The British Car Club Day 2025 was once again a great success. Hundreds of visitors, countless conversations and an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm for classic engineering. For us, as carburettor specialists, it was a joy to see that the love for the British SU carburettors is very much alive.
The soul of British engines
The SU carburettor (Skinners Union) may well be the most iconic piece of British engine technology. Simple, reliable and refined all at once. Where a Weber runs on pure sportiness, an SU runs on smoothness: the subtle vacuum principle that delivers a wonderfully fluid throttle response.
You'll find them on an impressive list of classics:
- Jaguar (E-Type, XJ6, Mk2, XJ12)
- Triumph (TR3, TR4, Spitfire, Dolomite)
- MG (MGB, Midget, TF, MGA)
- Austin-Healey (100, 3000, Sprite)
- Mini and Rover (from Cooper to Metro)
- Ford Cortina (English-made versions with an SU setup)
- And even motorcycles such as the BSA and Triumph Bonneville
Each and every one a model that loses its character without a well set up SU.
A vanishing craft
The show made it clearer than ever how rare genuine knowledge of these carburettors has become. Many established names in the Netherlands are winding down or have stopped altogether, while demand keeps growing. We see it every day: classics running poorly because of worn needle seats, incorrect float heights or the wrong oil in the dashpot, severe oxidation and perished rubbers caused by poor-quality petrol.
At Carburateur Service Nederland we bring all of that back to factory condition:
- Overhaul with genuine English parts
- Precision tuning of vacuum and needle profile
- Cleaning in a professional ultrasonic bath
- Float height checked to SU specifications
The result? A carburettor that breathes the way it should again.
The charm of the British engine sound
Anyone who has ever heard a well running Jaguar XJ6 or Triumph TR4 knows it: that gentle "whoom" as the throttle opens, that smooth transition at idle, that is what an SU lives for. No injection computer, no electronics, just pure mechanical finesse.
Thank you to all our visitors
To everyone who stopped by our stand: thank you. Your enthusiasm, stories and memories keep this craft alive. We look forward to seeing you at the next show, Eelde Classics 2025, and until then: keep those classics proudly on the road.