Series II: 80,025 units 

Series III: 69,975 units 

Other XJ Models 

After XJ Series III production ended, the XJ 

model designation carried on through four 

redesigned models, including the current 

offering. A new six-cylinder engine was 

introduced in 1987 with the replacement 

of the Series III until it was replaced by a 

new Jaguar V-8 engine in 1998. The rather 

square shaped 1987 model was revised in 

1995 with a modified body shell, returning 

to a style more reminiscent of the Series I. In 

2004, an aluminum bodied XJ-8 appeared, 

styled very closely on the original Series I 

body shell, as well as providing a much more 

traditional Jaguar interior. With the demise 

of this model in 2009, much of Jaguar’s 

traditional styling and DNA has 

been lost. 

An Owner’s Assessment 

In May of 1991, I acquired a 1985 Jaguar 

Series III Sovereign with 101,387 km 

on the clock for $19,620.50. Minor 

modifications to this car include the 

plating of all parts under the bonnet 

that were originally cad plated, the 

changing of the headlamp system to 

U.K. configuration, installing a VDP wood 

interior and replacing the original wheel 

badges with later factory parts. 

The best features of this model are 

the traditional Jaguar styling, interior 

appointments and ride quality, along with 

Jaguar’s famous XK engine; an engine that 

was so good, it remained in production 

from its introduction in 1949 until 1986. 

The worst feature of this model is 

the poor acceleration resulting from 

the choice of the Borg Warner 3-speed 

automatic transmission and the poor 

frequency of repair record. 

The car has now covered 265,280 km 

with only routine engine maintenance. 

However, every other major component, 

including front and rear suspension, 

transmission, differential, A/C system, 

as well as the radiator, the heater core, 

cruise control and radio, has been 

rebuilt or replaced. Was it worth all of 

this expense, which over the years has 

exceeded the original purchase price? 

I would answer this way: I also have a 

Series II E-Type roadster that has travelled 

40,000 miles and a 2004 XJ-R that has 

covered 53,000 km. If I had to sell two of 

these cars, it would be the 1986 Series III 

Sovereign that I would keep. BCD 



Austin-Healey 

100-6 

Meet Davin, OUR PARTS FINDER 

“SEARCHING FOR HARD-TO-FIND PARTS 

IS A LOT LIKE PEELING AN ONION. YOU GO 

ONE LAYER AT A TIME AND TRY NOT TO CRY.” 

CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE 

800-922-4050 877-922-9701 | HAGERTY.COM | HAGERTY.CA | LOCAL AGENT 

When your claim requires finding some automotive needle 

in a haystack, Davin’s your man. He has one job here at 

Hagerty: when a client needs a replacement part, he finds 

it. And though that sometimes involves hours of searching 

and frustration – maybe even a few tears – he wouldn’t 

trade his job for anything in the world. It’s that kind of 

passion that makes him perfect for Hagerty, and makes 

Hagerty perfect for you. 

Hagerty. We may sell insurance but we live classics. 


– 60 Years 

Although the 

Austin-Healey 

100 (BN1) was 

released in 1953, the 

100-6 two-seat (BN6 

model) was introduced 

60 years ago in 1958. The original AH 

100 was developed by Donald Healey 

to be produced in-house by his small 

Healey Car Company using Austin A90 

Atlantic mechanicals. The 100-6 fitted 

time-wise between the original Austin- 

Healey 100 and the subsequent Austin- 

Healey 3000, giving BMC a fifteen-year 

production run with one of the first 

post-war British sports cars, along with 

the MGA/MGB models. 

The “100” was named by Healey for the 

car’s ability to reach 100 mph (160 km/h) 

while the suffix 6 represented the 2,639 cc 

in-line six cylinder Austin C-Series engine; 

its successor, the better known Austin- 

Healey 3000, was named for the 3-litre 

displacement of its engine while the 

original AH 100 was powered by a 2,660 

cc in-line four cylinder engine. 

There were two model designators 

for the AH100-6, the 2+2 BN4 introduced 

in 1966 and our anniversary model, the 

2-seat BN6 model. 

Production of 

the Austin-Healey 

100s was finished at 

Austin’s Longbridge 

plant alongside the Austin A90 and 

based on fully trimmed and painted 

body/chassis units produced by Jensen in 

West Bromwich. In late 1957, production 

was transferred from Longbridge to the 

MG plant at Abingdon. A total of 14,436 

100-6s were produced before production 

ended in 1959. 

