The British car industry used to be world leaders turning out great cars with stunning design, now a shadow of its former glory days a few cars need some work.
Surprisingly, the sports cars that need some extra work after leaving the factory have more fame than those great cars. Everyone remembers a bad car, the stories of unreliability or quirky design features becoming almost legendary with some carmakers struggling to bury the reputation years later.
10 Great From The Factory – BMC Mini
BMC’s original Mini started a trend of small cheap cars that, despite their size, could accommodate four passengers. Designed by Alex Issigonis on a front-wheel-drive platform, the Mini was cleverly equipped with a transverse engine and transmission, which also made it cheaper to produce and maintain.
The Mini, essentially unchanged, remained in production until 2006, becoming one of the most successful cars of all time, selling 5.4 million units.
9 Need Some Work – Austin Healey 3000
The Austin Healey 3000 remains a popular choice with classic car owners. The agile roadster was equipped with a 6-cylinder 3-liter engine that made 136hp and it proved to be a reliable track car. Over a period of eight years, Austin built 65,000 Healeys, with more than half of the cars exported to American dealers.
Open topped sports cars of the era were hugely popular among gearheads, and that highlights the Austin Healeys biggest design flaw; the flimsy convertible hoods offered occupants little protection from the elements.
8 Great From the Factory – Aston Martin DB11
Aston Martin’s first all-new design since 2004, the DB11 was built using a larger bonded aluminum chassis promising greater strength, and more importantly, improved cabin space. Fresh styling and yet somehow still bearing the classic Aston Martin design cues, the DB11 is one of the best Aston’s ever produced.
The DB11 launched in 2016 with further changes under the hood, Aston Martin offered forced induction for the first time in the company’s history as the engine options were either a V12 or an AMG V8 unit equipped with twin turbochargers.
7 Needs Some Work – MGB GT Coupe
The MGB is one of the most popular sports cars from the 1960s, known for its fine handling and respectable performance. Advanced for its time, the MGB used a monocoque chassis equipped with BMC B series engines rated at 95hp.
The vital US market produced its own challenges for MG engineers that would affect the car’s abilities. Federal regulations required a minimum height for the car’s lights, MG’s solution was to add blocks to the suspension which ruined the car’s handling.
6 Great From The Factory – McLaren F1
Undeniably the most important supercar ever produced, McLaren’s F1 set new standards for car design that modern carmakers struggle to match today. Everything about Gordon Murray’s three-seater supercar design required the highest quality materials, including its engine. Originally, the engine was intended to be a Honda-built unit, but the Japanese supplier declined, leading to the adoption of BMW’s V12.
An incredible 28 years after McLaren launched the F1, it remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car with a top speed of 231mph.
5 Needs Some Work – Morgan Plus 8
The original Morgan Plus 8 dates back to 1968 and would have been built using a traditional wooden framed chassis, all of which changed in 2012 moving to aluminum construction equipped with BMW sourced V8 engines. The retro sports car remains in production, the extensive modernization helping to attract new customers.
As a weekend car, the Plus 8 is hard to beat, but flawed ergonomics and nervous handling spoil what could be a great car.
4 Great From The Factory – Radical RXC GT
Radical is a name normally associated with track specials, but in a move to extend their customer base the company has produced the road-legal RXC GT road edition. The final production model equipped with a 3.5-liter Ecoboost engine that delivers up to 650hp depending on customer requirements, promising a 0-60mph time of 2.7 seconds.
The transition from perfect track car to road-legal sports car doesn’t come without its compromises, but any gearhead buying a Le Mans styled car only cares about how fast it goes.
3 Needs Some Work – Jensen SV-8
Promises of reviving the once-famous Jensen marque in 1999 hit stumbling blocks soon after the S-V8 was unveiled to the public. Complex aluminum construction methods that are better suited to larger volume manufacturers dogged the development process, despite this, the revised S-V8 entered production in 2001.
Jensen Motors, like so many niche carmakers, failed to deliver on the promises of the SV-8. The company’s pre-production show cars managed to secure 300 advance orders despite the poor quality fit and finish, the same problems existed in the short run of 20 production cars.
2 Great From The Factory – Lotus Elise
The Elise is the sports car that every gearhead needs to drive, no other car handles the way the small Lotus does, proving weight is more important than power. Lotus turned to bonded aluminum for the chassis, the bodywork being more traditional fiberglass resulted in a curb weight of 1600lbs. The first series 1 Elise equipped with 4-cylinder 1.8-liter engines produced 118hp, enough to reach 60mph in 5 seconds.
Without a doubt, the Elise saved Lotus cars, the company continually struggling since the early 1990s needed to go back to its roots in building small, light minimalistic sports cars, the Elise proved an instant hit.
1 Needs Some Work – TVR Tuscan S
Few sports cars can live with TVR’s Tuscan in a drag race as it covers the quarter-mile in 12.1.seconds. Designed by company owner Peter Wheeler, the Tuscan is one of the rare TVR’s to make any concessions to driver aids as it was fitted with power steering, everything else deemed unnecessary in a sports car.
The Tuscan is a popular sports car among gearheads, but only truly dedicated can fans need to consider one for daily use. Like all TVR’s the Tuscan has its fair share of issues, suspect electrical systems a known problem, likewise panel quality varies from car to car.
About The Author
