Announcements

England, 2023: We come home with more great rare parts

2026-02-04T19:47:20-06:00

Andrea and I spend a couple of weeks in the UK each September, visiting the largest swap meet in Europe and being tourists in a place we love.

This year marked out 21st trip to the Beaulieu Autojumble, and our eleventh stay with dear friends Ian and Marion Ashby. We met the Ashbys in 2011, when they hosted us at their B&B in Minstead, in the New Forest, a lovely timeless village ten miles from Beaulieu. Lots of thatched-roof cottages in Minstead! The Ashbuys have long since become very good friends and our stays with them are no longer strictly B&B visits, but rather visits with people we care about. We spend several evenings with them in the living room, talking about Everything (and nothing) and we enjoy a couple of great evenings with Ian and Marion at local pubs which serve wonderful meals (not all pubs are like that, but the Ashbys know the best places for a great meal, loaded with the history and atmosphere of a centuries-old local village).

Beaulieu, for those who don't know, is the home of Lord and Lady Montague of Beaulieu (pronounced "bewlee") and the estate grounds house the remains of a Cistercian monastery, Beaulieu Palace, and not least, the National Motor Museum. Here is a link to their superb website: https://www.beaulieu.co.uk. The previous Lord Montague was a huge fan of British motoring history, and he founded the Museum in the fifties, out of his passion for old cars. Now it houses an outstanding collection of turn-of-the-century cars, record-breaking machines, racing cars from the twenties up through modern times, Rolls-Royces, Bugattis, Daimlers, as well as a section of the common "bread and butter" cars seen in Britain in pre-1970 times, such as Morris Minors, Minis, Ford Anglias, Hillmans and the like. It's well worth a visit for any fan classic of British iron, but the reason the place attracts us (well, me especially) is the International Autojumble, held on or around Labor Day weekend each year.

The biggest swap meet in the world after Hershey, Beaulieu boasts some 2000 spaces and tens of thousands of visitors. Andrea and I set up a stall each year to sell parts from, as well as a base to bring the parts I buy so we can process and pack same for delivery to our London shipper, and, not least, a place to set up our kitchen and, under the tables, our air mattress and bedding. We keep the kettle whistling and entertain many old friends with a cuppa during the weekend. I have written about Beaulieu elsewhere on this website, and others have done a fine job of documenting why the event is so special, so I won't go into much detail here about the Autojumble itself. But suffice it to say that, for the fan of classic British cars and parts, Beaulieu is as good as it gets. Where else can you find an Invicta for sale, working aero engines that periodically start up, all the British parts manufacturers and dealers, mixed in with guys clearing out the garage or just selling off the extra bits from an old restoration, or an old obsession? Grand it is, and that's what keeps us coming back year after year.

This year was great as usual for finding rare parts. We scored a number of NOS Lucas fog and driving lamps from the fifties and sixties (our speciality), a superb pair of black leather seats for an early XK120, other Jaguar XK parts, many NOS switches and relays and the like, and a vintage picnic set. We used to buy and sell lots of vintage picnic sets (here are a couple of choices on this site) https://jollyrogersmotors.com.

We will be listing many of these new acquisitions over the coming months, so check us out from time to time but please email or call if you are looking for any specific parts, especially Lucas or pre-1970 Jaguar.

Geoff and Andrea Rogers

Rogers Motors LLC

rogers@jollyrogersmotors.com

New rare classic British parts arrivals for 2026

2026-02-04T00:00:00-06:00

Rogers Motors announces yet more rare parts inventory for 2026. We recently received a large freight shipment, containing several sets of Jaguar XK140 and 150 seats, hundreds of NOS Lucas switches, lamps, relays and other electrical components, books, tools, accessories and allsorts for classic British cars.

A Nearly Perfect MGA Day

2020-05-03T19:57:00-05:00

In these days of Coronavirus messing up our lives, it's hard to find solace and forget about the crisis the world is facing. It's my belief that the right way to deal with the disruption of our lives is to find something that is meaningful to us and indulge in that thing once in a while. That might be going for a walk with someone in your family or with friends, while keeping a safe distance from one another and wearing a mask. It might be having tea or a drink with friends outdoors, ten feet or more apart to stay safe. Or it might have something to do with British cars.

