Indholdsfortegnelse for 11/26/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is already gearing up for its return, with organisers announcing the theme of ‘The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels’ for the event’s return on July 9-12, 2026. The theme, Goodwood says, “draws together the cars, bikes, drivers, riders, teams and manufacturers that attend the event” by focusing on famous motorsport rivalries from across multiple disciplines of racing. ‘The Rivals’ portion of the theme is set to see the celebration of some important racing anniversaries, including 60 years since Ford’s victory over Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, and 50 years since James Hunt and Niki Lauda’s battle for the Formula One World Championship in 1976. ‘Epic Racing Duels’, meanwhile, will be represented by a group of cars and motorbikes spanning Formula…

Renault’s legacy stretches back more than 120 years, and its collection of historic vehicles reflects that storied past. With over 800 models in its archive, the French automaker’s holdings are bursting at the seams. In preparation for the opening of its new heritage centre in Flins-sur-Seine, France, scheduled for 2027, Renault has announced plans to slim down its collection. The company has entrusted Artcurial Motorcars with the task of finding new homes for around 100 classic vehicles, which span more than a century of motoring history. Notably, most of the cars will be offered at auction with no reserve. The sale is set to take place in Flins-sur-Seine on December 7, and there are numerous highlights. The oldest car is a 1901 Renault Type D that could go for over…

Morris Leslie hosted its final classic auction of the year at its Errol Airfield headquarters in Scotland on November 15, with a sale that saw a whole host of former street furniture joined by a wide selection of traditional Brits. Starting with the latter, a 1964 Singer Vogue offered with no reserve looked a good buy at just £30 shy of £3000, ahead of a 1975 Rover 2200 TC that was also offered without reserve and sold for £4730. Other 1970s entries included a 1971 Morris Half Ton van in superb condition that sold for £12,096, plus a Wolseley 1300 in a two-tone paint scheme, which beat its lower estimate to make £6450. Continuing both the British and the 1970s themes, a ’72 MGB GT easily beat its £2750-£3500 guide…

One thing you can rely on in the world of old cars is that it never stands still, with trends and fashions constantly changing and the notion of what constitutes a classic evolving too, as newer models enter the mix. Naturally this means that values rarely stand still. As we compiled the latest updates to our annual price guide, which is coming soon, we couldn’t help compiling a mental wish list of cars that suddenly seem to have become more affordable while we weren’t watching and others which we’re convinced are about to shoot up. Here then are some of our picks for every budget – plus of course a few contenders which are a safe bet for those of us who don’t want to play the market but just…

FORD SIERRA SAPPHIRE RS COSWORTH Watch any classic car auction these days and the star performer is inevitably an RSbadged Ford, the trend kicked off by the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts and now extending to the ’80s RS Turbos and naturally the Cosworth engined Sierras. The Ford Sierra Cosworth existed purely for homologation reasons, stemming from the company’s desire to compete in Group A circuit racing. There had been a long association between Ford and Cosworth and the Northampton firm had already been working on a twin-cam, 16-valve version of the Pinto 2.0-litre engine. It was this engine in forced induction form which would become the YB engine and an agreement was reached which saw Ford commission Cosworth to produce 15,000 examples, an ambitious target which required a new factory…

Launched in 1980, the first-ever Vauxhall Astra replaced the Viva and, like the Escort Mk3, represented a major shift for its manufacturer. It wasn’t entirely unfamiliar though; being identical to the Opel Kadett D, which had gone in sale in 1979. This was the confusing period when you could buy Opel and Vauxhall versions of the same car in Britain, with all production taking place in West Germany regardless of the badge until 1981, when Ellesmere Port began Astra production. Anyway, the Astra was a sharplooking, compact, front-wheeldrive car that was sold as both a hatchback and a saloon, although both appeared identical in profile, plus an estate and even a van. The entry point was a 1200 with an ageing OHV engine, but the unit of choice was the…

Saab’s 900 convertible has always been one of the best-loved of the Swedish company’s models, with its svelte styling and premium upmarket image. Appreciated by enthusiasts across the world, the soft-top Saab is a desirable thing. Indeed, the “NG” (or new-generation) 900 soft-top was one of the most popular and sought-after cabrios of the 1990s, coveted by the aspirational and upwardly mobile thanks to its premium image and high specification. Today, it’s a classic in its own right – a car with a cult following, as good examples get harder and harder to find and ’90s cars are part of a thriving movement of their own. This one is an early example, a 1996 model, in non-turbocharged 900 S format, with a five-speed manual transmission. With only 38,000 miles from…

