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Managing Director Anthony Taylor established Autotune in 1969. Taylor had been involved with racing and the preparation of customers'
competition and performance road vehicles since the early sixties. The company is a family concern with wife Carolyn Taylor dealing with
sales and administration. Son, Richard has now joined the company having graduated with an Honours Degree in Motor Sport Engineering and Design.
He has already worked for a Historic Racing Team including work on Thoroughbred Grand Prix Cars and also prepares History profiles for Historic
Racing Cars necessary for eligibility for the FIA
Anthony Taylor's background came from working at Westune, Sports Motors (the Northern Lotus agents) and Mangoletsi the tuning firm. His enthusiasm
for Jaguars and experience of almost all the Jaguar range from the early XK 120 with ladder frame chassis right through to the Lister Jaguars, led him
to set up Autotune. Autotune specialised in tuning high performance road cars, particularly Jaguars. As well as Jaguars such exotics as Aston Martin,
Lamborghini, Ford GT40, Ferrari, Lotus, Bristol, Jensen, Austin Healey and Alfa Romeo have passed through the workshop.
Alongside this race preparation was also undertaken including marques such as BRM, Brabham, Chevron, Crossle, Cooper, Elva, Ensign, Lola, Lotus, Mallock, March, Merlyn and McLaren.
All this helped further widen the horizons with experience of spaceframes continuing right through to McLaren aluminium monocoque chassis.
Anthony Taylor has himself been racing all makes and models of car since 1961. Under the Autotune banner successes include winning several sprint and hillclimb championships
in various Formula Atlantic single seaters, and Championship Class wins in the Historic Sports Car Club Championships in 1978 in the Kincraft Chevrolet and 1980 in the Willment
BRM. Alongside high performance cars, Taylor has also maintained offshore powerboats, competing several times in the Cowes Torquay Races.
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Above: Anthony Taylor, Carolyn Taylor and
Richard Taylor BEng Hons
Having seen the cost of the exotics beginning to spiral and remembering in the late fifties building a fibreglass car kit, it was decided to return to grass roots and with a wealth of experience, and knowledge of Jaguars, the Aristocat was born. Thus Autotune produced an easy build, classically shaped, one donor XJ6 Jaguar based car , which has been engineered from the mechanics upwards,
rather than the fibreglass downwards. The car was designed to give enthusiasts the opportunity of a leisure project - to build themselves a car with classic appeal - but using modern mechanical
components. Further designs followed with the Gemini in 1987 and the Can-Am in 1992.
The Company continues to work on what are now Classic Cars, particularly Jaguars, and prepare historic rally and racecars. Autotune can also provide restoration and/or spares for Historic Racing Cars
particularly specializing in McLaren. Recent work in this field has included McLaren M1B, M6B, M8C Can-Am cars, McRae and Chevron F5000 cars, Lola T70 Le Mans car, Cooper F1 and Tasman BRM.
Anthony Taylor himself continues to race, recently seen out in an original McLaren M6B Can-Am car and the Willment BRM at Historic Race Meetings, alongside the Aristocat in Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club Races.
This is one family who eat, sleep
and breathe cars.
LOCATION: Riverside Industrial Estate, Rishton, Blackburn, Lancs. BB1 4NF, UK
Junction 7 off the M65 - ½ mile south on A678
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