In our case, Andrea and I decided to celebrate Drive Your MGA Day by doing exactly that, taking dear old Matilda out for a good run. Those who know us may be aware that we own a 1960 MGA roadster and have done so for 41 years. We have had her all in pieces lots of times, two self-inflicted paint jobs, two engine rebuilds, an MGB engine and overdrive transplant 25 years ago, towed an MGA trailer with her out to the Marietta, Ohio NAMGAR GT in '87, on and on and on. In recent years, she has not been driven much, and to be honest, she had suffered from neglect. Much like the shoemaker's kids going barefoot, the Rogers Motors MG is a scruffy, if much-loved, driver.

So this spring I decided it was time to fix a few things and get Matilda back in shape as a more "regular" driver. To this end, we bought a set of new wire wheels (tubeless MWS wheels from Moss Motors) and a set of new Federal tires to replace the 40-year-old Michelin XZXs that were all about to burst from dry rot. Last year we rebuilt a distributor and installed a Pertronix ignition. Now she drives great, and safely, too with the new rubber. Safety Fast, no less. We also did some rattle-can-touch-up on her nose and installed a new grille, and she does look quite good, especially from about 20 feet away. And at 60 mph, she looks as good as the best trophy-winning MGA in the country, and sounds about the same.

It was 72 degrees at the house this morning, so Andrea put on a white May morning dress and I dug out a pair of shorts and dusted off a decent shirt and straw hat, and off we went in search of adventure on back roads in north-central Massachusetts. Matilda was running great and the new tires don't rattle and thump as though they are about to blow up (which the old ones definitely were: they say you should replace tires every seven years, so I guess we got our money's worth out of those Michelins, which were used anyhow when we put them on a LONG time ago). And no loose-spline clunks or steering-wheel vibrations from the new wheels: what an improvement!

Our route took us north through New Salem. We explored a dirt road, slow and gentle-like, past a local winery and through an old village of lovely out-of-the-way New England farmhouses. The place looked as though nothing had changed there since 1890. One huge old barn was part-dismantled, obviously being restored with all new outside barn boards on the original chestnut frame; beautiful!

On we sped through North New Salem and into Wendell and Erving, all on small, winding roads. We found some exquisite driving roads in North Orange, long hills with brand new blacktop and wonderful sweeping bends, just perfect for an MGA on a sunny spring day. Passing into Warwick, we found a lovely spot by a small drinking water reservoir for a photo-op. Cars always look good next to bodies of water, I think. After the reservoir, Matilda took us into Blissville (we blinked and missed it, sad to say) and finally into Tully, another little village with its own lake and mountain, all with the same name. Soon we were on our way home, through Athol and Orange and a long blast south down Route 202. Turning onto our road off 202, I thought I would try out the new tires, so we went round more or less sidewise with the power on. I would say that the Federals are a little softer than the Michelins, which might be partly due to the Michelins being hard as rocks from age, and partly due the the deep tread area of the new tires, which allows tread squirm until the tires wear a little. That probably won't happen in my lifetime, unless I figure out how to put a couple more thousand miles on this car each year, so maybe I will try inflating the rears a bit more. I used to run about 45psi back in salad days when I went autocrossing, after all. Since the shop is at our home, we don't go much of anyplace these days, so it's a challenge to put any significant mileage on the MGA, the Mark 2 Jaguar, the Sprite and the Volvo 122S, since we like them all and like to drive them.

The only troubles we had on our 85 miles or so this afternoon were a dodgy overdrive switch, which has been a little recalcitrant for years, and some slight engine pinging after she had gotten good and hot, indicating that I need to retard the timing a whisker. I must dismantle and clean that switch, something you can do with the old Lucas parts if you are patient.

