Photo Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The Triumph Mayflower ad, for a car James May condemns as the Ugliest Vehicle Ever Made, is especially puzzling. Did Triumph think that associating their products with some hookwormy clod pounding on a wagon wheel was a good idea?

Click next to see our ten favorite international drives from the list, in no particular order. For the rest of the Drives of a Lifetime check out the full National Geographic list.

Photo Credit: Kloppster

Country: Italy
Where: Amalfi Coast
Why: Beautiful coastline, towering bluffs, and bella donnas make this one of the best drives along the Mediterranean.

Photo Credit: artemanuele

Country: Canada
Where: Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia
Why: This 185-mile loop around part of the island shows off a verdant, unmarred coast filled with wildlife and blessed with cool climate year-round.

Photo Credit: Jim Dollar

Country: England
Where: The Cornwall Coast
Why: Celtic ruins, narrow roads, crashing waves, and the odd Cornish beauty conspire to make this one of the best drives in Western Europe.

Photo Credit: Cosygreeneyes

Country: Netherlands
Where: Bollenstreek Route
Why: The Bollenstreek Route, a.k.a. The Flower Route, gets its name from the miles of road cutting a path through acres and acres of tulip fields. Explosions of color fill the eye, making this a perfect spring journey.

Photo Credit:

Country: Canada
Where: Manitoba Prairies
Why: Not for the agoraphobic, this seemingly endless expanse of farmland and prairie opens the mind and evokes the spirit of life before the Internet.

Photo Credit: GarySimmons

Country: United States
Where: Hana Highway, Hawaii
Why: Gorgeous black-sand beaches, tropical greenery, and water everywhere — this is why people cross thousands of miles of empty Pacific to visit a spec of volcanic rock. Nearly 600 curves and 59 bridges don't hurt either.

Photo Credit:

Country: France
Where: Provence
Why: Ever dream of crossing a quiet countryside in a Citroen SM, then pulling into a little bistro for a glass of the local vintner's craft in the company of a stunning brunette mademoiselle? You were picturing Provence.

Photo Credit: Doozzle

Country: Jamaica
Where: The Pirate Route (Port Royal to Kingston)
Why: The island nation is small enough to cross in a day, and in crossing it you'll see beautiful coastline, small hillside villages, and the City of Kingston.

Photo Credit: Teepi

Country: New Zealand
Where: Lord of the Rings Route, North Island
Why: Whether you're a fan of the movie trilogy or not, New Zealand feels like Middle Earth. And to quote Flight Of The Conchords: "New Zealand: Rocks!!!"

Photo Credit: Man's Pic

Country: Canada
Where: Montreal, Area Loop Drive
Why: They can't all be coastlines, can they? From the urban heart of Montreal outwards toward wine country, this is a varied drive so wonderful Alfa Romeo named a car after it.

Photo Credit: Vox Photo

Autocar has been around forever- since 1895, in fact- and even has the distinction of having fired James May (for inserting a secret message in an issue reading "So you think it's really good yeah you should try making the bloody thing up it's a real pain in the arse"). I'm definitely looking forward to some enjoyable reading with this haul; just a quick flip through the stack produced this sextet of PCH Gold machines, including the 1951 Hillman Minx Magnificent, the 1950 Vauxhalls, the 1962 Triumph Herald, the 1951 Singer 1000, the 1957 Daimler One-O-Four, and the 1961 Wolseley Hornet. Whoa, it's a red-letter day for Wolseley Hornet aficionados! Enjoy:

The majority of new cars being sold in Great Britain right now are still equipped with FM radio receivers instead of the DAB systems necessary to receive a digital radio signal. Since the entire analogue signal will be switched off by the end of 2015, those radios will be completely useless.

Converting to a digital receiver is estimated to cost in the neighborhood of $500, factoring in not only the price of the new head unit, but also the labor integrate it into the complicated wiring harness of a modern car.

While some cars like the Audi A8 and BMW 5-series already come with DAB radio, popular models like the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Astra do not. Manufacturers were reluctant to spec the new radios until an exact date for the transition was made, the 2015 date was arrived at earlier this month. It's believed that the market for used cars will now respond to the transition, driving down the price of and demand for vehicles equipped with analogue receivers. It's not known when manufacturers like Ford and Vauxhall will upgrade their models with digital receivers.

