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Welcome to totalkitcar online …
A very warm welcome to totalkitcar online …My piece for Autocar magazine on Tim Dutton’s new Phæton 5, with a bit of history chucked in, for good measure, is OUT NOW in the March 11, issue.
Our March/April 2026 issue is available NOW in shops, mail order and also on all digital platforms.
Here’s just some of what we have for you this time…
DUTTON PHÆTON 5 – FIRST DRIVE – A brand new Phæton from Tim Dutton, 39 years after the last one. The new one is based on Mazda MX-5 Mk3 and is quite simply, great. Hard to miss in its eyecatching Lamborghini Verde Scandal lime green gelcoat.
INDUSTRY GREATS – HAYDN DAVIES AND BURLINGTON MOTOR COMPANY – We were delighted to catch up with Burlington Motor Co founder, Haydn Davies recently to talk about old times and remind ourselves just how important a marque his company was, firstly with the Sport Special traditional roadster and then the Arrow, Berretta and Chieftain plans and patterns projects. Add in some great old archive photos to round things up and it’s a winner.
CATERHAM CARS – Think Caterham Cars and the Seven and 21 will come to mind, but there has been plenty of other elements of the business over the years. We round them all up in this feature.
INTRODUCING WEATHERVELO – CYCLEV – Here’s a cool little electric three-wheeler that you can pedal but ddon’t have to? Curious. read this feature to find out more.
READER’S DRIVE – PETER VIVIAN’S MIDGE BOAT-TAIL – The JC Midge was a cracking little kitcar, another built from plans and patterns. TKC MAG reader Peter Vivian built a lovely example but after quite a few years decided that he’d like revise it to feature a boat-tail rear end. Here’s his story.
THE TKC MAG GUIDE TO SOLDERING – We all take the art of soldering for granted. An easy job to mess up, a tricky one to master. Richard Bird guides you through the process…
NEC, BIRMINGHAM – MARCH 20-22
WACKY RACERS – A little feature looking at the first two years of the 750 Motor Club’s
KIT CAR CHALLENGE race series. It was great looking back to the mid-eighties for this one.
HUNTSMAN SPYDER – A forgotten one-off that surely deserved more success?
REMEMBERING THE TRIPLE C CHALLENGER – looking back at a classic kitcar that just happened to be a replica of the Jaguar E-type.
Hopefully, that’s plenty to entertain you with although you’ll also find regulars like book reviews, product news and more.
LATEST ISSUE OF TKC MAG – MARCH/APRIL 2026 – AVAILABLE NOW
IF YOU LIKE CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS you are in luck. Clicking that button will take you back in time with features on old kitcars, personalities and generally interesting companies who worked within the specialist car and sixties motorsport movements. I really hope you are enjoying them. Not all of them are kitcar-related per se but they all celebrate the underdog and often feature the wonderful world of sixties motorsport.
Classic Kit Cars & Specials has a new home at totalkitcar.com.
A lot of classic clubman motorsport features highlight underdog artisans that we hope will appeal to you dear reader, the sort of companies that we’ve often all heard of but on whom detailed information is often hard to find. Shorrock, Wade Turbochargers, Jack Knight Developments, Cannon Cars, Tom Killeen, David Ogle the list goes on and on. The sort of companies and individuals that our specialist and kitcar forebears from the sixties would have been very familiar with. You’ll find these subjects featured in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS.
In CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS this week we highlight a historic Lotus that didn’t actually make production. What a beautiful thing the Lotus Elan Fastback was. CLICK HERE to go there.
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We are getting a lot of new subscribers on the totalkitcar YouTube channel. If you like this website, you are sure to find something you like on the ‘totalkitcar YouTube channel’? In addition to our usual monthly video upload, we now have a weekly series called the ‘totalkitcar History Files Series. The latter isn’t rocket science. We verbally look at old kitcars with photos added, but we seem to be capturing peoples’ imaginations.
As the name suggests we look at some of the classic marques, great cars, not so great cars, plus the personalities, events and designers who have graced this wonderful industry over the last 75 years.
