Plans to build a jaguar, Land Rover, £100million automotive research centre in Coventry have taken a major step forward.

The city’s University of Warwick, WMG and Jaguar Land Rover have signed the ‘heads of terms’ for the construction of the new National Automotive Innovation Campus.

The agreement means that plans to build the iconic facility at the University of Warwick can move forward - with building work set to begin in September next year.

This state-of-the-art campus will include engineering, labs and powertrain facilities as well as virtual reality areas, design studios, demonstrations and education facilities.

More than 900 staff from academic and industry teams from WMG, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technology Centre and other partners will work together on research projects to deliver world-class breakthrough products, processes and services.

Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said: “I am delighted that we have finalised the NAIC agreement and continuing our collaborative partnership with WMG and the University of Warwick.

“NAIC offers the opportunity for Jaguar Land Rover to develop its research and advanced engineering operations in one centre with academic and industry experts working together to develop and innovate, internationally competitive products of the future.”

The NAIC, which will be largest research facility of its kind outside of Germany, is expected to open in 2016. Lord Bhattacharyya, WMG chairman, said: “The automotive industry in the UK has seen a recent resurgence, but for the UK to remain internationally competitive we must create urgently a critical mass in research excellence.

“Our vision is to create the National Automotive Innovation Campus where we link people, research and world-leading infrastructure to create and develop novel technologies.

"NAIC will be an engine for economic growth, with wide economic benefit, and sustained growth from the creation of world-leading technologies.”

The University of Warwick’s vice-chancellor and president, Prof Nigel Thrift added: “This is a considerable investment that benefits not just our university, nor just our city and region, but as its name says will be of national importance in providing world leading facilities to mesh with engineering ingenuity of our researchers and manufacturers.”

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£1 Billion in Aston Martins ?, that will be a yes !

• Largest gathering of Aston Martin cars in firm’s 100-year history
• 50,000 visitors to Kensington Gardens view cars worth around £1bn
• 1,200 guests travel to Gaydon HQ for unique dining experiences  

Tens of thousands of eager owners and  enthusiasts made the trip to Kensington Gardens, London, yesterday to witness the largest gathering of iconic British sports cars in history as Aston Martin’s year-long programme of centenary celebrations made its way to the UK.

The unique display of some of the finest British sports cars ever made – which included a timeline of highly significant Aston Martin models as well as displays dedicated to the brand’s 50-year love affair with James Bond, its proud motorsport heritage and much else besides – drew exhibitors and visitors from across the UK, and far beyond.    

Staged by the Aston Martin Owners Club, Aston Martin Heritage Trust and Aston Martin, and held with the kind permission of The Royal Parks and The Royal Household, the celebration in the capital was the culmination of a week-long programme of centenary activity which included specially-created driving tours across Europe as well as a host of unique events at the brand’s Gaydon headquarters.

Yesterday’s celebration, held under blazing sun and clear blue skies, saw an unprecedented gathering of the rarest, most significant and most beautiful Aston Martins ever made muster in the historic surroundings of Kensington Gardens.

As many as 550 Aston Martin models – worth around an estimated £1 billion – were on display in the Park or parked at nearby Perks Field, meaning the event also represented the largest single gathering of Aston Martins in history.  

CEO Dr Ulrich Bez joined the events in London, which also included a glittering black tie party on Saturday night for 1,000 owners and invited guests at the Freemasons’ Hall on Great Queen Street in the heart of the city. The party featured entertainment from national radio DJ Benji B, plus composer Grant Windsor and the 16-piece band Deviation Strings.

Dr Bez said: “The weekend was a fantastic celebration of all things Aston Martin and, I believe, shows why the brand retains such a special place in the hearts of so many owners and enthusiasts around the world.

“Exclusivity is a key part of the Aston Martin mystique – we have made only around 65,000 cars in our entire 100-year history to date – so to see so many of these rare beauties gathered together in London was a truly historic occasion.”

He added: “I would like to acknowledge the generous support of the AMOC, AMHT and the Royal Parks, without which this incredible event would not have been possible.”      

Themed car displays told Aston Martin’s remarkable story with the centrepiece of the event, the Centenary Timeline Display on the Broadwalk, taking visitors on a 100-year journey from the origins of the brand in Henniker Mews, Chelsea, to its current global headquarters in Warwickshire.

Every significant Aston Martin road car was represented from ‘A3’, the oldest surviving car, to the Vanquish Centenary Edition, forthcoming V12 Vantage S and Vanquish Volante. Meanwhile the luxury sports car maker’s exciting future was represented by the exceptional CC100 Speedster Concept – a tantalising glimpse of the potential shape of the brand’s cars in years to come.

Elsewhere in the park a Centenary Selection display was created to showcase the diverse and uniquely bespoke nature of the brand. This varied line-up included cars rarely seen outside of private collections including a brace of new Zagato models, the trio of Bertone Jets, and a number of other unique cars commissioned over the years by passionate customers around the world.