As and added kick in the pants to UK consumers, it's expected that the analogue to digital transition will cause months of disruptions to signals and even station availability. No word on whether or not Members of Parliament will be able to expense upgrades in their own, publicly funded cars. [via The Daily Mail]

The accident happened yesterday afternoon in Hampshire, southwest of London, at a Tesco supermarket. According to Metro:

Six women suffered cuts, bruising and shock when the vehicle went through the window of the Tesco store in River Way, Andover, Hampshire, at about 4.30 yesterday afternoon, police said.

Shoppers ran for cover as the car smashed into shelves and tills and then tried to reverse out but got stuck.

The car’s driver was arrested at the scene. And is there a more appropriate time to re-watch the scene from Top Gear where Jeremy Clarkson opens a new swimming pool in a decidedly similar fashion?

Photo Credit: Metro

This is partially a marketing gimmick because it's a 250,000-mile or five-year warranty and it's unlikely anyone will hit the 250K mark in five years. Just for reference, someone would have to drive their Rodius along the country's longest road more than 850 times in order to hit 250,000 miles.

Still, we're sort of hoping someone takes advantage of this warranty and the five-year free servicing plan and takes in a Kyron with 244,600 miles on the clock for an oil change.

SSANGYONG MOVES TO FIVE YEAR / 250,000 MILE WARRANTY

ow many miles do you drive in five years? Fifty thousand? One hundred thousand?

In a new SsangYong you can drive for a quarter of a million miles and not have to worry about a warranty claim. Now even better value for money, SsangYong Kyron, Rexton and Rodius models from South Korea now come with a five year or 250,000 mile warranty (whichever comes first).

The five year or quarter of a million mile warranty is not simply a marketing initiative, but a permanent enhancement to SsangYong ownership. Having tested public opinion in Northern Ireland with a similar warranty provided by Northern Irish dealers over the past year, the move clearly demonstrates confidence in SsangYong's build quality and reliability and will appeal to pragmatic buyers looking for rugged ability coupled with value for money.

"The move has the full support of the SsangYong factory," says Koelliker UK managing director Paul Williams. "We were pleased with the reaction of customers in Northern Ireland and with over 50 years' experience of making tough, practical vehicles, we know that SsangYongs are well made and solidly reliable and this will reinforce that message and give buyers great confidence."

Five years' free servicing
Right now, a five year warranty isn't the only reason to consider a SsangYong. Until the end of June, retail customers can also enjoy five years/50,000 miles of free servicing, focusing still further on SsangYong's reliability and low costs of ownership.

Customers can easily plan their motoring budgets with SsangYong, confident that there will be no nasty surprises. All SsangYong models also come with three years' European AA cover.

The SsangYong range appeals to those looking for a well equipped, immensely practical vehicle who want value for money rather than paying the premium prices demanded by other brands. They are especially suitable for anyone with a regular or occasional need to tow a caravan, boat, horsebox or trailer of any kind, and if you need to venture off the tarmac, SsangYong's four wheel drive systems will let you do it with ease.

There are six SsangYong Kyron models with a choice of the latest clean and economical 2.0 and 2.7 litre, turbocharged common rail diesel engines, with two or four wheel drive and manual or automatic transmissions. The Kyron represents a considerable saving over its competitors such as the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet Captiva.

The Kyron starts at on £14,995 and even at this price, gets air conditioning, electronic stability programme (ESP), hill descent control (HDC), ABS brakes, a Kenwood radio and CD player and steering wheel audio controls. All Kyrons are versatile and practical five-seaters that will tow up to 2.3 metric tons. The extra urban fuel consumption of the 2.0 diesel is up to a pleasing 45.6mpg. CO2 emissions are the lowest in the class at only 191 g/km.

For the ultimate in comfort, equipment and go-anywhere four wheel drive ability, the Kyron 2.7 SPR wants for nothing. Its huge towing capability comes from permanent four wheel drive and the SsangYong 2.7 litre, turbocharged diesel engine. This gives 165 PS and a thumping 340 Nm of torque at 2,525rpm. With Mercedes T-Tronic auto transmission, it still returns an extra urban consumption of 34mpg.