If you don’t already subscribe to our channel (just search ‘totalkitcar YouTube Channel’ on YouTube) please do, as it’s free and if you click ‘all’ you’ll be notified every time a new video drops. Finally, may I ask you to hit the thumbs up button please as that helps the channel greatly. THANK YOU, dear reader.
totalkitcar History File Series (in association with the Enwin Motors channel). Don’t miss out, subscribe for FREE now.
Search YouTube for the ‘totalkitcar YouTube Channel’ or follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/@tkcmag.
Our popular TRACKDAY CALENDAR is where you can find out where, when and how much by CLICKING HERE. Now updated to cover MARCH-APRIL 2026.
SNIPPETS 1 ……. The British Motor Museum will host six classic and modern motoring shows this spring. These will include ‘Rustival’ on April 18, ‘Ultimate BMW Show’ on April 26, ‘Gaydon Land Rover Show’ on May 2&3, ‘UK Slot Car Festival’ on May 9&10, ‘Vaux ALL’ on May 17 and TUCKED at the British Motor Museum on May 24.
Rustival, which is returning for its fourth running, is a celebration of car, commercial vehicle, bus and bike enthusiasts, and has been called ‘The UK’s friendliest car show’! The show, hosted by YouTubers Ian and Carly from HubNut, Matt from Furious Driving and Steph from idriveaclassic, invites people to bring their beloved motor and their friends and family to join the display of hundreds of vehicles from every decade of motoring.
The ‘Ultimate BMW Meet’ is the UK’s largest BMW meet and the perfect event for BMW enthusiasts, uniting fans of revered classics, modern motors, and everything in between. Last year, over a thousand BMWs attended the event, with private owners and more than thirty car clubs showcasing everything from everyday heroes to the rarest and most sought-after models.
The hugely popular Gaydon Land Rover Show will once again showcase hundreds of Defenders, Series 1 – 3, Discovery’s and Range Rovers from 1948 to the present day, creating the ultimate celebration of the best 4x4s by far.
At the hub of the show will be the arena, where Dave Barker will lead an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team, providing live commentary and inviting owners, restorers, club members and enthusiasts to share the stories behind their treasured vehicles. Trade stands will also be available, selling a range of Land Rover clothing and models – perfect for enthusiasts and admirers alike!
The UK Slot Car Festival, sponsored by Scalextric, showcases a broad range of major slot car manufacturers, including Scalextric, Slot.it, Carrera, and more. Alongside displays, visitors can enjoy a large retail area selling everything a slot car enthusiast could need, from one-off collector items to newly launched products.
Organisers are expecting a record attendance of up to 5000 visitors, making it one of the most highly anticipated events on the slot car racing calendar. The Slot Car Festival will also provide visitors with the unique opportunity to meet the faces behind some of the best-selling and most beloved Scalextric products. From designers to developers, enthusiasts will have the chance to connect with individuals who bring their slot car racing dreams to life.
Vaux ALL, a celebration of all Vauxhall, Opel and Bedford models, is the fastest growing Vauxhall/Opel event in the UK, with more than 35 clubs and over 800 exhibitor vehicles expected. A firm favourite returning is the main arena, where professional commentator ‘Our Tim’ Watson will be interviewing guests, discussing the clubs and sharing stories of Vauxhalls. There will also be a range of trade stands offering parts, car care products and models.
TUCKED at the British Motor Museum is a collaboration between TUCKED Automotive, Petrolheadonism.club and the British Motor Museum. Showcasing a fantastic fleet of some of the UK & Europe’s best car builds and highly modified show cars, at TUCKED, variety is king. Any and all car enthusiasts are invited to join the show to celebrate the UK scene.
Tom Caren, show manager at the British Motor Museum, stated: “It’s great to kick off our 2026 events calendar with six fantastic classic and modern motoring shows for our visitors and enthusiasts to enjoy this spring! These shows literally sit at the heart of our events season and really reflect the values of the British Motor Museum!”
Show entry, including access to the museum, is just £18 for adults in advance or £21 on the day, £16 for concessions in advance or £19 on the day, £9 for children (5-16 years) in advance or £10 on the day and under 5s are FREE.
