Innehållsförteckning för June 2021 från Classic Car Mart

Welcome… EVERYDAY HEROES I’ve mentioned before on this page how the perceived glamour of a job in car magazines doesn’t always match up to the reality of the hours spent staring into a screen, but every so often you leave the house with an added spring in your step when you know you’re off for a photo feature on an interesting classic. And so it was just last week, when I set out on the road with more anticipation than usual. The car in question? Not a D-Type, Testarossa or anything half as exotic, but the humble Morris you see at the top of this page. We’d had the idea some time ago of marking the Marina’s half-century with a road test feature but as we quickly discovered, the cars…

PAGODA SETS NEW UK RECORD A Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda has set what is believed to be a new UK auction record for the model at Historics’ Ascot Racecourse sale on April 17, selling for a whopping £184,800 – 65 per cent above the middle of its £95,000-£120,000 estimate. A rare right-hand-drive, UK-supplied car showing a mere 45,700 miles, the SL was subject to a two-year ground-up restoration by marque specialists Red Castle Classics near Cardiff. It has been finished in the classic colour scheme of silver with red leather interior, and was also supplied with a matching factory hardtop, the desirable third seat option and a Becker Mexico radio from 1971. The sale price is not far short of the €230,000 (currently equivalent to £198,268) achieved by two separate 280SLs…

WRC-WINNING SUBARU UP FOR GRABS The catalogue is growing rapidly for Silverstone Auctions’ next sale on May 22, with one of the headliners set to be an S10 Subaru Impreza WRC driven to victory by Petter Solberg at the 2004 Rally Japan. Fully restored by Prodrive Legends, ‘PRO-WRC 04008’ was the eighth chassis to be built by Prodrive for the 2004 season and was initially used by Solberg to claim third place at Rally Turkey that June. The victory in Japan came in September, and was Subaru’s 42nd WRC win. Acquired privately in 2019, it was restored by some of the Prodrive technicians who had worked on the car in period. Pleasingly, the Legends department had retained all of the original documentation meaning they were able recreate the car as…

EVERYDAY HEROES TO BE CELEBRATED This year’s Silverstone Classic promises a bumper weekend of automotive legends from both road and track as the event celebrates its belated 30th birthday. However, the variety will also extend to a special display starring 50 of the UK’s most seldom-spotted cars – though they are perhaps not the cars you’d expect of a historic racing festival. Rather than rare prototypes or exotic racers, it will showcase more familiar mainstream motors from bygone eras that are seldom seen on our roads today. That means you can expect to see cars like a base model Austin Metro, a Fiat 128 and a Renault 4, as well as other once-familiar brands such as Bedford, Colt, Datsun, Hillman, Riley, Simca and Talbot. Many have been featured in the…

REVIEW: BRIGHTWELLS, TIMED ONLINE, APRIL 1 The Brightwells sales have been notable for their variety recently and the latest timed online auction was no exception: as well as traditional classics from the ’50s and ’60s, we saw curiosities like the Micra-based Jaguar Mk2-inspired Mitsuoka Viewt and a rare example of Cadillac’s first serious stab at the European market, the Seville STS. As we discuss in our news pages, sought-after modern classics are hot property, illustrated by a Toyota Supra selling for over £28,000 with fees, but there was plenty for all budgets: a very usable Morris Minor cost its new owner just over £4000 and promises to be a secure investment, while a similar budget secured a presentable MG Maestro. Star of the sale in the CCM office though was…

TWIN TEST: CORTINA v CAVALIER PECKING ORDER Cars like this used to be a common sight. Four decades on, we revisit what made these cars what they are, and what the top-of-the-range Ghia and GLS are like to drive today WORDS: AARON MCKAY PHOTOS: GREGORY OWAIN Daily life had just restarted across the country as shops, barbers and pubs re-opened in April. Town streets and country roads felt like they’d gone back to normal, or at least the new normal. You don’t realise quite how comforting those symbols of normality are until they’re gone, how much pavements can need people and, for that matter, how much people can need haircuts. Here at CCM we’ve enjoyed the quiet roads at times, their being almost as open as they were years ago,…

