Nick News March 1

Lamborghini – 60th Anniversary in 2023

2023 is a very important year for Automobili Lamborghini as not only do they move into the world of hybrid cars, but it is also the 60th anniversary of the founding of the company.

Lamborghini was founded on 6 May 1963 and from the very start, it found success under a founder who valued innovation and curiosity. This approach would soon lead to legendary vehicles such as the Lamborghini Miura, first unveiled in 1966, and the first car in history to be called a supercar.

Ferruccio Lamborghini had a dream to manufacture sports cars in an industry which was, at the time, dominated by just a few brands.

With a team of young engineers, they set about disrupting the status quo of the sports car world with their groundbreaking and radical designs. Over the years, they have continued to evolve, and have created numerous vehicles that have become iconic.

To celebrate this 60th anniversary year many events are to be staged worldwide to engage customers, Lamborghini Clubs, dealerships and fans of the brand.

Things got underway back in January with the opening of the remodelled Lamborghini Museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese, a location of the original factory. After being renovated, the museum opened with an exhibition called The Future Began In 1963.

Japan hosted a Lamborghini Day on 23 February at the famous Suzuka circuit, this being the first international event of the celebratory year, with hundreds of enthusiasts and collectors in attendance. Japan is a significant market for Lamborghini so this was an ideal place to start the celebrations.

Silverstone Circuit in the UK will hold its Lamborghini Day on 29 April, with over 300 owners expected to attend. The celebrations will move on to Italy where the 60 Anniversario Giro tour will conclude in Bologna on 28 May in the main square with the Concorso in Piazza – a Concours d'elegance and festive party for the public.

The United States is still the most important market for Lamborghini and they will host their own 60th Anniversary Giro in the summer then, in September, China will stage the ninth consecutive Giro China, concluding activities with a gala dinner. Mainland China is now the second-largest single market for Lamborghini.

September will be a busy month as the Lamborghini Polo Storico (a division responsible for the protection, preservation, and restoration of the brand's motoring heritage) is set to organize the 60th Anniversary Polo Storico Tour for Lamborghini classic cars in Italy.

October is Rome's turn when the Vallelunga circuit will host their first Lamborghini Festival, an event aimed at celebrating the brand and its track cars.

Finally, in November, the Grand Finals of the Super Trofeo Lamborghini, the one-make championship reserved for the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 racecars, gathering cars from three continents, will be held at the Vallelunga circuit in Rome.

It is a busy year ahead and official Lamborghini Clubs worldwide, which now list some 1600 members in 24 countries, will be planning additional tours and events in their countries too.

So we salute this 60th year of the Lamborghini and wish them a successful year of celebration.

If you are looking to buy a Lamborghini then take a look at our website for a great selection from dealers around the UK and overseas.

www.classicmotorsforsale.com

If you are a dealer with vehicles for sale then contact us to find out about our latest marketing and advertising packages that will enable your stock to gain maximum exposure.

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Land Rover – 75th Anniversary in 2023

Land Rover reaches another major milestone in 2023, it is 75 years since the release of the original Series I back in 1948.

The Series I entered production in 1948 after being launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show. It was initially designed for farm and light industrial use with its steel box-section chassis and aluminium body. Production ran from 1948 to 1958.

Maurice Wilks, chief designer at the Rover Company, began the design for this original in 1947, with the design possibly influenced by the Jeep. The early colour choice was also dictated by post-war military surplus supplies of aircraft cockpit paint, so various shades of light green were evident.

From 1958 to 1961, the successor to the Series I was in production, the Series II. It came in 88-inch (2.24 m) and 109-inch (2.77 m) wheelbases ( referred to as the 'SWB' and 'LWB'). This was the first Land Rover to receive the attention of Rover's styling department.

A Series IIA was in production from 1961 to 1971 but was very similar to the Series II. There were a few small, mainly cosmetic changes and a 2.25-litre diesel engine was also added to the engine line. From 1967, a 2.6-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine was made available for the long-wheelbase models.

1971 to 1985 was the Series III era, with relatively few changes made from the Series IIA. This series is the most common vehicle, with 440,000 built during these 14 years. The headlights were now on the wings and the metal grille of earlier models was replaced with a plastic one.

During the production of the Series III, Land Rover celebrated its 1,000,000th vehicle in 1976.

These Land Rover Series I, II, and II were commonly just known as Land Rovers, distinguishing them from later models and were produced by the Rover Company and later by British Leyland.

Land Rover Ltd became the owner in 1978 until it became Jaguar Land Rover in 2013.

(After the formation of Land Rover Limited in 1978 the hyphen in Land-Rover began to be dropped.)

To mark this auspicious 75th anniversary, Land Rover is producing a 75th Limited Edition commemorative Defender this year, available in both 90 and 110 trims. A two-door and four-door model is available but comes with only the 3-litre turbocharged inline-six engine.

The signature feature is the Grasmere Green paint, exclusive to this model, a shade last seen on the Heritage Edition Defenders, and so is a direct link to the early Land Rovers.

The modern-day Land Rover is a very different creature from its ancestor 75 years ago, yet the Defender still maintains its original charm and attraction. An eight-speed automatic transmission is now standard, as is, of course, the on-demand four-wheel drive.

This Defender 75th Limited Edition has a blend of luxury and off-road intent in the interior with a retractable folding fabric roof, heated seats and steering wheel, a head-up display, stereo upgrade and an 11.4-inch touchscreen for infotainment – quite a vehicle indeed.

HRH the late Queen Elizabeth II was a huge fan of the Land Rover, often pictured behind the wheel, as the cars were so special to the royals. A bespoke Land Rover even carried Prince Philip's coffin at his funeral. The iconic Land Rover brand is virtually part of the DNA of the Royal Family.