One of the Last off the Line Rover Mini Cooper & last to be sold in Scotland goes up for auction.

Brand new classic car auction house CCA will be auctioning a very special, last of the line, Rover Mini Cooper in its first ever sale at Silverstone circuit on March 3^rd.

One of the last Minis made at the historic Longbridge plant, the 2001 registered car was the last original Mini to be sold new in Scotland and has covered just 182 miles. The car, estimated at between £14,500 and £16,500, was purchased new at Rover dealership McRae and Dick in Inverness by a private collector. The car was then taken to Orkney, lovingly placed in storage in a heated garage for 12 years, before being sold to the current owner. With only one registered keeper the car is sold in ‘as new’ condition.

Apologies for the picture quality, the originals were of inferior quality.

 

Amazingly  the car  retains its  original paper  stickers on  the alloy wheels as well  as its first tax disc  and  original  key  fob.  So  well preserved  is  the car, that  even  a complimentary  service voucher  from the original  dealer that was  never redeemed is included in the history file. A high spec model, the Mini also has rare features such as an electric sunroof.

Auction Manager of CCA, Joe Watts, said: “We are delighted to be selling this last of the line Mini in our first ever sale. This rare find is in amazing, untouched condition and is surely an exciting prospect for all Mini collectors out there.”

More than 80 classic cars will be on offer in CCA’s first sale. Classic car expert Quentin Willson will be hammering away the first lot as well as offering advice in a talk on how to buy a classic at auction.

CCA is also running an exclusive prize draw at the launch sale. All those who register to bid will be in with a chance of winning an Aston Martin driving experience plus dinner and overnight stay for two at luxury hotel and spa, Fawsley Hall in Northamptonshire.

Viewing of all the cars in the auction will be available from 9am on March 3^rd with the sale beginning at 2pm. To find out more about CCA and the special launch sale on March 3rd, please visit:http://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk/

Dynamo joins forces with FIAT and the 500 X to tour the country.

• FIAT has partnered with famous magician Dynamo to star in the build up to the launch of the FIAT 500X in the UK in April
• The artist and the new crossover feature in an extraordinary 360-degree VR test-drive experience using special 3D headsets
• The tour visits six UK city-centre locations in February and March, starting today in London’s Covent Garden
• The VR experience is a collaboration between FIAT, Dynamo and Framestore, the British Oscar-winning SFX studio
• More information on the "The Power of X” initiative is available at the dedicated site:thepowerofXtour.co.uk

The "The Power of X” tour, featuring the FIAT 500X and world-famous magician Dynamo, kicks off in the UK. Having already visited 68 European cities, the UK leg of the tour brings the FIAT 500X and Dynamo’s immersive VR experience to London’s Covent Garden on February 13 and 14, before moving on to Cardiff (Queen Street, February 15), Birmingham (Victoria Square, February 21), Manchester (Piccadilly Gardens, February 22) and Newcastle (Grainger Square, February 28), before making its final stop in Glasgow (Silverburn, March 1).

Participants in the #ThePowerOfX tour are taken on a double journey to discover the new FIAT 500X: not only are they able to get up close and personal with the new crossover they can also take part in an immersive digital experience thanks to a special Virtual Reality headset, which reproduces a 360-degree environment in ultra-high resolution 3D. Users will be part of the first ever virtual reality magic experience, produced in collaboration with FIAT, Dynamo and Framestore - the two-time Oscar®-winning, British special effects studio.

Everyone is welcome to drop in and explore the “The Power of X” tour events but by registering online at thepowerofxtour.co.uk visitors will be given priority access at their chosen location, allowing them to skip the queues. Once there, they will be given a wristband with a unique chip which will not only allow them to gain access to the facilities, it will also enable the cameras installed at the event to recognise each individual and compile a unique and personalised video of their experience.

At the same time, dealers throughout the UK will host special preview weekends where people can enjoy the same VR test drive experience with Dynamo and see the FIAT 500X in the metal for the first time. The beginning of the tour also coincides with the official opening of the FIAT 500X order books, enabling the 82,000 “hand raisers” who have so far expressed an interest in the new crossover to create their perfect FIAT 500X using the online configurator and place their order for one of the most hotly-anticipated new cars of the year.