NEW BOOKAZINE SERIES! BRITISH ICONS CELEBRATING THE BEST OF BRITISH CARS Inside each issue we reflect on the golden age of motoring, BRITISH ICONS provides insight to some of the UK’s most iconic classic cars: from the likes of the Range Rover (itself celebrating 50 years in 2020), the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, the Jaguar E-type and MGA, BRITISH ICONS will profile the very best of classic motoring. SUBSCRIBE TO THE SERIES 1 YEAR JUST £28.77 SINGLE ISSUE JUST £8.99 SAVE 20% SHOP TODAY: visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/BIC or call: 01959 543 747 and quote BIC LINES OPEN MONDAY – FRIDAY 8.30AM – 5.30PM. CALLS ARE CHARGED AT YOUR STANDARD NETWORK RATE Full terms and conditions can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. Offer applies to UK subscribers only when paying by direct debit.…

MARKET TRENDS RETRO CARS COUPE-CABRIOLETS Hold on to your toupee – each one of these cars is much more than a coupe. Words: Joe Miller One of the biggest fads of the early 2000s was the coupé-cabriolet which, rather than following the more traditional trend of making a ragtop version of a mainstream hatchback involved the world’s car manufacturers transforming them into standalone models. Following the success of the 206CC, it was Peugeot that was first to market with a mid-size four-seater. But how do the 307CC and its rivals measure up in terms of their classic potential? PEUGEOT 307 CC Launched in 2002, the 307 CC was based on the 307 hatch, which won the 2001 European Car of the Year Award. Under the skin it was all basic…

BUYING GUIDE: AUDI TT BOLD CONCEPT A ground-up specifically-designed coupe with performance at its heart and a cheap price tag. Here’s what you need to know before buying one. Words: Matt Bell Cars don’t hit the market in concept form. It just doesn’t happen. Complications with mass-producing certain parts, keeping costs down to a minimum and making changes following feedback are all reasons why cars drastically change from concept form to production car. But the Audi TT bucked the trend. The changes from concept to production were so minimal that the car became memorable and was an instant hit. First on sale in 1999, the Mk1 Audi TT has quickly risen to modern classic status. It featured a body that was instantly recognisable (think Beetle and 911) with capable performance…

PLUGS&LEADS CHECK OUT LOADS MORE NEWS AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK HYUNDAI UNVEILS RESTOMOD PONY We’ve seen plenty of manufacturers reimagining iconic models from their back catalogue as restomods in recent years, but we suspect a modernised Hyundai Pony will still be a surprise for many. Nevertheless, the Korean manufacturer has come up with a sleek one-off concept based on its humble 1970s hatchback. The original Pony was something of a landmark car for Korea and Hyundai, making its debut in 1975 and becoming the country’s first mass-produced and exported car. The concept version has been called the Heritage-Series Pony and keeps the original Giugiarodesigned silhouette, but features a host of mod cons to complement its sleek matt silver exterior. These include camera-based mirrors, digital-touch transmission and the same pixelated U-shaped headlights and tail-lights…

HOMOLOGATION HEROES SCALE NEW HEIGHTS Values for homologation specials from the 1980s and ’90s are up significantly since the beginning of lockdown last year, according to the latest update to UK Hagerty Price Guide. Reportedly, homologation specials are in great demand amongst a 45-65-year-old audience, and this has translated into rising prices. The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is one such rising star, adding an average of £20,200 to its value over the year, with both Bonhams and Silverstone Auctions recently valuing examples for £75,000. Meanwhile, the Audi Quattro Sport – that’s the shortened Group B homologation special one – had a value of £265,000 a year ago. Today, that’s £284,000 and the very top, concours examples are valued at up to a whopping £404,000. Another riser is the iconic Lancia…

Classic Crossword 185 Clues Across 7 A 1960s GT from Bond (6) 8 Any oil-burner (6) 10 Which Bentleys turned into Continentals in 1984? (9) 11 Rover 200 hot hatch named after an historic British motorsports team (3) 12 2.5 litre Rileys brought out in 1946 (4) 14 Rolls-Royce notably used this premium vinyl roof type (8) 16 Successors to the original Volkswagen Scirocco (8) 17 A pre-war Wolseley with a sting! (4) 20 A badge-engineered Mini from Riley (3) 21 Mr de Tomaso (9) 23 Gordini’s speciality (6) 24 It was the foreign market name for the Mitsubishi Shogun (6) Clues Down 1 Honda’s N360 was an example of this Japanese vehicle class (3,3) 2 _ walnut, desirable wood trim (4) 3 Homeland of former sports car maker Pegaso…