The 100-6 featured a 2 in. longer 

wheelbase than the original AH 100, the 

more powerful straight-six engine and 

body lines that were slightly streamlined, 

including a smaller, wider radiator grille 

placed lower, an air scoop added to the 

bonnet, and the windscreen was fixed. 

A BN6 tested by The Motor magazine 

in 1959 had a top speed of 103.9 mph 

(167.2 km/h) and could accelerate from 

0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 10.7 seconds. Fuel 

consumption of 20.8 miles per gallon (13.6 

L/100 km) was recorded. The test car cost 

£1,307 including taxes. 

The cars used a tuned version of 

the BMC C-Series engine which at first 

produced 102 bhp increasing to 117 bhp 

in 1957 by fitting a revised manifold and 

cylinder head. An overdrive unit was an 

option rather than a standard fitting. 

Despite the names, the Austin-Healey 

100-6 has more in common with its 

subsequent sibling, the Austin-Healey 

3000 than with the original Austin- 

Healey 100, both mechanically and in 

appearance. Together, the AH100, the 

AH 100-6 and the AH3000 are referred to 

as the “Big Healeys”, distinguishing them 

from the smaller Austin-Healey Sprites 

and Jensen Healeys. BCD 


Motor Oils 

Special article 

by Peter Marie 

If I’m asked what’s the best 20W-50 

oil to run in my classic British sports car? My 

answer is the best 20W-50 is a 5W-50! If a 

30-grade was specified, a 0W-30 or 0W-40 

would likely be the best choice today. These 

oil grades were not available back in the day 

but would have been specified, if they were. 

A mineral 20W-50 grade is technically 

obsolete and hasn’t been recommended 

by any auto manufacturer in North America 

and Europe for almost thirty years. Porsche 

now recommends their current OEM 

0W-40 grade oil for all their water-cooled 

models, going back 40 years. They have also 

developed their own brand, “Classic Motoroil 

20W50” for Porsche air-cooled cars of up 

to 2.7 litres, going back to the first Porsche 

356 built in the late 1940s. However, it’s not 

a true SAE 20W-50 and Porsche doesn’t 

label it as such and gives no API or ACEA 

certifications. It has been independently 

analyzed and it is actually a GP III synthetic 

oil, likely a 10W-50. Why would Porsche 

market it as a “classic mineral 20W50” 

when in fact they’ve developed a superior, 

modern synthetic oil as the best oil for their 

older engines? It’s all about marketing and 

they are fully aware of the myth that old 

vehicles require old tech motor oils and 

Porsche knows it wouldn’t sell very well if it 

was correctly labeled. 

Older Multi-grade Oils 

The old mineral oil grades like 20W-50 have 

retained a certain cachet with classic car 

owners that transcends any technical merit 

they once had. Motor oil has improved 

dramatically in the past 40-50 years, and 

continues to improve. The early multigrade 

oils of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and even 

‘80s, were very shear-prone, meaning they 

didn’t retain their hot viscosity rating for 

long, and after as little as 1,000 miles that 

20W-50 was at best a 20W-40, if not a 20W- 

30. In many driver’s handbooks of the day, 

the 20W-50 grade was given the same high 

temperature protection as a straight 40 

mono-grade oil which was often preferred 

for sustained high speed driving in the 

summer months. 

Today, most 20W-50s are more shearstable 

and often are formulated at the 

heavier end of the 50-grade range. It is 

a common misunderstanding that the 

SAE grade of an oil is its viscosity but it is 

important to understand that any grade 

has a range of possible viscosities. A SAE 

50-grade oil must have a new kinematic 

viscosity between 16.30 and 21.89 

centistokes (cSt) measured at 100ºC. The 

kinematic measure of viscosity is simply how 

fast oil flows under the force of gravity alone. 

Castrol Classic XL 20W-50 has viscosity 

characteristics similar to oils of yesterday 

and its kinematic viscosity at 100ºC (KV100) 

is 17.3 cSt with a viscosity index (VI) of 120. 

