1961 TVR Grantura Mk II: A British Lightweight Sports Car

The 1961 TVR Grantura Mk II represents an important step in the evolution of TVR’s first production model. Built in Blackpool, England, the Grantura was the quintessential small British sports car of its era, characterized by its fiberglass body laid over a lightweight tubular steel backbone chassis. This construction philosophy, focusing on low weight (around 650kg) and rigidity, provided the car with exceptional handling praised by contemporary drivers and making it highly suitable for club racing.

The Mk II, produced from 1960 to 1961, typically featured the reliable 1588cc MGA engine (producing around 80 horsepower) as standard, though TVR famously offered customers a variety of power units, including Ford and the more expensive Coventry Climax engines. A 1961 test by The Motor magazine recorded a top speed of 98.4 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 12 seconds for the MGA-powered car. The Grantura’s success laid the groundwork for future TVR models, notably forming the basis for the more powerful Griffith Series 200.

Here below is a set of amazing photos of the 1961 TVR Grantura Mk II.

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50 Amazing Photographs Showing the Twin Towers From Newark Airport Prior to 2001

The Twin Towers were a prominent and iconic part of the view from Newark Airport (EWR) prior to 2001, clearly visible from the terminal windows and during flights. Due to the airport’s location in New Jersey, approximately 9 to 10 miles west of Lower Manhattan, the towers were a distinct and often stunning feature of the New York City skyline.

The towers were the tallest buildings in the world when first built and dominated the low-rise New York Harbor area, making them easily discernible even from a distance. Many travelers and airline employees have shared memories of the “stunning views” from the concourse windows, with some specifically mentioning watching the Manhattan skyline from the Continental Airlines Terminal C. The towers, set against the backdrop of the airfield and air traffic, were a frequent subject of photographs and even appeared in Pan Am advertisements.

After the hijacking and subsequent crash of United Airlines Flight 93 during the 2001 September 11 attacks, the airport's name was changed from Newark International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport in 2002. This name was chosen over the initial proposal, Liberty International Airport at Newark, and pays tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks and to the landmark Statue of Liberty, lying 7 miles east of the airport.

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Tina Turner, the Rock Legend Who Loved Cars

Tina Turner was known for many things: her unmistakable raspy voice, her unrivaled on-stage energy, and her ability to overcome whatever life threw her way. Did you know she was also an avid an auto enthusiast?

Turner’s love affair with cars began early in her career, when she was teamed up with Ike Turner. In 1970, Sammy Davis Jr. bought her a white XJ6 Jaguar as a gift. Then her husband Ike Turner bought her a silver Jaguar XKE in 1973.

According to Turner’s 2018 autobiography, My Love Story, Davis originally wanted to gift her a Mercedes-Benz, but her assistant suggested a Jaguar instead because the singer “was into English cars.” Turner admitted the Jag “awakened my passion for fast cars.”

“It may sound silly,” Turner wrote, “but one of my favorite escapes, and a secret pleasure, was driving my Jaguar. I loved it because it was something I could do by myself, one of the few times I could be alone and free.”

The 12-time Grammy Award winner experienced similar joy in the Jaguar XKE.

“I’ll never forget the moment I got behind the wheel and pulled out of the dealership,” she wrote. “It was late and a little misty when I drove the sleek silver Jaguar on Wilshire Boulevard. As far as I was concerned, there was no one else on the road—just me, driving with the windows down, looking and feeling fabulous. I can still hear the sound of the motor, the vroom that signaled it was ready to take me anywhere I wanted to go.”

In 1978, during her divorce from Ike Turner, she famously walked away with only her stage name, “Tina Turner,” but, to her relief, the judge also ruled that the two Jaguars should stay with her, indicating their personal importance.

Following the massive success of her 1984 comeback album, Private Dancer, her taste shifted. She bought a Lamborghini LM002 (an early SUV). Because she only had an automatic driving license, her partner (later husband) Erwin Bach had the car radically customized, replacing the standard V12 engine and manual transmission with a V8 engine and automatic gearbox from a Mercedes-Benz 500E. This bespoke LM002 remains one of the most unique vehicles she owned.

Her collection also included a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen from 1985. In the 1990s, she also appeared in a series of popular television advertisements for the Chrysler Plymouth family of cars, including the Acclaim and Laser.

