Britain on Wheels: Top 5 Classic British Cars

Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls Royce, the Mini are all names synonymous with the British automobile industry. Each evokes a very particular kind of vehicle, one associated with elegance or luxury, authority or chic. Today, however, almost all former British brands are foreign-owned. 

MR. ROLLS AND MR. ROYCE

Early British automobile pioneers came from diverse professions: some specialised in bicycles, others produced steam-powered lawn mowers or sheep-shearing equipment. Rolls Royce was founded when Frederick Henry Royce, who manufactured engines, fused with Charles Stewart Rolls, who sold quality cars.

SLOW TO GO BIG

By the early 20th century, mass production of cars took off in the US. But British companies did not go big until the mid-1930s. By then, three UK companies controlled 75 per cent of the British market: Morris, Austin and Singer. But American and European competition was aggressive. During World War II, British factories, staffed by many women, produced tanks, artillery and engines for aircraft. 

CHEAP CHIC

After the war, Britain exported widely. In the 1950s the two very popular cars in the UK were the Mini and the Morris Minor, which, with their low running costs, reasonable reliability and competitive pricing, sold well throughout the 1960s. 

THE LAST ONE

After many mergers in an attempt to raise profits, the former British automobile industry was finally divided into the iconic models that defined it and sold off to foreign companies: Germany’s BMW makes Minis and has the Rolls-Royce brand name, Volkswagen owns Bentley and India’s Tata has Jaguar and Land Rover. Of the few companies still in British hands, Morgan is the last remaining family-owned manufacturer. Founded in 1910, it produces hand-assembled prestige cars to order and employs 177 people.

Top 5 Classic British Cars

Dalle graziose Mini alle ostentose Rolls Royce, le macchine britanniche si sono sempre contraddistinte per l’eleganza e l’affidabilità. Ecco alcuni dei modelli che hanno fatto storia, in strada e sul grande schermo.

Aston Martin DB5

Designed by the Italian company Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera in 1963, the Aston Martin DB5 became famous thanks to James Bond’s use of it in the movie Goldfinger. Ideal for high-speed, long-distance driving, the iconic grill at the front originally cooled the front brakes.

Morris Mini-Minor

Alec Issigonis’s revolutionary small car the Mini, introduced in 1959, remained among the UK’s best sellers for more than twenty years after its launch, the last version rolling off the production line in 2000. The Mini Cooper was its successful racing version, introduced in 1961.

Jaguar E-Type 

So highly regarded were the inherent rightness of proportion, stance and purity of line of the 1961 Jaguar E-Type that it became an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it remains to this day. Owners included celebrities Steve McQueen, Brigitte Bardot and Tony Curtis. 

Lotus Seven

Lotus Cars, founded in 1952, hit gold with the Lotus Seven, which arrived in 1957. A low-cost, lightweight, open top sports and racing car, it is the wheels of choice of Marvel Comics superhero Wolverine. UK manufacturer Caterham, now owned by a Malaysian entrepreneur, currently have the rights to its design.

Rolls Royce Phantom III

Introduced in 1936, the Rolls-Royce Phantom III was the last car that company co-founder Henry Royce worked on before he died. This ultra-luxurious model is so reliable that in 1964, twenty years after the end of production, Bond villain Auric Goldfinger used one to smuggle huge amounts of gold around Europe.