All three SsangYong Rexton models (from £19,995) have all wheel drive and the 2.7 litre common rail turbo diesel engine for big towing capacity and off-road capability. The Rexton squares up against the Mitsubishi Shogun, Landrover Discovery and Jeep Cherokee and whichever way you look at it, offers great value and performance with huge advantages over the competition.

For serious people carrying capacity, SsangYong's Rodius models come in 2wd and 4wd – all with the 2.7 litre turbo diesel - and with automatic transmission as an option.

A full seven-seater with ample luggage space, the Rodius 270 S easily undercuts the Kia Sedona and starts at only £14,995. All Rodius models use the 2.7 litre with 165PS and massive torque. Even a vehicle this big can achieve up to 35.8mpg.

SsangYong light commercial versions of the Kyron and Rexton – the C-S models - have the rear seats removed, blacked-out windows and a flat load floor installed. They offer massive load space and towing capacity with all the equipment and driving refinement of a passenger car. Starting at only £11,995 (excluding delivery and first registration charges, and VAT) the S-C models can also be fitted with a tachograph.

Even the shear rabid awesomeness that is the Caparo T1 can easily be watered down into oblivion by an event they're calling "UK's ultimate Super Car Event and Concours d'Elégance." Salon Privé is an exercise in standing around on some rich guy's lawn and trying to look like you've got your pants wedged up your ass more than anyone else around you. It's a wedgie competition, that's it.

But we shan't allow a few crumpet-armed limeys to ruin the day as we're talking about a massive 575 HP strapped into an extremely lightweight chassis that's always threatening to be readily deadly. Though there doesn't seem to be a huge change from the 2008 Caparo T1 to the 2009 Caparo T1, it's still righteous. The press release in the comments below.

Caparo T1 2009 launch at Salon Privé

Caparo T1, the fastest performance super car available, is set to make its debut at Salon Privé on 12th February 2009 at London's Hurlingham Club. The prestigious event will also be used to announce the T1's 2009 programme.

True to form this year's Salon Privé, the UK's ultimate Super Car and Lifestyle Event, will once again attract a number of high profile guests with its promise of getting up, close and personal with the most exotic modern and vintage super cars in the world. Held in the luxurious and exclusive environment of the Hurlingham Club, the show is regarded by many as London's favourite motoring party because of its mixture of fashion, style, luxury and automotive haute couture.

Caparo T1, the two-seater performance car that recently took the racing world by storm, will occupy centre stage during the event and is expected to attract a high level of interest. Alongside the car's distinctive profile, information will also be available on its five new levels of specifications; stating from the most cost effective race track option, to its Race Extreme version, boasting the T1's most powerful engine, a upgraded electronics package, fully carbon brakes and the latest light weight magnesium wheels.

The Caparo team will shortly be unveiling the brand new partnership with one of the most reputed prestigious car dealerships in the country. The agreement will see Caparo concentrating on the continued development of the T1 and associated technologies, with the continued evolution of the car's driving experience and pushing further its track and on-the-road performance. The chosen Caparo partner is going to take control of the super car's sales, marketing and after sales service.

For more information regarding the Caparo T1 or its participation in Salon Privé, please contact Fiona Malan at Caparo Vehicle Products on 0121 224 2078 or at fiona.malan@caparovehicleproducts.com. Please visit www.caparo.com

Scientists researching the matter hypothesize that the urge to acquire personalized number plates is a mating behavior equivalent to that of the male peacock’s display of tail feathers. The larger and brighter the feathers, the more appealing the male peacock is to females.

Since the average British male lacks both feathers and the typical external signs of human male virility: height, a full head of hair, a single chin and a winning smile, he’s forced to compete for mates with gratuitous displays of bad taste and a fat credit card.

English numberplates differ from their American cousins, Vanity Plates (which can be commonly spotted adorning the walls of theme restaurants) in that they're sold at auction for huge prices rather than licenses at a token rate on a first-come basis.

Rare personalized numberplates are demarcated by their number of figures and the ability of those figures to spell out something clever. In addition to displaying wealth, they disguise the age of the vehicle they’re attached to (standard issue British numberplates contain the model year), a further boon to attracting gold digging slappers. So, for example, a plate reading “8110X” or “80085” would be quite valuable in contemporary British society.

