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 + however: tuttavia , almost all former British brands + brands: marchi are foreign-owned + foreign-owned: di proprietà di stranieri . 

MR. ROLLS AND MR. ROYCE

Early British automobile pioneers came from diverse professions: some specialised in bicycles, others produced steam-powered + steam-powered: a vapore  lawn mowers + lawn mowers: tosaerba or sheep-shearing + sheep-shearing: per tosare le pecore equipment. Rolls Royce was founded when Frederick Henry Royce, who manufactured engines + engines: motori , fused + to fuse: fondersi with Charles Stewart Rolls, who sold quality cars.

SLOW TO GO BIG

By the early 20th century, mass production of cars took off + to take off: decollare 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 + to staff: assumere by many women, produced tanks, artillery and engines for aircraft + aircraft: aerei . 

CHEAP CHIC

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

THE LAST ONE

After many mergers + mergers: fusioni in an attempt to raise + to raise: aumentare profits + profits: guadagni , 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 + manufacturer: produttore . Founded in 1910, it produces hand-assembled + hand-assembled: assemblate a mano prestige cars to order + to order: su ordinazione and employs + to employ: impiegare 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 + high-speed: alta velocità , long-distance driving, the iconic grill + grill: mascherina at the front originally cooled + to cool: raffreddare the front brakes + brakes: freni .

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 + to roll off: cadere giù the production line in 2000. The Mini Cooper was its successful racing + racing: da corsa version, introduced in 1961.

Jaguar E-Type 

So highly regarded + highly regarded: tenute in grande considerazione were the inherent rightness + rightness: adeguatezza of proportion, stance + stance: linea 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 + to hit gold: fare i soldi with the Lotus Seven, which arrived in 1957. A low-cost, lightweight + lightweight: leggera , open top + open top: decapottabile 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 + rights: diritti 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 + to die: morire . This ultra-luxurious model is so reliable + reliable: affidabile that in 1964, twenty years after the end of production, Bond villain + villain: cattivo Auric Goldfinger used one to smuggle + to smuggle: contrabbandare huge amounts of gold around Europe.