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Welcome to totalkitcar online …
A warm welcome to totalkitcar online … HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW GOODS & SUPPLIERS A-Z DIRECTORY YET? See the menu bar above or CLICK HERE.
I know that lots of readers used our GOODS & SUPPLIERS listing as a guide to the specialist car aftermarket, so essential did they regard it. It needed an upgrade but it took a couple of years to get it right.
GOODS & SUPPLIERS is BACK. It’s certainly less wieldy, is easier to use and well, see what you think. It’s not yet complete by any means but is a workable and useful A-Z listing that I hope you enjoy using and check back regularly because I will be adding to it daily, almost.
CLICK HERE to BUY a copy of the new JULY/AUGUST 2026 issue of TKC MAG.
Here’s this issue’s menu, or at least some of it.
Welcome to the JULY/AUGUST 2026 issue. So, what have we got to tickle your fancy this time?
CRAFTED CLASSICS CAFÉ RACER – A visit to Suffolk-based Christopher Hamilton who runs Crafted Classics Tuning, Classic Mini restorers par excellence as well as their own beautiful restomod called the CAFÉ RACER.
INDUSTRY GREATS – LES WELLER – A man who has supplied more steel wheels than anyone else (probably) as well as being the king of Formula Ford wheel supply. This could just be the only time that his story has appeared in print.
MALVERN SHOW REVIEW 2026 – A bumper five-page review of the National KIt Car Motor Shows written by show organiser, PETE SLATER with input from STEVE HOLE
DOUG KNIGHT’S SUPER BEETLE! – A superb Beetle drag car, recently purchased by Doug Knight. He tells us about his new project.
WITHOUT OUR PAST – Another pictorial look back to the past
SYLVA PHOENIX RESTORATION – A beautiful 35 year old Phoenix that has been beautoifully restored by design technology teacher, Phil Donington.
ELVA’S SPORTS RACING CARS – People usually assume that Elva just produced the Courier model in its various generations. However, the company originally started out by producing racecars and when Frank Nichols sold the roadcar side of his business to the Trojan Group he set up Elva Racing [1961] Ltd to continue building sports racers. We round them up …
LAYCOCK DE NORMANVILLE OVERDRIVE UNIT – The story of Edgar de Normanville’s extremely popular overdrive unit.
DUTTON B PLUS 3 – Another new Dutton model, following swiftly behind the Phæton 5 is the third iteration of another very popular Dutton kit. Like its brother it’s also based on Mazda MX-5 MK3.
We have much more to entertain you with this time as well as the regulars.
Hope you enjoy the issue.
CLICK HERE to BUY a copy of the new JULY/AUGUST 2026 issue of TKC MAG.
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 we take a look at the career of one of the UK’s most successful lady racers, Patsy Burt, who these days often goes under the radar. We pay tribute. CLICK HERE to go there.
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SNIPPETS 1 …….. McMurtry Automotive say that they have initiated a new era of automotive performance as it reveals the production form of its single-seater, electric hyper track car – the Spéirling PURE.
Designed from the outset in the name of unfiltered driving exhilaration and fun and with 95 per cent new components compared to prototype models, the Spéirling PURE delivers truly accessible F1-level performance that any driver can enjoy, with a strong focus on a plug-and-play ownership experience.
Following a decade-long research and development programme, during which Spéirling prototypes have accumulated thousands of miles in testing, McMurtry has leveraged its engineering creativity and worked outside of ‘industry norms’ to create a track vehicle that is unlike anything else in the automotive world.
McMurtry first captured global attention in 2022 when the Spéirling prototype set a new Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb record – beating many established manufacturers in doing so. In 2025, it shattered the Top Gear Test Track record, once held by the 2004 Renault F1 car. That same year, the Spéirling prototype broke new ground to become the first car to ever drive upside down.
Thomas Yates, McMurtry’s Co-founder and Managing Director, commented:
“The Spéirling PURE marks the beginning of a new era in track driving with mind-bending performance to suit all levels of owner, from weekend enthusiasts to professional drivers. In production form, the car is significantly more usable, but no less outrageous. In terms of exhilaration, grip, acceleration, sound, aesthetics and technology, we offer something that no other manufacturer is able to.
“Less than ten years ago, there were just a handful of us with the brief and ambition to create a car company. We’ve come an awfully long way since then, patenting revolutionary new technologies, gathering a world-class team of talented individuals and raising the bar in the performance vehicle sector.
“Feedback from our earliest Spéirling PURE deposit holders has been instrumental in shaping our final customer offering. They recognised our vision and their input has helped us turn a record-breaking prototype into an extraordinary and highly usable track car that people can own and enjoy. This final form is not just the result of our engineering ambition, but also the result of listening intently to the people who are going to drive it.
“Designed and built by hand at our new state-of-the-art factory in the Cotswolds, later this year we’ll be handing over the first Spéirling PURE to customers. We cannot wait to see what owners across the globe achieve in their cars, but rest assured, we also have some big plans of our own…”
I remember being wowed by the prototype Spéirling at Goodwood in 2022. Its performance reallyis spinetingling.
Prices aren’t for the faint-hearted starting at £995,000. More information from www.mcmurtry.com.
At the other end of the scale is the sub-65K Longbow Speedster is scheduled to arrive in 2027
Another British electric hypercar maker I’ve been following is Longbow Motors and their Roadster (and convertible Speedster version) and you can find out more about that from www.longbowmotors.com.
SNIPPETS 2 ……..More than 200 children aged 11 to 16 were inspired by games developers, vehicle engineers, and technology innovators at this year’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Week, designed and led by the British Motor Museum. Through talks and activities delivered by a range of local companies, including Playground Games, Lotus Cars, and WMG Academy for Young Engineers, the children and their teachers emerged from the week with a new enthusiasm for careers in science and engineering.
Research by engineering institutions reveals that many young people are unaware of the vast range of rewarding careers available for those with an interest in STEM subjects. From apprenticeships that allow you to ‘earn while you learn’ to specialist degrees that create world-class experts, STEM careers can be accessed at every level. The week’s activities at the British Motor Museum were designed to help young people explore STEM subjects that inspire them and to understand the access pathway that best suits their learning preferences.
Claire Broader, Learning & Engagement Officer at the British Motor Museum, said: “All around us are examples of the amazing things achieved by scientists and engineers. We brought together some inspirational examples from world-leading local businesses. These include designing supercars, developing electric vehicle technologies, and programming a world-leading driving game, ‘Forza Horizon’. Each example came to life thanks to a fantastic group of experts from the partner companies. It was wonderful seeing the excitement as the children realised that they could do it too.”
The British Motor Museum’s STEM Careers Days are a valuable investment in the future talent pipeline for the UK’s science, engineering and wider technology industries. “It’s an area where at every level, there are too few really good candidates,” explains Broader. “To stay a world leader in technology, the UK has to encourage more young people into STEM careers at every level.”
The museum’s evaluation highlights the transformative nature of the programme. Many participants arrived with limited knowledge of STEM career opportunities, but left with increased confidence, clear direction and a renewed sense of ambition.
The British Motor Museum, located between Warwick, Leamington Spa, Banbury and Stratford-upon-Avon, is one of Europe’s most highly regarded centres for the conservation and display of automotive heritage, a cornerstone in the story of the United Kingdom, its people and culture.
STEM Careers Days are a major part of the Museum’s calendar of community and education activities. Schools interested in taking part in future STEM activities at the British Motor Museum can contact Claire Broader at claire.broader@britishmotormuseum.co.uk.
To find out more information about the Museum, please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/learning/schools.
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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 Friday, JULY 10, 2026
Best regards
Steve