COVENTRY FESTIVAL RETURNS AS MONTH-LONG PROGRAMME After its pandemic-related absence last year, MotoFest Coventry is to return this summer with new dates and a new format. The free-to-attend motoring festival will switch from its traditional slot on the first weekend in June to a new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ programme, stretched out across four individual weekends from July 17-18 to August 7-8. Each of the four weekends will be themed, with the initial launch weekend based around innovation and technology, but also featuring a tribute to The Italian Job film to launch the festivities (the famous sewer scenes were filmed in the city). Next up on July 24-25 is ‘Bike Weekend’, with the subsequent ‘Motorsport and Performance Weekend’ on July 31-August 1 featuring a mixture of dynamic and static motorsport displays…

ROUND UP: HOT HATCH PIONEERS WARMING UP The hot hatch became a star in the 1980s, but much of the groundwork had already been done. Here, we look back to some of the notable pioneers. WORDS: JEFF RUGGLES With sports car performance mixed with family car practicality and an affordable price tag, it’s little surprise that the hot hatch formula has been such a success in Europe. But though it feels like we’ve been enjoying these pocket rockets for several generations, it wasn’t until the early-to-mid 1980s that the hot hatch term entered the mainstream. Before that, the genre went through a long and fascinating period of finding its feet, often concealed from British buyers. For the true hot hatch pioneers, we have to press rewind for a decade or…

THE MARKETPLACE THE CARS THE BEGINNING DATABASE TRIUMPH TR (1955-1976) Triumph’s TR range may have been born in the 1950s but proved popular right into the 1970s despite increasingly modern competition. Words: Paul Wager The last of the traditional TR models was built in 1976 when the final TR6 left the Canley production line, but it represented the last of a family which could trace its ancestry back to the early ’50s. In true British motor industry form, Triumph had managed to take the basic design introduced with the TR2 in 1953 and stretch its lifespan to an impressive 23 years. Along the way it gained wind-up windows, independent rear suspension, a couple of extra cylinders and fuel injection and still managed to remain competitive in the face of much…

ENDANGERED SPECIES: TOYOTA MR2 Mk2 ME TWO Toyota's second-generation MR2 was touted as an affordable alternative to a mid-engined Ferrari but it's now becoming as rare as Maranello’s finest. Words: Joe Miller Japan’s first ever mid-engined sports car, the Mk1 Toyota MR2 – codenamed ‘AW11’ – was quite the success, evoking other small midship sports cars like the Fiat X1/9 and Lancia Monte Carlo, but offering Japanese reliability and relative practicality. The unremarkable 1.6-litre engine detracted little from the driving experience, which thanks to the mid-engined layout was superb, with sharp turn-in and remarkable balance on the limit. Indeed, the AW11 went onto win numerous Best Sports Car and Best Driver’s Car awards from press across Europe and America. It may have been expensive compared to European equivalents and the…

UK DIRECT DEBIT SUBSCRIPTION OFFER! TRY A SUBSCRIPTION TODAY PAY JUST £12.00 FOR 6 ISSUES* VISIT: shop.kelsey.co.uk/CME21H Or call 01959 543 747 and QUOTE CME21H Hotline open: Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate * Full terms and conditions can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. Offer applies to UK subscribers only when paying by direct debit. Your subscription will start with the next available issue with your first 6 issues charged at just £12.00. Payments will continue to be taken at the low rate of £19.99 every 6 months thereafter. You can cancel your subscription at any time and no further payments will be taken. Overseas and other offers available at shop.kelsey.co.uk/CME…

RETRO RIVALS: BEETLE v MINI HERITAGE SKILLS We consider two very different ways to revive a legend. Words: Paul Wager Few car makers today are shy of raiding their heritage, whether it’s production models apeing significant ancestors – think Fiat 500 for one – or endless ‘continuation’ reborn classics raiding the pockets of super-wealthy collectors (yes Jaguar, we’re talking to you). The general lack of individuality forced on car makers by a gradual drive towards a skateboard-chassis EV-powered future means past glories are more important than ever and even Hyundai has jumped on the restomod bandwagon this month. Back in the ’90s though, things were very different and although retro was popular, it was a brave move to resurrect a model name with a classic following – especially when it…

