Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i Classics World

You might be surprised to know that I do not own an old car. My day-to-day transport is a company-issued EV and very nice it is too: quiet, refined, cheap to run and packed with features I didn’t know I needed. Once you’ve lived with active cruise control or ventilated seats there’s no going back. My car history includes some interesting modern classic models I’ve touched on before in these pages – a crusty but fun Suzuki Cappuccino, a lovely BMW 318ti I regret selling and, latterly, a Lexus GS300 which I really regret selling. Parking issues and other real-world challenges have put paid to my aspirations of turbocharged Subaru or shabby ’70s sports car ownership at least for now, so I enjoy getting to drive other people’s interesting cars…

We were saddened to learn that the Vice-President of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, David Hurley, passed away on July 6 at the age of 82. David joined the FBHVC in 1991 as its commercial vehicle representative, and following the Federation’s incorporation in 1999, joined the board as Legislation Director. He retired from the role in 2013, aged 68, when he was presented with a painting of his 1951 Harrington-bodied AEC Regal III coach (pictured). He then took on the role of Vice-President for the Federation. Until September 2024, when ill-health forced him to stand down, David Hurley was chairman of the Working Omnibus Museum Project. A life member of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society (HCVS), he was also a member of the Albion Club. Condolences go to…

Peter Harris, whose glorious TR6, Stag, and Sprint appear in this feature, might be a relatively recent convert to the classic car cause, but it would be fair to say that he does have an impressive and very sporty back catalogue – and petrol in his veins! “My first car was an MG Midget,” Peter recalls fondly. “But, to be honest, this was when I was a student, so the Midget was a current vehicle, hence not regarded as a classic. It’s only in more recent times, around twenty years ago, that I found myself in a position to afford nice cars. Cars that have, for the most part, gone on to become regarded as modern classics. And, aside from my 1996 Mercedes SL500, which I still own, they were…

Produced: 1955-1962 Total: 101,746 Today we’re used to major manufacturers releasing ‘teasers’ of new prototypes in the guise of racers or support cars at major events, but back in the early ’50s the science of brand marketing had yet to be developed to such a fine art and when MG fielded a new Le Mans entry in 1951, nobody knew it was to form the basis of what would become the MGA. Driven by George Phillips, who had previously enjoyed success with his own rebodied TC, the car was known internally as EX172 and essentially consisted of a sleek new body shape penned by MG’s Syd Enever, sitting on the chassis of the old TD ‘Midget’. Replacing the TD’s upright prewar styling with this streamlined new shape gave it the…

Produced: 1965-1980 Total: 125,282 Though the MGA had been a hit, sales began to drop off as the new decade began. The A now had to contend with new in-house rivals such as the Austin-Healey Sprite and its subsequent Midget twin, while the Sunbeam Alpine and Triumph TR4A were also proving to be very stiff competition. MG again needed something new, and after four years of development, this duly arrived in 1962. The new MGB ended up being similar to the outgoing MGA in basic mechanical terms, but instead of having a separate chassis, the B’s svelte new body was a monocoque structure. Neatly styled by MG’s Don Hayter, with assistance from Pininfarina, this allowed MG to offer considerably more interior space within a smaller overall footprint, Elsewhere, stretching the…

2004 Audi TT ● WB & Sons, June 7 £7902 While higher-mileage examples with the more common 1.8-litre four-cylinder are a bit of a bargain at present, topspec 3.2 V6 models command a premium. Complete with DSG gearbox, this 46,000-mile 2004 Audi TT looked a lovely example and flew past its £4000–£5000 estimate with ease. 1991 Honda Civic ● WB & Sons, June 7 £6268 Great examples of older Honda Civic models are beloved by Japanese car enthusiasts across the world and values remain strong as a result. Boasting pleasingly few modifications and extremely tidy bodywork, this rare VTEC-engined example nearly doubled its lower estimate. 1997 Mercedes C200 ● WB & Sons, June 7 £5614 Suggesting that appreciation for the original C-Class is building, this 1997 C200 presented superbly in…

The fifth-generation W221 S-Class raised more than a few eyebrows at launch in 2006 with its oddly flared wheelarches and Maybach-like rump, but its angular styling is bang on trend today. And it’s a lot more dramatic than the bland W220 it replaced. It’s great value too: the least expensive six-cylinder cars can be had for as little as £3000 and if you buy wisely, shop around for parts and make good friends with an independent specialist, it shouldn’t be too ruinous to run and maintain either. For that low asking price you’ll be getting a classy luxury car that still feels rock solid and will impress with its magic-carpet ride, Rolls-Royce levels of refinement and a host of technically-advanced features. The engine line-up ranged from the S280 3.0-litre V6…