It was a nice indulgence for us both to take an afternoon and goof off like this. Since Moss Motors and Victoria British have been closed due to the pandemic, Rogers Motors has been crazy busy with new parts orders, as we are a Moss master distributor and we are open for business, with most common MGA and MGB parts on the shelf. The workshop has also been busy, with an MGA in for some major rust repair to the chassis and inner body structure, as well as a lot of smaller jobs, plus a couple of Jag rebuilds and a Midget engine swap on the horizon. To be honest, both Andrea and I needed a break to forget about the world's troubles and our own workload. But now it's getting late and we must get a couple of orders ready for FedEx, so I will go and get on with it.

It has been a wonderful day.

Drive your British car and by all means, stay safe!

Geoff Rogers

Jaguar XK120 XK140 XK150 Parts: Call US!

2019-07-13T14:20:00-05:00

We have sold new sheetmetal and wood parts for Jaguar XK120, 140 and 150 cars for many years. Made by our associate, Forrest Voges of British Spares in Springfield, Massachusetts, these parts fit well and are made of high quality materials, here in the USA.

In recent years, we have increasingly become a supplier of most new parts for these classic Jaguars, ranging from the smallest screw to interior kits, fuel tanks, windscreens, pretty much anything that is being supplied new for the cars. We have also been aggressively purchasing original secondhand parts from all over the world, and we are proud to say that we now have a truly excellent inventory of parts for the Jaguar XK series. We recently purchased the inventory of a Jag restoration shop in Pennsylvania, so we can offer a little of everything for your XK, from repairable original fenders, doors, bonnets and boot lids, electricals, chrome, suspension, brake parts, grilles, instruments and switches, almost everything you can think of.

We have included below a very few pictures of the recent inventory purchases. Please give us a call or send an email for anything you might be looking for. Chances are we have it, but in case we don't, we have contacts all over the world with original parts for sale and we can probably get what you are looking for for your classic Jaguar XK.

Oh, and we own one ourselves, by the way: it's a 1955 XK140MC fixed-head coupe, which we have owned for fifteen years and which we hope to drive one day...

Our office telephone number is 413-259-1722. You can reach us by email at rogers@jollyrogersmotors.com.

Geoff and Andrea Rogers

"the Jolly Rogers"

Rogers Motors Open for Classic British Car Repairs

2017-12-28T11:35:00-06:00

Rogers Motors Now Does Repairs!

We are very pleased to announce a new service for our customers! Rogers Motors now performs maintenance and repairs of all types on classic British cars.

With a new heated workshop facility, equipped with a professional 10,000 lb. lift, we are able to perform all kinds of work on MGs, Triumphs, Jaguars, Austin-Healeys and virtually any other classic British car, from a simple tuneup to structural fabrication and welding.

Technician Dave Rees, recently returned from 18 years in the UK, where he worked as a mechanic, fabricator and in customer service for Red Triangle, supporting Alvis cars, has forty years’ experience as a spannerman. Dave is a talented welder and can rebuild pretty much anything made of steel. Co-owner Geoff Rogers has also been in the British car business for forty-plus years, rebuilding countless old British cars and their component parts. Geoff has forgotten more about pre-1970 Jaguars and MGs than, well, than he can remember. When Dave lets him in the shop, he enjoys getting his hands dirty. Even better than spending the day glued to the phone and the computer, he says.

If you need work on your old British car, please give us a call at 413-259-1722 or email us at rogers@jollyrogersmotors.com for a free consultation.

In Memoriam: Our Beloved Maggie

2017-12-19T20:42:00-06:00

This has nothing to do with Rogers Motors, at least not directly. But I need to put these words down, and this is a place where I am allowed to do it, since we own the website...

Our beloved pooch, Maggie, was hit and killed by a car this evening, December 19, 2017. She was our constant companion and very much a family member. Maggie often accompanied us to swap meets, keeping a low profile under the table, as she did so well. She was with us during the day in the office, went with us to find parts in the storage trailers, helped us pack parts and then came into the house with us for the rest of the day.

Maggie was the gentlest, sweetest dog I have even met. I was decidedly not a dog fan before we adopted her four years ago, but to say she won my heart would not begin to show how much I loved her--how much all pf us loved her. She was everything a gracious family member could be and more besides.

