Innholdsfortegnelse for 29/4/2020 i Classic Car Buyer

ECU remapping business Superchips, which has roots back to 1977, has been placed into liquidation, with the current Covid-19 situation cited as the cause. Based in Buckingham, the firm began when Peter Wales, an electrician, ran a metal detector company. He built on that expertise to reprogramme car ECUs to deliver more power and torque, and before long it became the sole focus of the business. It was subsequently renamed Superchips and went on to work with Cosworth and Volkswagen amongst others. In 2003, it launched its popular Bluefin handset, which allowed a car to be remapped by the customer. Working alongside business advisory firm Quantuma, over the next few weeks the company will assess whether it can sell the business and its assets. Interested parties should contact Richard Birch…

A Peugeot 205 T16 Group B rally monster will be the headline act when Silverstone Auctions hosts its first ever live online auction on Saturday May 23. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the auction house has had to cancel its planned May sale at the Donington Historic Festival and its sale of Ferraris, which was due to be held in association with the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain at the beginning of June. However, by adapting the format to satisfy current working environment and government guidance, its May Live Auction can go ahead. Buyers will be able to bid online, on the phone or by submitting a commission bid. There will be extra content available for each of the lots offered, including video and other imagery to show the cars…

In this age of information overload, it’s often hard to sift fact from ill-informed opinion or mere rumour and it applies to the world of old cars just as well as current events. We like to think you can believe what you read in Classic Car Buyer but in the world at large you’ll still see incorrect information peddled as fact and the reputation of certain cars suffering as a result. A case in point is the MGC, the often-criticised six-cylinder derivative of the MGB. Car writers perhaps too confident or too lazy to question their own knowledge will happily trot out the line about road testers slating it for its supposedly terminal understeer which ultimately made it an abject failure in the market, but dig a little deeper and…

The big question asked for much of the classic Mini’s 41-year production life revolved around just how to replace it. As the 1990s progressed there was a growing realisation that the venerable British icon couldn’t go on forever, but few would have predicted the drama that would unfold as BMW took the reins. At the time, Britain was riding something of a ‘Cool Britannia’ wave. A cool domestic icon like the Mini fitted the mood perfectly, but the writing was on the wall. Stringent new EU regulations meant that for it to survive past 1996, it would need serious investment to make it cleaner, quieter and safer – something that may have killed it if BMW hadn’t purchased Rover in 1994. BMW identified the Mini as a priceless brand and…

CARS ALFA ROMEO 2600 1963, £39,950. Finished in the original colour combination of Grigio Fiat with Tan hide as per its Certificato Di origine. Our 2600 Coupe’s first owner resided in Genova in Northern Italia where it stayed for the majority of its life until it was imported to the UK by DD Classics. Standing proudly with gleaming paintwork, bright chrome twinned with correct period tires fitted, superb panel fitment and still complete with it’s original luxurious hide interior. Please call 07850 888880, South East. 101239 ASTON MARTIN DB5 1964. Finished in the timeless and iconic colour combination of Silver Birch metallic coachwork with Connolly Black hide, matching Black Wilton carpets bound in leather. This car has been subjected to complete bare metal restoration with all works overseen by our…

FORD ESCORT 1969, 35000 miles, £12,000. 1100 de luxe, aquatic green, 3 owners, in my name. This car is a genuine UK car, has never been welded and don't need none. Please call 07901798296, South East. 100879 FORD ESCORT 1995, 102000 miles, £4,750. Excellent condition, long MoT and new battery. Please call 01258 863786, South West. 101305 FORD ESCORT 1982, 81000 miles, £17,500. Full engine rebuild in 2018, new inner/outer sills, ss exhaust. Original twin coil packs. Original alloys. Immaculate interior. Please call 07483267015, South East. 101356 FORD CORTINA 1965, 29000 miles, £13,500. 2 door GT Cortina MKI 1600 eng 2000E gearbox, English LSD rear axle, roll cage bucket seats and full harness ready to go on Classic rallying many other good parts and minilites etc. Please call 01206564872, South…

