A Longer Read

On our front page, we have drip-fed some of our more lasting obsessions in serialised form. For those with the stomach for it, we offer them here as bumper single helpings.

Reconvening the Committee : Branded a committee design from the outset, we challenge received wisdom in the stylistic genesis of the Jaguar XJ-S.

 
 
 

History Repeating : Driven to Write’s lengthy examination of the development and subsequent career of Jaguar’s 1986 XJ saloon.

 
 
 

First of Its Kind : Last of Its Kind : The W126 S-Class was not only a monument of automotive evolution, but a metaphor for a turbulent period of latter-day German history. Driven to Write plots its course.

 
 
 

The Great Curve: Two figures bestrode the UK’s serious early forays into automotive aerodynamics – Malcolm Sayer and Frank Costin. Neither have gained the wider recognition they deserve. We tell their stories.

 
 
 

The Last Of England : The algebra of failure – we profile Jaguar’s X-Type.

 
 
 

Signs and Portents : We’ve all heard about the Lancia Gamma. But do we understand it? Driven to Write sets the record straight.

 
 
 

Mutiny About the Bounty : Trojan Horse, dying gasp, expedience cast in neon, or simply a good car? The Triumph Acclaim placed in context.

 
 
 

On the Road to Fiesta : The 1976 Ford Fiesta marked a watershed for the Blue Oval. We examine its gestation in detail.

 
 
 

Quintessence : The original XJ6 is the defining Jaguar saloon. We trace its convoluted birth and often troubled career.

 
 
 

Six Decades of Separation : We take an overview on BMW’s 60 year history of design, for better or worse.

 
 
 

German Film Star : The 1971 Mercedes 107 Series would prove to be an SL for the ages. We tell its story.

 
 
 

Saving Grace : The Series III Jaguar XJ was make or break. It nearly did both. We recount its backstory.