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Leslie Caron: French Star of Hollywood Musicals

Leslie Caron is a celebrated French actress and dancer whose career flourished in both Hollywood and European cinema, making her a global icon of grace and charm.

Discovered by Gene Kelly, Caron was famously cast in the 1951 musical classic An American in Paris, which launched her international fame. Her slight, youthful figure and expressive eyes made her an ideal muse for dreamy, romantic roles. She went on to star in other major hits, most notably the title role in Lili (1953), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination, and later, the poignant film The L-Shaped Room (1962), earning her a second nomination and a Golden Globe Award.

Caron’s enduring appeal lies in her ability to transition seamlessly between whimsical dance numbers and complex dramatic acting, embodying the sophistication of French culture on the international screen. Renowned for her charm, poise, and expressive performances, Leslie Caron remains one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age of musicals.

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Paul and Linda McCartney Crossing the Legendary Abbey Road With Their Pet Pony Jet in 1977

Jet was a Shetland pony owned by the McCartney family and was one of the inspirations for the 1973 Wings hit song “Jet.” These photographs were taken near Abbey Road Studios in London, where The Beatles famously shot their album cover in 1969. The McCartneys were at the studio during this period.

The photos were notably used by their daughter, Mary McCartney, as one of the key images in her 2022 documentary about Abbey Road Studios, If These Walls Could Sing. She has mentioned that the images of her mother, Linda, with the pony on the crossing was a special inspiration for her.

“Jet was our pony for a very long time,” Mary said. “He was named after the song. He was a feisty little pony who we rode and loved. But it all comes back. I mean, that’s a very unusual photo. And I loved the idea that by doing this documentary, I have been able to show the world one of my favorite photographs, which is my mother taking our pony across the zebra crossing to the studio. I just think it shows her character to a T and what a rule-breaker she was.”

45 Fascinating Photos That Show 1970s Lifestyle

The 1970s in the United States and the Western world were defined by a profound cultural and social transition, moving away from the rigid structures of the previous decades toward greater individualism and complexity. This lifestyle was marked by a blend of economic anxiety (due to recessions and the oil crisis) and burgeoning personal freedom.

Fashion was highly expressive, embracing diverse trends from bell-bottoms and platform shoes to Bohemian chic and disco glitter. Socially, the decade saw the strengthening of the Second-Wave Feminist movement and environmental consciousness, symbolized by the first Earth Day. Home life often shifted toward informality, with open floor plans and earthy, nature-inspired color palettes dominating interior design.

These fascinating photos, found by Thomas Hawk, reveal what life in the 1970s looked like.

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Studio Shots of Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton for the Iconic Film “The Terminator” (1984)

On the set of The Terminator, Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton forged a dynamic that mirrored their characters’ tense, desperate alliance. Hamilton played Sarah Connor, a young Los Angeles waitress who is initially unaware that she is the key to the future of humanity. Biehn played Kyle Reese, a resistance soldier from the post-apocalyptic future (2029 A.D.) who is sent back in time to protect Sarah from the Terminator.

Their on-screen connection is crucial, as the entire future of humanity depends on their brief, intense romance. They share a chemistry that is desperate, tender, and born out of shared trauma and the need to survive. This romance ultimately results in the conception of John Connor, the future leader of the resistance, fulfilling the predestination paradox at the core of the film.

Biehn almost didn’t get the part. When he first auditioned for director James Cameron, he gave his reading with a Southern accent because he had been preparing for an audition for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof that morning. Cameron and the producers initially didn’t want the character of Kyle Reese to be geographically specific. Biehn’s agent quickly explained the mistake, and a second, accent-free reading secured him the role.

Hamilton has mentioned that she initially had doubts about the project, finding the script and the concept a bit “schlocky” and not matching her “thespian ambitions” at the time. However, Cameron specifically wanted her because he felt she had the ability to convey vulnerability while also possessing an underlying strength that would make her transformation into a resilient figure believable. Hamilton broke her ankle shortly before filming began. Rather than recasting her, the injury was managed with a special wrap/cast, allowing her to push through the physically demanding role, which perhaps even added to Sarah Connor’s look of being constantly stressed and on the run.

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