British cars that blazed a trail | Six of the Best

It’s become all too easy to denigrate the automotive achievements of the UK. For such a (relatively) small place, we’re still punching above our weight when it comes to production, innovation and expertise. The car world (the world generally) is more globalised than ever, but the United Kingdom has contributed – and continues to contribute – an awful lot. So let’s celebrate the fact with six great British groundbreakers from the classifieds. And where better to begin than one of the very first Land Rovers? Not an early Defender or Suffix A Range Rover, an actual Series 1 built just three years after the end of World War II. It’s the 513th Land Rover ever made in fact, and one of the first 50 customer cars – talk about significant. Imagine what the world would look like today without Land Rover in it. This one has been restored by famed specialist Dunsfold Land Rover, and looks extraordinarily good. Great British groundbreakers arguably come no greater; and expect to be very popular wherever you adventure with it. 

On the face of it, the Esprit isn’t as obviously transformative for cars as the Series 1 is. Mid-engined supercars existed before it and after it, of course. But none had quite the staying power of the Lotus, and it’s a real testament to the design rightness of the Esprit. It was improved and enhanced over almost 30 years, though thanks to the wedge, to the pop up lights and the glasshouse, it always looked like an Esprit. And it always looked brilliant, too, which is a real testament to its staying power. Whether a 007-spec S1 or a late V8, the Esprit would draw admiring glances. We’d bet it still would, in fact. This 1988 Turbo, to be auctioned on PH next week, is a Peter Stevens designed X180, a car that usefully modernised the original Giugiaro Esprit without a lot of the spoilers and such that came later. It’s low mileage, has had plenty spent on it this decade, and presents really nicely. Who says red over cream is just for Ferrari?

Speaking of which, there haven’t been many cars that have posed such credible competition to Maranello’s finest than those built by McLaren Automotive. Britain had been short of true mid-engined exotica for a long time before the introduction of the MP4-12C; the fact that its fundamentals underpinned so many great modern McLarens secured its gamechanger status for sure. A carbon tub, dual-clutch transmission and Proactive Chassis Control put the 12C at the bleeding edge of supercar tech 15 years ago; even if it wasn’t perfect out of the box, McLaren’s continual improvement ensured it didn’t take long to realise its full potential – and give Ferrari its best rival in years. This 12C is notable as one of the very first, built before the MTC was actually up and running. According to the ad, it’s reckoned these cars assembled in the F1 workshops are better built than late 12Cs. Whatever the case there, it’s a gorgeous example in Genesis Blue, benefitting from an Iris infotainment upgrade, recent accumulators and a major service with the sale. All for not much more than a new M2…

Probably this slot should feature something of equal historical significance to the Land Rover, an original Mini or something like that. But this is PH, and so if there’s any chance for a TVR to be included, we’re going to get one in. And to us, a flat-plane crank V8, designed and built in-house, was a pretty game-changing moment for the British sports car industry. The AJP 8, or Speed Eight as most will know it, was a light, powerful and intoxicating V8, the perfect powerplant for cars like the Cerbera, and a very different eight-cylinder prospect to the Rover engine that had gone before. It would spawn the Speed Six as well, and between them powered a whole generation of unforgettable sports cars. With time has come more knowledge and awareness of how to keep them in good health, too. This 4.2, good for 360hp or so, is a one-owner-from-new example, with a history file including £15k of invoices. Not looking bad for 30 years old, either… 

The arrival of the Ariel Nomad in 2015 marked another big moment for stripped out sports cars. While perhaps no country on earth was more famous for bare bones track cars and 4×4 warriors, the two hadn’t really been combined until the Nomad (maybe excepting a couple of Bowlers). It was a brilliant idea: comparable immediacy and exhilaration to an Atom, with genuine off-road ability. You’d have to dress appropriately for the experience, but the Nomad was even more capable (and even more fun) in the rough than expected. Little surprise, then, that the Nomad was successful enough to spawn another generation, and everyone from Morgan to Lamborghini is dipping a toe into off-road sports cars. We’d call that pretty groundbreaking for little old Ariel. This one has Alcon discs, a hydraulic handbrake and harnesses, yet has never been off-road – time to put that right…

See, look, we can do sensible as well. As proof that properly innovative British cars are not merely 20th century historics, the Jaguar I-Pace really stands out. Ahead of everybody else, here was a desirable electric family car that looked great, drove well, and boasted decent range and efficiency. A Tesla Model Y may have gone further, but it wasn’t as nice an object. When Audi, Mercedes and BMW eventually came along with their electric SUVs, they didn’t move things on like the Jaguar had. A hugely popular award winner in its early life, the I-Pace would struggle a bit later on as battery tech evolved and a few reliability issues surfaced in those first examples. That being said, a later car with the improved infotainment still makes for a lovely family EV – ask me how I know. This one is the spec we should have held out for: Caesium Blue, the upgraded seats, a pano roof and Pivi Pro. For £20k. Jaguar has undoubtedly altered EV perception once – let’s see if lightning can strike twice…