Most of today’s 20W-50s have KV100 specs of 

at least 18 cSt and often at 19-21 cSt but the 

simple kinematic viscosity (KV100) measure 

does not always represent the viscosity of 

oil in a running engine. Under pressure and 

stress, such as in the rod bearings under 

load, viscosity can vary depending on the 

oil’s chemistry. The main culprits here are the 

polymer viscosity index improvers (VIIs), used 

to create multi-grade oils. 

The problem with these polymer VIIs 

(thickeners) is that they undergo what’s 

known as temporary shear, reducing their 

effective viscosity. But once the stress on 

the oil is removed, such as when oil exits 

the bearings, of a running engine, the 

polymer VII containing oil will return to its 

original kinematic viscosity. 

Viscosity - All Manner of Confusion 

As the KV100 spec does not precisely 

represent the oil’s actual operating viscosity 

in an engine, the Society of Automotive 

Engineers (SAE) began in 1977 to develop a 

better hot operating temperature viscosity 

measurement, and by the mid-80s, the 

High Temperature High Stress (HTHS) 

viscosity measure had been established. 

It is measured at 80ºC, 100ºC and 150ºC in 

centipoise (cP) units of viscosity. HTHSV was 

supposed to replace the KV100 spec but 

because it’s an expensive measurement to 

perform, it is not common. Consequently, 

we now have two high temperature 

viscosity measures, creating all manner of 

confusion, even amongst tribologists, oil 

formulators and end users. 

The HTHS viscosity measure at 150ºC 

is now the standard measure of an oil’s 

high temperature viscosity. HTHSV is 

sometimes referred to as “bearing viscosity” 

as it correlates precisely with an engine’s 

oil pressure. Despite the high 150ºC temp, 

if two oils have similar VIs, the oil with the 

lower HTHSV will be progressively lighter 

down to at least 0ºC (32ºF). 

A typical 20W-50 today will have a HTHSV 

of about 4.8 cP. The HTHSV of oils made back 

in the ‘60s and ‘70s, were probably in the 

4.4-4.7 cP range for fresh virgin oil. So where 

does one find the HTHSV, KV100 and other 

spec’s for a motor oil? Unfortunately not on 

the bottle label where it belongs, but only 

on the oil companies’ websites - Product 

Data Sheet (PDS), Technical Data Sheet (TDS) 

or sometimes just Typical Properties data. 

While the KV40 and KV100 specs are always 

provided, the HTHSV spec is not always 

listed. 

Most 20-grade oils have a narrow 

HTHSV range from 2.6-2.8cP with most at 

the 2.6cP minimum for the grade. 

Thirty-grade oils range from the 2.9cP 

minimum to 3.5cP with a few specialty 

oils as high as 3.8cP; while 40-grade oils 

start at about 3.6cP for some 0W-40s and 

5W-40s; and is typically 4.3cP for a GP II 

15W-40 and can be as high as 4.7cP for 

some specialty 5W-40 and 10W-40s such 

as from Red Line. The 50-grade oils have 

a very wide HTHSV viscosity range from 

about 4.0 cP to 6.2 cP. 

A common complaint amongst 20W-50 

users, who may have changed brands of 

the “same viscosity grade”, is that their 

oil pressure now consistently reads high. 

They have incorrectly assumed that since 

the grades are the same, so is the viscosity 

and conclude that something within the 

engine is the problem when the cause is 

the choice of oil brand. 

An oil’s viscosity index (VI) is the 

second important attribute of an oil’s 

viscosity. All motor oil thins out when 

it gets hot and thickens up when it 

cools. VI is an indication to what extent 

viscosity changes with temperature at 

typical operating temperatures. It’s a 

dimensionless number derived from the 

kinematic viscosity measured at 40ºC and 

100ºC. The SAE developed it before multigrade 

oils were invented and chose a VI of 

100 which was just out of reach of the best 

solvent refined GP I mineral oils of the day 

from which to rank motor oils. 

For example, a 40-grade oil from the ‘60s 

such as Castrol Classic XXL 40 had a VI of 

95 which was considered very good at the 

time. So when the first multi-grade 20W- 

50 came to market in the late ‘50s, its VI of 

nominally 120, was considered a lubrication 

break-through. Today however, if a finished, 

fully-formulated engine and transmission 

oil doesn’t have a VI of at least 170, it’s below 

average. The better synthetic oils will have 

VIs in the 180s with the most advanced 

over 200 and approaching 230. This is 

accomplished by using high VI synthetic 

base oils plus newly developed very high VI 

polymer viscosity index improvers (VIIs). 