There is also the option to Gift Aid or donate your entry fee and receive an Annual Pass in return at no extra cost. Prices vary on Annual Pass Exempt Days – Ultimate BMW Meet and TUCKED at the British Motor Museum. To find out more information about the shows, please visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/
To find out more information about the various shows, please visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/
SNIPPETS 2 …….In one of the busiest MOT months of the year, original equipment (OE) manufacturer and renowned lighting and vision specialist, OSRAM, is giving advice to technicians on what to look out for with regards to lighting and wiper blades.
Wiper blades
Recently introduced into the OSRAM portfolio, and a component that should be stocked in workshops at all times, is wiper blades.
OSRAM’s WIPERblade BETTER SIGHT range with premium performance ensures maximum coverage with minimal effort, as it contains 29 SKUs, which come as single packs and will cover the majority of the UK car parc. Split into two ranges, multi fit beam blades and conventional blades, both have a third generation nano technology coating, which makes the blade waterproof, robust, silent and streak free, making it the ideal upgrade for MOT season.
The blades have been independently tested for 500,000 cycles to maintain their market leading performance, as well as scoring highly against other premium quality blades from recognisable brands in the aftermarket. The independent test focused on chatter marks, streaks, hazy film and squeaking coming from the blades, with the OSRAM blades scoring well in each aspect.
The multi fit beam blades consist of 15 SKUs ranging from 14” – 32”, equipped with an aerodynamic spoiler to reduce noise and keep their quality performance at high speeds. They also have a high carbon steel inlay to create a solid connection between the blade and windscreen, preventing the blade from lifting. This range has a secure and easy fit adapter system that covers almost all cars on the road with the adaptors included in the box.
The conventional blades in the WIPERblade BETTER SIGHT range have a vented design to increase downforce and stainless steel construction that is weather resistant with superior anti corrosion qualities. Helpfully these blades have a pre fit adapter that includes five of the most popular traditional arm types, including bayonet, hook 9×3, hook 9×4, pin 3/16” and pin 1/4”. There are 14 SKUs available ranging from 13” to 28”.
Bulbs
One product group that regularly results in an MOT failure is lighting, whether that’s headlight bulbs, or one of the many other auxiliary bulbs that are on a vehicle. OSRAM prides itself on the extensive research and development it undertakes for each bulb range it launches, as well as providing the premium quality its renowned for. With 100 years of experience they really are the OE brand that can be trusted when it comes to replacement automotive lighting.
The OSRAM range is vast, which means it has a wide selection of lighting technologies to choose from.
Xenon (HID) range
There has been a peak in sales of HID bulbs in recent months, so now is the right time to be stocking OE quality HIDs from a trusted brand. The range is vast and includes: Xenarc Night Breaker 220 – OSRAM’s brightest, road legal HID upgrade; Xenarc Cool Blue Intense providing a cool white light; Xenarc Ultra Life OSRAM’s most reliable HID that come with a 10 year guarantee and lasts up to four times longer than a standard halogen; and finally the Xenarc Original – the same as fitted by vehicle manufacturers worldwide – excellent, reliable OE quality.
Halogen range
Due to their impressive beam range, performance and longevity, OSRAM’s halogen bulb offering has always been incredibly popular amongst drivers, technicians and retailers.
Similar to its xenon counterpart, OSRAM’s halogen range is impressive, with the Night Breaker 220 that has up to 220% more brightness and up to 150 metre long beam and the Night Breaker Laser with up to 150% more brightness and has more light performance due to innovative laser ablation technology. OSRAM’s Night Breaker Silver offers the driver excellent performance and longevity or for a more modern and stylish look, OSRAM’s Cool Blue® Intense (Next Gen) is perfect.
For drivers that are looking for a reliable headlight, OSRAM’s Ultra Life is the ideal solution and finally in the halogen range, is the Original Line 12V, which is an OE quality product that is tried and trusted by vehicle manufacturers across Europe.
The OSRAM stock is kept in its 16,000sqft warehouse in Leeds, which means that availability is rarely a problem for OSRAM in the UK, especially with its customers across the nation relying on next day delivery! The WIPERblade BETTER SIGHT range is available exclusively through Alliance Automotive Logistics.
For more information on the full OSRAM range visit: www.osram.com/am.
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So, that’s about it from me for this week, so I’ll bid you a great seven days, with plenty of enjoyable driving and I look forward to welcoming you once again next Friday – MARCH 20, 2026
Best regards
Steve