Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Classic Car Mart

The constantly evolving classic car scene has enjoyed a proliferation in ‘cars and coffee’ type meets, evening pub gatherings and trips to the various new dedicated motoring destinations. Just now I read about a club meet that attracted 402 classics and around 1000 people – on a school night. But has this come at the expense of the traditional static show? In recent weeks we’ve seen the cancellation of a high-profile event due to a lack of advance tickets sold, and I often hear how long-running shows aren’t as good as they used to be, whether that’s due to a lack of trade or just a dearth in numbers. From a period when we were even booking slots to eat a scotch egg, now it seems many folk are reluctant…

Scramblers, the Bicester Heritage membership club, has presented charity partner StarterMotor with a £2610 donation raised via monetisation of its membership tiers. The donation, presented during a family day hosted at Bicester on August 5, is the largest so far received by the charity. StarterMotor’s mission is to put the next generation in the driving seat, encouraging them to enjoy historic motoring and the opportunities on offer. Through career awareness days, work experience, the opportunity to drive the charity’s classic fleet and representation at major events, StarterMotor continues to engage with the future generation of classic enthusiasts. To become a part of the club, visit: scramblers.bicesterheritage.co.uk.…

The world of motorsport is in mourning following the death of rally icon Paddy Hopkirk MBE, who passed away on July 21 at the age of 89. Hopkirk was the man who famously won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally at the wheel of the iconic Mini Cooper S, guaranteeing him a podium place in the history of motorsport. Belfast-born Paddy began in competition taking part in trials, initially with a VW Beetle before upgrading to a Triumph TR2 in 1955, crafting his skills to become a formidable competitor throughout Northern Ireland and beyond. Standard-Triumph gave Paddy his Works debut in the 1956 RAC Rally at the wheel of a Standard Ten, and two years later he was competing in his first Monte Carlo Rally. He then switched allegiances in 1958,…

ROVER P6 (1963-1977) Announced at Earls Court in October 1963, the Rover P6 was among the first of a new breed of compact executive saloons to arrive on the market. It would combine the aspirational lure of the larger 3-litre class of saloons with the affordable running costs of a mid-size car, adding the latest styling and engineering trends to make up a dynamic and forward-looking package. With an advanced and safetyconscious body structure, clever de-Dion tube rear suspension, all-round disc brakes and a square-stroke 2-litre overhead camshaft engine, the P6 was seen as something of a yardstick in the industry – astatus confirmed when it took the inaugural European Car of the Year award. The car was first launched as the 2000 model with a single carburettor, with a…

T heFrench had another revolution in 1955, this time in motoring. The Citroën DS was the culmination of 18 years of secret development and would replace the Traction Avant. The Traction, although popular and technically impressive, looked the 1930s design it was and what was once standout had become familiar. In an effort to create a striking all-new look for its replacement, Citroën put two people in charge of design – Italian sculptor and designer Flaminio Bertoni (not to be confused with Bertone) and French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre. Bertoni wanted a beautiful piece of design, whereas Lefèbvre wanted as aerodynamic a shape as possible. Ultimately, we got both. “BERTONI WANTED A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF DESIGN, WHEREAS LEFÈBVRE WANTED AS AERODYNAMIC A SHAPE AS POSSIBLE. ULTIMATELY, WE GOT BOTH." View…

T heEscort had been providing sensible family transport for some 30 years, but its replacement needed to move the game on. The Focus did just that, and then some. Officially revealed at the 1998 Geneva Motor Show, the ‘New Edge’ styling courtesy of Claude Lobo and John Doughty meant the Focus looked sharper than any rival. But the real revelation was how it drove, with an engineering team led by the late Richard Parry-Jones imbuing the new model with a blend of ride, handling and responsiveness that was unmatched by anything else in the class. Motoring magazines of the day were rightly impressed, the Focus becoming the benchmark by which all other family cars were judged. It’s still just as impressive today, and a good example feels very sweet to…

F romthe start of the classic car boom in the 1980s to the present day, the Jaguar Mk2’s star has continued to shine brightly. This is an all-time great that marque enthusiasts often cite as their top choice saloon model, with its combination of glorious styling, suitably upmarket interior and superb driving style making it the default choice for many. Such demand has inevitably influenced Mk2 prices in the 21st century, although – as we’ll discover further on – there are ways in which Mk2 fans can save money. The Mk2 was Jaguar’s big new announcement of 1959, and despite carrying over many elements of its predecessor’s monocoque bodyshell, it was surprisingly different in overall appearance. The biggest changes were above the waistline, which saw a dramatic increase in glass…