FOTU ENTRIES INVITED The Festival of the Unexceptional returns this summer to showcase the once-ubiquitous and frequently maligned ‘ordinary’ classics that have become rare sights, with entries now invited for a coveted space on the concours lawn at the event’s new venue of Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. Once again, Hagerty’s annual Concours de l’Ordinaire will celebrate mundane motoring with a tongue-in-cheek take on the familiar concours format. It’s open to classic cars, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles built between 1966 and 1996, but spaces are limited, so owners of eligible vehicles should nominate their entry at the earliest opportunity. In the spirit of the event’s ‘unexceptional’ theme, spaces will be awarded to the less celebrated models, so a Merit will be selected in preference to an SRi for example, or…

1930s RARITY HEADS TO AUCTION One of the rarest British sports cars of the 1930s is heading to auction, with H&H Classics putting this Brough Superior 4.2-Litre Dual Purpose Drophead Coupe under the hammer at its Duxford sale on May 26. George Brough made his name by creating high-end motorcycles and took the same approach to his cars, basing them on the Hudson Terraplane chassis that was also favoured by Railton. However, having been threatened with legal action by Railton’s founder Noel Macklin, Hudson was soon forced to stop supplying the eightcylinder chassis to Brough, leaving George with a six-cylinder range only. When production ceased in 1939, an estimated 25 eight-cylinder and 50 six-cylinder Brough Superiors had been made. Powered by a 4.2-litre Hudson eight-cylinder side-valve, this 1935 example is…

AUCTION NEWS REVIEW: SWVA, ONLINE, MARCH 26 Good things comes to those who wait, and that certainly seemed to be the case for South Western Vehicle Auctions when it came to its maiden classic car auction of the year. Having delayed its January sale and brought forward its April date to create a special spring sale on March 26, the Poole auction house was rewarded with a resounding 98 per sale rate that saw just two entries fail to find new homes. There were some very strong sales too, led by a 1980 Aston Martin V8 Auto that sold for a hammer price of £59,000 against a £38,000-£39,750 estimate. Other good performers included a 1966 Jaguar Mk2 3.4 manual that doubled its guide price at £29,750, a lovely 1987 BMW…

MARKET TRENDS ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER SPIRIT Tracking the values of affordable luxury. Words: Paul Wager Regular readers will know that we recently acquired a Bentley Turbo R, the sporting cousin of the Silver Spirit which did so much to revive the fortunes of Bentley as a brand that it directly contributed to the split of the two brands between BMW and Volkswagen. In fact the popularity of the turbocharged Mulsanne was such that in 1991 Bentley sales overtook those of Rolls-Royce for the first time since the 1950s and as classics today the situation is very similar. The Turbo R commands the strong money, while the regular Silver Spirit tends to get overlooked which is to your advantage if you’re in the market for one of these cars. Yes, the Turbo…

LIVING WITH THE JAGUAR S_ RETRO REVIVAL Behind the Mk2-inspired face, Jaguar's S-Type was a very modern car and they last well. We should know, we've run four of them. Words: Paul Wager The ‘X200’ S-Type is one of those ‘Marmite’ cars which really splits opinion. Most of it is down the styling of course, the S-Type having arrived in a period when retro was fashionable and Jaguar's owners Ford were convinced that the way to distance the brand from its competitors was to recall past glories. In many ways that was a shame and something which was later rectified by Jaguar's reinvention of its style under Ian Callum, starting with the XF – which was ironically enough, based on the platform of the S-Type. Under the ’60s curves, the…

STAFF CARS STAFF CLASSICS It’s more change on the fleet as we revisit some old projects, welcome some new members to the collection and look into staffers’ own garages. Bentley Turbo R Paul Wager The last update on our Turbo R was a couple of issues ago but readers who were assuming that our brave decision to buy a 30-year-old Bentley unseen had turned out to be calamitous may well be disappointed. In our last instalment, we’d been stranded by an embarrassingly simple problem in the shape of a shredded alternator belt – a simple roadside fix needing only a 17mm spanner if only you had the part to hand, which we didn’t. With the car duly recovered and a new belt fitted, it’s been pressed into regular service and…

TAILGATE SPORT FOR ALL Sam considers what makes a car a sports car. I write this column as the national gloom lifts. We have been granted further freedoms from the nightmare under which we have lived for 18 months; the skies are becoming blue, the fields green, and it’s even starting to feel warm again. And the perfect accompaniment to this returning sense of liberation is a good B road and an old sportscar – how better to feel alive behind the wheel? But in this Eden, there is uncertainty and dissent. Because opinions vary on how best to enjoy it. What is a sports car? It’s as contentious a question as “what is a classic?” really, however simple it might seem in concept at first. While we all know…