Automotive Lovers

2018 is a big year for Land Rover – and Land Rover publications from us – but it may be about to get even bigger with a World Record attempt in the works ... Land Rover Monthly magazine is partnering with the Billing Off Road Show in a bid to set a new World Record for the Largest Parade of Land Rovers/Range Rovers, at the annual show taking place from the 30th of June to the 1st of July.  Held by Germany, the current record of 632 was set on the 30th of May this year, in Bad Kissingen, but the organisers of the show, along with the LRM team, are out to bring it back to the UK. The attempt will take place on Saturday the 30th of June at 5pm, with registration on site at 1pm. 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the invention of the Land Rover, which was created in Britain in 1948 and launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show on the 30th of April that year.  This World Record attempt is part of the Billing Off Road Show weekend, where people from all around come to dri...

Summer is officially here – although the weather is taking it's time to decide – and for many of us, our summer holidays are just around the corner. Have you got a Euro-trip planned? Do you know the road laws on the Continent? If the answer is no, you're not alone ... Many Brits are left baffled when driving around the continent, as four in five struggle to correctly identify foreign road signs whilst driving abroad, according to a new study conducted by easyjet and Europcar. Other common aspects holidaymakers find challenging are: driving on the right-hand side of the road (59), identifying foreign traffic signs (44%), understanding foreign rules and regulations (51%), and knowing the difference between kilometres and miles per hour also stresses a quarter of Brits out.  The majority (89%) of those surveyed admit to having little to no understanding of foreign regulations and road signs, and 87% conduct no research into a foreign country's Highway Co...

Can you believe that we've been following Oliver Winterbottom's promotional run for A Life In Car Design  for a year already?  Momentum is still going strong for this insightful book, and in today's blog we'll be getting you up to speed. 1 March – Upon my snowy return from Leicestershire, I am delighted to receive the Veloce Publishing Catalogue Spring 2018 . Very much appreciated is that my book is featured on the Contents page. It also is the first book listed under Biographies – but having a title beginning with "A" helps! Thank you, Veloce. 2 March – Amazon email me again, offering me my book for £21.91. Generous of them! 4 March – Write to renew my membership of the Bourne Motor Racing Club, and attached the background to my BRM connections. I also offer to give the club a talk centred around my book, if they desire.  6 March – Three copies of my book arrive from Amazon – the price was too good! 8 March – I receive a response from the Bourne Motor Raci...

This year, the MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) celebrates its 60th anniversary. The last event took place at Thruxton on the weekend of the 19th-20th of May, and our director Jude went along to take in some of the action! Thruxton held its first BTCC race back in 1968, and with 11 corners over 2.36 miles, this track sees the highest average speed of any circuit visited by the BTCC. 2018 saw new records set for the circuit, with Matt Neal setting a new fastest qualifying lap with a time of 1min 15.612s (112.17mph), and Tom Ingram setting a new fastest race lap with a time of 1min 17.060s (110.06mph) – beating Yvan Muller's 2002 longest standing lap record recorded on the BTCC calendar.  Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan moved to the summit of the BTCC standings with victory in the final race in front of a record crowd, following on from points scoring finishes in the first two bouts in Hampshire.  Matt Neal claimed the early br...

A little change of pace now, as today's blog is all about motorcycles.  Of course, we love all things motorcycle related here at Veloce – a number of the Velocisti regularly ride their bikes into work – so road safety is paramount to us. Sadly, a large number of motorcycle riders around the globe are involved in serious accidents annually, and with the weather getting warmer, it's even more crucial that we all THINK BIKE whilst out on the roads. Locally, Dorset Police have launched a new campaign in order to encourage motorists to THINK BIKE on a more regular basis. This has involved putting up posters in 'hot spot' areas around the county where serious collisions have occurred involving motorcycle users. It is hoped that these signs will highlight that road users need to pay more attention to motorcycle users. You can see these posters on the following roads: B3059 Somerford Road, Christchurch A354 Weymouth Way A354 Portland Beach Road B3073 Christchurch R...

Porsche news always grabs our attention here at Veloce, as you know how much we love the marque, but this news story got our attention for a different reason than normal ...  It has been announced that Porsche will axe all diesel engine options from its range of cars with immediate effect, with the reason behind the decision being a "cultural shift" by the brand's customers which caused the demand for diesel models to fall. Instead, the marque is switching its attention to petrol and hybrid models.  The decision was made the same week that Germany's top court ruled that cities have the right to ban diesel motors in an effort to improve air quality levels. The cities of Stuttgart – home of Porsche  – and Leipzig had wanted to stop older diesel vehicles entering the city limits, and now this can be possible. Similar proposals are being discussed by governments around the world, in order to reduce pollution in major cities.  Last year, bosses at Porsche said that they w...

Who doesn't love a classic car? Drive-It Day 2018 is taking place this Sunday, April 22nd, and although many of the popular events to celebrate the day have sold out, there are plenty of ways to participate. Drive-It Day takes place every year to help raise awareness of the classic vehicle movement in the UK and encourages classic vehicle owners to show off their classics as much as possible. Organised by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), Drive-It Day celebrates the UK's rich transport heritage. Now into its 13th year, Drive-It Day commemorates The Thousand Mile Trial, which took place on April 23rd, 1900. Organised by the Automobile Club, a gathering of 65 cars embarked on a highly ambitious voyage around the country. Starting in London, the Trial went through Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Derby, Kendal, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, and back to London. Events around the country Drive your classic to the British Motor ...