The 2022 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional proved to be a huge hit, with record attendance figures at Grimsthorpe Castle on Saturday, July 30, and hundreds of ‘unexceptional’ cars on display. TV motoring celebrities also joined in the fun, including Richard Hammond, Mike Brewer and Paul Cowland. From the 50 cars officially entered into the event’s Concours de l’Ordinaire, first prize was awarded to Samuel Allan’s superb 1994 Vauxhall Astra Merit, while runner-up was Matthew Bareham with his 1986 Skoda Estelle 120L. Junior Choice went to Chris Joy’s 1982 Peugeot 104 GR, while Chris James’ ’91 Nissan Primera won the Repmobile Special Award. The winning Vauxhall was described by organisers as a “true base-level beauty”, with non-metallic red paint, three doors and not a single optional extra. Although 287,000 Astra…

Footman James has announced that its next Coffee & Chrome Collective meet of 2022 will take place at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, on Sunday, September 18 from 9.00am to 12.00 noon. A total of 500 vehicle spots are available on a first come, first served basis. All vehicles must be pre-booked via footmanjames.co.uk/coffee-chromecollective. As always, attendees will be able to enjoy a free breakfast sandwich – two per vehicle, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available. Attendees will also be eligible for discounted tickets to the museum. Once you’ve reserved your Coffee & Chrome Collective space, you’ll receive an email nearer the time with full details.…

A lthoughit wasn’t the first to combine a more powerful engine with a hatchback bodyshell, Volkswagen’s decision to create the Golf GTI in 1976 essentially invented the hot hatch as we know it. And three years later, the German giant’s open-topped version of the Golf would make similar inroads, leaving rival manufacturers scurrying to build their own copies. The four-seater Cabriolet was a latecomer to the Golf range but ended up outlasting the hatchback on which it was based by a decade. It was available with the same power unit as the GTI right from the outset, and would officially adopt the GTI nomenclature from 1984. However, while the tin-topped version has become an established motoring icon and often has a price tag to match, the open-topped car has never…

C astyour mind back to the 1990s, when £40,000 was an awful lot of money. Enough for a pair of semis in Salford, the salary of a Member of Parliament, or over 22,000 Big Macs. It also bought you a lot in the world of motoring; an Audi S6, for instance – or a 4-litre XJ6, a Marcos LM500, or even a V8 Range Rover. If you wanted a four-seater convertible with a solid image, though, you only really had two options around this price point. Jaguar wanted another £6000 for its XJS, while cars like the Audi Cabriolet were far cheaper. That left the BMW E36 M3 cabriolet at £41,800, or the Mercedes-Benz E220 Convertible at £40,300. These were two very different cars with very different aims when new,…

THE MARKETPLACE THE CARS THE BEGINNING Stickingtrue to tradition, Rolls-Royce had enjoyed considerable success with three generations of the Silver Cloud – and Bentley S-series derivatives – throughout a decade-long production run. Launched in 1955, its separate-chassis layout enabled Britain’s dwindling number of specialist coachbuilders to offer their own bespoke versions. There was, of course, a touch of modernity about the Silver Cloud saloon’s aesthetics when it first went on sale, but car design was evolving rapidly by the start of the ’60s and Rolls-Royce’s chief stylist, John Blatchley, faced a dilemma when it came to creating a successor. Even at the upper end of the newcar market, there was a noticeable shift in demand. There would always be wealthy buyers who wanted – and could afford – the ultimate…

The E36 generation of BMW 3 Series is fast becoming a sought-after modern classic. After being one of the go-to vehicles for amateur drifters in the UK, it’s a less common sight than it once was, particularly when it comes to nonmainstream derivatives. So, finding a 318iS Coupe in as good a condition as this three-owner, 33,000-mile example is always a treat. The car is finished in scarcely seen Morea Green, while the interior is upholstered in a light grey cloth, keeping the cabin feeling bright and roomy. And while the 1.8-litre unit under the bonnet isn’t the biggest option these cars came with, a power output of 138bhp still gives you decent performance to play with, especially given the car has the M Sport suspension set-up. Creature comforts include…