Oil Classification 

Mineral or conventional oil are base oils 

refined from crude oil and are categorized 

into three groups by the American 

Petroleum Institute (API): 

Group I oils are solvent-refined, which is 

the simplest refining process. Motor oil from 

the 1960’s and earlier was made this way. 

Group II oils are refined to a greater 

extent using a hydrogen–treating process 

developed in the early 70’s. This makes up the 

bulk of the so-called conventional motor oils 

sold today. The VI of these oils is up to 120. 

Group III oils are hydro-cracked oils 

refined to the greatest extent resulting in 

very pure oils with a VI above 120. Even 

though these still refined from crude 

oil, the best of these have performance 

characteristics that can match that of more 

expensive GP IV synthetics for a fraction 

of the price. GP III based motor oils started 

to be available in the early 1980s. In NA 

finished oils made from GP III stocks can be 

called “synthetic” and therefore that’s what 

most OTC oils advertised as synthetic are 

formulated with. 

Group III+ Recently, a new type of base 

oil derived from natural gas (gas-to-liquid 

or GTL) falls into the GP III camp and have 

exceptional properties including very high 

VIs and low volatility. 

Group IV are synthetic oils of 

polyalphaolefins (PAOs) chemistry and are 

made from a process called synthesizing. 

They have exceptionally good cold-flow 

properties plus very low oxidative rates at 

high temperatures. 

Group V oils are all other synthetic 

base oils including esters, such as diester, 

polyolester and complex esters. The best of 

these can handle extremely high temps in 

addition to possessing very good cold-flow 

properties plus having very high VIs. They 

are polar in nature, meaning they actually 

will bond to metal. They are often blended 

with PAOs to formulate the highest 

performing motor oils at a premium price. 

Anti-wear (AW) additives 

All motor oils contain anti-wear 

additives that minimize wear during 

boundary lubrication. The most common 

and least expensive of these is zinc 

dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP). It’s called 

a Zinc (Zn) additive but it is primarily 

the phosphorus (P) in the molecule that 

bonds under heat and pressure to ferrous 

wear-surfaces and acts as a sacrificial wear 

element instead of the metal itself. How 

much ZDDP is necessary for a particular 

engine especially with regard to older 

engines with flat tappet push rods? API 

SM and SN 30-grade and lighter oils are 

restricted to no more than 800 ppm of P to 

maximize the life of the catalytic converter 

on more modern vehicles. Using a higher 

ZDDP oil may have some merit in a newly 

rebuilt engine but in my experience 1,000- 

1,100 ppm of P is fine once an otherwise 

stock engine is broken-in. 

Personally, I never chose oil based on 

its ZDDP level but rather its viscometrics. 

Since I use light SM and SN 0W-20 and 

0W-30 grades in some of my older cars, I 

do in some cases use a ZDDP supplement 

like Red Line Break-In Additive to raise 

the P level to 1,000 ppm or so in oils that 

use ZDDP as the principal AW agent. One 

bottle is good for 4 or 5 oil changes. 

Winter Rating 

The number before the W in a SAE oil 

grade is the winter rating. The smaller the 

number, the farther below freezing an oil 

will still be able to pump. 0W-XX, the lowest 

rating, simply means that the oil still has 

borderline pumping ability at -40 degrees. 

SAE, API and ACEA rules require the 

lowest winter rating that an oil can pass to 

be stated in the oil’s grade. For example, 

if a synthetic 50-grade oil passes the test 

for a 10W it’s supposed to be labeled SAE 

10W-50. If it passes the test for a 5W a 

SAE 5W-50 label is what’s required. Some 

formulators do work around this rule for 

marketing purposes (e.g., Porsche 20W50). 

