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A WARM Welcome to totalkitcar online … So, this missive from Tim Dutton this week.
“Steve, Just booked a double stand (6/7) for Malvern Show.
“The show will see the be the World launch of the all new Mazda MX-5 Mk3-based Dutton Phaeton 5. Also exhibited will be my current personal transport a Phaeton Series 4 built in the mid-eighties from a 1971 Ford Escort 1300 GT donor. This is an important Dutton model.
“The 6000th built, registered as a Historic Dutton with chassis number P6000 – so a comparison can be made between two Phaetons side-by-side yet separated by forty years of uninterrupted vehicle production.
“We hope that this exciting news will motivate all the Dutton owners out there who have ‘almost’ got their Duttons running and will make the effort to get them road-legal.
“Bring them along to Malvern and visit us on the Stand. You have 3½ months to go so no excuses!
“We are also currently breaking a complete un-damaged Series 4 Phaeton, so if you need anything from a fusebox to a complete axle we can bring it to the show for collection. All body parts and chassis have already been sold, give away prices to clear room for S5 production. Email us with your requirements.”
Now you know what’s what and what to do. I think it’ll be great to see the new Phaeton S5 make its debut. https://www.timdutton.com
NEW ISSUE OF TKC MAG
TKC MAG – MARCH/APRIL 2023 issue of is IMMINENT in store, mail order and digitally.
HAWK CARS HF – Front cover feature is the marvellous HAWK CARS HF Lancia Stratos forty years old in 2025 – our twelve page feature covers the past, present and future for this glorious replica.
INDUSTRY GREATS – FORMULA 27 – Although it’s not been around for many years the F27 Roadster grew from a humble ‘pattern and plans’ project into one of the finest Lotus Seven-inspired sportscars. We look at the histiory and also catch up with the man who really drove the project – Steve Porter.
CATERHAM CARS – ‘X’ MARKS THE SPOT – we got our first chance to visit the vast new Caterham Cars factory, known as DARTFORD X, which is in, er, Dartford.
REMEMBERING THE CATERHAM 21 – Second feature of a Caterham-flavour this issue. We look back to the surely under-rated Caterham 21, wich deserved to do better. Arguably, although it went off sale in 1999, it looks better in 2025.
Alternatively, you can CLICK HERE order your MARCH/APRIL 2025 copy NOW.
A little plug (well, it’s my website and I have good things to make you aware of!) for the digital version of TKC MAG. If not having a hard, paper copy of the mag in your mitts doesn’t bother you then may I recommend the digi edition.
An EXACT replica of the paper version it currently costs just £23.99 for a TWELVE MONTHS DIGITAL subscription to TKC MAG ANYWHERE in the world. Visit Pocketmags.com and type in ‘TKC MAG’ and all will be revealed. Alternatively, you download our APP on your mobile and download single issues or a subscription on your phone or tablet.
We are getting a lot of new subscribers on the totalkitcar YouTube channel. If you like this website, you are sure to find something you like on the ‘totalkitcar YouTube channel’? In addition to our usual monthly video upload, we now have a weekly series called the ‘totalkitcar History Files Series. The latter isn’t rocket science. We verbally look at old kitcars with photos added, but we seem to be capturing peoples’ imaginations.
As the name suggests we look at some of the classic marques, great cars, not so great cars, plus the personalities, events and designers who have graced this wonderful industry over the last 75 years.
If you don’t already subscribe to our channel (just search ‘totalkitcar YouTube Channel’ on YouTube) please do, as it’s free and if you click ‘all’ you’ll be notified every time a new video drops. Finally, may I ask you to hit the thumbs up button please as that helps the channel greatly. THANK YOU, dear reader.
History File Series, in association with the Enwin Motors channel. Don’t miss out, subscribe for FREE now.
Search YouTube for the ‘totalkitcar YouTube Channel’ or follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/@tkcmag.
Our popular TRACKDAY CALENDAR is where you can find out where, when and how much by CLICKING HERE. Now updated to cover January and February 2025.
