What Classic Car
Discover the histories of Britain’s car makers, find classic car clubs, and use our free UK classic car directory of specialists, services and parts suppliers.
Car manufacturers A–Z
Gordon-Keeble
John Gordon and Jim Keeble combined a Chevrolet V8 with a spaceframe chassis and a Giugiaro-designed body to create the Gordon-Keeble, a fast, well-equipped four-seat grand tourer. About…
GTM
GTM began in 1967 as the Cox GTM, a mid-engined coupé built from Mini parts in a Stockport garage. Under later owners it became one of Britain's leading…
Healey
Donald Healey set up his own car company at Warwick in 1945, and his Healey Elliott was claimed as the world's fastest production saloon in 1948. The Silverstone…
Hillman
Founded in Coventry in 1907 by William Hillman with designer Louis Coatalen, Hillman became the everyday family-car brand of the Rootes Group, best known for the Minx, the…
HRG
Founded in 1936 by Edward Halford, Guy Robins and Henry Godfrey, HRG built simple, rugged and fast sports cars at Tolworth, Surrey. Just 241 were made before car…
Humber
Thomas Humber's cycle company began building cars in 1896 and grew into a respected maker of solid, comfortable upper-middle-class cars. As the senior brand of the Rootes Group…
Invicta
Noel Macklin founded Invicta at Cobham, Surrey, in 1925 with backing from Oliver Lyle of Tate & Lyle, building fast, well-made sporting cars such as the 4½ Litre…
Jaguar
Britain's best-known luxury sports and saloon car maker, founded in Blackpool as a motorcycle sidecar business before becoming one of Coventry's defining marques. Renamed from SS Cars in…
Jensen
A West Bromwich coachbuilder turned specialist manufacturer of hand-built, Chrysler V8-powered grand tourers, Jensen is best remembered for the Interceptor and its pioneering four-wheel-drive FF sibling. The company…
Jowett
Brothers Benjamin and William Jowett began making cars in Bradford in 1901, and their durable flat-twin engines powered cars and the Bradford van for half a century. After…
Lagonda
American-born former opera singer Wilbur Gunn founded Lagonda at Staines in 1906, naming it after the Shawnee settlement of Lagonda near his home town of Springfield, Ohio. Lagonda…
Lanchester
The three Lanchester brothers built one of Britain's first petrol cars in Birmingham in 1895 and founded their company in 1899, becoming famous for inventive engineering, including the…
Land Rover
Britain's defining off-road and utility marque, launched by the Rover Company in 1948 and built at Solihull ever since. Land Rover has become shorthand worldwide for rugged, go-anywhere…
Lea-Francis
Richard Lea and Graham Francis founded their Coventry cycle business in 1895 and moved into cars in 1903. A Lea-Francis Hyper, Britain's first supercharged production car, won the…
Lister
Brian Lister began building racing cars at his family's Cambridge engineering works in 1954, and his Jaguar-engined "Knobbly" became one of the most successful sports-racing cars of the…
Lotus
Founded by engineer and racing driver Colin Chapman, Lotus built its reputation on lightweight construction and Formula One success before becoming one of Britain's most respected specialist sports…
Marcos
Marcos Engineering built low, elegant sports cars with an unusual plywood chassis, from its 1959 founding in Wales through decades based in Wiltshire. Best known for the Marcos…
Marlin
Marlin was founded in Plymouth in 1979 by Paul Moorhouse, whose Triumph-based Roadster, with a grille that hints at a pre-war Alfa Romeo, became one of the best-known…
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