Innehållsförteckning för January 2021 från Classic Car Mart

Welcome… “NOW WE’RE METROING” We all love to dream about E-Types and DB5s, but it’s a fair bet that most readers will have anecdotes surrounding the humble Metro… a car which has now been with us for almost exactly 40 years; it was officially launched on October 8, 1980 although running prototypes were a common sight on UK roads long before then. Indeed, on my desk I have a copy of Autocar from the launch week, in which a group of intrepid staffers had just returned from relaying a pre-production example 5000 miles around Europe… in just five days. Given that it was the 1-litre model, I reckon they earned their pay that month. It’s interesting to read the goodwill for the eagerly-anticipated new car, with the journalists being almost…

THE END FOR THE 3 WHEELER Production of the current Morgan 3 Wheeler is set to end next year after a 10-year run, as type approval for its V-twin engine expires. To mark its departure, the Malvern firm is building 33 special ‘P101 Edition’ cars – named in refence to the Project 101 internal code given to the revived 3 Wheeler when it was launched in 2011. Morgan’s beginnings are rooted in three-wheelers, right from the very first car designed by H.F.S. Morgan in 1908. The format soon took off and enjoyed considerable motorsport success, with development keeping quick pace through the 1910s and 1920s. The V-twin cars were replaced by four-cylinder F-Series three-wheelers in 1932, then the format was abandoned altogether in 1952. The P101 Edition makes a real…

Classic Crossword 180 Clues Across 1 Celebrated Bentley R-Type variant (11) 8 Bugatti’s Type 41 models (7) 9 The Henry who forged a famous partnership with Charles Rolls (5) 10 The Singer Chamois was a spin-off of these Hillmans (4) 11 Matra-Simca car from the 1970s (8) 14 Intermeccanica V8 car (6) 15 A Fiat from the 1930s also known as the 518 (6) 18 Classic Dodge commercial vehicle that started life as a Commer (8) 20 Lancia’s first new model after Fiat’s takeover (4) 22 The Malcolm behind the Jaguar E-type (5) 23 Makers of the Kitten (7) 24 The Vauxhall Carlton’s European cousins (4,7) Clues Down 2 This Opel survived until 1970 (7) 3 _ and slide, sunroof operation (4) 4 & 7 down Boxy Japanese MPVS launched…

LONDON SHOW MOVES OUTDOORS The London Classic Car Show will be on the move again for spring 2021, with uncertainties surrounding the immediate future of large indoor gatherings prompting a move from Olympia to the more viable outdoor setting of Syon Park in West London. And in search of more favourable weather, the event will move from its regular February slot to the weekend of April 16-18. The new Covid-compliant venue is located on the banks of the River Thames, opposite Kew Gardens. Its open green spaces are set to provide a backdrop for more than 500 classic cars and accompanying attractions. The major display areas will be under temporary covers with open sides to ensure social distancing as well as a healthy flow of spring air. Show Director Mark…

AUCTION NEWS ACA, ONLINE, NOVEMBER ⅞ Quite a few eyebrows might have been raised at this November’s ACA auction thanks to a number of cars taking big money. Some of the top performers are pictured here, but in fact it seems that the strength of bidding ran through the whole event, with well over 90% of the 226 cars on offer finding buyers. There was a great range of Fords, first of all. Six Mk3 Capris, with a couple of project cars in there tempting bidders at the lower end, while fine examples of a 1962 Consul two-door and Cortina 1600E sold for £7560 and £8640 respectively. Those with the power and badges sold strongest though; see the RS1600i pictured, or even take a 2005 Fiesta ST which sold for…

MARKET TRENDS AIR-COOLED VWS Words: Paul Wager One of those brands which has developed an entire scene all of its own, the air-cooled VW market is a strange place. Owners of these cars are fiercely enthusiastic but that hasn’t translated into massive investment potential for the most part. Values of regular Beetles for example have risen only gradually for the past couple of decades, meaning they’ve remained affordable for the genuine enthusiast – much like the Morris Minor in fact. There are exceptions though, notably the Transporter/Bus/Bulli/Camper or whatever you choose to call it which have spiralled in value alongside their popularity as surf wagons and lifestyle statements. Similarly, very original early Beetles or custom show cars imported from the USA will command strong money, while the Karmann Ghia has…