TheFederation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has issued an update on its latest communications with the DVLA, bringing good news in terms of backlogs easing – but potentially worrying news when it comes to registering vehicles without their original chassis plates or those fitted with new bodywork. The FBHVC’s DVLA manager, Ian Edmunds, commented: “I have written before about ‘missing’ chassis numbers, which in practice means any situation where the original chassis number is no longer present in its original form. Most recently this has arisen with regard to replacement chassis plates but it can arise in many different circumstances.” Edmunds explains that in such a situation, the DVLA’s official position is that the original vehicle no longer exists and that the vehicle being presented for registration is ‘fresh’…

As part of its efforts to encourage the next generation of craftspeople into the classic vehicle industry, British Motor Heritage (BMH) has enrolled two new apprentices on to the coachwork course run by the Brooklands-based Heritage Skills Academy. With BMH’s in-house craftsmen being responsible for building replacement Mini and MGB panels and bodyshells, as well as crucial body sections for other much-loved classics, there’s an obvious need to plan for the future. The 42-month block release course majors on the traditional coachbuilding skills that are lacking in modern apprenticeship schemes but are still very much in demand by the UK’s classic vehicle industry. Heritage Skills Academy’s development director, Owain Johns, commented: “Our current crop of 150 apprentices includes representatives of many well-known classic car specialists. The companies involved are great…

With record hot weather, the summer holidays, heavy traffic and many people having to tighten their belts amidst a cost of living crisis, you may be forgiven for thinking that recent weeks have not been the most prosperous time for the classic car market. The UK auction’s auction houses have continued to put in some robust performances even during these testing times – but there are signs the market is evolving. While immaculate vehicles across all genres are still doing well, as are modern classics and low-mileage cars, there’s evidence of marked slowdown for anything less than perfect, or indeed, too thirsty. Historics’ major summer sale at Windsorview Lakes on July 16 showed particularly strong resilience against a challenging economic backdrop, with the garden party atmosphere playing host to 71…

T heGreat Classic Trade Up was always going to be an education. Win or lose, we expect to learn a lot about the highs and lows of the classic car market. And the latemodel Fiat 127 acquired by Lancaster Insurance proved to be a fascinating example of potentially the right car at the wrong time. There was no doubting its rarity and desirability. Most people on social media seemed to prefer the lovable Italian hatchback to the diminutive Honda Acty Romahome I’d acquired. Yet when it came to the crunch, the Fiat 127 struggled to find a home. In normal circumstances, one would just sit tight and wait patiently for the right buyer to come along; someone who appreciates the 127 for all its quirks and numerous qualities. This, however,…

ABritishsummer is a thing of joy. Freshly mown grass, chips by the beach, and those four days or so when you get the great yellow orb of the sun in the sky. It’s only natural that you want an open car to soak up the rays – but then you remember, you need four seats. And that rules out the little Triumph Spitfire of your dreams. But as our twin test elsewhere in this issue shows, you don’t need to abandon all hope of open motoring if you need room for four. As we cling to the last remnants of summer, we’ve picked out some of our favourite four-seater convertibles to appeal to those of all budgets and tastes. PEUGEOT 306 CABRIOLET Styled by Pininfarina, the Peugeot 306 Cabriolet is…

Joe Miller, Head of Video REPORTING ON: 1977 FORD CORTINA MK3 1.6 L Our Mk3 Cortina continues to be a reliable steed, hence its lack of appearance in Staff Classics, but one irritation in colder months was the lack of a heater – this, combined with the temperature gauge barely climbing lead me to suspect a failed thermostat. A new unit was just £6 from Euro Car Parts and Editor Jeff suggested that given its South-African origins, our car might have an SA-spec thermostat that opens at a lower temperature than a British model. I removed the old thermostat and two things jumped out; the first was the ‘82°’ stamped into the old unit, six degrees lower than the new one, confirming Jeff’s theory. The second was the brown water,…

By the time the 1970s rolled around, the MGB was beginning to feel a bit long in the tooth. And with a BL product rationalisation that favoured Triumph ensuring there was no plan for a successor, cost-effective measures were needed to update it. Some of these details, such as the reclining seats, added to the car’s appeal, while other, such as the recessed black grille, diluted the classic looks a little. It’s therefore no surprise that many enthusiasts have mixed and matched to create their ultimate MGB – as with this 1972 example, which has also been treated to a host of further upgrades. Due to the sheer number of them around, and the fantastic support community that exists for these cars, the MGB is easily one of Britain’s favourite…