Innehållsförteckning för April 2022 från Classic Car Mart

I seem to have spent an unusual amount of time messing about with number plates this month, much to the bemusement of all colleagues. Except that is, Markets Editor Ruggles who alone shares my opinion that the wrong number plate spoils an old car. We’ve all followed brand new cars f resh from the dealer wearing the latest letter and marvelled at how anyone can take delivery of a £50,00 car and not complain that the apprentice has fitted the rear plate at a crazy angle, but with modern classics it’s rather more subtle. Our DB7 came with a set of plates displaying a local car trader’s name on the tab at the bottom. Not only did this mean the plates wouldn’t fit the rectangular recess on the car, but…

Among the presentations arranged for this year’s inaugural National Motor Museum Trust lecture season is a talk on the world of petroliana collectables by Alan Chandler, an expert in vintage petrol pumps, period garage equipment, enamel signs and advertising artwork. As a collector with around 4000 different items in his possession, Alan has written five books on this fascinating subject. ‘The Petroliana Experience’ takes place from 7.30pm on Saturday, April 23 in the Lecture Theatre of the National Motor Museum’s Collections Centre. Tickets are £10 (or £7.50 for Friends of the National Motor Museum Trust), available from Theresa Browning on 01590 614792. For more details, visit www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/thepetroliana-experience-with-alan-chandler.…

Check out loads more news at WWW.CLASSICS-WORLD.CO.UK To mark the 120th anniversary of its motorsport division, Skoda has rebuilt a historic 1100 OHC Coupe that competed in endurance circuit racing between 1960 and ’62. It has been reconstructed using the original frame, chassis and engine, with engineers employing period drawings and documentation to complete the car. Teams from Skoda’s museum restoration workshop and Prototype Centre collaborated on the project, handbuilding the racer as a fully-functional vehicle. The original two-seater was driven by a four-cylinder engine producing 90bhp, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. It could reach speeds of up to 124mph and was equipped with dual-circuit brakes. Just two examples were built in the early ’60s, both privately sold in 1966 following changes to racing regulations. Skoda acquired the frame…

Cheshire specialist Manor Park Classics got 2022 underway with a new auction format to complement its regular physical sales, hosting a seven-day timed affair that began on January 30 and concluded in intervals on February 6. Although the entry list was relatively small it was certainly varied, ranging in era from the early 1950s to the early 2000s. There were stars amongst all five decades too, the oldest being a 1952 Ford Thames E83W Pickup, which sold for £10,900. A rare UK-market Fiat 600D also found a buyer for £5014, as did a trio of MGs. Two of these were contrasting MGB GTs – one a no-reserve running project from 1977 that changed hands for £1880, the other a professionally restored 1968 car that sold on-estimate for £8175. Completing the…

Nothing sums up the automotive ’80s quite as neatly as Ford’s XR badge but despite the often astonishing values of hot hatches wearing the blue oval, the original Fiesta XR2 is a real rarity today. Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised though: as a quick run up the road in this example proved, the combination of the lightweight Mk1 Fiesta and the 1600 Kent engine makes for an eager package which still feels surprisingly brisk today. No, it’s not in the same league as today’s turbocharged Fiesta ST but still quick enough to be fun – and back in the ’80s was fast enough to land hardcharging XR2 pilots on the wrong side of the hedge quite easily. Throw in the popularity for go-faster tuning back in the day, add…

Forget the ‘kit car’ associations and the better replica cars can come surprisingly close to the real deal Like musical tribute acts, replica kit cars can be a mixed bag. Just thinking about it, it’s hard not to cringe at the number of Toyota MR2s and Peugeot 406 Coupes that have been irreversibly defaced to look like a mutated Ferrari or Lambo. However, every so often, an act surprises you. Sure, they might not be the real deal, but they can still hit all the high notes surprisingly well. The car world is also full of these exceptions to the rule, so here’s a look at some of the most convincing kit cars for a wide range of budgets. DAX 427 Let’s get the obvious one out of the way…

We revisit some old projects, welcome some new members to the collection and look into staffers’ own garages. See more of our 2021 project cars on our Classics World You Tube channel at https://youtu.be/Q-JN7wbGEq4 ASTON MARTIN DB7 Nobody said life with the UK’s cheapest Aston Martin would be easy, but so far it’s been relatively straightforward to keep on top of the DB7’s issues. The first task was to tackle the non-functioning ABS which also meant the traction control wasn’t working. The ABS system on the DB7 Vantage is a curious hybrid of Jaguar XJ-S and S-Type componentry, with the wheel speed sensors S-Type parts and the control module also S-Type as well as Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car and a few others. Diagnosing faults with the system was…