Visitors to both FIAT dealerships and city-centre tour locations will also be able to recreate Dynamo’s incredible virtual experience at home using a cardboard toolkit that will be given as a gift to all participants. Comprising a piece of carefully folded cardboard containing a pair of lenses and used in conjunction with a designated smartphone app, the headset becomes a virtual reality headset in its own right, allowing people to experience “The Power of X” in their own homes.

The arrival of “The Power of X” tour in the UK was marked by an exclusive event at the Copperbox Arena in London where Dynamo performed a one-off, never-to-be repeated illusion, making a FIAT 500X appear on stage in front of more than 1,000 astonished guests. 

Video of the illusion is available to view here:www.youtube.com/FiatUK

The FIAT 500X range at launch kicks off with the 140hp 1.4-litre MultiAir Popstar, priced from £17,595 OTR, when the first right hand-drive models arrive in showrooms nationwide on April 17. An entry-level 1.6 Pop joins the range shortly thereafter priced from £14,595 OTR. For more information visit 500x.FIAT500.com or search for #ThePowerOfX

Iconic Ferrari's to attend Performance Car Show.

A pair of Ferraris born a generation apart, the LaFerrari hypercar and legendary F40 will be in the spotlight when the Performance Car Show brings the best of the motoring world to Birmingham next month.

On 8-11 January*, supercars, high-performance favourites and classics will come together at the NEC, with the LaFerrari to appear in the Performance Car Show presented by Landsail Tyres in association with Autocar and PistonHeads.com. The F40, meanwhile, headlines a display of wild road cars presented by Classic & Sports Car magazine within Europe’s largest motorsport show, Autosport International.

With only 499 to be produced, all priced at over £1 million and packed with F1-derived technology, the hybrid LaFerrari combines a V12 engine with a Kinetic Energy Recovery System to produce 950 bhp.

Accelerating from 0-124mph in less than seven seconds and weighing 1,255kg including a chassis made from four different types of carbon fibre, it’s the fastest road-going Ferrari around the marque’s test track at Fiorano, three seconds faster than the F12berlinetta.

The masterpiece will be parked outside the new Pie and Piston Pub by PistonHeads.com for enthusiasts to admire while catching up with the team behind the popular website.

“Ferrari holds a truly special place within the world of motoring. Its heritage is legendary and passion unrivalled, and continues to create amazing, sector-defining models,” said Ian France, Performance Car Show Director.

“The LaFerrari is the latest in Ferrari’s long line of phenomenal supercars, which of course includes the ground-breaking F40. We’re excited about bringing these two icons of motoring to the NEC for enthusiasts to enjoy.”

The Ferrari F40 will be displayed on a new, 14-car ‘Track Icons and Wild Road Cars’ historics feature presented by Classic & Sports Car and Silverstone Classic, within Autosport International.

Considered one of the greatest supercars ever made, the F40 was developed to celebrate Ferrari’s 40^thanniversary, and the last model personally approved by Enzo Ferrari before the founder’s death in 1988.

Powered by a twin-turbo V8 producing 471hp, the lightweight, mid-engined creation covers 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and became the first production car to break the 200mph barrier.

The F40 will be accompanied by a Jaguar XJR15, launched at the very first Autosport International in 1991, Porsche 959, Audi Sport Quattro SWB and Lancia Stratos Stradale in the unique collection.

Other Performance Car Show features include the Autocar Supercar display, hosting the Ferrari 458 Speciale, Lamborghini Huracán, BMW i8 and Vühl 05 in an 1,800hp showcase.

Finalists from the motoring bible’s Britain’s Best Driver’s Cars 2014 will also be put through their paces in the Live Action Arena, with the winning 458 Speciale accompanied by the McLaren 650S, Porsche 911 GT3 and Jaguar F-Type.

In the Live Action Arena and a special Performance Car Show presentation, attendees will have the first opportunity to see a selection of category winners from the prestigious What Car? Awards 2015, after the accolades are handed out on the eve of the show.

Within Autosport International, stars of motorsport such as David Coulthard, Petter Solberg, Allan McNish, Anthony Davidson, Colin Turkington and Matt Neal will be present, along with displays spanning karting to Formula 1.