IF YOU LIKE CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS you are in luck. Clicking that button will take you back in time with features on old kitcars, personalities and generally interesting companies who worked within the specialist car and sixties motorsport movements. I really hope you are enjoying them. Not all of them are kitcar-related per se but they all celebrate the underdog and often feature the wonderful world of sixties motorsport.
A lot of classic clubman motorsport features highlight underdog artisans that we hope will appeal to you dear reader, the sort of companies that we’ve often all heard of but on whom detailed information is often hard to find. Shorrock, Wade Turbochargers, Jack Knight Developments, Cannon Cars, Tom Killeen, David Ogle the list goes on and on. The sort of companies and individuals that our specialist and kitcar forebears from the sixties would have been very familiar with. You’ll find these subjects contained in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS.
This week in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS I’m delighted to be able to tell the story of Sir Jack Brabham’s Motor Racing Developments, Jack Brabham (Motors) Ltd and Brabham-Viva operations. CLICK HERE to go there.
SNIPPETS 1 …….. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the British Motor Museum have launched a new competition that will see four top UK automotive apprentices have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in November. The competition celebrates National Apprenticeship Week, which promotes the critical role of apprenticeships in driving new skills and careers in the UK automotive industry.
Places on the iconic run are extremely hard to come by and the museum is keen to use its unique position to share the history of the industry and inspire the next generation of automotive leaders, designers and experts. Working closely with member companies, the SMMT acts as the voice of the motor industry, promoting its position to government, stakeholders and the media.
There are currently over 4500 apprentices learning their trade in the sector and contributing to its success – more than 550 having begun this academic year. Now, a lucky four of them will win the chance to take part in the world’s longest-running motoring event, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, behind the wheel of an iconic 1904 Thornycroft 20hp tourer, alongside hundreds of veteran cars on the 60-mile route from St James’s Park to the Brighton seafront.
The prize would include a driver training day at the museum, an overnight stay in London and dinner the night before the Run with the British Motor Museum team, and a very early start on Sunday 2 November for the start of the Run at Hyde Park!
The Thornycroft 20hp tourer was a cutting-edge petrol-engined car in the early 20th century, having arrived first in the Run on several occasions prior to the Second World War. Sharing this historic vehicle with young people is just one of the ways that the museum aims to achieve its charitable objectives to collect, conserve, share and inspire.
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum, said: “This partnership between our two organisations creates a unique opportunity for apprentices to participate in one of the world’s most prestigious and exhilarating motoring events, where places are keenly sought.
The British Motor Museum tells the stories from the dawn of motoring and of its pioneers, illustrated by early cars like the Thornycroft. That heritage can inform today’s apprentices, who will be the pioneers in the 21st century’s rapidly changing motor industry, developing the transport of the future.”.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “Apprentices have helped drive automotive change for more than a century, bringing new skills, perspectives and ideas. We are proud to partner with the British Motor Museum in this world famous event to highlight the incredible opportunities available to young people in an industry that has been around for over a century yet which still has the brightest of futures. Just as innovation revolutionised mobility and society at the turn of the last century, so will today’s transformation bring a better future – with apprenticeships our driving force.”
Apprentices currently employed in the UK automotive industry who meet the competition’s eligibility criteria must submit their application by April 30, 2025. Applicants are required to answer the question – ‘What would participating in the London to Brighton Veteran Car run mean to you’? in a maximum of 250 words. Winners will be announced in due course.
The application form and further details can be found here: https://www.smmt.co.uk/2025/02/apprentice-applications-london-to-brighton-veteran-car-run-2025/
To find out more about the British Motor Museum visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk. For more information on the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run visit www.veterancarrun.com
SNIPPETS 2 …….A marvel of 1980s engineering, the Porsche 959 prioritised innovation over raw power, contrasting Ferrari’s F40 with cutting-edge technology to deliver a refined yet blistering driving experience. Now, RM Sotheby’s is offering one of its rarest iterations: a 1988 Porsche 959 Sport, one of just 29 built, set to cross the auction block on Friday, February 28, through RM Sotheby’s ModaMiami auction.