RELIANT ROBIN 1976, 55545 miles, £4,695. Rare Reliant Kitten DL saloon, previously had a body off rebuild with many new parts, interior retrimmed and a brilliant bright orange colour. Please call 07504064926, Yorkshire and the Humber. 101017 ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER CLOUD 1975, 19800 miles, £23,950. This 1975 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was delivered new to a Colonial Consulate diplomat in Hong Kong and imported to the US in 1984. The car remained in Maryland with the daughter of its original owner until it was acquired by its previous owner. At acquisition the car was showing a total of approximately 17,000 miles. The interior is trimmed in a light blue leather with Bur wood accents on the dash and door panels. A Sony stereo is installed in the dash, thought the factory push-button…

MERCEDES-BENZ S 2019, 7000 miles, £62,995. Stunning Mercedes Benz S400D L AMG line executive premium plus with huge Spec Inc: rear luxury lounge - executive rear seat. Finished in magnetite black metalic (ceramic coating paint protection with a 9 year warranty) with black nappa Leather. This car has 15000 worth of optional extras including executive equipment line, premium plus package, rear luxury lounge, business telephony pack inc front and rear wireless charging and much more. Please call 01484543728, Yorkshire and the Humber. 101142 MERCEDES-BENZ C 2016, 18000 miles, £54,995. Stunning and rare C63 AMG S edition 1 cab with awesome power. Finished in design diamond white with design saddle brown and black nappa leather interior. Fantastic spec including edition 1 styling, AMG exterior carbon trim 19/20'' AMG alloys, red AMG…

CAR MODELS POA. 1949 Standard Vanguard, 1949 Austin taxi matchbox superking, DAF truck, 1971 Corgi, Scania, 2 trailer truck Corgi lorry and trailer, ERF Stobart and Ford Lorry and Corgi trailer 1973. Please call 07971687318, South West. 100875 PRIVATE REGISTRATION £250. In retention certificate, C6 OLC and all reasonable. Please call 07903300807, East Midlands. 100876 PRIVATE REGISTRATION £18,000. Cherished numbers WPT 1 on retention. LCS 72 on retention, £5,000. RSM 3G on retention, £1,500. Please call 07855706178, East Midlands. 101298 OWNERS MANUALS AND HANDBOOKS PAO. Alfa Spider 1996 owners manual £15, 68 Cortina owners handbook £10, Cortina Mark 4 (four items) £10, Ford Granada owners handbook £10, Peugeot Talbot model range 1984 leaflet £7. Please call 01794 511980, South East. 100887 PERIOD MOTORING MAGAZINES £5. Four Period Motoring magazines to…

Aston Martin V8 Vantage When talking about an Aston Martin, two things normally come to mind: the style and the engine. For the aficionado, there are subtleties within the range that make certain models stand out from the crowd and this example certainly does that. The 5.3-litre V8 in the Vantage is a magnificent unit, arguably one of Aston Martin’s best and here it’s in highly desirable ‘X-pack’ specification which, with Cosworth pistons and a hotter head, makes over 400bhp. With its racing pedigree, this is still well within the block’s comfort zone. This example is fitted with the 3-speed automatic gearbox, a rather rare option. The X-pack models were given subtle flourishes of visual aggression, including different mirrors, a lower stance, and flared wheelarches. Finished in Cannock Black with…

Group Editor Volvo 164 Volvo’s ‘Amazon’ 120-series has been an established classic for years and the 200-series cars of the 1980s are gaining a cult modern classic following, but there’s a strange gap between the two which often leaves a whole generation forgotten. The cars in question are the 140-series launched in 1966 which may have looked very different from the Amazon courtesy of a modern new style by in-house Volvo designer Jan Wilsgaard but which shared much of the older car’s running gear including the rugged B-Series four-cylinder engines. In 1968, the range was broadened with the addition of Volvo’s own B30 straight-six powerplant rated at 145bhp to create the Volvo 164. A front-end restyle with an extended nose was required to accommodate the extra pair of cylinders and…

