First Line has expanded its Classic Clutch product offering through its Borg and Beck brand, featuring further innovations to meet today’s exacting quality standards.

The heritage of the Borg & Beck brand goes as far back as 1910, when it invented the first practical sliding clutch, and throughout the 20th century was the original supplier for British-manufactured cars. Today, the Borg & Beck Classic range consists of more than 60 Borg & Beck Classic Clutch Kits, applicable to over 250 British vehicles dating back to 1935, enabling classic car enthusiasts to maintain the vehicles heritage.

Borg and Beck’s Classic Clutch range is manufactured to original standards, but with new driving styles compounded by modern-day traffic management, a more durable solution is often required, as Jon Roughley, Global Marketing Director at First Line Ltd., explains, “It is more common for drivers to keep the clutch pedal depressed whilst sitting stationary, as opposed to putting the vehicle in neutral and putting the handbrake on, which can cause rapid failure to a carbon bearing.” 

Carbon bearings were designed to withstand short amounts of contact with the cover release plate, typical of the contact found whilst changing gear. If the car is regularly driven, it’s best to upgrade to a ball race bearing. Jon says, “Ball race bearings are designed to be in continual contact and spin with the clutch. This makes it far less likely to fail if the driver has their foot continually on the pedal. Ball race bearings are found on all modern-day clutches, which offers a much more durable solution.”

For this reason, Borg and Beck offer Clutch Kits with the more robust ball race bearing for Jaguar’s classic E-TYPE, Mk II and XK models 1950-1970 (HK5229HD), for MGB and MGB GT 1962-69 (HK9679); MGC 1967-69 (HK9636HD); Austin Healey 3000, Jaguar E-TYPE, Mk II, Mk X, S-Type and XK (HK9702HD), as well as the kits with the original carbon bearing. This gives drivers and technicians peace of mind that their classic car is being fitted with heritage parts that will last even in today’s demanding driving conditions.

The full range can be looked-up via application or cross reference in First Line Ltd.’s online catalogue, WebCat (webcat.firstline.co.uk).