Users will often mistakenly choose 

an oil grade based on the winter rating, 

rationalizing that they don’t need a 5W 

let alone a 0W oil because they won’t 

be starting their car at anywhere near 

those cold temperatures. What they don’t 

appreciate is that the move to 5W-50, 5W-40 

0W-40, 0W-30 and 0W-20 synthetic grades in 



ecent years has little to do with formulating 

an oil that will allow an engine to crank 

at -30ºC or -35ºC but rather the pursuit 

of an oil with a higher VI and therefore it 

will be lighter at all start-up temp’s. The 

highest VI oils in the lighter oil grades will 

automatically have a 0W winter rating. For 

example, the most advanced race oils have a 

0W rating which has nothing to do with any 

extreme cold temperature performance but 

rather is the result of selecting high VI base 

oils and high VI VIIs. An example of this is 

Mobil 1’s 0W-50 racing oil. 

Synthetic Oil Advantage 

A traditional 20W-50 has a VI no higher 

than 120 so when you see some 20W-50s 

today with a VI in the 130s and even 140 

they are using some higher quality GP II 

base oils and/or even some GP III base oils 

in their formulation. So while they don’t 

have all the advantages of full synthetics, 

they are an improvement over traditional 

20W-50s. A good example of this is Kendall 

GT-1 20W-50 (HTHSV 4.9cP, 139 VI) that’s 

inexpensively priced. 

How does a 20W-50 compare to a 

straight 20-grade at a less extreme cold 

start-up temperature of say (0ºC/320F)? 

Using Castrol GTX 20W-50 (VI 125, HTHSV 

4.8cP) as an example, it is over 3 times 

heavier. In fact it has about the same 

viscosity as a straight GP II 40-grade oil. At 

room temperature the straight 40-grade 

is about 10% lighter and that’s compared 

to one of the “lighter” 20W-50s like GTX. 

As far as your engine is concerned, it’s a 

40-grade oil in the sump at more typical 

start-up temps or even heavier. 

Compare that 20W-50 to a high VI 

synthetic with a similar (HTHS) viscosity, 

e.g., PAO based Amsoil 5W-50 (VI 184). It is 

35% lighter at room temperature; at 10ºC 

(50ºF) it’s 45% lighter and at 0ºC (32ºF) 55% 

lighter. But in the parts of an engine where 

the oil gets very hot such as in the ring belt, 

this 5W-50 will be more viscous since its 

rate of viscosity loss with increasing temps 

is lower, yielding greater high temperature 

protection. A heavier high-VI synthetic is 

the PAO/POE based Red Line 5W-50 (HTHSV 

5.0cP, 186 VI) and a lighter example is the GP 

III based Mobil 1 5W-50 (HTHSV 4.4cP, 180 VI) 

available at Crescent Oil. 

If you can run a lighter 5W-50 or even 

a 0W-40, the advantages are even more 

pronounced because of the reduced oil drag 

on start-up and during the warming-up 

period. Having the lowest oil drag possible 

can completely transform an engine’s 

driving characteristics - easier starting 

of course, with less choke necessary to 

maintain a cold idle. And since the viscosity 

thins out at a lower rate on warm up, idle 

speed will be less affected. The engine 

will rev more easily with less throttle. On 

balance, the car will be more pleasant to 

drive – well worth the higher price of a high- 

VI synthetic oil in my opinion. 

Using Your Oil Pressure Gauge 

You may think selecting the correct oil 

viscosity for your classic car is complicated. 

Actually it’s rather easy since most LBCs 

come equipped with an oil pressure gauge 

(OPG). The OPG has many useful functions 

including being a viscosity meter. The 

OPG actually measures back-pressure or 

the oil’s resistance to flow through the 

engine, consequently the heavier the oil, 

the higher the oil pressure (OP) reading. 

The OP reading can therefore be a proxy for 

operational viscosity in a running engine. 

It is the bottom line that takes everything 

that can affect an oil’s dynamic viscosity 

into consideration, including the condition 

of the engine bearings and the condition of 

the oil itself such as shear, fuel dilution and 

the biggest factor, oil temperature. 

Auto manufacturers and engine tuners 

provide a minimum and maximum safe 

OP operating range at some specified 

high rpm, once the engine is up to 

normal operating temperature. Even 

without knowing what oil grades are 

recommended, one can quickly determine 

if the viscosity of the oil in the engine falls 

within the recommended OP range. 

