100 Not Out! The Classic Car Loan Project (CCLP), which gives younger enthusiasts a classic car for a whole year, has just reached the 100 driver mark. Kim writes, "This is a magnificent achievement for the Classic Car Loan Project, set up to encourage young people into the world of classic cars and thus helping to preserve interest for the future". They tell us: (All words and photographs … [Read more...]
Features by Kim Henson
In life, sometimes there are things that you just have to do. In my case many of them relate to my twin loves of 1) motoring, and 2) using writing to convey to others (and share with) my fascination for the subject.
I have been passionate about cars for as long as I can remember, and have always had a thirst for knowledge concerning how and why they work, and how to keep them operating as they should. In addition, I’ve always enjoyed driving, and trying to fairly assess and compare the various good and bad points of different makes and models.
For Your Bookshelf: “Fast Fords” – 50 years up close and personal with Ford’s finest
Book Review: Fast Fords Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Jeremy Walton Published by: Evro Publishing www.evropublishing.com 408 pages (hardback), large format (270 x 210mm), and including 300 photographs UK Price: £60 (or £75 for copies signed by the author, Jeremy Walton) ISBN: 978-1-910505-83-0 Over the years there have been many books written about classic Fords, including … [Read more...]
For Your Bookshelf: “Oiling The Cogs” – Reg Bishop’s role in the British Motor Industry’s Golden Age
Book Review – 'Oiling the Cogs' Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Jim and Guy Loveridge Published by: Douglas Loveridge Publications, Moss View, 85 Warburton, Emley, Yorkshire, HD8 9QP. On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/automobiliaauctions/ Important Note: Limited print run of just 200 signed copies. 216 pages (paperback) UK Price: £30 plus postage ISBN: … [Read more...]
New Suzuki Swift Hybrid – Road Test (plus Suzuki’s range electrification plans)
Kim Henson test drives Suzuki’s latest, fourth generation version of its Swift compact supermini... (Photographs and words by, and copyright, Kim Henson). Big news from Suzuki is that the firm plans to introduce its first fully electric car later in 2024, with further EV models arriving through to 2030. In order to make way for the new electric models, Suzuki is discontinuing (by early 2025 … [Read more...]
Honda e:Ny1 electric SUV – Brief Road Test
Kim Henson briefly test-drives Honda’s all-electric e:Ny1 Advance… (All words and photographs by, and copyright Kim Henson). The neat and stylish e:Ny1 is a fully electric SUV, with a powerful electric motor (only) which uses a water-cooled battery to ensure consistent power delivery and to help extend battery life. The battery is low-mounted within the vehicle, helping to optimise interior … [Read more...]
Omoda 5 – Brief Road Test
Kim Henson briefly test-drives the new Omoda 5 SUV… (All words and photographs by, and copyright Kim Henson). Please note: The following report has been produced based on briefly driving a non-UK spec car, and in advance of the UK’s press kit being issued; there may be differences in facts, figures and specifications for UK spec models. Founded in 2023, the Chinese firm Omoda is a new kid … [Read more...]
INEOS Grenadier Trialmaster Edition – Brief Road Test
Kim Henson briefly test-drives (on tarmac) the petrol-powered version of the INEOS Grenadier, in Trialmaster Edition form… (All words and photographs by, and copyright Kim Henson). Despite the proliferation of modern 4x4 vehicles, there are many potential users who still prefer the traditional’ non-nonsense approach to off-road machines. Enter the INEOS Grenadier, which is aimed at filling the … [Read more...]
Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i Touring – Brief Road Test
Kim Henson takes the wheel of Subaru’s all wheel drive Crosstrek… (All words and photographs by, and copyright Kim Henson). I first test-drove a Subaru (an all wheel drive estate car) in the autumn of 1979, and was impressed by the performance of its horizontally-opposed ‘boxer’ engine, its versatility in everyday use, and its spectacular levels of traction (albeit without a differential … [Read more...]
Kia’s impressive line-up sampled…
Kim test-drives Kias – briefly driving five models from the current range, and likes what he found... It is no surprise to me that Kia is doing well in the U.K. market; to start with the firm offers a very wide range of models that currently encompass petrol power, hybrid propulsion and fully electric vehicles. Added to this wide range of buyer choice there is Kia’s market-leading seven year … [Read more...]
