mod@tech

Do you recall Jaguar’s “interesting” rebranding campaign? The beleaguered British automotive company aroused snickers six months ago thanks to its marketing and advertising staff’s goofy lack of self-awareness. Since then, the future world of EVs (not to mention the future world of trade) has changed a bit. Has Jaguar’s future changed as well?

According to The Telegraph, Jaguar is searching for a new advertising agency months after wiping egg off its face due to the rebranding campaign developed by Accenture Song and Spark44, Jaguar Land Rover’s agency of record. However, Jaguar refuses to comment on the rumor: “As a matter of policy JLR does not comment on any supplier arrangements, Accenture Song are currently under contract to the middle of 2026. We have nothing further to say on this matter.”

The impetus for the account review is said to have come after President Trump slapped 25-percent tariffs on imported cars from the United Kingdom, which drove Jaguar Land Rover to temporarily pause exports to the U.S. Since then, the two countries have settled on an agreement that includes the reduction of import taxes on a specific number of British cars exported to the U.S. (though no word on what Detroit thinks of this). British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the agreement as a “fantastic platform” while speaking at a Jaguar Land Rover factory. “This historic deal delivers for British business and British workers protecting thousands of British jobs in key sectors including car manufacturing and steel.”

Jaguar is one of the most emotive automotive brands in the world. It has aspired to follow the business model of Land Rover and sell fewer cars at a price tag of more than £100,000 each (approximately $130,000), according to The Telegraph, but the poor start has not done the repositioning any favors. Let’s hope it doesn’t pull a British Leyland and disappear.

When you go to a car show, you sometimes see so many of the same model that they’re all grouped together. Let’s just say they’re victims of their own success. Unless you take it to an Auburn Cord Duesenberg owner’s meeting, our Pick of the Day will absolutely stand out at a car show: a 1936 Cord 810 Westchester sedan posted on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Texas.

That’s partly due to its rarity—on several levels. “The New Cord” came out as a 1936 model, a few years after the L-29 was discontinued. Unfortunately, it only lasted through 1937, changing name from 810 in ’36 to 812 the following year. Production total estimates vary, but they show Cord produced fewer than 3,000 vehicles between those two years. After 1937, Cord, the company itself, was done.

Then there’s the most obvious reason this Cord 810 would turn heads at a car show: the styling. Just look at it. What makes it even more attractive—if only on an intellectual level—is how unusual it is for a car of its time. Instead of an upright radiator shell in the middle of large, exposed headlights and wide running boards, the 810 has a “coffin nose” with what Cord called “Venetian type louvers,” concealed headlights that can be revealed with hand cranks, and open space below the rocker panels. The front end does have quite an underbite, but there’s a good reason for that: once again, Cord did things differently, opting for front-wheel and installing the hardware for it behind the front bumper.

Cord’s corporate cousin Lycoming produced the 810’s 289ci V8, which was factory-rated at 125 horsepower at 3,500 rpm. Instead of a three-speed stick, the 810 delivered its output to the road through a four-speed pre-selector transmission, which allowed the driver to pick the next gear he or she would use with a Bendix Finger-Tip Gear Control, then press the clutch pedal to engage it when necessary.

The Cord company may be long gone, but the 810 Westchester sedan you see here has received a second lease on life thanks to a cosmetic restoration and mechanical overhaul. As part of the process, the body was refinished in Cadet Grey, and the interior was reupholstered in dark blue wool. Most importantly, the engine and transmission were rebuilt by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Company, which knows a thing or two about working on Cords.

And now you know some of the things that make this 1936 Cord 810 Westchester sedan cool and unusual. All you have to figure out is where you’ll get the $95,000 (OBO) to buy it—and the first car show you’ll drive to in it.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

Ain’t technology great? These days, you can drive around in your late-model vehicle and have its engine shut off at stoplights, only to restart seamlessly when the light turns green. Helps save you dinero at the gas pump by increasing the efficiency of your flivver, plus it cuts down on CO2 emissions. However, the big guy at the EPA says this nice bit of tech will be scrutinized.

Lee Zeldin, a former New York Representative who was appointed Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency by President Trump, recently tweeted this on X several days ago: “Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy. EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it.”

Believe it or not, stop-start first appeared on the six-cylinder version of the 1974 Toyota Crown (which was not imported to the U.S.). In the 1990s, several miserly European cars adopted the feature. Starting with the Euro 5 European emissions standards from 2009, most new cars sold on the Continent have included a stop-start system; the same could also be said about cars sold in the U.S., though not via regulation. Per Car and Driver, the EPA offers manufacturers something called “off-cycle credits” that create an incentive to use a stop-start feature as it’s purported to reduce emissions. Per the EPA’s website:

Stop-start systems (sometimes called idle-stop, start/stop, smart start, or other manufacturer-specific names) save fuel by turning off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and automatically starting it back up when you step on the accelerator. Stop-start can improve fuel economy by 4 to 5 percent and provides the biggest benefit in conditions where the engine would otherwise be idling, such as stop-and-go city driving.