The “1 0” plate is exceptional both for its use of only two digits and for the symbolic importance of the number “10” which could signify a perfect automobile, a perfect driver or both. As such, the plate, which will be auctioned on Friday, will be given the highest ever reserve: 10,000 of Her Majesty’s Pounds or $14,221 in freedom credits. It’s expected to achieve a far greater price, maybe even challenging the current $500,000 record. [DVLA via Press Association]

Queen Elizabeth the II, who lives rent free in several state-owned mansions and castles — the poorly insulated kind that are a bitch to heat in the winter — travels by a state-owned private jet and requires a security detail that uses many fossil fuel powered cars, trucks, motorcycles and helicopters, has decided to do her bit for the environment. The biofuel conversion is estimated to increase the fuel economy of her two, scarcely used, Bentleys by a staggering 40%. How? By burning some of her tiny island nation’s food supply in place of gasoline. Bentley is expected to introduce a similar system for its range of luxury cars by 2012, allowing similarly well-heeled individuals to feel better about themselves while dining on imported fine foodstuffs.

Last summer, Prince Charles, the Queen’s doting son, converted his Aston Martin DB6 to run on ethanol produced from surplus wine. It’s not known which fuel source the Queen will use to power her Bentleys. [via The Daily Mail]

Well, he has called fixed speed cameras “arbitrary” and “unfair,” preferring instead the far less arbitrary and unfair average speed cameras. You know, the ones that record your speed over a large distance then send you a ticket in the mail should your average exceed the posted limit. He’s also proposed that drivers could lose their licenses after only two speeding offenses. Why?

No, not because speeding is dangerous — it seems that even the Ministry of Love Labour Party has lost faith in that lie — but, get this, because the faster you drive, the more you pollute. Coincidentally, Geoff Hoon has just approved an extra 23,000 flights per year at Stanstead and who supports a third runway at Heathrow.

Despite his anti-car policies, Hoon has had the gall to have himself described as “car mad” in newspaper interviews. Ignoring his car-hating policies for a second, let’s take a look at the Hoon fleet: a Ford Galaxy minivan, a purple Mini and his Government issue Prius.

What’s most interesting about Hoon’s appointment to the position isn’t the cynical policies or spin however, it’s the resigned acceptance shown by the English press. Writing in The Times, former CAR editor Jason Barlow cites all of the above offenses but doesn’t move on to present a cohesive argument for either Hoon’s dismissal nor the repeal of his policies; instead moving on to a tired and trivial Clarkson imitation, calling for people with stuffed animals in their cars to be banned. For this ex-resident of Blighty, it’s sad and frightening to see the degree to which the British are prepared to roll over and accept the slow progression of Orwellian rule. The United Kingdom used to be a bastion of reasonable laws and personal freedom. Not anymore. [via The Times]

NO BLUE SKIES FOR GREY CAR DRIVERS

Drivers of grey cars are more likely to need roadside assistance than any other coloured vehicle, according to research by digital motoring magazine, imotormag.co.uk.

The study by the free online magazine found that more than one-in-three of the UK’s 1.3 million grey car drivers will call on help from the likes of the AA or RAC to top the UK’s breakdown chart.

The research from imotormag.co.uk also shows that green isn’t the lucky charm some drivers were wishing for. Owners of the nation’s sixth most popular car colour are the second most likely group to require roadside assistance.

With more blue cars on Britain’s roads than any other colour - over 7 million registered - they are nearly 15% less likely to call out a breakdown vehicle than their grey-hued counterparts.

Despite an association with ageing and all things dull and boring, it’s not all bad news and expensive repairs for grey car owners as the major breakdown companies reported the majority of calls received relate to flat batteries and tyre punctures, rather than mechanical failure.

Mat Watson, editor of imotormag.co.uk, said: “The results are genuinely surprising. One theory is that many hire and company car fleets choose grey vehicles as the colour looks newer for longer, with dents and scratches less noticeable. These vehicles are often exposed to very high mileage, so perhaps their chance of needing assistance is greater. Then again, grey cars could just be cursed!”