GREEK ROBIN When the Greek vehicle manufacturer Mebea teamed up with Reliant in 1970 to produce vehicles under licence, one thing you could surely expect would be brochures packed with all sorts of stunning Grecian-style landscapes? Sadly not. In fact, when the Mebea Robin was launched in 1974, the Greek firm simply raided Reliant’s Midlands-based photo collection. Take a look at this particular Mebea Robin brochure. The backdrop? Sixties-style concrete-built high-rise flats, presumably shot not far from Reliant’s head office in Tamworth. Still, the Robin proved to be a bit of a success story in Greece, leading to further cooperation between Mebea and Reliant – and culminating in the launch of the four-wheeled Fox utility vehicle by the end of the Seventies. SMOOTHLY DOES IT Sold in the UK as…

CLASSIC AND SUPERCARS 2020 CANCELLED Due to the ongoing climate, the organiser of the Lancaster Insurance Classic and Supercars Show has cancelled the 2020 event, but has confirmed the date for the 2021 show as Sunday 18 July. Stuart Annett, from Classic and Supercars, said: “The difficult decision was taken to ensure the wellbeing of all including our own volunteers, many of whom are over 70 and in the high-risk sector. Arrangements for this year’s show were well underway and it is our intention to run with exactly the same features in 2021. We thank everyone for their support.” Andrew Evanson, Senior Operations Manager at Lancaster Insurance, adds: “The health and safety of attendees and everyone involved in the show is of paramount importance, and we respect and support the…

During the heyday of the sports car, advertising in a proudly misogynistic era often touted the sports car as the preserve of the young single chap. The MG or Triumph was a tool to ensnare the ladies and the pinnacle of this is perhaps the Triumph advert showing a couple about to climb aboard a TR7-shaped bed. Once the life partner had been suitably reeled in though, things changed for the young blade in the ads as the copywriters abandoned all the glamour in favour of the stolid virtues of economy and safety and the sharp suit was replaced by chunky cardigan and pipe. The two worlds did touch in small ways, with cars like the MGB and GT6 providing a last-ditch stepping stone between carefree sports car and family…

AUSTIN HEALEY 100 1954, £62,500. Subject to a restoration in 2011/12, the bodywork was repaired repainted, the running gear rebuilt, the interior was refreshed with new carpets and seats recovered in black with red piping, new weather gear installed, wheels, and tyres fitted and much more. The car has subsequently been treated to some user-friendly updates including Magnetronic ignition and halogen headlights and some more practical considerations in a Waxoyled underside, new clutch, five-blade cooling fan, uprated radiator, new exhaust and manifold and new rear leaf springs. Please call 01420 564343, South East. 101229 AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 1962, £78,500. The engine and running gear is absolutely spot on – great torque, power and delivery from this well-mannered 102 mm stroked engine (stroked crank to 3.5L). The car is running on…

JAGUAR XKR 1998, 54000 miles, £12,995. 2 owners from new. Finished in sapphire blue with ivory leather interior, this is a very early car was first registered in October 1998-just 4 months after the beginning of production. The car is in lovely condition both inside and out, and has been used as a second car throughout the last keeper’s ownership. We have a whole file filled with invoices and receipts for works done, the seven stamps in the book is backed up by paperwork including a number of further services not represented by stamps. The car has just had a fresh MoT and 2 new tyres on the rear. Please call 01590 612999, South East. 101161 LAND ROVER SERIE III 1975, £10,995. Rebuilt on new chassis, shocks, brakes, interior lights…

ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH 2018, 260 miles, £54,950. Unquestionably the most exciting iteration of Aston Martin’s most recent Vanquish, the Zagato models gave the Vanquish an additional flair and personality all their own. Fully customisable to their original owners, it would be difficult to find two identical examples, making each car just as special as the last. This specific Vanquish Zagato Volante presents beautifully throughout and would provide the perfect opportunity to acquire a coachbuilt Aston Martin for the individual who missed out on ordering theirs new. Please call 07850 888880, South East. 101246 AUDI TT 2013, 27000 miles, £10,995. SPORT TFSI CONVERTIBLE Finished in immaculate Alpine White with Black Alcantara/Leather electric black hood. Six speed gearbox. Please call 01485 541526, East of England. 100925 AUDI A1 2011, 66000 miles, £6,495.…

ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM 2004, 70000 miles, £74,950. Finished in Ice Blue metallic coachwork with Powder Blue wheel centers and sills complements the chic look. With Royal Blue Connely hide, matching top-role, Wilton carpets, lambs wool over rugs and rich Burr veneer woodwork oozes grander of a time gone past. With all of the modern features of Bixenon headlights, Soft close boot lid, DVD navigation, Electric front and rear seats, Dual zone climate control and heated seats to just name a hand full. Please call 07850 888880, South East. 101294 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM 2008, 19580 miles, £159,950. Our Phantom Coupe has covered 19,580 miles and is finished in Black Diamond Metallic and biege hide with black stitched emblem on headrests and matching carpets. Particularly stunning Piano black veneer adorns the dashboard. Fitted with…

BMW Z3 1.9 CONVERTIBLE 2000, 114,000 miles, £1,750. Black, 5-speed manual, MoT 22/07/2020, all handbook and spare key, etc. Hood cover, excellent condition throughout, drives perfectly and call any time. Please call 07885 187076, Tyne and Wear. 12330 CITROEN AMI 1971, 61,000 miles, £2,250. Drives well, chassis good, early type with DS style steering wheel. Please call 01462455280 100257 FIAT CINQUECENTO 1998, £875. Great condition for year, green metallic, some rust bubbles on one wheelarch, rip on drivers seat bolster, cylinder head and aux belt done, starts and drives perfect. Please call 07393758488 100493 PANDA 750L 1989, 43,303 miles, £1,550. Exceptional condition, original body and interior. Usual red bloom, very little rust, engine starts. Family owned since 92, handbook, bills and MoT’s. 1100 miles over last 6yrs. A great project.…

Group Editor REPORTING ON: Alfa Romeo Spider In my previous report on the Spider, I covered the fitting of the miles-per-hour speedo face I’d been meaning to get around to for something like 20 years but while the dash pod was in bits, it seemed like a good opportunity to sort out the odometer. The distance reading jammed a few years ago after resetting the trip meter and hasn’t moved since, which is less than ideal even if the car didn’t cover many miles for a couple of years. While the speedo face was out of the way, I was able to access the digits and gentle exploration with a small screwdriver showed the movement was sticking, which suggested some careful lubrication might just bring it to life. Having unhooked…

It seems to me that the average motorist – by which I mean someone who wasn’t really a car enthusiast as such – took much more care of their cars back in the Fifties, Sixties and early-mid Seventies than they do today. Most of us have memories of parents or relatives spending Sunday mornings washing, polishing and generally ‘tinkering’ in order to keep the family car looking and running well. Where I grew up it was commonplace. Furthermore, my recollection is that this wasn’t unusual or in the slightest bit ‘over the top’ – it was considered normal. It’s often claimed that there was much more scope for home maintenance back then. Possibly, but I’m not actually sure how significant that was, as even people who had their cars serviced…

Online classic car auctioneer, The Market is continuing operate despite having to close its premises to the public. The company not only enjoyed its most successful month to date in March, but also saw a 50 per cent increase in traffic for its online auction platform and app as restrictions began to bite. The highlight from the March auctions was a 1973 Ferrari 246GT ‘Dino’, one of just 498 UK right-hand drive cars made, which sold for £215,500. Other notable lots included an early 1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 FHC which sold for £91,000 and a 1979 Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTI with just 17,000 recorded miles that achieved £27,695. In all, the March auctions saw an impressive 86 per cent sales rate and a new record in total monthly sales for…

Production Editor Rimmer Bros If you’ve owned and maintained an old British classic either now or in the past, chances are you’ve heard of Rimmer Bros. Bill and Graham Rimmer started out as enthusiasts just like you or I, and after some buying and selling of spare parts for their Triumph TR sports cars, ended up with a thriving business. Moving into a warehouse for proper operations to continue at scale, from the mid-’80s Rimmer Bros was supplying lots of old stock parts acquired from dealers no longer supporting outdated models. To this day, the Rimmer brothers are still directly involved in the business, as well as some members of their family, maintaining the family-run feel of Rimmer Bros. In fact, it’s more than just having the Rimmer name, because…