Ford ended production of its Focus on November 14, drawing a close to 27 years of continuous manufacturing and more than 12 million sales worldwide. News of the final car rolling off the assembly line at the Saarlouis plant. was shared by Ford workers on social media and reported by German broadcaster Saarländischer Rundfunk. The decision to discontinue the long-running family hatchback was first confirmed in 2022, part of Ford’s wider strategy to speed up its shift toward an electric-only European line-up. It brings an end to a run of almost three decades for the Focus, which was launched in 1998 as a replacement for the Escort (although this carried on with a reduced range). The critically acclaimed Focus was a huge success, going to the top of its class…

Following recent changes to DVLA policy regarding the way certain vehicles are registered, and with more reviews on the way, the Swansea agency is seeking feedback from customers. It specifically wants to hear from those who have notified it of a structural modification, kit-build, kit conversion, or reconstructed classic vehicle. New DVLA guidance came into effect on August 26 as the most significant update to the system since the 1980s, and is set to be followed by further policy reviews in the future. It aims to reflect modern restoration methods and simplify the registration process for vehicles where there have been repairs, restorations and structural modifications, thus providing greater clarity for owners, restorers and the wider classic vehicle industry. The changes are all covered in the new ‘INF318’ guidance that…

WB & Sons will host its final sale of 2025 on December 6, with another eclectic mix of established and modern classics at its Newcastle upon Tyne base. The catalogue was still building at the time of writing but already contained a host of alluring rarities. Among these, the most notable is surely a 1976 Vauxhall Magnum Sports Hatch described as being in spectacular condition, which carries a £20,000-£30,000 estimate. A little cheaper but no doubt very rapid is a 1983 Chevette with a 2.0-litre XE ‘red top’ conversion, while for those after a more sedate Griffin, there’s a very smart 1967 Victor FC estate. A more modern collectible is a 2005 Audi TT Quattro Sport, which is one of 800 built and carries a £10,000-£12,000 guide. Two years its…

PORSCHE BOXSTER The Boxster was the car credited with saving Porsche as an independent marque, and today it has overtaken the front-engined cars as the affordable Porsche sports car. Sample a well-presented Boxster and you’ll start wondering why anyone would have chosen back in the day to splash the extra 10 grand on the entry-level 911 Carrera. To my mind the styling is better proportioned than the rear-engined car, the Boxster’s interior is more spacious in some ways, and the twin luggage boots of the mid-engined car make it generally more practical. Yes the 911 is in theory a four-seater, but in reality the back seats are for occasional lift-home-from-thepub use for anyone larger than toddler-sized. Let’s be honest though, boot space isn’t going to be uppermost in your mind…

AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 The ‘Big’ Healey – as distinct from the really very small Healey in the shape of the Sprite – is one of those classics which has become an icon, almost as popular on mugs and birthday cards as the E-Type. It’s most well-known of course in throaty six-cylinder guise as the 100/6 and later 3000, in which form it gained its motorsport reputation. However, its early incarnation was really quite different. Created as a rival for the likes of the Triumph TR and the MGA, the Healey 100 was envisaged as a more affordable product than Healey’s previous creations and was the simple result of pairing a shapely body designed in house by Gerry Coker with the workaday 2.6-litre four-cylinder running gear from the Austin A90. It was…

Arguably the most famous Audi RS4 in the world – Jeremy Clarkson’s car of choice on The Grand Tour’s ‘A Scandi Flick’ episode – could be yours when it comes to auction this weekend (November 29). The 2007 Audi RS flagship is a last-minute star addition to Historics’ major live auction of 200 varied classic and collector cars at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands. Unsurprisingly, a bidding frenzy is anticipated, especially as the pre-sale estimate is a modest £28,000-£35,000. On location in Sweden, Clarkson and the crew modified their machines, Jeremy opting for the iconic Audi rally livery, before taking the car on a road trip across the Arctic circle. Back in the UK, any film damage has been repaired and the car recommissioned and serviced, including the reapplication of its fresh…