The modern history of Bentley is convoluted to say the least, with the BMW/VW dispute over naming rights leaving both parties scrambling to create a model range for the newly separated Bentley and Rolls-Royce brands. In the case of Bentley, new owner Volkswagen hastily re-engineered the formerly BMW-powered Arnage to take the old V8 engine, while behind the scenes an all-new car was in development. A tight timetable made this a potentially mammoth task, but usefully a development short-cut was on hand in the shape of what had previously been regarded as VW boss Ferdinand Piech’s greatest folly: the Volkswagen Phaeton. Looking for all the world like a mega-Passat, the anonymous Phaeton housed the pinnacle of Volkswagen Group technology of the early 2000s including a W12 engine, all-wheel drive and…

A few issues back, I talked about my visit to the 1982 Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC, a memory that was triggered by a Special Preview newspaper that I’d bought for 20p at the time and recently rediscovered in my mother’s loft. Well, I’ve been delving into this paper once again and there are two items in particular that have got me thinking about the pitfalls of trying to predict the future. The first item was called The Show Stoppers. The late lamented Classic Car Show at London’s Alexandra Palace used to have something similar as I recall, usually featuring cars such as a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel hearse decked out as Ecto-1 from the Ghostbusters film. So how did the new car offerings of 1982 compare in the show-stopping…

GOT A STORY TO SHARE? EMAIL IT TO CLASSICS.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK The Volvo XC60 has officially dethroned the iconic 240 as the Swedish company’s best-selling model of all time, with over 2.7 million units sold globally since its 2008 debut. For decades, the 240 defined Volvo’s reputation for safety and practicality. Produced from 1974 to 1993, it became a household staple for families worldwide, with 2,685,171 cars built - more than 240,000 of them sold in the UK. It was also an early adopter of safety innovations such as crumple zones, side-impact protection, and the world’s first child booster cushion. “Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car,” said Susanne Hägglund of Volvo Cars. “Today the XC60 has taken over that position.” The XC60’s success…

GOT A STORY TO SHARE? EMAIL IT TO CLASSICS.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK Returning once again to Tatton Park in Cheshire, Classic American Stars & Stripes Show powered by Hagerty proved a roaring success in bringing together the American car community. Welcoming over 2000 vehicles across the weekend of June 5-6, the eclectic mix of Americana included vintage cars dating from the 1910s right up to the latest Corvettes and Mustangs, with a generous helping of classic ‘60s muscle cars, vast Cadillacs and Lincolns and patinated pickup trucks all being joined by a selection of brightly airbrushed Peterbilt trucks. The Classic American editorial team handed out a variety of awards for standout vehicles, with a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS winnong Best Muscle Car, Best Hot Rod being awarded to a 1939 Ford Standard Coupe…

GOT A STORY TO SHARE? EMAIL IT TO CLASSICS.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK Early thunderstorms and lightning didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm as hundreds of MGF and TFs gathered to celebrate the car’s 30th birthday at the British Motor Museum on July 6. Cars poured into the Gaydon site from all over to mark the occasion – with guests travelling from as far afield as the Netherlands, France, the Scottish Highlands and Germany to bring together what could well have been the largest assembly of Fs and TFs ever. As well as an incredible selection of cars, including two original launch models and at least one example of every special edition F or TF made, there was a special display of 30 carefully selected cars from the MGF’s history. Trade stands and a craft village…

EMAIL: CLASSICS.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK I read almost monthly about how concerned so many journalists are about the questionable ruling surrounding MOTs for classic cars. They talk about safety issues and how they prefer to have their cars tested for peace of mind. Well surely that’s why the act allows you the option of a test – if you wish to do so then do so. I live in an area where there are no classic-friendly garages, and the MOT test was a nightmare of trying to reason with testers who weren’t born when my car was built. One wanted to fail the car because the braking system was designed in a way he believed to be unsafe. I couldn’t redesign the braking system without ripping the entire front end apart; I had…

'We’ve all been there: those supposedly quick jobs which quickly mushroom into an ever-growing pile of parts on the floor as a series of seemingly sensible “While I’m at it I may as well…” options present themselves. In most cases it’s just a minor inconvenience while you wait for parts you weren’t expecting to need, but in some cases it can see a quick tidy-up turn into a major long-term project as other jobs squeeze into the queue. And that’s exactly what happened to Josh Killick’s Capri 2.8i which went back on the road last year after a restoration which began some 13 years ago. He acquired the car very much as an unfinished project, but rather than gambling a bid at auction on one of those lots that looks…