For example, the recommended OP 

for the Lotus-Ford Twin-Cam engine in 

my ’73 Europa is 35-40 psi at around 

4,000 rpm. The pressure relief valve (PRV) 

setting on the oil pump is nominally 45-50 

psi. In the 2L Vauxhall-Cosworth C20XE 

engine in my ’94 Caterham HPC 7 the OP 

spec is between 64 and 80 psi at 4,500 

rpm with a 90 psi PVR limited maximum 

OP. For the ’70-’78 Triumph Stag V8 the 

recommended OP is 50-60 psi at 3,500 

rpm with a PRV controlled max OP of 

nominally 70 psi. 

Assuming you have a properly 

operating OP gauge, that does show 

the maximum PRV controlled OP level 

spec with a cold engine, then you can 

use the gauge to quickly determine 

if the oil you’re using falls within the 

recommended OP range when fully hot. 

If it does then you know the oil has the 

correct HTHSV for your engine under 

operating conditions. Ideally, you want to 

be at the lower end of the recommended 

OP to maximize engine efficiency and 

performance benefits. 

Oil Change Interval 

If you’re going to use expensive synthetic 

oil, the last thing you want to do is 

change it prematurely. Synthetic oil 

lasts 2 to 3 times longer than a classic 

mineral oil and will last literally for years, 

if you take care of it. Short trips in subfreezing 

temperatures will shorten the 

life of any oil as it does not get up to 

normal operating temps. Classic cars 

don’t operate under such conditions; 

in fact they usually operate under ideal 

conditions. However, it is still best not 

to start an engine unless you’re going to 

bring the oil up to temperature, and that 

can takes 10 to 15 minutes longer than 

the coolant takes to reach normal. You can 

rely on accumulated mileage for when to 

change out the oil. I know old habits die 

hard and after 2 to 4 years you’re going 

to want to change the oil but if you’ve 

only clocked 5,000-6,000 miles, there will 

still be plenty of life left, assuming you’ve 

followed best practices! 

I’ll leave you with a lubrication tenet that 

sums up viscosity selection succinctly - “As 

light as possible – as heavy as necessary.” BCD 

Peter Marie is a member of the Lotus Car 

Club of Canada and can be reached at 

petermarie1955@gmail.com 


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including Muskoka. 

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muscle cars, hot rods, sports 

cars, exotics, kit cars, trucks, 

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www.vintagecarconnection.com

Special article 

Lighting 

Upgrades 

by Terence McKillen 

When Gil Keane, proprietor of 

Better Car Lighting, located in Bidford-on- 

Avon, Warwickshire (UK) advised me late 

last year that he had created a new kit to 

upgrade the turn signals on the Triumph 

Stag, I immediately contacted him to get a 

kit for my car as I had unsuccessfully tried 

to change the turn signal bulbs on both 

my Stag and TR6 to LEDs a year or two 

earlier without success. 

The Stag’s wiring circuitry is apparently 

somewhat unique in that some of the 

circuits can store small amounts of current 

even if they have been turned off which 

then causes LED bulbs to still glow as 

they thrive on such a low current flow 

in comparison to regular OEM filament 

bulbs. Fitting LED bulbs to older cars can 

sometimes expose some strange electrical 

issues. However, there is an easy and 

tested fix to the ‘current bleed’ problem in 

the form of an easy-to-fit resistor module 

which is inserted between a circuit’s live 

feed and an earth/ground. 

I had earlier fitted another of Gil’s kits 

to my Stag – a nifty three-in-one LED 

replacement bulb for the Stag’s reversing 

lights to provide white light when 

reversing but in addition, a red light when 

braking and a high-intensity red (selected 

through a panel switch) as a rear fog 

light (all with one bulb), so I was keen to 

see what he had come up with this time. 

Incidentally, these three-in-one bulbs are 

suitable for any British classic car and are 

very easily installed. Doubling the number 

of brake lights at the rear definitely 

improves visibility. 

The 21-watt conventional 

filament bulbs fitted to the 

front turn signal/side light 

combination and rear turn 

signals on Triumph TRs 

and Stags, as well as other 

imported British cars of the 

period, are really inadequate in 

today’s fast-moving, multi-lane 

traffic. In bright sunshine the 

lights are sometimes difficult 

for other motorists to discern 

and often the flash interval is 

significantly longer than that 

of modern vehicles, all of which leaves us 

quite vulnerable to having our intentions 

misunderstood by other road users. 