More than an evolution of the 911, the 959 was a showcase of German engineering prowess, featuring adjustable suspension, an intelligent all-wheel-drive system, tire pressure sensors, and hollow-spoke magnesium wheels. Yet, despite its technological dominance, it remained a rare sight on the road, with only 292 production examples built between 1986 and 1988.
The 959 Sport took this formula even further. Stripped of its adaptive suspension, air conditioning, and stereo, the Sport variant shed around 100kg over the Komfort model, creating a more focused and raw driving experience. A leather-wrapped roll-cage, four-point racing harnesses and a fixed coil-over suspension system made it the most extreme iteration of the 959 – and one of the most desirable collector’s Porsches ever produced.
“The chance to acquire a Porsche 959 Sport is incredibly rare – it’s one of the most sought-after cars among collectors,” said Michael Caimano, Car Specialist at RM Sotheby’s. “As the more exclusive and faster variant of an already limited-production model, its low production numbers place it in the same league as icons like the Ferrari F40 LM. This car was truly built for those who wanted an even more thrilling driving experience, and with just 29 ever produced, it remains one of Porsche’s most coveted and elusive supercars.”
This particular example – the 16th 959 Sport built – was delivered new in 1989 to a former Porsche factory racing team crew chief via Porsche’s Direktverkauf (direct sales) program in Stuttgart, bypassing traditional dealerships.
Today, this 1988 Porsche 959 Sport remains in exceptionally original condition, having passed through a limited number of owners, with just 3757 miles on the odometer.
Meticulously maintained in an esteemed Porsche collection, it stands as a pristine example of one of the rarest and most sought-after Porsches ever produced (Estimate $5,500,000 – $6,500,000).
For more from RM Sotheby’s visit www.rmsothebys.com
SNIPPETS 3…..…Latest from Race Retro …To celebrate 75 years of Formula 1, we’re bringing some true greats to the grid. See Mark Webber’s Jaguar R5, the last F1 car to race under the Jaguar name, alongside the 1980 Shadow DN11, making its first public appearance since its final Grand Prix in Monaco. Add in John Watson’s Penske PC4, and you’ve got a trio of legends with stories to tell, and there’s more to come…
Le Mans to be celebrated
Three Porsche 914/6s in one place? That’s rarer than a rain-free Le Mans! Each of these endurance racers has a unique story, and they’ll be joined by a Jowett Jupiter, celebrating 75 years since its own battle at the 24 Hours. It’s history, it’s horsepower, it’s everything you love about Le Mans in one hall.
To book tickets visit https://raceretro.seetickets.com/content/ticket-options/?src=EMAIL but you can USE DISCOUNT CODE ‘EM23V′ TO SAVE £2 PER TICKET!
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ITALIAN SPORTS BIKES
A new little series celebrating Italian sports bikes, a particular passion of mine.
This week I present the unbelievably beautiful and very potent MV AGUSTA Brutale 1000 RR Assen.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the two-wheel exotica I’ve been featuring thus far. However, I think it might be difficult to top this week’s offering.
The MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Assen tops the Brutale 1000 range. Limited to just 300 examples it packs a blueprinted version of the four-cylinder 1000cc MV Agusta unit which means power is up to 208bhp. Not bad in a bike weighing 183kg, which if my maths are correct means 1137bhp per tonne.
Most exotic Italian sports bikes sound glorious but this one is the sweetest sound you’ll ever hear, aided by the Titanium Arrow exhaust. The bike is laden with carbon-fibre parts and was built to commemorate MV Agusta’s 35 TT race victories at the Assen circuit in The Netherlands. The price? Hmm. About that. Let’s say it quickly – from £40, 300!
So, that’s about it from me for this week, so I’ll bid you a great seven days, with plenty of enjoyable driving and I look forward to welcoming you once again next Friday – FEBRUARY 21 – La vie et belle!
Best regards
Steve