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A warm welcome to totalkitcar online … regular readers will be aware that I always keep a firm eye on the tyre market particularly that of the kitcar favourite size – 195 x 50 R15. Been looking at the trackday tyre market this week aka the road-legal slick tyre.
Latest kid on the block, that comes incredibly highly recommended, from a couple of mates who seem to spend their lives doing trackdays, is the Vitour Tempesta P1. One of said mates couldn’t get hold of any Toyo Proxes R888R or R1Rs so went for the P1s to get him out of trouble.He says he wouldn’t use anything else now.
The tyre is available in sizes 15in to 21in in various widths in each size.
The Tempesta P1 features 200TW competition compound, which is perfect for trackdays, plus stuff like Time Attack Series and general motorsport use. It is absolutely perfect for kitcar use.
It has been homologated for road use and has been built for consistent grip over long sessions.
The 195 x 50 R15 size currently costs £159 each and you can find out more via www.vitourmotorsport.co.uk.
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.
Photo courtesy of Bonhams.com
This week in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS we focus on the amazing roadgoing Lotus 51R Formula Ford car of 1968 dubbed Flower Power. It was the idea of the brilliant motoring journalist, the larger-than-life, Nick Brittan and his editor at Car magazine, Doug Blain, who persuaded Lotus sales manager Graham Arnold to do, reasoning that the publicity would help Lotus shift unsold 51s. CLICK HERE to go there …
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.
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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 JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2026.
Comarth Xtamy was built in Spain in the early noughties – power came from a Ford Duratec 2-litre
SNIPPETS 1 …….. Great Northern Classics is thrilled to announce the high-octane evening that many petrolheads have been asking for. An Evening with Mike Brewer, the legendary face of Wheeler Dealers, hosted by his Discovery Channel stablemate, Paul Cowland.
Get ready to dive deep into the high-stakes world of buying, fixing, and flipping iconic motors as Mike Brewer spills the beans on the untold secrets, jaw-dropping deals, and behind-the-scenes drama from one of TV’s most beloved motoring shows. With 18 action-packed series under his belt since the show launched in 2003, plus spin-offs including Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car, Trading Up, Wheeler Dealers World Tour, and more, there’s a lot for Mike to talk about!
Mike has transformed hundreds of classics and entertained millions worldwide. From legendary restorations and barn-find bargains to the thrills and spills of the classic trade, this is your chance to hear it straight from the man who’s bought and sold more classics than most of us will ever own in our lifetime. Although Paul is trying…
Paul Cowland is the charismatic host, best known for Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars and a man who dearly loves automotive storytelling. Expect him to steer the conversation, drawing out Mike’s best anecdotes, expert insights, and laugh-out-loud moments in front of a live audience. You can look forward to inside secrets being exposed, fascinating car lore, and the chance to really get to know one of the world’s best-known TV stars.
Event Highlights:
• Doors open at 5:30 pm on the 10th September for a relaxed arrival and chance to soak up the incredible atmosphere at Great Northern Classics.
• The main event kicks off at 7:00pm with an intimate, engaging Q&A and storytelling session.
• Limited tickets available. Tickets are already selling fast!
Ticket Options:
• Standard ticket: £25
• Food Option: £10 (Menu: Award-Winning Owen Taylor Steak and Ale Pie with Mash or Chinese Chicken Curry with Rice. Vegetarian options available. – the perfect fuel for a night of motoring magic!)
Whether you’re a die-hard Wheeler Dealers fan, a classic car restorer, or love great stories from your favourite automotive shows, this is the perfect way to spend an evening.
Location: Great Northern Classics 274–278 Osmaston Road, Derby, DE24 8AE
Tickets and more information: Visit www.greatnorthernclassics.co.uk or check the “What’s On” section for direct booking.
SNIPPETS 2……..Private number plates generated nearly £289 million in a single year, according to new Freedom of Information (FOI) data.
Auction sales, fixed-price online sales, and plate transfer fees made up this figure in 2024/25, which was obtained as part of a request by premium automotive retailer Stratstoneto the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and highlights the UK’s obsession with private plates.
More than 9.4 million personalised registrations have been sold by the DVLA since the organisations began auctions in 1989, the FOI also disclosed, while almost half of the top 20 highest value personalised registrations were sold in the 2020s.
I noticed this week that MK Sportscars has teased ‘A rise of the Phoenix’ on their Facebook page. A much-loved kitcar that they have owned for about ten years. Great to hear that they are planning a re-launch. It will be a superb partner for the incredibly successful Indy model. More on this one soon.
The Scale of the UK’s Private Plate Market
Another interesting aspect of the DVLA data is how the auction, fixed-price, and transfer fee channels each measure up.
Volumes of auctions have experienced a 35% increase, from the 12,977 sales recorded in 2015/16 to 17,527 sales in 2024/25. Revenue from auctions also almost doubled over the same period, from £24.7m in 2015/16 to £44m in 2024/25.
For the transfer fee stream – which applies when a personalised plate is moved between owners – this has grown 41% from £94.8m in 2015/16 to reach £133.6m in 2024/25.
This revenue boost suggests there’s currently a thriving secondary resale market across the UK, especially as this stream has consistently outpaced both auction and fixed-price revenue individually.
Figures from the FOI suggest that the DVLA’s fixed-price online sales market operates within a much tighter ceiling though. This is because the most expensive plate ever sold through that channel is HU57 LER – for £4999 in September 2012 – and every other plate in the all-time top 20 each sold for exactly £3999.
In contrast, 25 O is the most expensive plate sold at a DVLA auction, recording a hammer price of £400,000 in November 2014.
However, just like with the auction and transfer fee channels, total revenue generated from fixed-price online sales has jumped significantly from 2015/16 (£77.5m) to 2024/25 (£111m) – a 43% increase.
The Pandemic’s Plate-Buying Boom
One of the biggest spikes in private plate sales came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The start of lockdown was the period that the DVLA’s fixed-price online sales channel witnessed its single largest year-on-year movement in the dataset, rising 55% from 393,237 sales in 2019/20 to 608,313 sales in 2020/21.
Revenue for auction sales increased from £30m to £35m across the same period too, while transfer fee revenue jumped from £106m to £121m.
The Huge Figures Associated with Auction Sales
The fact that 25 O is only three characters long and yet is the most expensive private registration ever recorded in the UK demonstrates that short private plates can draw high asking prices.
Adding to this point is how KR15 HNA is the only plate in the top 20 highest value personalised registrations which is set out like a standard registration, selling for £180,000 in May 2015.
Each of the top 20 private plates went under the hammer for six-figure sums, though 25 O sits more than £115,000 clear of the second most valuable plate ever sold – 1 D, which fetched £285,000 in March 2009.
There’s also a suggestion that demand at the premium end of the market has intensified in recent years, as nine of the top 20 highest value personalised registrations were sold in the 2020s.
However, ‘1A’ sold for £160,000 in December 1989 – the first year DVLA auctions began – so it appears the market for premium plates has commanded serious money from day one.
A Stratstone spokesperson commented: “The data shows that the UK’s obsession with personalised plates is not just cultural – it’s a serious and growing market that’s quickly closing in on 10 million private plates.
“The pandemic figures showing that Brits bought more personalised plates than ever before are striking. Plus, the buoyant secondary resale market tells you that for many buyers, a personalised plate is an appreciating asset that’s as much an investment as it is a statement.”
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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, August 7, 2026
Best regards
Steve