You could say that Ian Viles has his father to thank for his obsession with Minis, which all began back in 1979. “I really wanted a motorbike but my dad didn’t approve and told me to get a car instead,” he smiles. “I ended up with an MoT-failure 1969 Mk2 Mini which arrived on a trailer with the sills hanging off.” Predictably, upon witnessing his son’s new purchase, Ian’s dad swiftly protested but the planned project would begin regardless. “With a lot of help from my old friend, Roger ‘Sid’ Sydenham, we carried out all the repairs and he went on to teach me how to drive in it too,” Ian recalls. “A few years later, I decided to restore the car again and with more help from Sid; we…

There’s an oft-repeated statistic that we Brits are the biggest buyers of open cars in Europe. Climate change notwithstanding, it’s either a triumph of optimism or an appreciation of the few dry weeks we do get every year but there’s no shortage of drop-top models on the market even today. It’s not a new phenomenon either, as a look at the price lists for the early 1950s will show you: two-seater sports roadsters were plentiful from the likes of MG and Triumph, while open four-seaters were also common. One of the most affordable of the open family cars was the Morris Minor, created simply and cheaply by removing the roof panel from a standard two-door saloon. Or rather, not adding it in the first place. Basic strengthening was added via…

PART 5 It happens. And if, like me, you’ve been messing about with the greasy side of old cars for nearly half a century, it’s probably happened dozens of times. But it’s still extremely frustrating. I’m talking, of course, about the curse of rusted-in bolts; those confounded things which can easily turn a simple two-hour job into an extremely frustrating weekend – or longer. But my latest example, which concerns the rear end of Project Volvo, might well be the worst yet! For ‘one or two bolts’ you need to substitute pretty much every single one that I tried to undo! I’ll come back to all that in a moment. First, and as promised last time, we’re going to look at renewing the front discs and pads. This is one…

The G-Wagen was originally developed as a military vehicle and popular rumour will tell you that it was at the suggestion of the Shah of Iran, although this is something Mercedes’ own history doesn’t mention. Instead, the official history begins in 1969 with discussions between DaimlerBenz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch about possible cooperation on off-road vehicles. It’s easy to forget that both marques were already well respected in the field: Puch for its Haflinger and Pinzgauer and Mercedes having produced the Unimog since 1948. The result of the discussions was an agreement in 1971 to produce a less extreme, less agricultural off-road vehicle which could also be used on the road, something which suggests the Germans had already realised the significance of the newly-launched Range Rover. The first mock-up was created in…

The automotive industry was going global in the 1990s. This put individual pressures on companies like Chrysler, a domestic manufacturer only just recovering a place not too far below Ford and GM, and companies like Mercedes trying to cater for every market with a rather narrow product range. After a turbulent series of financial manoeuvres, DaimlerChrysler was formed, with the reported aim to create the kinds of synergies necessary to tackle this new industry age. But it was ultimately a case of one step forward and two steps back, with executives’ careers and some marques’ reputation (Mercedes) injured in the process. Still, as ill-fated as the merger/acquisition was, it did facilitate some important cars – two of which were the SLK and Crossfire. Mercedes’ all-new model was already in the…

The Lakeland Motor Museum provided the starting-off point for a long-distance Coast to Coast driving route for owners and members of Club Triumph last month. Beautiful conditions accompanied 39 Triumphs as they set out from the museum on an endurance drive of over 450 miles from Cumbria to the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk. With over 30,000 exhibits including the attraction’s own collection of Triumphs, the museum provided a fitting start point. Cars in the collection include a ’73 Series 4 Spitfire and a highly original, unrestored TR5, with a Surrey Hardtop. The venue on-site Café Ambio had also prepared a special menu to enable swift service before the drivers got underway on their epic journey. Taking up to 12 hours to complete, the route travelled through some of the…

An 'irreplaceable' 100-yearold Rolls-Royce stolen from a hotel car park in June has been found following a three-day investigation by Essex Police. The 1920 Rolls-Royce 40/50 ‘Silver Ghost’ Open Tourer, valued at over £300,000, was found by the force’s Thurrock Neighbourhood Policing Team on June 29. The car, owned by Bryan Fitton, was stolen together with a six-wheeled trailer from Orsett Hall Hotel near Tilbury Docks during the early hours of June 26. Responding to a tip-off, the Thurrock NPT headed to a yard in the Tilbury area, armed with a warrant, and found the vehicle inside an outbuilding, still intact and sitting on top of the stolen trailer. Mr Fitton described the support received from the public as “unbelievable.” He has regularly driven the car around Europe over the…

