HAPPY 75^TH ‘BIRTHDAY’ TO THE UK’S KITCAR INDUSTRY – 1949-2024 

A warm WELCOME to totalkitcar online … Nice to hear a few rumbles of new models being prepared for 2025. When I did my annual round-up recently, I was surprised at how many there were. A couple of established companies are readying stuff, while the 55-year-old Scamp Motor Company is under new ownership and is promising a Mk5 model.

Talking of Mk5s, the big news is the imminent arrival of the Dutton Phaeton Mk5. It was announced back in May, but Tim Dutton has spent the rest of the year working on it.

We’ll bring you news on all the new models and industry developments, you can be sure of it.

TKC MAG – NOV/DEC 2024  issue of TKC MAG is OUT NOW.

You can CLICK HERE to order your NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024  copy NOW.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER has plenty more to entertain you with, dear reader. You will find on this issue’s a la carte menu –

Dirty Dog Outlaws – Outlaw Speedster – a new arrival from Australia, this pastiche of the Porsche 356 is based on the humble MGF (or TF with mods). The Philip Island-based manufacturer has already sold a small handful in the UK.

AeroCycle Merlin MG3 – this brilliant three-wheeler originated as the BRA CX3 in 1985 but has had a slightly stop/start existence over the last 20 years or so. The previous custodian, Arthur Rayner tragically died in late 2022. The good news is that the car is back in production. STEVE HOLE rounds up the past, present and future …

BEACH BUGGY OWNERS REUNITED! – A great tale of a reader who sold his beach buggy 35 years ago and with our help found it again. We arranged a dawn meeting on Eastbourne Beach with him and the current owner. A heartwarming tale.

OGLE AT 70 – Ogle design is seventy years ago in 2024 and we were represented at the recent Ogle meet at Knebworth Park where seven of the surviving Ogle SX1000s turned up. Meanwhile, STEVE HOLE looks at the company’s past.

INDUSTRY GREATS – This issue, Mark Grinnall falls under our spotlight, not only for the brilliant Scorpion III but for his motorsport past and current endeavours with Mid West Moto, a proper destination venue in Stourport-on-Seven which among other things sells Grinnall bike-to-trikes and dealer for the Indian Motorcycle brand.

That’s just some of what we have for you…

Alternatively, you can CLICK HERE to pre-order your NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 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-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.

TKC MAG – WHY NOT CONSIDER A SUBSCRIPTION THAT LASTS A WHOLE YEAR? – ACTUALLY, IT LASTS LONGER THAN THAT IF YOU USE THIS SPECIAL OFFER, AS IT WILL LAST FOURTEEN MONTHS. WE’LL ADD AN EXTRA ISSUE TO THE STANDARD TWELVE MONTHS PACKAGE. https://bit.ly/3RxuLgU 

By the grace of Royal Mail – if you live in the United Kingdom – we can pretty much say with confidence that you will receive your copies at least two or three days before shop or digital publication dates.

Our popular TRACKDAY CALENDAR is where you can find out where, when and how much by CLICKING HERE. Now updated to cover November and December 2024.

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 we take a petit and bijou look at a very rare Belgian kitcar from the late fities/early sixties called the 2CV-RADAR created by a Liège-based Citroën dealer called Robert Radar. CLICK HERE.

SNIPPETS 1 ……The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show celebrated its 40th anniversary in style with more clubs, cars and attendees over the three show days. The seven halls were buzzing from the minute the doors opened on Friday, November 8.

The first order of business was to reveal to visitors who would be inducted into the show’s new Hall of Fame. Going forward, the show plans to induct worthy names into four categories – Classic Car, Industry Ambassador, Motoring Club, and Community Ambassador.

Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer revealed, with the help of Show Director Lee Masters, that the Jaguar E-Type was the Classic Car inductee with Paul Crowther’s stunning Series 1 OTS on display.

FBHVC Chairman David Whale was then revealed as the Industry Ambassador for his campaigning for the historic vehicle movement, whilst the Jowett Car Club was inducted as the inaugural Motoring Club, a highly contested title.

Lee Masters then surprised Mike Brewer and invited him to join the Hall of Fame as Community Ambassador in recognition for all he has done for the motoring community.

Show Director Lee Masters said: “It’s always great to see the classic car community come together but this year was extra special. A personal highlight for me was honouring our Hall of Fame inductees, a very proud moment. Huge thanks to all our sponsors, traders, clubs, and visitors for celebrating our 40th anniversary with us.”

With over 3000 cars on show across seven halls, this year’s show had a world record 338 motoring clubs showcasing various marques and models ranging from the 1381 Motor Club to the XR4 Register, many celebrating anniversaries of their own.

The best of the best from the club scene were invited to battle it out on the Meguiar’s Club Showcase with 14 immaculate cars under the expert judges’ scrutiny. It was Andy Nash’s 1958 Fiat Nuova 500N that took home the crystal trophy.

