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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.
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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.
SNIPPETS 1 …….. We often get people asking what ace kitcar designer, Stuart Mills is up to these days. So, I decided to ask the man himself. Life post-MEV was supposed to see Stuart, now a grandad, slow down a little, however, it didn’t quite turn out that way.
“I retired only to find myself unable to resist taking on the mighty Clipstone Headstocks and Raleigh Museum, under the tallest headstocks in the world and turning it into a great place to visit that also has a showground, a place that is perfect for a kitcar show, incidentally!” Stuart laughs.
“I’m still playing with wheels of course; military vehicles fit in well at what was Britain’s largest army training camp. We have a large collection including Stalwart, Green Goddess, Shilka, K9, Karrier, Commer, Model T, WM20 Carmichael and more. Even Henry Cole did a show from here, so did Mike Brewer.
“I also have a commuter car under development and a few bikes I couldn’t help making. As well as covering our mining heritage, we also house the world’s largest collection of Raleigh products, including a Karryall, LDV, the first Reliant (which was actually a Raleigh) and two Safety Sevens.
“We had 500 classic cars here last weekend at the Wonderland Show. It was fantastic,” he tells me, and with that, he’s off to turn his attention to an exhibit that needs sorting.
For more information about what Stuart is doing now, contact:
Clipstone Headstocks and Raleigh Museum, Power House, Mansfield Road, Clipstone, Nottinghamshire NG21 9EH
Tel: 01623 655 522 or visit – www.clipstoneheadstocks.com
SNIPPETS 2 ……..New plans have been announced for the site – 7-11 Tottenham Lane, Hornsey, North London, which was the first home of Lotus Cars from 1952, next to Colin Chapman’s father’s hotel/pub The Railway at 5 Tottenham Lane, 100 metres from Hornsey Railway Station.
The site has been used by various busineses over the years, ever since Lotus moved to Cheshunt in 1959, which have included a tyre depot and most recently a branch of Jewsons Builders Merchants.
In the consultation document, the developers have suggested a mix of ideas for the site, known as The Lotus Building, which above all will, they say, pay homage to the Lotus marque and the site’s history.
These include the retention and retrofit of the old showroom and workshop, Lotus themed café, community building, industrial floorspace for local businesses, 527 student homes and a landscaped public square.
You have your say and find out more by visiting www.thelotusbuilding.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 Friday, JULY 24, 2026
Best regards
Steve