Since the very early 1900s, many British cars have adapted a dark green shade known as British Racing Green, or BRG for short. It began when it was suggested that each national entrant in the Gordon Bennet Cup was allocated a unique colour to distinguish the teams from one another, and when Britain first entered the race in 1902 the obvious colours of blue, white and red that correspond with the British flag had been respectively taken by other countries (America, Germany and France).

At the time, motor racing was considered more of a competition between countries instead of a competition between different car manufacturers and drivers. The cars used in thew Gordon Bennet Cup races had to be composed of elements manufactured entirely within their home countries and each car (limited to three entries per a country) had to carry both a driver and mechanic at all times. The cup began in the year 1900, with France winning the initial race. The winning team of the previous year would host the next race, however although the British team won in 1902, local laws meant that motor racing was illegal in Britain at the time and so the race was hosted in Ireland instead.

The first cars to officially feature the green colour were the English Napier cars used in the Gordon Bennett Cup races, manufactured by D. Napier & Son Limited. The driver of the winning Napier car in the 1902 race was Selwyn Edge.

In 1903 the race was to be held in Ireland, and out of respect for the hosts the English cars were painted in a shamrock green. This meant that before British Racing Green as we know it today existed, it was officially a lighter hue more similar to an emerald green, however over time darker shades of green became more and more popular. The exact hue of British Racing Green is still debated over today, however it tends to cover a large spectrum of deeper greens. Colours have ranged from a very light lime green right down to an almost black seen on a Bently, still labelled under the British Racing Green colour.

The colour has been seen on many successful British racing cars from the Sunbeams that won the 1912 Coupe de l'Auto as well as on the cars in the British team that won the European Grand Epreuves Grand Prix in 1923 and 1924. It was also featured frequently on Bently cars in the 1920s that had a high success in the 24 hour races at Le Mans.

It's usage began to phase out in the 1960s were rules regarding racing colours in the Formula One races were relaxed and sponsorship paint jobs became more popular, although it did briefly make a comeback between 2000 and 2004 when the Jaguar F1 team cordoned the colours for their vehicles. There have also been a number of British car manufacturers that have released models in the traditional racing colours including Lotus, Jaguar, MG, Rolls Royce and even the Mini Cooper.

With an increasing awareness of global warming issues and pollution levels, more and more people are opting to use public transport in a way to reduce their effect on the environment. There are numerous articles that discuss how public transport it better than private transport, but here are a few reasons it might be worth hanging onto your car.

Timings - if you own a private a vehicle, you are able to leave the house whenever you want, and to arrive at your destination when it is convenient for you. When you use public transport, however, you rely on bus timetables which may not be optimal to your schedule. This can mean waiting around for busses in the cold, arriving considerably earlier than planned, long connections and longer journey times. Also, you are not relying on others for your punctuality, traffic reliant.

Comfort - private transport tends to be a lot more comfortable than public transport, especially considering that when you use public transport, a certain amount of walking is almost always involved, to and from the station from your house and on the other side between the station and your destination, whereas a car will take you all the way from point to another.

Rural communities - while connections to rural communities are always improving, the infrastructure in some smaller towns and villages is not so strong. In most rural establishments, it is almost always better to own your transport.

Cargo - It is much easier to travel with larger amounts of luggage in your own car instead of hauling it around on crowded busses and trains. This can also have long term health benefits for your back as you don't have to physically carry everything with you.

Specific point access - Public transport can only take you so far, and in cities, this is not so much a problem, but when you want to access national parks and walking trails and places further from the beaten path, it is often extremely difficult, if not impossible to access these places using public transport unless you pay for a taxi as well.

Economic - okay, overall public transport can be considered cheaper when you consider the cost of fuel, tax, maintenance, insurance and the initial cost of the car, but there are a number of ways you can win back some of those hard earned dollars with your car. Ride sharing apps not only reduce your carbon footprint, they can also offset the cost of your fuel as riders pay for your empty seats. You can also create a car pool to and from work.

Weather - your car is a nice warm and cosy haven that blocks out the outside world and optimises your immediate atmosphere. Walking to and from points of public transport can expose to rain, snow, wind, hail, colder temperatures and a whole number of unpleasant experiences. Arriving to work in your car ensures you are dry and looking optimal, however a quick walk in the rain could leave you damp and dripping all afternoon behind your desk.

Emotional - who doesn't love a good drive to your favourite playlist? A number of people find driving very cathartic and, traffic and conditions reliant, it can be very stress relieving.