My earliest memory is of travelling to North Wales for a holiday, riding with my brother on the back seat of my father’s first company car, a very much ‘hand me down’ Austin A40 Devon, the sunroof of which leaked, so we had waterproof capes to protect us during a very wet journey. The Austin was replaced in 1956 (when I was aged two) with a new 803cc four-door Morris Minor in Empire Green, which handled far better than the Austin. The Minor was not without problems, requiring a Gold Seal engine at 20,000 miles and needing a new gearbox and differential when it was part-exchanged at 40,000 miles in 1960 for a new Clarendon Grey Minor 1000 four-door, which gave excellent service until my father changed jobs in 1962.…

Produced: 1995-2010 Total: 117,149 We’ve often commented on the inventiveness of the British motor industry when budgets were tight and new models were needed: the Discovery was a rebodied classic Range Rover, Jaguar made the XJ40 last until 2001 and even Rolls-Royce carried the guts of the Silver Shadow through to the very last Spirit-based cars. The MGF is no exception: born from a need to revitalise the MG brand and developed without the lavish budget enjoyed by its competitors, the car not only employed some innovative engineering thinking but lasted from its introduction in 1995 to 2010, surviving three changes of company ownership. A new MG sports car had been on the cards for years but budget constraints had seen the idea relegated to the back burner. As with…

To say the XJ-S enjoyed a long life is no exaggeration: launched in 1975, it eventually bowed out 21 years later but even then elements of its structure lingered on under the Aston Martin DB7, with a few elements even making it into the first-generation XK8. In that time though the car changed more dramatically than many realise, evolving from a thirsty V12 coupe to an elegant six-cylinder convertible. Indeed, the very early cars and the last-of-the-line models may look similar at a glance but close inspection reveals a surprisingly small number of components which are directly shared between a 1975 and 1996 example. The Jaguar XJ-S was unveiled at the Frankfurt show in September 1975 with a decidedly slim range on offer: a fuel-injected 5.3-litre V12 was the sole…

Have you ever stopped to consider where your street name came from? Yes, if you live in High Street or Mill Lane it’s selfexplanatory, but developments all over the country are named after everyone from literary figures to local councillors without the residents ever appreciating the significance. And so it is in the Coventry suburb of Allesley, where only car people will probably realise why Taylor Wimpey called its housing development Swallow’s Nest. The development is entered via Lyons Drive, off which you’ll find Heynes Walk, Walmsley Close and Hornets Close, with the neighbouring business park – Lyons Park – accessed via Sayer Drive. As Jaguar historians will know, each one of these names represents a significant name from the company’s history, Williams Lyons having partnered with Andrew Walmsley to…

While the 1980s is often cited as the golden era for hot hatchbacks – think Peugeot 205 GTi and Mk2 Golf GTI, for example – the genre hit its stride in the 1990s and 2000s. More or less every manufacturer of small cars made sure to include a sporty version in its lineup, often positioned to provide younger, more insurance-sensitive drivers a chance to own an exciting car. Often, a light-touch approach was all that was needed to breathe life into an already excellent car; in other cases, more comprehensive development saw motorsport engineers and racing drivers get involved to create something truly special. As 1980s hot hatches continue to disappear out of reach for most enthusiasts, these modern and future classics are sure to follow. Now’s the time to…

DSG OIL & FILTER CHANGE The official oil and filter change for VW’s DSG box is given as every 40,000 miles so the 25,000 miles covered since ours was last done in 2020 is well within guidance but it’s also recommended to be done every four years. The procedure went to plan, working on a two-post ramp, which made the job a lot easier. An observation on our vehicle was that our gearbox sump pan is rusting at the leading edge and eventually they can leak – or the gasket will start to weep. We decided to apply a rust prevention spray over it for now. I say that because once our technican, Lee, heard the Caravelle enter the garage, he immediately diagnosed a rattling Dual Mass Flywheel, which is…

Rover 100 (1994–1998) The launch of the new Rover Metro in 1990 was desperately overdue, given how much the original Metro – with its outdated A-Series engine and four-speed-only gearbox – had aged during its first 10 years on sale. The Rover Metro introduced K-series engines, five-speed transmissions, drastically updated Hydragas suspension (interconnected front to rear) and a much fresher look, enabling it to compete against a new generation of supermini rivals. The final chapter of the story, however, began in December 1994, when the Metro name was laid to rest with the renaming of the car as the Rover 100, in line with European models. At the same time, it gained a front-end facelift with reshaped headlights and an interpretation of the corporate Rover grille, albeit sitting a little…