Andrea, Fiona and I were all completely dedicated to Maggie and her loss is devastating to us all.

Newly-Acquired Original Jaguar and MG Parts Inventory

2016-03-24T11:47:00-05:00

Rogers Motors March, 2016 Blog
Newly-Acquired Original Jaguar and MG Parts Inventory

The Rogers Motors team (both of us!) have been at it again, sourcing rare original parts for British cars.

XJ6 Jaguar Steering Wheel

In the MG department, we acquired 1½ MGA coupes, one of them a complete car, so all parts are available from those.

Rare SFT700 Yellow Fogs

Examples include:

1500 Engine to rebuild, $700
Instruments, $60-275
Coupe Doors and Parts, window regulators, door latches
Windscreen, $250
Chrome Windscreen Surround pieces, $150 each
Original Mark 2 Grille, $250
Rear Axle Complete, Wire Wheels, $550
New MGA Coupe Leather Seat Covers, $525

P700 Headlamps - Original Flat Glass

As you know, we are a Moss Motors distributor and offer 10 percent off Moss Retail prices on all Moss products. For large orders, we can sometimes offer a larger discount.

Jaguar Ribbed Cam Covers

For our Jaguar customers, we were busy in2015 and so far this year acquiring parts. In addition to buying most of the stock of Brian Morton’s Jaguar Service, which included parts Brian had been stockpiling for decades, we purchased a large quantity of original Jaguar XK120, 140 and 150 and Mark V parts from another shop which is moving out of the country, another decades-long collection.

Wheelbraces

Some examples include:

Early 3.8 E-type Metalifacture Jack
NOS Bearings, Ball Joints, Seals, Gaskets
Excellent Britool Mark VII, VIII or IX Jack
E-type Rear Axle Hub Carriers
E-type Wire Wheel Hubs
XK150 Coupe Bonnet
XK150 Brake Calipers
XK120 Rear Wing, NOS
XK140 Front Bulkhead, solid original
XK120, 140, 150 Instruments and Switches
XK140-150 Heater Complete
Nice XK150 Grille
Early XK150 Rear Bumper
NOS XK140, 150 Headlamp (Outer) Rims and Inner Rims (Retainers)
NOS L563 lamps and Lenses for XK140,150, Mark VII, VIII, IX and Mark 2
Grease Guns, most Jaguars
Wheelbraces (Lug Wrenches to us Yanks) for classic Jaguars
Spark Plug Spanners and Open End Wrenches

XK140 Heater

The foregoing is a very small representation of the recently-acquired parts we have to offer. Practically any MG or classic Jaguar part is available with patience, as we have a vast network of associates around the world who can supply parts which we do not have in stock, new and used. We have MGA, MGB, Midget and Sprite, Jaguar 3.8 S-type, 3.8 Mark 2 and 420 parts cars and thousands of parts from other cars in stock. We would be happy to quote you pricing on any parts for your British car.

XK150 License Plinth

~ Geoff and Andrea Rogers

Newly-Acquired Original Jaguar and MG Parts Inventory

2016-02-25T15:20:00-06:00

The Rogers Motors team (both of us!) have been at it again, sourcing rare original parts for British cars.

In the MG department, we acquired 1 ½ MGA coupes, one of them a complete car, so all parts are available from those. Examples include:

1500 Engine to rebuild, $700
Instruments, $60-275
Coupe Doors and Parts, window regulators, door latches
Windscreen, $250
Chrome Windscreen Surround pieces, $150 each
Original Mark 2 Grille, $250
Rear Axle Complete, Wire Wheels, $550

For our Jaguar customers, we were busy in 2015 and so far this year acquiring parts. In addition to buying most of the stock of Brian Morton’s Jaguar Service, which included parts Brian had been stockpiling for decades, we purchased a large quantity of original Jaguar XK120, 140 and 150 and Mark V parts from another shop which is moving out of the country, another decades-long collection. Some examples include:

Early 3.8 E-type Metalifacture Jack
NOS Bearings, Ball Joints, Seals, Gaskets
Excellent Britool Mark VII, VIII or IX Jack
E-type Rear Axle Hub Carriers
E-type Wire Wheel Hubs
XK150 Coupe Bonnet
XK150 Brake Calipers
XK120 Rear Wing, NOS
XK140 Front Bulkhead, solid original
XK120, 140, 150 Instruments and Switches
XK140-150 Heater Complete
Nice XK150 Grille
Early XK150 Rear Bumper
NOS XK140, 150 Headlamp Rims and Retainers
NOS L563 lamps and Lenses for XK140,150, Mark VII, VIII, IX and Mark 2
Grease Guns, most Jaguars
Wheelbraces (Lug Wrenches to us Yanks) for classic Jaguars
Spark Plug Spanners and Open End Wrenches

Lucas L549 and L563 Lens Color Variations in Jaguars of the 1950s and 1960s

2015-11-28T22:44:00-06:00

I can definitively state that Lucas did, in fact, make amber L549 tail lenses. As far as I can tell, they were made from late 1954 through early 1957, and XK140s and Mark VIIM and VIII cars sometimes were fitted with these. My own 140 FHC has them, as does a Mark VIII parts car we have here. An old friend purchased his MGA roadster in New York in 1956, and it came with amber L549 lenses, which is still wears today, and I spoke with a fellow who bought a TR3 new in 1956 which came with amber rears.

There is a debate among some people about the originality of amber L549 lenses. Some claim that red lenses turn lighter colors in the sun, even amber. This is true but the change is never completely uniform. For a definite check on the "amberness" of an L549 lens, check the glued-in reflector. A true amber lens will have a CLEAR reflector, never red. Red lenses had red reflectors.

Rogers Motors specializes in selling obscure Lucas parts for old British cars, and we have purchased a few of these amber lenses in the UK over the years. We have a few on the shelf at the moment, at the risk of sounding like a commercial announcement… one pair is NOS from a Mark VIIM or Mark VIII, the other a used set from an MGA or TR or similar; same lens, different base assembly.

As to amber or clear front flasher lamps (L563), XKs, big saloons and Mark 2s were fitted with amber lenses in pretty much all markets apart from the US (not sure about Canada) because US regs forbade amber front lamps in the fifties and sixties, Similarly, headlamps with bulbs were also forbidden in the US during that same time, and since Lucas did not make sealed beams until late 1959, all British cars exported to the US came with black plastic discs in place of headlamps, while the dealers fitted locally-sourced sealed beams, made by TS, Westinghouse, GE, or whatever they wanted to buy.

The two-piece rear lamps used on late Mark IX and XK150 and Mark 2s (Lucas L627; same lens but different bases for each of those Jaguar models) had upper (flasher) lenses of amber in all markets except the US, which had red upper lenses.

Fog lights were also not used in Mark 2s because they were mounted too low to meet US specs.
We have amber tops and amber front flashers in our own ’63 3.8 MK 2 because we like them that way, as they go very well with dark green, but the car came with clear fronts and red rears.

It’s an irony that in the US today, all new cars have bulbs in the headlamps, amber flashing lights and many have factory fog lights, mounted way down low!

The Rare, the Unobtainable, the Odd: New Parts Shipment from England, 2015 has Arrived!

2015-11-05T11:43:00-06:00

November, 2015 Blog
Geoff and Andrea make an annual pilgrimage to the Land of British Cars to source unusual parts and accessories for our favorite cars and bicycles. As of this writing, most of the shipment has been unpacked and catalogued; here are pictures of some of what we have at the moment, with some highlights.

Foglamps & Spotlamps
5¾ and 7-inch Lucas 576, Ranger and 700 lamps, lenses, reflectors and parts. We have a good supply of beautifully-restored 576 and 700 lens-reflector units, in “as-new” condition. The 576 units sell for $105 each and the 700s are $125 each. If you have a broken one or a corroded reflector, these can make your lamps look great again. We also carry nuts, stems, screws, emblems and other parts for Lucas fog lamps. The following links will take you to our refurbished-original Lucas:

Headlamps
Bulb-type 700 headlamps, with or without pilot bulbs. A few are NOS, many decent used lamps, all RHD, which means the lamps dip towards the left on “low” beam.