For Your Bookshelf: “Classic Racing” (On track action captured at the Silverstone Classic Festival 2012 – 2023)
Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Peter Osborne Published by: ‘From the Driving Seat’: www.fromthedrivingseat.com 260 pages (A4 landscape pages, paperback) UK Price: £29.95 including p. and p; order direct from the publisher, website details above. ISBN: 978-1-3999-7834-7 This comprehensive book covers, in superb colour photographs taken by author Peter Osborne, and with concise yet … [Read more...]
Beaulieu’s Spring Autojumble 2024
Kim Henson reports on this year’s Beaulieu Spring Autojumble: Here’s his own story of the event… (All words and some photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson; remaining photographs by, and copyright, Chris Adamson, as individually credited. Grateful thanks to Chris for providing his photographs). Once again I attended the Spring Autojumble, held within the grounds of the National Motor … [Read more...]
BBC Gardeners’ World 2024 Spring Fair, Beaulieu
Kim Henson reports from the green(fingered) fields of the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu… (All words and images by, and copyright, Kim Henson). This year’s popular Gardeners’ World Spring Fair has returned to Beaulieu (as in 2023) and the show, which ran from 3rd to 5th May 2024, featured a fresh layout and a wide variety of new features. Now of course Beaulieu is famous for its superb … [Read more...]
All-new Suzuki Swift Hybrid – First Impressions
Kim Henson samples the latest, Fourth Generation of Suzuki’s compact supermini, the Swift. (Images and words by, and copyright, Kim Henson). Suzuki’s Swift has been impressing owners over the last 40 years and three generations, with more than nine million examples having been sold globally, across 119 countries. As with all Suzukis, the model has earned a justifiable reputation for … [Read more...]
Isuzu ‘New Look’ D-Max DL40 Double Cab Auto – Road Test
Kim Henson test drives Isuzu’s well-respected D-Max Double Cab (five seater) pick-up. (All words and images by, and copyright, Kim Henson). In recent years Isuzu has become increasingly prominent in the U.K. pick-up market, with a reputation for strength and reliability endearing buyers. Indeed this inherent durability is key to the company’s strategy, and in the firm’s own words, they… “focus … [Read more...]
BYD ATTO 3– First Impressions
Kim Henson briefly test drives BYD’s ATTO 3 (C-Segment all-electric SUV). BYD (Standing for ‘Build Your Dreams’) arrived in the UK a year ago (March 2023), with the Chinese motor manufacturer in celebratory mode after winning the ‘Rising Star’ title at the Great British Fleet Awards, on 18th April 2024. Their all-electric line-up includes the ATTO 3 SUV, DOLPHIN (C-Segment hatchback) and SEAL … [Read more...]
Wheels-Alive/BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair Ticket Giveaway
Free ticket giveaway through Wheels-Alive for this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, to be held at Beaulieu, Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th May 2024… but if you are interested, 'be quick'! ...says Kim Henson. STOP PRESS... We have been inundated with requests for these tickets, and thank you to all our readers who have contacted us, but the tickets have now gone. That said, the Spring Fair is a … [Read more...]
‘Enjoying Your Austin’ – A30/A35 book, still available for Christmas
Kim Henson writes... My A30/A35 book 'Accessible Classics' (Enjoying Your Austin) is still available direct from me and if you would like a copy in time for Christmas, please let me know as soon as possible! Again this year several people have asked me whether my book on Austin A30s/A35s is still available… Yes it is (I wrote and published the book), and it can be purchased direct from me if you … [Read more...]
Motoring For Fun – A festive wintertime west country tour in a Suzuki Swace.
Kim Henson tells a true winter's tale. (All words and photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson). Cornwall beckoned, but our trip had to take in Swindon and Montacute as well… After a busy year during which my wife and I had been obliged to postpone two separate breaks in Wales, the idea of a few pre-Christmastime days away in Cornwall to unwind was very appealing. In fact, our planned … [Read more...]
Latest version Suzuki Swace estate car – Road Test
Kim Henson reports on living with Suzuki’s Swace estate car during 750 miles of mixed everyday motoring… (All words and photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson). These days SUVs rule, it seems, or at least they do for some buyers. However there are many motorists who prefer the ‘traditional’ estate car approach to styling and construction. While Suzuki offers competence galore with the … [Read more...]
Flooded roads? Proceed with great care – or preferably avoid them altogether!
Kim Henson advises on staying safe and at the same time preventing wrecking your car in floodwater… I first published this feature on Wheels-Alive in 2016, but in view of the huge amounts of rainfall we’ve seen lately (as I write, it’s late-November 2023), I feel that it is worth revisiting/updating now. It seems that many drivers don’t appreciate the potential dangers of driving through floods … [Read more...]
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