Exploring the World’s Cult Classic Cars
The Hillman Imp - lovingly and appropriately nicknamed the Little Devil - is now more than 50 years old. We take a look at this quirky and innovative would-be Mini rival, flaws and all. The Imp was a direct result of the 1956 Suez oil crisis, as car manufacturers scrambled to produce lighter, smaller cars that used less fuel.
The Triumph Herald was a car that nearly didn’t get built at all. Manufacturer Standard-Triumph was stuck for a car body supplier to provide the shell for the new car’s unitary construction. And but for chief engineer Harry Webster’s decision to attach individual panels to the chassis, the ultimately popular Herald may never have seen the light of day.
With its swooping curves and outstanding road-holding and ruggedness, the Saab 96 was the car that made the Swedish manufacturer’s reputation. Not only did the 96 ride like a limo of the time, but it astonished the rallying world when, propelled by an 841cc engine, it triumphed over Porsches and Mercedes in the RAC and Monte Carlo rallies in the
The Mini is the car most often associated with the genius of Sir Alec Issigonis. But as any student of British classics will know, he also penned the Morris Minor, another triumph of design, space and engineering for the time.
The Ford Capri - all 1,886,647 of them – owes its existence to the phenomenal success of its American cousin, the mighty Mustang. When the Mustang was launched across the pond in 1964, Ford bosses only expected to sell 100,000 cars in the first year.
The British used to be famed for their ability to build small, affordable sports cars with an emphasis on fun - the MGB and Midget, Triumph Spitfire and the slightly pricier Lotus Elan at the top of the list. But when those famous marques either bit the dust or priced the ordinary motorist out of the market, it took the
The Germans may have had the Beetle, but to the French the 2CV was the ultimate people’s car and every bit as iconic. It may not have gained quite the same global love as the Beetle, but the “tin snail” played a vitally important role in getting post-war France on the move and went on to enjoy a 42-year production
Love the look of the 60s Porsche 911 but can’t stretch to the exorbitant prices? Then you’re in luck, as the entry model 912 looks virtually identical, but sells for a fraction of the price. So it only churns out 90bhp, but a contemporary MGB produced 95 and was still slower to 60mph by half a second - and both
There was a time when it seemed that almost every middle manager or sales rep’s company car was a Ford Cortina. Now they’re more likely to drive a BMW or an Audi, but here we take a look back at what made the Cortina - now more than 50 years old - such a roaring success.