By today’s automotive standards, they’re primitive.

No anti-lock disc brakes, traction control systems, computerized sensors, airbags or 240-watt stereos.

Charlie Hartman's 1965 Austin Mini Cooper is not exactly classified as a luxury vehicle. The most compact of compact cars, the mini is touted as one of the most collectable British cars on the market today. Hartman is a member of the Lawrence All British Car Club.

Just you, four wheels and the breeze in your hair.

That’s the experience of driving vintage British sports cars made from the 1950s through the 1970s, and it’s a sensation that Roger Elliott savors.

“They’re a blast to drive. It’s a hard thing to describe,” he said. “I guess you have more of a feeling of being in touch with the road than with newer cars. It’s a more intense experience.”

Elliott is president of the Lawrence All British Car Club, a group of about 25 enthusiasts who meet regularly for dinners, drives and rallies.

The rear end of Charlie Hartman's 1965 Austin Mini Cooper screams for attention.

For instance, several members recently got together for a convoy down to Williamsburg to eat ribs at Guy & Mae’s Tavern. Members also conduct workshops where they trade tips on how to repair and restore their sports cars.

Elliott co-founded the club in 1992 with James McKenzie, Larry Wise and Steve Lopes. Most club members are from Lawrence and range in age from their 30s to 60s.

“We’re dedicated to the restoration, preservation and appreciation of all automobiles built in the British Isles,” Elliott said. “But we don’t care if anyone actually has one or is just interested in coming out and joining us.”

Club members share a love of the classic sports cars made by the great British car companies like MG, Austin Healey, Triumph, Morgan, Morris and Jaguar.

Most of these manufacturers are now defunct, and even Jaguar the cars most Americans associate with sporty British motoring is owned by Ford.

The light, agile roadsters and convertibles have come to represent a bygone era, which is part of the appeal to club members.

Small and sporty, Maggie Smith's Triumph Spitfire convertible is a favorite with British car lovers. Smith is vice president of the Lawrence All British Car Club.

“It’s the nostalgia and the flavor of the automobiles. Their performance is below that of many of today’s sedans, but these are just more fun to drive,” said Mike Pearson, a longtime club member.

He’s owner of Pearson Collision Repair, 646 Conn., where there are usually at least a couple British sports cars undergoing restoration. Some are his, while others belong to friends or customers.

Pearson has owned about 25 British sports cars since 1971, when he bought his first a 1961 Austin Healey 3000 roadster for $100. He still owns about a dozen British cars.

“They’ve been eclipsed in performance by other European and Japanese cars, so interest in them has waned some and they’re becoming harder to find,” he said. “They’re a hand-built, fun-to-drive car, but they’re not regular transportation.”

McKenzie, one of the club’s founders, drives a blue 1977 MGB convertible with about 80,000 miles on the odometer. He’s driven it to Fort Collins., Colo., twice to visit his son.

“It was such a well-made design,” said McKenzie, a Lawrence firefighter. “It can zip down the road, and it’s a blast to drive. It’s much cheaper than going out to buy a $30,000 sports car, plus I can work on it myself.”

He also enjoys the quirky British terms for parts of the car, such as boot (trunk), bonnet (hood) and wings (front fenders).

Club member Charles Fisher of Lawrence bought his first British sports car in 1955 an Austin Healey roadster.

“The early cars are fairly basic. They’re responsive, and they give you a feeling of speed when you’re not going very fast,” said Fisher, a former owner of Round Corner Drug Co., 801 Mass.

“Each car has something that you cherish. And you’re always interested in going back to your roots to the first cars you owned. They hold some fascination for you.”