This Best of British Mini Cooper T Shirt celebrates the classic Mini which was introduced in 1959 and soon became a truly iconic piece of British popular culture that is still recognised the world over. Alec Issigonis’ masterpiece had a price tag of just £497 and from the outset the Mini offered good economy, lots of space for its size and incredible handling. The latter was not truly exploited until the arrival of the famous Mini Cooper in 1961 and Cooper S in 1963. Equipped with a tuned version of the A series engine and front disc brakes, the Coopers enjoyed Monte Carlo Rally success and were immortalised on screen in ‘The Italian Job’ in 1969.
The Mini was so well-loved that it found around 6 million buyers and remained in production for over 40 years – in time to see in the new millenium. In fact, it actually outlived the Austin Metro that was supposed to replace it back in 1980!
The car featured on this t-shirt is the final version with those striking Cooper bonnet stripes, wide arches and 4 spot lights, in many ways the archetypal Mini Cooper. It is a two colour print, with highlights on the bodywork represented by a white tint which allows the colour of the shirt to show through.
You can read the full history of the Mini at the excellent Aronline website. You may also be interested in our personalisable Mini Cooper T Shirt. -
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This Best of British Rover P5B t shirt celebrates the story of this iconic classic car which was introduced as the Rover P5 saloon in September 1958 and was Rover's first foray into unitary bodywork construction. A significantly more modern design styled by David Bache, it featured a traditional wood and leather interior. It was dignified and well appointed but was hardly sporting with around 115bhp from a 3 litre version of Rover's inlet over exhaust straight six engine at introduction. A coupé version was introduced with the Mark II in 1962, still retaining 4 doors but with a lower, more rakish roofline, but the big news came in 1967 with the introduction of the P5B featuring the now famous 3,528cc all aluminium Rover V8 developed from a Buick engine. This gave the P5 a much needed power boost, giving the car excellent performance for its time. The P5b or 3.5 Litre became a much-loved mode of transport for government ministers and was a familiar sight carrying Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher to and from 10 Downing Street well into the early 80s, some ten years after it was discontinued in 1973. In recent years, the Rover P5B has become a much loved classic car, epitomising all of the best aspects of the British car industry, and this t-shirt graphic highlights this perfectly. The car featured on this t-shirt is from a hand-drawn ink illustration, transferred onto my computer and digitised. It is a three colour print, with highlights on the bodywork represented by a white tint which allows the colour of the shirt to show through, making the colour of the car's bodywork. You can read more about the Rover P5's history at the excellent aronline website. You may also be interested in our personalisable Rover P5B T Shirt. -
This Rover P5B t shirt celebrates the story of this iconic classic car which was introduced as the Rover P5 saloon in September 1958 and was Rover's first foray into unitary bodywork construction. A significantly more modern design styled by David Bache, it featured a traditional wood and leather interior. It was dignified and well appointed but was hardly sporting with around 115bhp from a 3 litre version of Rover's inlet over exhaust straight six engine at introduction. A coupé version was introduced with the Mark II in 1962, still retaining 4 doors but with a lower, more rakish roofline, but the big news came in 1967 with the introduction of the P5B featuring the now famous 3,528cc all aluminium Rover V8 developed from a Buick engine. This gave the P5 a much needed power boost, giving the car excellent performance for its time. The P5b or 3.5 Litre became a much-loved mode of transport for government ministers and was a familiar sight carrying Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher to and from 10 Downing Street well into the early 80s, some ten years after it was discontinued in 1973. In recent years, the Rover P5B has become a much loved classic car, epitomising all of the best aspects of the British car industry. The car featured on this t-shirt is from a hand-drawn ink illustration, transferred onto my computer and digitised. It is a three colour print, with highlights on the bodywork represented by a white tint which allows the colour of the shirt to show through, making the colour of the car's bodywork. You can read more about the Rover P5's history at the excellent aronline website. You may also be interested in our Best of British Rover P5B T Shirt.Personalisation
