The 54th Austin 7 Rally at Beaulieu holds one of the longest unbroken runs for a one marque club at the same annual event.

The 54^th National Austin 7 Rally takes place at Beaulieu on Sunday 3^rd July and holds one of the longest unbroken runs for a one-marque club using the same venue for its annual event.

For one enthusiast the event will mark a particularly significant milestone. Bertie Fowler, who bought his first Austin 7 in 1966, will be attending his 50^th rally.

He purchased the 1936 ‘Nippy’ (one of the relatively few production sports models that Austin made) at the age of 19, negotiating the £90 deal in darkness by the Derby Grandstand at Epsom racecourse. It was, he says, ‘the best buy I ever made’.

Years of happy motoring followed, even in the face of what Bertie describes as ‘the usual Nippyisms’ of the doors flying open when negotiating fast corners.

The car came off the road in 1976 and lay under sheets in his garden shed for several decades, but in recent times has been expertly restored by Robert Foreman and Chris Gould (who is a living legend in the world of sporty Austin 7s).

Bertie will proudly display the end result at the rally and will join many other ‘Austin 7 Sports and Racers’ which are the theme for this year’s special display.

Several extremely rare and famous Austin 7s will also be attending, including Graham Beckett’s ‘Simplicity’, the Tony Hutchings built OK7095 works racer replica, and several of the Bert Hadley Championship cars being brought along by the Pre-War Austin 7 Club.

The display is expected to be one of the largest seen in recent years and is open to all Austin 7 owners from the UK or Europe. Austins form the core of the event but pre-1975 vehicles of all makes are invited to attend and will have a designated parking area on the rally field.

The National Austin 7 Rally is an ideal day out for enthusiasts and families. Entrance includes access to the whole of the Beaulieu attraction, including the National Motor Museum, Palace House which has been home to the Montagu family since 1538 and the 13^th century Beaulieu Abbey and gardens.  

For entrants wishing to make a weekend of it camping facilities are available and on the Saturday there is an organised run through the picturesque New Forest followed by the ever-popular evening barbecue on site.

Third Generation Octavia wins yet another award, to add to a large tally so far won.

The third generation ŠKODA Octavia is going from strength to strength. The latest proof is receiving the award for the best imported car in the compact class in the readers’ choice ‘Best Cars 2015’ organised by the German car magazine ‘Auto Motor und Sport’ (AMS). Since its market launch in early 2013, the ŠKODA bestseller has won 44 national and international car awards so far.

​The ŠKODA Octavia has also been a great hit on the international markets, with more than 500,000 of the third generation Octavia already having been delivered to customers around the world. In 2014 sales of the model increased 8.1% to 388,800. In Western Europe, sales grew by an incredible 22.5% in 2014. Last year, the ŠKODA Octavia was the best-selling new car in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland. 

“The Octavia is very special to us at ŠKODA. We have put our heart and soul into developing this car. Wining this award from the ‘Auto, Motor und Sport’ readers is further proof that we’ve got a lot of things right,” explains ŠKODA CEO Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland. 

The third generation Octavia truly is one of a kind, and is the largest, safest, lightest, most practical, comfortable and environmentally friendly Octavia of all time. 

The whole model series is also more versatile than ever. There are currently eight versions in the range: the Octavia hatchback, Octavia hatchback 4x4, Octavia Combi (estate), Octavia Combi (estate) 4x4, Octavia RS, Octavia G-TEC, Octavia Scout and the especially environmentally friendly Octavia GreenLine. The top of the European line also includes the exclusive Octavia L&K version.

Consumers, car experts and the trade media alike value the product features and versatility of ŠKODA Octavia very highly. To date, the ŠKODA Octavia has won 44 renowned national and international car awards, making it one of the most awarded vehicles in its class. Over the last two years, the third generation of the model has won prizes in twelve countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany, China, Russia, India and even Australia.  The Octavia was recognised primarily as being a great family car, with exceptional functionality, stable resale value, excellent value for money, and not least its attractive design.

Awards for the third generation ŠKODA Octavia since 2013:

2013:

› Fleet Award – Germany

› Honourable mention at the ‘Red Dot’ design awards - Deutschland

› 5-star evaluation in the  Euro NCAP crash tests

› Company car of the year – Germany

› Category winner in the Automotive Brand Contest – Germany

› Best resale price (Octavia Combi (estate)) – Germany, Czech Republic, France, Italy, United Kingdom 

2014/2015:

› Best Cars 2015 (AMS) – Germany

› Green Car of the Year 2015 (Octavia G-TEC ) - Czech Republic

› Car of the Year 2014 – Slovenia

› Car of the Year 2014 (KMN, KMP, SDA, AutoSAP) – Czech Republic

› Car of the Year 2014 (Tuulilasi) – Finland

› IL Car of the Year 2014 – Finland

› Best Cars 2014 (AMS) - Germany

› Golden Klaxon – Best Golf-Class Car - Russia

› Most rational buy of 2014 – Germany

› Value Champion 2014 (Auto Bild) – Germany

› Best Cars 2014 (AMS) – Czech Republic

› Design Gipfel Award (Auto Bild) – China

› Marcus Award 2013

› 4x4 of the year 2014 (Octavia Combi 4x4) - Auto Bild Allrad – Germany

› Car of the Year 2014 – Russia

› TOP-5 AUTO 2014 - Russia

› Golden Klaxon – Russia

› Za Rulyom Grand Prix 2014 - Russia

› Family car of the year 2014 (Octavia Combi) - AUTOStraßenverkehr und ELTERN - Germany

