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A very warm GOOD FRIDAY EASTER welcome to totalkitcar online … This year’s Drive It Day takes place on April 26. It was originally set up by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) in 2005 to commemorate the 64 cars that set off from London on April 23, 1900 for the ‘Thousand Mile Trial’.
The FBHVC want as many classics (and I’m sure that will include kitcars, too) to get out on the road again this year and you can obviously go it alone or with some friends but there are also plenty of organised events on the taking place around the UK.
Find out more via www.driveitday.co.uk or to find out more about the FBHVC visit http://fbhvc.co.uk.
OUT NOW
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…
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.
This week in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS (click on the link and you’ll find the full list of features) we look at the first car designed by the genius that is Richard Oakes way back in 1970, the TRAMP beach buggy, based on an unmodified VW Beetle floorpan. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Richard Oakes’ Tramp beach buggy in Classic Kit Cars & Specials this week
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An EXACT replica of the paper version it currently costs just £23.99 for a TWELVE MONTHS DIGITAL subscription to TKC MAG ANYWHERE in the world. Visit Pocketmags.com and type in ‘TKC MAG’ and all will be revealed. Alternatively, you can download our APP on your mobile and download single issues or a subscription on your phone or tablet.
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.
We have had a bit of a break from doing the videos but will soon be uploading newd one again. Stay tuned …
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 APRIL-MAY 2026.
SNIPPETS 1 ……. Santa Pod Raceway, Europe’s home of drag racing, has announced that Millers Oils will power its landmark 60th Anniversary season in 2026, building on their multi-year partnership as Official Oil Sponsor.
As the venue celebrates six decades at the heart of European drag racing, Millers Oils will take on an enhanced role across the full 2026 calendar supporting performance at every level, from FIA championship teams to grassroots racers and lifestyle enthusiasts.
A key focus for the 2026 season will be Millers Oils’ EE Performance engine oil range: a trackday-ready, high-performance lubricant engineered for road cars that demand maximum output without compromising everyday useability. Designed specifically for performance driving while remaining suitable for standard service intervals, the EE Performance range is ideally suited to the thousands of drivers who take part in Santa Pod’s hugely popular Run What Ya Brung (RWYB) public track day sessions.
Powered by Millers Oils’ award-winning NANODRIVE low friction technology, the EE Performance range delivers measurable gains where it matters most:
Up to 17 per cent reduction in friction vs EE Longlife range
Up to 24 per cent reduction in friction vs industry-standard oils
Up to 25 per cent reduction in wear vs original formulations
This combination of performance, protection and practicality makes it a natural fit for participants across Santa Pod’s lifestyle events, including The Fast Show, GTI Festival, JapShow, BMW Show, and Ultimate Street Car where drivers demand more from their vehicles both on and off the strip.
Following their initial partnership launch last season, Millers Oils is now fully embedded within the Santa Pod experience, with a strengthened presence trackside, in the on-site ‘Garage’ shop and through direct engagement with competitors and fans alike.
Caroline Holden, Commercial Manager at Santa Pod Raceway, said: “2026 is a hugely important year for Santa Pod as we celebrate 60 years of drag racing, and it’s fantastic to have Millers Oils playing such a key role in that journey. The EE Performance range is a perfect example of how their products translate directly to our audience – particularly RWYB drivers who want to get the most out of their cars while still driving them home at the end of the day.”
Tony Lowe, Managing Director at Millers Oils, said: “Our partnership with Santa Pod Raceway continues to grow, and the 60th Anniversary season provides the ideal platform to showcase products like our EE Performance range. These oils are designed for exactly this kind of environment where performance, reliability and real-world useability all matter. Whether it’s professional teams or weekend enthusiasts, we’re proud to support every level of the sport.”
DONE DEAL BETWEEN MILLERS OILS AND SANTA POD RACEWAY
About Santa Pod Raceway
Santa Pod Raceway, located in north Bedfordshire, is the premier drag racing venue in Europe. Santa Pod has earned a reputation as the ultimate destination for drag racing enthusiasts, offering world-class facilities and hosting some of the most prestigious and diverse events in the motorsport calendar. www.santapod.com.
About Millers Oils
Founded in 1887, Millers Oils is an independent blender of award-winning oils and lubricants, trusted across automotive, motorsport, commercial and industrial sectors worldwide. www.millersoils.co.uk.
SNIPPETS 2 …….The three Ford GT40s that delivered the iconic 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1966 will be reunited at both of Goodwood’s premier events in 2026 – The Festival of Speed (July 9-12) and Revival (Sept 18-20) to commemorate sixty years since that landmark victory by Ford and Shelby American.
The 7-litre GT40 MkIIs were driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon (Chassis P/1046), Ken Miles and Denny Hulme (P/1015) and Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson (P/1016).
At Festival of Speed they’ll form part of the this year’s main theme for the event ‘The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels’ while they’ll also be seen again a couple of months later at the Revival meeting.
The Duke of Richmond said that the reunion would be ‘incredibly special’ describing rhe 1966 Le Mans result as being ‘immortalised in motorsport history’. More information and to buy tickets visit www.goodwood.com.
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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 week on GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2026. HAVE A GREAT EASTER
Best regards
Steve