Aston Martin’s proud 50-year association with James Bond was of course enthusiastically marked with seven of the movie cars on display including the iconic DB5 from the most recent blockbuster, Skyfall.

Motorsport was, naturally, a key feature in Kensington, too, with a display dedicated to some of the most significant and successful racing cars in Aston Martin history. Highlights included the Ulster, iconic DBR1, legendary DB4 GT Zagato and Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTE.

Entry to the Centenary Celebration was free and upwards of 50,000 owners, enthusiasts and casual visitors soaked up the sun as they viewed rare and exceptional models drawn from Aston Martin’s sumptuous 100-year history.

Previously, around 1,200 guests had made the trip to the brand’s global HQ in Warwickshire for five days of innovative centenary-themed activities including the creation of a Michelin star-standard pop-up ‘restaurant’ on the Aston Martin production line. ‘Dine on the Line’ and its sister activity ‘Tea in Design’ – which saw guests take traditional afternoon tea in the stylish surroundings of the Aston Martin design studio – saw visitors treated to informative centenary displays, bespoke factory tours and, of course, some exceptional food and wine.  

Dr Bez said: “Heritage is a vital part of the Aston Martin story and it is only right that we celebrate this in spectacular style here in the brand’s UK home. Now we can look to further global activities starting with our participation at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in just a few weeks’ time.”

The Aston Martin Centenary Celebration was created with the support of Aston Martin’s Centenary Technology Partner Microsoft and Centenary Celebration partners Bang & Olufsen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, Louis Roederer, Viaggi, Pirelli and Zurich Private Clients.

Happy Birthday Lamborghini

In 2013, the 50th year since it was founded, Automobili Lamborghini is participating in the annual Techno Classica fair at Essen, where Lamborghini will be showing two of its supercars that have made automotive history, at pavilion 7.

Introduced in 1964, the 350 GT was the first mass-produced Lamborghini, while the 1972 P 400 Miura SV was the final evolution of the legendary Miura - the first super sports car with a modern design. Both vehicles on display were taken from the extensive collection of historic cars in the Lamborghini Museum at the company’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy.
An expert on replacement parts for classic cars will also be at the stand to provide information on original spare parts for early Lamborghini models.

The Lamborghini 350 GT
Characterized by its balanced lines and developed by Franco Scaglione from prototypes of the 350 GTV, the 1964 350 GT was the first Lamborghini to be mass-produced. With its 3.5 liter, 12 cylinder engine perfected by engineer Giotto Bizzarrini and rated at 280 hp, it could reach a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The vehicle body featured aluminum components, four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes on all four wheels. And, some models were equipped with a self-locking differential. By the end of 1966, 120 of these remarkable vehicles had been produced at Carrozzeria Touring. The final versions featured a 4 liter engine with the same power as the 3.5 liter power plant, but with greater torque. Carrozzeria Touring also produced two Spyders (350 GTS).

The Lamborghini Miura P 400 SV
Steady demand for the Miura S prompted Lamborghini to introduce a more advanced version called the SV (Super Veloce). This occurred during development of the subsequent, revolutionary model called the Countach LP 500, which made its worldwide debut in the spring of 1971. The Miura P 400 SV was equipped with a 4 liter, 385 HP V12 engine and attained a maximum speed of over 290 kmh.

Although it lacked the signature “eyebrows” over the headlamps, the SV stood out for its new rear suspension, wider track and more powerful engine. And unlike previous models, it was equipped with separate lubrication. The last Miura produced in January 1973 was purchased by a famous Italian industrialist. 150 of these remarkable cars were built from 1971 to 1972.

Original Lamborghini Replacement Parts
Preserving the models produced over the fifty-year history of Automobili Lamborghini is in the interests not only of Lamborghini itself, but also of the world’s countless keen collectors of the marque. Authorized Lamborghini Workshops specialize in servicing classic Lamborghinis. A web portal that can be entered from any point in the world provides access to catalogues of every Lamborghini model and enables the desired spare part to be conveniently ordered. If a special component is not available, it can be produced right away from the original blueprints. An expert in the sector of replacement parts will be at the Lamborghini stand at Techno Classica to answer questions about obtaining original parts for classic Lamborghinis.

Lamborghini’s 50th Anniversary
In 2013, Automobili Lamborghini is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding with a series of international events involving customers, dealers and fans of the marque. The festivities will hit their high point with the “Lamborghini 50th Anniversary Grande Giro".

On May 7-11, 2013, more than 300 Lamborghinis from every period in the company's history will travel 1200 kilometers along the Italian peninsula. On the first leg, Lamborghini owners from 29 countries will journey from Milan to Forte dei Marmi. Next, they will continue on to Rome, and finally return to Bologna on May 10. On May 11, a Concours d’Elegance will be held in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, and all participants will then parade to Sant’Agata Bolognese, where Lamborghini 50th celebrations will culminate in a festive gala dinner.