Great motoring anniversaries in 2023
Famous car brands and some equally famous cars celebrate their anniversaries in 2023, Mark Smyth raises a glass to a few
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First up is Triumph, which turns 100 this year. Triumph bicycles was formed in 1897 and the company started making motorcycles in 1902, but the first Triumph car, the 10/20 was produced in 1923 and we are talking cars here. If you want to be really pedantic you could point out that the Triumph Motor Company was only formed in 1930 but we’ll happily argue the point with the company that owns the name these days, BMW.
Staying away from that argument, 2023 marks 75 years of Porsche, but perhaps more importantly, it’s 60 years since the 911 made its debut. Admittedly it first appeared in 1963 as the 901, becoming the 911 when it went on sale in 1965 after Peugeot kicked up a fuss, but everyone can see it was a 911.
In 1963 Bruce McLaren formed Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, with its first race car, the M1A competing successfully in the US and Europe the following year. McLaren remained purely a racing car business until 1992 when the incredible McLaren F1 made its debut. Racing is still a significant part of the company in F1, sports car racing and even now Extreme-E but it was only in 2011 that McLaren Automotive was formed to make the road cars we have today.
It could be argued that Honda has something to celebrate this year too as it made its first car, technically a bakkie in 1963 in the form of the little T360.
Around the world, fans of the Corvette will be celebrating this year as it turns 70. General Motors has started the year off by revealing a new electrified version that has an electric motor on the front axle with V8 power going to the rear wheels. With the General having left SA there are no plans for the new model here, but you have 70 years worth of back catalogue to choose from if you want some American muscle.
Some more recent metal celebrates anniversaries this year too. It’s 25 years since the debut of the Audi TT. Audi will celebrate this milestone by killing off its popular sports car this year. It’s 60 years since we first saw the fabulous little Mini Cooper S and in 2023 we will see the next generation Mini make its debut.
We have no doubt there are a few others and plenty of discussion to be had around the exact timing of the debut of many more, but these are some of our favourites giving us something to celebrate in 2023.