Check out loads more news at WWW.CLASSICS-WORLD.CO.UK Free membership of the Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA) is being offered to all enthusiasts under the age of 21 as part of its efforts to welcome the next generation into old-car ownership. “There’s a new generation that we need to be bring into the classic and vintage vehicle movement,” explains Garry Wilson, chief executive officer of the HCVA. “This is a generation of socially and environmentally aware young people, and so encouraging them not only to consider owning a classic car but to even look at working within the industry can only be good for the movement as a whole.” The HCVA was established in May 2021 to represent the classic car industry and to campaign on its behalf, with a…

Bicester Heritage’s Scramblers club has released the dates of its members’ meets for spring 2022, with these exclusive themed events taking place on the final Sunday of each month and open to all 6300 Scramblers members. Anyone who’s not yet a member can sign up via wearescramblers.com. Scramblers also recently unveiled its new membership HQ within the Bicester Heritage Quarter. The initial dates for meets are February 27, March 27, April 24 and May 29, with the first event featuring a 1990s theme in the Bicester Heritage hangar. The Bicester Heritage Quarter is home to 45 industry-leading specialist companies and workshops. As we went to press, tickets were also released for a new Saturday, April 23 event. Philip White, senior marketing manager, comments: “It’s great to see so many dates back…

An MG TF that was first registered a week before the collapse of MG Rover in April 2005, and which went on to cover just 752 miles over the next 17 years, has been sold by Lincolnshire-based WH Brand –a specialist in both new MG sales and selected classics. The hardly-used 135 Spark was one of the last of the TFs built at Longbridge prior to its closure and the subsequent rescue of MG by Nanjing Automotive. The car’s original owner bought it for his wife to drive, yet it saw very little use. Shortly after its first MoT test in 2008 – with just 577 miles on its odometer – the MG was put into longterm storage, remaining there until it was acquired by WH Brand last year. “This…

AUCTION NEWS South Western Vehicle Auctions’ first classic sale of 2022 took place on Friday January 28, featuring a great selection of vehicles ranging from pre-war entries to a 2005 Aston Martin DB9 Volante. And while we may still be in the depths of winter, a host of reserve-busting sales would suggest there’s still very much a strong appetite for classic cars. Two of the best performers on the day were modern classics, with a very early BMW MINI wearing a desirable ‘OBL’ registration selling for an impressive £4700 plus fees. A trio of open-topped entries also did very well, with that DB9 Volante selling for a hammer price of £38,200 against a guide of £27,000-£29,000, a 2002 Maserati Spyder beating its £10,000-£12,000 estimate to sell for £13,00 plus fees,…

Newcastle upon Tyne auction house WB & Sons began its 2022 programme with a very robust performance on February 12. Almost 130 lots went under the hammer for the public-facing sale, which saw some impressive results including what must surely be a record for a Bedford HA van. The 1979 example was used for only two years before being stood down until 2010 and fully restored. It was estimated at £8000-£9000 but soared to a remarkable selling price of £15,050. What’s more, it wasn’t the only HA in the sale, having been joined by a rare 1974 Double Plus model with folding rear seats, which also outperformed expectations to sell for £11,018. Other now rare sights to perform well included a 1979 Fiat Strada, which is thought to be one…

The first V8 Jaguar saloon has enjoyed a mixed reputation. But what’s it like today? The Jaguar X300 wasn’t supposed to happen. After the aggressively styled XJ40, Jaguar’s intention had been to launch an all new saloon, with an all new V8 engine. Ford’s money men halted development of the saloon, termed XJ90, and proposed installing its new engine and front and rear ends onto the centre section of the XJ40 model. Great idea – except that the V8 wasn’t ready. This would have been a problem for Jaguar. Both Mercedes and BMW had launched new models during the XJ40 reign and without a successor to its own solitary saloon Jaguar’s financial position would have become perilous. The stopgap measure was to revise the existing six cylinder engine, apply the…

PORSCHE CAYENNE Porsche’s first foray into the SUV market may have been a fancy VW underneath, but makes an intriguing alternative to a modern Range Rover. In today’s automotive landscape, you’re not a serious player without an SUV in your range, but back in 2002 things were less clearcut, making the Cayenne the most controversial Porsche to date. Just how worried Stuttgart top brass were at the enforced dilution of their pure-bred sports car philosophy is obvious from the pre-launch advertising campaign. Using imagery of the Paris-Dakar winning Porsche 959, the advert announced “At this moment we are testing a five-seater version of this idea. The Cayenne is on its way.” The phrase ‘a real Porsche’ also appears anxiously several times in the early press releases, Dr Ing HCF Porsche…