But does it? Depends on several variables, such as the amount of time at a standstill and the type of stop-start system (some switch on when you lift off the brake, while mild hybrids may shut off when coasting to a stop).

Whatever the case, the vehicles that include this feature also offer a way to shut it off if it bothers you, though there are some vehicles that require you to turn it off every single time you’re behind the wheel. We imagine that would be a PITA, but hey, I already have to press so many buttons to change the temp in my car, so what’s another button? Nonetheless, it remains to be seen what Zeldin has in mind with his fix.

In the world of vintage car events, the biggest issue many people have is finding an eligible car that is in any way affordable. This is because most of the higher-end vintage events require that a car not only be a 1957 or older but also be rare. This means that your 1957 Chevy, while it does meet the age requirement, does not get accepted because Chevy built tens of thousands of them.

What this usually means is that you need a mid-six-figure to million-dollar car – like a Ferrari 250, postwar Alfa 6C, or an early Porsche 356 – just to be accepted. But there is a bit of a “hack” at a much lower cost: the Austin-Healey 100M, also sometimes called the Austin-Healey 100M Le Mans.

The Austin-Healey 100M was introduced in 1955 as a higher-performance version of the 100. It featured larger carburetors, a high-flow cold-air box, a performance camshaft, and higher-compression 8.1:1 pistons. These factory modifications gave the 100M 20 more horsepower for a total of 110 horsepower at 4,500 rpm. The front suspension was also modified and made stiffer, and louvres were added to the bonnet (hood) to improve cooling. Healey produced a total of 640 “factory-built” 100M cars.

Here’s where it gets interesting: Austin-Healey would later offer these modifications in kit form for dealers to install. Healey 100s with the Le Mans kit are much more common and worth considerably less than the 640 factory-built cars. The only way to verify that a car is a factory-built example is by having the VIN checked against the 100M registry records. The best part of all this is that a true factory-built 100M is eligible for practically any vintage event you can think of, from races to tours and concours, and they can be affordable as well.

Our Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com is one of these cars, a 1956 Austin-Healey 100M located in Brookfield, Connecticut.

The ad is well presented and gives a prospective buyer all the info they need to be sure they are buying a true 100M. The seller states right off the bat that this 1956 Austin Healey 100M Le Mans is one of 640 factory-built cars. It is certified by the 100M registry and includes a Heritage Certificate stating it left the factory in February 1956 as a 100M.

The seller goes on to say the car has its correct-number M louvered hood, carbs, and cockpit molding. Originally two-tone white with black coves, it is now painted solid white and features a wood-rim Derrington steering wheel installed when the car was purchased new. The listing also states that this 100M is in excellent running and driving condition.

The seller has some good history as well, relating that this Healey was at the end of a restoration by the previous owner when he passed away. He had the car disassembled to the chassis and performed a true frame-up restoration. The car features a fully rebuilt engine, brakes, and suspension and is in very good, rust-free condition.

The listing notes the engine tag is missing, something sadly very common. That being said, this car still has its original distributor, vacuum advance, and carburetors, which are all numbered correctly and are original to this 100M.

The seller does point out there are a few things left to do. There are no rubber mats or carpets in the car, but these are easily available from places like Moss Motors. In addition, the convertible top and frame, as well as the interior door panels, are currently not installed but are included with the car.

All in all, this looks like a very honest example of a nice driver-level Healey 100M. The few things left to do are quite easy to deal with, and for the asking price of $97,500, this car offers more – both as a driving experience and an entry ticket to top-tier events – than anything else close to the price.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

It’s not even that hot yet, but you know what sounds nice right now? A trip to the beach. If you have a 2025 Ford Bronco four-door, Ford Performance’s new Coastal Package will get it ready for some fun in the sun and sand.

The $5,400 Coastal Package fits the 2025 Bronco Base, Big Bend (with or without the Black Diamond package), and Outer Banks models, regardless of the engine or transmission configuration. As long as you don’t have a trim level outside of those, a Bronco Raptor, a two-door model, or a Bronco with the Sasquatch Package, you can opt for the Coastal Package.

As you’re probably thinking, the Coastal Package has to come with some colorful graphics. It certainly does, adding teal, orange, and yellow stripes just below the greenhouse (too bad those colors aren’t on the plain and somber spare tire cover, too).

But silver—actually, Iconic Silver—seems to be the package’s dominant color because it covers the grille, fender flares, and 17-inch wheels (including the spare). Even the Bronco on the bimini top is silver.

Plenty of special packages are heavy on the cosmetics, and the Coastal Package is no exception, but it does have a functional upgrade as well: a two-inch lift (in case you want to go dune bashing after your time at the beach). The Coastal Package also comes with a ProCal tool to make sure the speedometer is showing the right numbers.

One thing not on the Coastal Package’s list of features? Tires. It looks like that—and sunscreen—will be up to you.