2018 is set to be an exciting year for the classic car industry, with various marques celebrating milestones. There will be displays, parades and racing events for fans to get involved in. Many of the milestones will be celebrated at the 2018 Silverstone Classic, held from the 20th to the 22nd of July. We’re looking into some of the milestones that are going to be celebrated at the event.
50th Anniversary of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4
The iconic Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is set to celebrate its 50th birthday this year. The car is better known by its ‘Daytona’ nickname, due to it winning the 24 Hours of Daytona. First launched in 1968, the Daytona became the standard bearer for a new generation of sports cars. It featured a powerful 4.4-litre V12 engine that helped the car reach a top speed of 170 mph.
Around 1406 Daytonas, split between coupes, spyder soft-tops and lightweight competition vehicles. It’s hoped that all three variants will be on display at the Silverstone Classic.
70th Anniversary of the Porsche 356
Porsche will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of their first production car. Introduced in 1948, the 356 was created by Ferdinand Porsche. The four-cylinder, air-cooled car had a chassis that was designed by Erwin Komenda. It became a revolutionary vehicle that set the pace for future Porsche models.
60th Anniversary of the Austin-Healey Sprite
The Austin-Healey Sprite was released in 1958 and became known as the ‘frogeye’ because of its headlights being mounted on top of the bonnet. Originally, the designers had intended for the headlights to be retracted, with the lenses facing up when not in use. This quirky car possessed a 948 cc OHV engine that produced 43 bhp.
70th Anniversary of the Jaguar XK120
One of Jaguar’s most acclaimed models, the XK120 is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018. The car was originally designed to showcase Jaguar’s new twin-cam engine and it proved to be a major success with the public. The reaction encouraged Sir William Lyons to make a production version of the vehicle. It came with an aluminium body and 3.4-litre straight-6 XK engine that made it effective on the race track. For example, an XK120 won the 1951 Le Mans race.
Other cars will be celebrating their milestones as well, and Nick Wigley, the CEO of Goose Live Events, the company behind the Silverstone Classic is excited for the event. “The sheer scale of these amazing displays and incredible track parades is a landmark feature of the Silverstone Classic – a real celebration of motoring, auto design and memorabilia.”
Are you planning to attend the 2018 Silverstone Classic?
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