Alate-model Jaguar 3.4 Litre saloon originally bought new by the ukulele-playing entertainer, George Formby, has sold for an impressive £87,480 (including fees) at Anglia Car Auctions. Soon after buying the Jaguar, Formby and his wife, Beryl, were involved in a major accident on the A47, heading for Great Yarmouth, when they collided with an Austin A30. The damaged Jaguar was subsequently part-exchanged against a new MkIX, with Formby receiving a partex allowance of £1425. The re-registered ‘Mk1’ was then repaired and sold on, only to be taken off the road in 1968. The early 2000s saw the 3.4 Litre saloon benefiting from a 2500-hour restoration, and its GF 2 registration number was also reinstated. It currently shows 71,000 miles, and came complete with several items of George Formby memorabilia including a…

If ever proof was needed that retro fast Fords are hot property, it was this first ACA sale of 2022, which saw a 28,000-mile 2.8 Injection change hands for a hefty £42,660 with premium. Technically the better car but far more affordable was another blue oval product in the shape of a Mondeo ST200 – the first attempt at replacing the much-loved Sapphire Cosworth – which changed hands for £10,880, showing that perhaps these underrated cars are finally appreciating. In a similar vein, the £9504 including premium may have been just shy of the lower estimate but gained someone a very straightlooking Escort RS Turbo and never mind the previous insurance loss status. More traditional classics were headlined by the £87k result of the ex-Formby Jaguar featured in our news…

At around the turn of the 1980s, the American car industry had a problem. US citizens had developed a taste for Japanese cars, so much so that the big domestic companies like GM and Ford were losing major chunks of their market shares. Import restrictions soon followed, meaning that the marques from the Far East had to get creative. If they were going to continue raking in cash while selling fewer cars overseas, the cars in question would need to edge upmarket. LEXUS LS 400 (1989-1994) First out of the gates was Toyota. However, knowing that people were unlikely to buy an expensive, luxury car with such a mainstream badge on the front of it, a decision was made to form a premium division within the company. The brand that…

Nobody needs this many cylinders in their car engine but it’s nice to know you can. As the green writing on the wall appears for the V12 engine, we compare some favourites. Not so long ago, there was no better way to prove to the world that you had significant sums of cash to f ritter on luxuries than buying a massive two-door car which barely seats four, while also being powered by three times the number of cylinders traditionally found in car engines and offering economy that would make Scania drivers wince. Suddenly though, with electric power fast gaining ground and even the once-common four-cylinder engine now generally a turbo triple, it looks as if the most lavish extremes of the internal combustion engine are on borrowed time. Aston…

The life and times of the ultimate evergreen British icon that’s still sold today as a new EV. THE MARKETPLACE THE CARS THE BEGINNING Following on from the MGA was no mean feat – but it was being left behind by the march of time. Its replacement, in the early stages, was merely a rebodied MGA chassis; alas, the dimensions of its frame severely limited the shape and size that a new car could take. Then-chief engineer, Syd Enever, proposed a radical solution to greater demands for space, comfort and luggage carrying capacity: a monocoque shell. Supported in his endeavour by the late Don Hayter (who rose latterly to become the MG Car Company’s last chief engineer, assuming Enever’s role), homage was paid to MG’s record breaking EX181, the ‘Roaring…

Nissan’s humble Micra has provided the platform for some memorable retro boutique creations, which have become popular grey imports. NISSAN PAO (1989-91) The first creation from Nissan’s ‘Pike Factory’ was the Be-1 of 1987, but it was 1989’s Pao that really turned the retro theme up to 11. Like the Be-1, it was based on the humble K10 March, or Micra as we know it, but looked completely different. Classic styling touches included external door hinges that echoed the Mini, flap-up windows like a Citroën 2CV and a split tailgate as per the Austin A40 Farina, yet they were combined with air conditioning and power steering. Over 31,000 were made. Paos have a strong following in the UK despite never being officially imported. That said, they’re not growing on trees…

TRIUMPH TR6 YEAR: 1969 MOT: 12 MONTHS PRICE: £14,995 Once upon a time, it would’ve been a heated pub debate; which was the best of Britain’s great sports cars? Various marques got in on the act over the years, but for the most part, the argument boiled down to just two. Sure, cars like the Jaguar E-Type were on a different level entirely, but for many people that sort of exotica just simply wasn’t affordable. Instead, the debate would often be set around a slightly lower set of aspirations; cars which were still desirable, but not beyond reach. Were you an MG enthusiast, or a Triumph fan? To this day, it’s still a hard argument to settle, with most reasoning coming down to personal taste. What I can tell you…