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For some enthusiasts, the 400 bhp and 500 lb/ft of torque developed by the Bentley’s elegant Continental R coupe were not enough. To help them, the company thoughtfully provided the 550 bhp Continental T, launched by marque in 1996. This wonderful 2+2 coupe was slightly shorter than the ‘R’ and featured a highly flamboyant interior. [...]

The Turbocharged Bentley four door models that emerged in the 1980s were the first moves towards giving the marque a separate identity from Rolls Royce, something it hadn’t enjoyed since the days of the R type Continental in the 1950s. The original Mulsanne Turbo of 1983 slightly misjudged the mood of the market, however, with [...]

The Metro probably, the most discussed new car project ever. The British motor industry was effectively saved from bankruptcy by the government in 1974, with the result that ADO 88, a replacement for the famous Mini was the subject of much debate in the Houses of Parliament, in the motoring and national presses and in [...]

The life and times of the Princess series perfectly sum up the chaos that the British motor industry found itself completely swamped by in the 1970s. The low nose, high tail shape penned by Harris Mann was years ahead of its time. It was incredibly space efficient, and the original design even included a hatchback [...]

There may have been many faster small sports cars than the 1958 Austin Healey Sprite, but it is almost certain that none of them has ever been more endearing. With its gaping shape and the round eyes headlights which provided it with a ‘Frogeye’ nickname, this ride had captured the hearts of enthusiasts the world [...]

Although hardly a revolutionary design, it shared many parts with the A35, the 1958 Austin A40 Countryman has one claim to fame; it was the first hatchback family car. Given what has followed in the auto industry since 1958, it is an achievement that it would be foolish to overlook. It’s certainly guaranteed the A40 [...]

In the context of an industry gripped Britain, the Austin Atlantic was a sensation in 1948, an all new 95 mph (152 km/h) British convertible car with modern, full width styling. Indirectly, the Atlantic could be had with a powered hood and windows. Other discerning luxuries included an Ecko radio, adjustable steering wheel and a [...]

Audi had long threatened to build a supercar to showcase its advance technology. Indeed, in 1991, the company showed two supercars within a couple of months of each other. The Audi Quattro Spyder was the first, shown in September at the Frankfurt show. It was entirely real world, powered by a mid mounted V6 engine, [...]

Mercedes was not alone when it decided to build a high tech city car in the early 1990s. The Volkswagen Group commissioned a 3litre car and handed responsibility to Audi. A ‘3 liter car is one capable of traveling 100 km on just 3 liter of fuel, 94 mpg in imperial measurements. It was just [...]

The term ‘iconic design’ is often misused, but the Audi TT does deserve the accolade. It first appeared as a concept design at the 1995 Frankfurt motor show, having been developed at the VW Group’s California studios. The simple, curved, styling theme was generally thought to have been influenced by pre war German engineering (especially [...]