Superb Flat-Glass P700 NOS Headlamps
We are really excited about these headlamps, which are NOS, very, very rare, and better still, they have FLAT GLASS! This is a really stunning set of lamps. Sold as a pair only, $750 includes the correct, hard-to-find large bulbholders and a pair of NOS Lucas BPF bulbs, in either LHD or RHD type. The lamps are good for either side of the road. They are so new to us we haven't listed them yet on the website; please call if you are interested.

Side, Tail and Flasher Lamps
As usual, there is a goodly selection of NOS and good used lamps and lenses for most popular British cars, MGs, Austin-Healeys, Land Rovers, Jaguar and Morris Minor. Of note is a pair of NOS L549 Morris Minor tail lamps, in perfect condition, $150 each. We have dozens of lenses for many applications, including some rare ones like AC 427 Cobras, Hillmans, Austin Cambridges, Ford Anglia, MG Magnette, well, it goes on and on.

Switches
Lots of toggle and push-pull switches, many NOS. We have white and black Lucas illuminated push-pull switches in good supply, great for an auxiliary lamp or pair of lamps. We also have several nice underdash switch panels in stock, some NOS. Check out the NOS white enameled panel; just gorgeous, and perfect for a Bristol, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, or anything else with an ivory knob theme. We like this one a lot. It’s $195 with a socket and plug for your inspection lamp or tea kettle. We have some of those, too!

Radios
We have some great old radios in this shipment, a Radiomobile or two, Motorolas, and several nice old (and VERY heavy!) Blaupunkts. Prices vary, but we’re still assessing and testing to see if any of them actually works. Often they do…

Books and Manuals
In addition to the England shipment, we recently acquired a huge collection of shop manuals, parts books, even books about collecting parts and automobilia. Lots of Jag books, an excellent paperback autobiography of Sir William Lyons for $25, how about a Morris Oxford pickup parts book for $40? To round out your collection of odd British books, we recommend a 1940 RAF propaganda book entitled Our Air Force. It makes for great reading and is a very rare item, yours for $75.

Tools
We love old car tools, and this year we have a good selection of jacks and lug wrenches, including a beautiful Austin A40 jack-and-tools set in excellent, patinaed condition, a jack ratchet for an XK Jaguar, and a really nice original Britool jack from a Jaguar Mark VII, VIII or IX. We also offer jacks for E-types, 3.4 and 3.8S and Mark I/II models, as well as some complete tool rolls, boxes and other Jag tools. As always, we brought some new Whitworth wrenches and sockets back. They’re not Snap-On quality, but they are quite usable and nicely-finished drop forgings. We also have genuine King Dick 3/8 socket sets, in stock and beautifully made, a nice King Dick 10-inch adjustable spanner, looking as though it has never been used, and the more usual 7-inch type, used on MGAs, Triumphs and Healeys. Plus lots of grease guns for Jaguars, MGs, Triumphs, Austin-Healeys, even AC Cobras.

Keys and Locks
We love original parts. New keys and locks for British cars are, in our opinion, not as nicely-made as original parts, so we buy original NOS Wilmot Breeden Union keys and associated locks whenever we can find them. This year we have a great selection of ignition and door locks, many of them rare MRN series from the 1940s and 1950s. Ignition locks and keys are on the website, but you’ll have to contact us for door and bootlid locks. We have lots!

Halogen Bulbs in Lucas Fog and Driving Lamps: not all they're cracked up to be!

2014-11-05T19:50:00-06:00

Many people ask us if they can get brighter bulbs for their Lucas fog or spot lamps. In the past, we have recommended a pair of our high-output halogen BPF bulbs, which we have sold for several years. But lately we have had several complaints from customers whose spot lamps (which they purchased from us) have cracked, possibly due to the heat generated by halogen bulbs.