I also find that I cannot hear the ‘clickclick’ 

of the flasher relay which means 

that it is quite possible, particularly if the 

turn signal lever cancellation mechanism 



may be out of alignment, to leave one’s 

turn signals flashing merrily away as one 

drives on down the road even though not 

planning any further turns! We see this 

happening almost every time we go on 

a classic car outing which is annoying to 

other road users. 

Although LED bulbs have been on the 

market for some time, LED technology 

is a fast-moving field and just when one 

thinks a particular area is fully sorted, an 

announcement of a new breakthrough 

changes things. Gil is a guy who keeps 

on, or ahead of, the cutting edge of the 

technological advances and has gone 

back to the drawing board to re-design 

bulbs and circuitry for various functions 

on a variety of British classic cars, 

including Triumphs, MGs, Jaguars and 

other makes – check out his website at 

www.bettercarlighting.co.uk. 

Although the new kit was specifically 

designed to upgrade the turn signal 

flashers for the Triumph Stag, it won’t 

take anyone very long to spot that the 

same kit, in full or in part, can be applied 

to most other Triumphs of the period 

or indeed any of the British imports we 

treasure from the 1950s, 60s and 70s 

and beyond. This new product provides 

very bright and effective orange traffic 

indicators. By also replacing the existing 

OEM relays with electronic ones, the 

hazard warning lights also operate 

efficiently and the frequency of the turn 

signal is consistently regulated. 

The kit has been made possible by the 

development of some new, compact and 

very powerful LED bulbs. New doubleterminal 

LED bulbs with orange for the 

flasher and warm white for the side lights 

are fitted at the front to replace the 21/5 

watt double-filament bulbs and a pair 

of single-terminal orange LED bulbs are 

fitted at the rear. 

The kit also comes with a pair of 

electronic flasher relays (one to replace 

the turn signal relay and the other the 

hazard warning relay) which are essential 

for LED bulbs, but in an emergency will 

work with standard bulbs and are easy to 

fit on the existing relay board (behind the 

parcel shelf in the case of the Stag). 

Because electronic relays are silent, Gil 

has added a sounder box which restores 

the traditional ‘click-click’ noise when the 

turn signals are activated. The sounder 

box is best fitted behind the dash panel 

after splicing in a connection to each of 

the output wires from the column turn 

switch to the left- and right-hand circuits 

with an earth/ground connection also 

being necessary. The resistor module is 

then run between the live wire going 

into the sounder box to an appropriate 

ground connection (can be the same 

earth/ground as used for the sounder 

box) which prevents current ‘bleed’ to the 

opposite side circuit. 

Installation is fairly simple and should 

be manageable by the average owner 

over a one to two hour period. In the case 

of my Stag, installation took considerably 

longer and I had to resort several times 

to contacting both Gil and Kevin Fathers, 

of Faversham Classics, Stag-only experts 

in Kent (UK) - www.favershamclassics. 

co.uk - who had helped Gil with initial 

in-car testing. The main issue, which we 

eventually resolved, was the difference 

between the front sidelight/turn signal 

circuitry in UK Stags (and other models) 

and that of U.S. Federal models. The 

UK cars, as well as many pre-late 1960s 

Federal imports, have a separate white 

side light/parking bulb at the front behind 

a white lens with a separate amber turn 

signal and the front side panel light may 

also act as a turn signal repeater. The 

later U.S. models have a combined side/ 

parking and flasher light behind a single 

amber lens with the side panel repeater 

light being unrelated to the turn signal 

circuitry. 

I was initially getting current bleed 

into both the left- and right-hand turn 

signal, brake light, license plate and rear 

side panel marker light circuits because 

the new UK spec front LED bulbs were 

not compatible for a U.S. Federal Stag. As 

a result, Gil has now created two kits, one 

for the UK/Rest of World (and pre-1968 

Federal models with separate front turn 

signals) while the U.S. Federal kit contains 

a pair of double-terminal orange/soft 

white bulbs for the front corners of later 

models like the TR6, Stag, and later Spitfire 

and MG models. 

The kit comes complete with 

instructions and costs £156 or about 

US$180 plus air mail to USA or Canada 

(comparable to the price of four LED 

bulbs from other North American parts 

suppliers). Tech support is available from 

Gil if needed. Be sure to request either 

the Federal or UK kit when ordering - 

enquiries@bettercarlighting.co.uk. BCD 



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2018-BCD

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