ROUND UP: BUY, IMPROVE, RESTORE FIVE AFFORDABLE FIXER-UPPERS Five very British classics you can buy for £5000, drive, restore and then make even better as time and funds allow. WORDS: IAN CUSHWAY Heard the phrase ‘rolling restoration’? Well, to be honest, it pretty much sums up the majority of classics most of us love and drive on a regular basis. Just to be clear, these are the cars that are perfectly safe and usable but still have a list of outstanding jobs needing a tick to bring them up to scratch. Once the last bit of restoration or mechanical repair has finally been completed, you’ll have the opportunity to put the icing on the cake in the way of upgrades, accessories and modifications. Of course, instead of replacing like for…

STAFF CARS STAFF CLASSICS The departure last month of our 2020 project cars means it’s all change on the staff classics front and while the editorial team set about bidding and bartering to acquire the next selection of cars, it’s a chance to turn the spotlight on to some of the other modern classics in the company car park and staffers’ home garages. Honda S2000 Paul Wager My last report was on our Honda CRX, the 2020 prize giveaway car which is now parked up awaiting its turn in the sun when car events hopefully get going again in 2021. What I didn’t expect was to be writing about another Honda in the staff classics section and I expected even less for my wife to be the one responsible. But…

PLUGS&LEADS THE £7.2bn OLD CAR BUSINESS The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) used the recent virtual NEC Classic Motor Show as an opportunity to announce some of the standout results from its 2020 National Historic Vehicle Survey – and they make for very encouraging reading. Not only is the number of historic vehicles on the rise, but there’s also a big increase in the sector’s worth to the UK economy. The Federation has been compiling its reports every five years since 2006, but with the impact the pandemic is likely to have had on the sector’s habits in 2020 taken into consideration, the latest Historic Vehicle Survey was brought forward by a year and based on 2019 instead. In this context a historic vehicle is defined as being…

BRIGHTON GETS GREEN LIGHT FOR 2021 A full programme of motoring events will take place on Brighton’s historic Madeira Drive despite a councillor describing rallies such as the London to Brighton Mini Run as “ridiculous”. Green councillor Sue Shanks was speaking during an online meeting for Brighton and Hove City Council’s Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture Committee on November 19, which debated the future of motoring events on Brighton’s seafront. The closure of Madeira Drive during the first national coronavirus lockdown and its subsequent reconfiguration as a one-way street, with half given over to a wider dedicated cycle lane, had led to concerns that such events would not survive. Councillor Shanks said that the Veteran Car Run, due to run for the 125th time in 2021, was a lovely event.…

CLASSIC ROAD TEST: MINI CLUBMAN JOIN THE CLUB The 1969 facelift proved controversial amongst Mini fans, even more so with an automatic gearbox. Words: Joe Miller Photography: Simon Goldsworthy Classic car confession time: I’ve never driven a classic Mini. It seems odd for someone who works almost exclusively with old cars and who loves small cars on principle, but I’ve never had the opportunity to sample a Mini. Even calling it a “classic Mini” is unusual for many of you, I’m sure – being born in 1998, I’d only just about started school by the time the final Rover Minis were being built. For anyone older than about 30, a classic Mini (referred to from here on as a Mini) was a common first car, but by the time I…

BUYING GUIDE: S1 & S2 BENTLEY S-EXPRESS The engineering, style and character of a classic Bentley are ever enduring and make it an excellent classic buy. Here’s how to be pragmatic about it. Words: Aaron McKay For many, the Bentley S-Type launched in 1955 and its Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud cousin are cars at the end of an era. Last of the body-on-frame construction, they were the last of a design approach that allowed features like an uncompromisingly large and upright grille. The earlier cars retain the singular headlights with swept-back cowling through the inner wing, unlike the headlights on later cars that would identify Silver Shadows more than anything else. So there is a charm for the early cars, and for some even more discerning people there’s an extra charm…