One theory about this is that the bulb shield on Lucas accessory lamps is usually affixed to the glass by a screw, which goes into a chrome nipple on the outside of the glass. The heat from the halogen bulb, which is far greater than that produced by the original tungsten bulb, is transferred through the bulb shield to the glass, causing differential expansion of the brittle glass and then a crack.

The glass on reproduction lamps is also a good deal thinner than the original material, which may make these lamps more prone to damage from the high heat generated by halogen bulbs.

We no longer recommend the use of halogen bulbs in Lucas accessory lamps. We will be conducting research into the use of halogen bulbs in our lamps in the spring and summer but for the moment, DON'T USE HALOGEN BULBS IN YOUR LUCAS FOG OR SPOT LAMPS!

For more light output, we recommend the use of a relay and/or the use of an alternator, as the old generators do not out out a high enough voltage to compete with the lighting systems used on modern cars. Rogers Motors offers alternator conversion kits for most common generator-equipped British cars, at 10 percent off the Moss Motors list price. Contact us for details!

In the coming year, Rogers Motors expects to offer relay kits for headlamps and accessory lamps in the correct color codes for Lucas electrical systems, protected with a fuse and sold with or without a period-correct switch and switch panel.

Fog, Spot and Driving Lamps

2014-11-05T19:30:00-06:00

We are often asked the differences between, or among, fog, spot and driving lamps.

First off, spot and driving lamps are the same thing. The English term is “spot,” while the Americans tend to refer to these lamps as “driving” lamps. A spot or driving lamp has a clear lens with no fluting or block pattern (or, in some instances, just a few fine lines on the lens). It is designed to throw a long, thin, pencil beam far down the road: just the thing for high-speed night driving in good weather. The Lucas term for spot lamps was “LR,” or “Long Range.”

By contrast, a fog lamp has a block pattern or fluting on the lens, which shapes the light beam into a broad, low, flat pattern which works well in fog, rain or drizzle. Fogs will light up the sides of the road very nicely and help you see approaching wildlife, potholes, and other impediments to nighttime motoring. Lucas fog lamps were known as “FT,” or “Flat Throw.”

In practice, the type of lamp you choose for a classic car that will not be driven much at night, seldom in anger and practically never during bad weather, is mostly a question of personal taste. Some people prefer the more mysterious, aggressive look of the clear spot lamp while others think the fog lens is a better look for an old MG or Jaguar.

Which is “correct?” That depends upon the car. Most fog and spot lamps were added by their owners, sometimes long after the car had been purchased, with only a few fitted at the factory. Some cars, such as MGAs, could be ordered with either type of lamp, while Mark 2 Jaguars, for instance, were always equipped with fog lamps (except in the US, where bulb-type lamps were illegal, so a US-market Mark 2 would have come equipped with false round grilles in place of the Lucas Fograngers.

In general, though, either spot or fog lamps can be considered “correct” on your classic British car. If you’d like some advice on which lamp to choose, send us an email and we will offer our thoughts on the matter.

And what of yellow fog or spot lamps? Why are they so special, and why are they so expensive? Yellow lamps are rare because they were normally only sold in countries like France and Switzerland which required yellow and did not permit white, or clear, lamps on cars. Most of the popular Lucas auxiliary lamps were available with yellow lenses, but only a very small percentage of them were made compared to the clear glass versions. We buy them whenever we can find them in our searches in the UK, but they have become very rare indeed, and a lot of people today prefer yellow because they are so unusual. We have some listed in our catalog: Here is one Lucas SFT700s Fog Lamp.

Then there are AMBER lamps, the rarest of the rare. These are a darker, almost brownish color, and are extremely hard to find. I think they were used primarily on emergency vehicles. We have one or two but very seldom see them for sale. As far as we know, nobody is making reproduction yellow or amber Lucas auxiliary lamps at this time, although the demand is great enough I would expect that somebody will figure it out sooner or later!

Incidentally, you can compromise by installing yellow bulbs in your Lucas lamps with clear lenses. We do sell yellow bulbs for this purpose.