[Source: iMotorMag.co.uk]

Mark has always been a fan of Dodge muscle and, until recently, owned a 1973 Plymouth 340 Cuda. After selling that car to an enthusiast in Germany, Mark did what any reasonable person would do and sped off to Vegas with the hopes of buying a four-speed big block. Unable to find the right one, the Londoner with a love of loud pipes headed home. Alas, not a week later this very special Dodge Challenger 440 RT four-speed showed up on eBay UK and Mark quickly took possession of it.

The car itself has a much longer history, having been purchased and restored as a family project by the Stahlhebers of St. Peters Missouri. You can read the full story of the Challenger build here. The Stahlhebers sold the car at auction to a different UK collector who then turned around and listed the car on eBay. And the car itself?

Although it is not a true numbers matching car- It does decode to be an original 440 RT four-speed car. A full rotisserie restoration had been completed a couple of years before and virtually everything had been replaced- with NOS or repro parts etc. The engine is a 1970 440 with a few extra performance parts and dress up pieces- and runs just great!- bodywork is rust free and looks stunning in F4 Rallye Red- This is actually a 1969 Chrsyler colour and is offset with the period RT side stripes. The four speed gearbox is shifted with the Hurst pistol grip shifter - another cool option in my opinion. Since owning her I have driven it as much as the crappy English weather will allow!

When not driving her or racking up trophies, Mark hasn't been shy about parading the car out for the press. Perhaps we should make an effort to go to the London Motor Show this year for the chance to drive Mark's beautiful example of Mopar muscle.

(Thanks to Mark for the info and photos)

The TF, whose name is short for "Just buy a Lotus Elise" began production in 1995 (then known simply as the F) and went through two facelifts before parent company Rover went out of business, shuttering the factory three and a half years ago.

The TF isn't a terribly good vehicle, using the mid-mounted engine to severely compromise packaging instead of enable sublime handling. There were also numerous quality issues including hydragas suspension (ditched with the switch from F to TF in 2002) that came misadjusted from the factory, meaning many customers wound up with cars that sat unevenly on their wheels. Nevertheless, the vehicle broke sales records for sports cars during its 10-year life. Initial signs point to some of its appeal still being present in the market: 70% of the initial 500-car run have already been sold. [Automotive News]

Mosley's Case: British laws protecting the rights of individuals against the press extend to him and this was a completely private affair.

News Of The World's Case: Mosley is a public figure and he committed a serious act of "depravity" and the public has a right to know about it.

X Factor: The witness who was the biggest part of the setup, Woman E, was supposed to testify that there was a specific request for a Nazi theme. She never showed up.

Jalopnik Snap Judgement: Because British laws are so strong on this point, we're pretty sure NOTW is going to lose this case. But it isn't going to make problems like this go away.

[NY Times]

Princess Margaret's Phantom IV was a gift from Queen Elizabeth II, who had just purchased herself a Rolls Royce Phantom IV Hooper landaulette; she wanted Margaret to have a Phantom IV H.J. Mulliner limousine, just like her first one. How sweet. No word on what kind of mileage the big Rolls limo gets, but with that back seat it sure would make a sweet summer road trip ride.
[Bentleyspotting.com]

Had just installed my car into a dent'n scratch-while-u-wait multi-storey car park, in Colchester (Britains oldest recorded settlement, fact fans), where I came across this here poorly photographed Corvair soft-top.

I have an exceedingly wondrous top-o'-the-line cellphone with a 5 megapixel camera. Tragically, while I still own it, it's current location is somewhere in the vicinity of Tokyo station. So, rather caught in the heat of the moment with a rare car (for the UK) snapping opportunity, I was forced to use whatever tools I had at my disposal. Enter my bottom-of-the-photographic-heirarchy Motorola with 0.3 (count 'em) megapixels.

I am aware that the results would have been better if I had sketched the car rather than photographing it, and that in this case the photos are worth nowhere near a thousand words. This 'Vair appears to be a daily driver. Is very well preserved, doesn't appear to be a show-queen.

And I want it.

The initial use of the technology is to monitor the HOV lanes and prevent hoodlums from illegally driving in the lanes, but government officials are interested in the technology to monitor overall traffic and highways during peak times like rush hour. I guess the solution would be to fill that inflatable doll with pig's blood to fool the cameras into thinking you are really traveling with another person, but if you're that desperate you should really just look into leaving a bit earlier. [BBC]
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