ENDANGERED SPECIES: FORD ESCORT Mk5 TOP SHELF The RS2000 and XR3i served to really liven up the much-criticised Mk5 Escort range, but you’ll have your work cut out finding one today. Words: Jeff Ruggles Despite being a brand-new design for a new decade, Ford’s Mk5 Escort received a disastrous reception when launched in 1990. It was famously beaten by far older competition in its very first group road tests, with the carry-over CVH engines, loss of independent rear suspension, unremarkable looks and a mediocre driving experience all used as a stick to beat it with by the contemporary press. And yet it didn’t seem to matter to the buying public. The Escort may have lost top spot in the 1990 and 1991 sales charts to the Mk3 Fiesta, but was…

RETRO RIVALS: AUDI TT v GOLF 4MOTION CRAZY GOLFS The Audi TT offered a sportier play on the ubiquitous but sensible Mk4 Golf, but when the family hatch gains 4WD and 200bhp, is the conclusion still obvious? Words: Joe Miller By 1997’s Mk4, the Golf was a truly premium product, incorporating interior trimmings from the larger Passat and premium Audis. Chrome door pulls, heated leather seats in higher trim levels and blue-backlit gauges with silver bezels gave the Golf a true luxury atmosphere that made the contemporary Astra and Focus look like student bedsits. Refinement was unrivalled and the modernised styling clothed sharp if safe handling. Impressively competent though the Golf was, it was hardly an exciting steer and with the GTI hampered by weight gains and lowly power figures,…

CLASSIC CAR CALENDARS Looking for a stocking filler for a petrolhead this Christmas? The Kelsey Media online store features a whole host of great subscription offers, books and other gifts, including a selection of motoring calendars. Being A3 the calendars won’t actually fit in a stocking, but will look the part in the home, office, garage or any other indoor space of choice. There are several calendar designs to choose from, including four featuring stunning imagery compiled by our sister magazines, Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver, Classic Ford, Classic Jaguar and VW Camper & Bus. You’ll also find options for steam engines, tractors, buses and commercial vehicles, with every month featuring a new fascinating print, plus room to add daily notes. All calendars are priced at just £8.99 each, including packing…

LUCRATIVE RESTORATION PROJECTS REVEALED The classic cars most financially viable to restore have been outlined in a new Hagerty UK report. Using its Price Guide, which covers over 200 models, the insurer investigated the difference between ‘fair’ (Condition 4) and ‘concours’ (Condition 1) values for each. With £13.12m difference, the Ferrari 250 GTO came out top, followed by the AC Cobra Daytona Coupe (£8.364m) and the McLaren F1 (£5.74m). By contrast, the newly added Ford Focus 1.6i Zetec showed a difference of just £1400, followed by the four-door Austin Allegro 1750 (£2150) and the Vauxhall Magnum 1800 (£2200). In terms of a percentage difference between ‘fair’ and ‘concours’, the Series 1 Land Rover Discovery was biggest, with a variance of £13,400 equating to 91 per cent of its ‘concours’ value.…

HERITAGE COLLECTION HEADS NORTH Vauxhall’s 60-car Heritage Collection is to move north as the manufacturer’s Griffin House headquarters in Luton edges closer to sale. There are plans to develop a new public-facing permanent Heritage Centre in future, but in the meantime the collection will be temporarily rehomed at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire. A converted 8000 square metre building has been set aside at the plant for the collection, which represents every decade of Vauxhall’s 117-year history. Once relocation has taken place, the vehicles will be maintained on site by local specialist Manor Park Classics. However, around a third of the collection will still have visibility outside of Ellesmere Port. Currently, 13 Vauxhalls are on display at Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton as part of the ‘Vauxhall – Made…

