Articles by Nigel Freestone

British Cars
13/03/19
White Triplex crash
90 years ago today (13 March 1929) White Triplex – weighing 4 tons, with a total of 36 cylinders, powered by 3 Liberty V12 aircraft engines with a total capacity of 81.18 litres, developing 1500 bhp (at 2,000 rpm) crashed during an attempt at the world land speed record, killing its driver Lee Bible, at Ormond Beach, Florida. http://bit.ly/2ETVEYE
Formula 1
03/03/19
Mike Hailwood's George Medal
46 years ago today (3 March 1973) Mike ‘the Bike’ Hailwood, in his first F1 race, rescued Clay Regazzoni from his burning BRM at the South African GP. Clay was taken to hospital with minor burns while Hailwood was awarded the George Medal for his bravery. http://bit.ly/2mkLnL5
British Cars
01/03/19
46 years ago today (1 March 1973) the seven car Austin Maestro range was officially launched.
http://bit.ly/2lV7STT
Retro and Classics
27/02/19
80 years ago today (27 February 1939) the Bentley 'Scalded Cat', with an experimental straight-8 engine mounted in a standard Mark V chassis, was completed.
http://bit.ly/2lpK3Tf
Rally
20/02/19
Marian Bublewicz
26 years ago today (20 February 1993), Marian Bublewicz (42), the best Polish rally driver of the 80s and 90s, died in an accident just 2 kilometres after the start of 5th special stage “Orłowiec-Złoty Stok” of the Zimowy Rajd Dolnośląski - Winter Lower-Silesian Rally – in Poland. http://bit.ly/2E2jQaL
British Cars
14/02/19
18 years ago today (14 February 2001) The Sun newspaper presented the final Reliant Robin 65 to its owner after being won in a prize.
http://bit.ly/2ks4fTb
British Cars
15/01/19
28 years ago today (15 January 1991) the final phase of the 89 mile long M40 motorway through Oxfordshire was opened, giving the West Midlands conurbation its first direct motorway link with London.
http://bit.ly/2jxeC9g
British Cars
12/11/18
British Leyland deal with Honda
37 years ago today (12 November 1979) British Leyland announced a new deal with the Japanese car and motorcycle giant, Honda. They planned a joint venture of a middle-range executive car for the 1990s, codenamed ‘Project XX’. The new models (Rover 200, 400 and 600 series) would slot in between the group’s Triumph and Jaguar ranges. https://bit.ly/2jlJ9v3
Retro and Classics
26/09/18
52 years ago today (26 September 1966) the Chevrolet Camaro "pony car" made its first public appearance. It was introduced as a 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang.
For more: http://bit.ly/2d2O3Ge
Motorsport
19/06/18
Le Mans White House Crash
91 years ago today (19 June 1927) the fifth 24 Hours of Le Mans Grand Prix of Endurance finished. The race is commonly remembered due to the infamous White House crash, which involved all three of the widely tipped Bentley team’s entries, and caused the retirement of two of them. https://bit.ly/2ti7kM3
Car History
04/06/18
122 years ago today (4 June 1896): First Ford
122 years ago today (4 June 1896) Henry Ford drove his first vehicle, the Quadricycle, from the workshop behind his home at 58 Bagley Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The Quadricycle was basically a light metal frame fitted with four bicycle wheels and powered by a 2-cylinder, 4-horsepower ethanol engine → http://bit.ly/2rHudXy