Love it as we do, it’s no coincidence the P4 acquired the nickname ‘Auntie’. Quaint and curiously pedestrian looking, it was a car that belonged to a bygone era, and in the early ’50s Rover was desperate to inject some vim with a less frumpy replacement. By using a modern monocoque construction to reduce weight, cut production costs and allow a less vertiginous design, initially the new car was intended to be a cheaper, high-volume model. However, the success of the Land Rover meant there wasn’t sufficient space to make it at Solihull, so Rover opted to make the P5 a larger, more opulent, lower volume model instead. German-born David Bache was responsible for the design, which featured a high waistline with graceful, uninterrupted side panels which extended the full…

It’s not uncommon within the car industry to see companies reinvent themselves with a new product direction and often a new name to go with it: Datsun’s metamorphosis into Nissan for example and Austin Rover’s move to the more upmarket Rover Group. One of the earliest name changes was William Lyons’ decision to change the name of his car-making business from SS Cars to Jaguar 75 years ago. Back in April 1945 the dust had quite literally barely settled on the wartime destruction and the SS Cars name derived from the company’s former title of Swallow Sidecars had rather too many Third Reich connotations to be a marketing man’s dream. As Sir William later commented with superb understatement, it was a reminder of “a sector of the community not highly…

BMW 650 £11,999. Very rare 6 speed sport manual gearbox. Full service history, 2 former keepers, new MoT and superb to drive. Please call 07595218406, South West. 100977 BMW 2002 1972, £10,000. Original complete matching numbers restoration project. Phone after 6pm or WhatsApp anytime for more details and photos. Car located 15mins from Kerry Airport, Ireland. Please call 00353876386480, Channel Islands. 101042 CADILLAC ELDORADO 1963. In luxury, performance, and craftsmanship, the 1963 Cadillac Biarritz built upon the Cadillac heritage. General motors engineers further refined the brilliant styling, comfort and convenience features that had become expected. The iconic Cadillac tail fin was tapered down – soon to disappear forever. Under the hood was a much refined engine, lighter in weight, quieter and smoother than ever before. The precision engines were assembled…

MG MGB 1969, £19,995. A beautifully restored MB G Roadster. The car has had a recent bare metal respray in Mineral Blue, full retrim and has had a fortune spent on servicing and maintenance. The car has had some choice upgrades, 1-2-3 electronic ignition, a full stainless steel exhaust, new chrome wire wheels and tyres and a brand new mohair soft top. Please call 01590 612999, South West. 100904 MG MGA £325,000. This competitive MGA race car built and campaigned by the current owner for many years, this MGA has all aluminium front and rear wings, floors, front valance, transmission tunnel, rear internal panel as well as standard bonnet boot and doors. 1950cc engine built to very high specification and developed through UK club racing. The car had a complete…

CITROËN C1 2013, 51000 miles, £4,895. A one owner car from new with full service history. We will supply the car with a fresh service and 12 months MoT. We have a complete book pack and 2 keys. Last serviced on 12/04/2019, full service history, 4 seats, white with black cloth Interior, 1 owner, 14in Rifta alloy wheels, air conditioning, Connecting Box - bluetooth system with USB Socket, Connecting Box - Bluetooth system with USB socket, dark tinted rear windows and much more. Please call 01604713599, East Midlands. 101139 CITROËN C1 2012, 43000 miles, £3,695. Well maintained and looked after. June MoT with no advises, 4 good tyres, fully stamped service book, 2 keys, and the car is ready to drive away today with 3 months warranty. Please call 01604713599,…

BEDFORD CA 1982, £12,000. Bedford TL AWD lorry with a new cab and body. Flatbed and cattlebox with long ramps for loading vintage tractor. Please call 01749673661, South West. 101131 COMMER 68 AND 69 POA. 6354 Perkins all complete and both good runners. Ex Showman’s Lorries and with 8 stud wheels. Please call 07976002109, South East. 100870 COMMER WALK THROUGH POA. With Perkins engine, good engine and gear box and ideal for shows and events for a food wagon or drinks unit. Please call 07976002109, South East. 100871 COMMER Q2 1950. 4x2 1 ton ex military, exempted Mot and Road Tax. Very rare truck was restored about five years ago, good all around vehicle, 18-20 mpg, 40-50 mph with Caravan tow bar and lights hook up. Wooden body with canvas…