MORRIS LESLIE, ONLINE, NOVEMBER 21 Morris Leslie’s November 21 sale saw a first for the Perth auctioneer, with the entries started up and driven though the hall rather than remaining static. The big crowds present at sales had previously prevented this, but with only staff and a film crew onsite due to the pandemic, the cars could be seen in action via a live online stream. Bidding also took place online, but was supplemented by commission bids and healthy telephone activity. Once again, a striking mix of eccentricities were combined with more mainstream classics and a selection of once ubiquitous but now rare models. For the latter, we only had to look to a couple of Blue Ovals – a low mileage early Mk3 Escort 1.3 GL looked a real…

TRIPLE TEST: MG Maestro v VW Golf GTI v Ford Escort XR3i 24 Classic Car Mart January 2021 HATCHING A PLAN The ’80s was the era of the hot hatchback, some warmer than others. We pit the original GTI against its major rival… and an unexpected wildcard. WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL WAGER, JOE MILLER We may have first seen the GTI badge in the mid 1970s, but it’s generally associated with the decade of Tony Hadley and Simon Le Bon, and specifically with either the VW Golf or the Peugeot 205. Ironically, the go-faster Golf very nearly didn’t make it to production reality but its success ensured that it would continue into the 21st century, currently in its eighth generation. It also ensured that every major European marque had its…

DATABASE: METRO 1980-1997 DATABASE: METRO 1980-1997 As the Metro celebrates its 40th birthday, we consider the history of the new Mini-that-wasn’t. Words: Paul Wager It’s impossible to discuss the Metro without at least mentioning the Mini and indeed the car was at one point referred to internally by BL as the ‘Mighty Mini’. History hasn’t been kind to the Metro: it got off to a bad start, was sent back to the drawing board at least once and despite being hampered by Mini-derived running gear clung on bravely in the face of much more modern opposition, before being transformed into the Rover Metro late in life for a brief shining moment in the sun. Alas, it wasn’t to last when poor crash test results killed it off in the late ’90s…

BUYING GUIDE: VAUXHALL CALIBRA CAVALIER WITH ATTITUDE Thanks to sharp looks and affordable prices, we say now’s the time to bag this forgotten ’90s icon. Words: Chris Randall For those wanting to inject some style into their everyday motoring, the 1990s provided rich pickings when it came to coupes. From the mainstream to the premium, there was all manner of tempting choices and one of the most popular was the Vauxhall Calibra, a model that made its debut at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show. Designed by GM’s Erhard Schnell, to dismiss it as little more than a Cavalier in a sharp suit would be to do this car a disservice – it was a striking departure for the maker of sensible cars for families and company reps. And it was…

LIVING WITH THE BMW 330Ci CLASS COUPE The ultimate modern classic driving machine? Words: Paul Wager Photography: Paul Wager, John Colley Another one of those cars which is still to be seen in daily use, BMW’s fourth-generation 3-Series is older than you might realise: brace yourself for a moment of feeling your age, but they first appeared in 1998. Yup, that’s 22 years ago. First launched in regular four-door saloon flavour in 1998, the E46 was essentially an extensive update of the previous E36 generation, which had represented such a massive leap over the older E30 cars that it was still a fresh-looking and very modern car even as the new millennium loomed. The E36 had been the first 3-Series to offer a proper coupe option and it had proved…

TAILGATE ON THE SPANNERS Sam Skelton considers the myth of the ‘last DIY-friendly’ car. There’s a trope in the world of automotive journalism, one which every reader of this column will recognise to some degree or other. And it’s a simple one; the most recent era of classic car is the “last DIY-friendly” example of its kind. It’s nothing but lazy drivel, and it risks putting generations of enthusiasts off more modern classics in the belief that they’re no more cost effective or pleasurable to look after than a modern Hyundai or Dacia. I’m here to tell you, it’s utter twaddle. And here’s why. Cast your minds back maybe 20 years ago, to the sort of buying guides you’d see in learned titles for something like, say, the Series 3…