It’s always a thrill to watch vintage racing, and that’s doubly so when the cars are as varied as they are at the Goodwood Revival’s 1960s Touring Cars class. In the video after the break, you’ll see such classic machinery as the V8-powered Ford Galaxie, 300-horsepower Jaguar Mk II, Lotus Cortina, Mini Cooper (the original, naturally), Alfa Romeo GT and BMW 1600.

How can a puny 1.6-liter Mini Cooper possibly compete with cars boasting twice as much power? That’d be by maintaining as much speed through the corners as possible, maximizing its weight advantage when braking and, of course, it never hurts to see some stellar driving talent behind the wheel.

We suggest you click past the break to get in on the vintage racing goodness. It’s seven minutes of your life well spent.

Continue reading Goodwood Revival historic race showcases classic touring cars

Goodwood Revival historic race showcases classic touring cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Historic Vehicle Association wants to change the fact that there are national historic registries for places, boats, planes, and trains, but nothing to protect vehicles with historic value. The Association, started in 2009 by Hagerty Insurance, a company that specializes in coverage for classic vehicles, is championing the passage of laws that further protect historically significant vehicles and allow them to stay on the road.

Determining which vehicles are significant and assigning a degree to that significance is one of the head-scratchers the Association is up against right now. “We’re looking at how things are treated, everything from a Marmon Meteor to a milk truck,” says Carmel Roberts, Association Director of Government Relations. There are design, ownership and origin factors that determine a vehicle’s place in history, and the association is open to upgrading vehicles so they can continue to be used, the same way historic homes can be outfitted with modern plumbing and wiring.

It’s unclear whether the effort and expense to pass laws protecting older cars will have any effect on their preservation. Cash for Clunkers didn’t apply to 1957 Chevrolet Bel Airs or 1973 Lamborghini Espadas, for example, and legislation doesn’t change the expensive reality of just storing a car properly, let alone restoration.

Group seeks national registry for historic cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier this year the Monterey Motorsports Reunion announced that Jaguar would be the featured marque for the 2011 event. Dozens of Jags will be featured in many of the races, including the C-Type, which will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of its win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the XK120, D-Type and E-Type.

In addition to the cars on track, the Monterey Motorsports Reunion will display a collection of historical Jaguars in the paddock. Perhaps the most notable example will be the 1950 Jaguar XK120 that Phil Hill drove to victory at the very first Pebble Beach Road Race, an event that later relocated to Laguna Seca and evolved into today’s Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Also on display will be a 1951 C-Type (again, driven by Phil Hill), an SCCA championship-winning 1974 E-Type, a 1978 Trans-Am XJS and the XJR-9 race car that won Le Mans outright in 1988. We’ll have photos of the cars during our live coverage of Monterey Car Week next month, but until then ,enjoy the gallery below or read more about the gathering of historic Jaguars after the jump.

Historic Jaguars to go on display at Monterey Motorsports Reunion originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 250 GTO has long been considered the most desirable Ferrari of all time, and up until last year was regarded as the most valuable car in the world. The 250 GTO’s rarity (just 39 were produced including a single prototype), its success in international racing in the 1960s, and the beautiful shape designed by Bizzarrini are an unmatched combination.

The 50th anniversary of the 250 GTO is just around the corner, and to celebrate, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has decided to hold a gathering of as many of the cars as possible. An invite has been sent out to each of the owners, and more than half have already committed to attend. If it’s anything like the Jaguar XK-SS reunion held at Pebble Beach last year, then the sight should be nothing less than epic. Hit the jump for the official PR from Pebble Beach, or peruse through our collection of Ferrari 250 GTO photos in the gallery below.

Continue reading Pebble Beach to celebrate 50th anniversary of Ferrari 250 GTO with historic gathering

Pebble Beach to celebrate 50th anniversary of Ferrari 250 GTO with historic gathering originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hot Wheels teamed up with an Amsterdam-based company called Muse Digital to create a 3D commercial that can be projected onto buildings. In this case, Hot Wheels had Muse make them a 3D, computer-generated race between four of its iconic models.

The race was projected onto the side of the historic Sydney Customs House. So advanced are the projected 3D graphics that the building appears to get destroyed throughout the course of the race, as familiar orange track bursts through the walls and a number of other calamities ensue.

The video itself is pretty campy, but the technology behind it is seriously cool. Click past the jump to see the clip in its entirety.

[Source: YouTube via MotorworldHype]

Continue reading Video: Hot Wheels holds 3D race on side of historic Aussie building

Video: Hot Wheels holds 3D race on side of historic Aussie building originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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