Convertible cars are an evolution from the phaeton cars which were open vehicles without glass side windows, sometimes with removable panels for weather protection. The first retractable hardtop system was invented in 1922, and the first power operated retractable roof was produced by Peugeot in 1934.

The biggest benefit to driving a convertible car is obviously the roof. When the sun peeks out from behind the clouds there is no better way to travel the open road with the wind in your hair and sun on your shoulders. Without any window panels to block your vision you have almost no blind spots, and visibility all around is vastly improved. For taller passengers, there are no headroom limitations, and this also allows you to carry large objects without the interference of a roof, much larger than you could in a standard hard top car.

Other benefits include multiple entry options and, if parked with the roof down, the ability to eliminate the risk of locking your keys inside the car (with reduced security). With the option of also having the roof up, you can protect yourself against the elements and can adapt your vehicle to almost all weather conditions.

There are several disadvantages to owning a convertible. Firstly, the prices tend to be between $5000 USD and $30000 USD higher on average than comparable sedans and coupes. Soft top convertibles are often very noisy from the inside, even with the roof up, and produce more wind resistance which results in higher fuel consumption and slower speeds. It is also very difficult to talk to fellow passengers above the noise of the wind when travelling at substantial speeds.

While improvements are always being made, a watertight convertible is harder to find than a watertight hardtop, and snow and rain can create very expensive leaks in your automobile. Also, if you happen to be out enjoying the road with the roof down and you get caught unsuspected by some flash weather, between the time it takes to pull over to the side of the road to stop and to put up the roof, you can easily have damaged electrical and personal items inside the car, as well damaging your mood as you spend the rest of your journey drying off. Exposing the interior to the elements also means that it ages quicker, although careful maintenance can minimise this effect.

Convertibles also have compromised security as it is much easier to break through a soft fabric than a hard metal, and have become easy targets for thieves.

Although they come with a number of disadvantages, it is hard not to have a huge smile on your face when driving on convertible with the roof down, which arguably compensates for the lack of security, the risk of leaks and the higher prices associated with the cars. Most convertible owners are enthusiastic about the classic retro style of their cars and the sporty feel. It is hard to think of a greater place to be than behind the wheel of a classic convertible car on a warm summer afternoon.

Damon Hill is a former Formula One Grand Prix racing driver from Great Britain. He started his racing career on motorbikes in 1981 before moving onto single seater racing cars in 1985 at the age of 25, after some small successes. By 1989 he was racing in the International Formula 3000 championship, although he never won a race at that level.

At the start of his career, he would prepare his racing bikes himself before personally towing them to and from the races that he competed in, sleeping in a tent in between events. He joined Formula Ford racing in 1985 but didn't have too much success despite showing a lot of promise. He started racing in Formula Three, and, although he didn't produce many victories, his personality attracted the likes of Sir Francis Owen Garbett “Frank” Williams, the founder and team principal of the Williams Formula One racing team. Williams made Damon a Formula One driver, and has since said that it was because of his fierce determination and because he was a “tough b***ard”. Damon attributes these qualities to his parents, especially his father Graham Hill who was also a racing driver, and feels he needed them to endure and overcome the hardships of his racing career and life.

His first year in Formula One was not too successful. Driving a rather uncompetitive car on an improvised team, Hill only qualified twice in eight races. At the same time he was working a testing role with Williams, and a car that he helped to develop driven by Nigel Mansell won the 1992 driving title. This lead to Hill replacing Mansell in Formula One when Mansell left to race IndyCars in America.

in 1993 Damon's Formula One career really picked up. He won three races and finished third overall to his teammate Alain Prost who then retired. Prost's replacement was Ayrton Senna who was unfortunately killed in his third race with Williams, which then meant that Williams had to step in as the team leader which he did successfully, rebuilding morale and pushing the team forwards in the wake of the tragedy.

Damon's biggest rival was Michael Schumacher, and in the 1994 championship they collided during the final race. This has been a somewhat controversial moment in Formula One history as some people think that Schumacher crashed on purpose to eliminate the competition, allowing him to take the championship by a single point.

In 1996 he won the driving title after winning eight out of sixteen of the races. In 1998 he moved to the Jordan Racing team and won their first title. He finished his racing career in 1999 with Jordan. He currently works for the Sky Sports Formula One broadcasting team.

During his rollercoaster career for Formula One, Damon Hill has undeniably left a huge impact in the racing community and has been a role model for many drivers in the competition since. The Williams' name is well regarded thanks to his humble attitude and unrivalled contribution to the sport.