The number plate area can be personalised with a registration, name or message for that extra personal touch. It will appear in white in the correct Pre 2001 UK numberplate typeface. If no personalisation is chosen the number plate will have the 'iconic ironic' logo as in the photographs. -
The MG ZR was a hot hatch that was developed from the Rover 25 and was produced at Longbridge from 2001 - 2005 . It was MG Rover's best selling car at the time. Considering that the Rover 25 was based on the Rover 200 and as such was already 6 years old, the car's handling and general fun factor was a revelation. The car is a credit to the then MG Rover management who created something very special from a shoestring budget having famously bought the company from BMW in 2000 for just £10! The range-topping ZR 160 was fast too; going from 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds and capable of a top speed of 131 mph!The car featured on this t-shirt is a MG ZR Mk1 and the design is such that the t-shirt colour makes up the colour of the car. It features a small iconic-ironic logo so you can help spread the word and it can even be personalised with your number plate if you wish. -
This MG ZT Mk1 t-shirt is offered as a two colour style print, with the t-shirt colour making up the colour of the car. Highlights on the bodywork are represented by a white tint which allows the colour of the shirt to show through. This highlight effect is subtle on lighter t-shirts and more prominent on darker ones. Personalisation The number plate area can be personalised with a registration, name or message for that extra personal touch. It will appear in a black UK numberplate typeface. If no personalisation is chosen the number plate will be white. -
This MG ZT Mk2 (or facelift model) t-shirt is offered as a two colour style print, with the t-shirt colour making up the colour of the car. Highlights on the bodywork are represented by a white tint which allows the colour of the shirt to show through. This highlight effect is subtle on lighter t-shirts and more prominent on darker ones. Personalisation The number plate area can be personalised with a registration, name or message for that extra personal touch. It will appear in a black UK numberplate typeface. If no personalisation is chosen the number plate will be white. -
This Mini Cooper T Shirt celebrates the classic Mini which was introduced in 1959 and soon became a truly iconic piece of British popular culture that is still recognised the world over. Alec Issigonis’ masterpiece had a price tag of just £497 and from the outset the Mini offered good economy, lots of space for its size and incredible handling. The latter was not truly exploited until the arrival of the famous Mini Cooper in 1961 and Cooper S in 1963. Equipped with a tuned version of the A series engine and front disc brakes, the Coopers enjoyed Monte Carlo Rally success and were immortalised on screen in ‘The Italian Job’ in 1969.The Mini was so well-loved that it found around 6 million buyers and remained in production for over 40 years – in time to see in the new millenium. In fact, it actually outlived the Austin Metro that was supposed to replace it back in 1980! The car featured on this t-shirt is the final version with those striking Cooper bonnet stripes, wide arches and 4 spot lights, in many ways the archetypal Mini Cooper. It is a two colour print, with highlights on the bodywork represented by a white tint which allows the colour of the shirt to show through. You can read the full history of the Mini at the excellent Aronline website. Personalisation The number plate area can be personalised with a registration, name or message for that extra personal touch. It will appear in a black UK numberplate typeface. If no personalisation is chosen the number plate will be white. -
MG Head Gasket T Shirt As a lover of old cars, I'm in quite a few related FaceBook groups and, much as I enjoy these, there's plenty of tired old clichés to be found in the comments section, repeated over and over. One of the most common has to be the old 'head gasket' jokes on anything featured that is even remotely Rover/MG. This is despite the fact that it only affects some 4 cylinder 'K' Series engines (not diesels, V6s etc), and is relatively cheap to fix. Blown head gaskets are also a common issue for quite a few other brands too, but somehow they never seem to be targeted. A more informed write-up on the revolutionary K series engine can be found here. As a Rover/MG owner myself, rather than let it frustrate me, I thought I would channel my energy into something more productive, so I came up with these t-shirts. They come in a choice of 6 colours with some available all the way upto 5XL and are a great way to deflect the jokes before they even start. They may well become part of an occasional 'car cliché' series, along with other favourites such as; any Jaguar - 'it's just a Mondeo', any Italian exotic - 'It's an MR2 kit', Reliant Scimitar - 'Princess Anne had one' etc, etc... -