› 2014 Auto Design Award (Autobild) – China

› 2013 China Fashion Car-Fashion Design Award (Auto Fashion News) – China

› Car of the year 2014 – Denmark

› Business car of the year 2014 – Denmark

› Saloon of the year (BBC Top Gear) - India

› Midsize saloon of the Year (NDTV Car & Bike Awards) - India

› Executive saloon of the Year (Car India) - India

› Midsize saloon of the year (Zigwheels) - India

› Saloon of the year (Golden Steering Wheel – Auto Bild) - India

› Best premium saloon of the Year (Motor Vikatan) - India

› Executive Saloon of the year ( Top Gear Malayalam - God’s own Car & Bike Awards) – India

› Family Car of the Year – Belgium

› Slovenian Car of the Year 2014 – Slovenia

› Business car of the year 2014 (Fleet awards) – Slovakia

› Woman’s Family Car (Twój STYL magazine) – Poland

› The Best Car 2013 plebiscite! (onet) – Poland

› Brand Automotive Fleet 2014 - Poland

› Business Car of the Year 2014 – Poland

› PLAYBOY Car of the Year 2014 (Octavia RS) – Poland

› Australia’s Best Cars Award – Australia

USA - Museum cars damaged in sinkhole collapse will be shipped to Warren Mich.

To help the National Corvette Museum recover from the massive sinkhole that opened under the facility this week, Chevrolet will oversee restoration of the Corvettes damaged. General Motors Design in Warren, Mich., will lead the project.

“The vehicles at the National Corvette Museum are some of the most significant in automotive history,” said Mark Reuss, executive vice president of General Motors Global Product Development. “There can only be one 1-millionth Corvette ever built. We want to ensure as many of the damaged cars are restored as possible so fans from around the world can enjoy them when the Museum reopens.”

Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design, will oversee the restoration.

When the cars are recovered, they will be shipped to the Mechanical Assembly facility, a small specialty shop within GM Design, where the best restoration approach will be determined. Mechanical Assembly has been part of GM Design since the 1930s, and today maintains and restores many of the vehicles in the GM Heritage Collection and GM’s historic concept cars.

The National Corvette Museum is independently owned, and supported solely by charitable donations from enthusiasts. It is currently accepting donations on its website to assist in refurbishing the facility. Donations are tax-deductible.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year.  Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality.

2014 Buick Regal continues great Dynasty

The addition of the Regal nameplate to the Buick family goes back 40 years, but even today, the Regal’s heritage as a sporty, mid-size luxury vehicle is strong as ever.

Introduced in 1973, the Century Regal, as it was originally called, served as an upmarket model in the Century line and one of GM's first “personal luxury” cars. Designed with sporty suspension characteristics and luxuries aimed primarily at the driver, the ‘73 Regal coupe sold   91,557 units helping Buick surpass its 1955 all-time sales record.

Launched with a standard 350 cu. in. V-8 engine, the Regal would soon carve a niche as a powertrain innovator. Among one of the first to react to the initial Arab oil embargo, the 1975 Buick Regal was the only mid-size vehicle in the United States to forego a standard V-8 engine in favor of a V-6.

“The Buick team was on the leading edge and reacted to the need of more fuel-efficient engines,” said General Motors Heritage Center manager Greg Wallace. “Engineers worked around the clock to get the V-6 program up and running in a fraction of the time it typically took, while making sure to retain Buick’s reputation for reliability.”

Just a few years later, beginning with the 1978 Regal, Buick would lead a vanguard on turbocharging for better fuel economy. This expertise would later be used in creating Regals that would be recognized as some of the most powerful and significant cars of the 1980s.

Throughout four decades, and now in its fifth generation, the Regal carries on its sweeping design, dynamic driving experience and powertrain leadership. Today’s Regal is equipped with its most-powerful standard engine, a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder producing 259 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of toque. To help make the most of traction in all driving conditions, it is also available with advanced all-wheel-drive system that incorporates an electronic limited-slip differential and HiPer Strut front suspension.

A 2.4L engine with eAssist light electrification technology is also available, delivering EPA-estimated ratings of 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.

With today’s focus on all-passenger comfort, safety and technology, the latest Regal comes standard with an eight-inch color touch display featuring IntelliLink in-vehicle connectivity. Leather-appointed seating surfaces, heated front seats and dual-zone automatic climate control are all standard. A host of new radar- and camera-based safety features are available, including Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert and Collision Mitigation Braking.

Generation 1 – 1973-1977

Large swooping body lines and opera windows were among Regal’s fashion cues at the start of the personal luxury era. The 1975 Regal was the only mid-size car in the United States to come standard with an efficient V-6 engine while maintaining comparable V-8 performance.

Generation 2 – 1978-1987

Downsized from the previous generation, the 1978 Regal offered a 3.8-liter turbocharged V-6, making Buick the first mainstream brand to offer a turbocharged engine. This ingenuity would pave the way for iconic Buick’s of the 80s including the highly desired Grand National and legendary GNX.

Generation 3 – 1988-1996

Continuing the trend of scaled down cars in the U.S., the Regal’s third generation was again smaller and would usher in front wheel drive. Power would come from an all six-cylinder engine lineup including the award-winning 3800 V-6 engine.

Generation 4 – 1997-2004

Back to its roots, the 1997 Regal again became an upmarket version of the Buick Century. The ‘97 Buick Regal GS debuted with the brand’s first supercharged V-6, rated at 240 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque.

Generation 5 – 2009-2014

After a brief hiatus, the Regal would first return to the Chinese market for 2009, following a year later in the U.S. A high-output, dynamically optimized GS model would return for 2012. Introduced in 2013, the 2014 model is the first Regal to offer all-wheel-drive. Combining sport sedan handling with some of the most power-dense and technically advanced engines in the brand’s history, the Regal is helping to attract younger, new buyers to Buick.