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 t shirt itself features a HR-V graphic plus the distinctive logos and is available in a number of colours, a few brighter ones similar to those of the the car itself.
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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 t shirt 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 Morris Marina, introduced in April 1971, was mechanically very simple, powered initially by the venerable 1.3 A Series and 1.8 B series engines, with a 4 speed gearbox, rear wheel drive and a live rear axle. This simplicity was at odds with other front-wheel-drive Leyland products of the time, but it meant that the Marina could compete in the conservative fleet market dominated by the likes of the Ford's Escort & Cortina, Vauxhall's Viva and Hillman's Avenger and Hunter. They were turbulent times at Leyland and money was tight so there were some compromises to be made, not least in the simple suspension set up that was based on the ancient Morris Minor and endowed the very early cars with woeful understeer, particularly in more powerful twin carb 1800 format. This was later improved, though the Marina could never be described as a sharp handler. Ironically funds also didn't stretch to stretching the doors on the 2 door coupé version. The original aim was for it to compete with the sporty Ford Capri but those saloon front doors just didn't really cut it. The Marina has since become much maligned and the butt of many lazy jokes, but the truth is that it wasn't a bad car, just a bit too staid in both styling and execution, and it's easy to forget that it was the third best selling car in the UK in the seventies. The t-shirt is based on a contemporary press ad and while it could be argued that the original wording might be pushing it a bit, the sporty 1800TC Coupé featured has definitely earned a certain retro cool now.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! Read the story of the Morris Marina here on the excellent aronline website. -
The 18-22 Series was the name given to the wedge-shaped Austin, Morris and Wolseley models launched in March 1975. Just 6 months later the badge-engineering was dropped and with minor tweaks all models became the more familiar 'Princess'. Top of the range was the Wolseley version shown here (priced at £2,838) which boasted a full length vinyl roof, velour seats with front centre armrests, push button MW/LW radio and a 2.2 litre six cylinder engine as standard, plus the famous illuminated grille badge. Just over 3,000 Wolseleys were built in those 6 months, making them incredibly rare today, and certainly the most desirable of all of the 'Princess' variants. It was also the last car to be badged as a Wolseley, a marque that had always been synonymous with luxury. The t-shirt itself is based on one of the original press ads and showcases that distinctive grille and oh-so-seventies shape and colour. The wording is as the original ad, in the authentic Goudy Old Style typeface with the super-tight kerning between each letter and features a distressed look. 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!Read the story of the 18-22 / Princess here on the excellent aronline website. -
The British Leyland Princess was introduced in March 1975 as the '18/22 Series' with Austin, Morris and luxury Wolseley versions. The badge-engineering was dropped in September the same year, when all models became simply the 'Princess' The car was launched to critical acclaim and had a very distinctive 'wedge' shape designed by Harris Mann which divided opinion. The package was surprisingly roomy, comfortable and quite technologically sophisticated with front wheel drive and Hydragas suspension. Sadly, in common with many BL products of the time, the Princess gained an unwelcome reputation for unreliability that it struggled to shake off throughout its 6 year life span.Looking back over 40 years later the styling is still certainly the Princess' most distinctive feature and in many ways now epitomises mid Seventies car styling. This is also true of the colours with browns and beiges being a popular choice for both interior and exterior.The hoody design has a retro feel too and features a brown HLS model with the obligatory vinyl quarter panels, with a slightly distressed look to add to the vintage feel. We've even added some distinctly 70s colour choices for the t-shirts! -
The Rover 75 was introduced in 1998 when the Rover Group were under BMW's stewardship and was a very well received, well-appointed executive car with a retro feel harking back to Rovers of old such as the P5. Arguably it was a much more successful execution of the retro look than the then-current Jaguar S Type and the interior in particular won many plaudits. Under the skin it was anything but retro, with front wheel drive and 4 cylinder, V6 and diesel options, a super-rigid shell and a ride that many modern cars would struggle to achieve! The 75 currently represents something of a bargain modern classic and is still very usable as an everyday car, but as more and more are taken off the roads, they can only increase in value as the last real Rover design. The Rover 75 had many fans in its day and still has a surprisingly large following.The car featured on this t-shirt is a Mk1 saloon 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 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. -
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... -
Taito changed its name from Taito Trading Company to Taito Corporation in August 1972 and introduced its first video arcade game in 1973. It established its American subsidiary in 1973 in downtown Chicago, Taito America. In 1978 Toshihiro Nishikado, a designer at Taito, created Space Invaders which became the company's most popular title and one of the most memorable games in arcade history, responsible for beginning the golden age of arcade video games.[8][9] The t-shirt features a distressed style logo for that retro look and is available in a number of colours. -
The 1957 Chevrolet is certainly one of the most iconic American cars of all time, with its distinctive styling epitomising the 50s 'fins and chrome' era. In fact the Tri-Chevys (1955-1957) would also probably be considered the most popular classic car in the USA with a whole industry built around restoring and upgrading them. Part of their appeal is the legendary small-block V8 which was introduced with the 1955 model in 265 cubic inch (4,340cc) format; for 1957 this was upped to 283 ci (4,640cc) with the famous 'fuelie' 57 featuring fuel injection that gave the milestone one horsepower per cubic inch. The small-block Chevy engine has been a huge part of American culture ever since but was finally discontinued in 2003 after a remarkable 48 year life-span, with over 100 million being built! The model was available in a plethora of trim levels and body styles, from the humble One-Fifty 2 door sedan right up to the Bel Air convertible and even though they were never a huge seller in the UK, their iconic styling has featured so often in movies, music videos, toys and games that it is familiar to pretty much anyone.This t-shirt is based on a US press ad from 1957 highlights the distinctive tail fin with typical period advertising copy and illustration featuring miniature people to make the car appear even bigger! It is available in sand or white, with the latter available up to 5XL. -
Built at Solihull, the Rover SD1 was introduced in June 1976 initially in V8 3500 guise, with the straight six versions following in November 1977. Priced at £4750.20 (including front seat belts!), it represented good value for money compared to its executive car rivals. The car was lauded for its handsome modern styling (with more than a hint of Ferrari Daytona), versatile hatchback and strong performance. The early interiors typify the seventies with their deeply sculpted (often beige) velour seats and distinctive steering wheel and dash pod. In 1982 a major mid-life facelift coincided with production being moved to Cowley, when a 2000cc model and 2400 turbo diesel was also added to the range. 1984 saw the introduction of the 190bhp fuel injected Vitesse and range-topping Vanden Plas EFi. Sadly, as was often the case with British Leyland products, the cars were dogged by bad build quality and workforce disputes that, despite numerous improvements over its life, tarnished the SD1's reputation. This is pity because from a design point of view it had very few rivals.The design of this t shirt features a very early 3500, the SD1 in its purest form and pays tribute to the original launch advertising in terms of wording and typeface with a distressed style overlaid onto it. 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! Read the story of the Rover SD1 here on the excellent aronline website. -
Not all of us were lucky enough to go to University, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out! If you're a brummie who was schooled in the 'University of Life' why not let everyone know with this stylish varsity style contrast hoody.This hoody has a distressed style graphic for that retro look featuring the Birmingham coat of arms and is available in a range of colours with contrasting hood lining and drawstrings, giving a very distinctive look. It has a front pouch pocket.