Talking of trophies, the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition was fiercer than ever. With the public voting for their favourite out of the 20 cars on the hallowed carpet, it was Richard Stacey’s 1967 Ford Mustang that won the visitors’ hearts and minds. Second place went to Paul Clappison’s 2002 Porsche Boxster S and Tahmid Haque’s 1986 Koenig Specials BMW 635 came third.

Yvonne Gosney from headline sponsor Lancaster Insurance Services said: “It’s been a milestone year for ourselves and the Classic Motor Show as we both turn 40 and this weekend was a truly special one to mark the occasion. It was fantastic to be able to celebrate with enthusiasts, clubs and businesses who have supported us over the years and to be able to give something back to visitors with our prize giveaway. A huge thank you to everyone involved.”

The Sporting Bears Motor Club raised £42,580 from its popular Dream Rides. The ‘Bears’ gave ten-mile passenger rides to visitors in exchange for a charitable donation. The charities benefiting from this year’s show include Young Minds, Me and Dee, Thrive and Sibling Support.

Other show highlights included the new Podcast Lounge where various motoring podcasts recorded in front of a live audience. Aso new for 2024 was the DadCars Family Zone with plenty to entertain children and families. There was also the popular Meet the Experts Theatre, hosted by Mike Brewer and YouTuber Auto Alex Kersten, with lively panel discussions and interviews with the likes of car design legend Frank Stephenson.

The next Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show will be held at Birmingham’s NEC from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 November 2025. Check the website www.necclassicmotorshow.com for the latest updates.

SNIPPETS 2 …….The Morgan Plus Four is now available to order in the United States, representing the first four-wheeled Morgan that has been officially available in the market since the early 2000s. Plus Four’s introduction to the United States follows a successful homologation program that has taken more than five years.

The order book for United States orders officially opens today, with the first customer cars expected to be delivered early in 2025. While today’s Plus Four presents a similar look and proportions to the model available in the United States in the early 2000s, it is a fundamentally different vehicle.

The latest Morgan Plus Four combines the company’s signature blend of industry-leading craftsmanship and engineering honesty to create the purest expression of the four-wheeled Morgan sports car available today. Navigating a delicate balance of tradition and modernity to create a unique and desirable sports car for the 21st Century.

Matthew Hole, Managing Director, Morgan Motor Company, said: “This is a significant milestone for Morgan. The entry of Plus Four into the United States represents the culmination of many years hard work and dedication from countless individuals at Morgan and our partners. Indeed, it also reflects even more years of patience and anticipation from our loyal customers across the United States, a market that has always been hugely important. We are delighted to be able to bring the four-wheeled Morgan sports car back to the United States for the first time in almost 20 years.”

Plus Four joins Super 3 (introduced July 2023) in the US market and is available to order in the United States now from Morgan’s network of 12 official US dealerships. Plus Four’s MSRP (excludes tax, title, license, dealer and destination charges) is $84,995.

Interested customers are encouraged to head to Morgan’s dedicated United States website via https://www.morgan-motor-usa.com where they can configure their own Plus Four, discover more about the model and register interest with a dealership.

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STEVO’S BEER TIP – BURWELL BREWERY – STEFANS’ MÜHLE

CHAMPIONING THE BEERS OF THE UK’S BRILLIANT CRAFT – AND MICRO-BREWERIES.

Nothing like enjoying a beer after an afternoon in the garage or following a drive out. OBVIOUSLY, we don’t condone or promote drink driving at totalkitcar.com/TKC MAG but once the driving is done there’s nothing like a quality drop of real ale.

I’ve been amazed at some of the low-volume craft beers that have been appearing. The names of some of them are crazy enough, some of those I have tasted have been off the charts. A recent one that tasted like Battenberg or breakfast pancakes springs to mind.

What’s smaller than a brewery? A micro-brewery. What’s smaller than a microbrewery? A nano-brewery. A tiny operation based in one of the founder’s back gardens, Burwell Brewery from Cambridgeshire brew some lovely beers. One of which I sampled this week. Stefans’ Mühle is a wheat beer made in the traditional Bavarian style of 5% ABV.

It is a refreshing beer that is great served cold with a slice of lemon on a hot summer’s day.

Stefans’ Mühle is German for Stevens’ Mill, a local historic building. The mill was the last working mill in Burwell and celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2020. It was last run by the Stevens brothers. It is now part of Burwell Museum and is well worth a look round on open days.

As a real fan of German wheat beers, I enjoyed Stefans’ Mühle. This style of beer is tricky to get right and the Bavarians have been at it for hundreds of years, so for a tiny British brewery to have achieved something so palatable is admirable.

So, that’s about it from me for this week, so I’ll bid you a great week, with plenty of enjoyable driving and I look forward to welcoming you once again next Friday – DECEMBER 6 – La vie et belle

Best regards

Steve