The International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA) returned for 2025 at the Peninsula London hotel in London on November 14, with winners crowned from across the classic sector. More than £7m worth of vehicles set the backdrop, displayed outside the event to represent areas including restoration, events, motor sport, sales and manufacturing. The event also raised more than £20,000 for Sir Jackie Stewart’s Race Against Dementia charity. The event’s star guest was Giorgetto Giugiaro, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his seven-decade career in car design. He was reunited at the awards with the one-off Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet, which he said he had last seen at its unveiling at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show. Other awards included Personal Achievement of the Year, presented to Tomas de…

Three of the final ‘last plot standing’ buildings at the Longbridge site are up for sale, through Knight Frank. Demolition of the sprawling factory site has been relentless in recent years; the once familiar car factory buildings have gradually made way for new developments, including housing, but there’s hope the remining buildings will survive. The three sites, shown here in the prospectus photos, have lots of history. The former Admin Block, known by many as ‘The Kremlin’ is joined by the Roundhouse, less formally known as the Elephant House. It was built in the 1960s and was used as an MG showroom in more recent years. Finally, there’s the Conference Centre, which has in recent years been used as a training, presentation and events space. The Knight Frank images, one…

FORD SCORPIO (1994-1998) For a company used to massive Escort and Fiesta sales, the executive car segment was too small to justify massive investment. This explains why the Scorpio, although touted as an all-new development, was largely based on the previous Granada (confusingly already badged Scorpio outside the UK). Available as a saloon and estate but no longer a hatch, the older car’s platform was carried over, as was the engine and transmission line-up. The top-flight powertrain was the 2.9-litre Cosworth 24-valve unit producing 204bhp, but there was also a 145bhp version, plus smaller 2.0-and 2.3-litre units and a 2.5-litre diesel. But all people wanted to talk about was that controversial new exterior. The front and rear wings, bonnet and boot were all restyled, with bulbous headlights dominating the front…

MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER Many readers will doubtless share our experiences of trying to justify classic car ownership, either to ourselves or a significant other… and when it’s a V12-engined, 14mpg two-seater with no roof, that can often be a stretch. On the other hand, with an old car that sidesteps the cost of road tax and MoT testing, can be maintained with basic hand tools, will return 40mpg and offers ample space in the rear for tip runs, garden centre trips and big dogs, the maths is suddenly much easier. The car we’re talking about is the timber-framed estate version of the evergreen Morris Minor: the Traveller. It’s a strange anomaly, but the commercial versions of the Minor – van and pick-up – have long been the most sought-after variants,…

Perhaps topical in view of the flooding experienced in the West Country over the last week or so, here we see part of Worthy Farm – the site of the Glastonbury Festival – submerged back in June 1998. Doubtless the Mk3 Escort and Mk2 Fiesta XR2 nearest the camera were never quite the same again, although the higher-riding VW Transporter to the left may have escaped wet carpets, as did the Discovery. Behind the Land Rover, we see the unmistakable nose of a Metro, while over behind the Fiesta is that two-tone Metro possibly a Turbo? Hopefully festival punters returning to floating cars were still on a high after what was a vintage year, with acts including Blur, Primal Scream, Pulp, Bob Dylan, Roni Size and the Chemical Brothers… all…

The ‘Miracle Maestro’ was once Austin-Rover’s great white hope. A car that the manufacturer hoped would put it back on an even keel with the likes of VW, Ford and GM by effectively replacing the aged Allegro with a thoroughly modern hatchback for the thrusting 1980s. And it got most of the formula right. Launched in 1983, the Maestro was styled to look modern for its era – its trademark scalloped sides and large, rectangular halogen headlamps marking it out as bit different from its rivals, while the interior featured a one-piece dash moulding, lots of square edges and chunky controls, along with modern fonts and graphics. Posh models even had digital instruments and a voice synthesiser. Despite its forward-thinking approach, reliability issues and a lacklustre reputation for build quality…

Arriving in in 2002, the MG TF was the successor to the earlier MGF. but history has given it greater significance as the last MG sports car for years until the Cyberster made its world debut in 2023. The MGF itself had been created on a tight budget, making extensive use of parts from the Rover group including Metro subframes. This included the use of Hydragas suspension, but once Metro production ended, the price of the limited number of Hydragas units MG Rover required became prohibitively high, prompting the decision to develop a steel sprung replacement. This car would become the TF – its name reviving a badge last used in the 1950s. Many might think of the TF as just an MGF without the Hydragas, but that’s missing the…