Rover Head Gasket T Shirt As a lover of old cars, I'm in quite a few related FaceBook groups and, much as I enjoy these, there's plenty of tired old clichés to be found in the comments section, repeated over and over. One of the most common has to be the old 'head gasket' jokes on anything featured that is even remotely Rover/MG. This is despite the fact that it only affects some 4 cylinder 'K' Series engines (not diesels, V6s etc), and is relatively cheap to fix. Blown head gaskets are also a common issue for quite a few other brands too, but somehow they never seem to be targeted. A more informed write-up on the revolutionary K series engine can be found here. As a Rover/MG owner myself, rather than let it frustrate me, I thought I would channel my energy into something more productive, so I came up with these t-shirts. They come in a choice of 6 colours with some available all the way upto 5XL and are a great way to deflect the jokes before they even start. They may well become part of an occasional 'car cliché' series, along with other favourites such as; any Jaguar - 'it's just a Mondeo', any Italian exotic - 'It's an MR2 kit', Reliant Scimitar - 'Princess Anne had one' etc, etc... -
The stylish first generation Honda Prelude was launched in Japan in late 1978 and subsequently introduced in the UK and Europe during 1979.Loosely based on the 4 door Accord, the Prelude was a sleek 2 door coupe that was a very well equipped car for its time, featuring electric sunroof, electric aerial, integrated radio, remote boot release, tinted glass and a distinctive dashboard with rev counter needle sweeping inside and on the same arc as the speedometer. It was available with standard 5 speed transmission or the 'Hondamatic' auto. Also standard was typical Honda reliability, although a high price in the UK and a propensity to rust means that very few examples remain. In fact the first generation was the 'Prelude' to a stylish and distinctive coupe that evolved through five generations and 23 years, becoming ever more sophisticated with later models featuring Honda's legendary V-TEC engine and 4 wheel steering. The mouse mat is based around original press advertising and features a retro distressed look to the graphics. The high contrast style of the image means that it is only available in black, but the good news is that sizes go all the way up to 5XL! -
The Honda HR-V was introduced in 1999, an early example of a compact SUV, initially available as front wheel drive but subsequently available with four wheel drive. Power was provided by Honda’s super-reliable and revvy D16 engine in standard or VTEC format, both with a single overhead cam and sent to the wheels by either a 5 speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox. Honda’s ingenious Real Time 4WD system used a dual hydraulic pump rear differential which only activated when the front wheels lost grip. Never a huge seller in the UK but the HR-Vs had funky looks that have aged well and are certainly more distinctive than the second generation models which appeared in 2013 after a seven year HR-V hiatus. The HR-V boasted funky advertising too, focusing on a fun, lifestyle image based around the ‘Joy Machine’ strapline, as can be seen here. The mouse mat is based around an original press photo of the HR-V plus the distinctive logos. -
The Triumph Dolomite range was introduced in 1972 as a luxurious, well-equipped sporting saloon aimed at the emerging compact executive market. The Sprint version that followed in 1973 was conceived in order to remedy the gap in performance between the Dolomite 1850 and competitors such as the BMW 2002. The Sprint’s cylinder head was revolutionary for a mass produced car, featuring a multi-valve arrangement with all 16 of them operated by a single overhead camshaft. This clever design gave the car a 0-60 time of just 8.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 119 mph, very impressive for the early Seventies. The car also had alloy wheels as standard; a first for a British production car. All of this came at a launch cost of just £1,740, which compared very favourably with its other sporting rivals. The mouse mat itself is based on one of the original press ads and shows a Dolomite Sprint in the launch colour of Mimosa Yellow with black vinyl roof. The period correct typeface is used.Read more about the Triumph Dolomite and Sprint range here on the excellent aronline website.