Innholdsfortegnelse for 22/7/2020 i Classic Car Buyer

For some time now, 3D printing has been heralded as a potential solution to sourcing unavailable historic vehicle parts. The process has already been responsible for a wide range of reproduced parts from simple trim items to safety critical components, as well as vital PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now though, its potential has been showcased even further with the world’s first 3D-printed piston. Pistons are normally cast from liquid aluminium alloys or machined from solid billet, but now German firm Mahle has joined forces with Porsche and mechanical engineering company Trumpf to 3D print them. For context, 3D printing is broadly synonymous with what’s called additive manufacturing, a process that builds a three-dimensional object usually by successively adding material layer by layer. In this way it’s the opposite to…

After 50 years, the Suzuki Jimny has been discontinued despite widespread press acclaim and a positive reception from customers. The reason is an unavoidable emissions barrier forcing Suzuki to focus its range on mild-hybrids, and indeed soon it will unveil a rebadged Toyota RAV-4 hybrid. The Vitara and S-Cross will remain in the range, but the move calls time on the long history of simple, small off-roaders that made Suzuki famous for many in the UK. The first Suzuki Jimny, badged for export as the LJ10, was first introduced in Japan in 1970, but in 1975 it was exported to Australia and soon after to the UK. It quickly gained traction here, becoming second only to the Land Rover in popularity by the early 1980s. It was a crude, bouncy…

After a successful online auction held at the tail end of May this year, Silverstone Auctions is back to offer another round of top-end motors. Over 200 cars will be put under the hammer next Friday and Saturday. The Friday begins in an eclectic fashion, with a 1977 Volkswagen Beetle Last Editon, a 1965 Citroen DS19M Décapotable and a 1953 Allard P2 Safari setting things in motion. There’s even a 1949 Buick Roadmaster Wagon, a 1998 Honda Accord Supertourer racing car, and Roger Moore’s old boat. Plenty of British sports car classics, Rolls-Royces, and some Alvis models make an appearance too. Saturday’s line up is similar, with a few more Ferraris and the like, until the Porsches take over and end up dominating the catalogue. Towards the end are some…

Z3 (1995-2002) You hear of many ex-owners of classic sports cars saying that they’ve now got an MX-5 and it’s great. Over the last few years, the BMW Z3 has also become that car for many others, those perhaps looking for a bit more refinement and maybe an exotic exhaust note. It was about 2010 that the top six-cylinder Z3s started to climb in value, the 2.8-litre and 3-litre models leaving the rest of the range behind on a snarling climb up to £3000, then £5000 by 2015, £8000 by 2017, and some even managed to catch up with the Z3M in five-figure territory recently. As buyers flooded in, the rest of the range started to go up too. Even a lowly 1.9 was no longer in £1000-£2000 territory, a…

The new Land Rover Defender inspired Ineos Grenadier 4x4 may not be built in the UK after all, with assembly plants in both Wales and Portugal put on hold. The new Welsh factory was to be built next to the Ford engine plant at Bridgend, due to shut this autumn, creating about 200 jobs initially. However, Ineos has now held talks with Mercedes-Benz regarding its ‘Smartville’ complex in Hambach, France, which is used to build Smart cars but has now been put up for sale. Ineos Chief Executive, Dirk Heilmann, said previously unavailable options like Hambach have led the firm to review whether the addition of two new manufacturing facilities was “the right thing to do in the current environment.” Welsh Economy Minister Ken Skates said it would be “a…

A group of classic car enthusiasts who became friends via a Facebook group have clubbed together to crowdfund the restoration of a rare Rover CityRover, with the finished car set to be auctioned off in support of CALM – the mental health charity aimed at reducing the rate of suicide in men under the age of 45. BU53 RVC is one of the original MG Rover press cars. But while it looks quite presentable, it needs welding and cosmetic work, plus a mechanical overhaul. The car’s 17-year-old owner, Oli Dacosta-Evans, acknowledged that he was unable to carry out the work himself and offered the car free of charge to anyone who would rescue it. The idea to crowdfund its restoration came from CCB contributor Craig Cheetham, who became the first…

We were hugely saddened to hear that Keith Ripp, one of the pioneers of the aftermarket auto parts and tuning industry, sadly passed away on July 12 at the age of 73. “He had a great impact on my life and my Mini. I am currently building a ‘Ripspeed’ tribute Mini with all original parts available. It all started with a rocker cover…”Gabor Varga, Hungary A three times British Rallycross champion, Keith was responsible for one of TV’s most iconic moments when he barrel rolled his Mini at Lydden Hill by hitting Mabbs Bank – just after Murray Walker predicted he’d avoid it. However, he’s perhaps best known for being the man behind Ripspeed, where he laid the foundations for a new era of car customisation. Born in January 1947,…

Tim Rootes, the only son of the Rootes Group co-founder Sir Reginald Rootes, has passed away aged 95. Born in Kent in 1925, Tim left Harrow School at 15 to work for Humber but this was halted when he was called up for military service in 1943. He worked briefly in Cairo and then Baghdad, driving home from the latter in a Sunbeam Talbot Tourer on a gruelling, hazardous seven-week trip that even included coming second in a Concours d’Elegance in Biarritz. In 1950, Tim sailed to New York to join his cousin Brian Rootes, who oversaw Rootes Inc, the North American sales and marketing division. The next year, he became a regional director based in Beverley Hills before a return to the UK in 1956, where he was made…

As we went to press, Charterhouse was still adding lots to the catalogue for the firm’s July sale but for fans of older metal there was already plenty of interest, the intriguing lot for us being the dismantled 1948 Jaguar MkIV 2.5-Litre saloon. With plenty of family ownership history it looks like a daunting project but largely complete. Ready for more immediate use, there’s a Land Rover Series 1 and the vehicle which allegedly inspired its creation, the Willys Jeep, while rather more refined transport is offered by the Bentley R-Type and a ’72 MGB GT. Somewhere between the two extremes, we find the Morris Cowley, a sports-bodied example ready to use and enjoy. Find the full details closer to the event at www.charterhouse-auction.com.…

If you’re looking for a classic sports or supercar from the 1960s to 1970s you’ll have no trouble at Bonhams, or looking above for that matter. But Bonhams’ latest auction also includes an interesting range of pre-war and affordable modern classics too, with 1930s Bentleys and 1980s BMWs being a particular attraction. There’s more, too, whether you fancy an American car – a 1958 Edsel Ranger or 1972 Cadillac Eldorado perhaps – or something much smaller. Take your pick of late classic Mini Coopers if you like – or even just after a utilitarian bit of history – see the Land Rovers which include a 1949 Series 1 right up to a 2004 90 Td5, if not a 1959 Porsche tractor. If none of that is for you, then you…

All the stops are being pulled out to ensure the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, takes places at Birmingham’s NEC this November if the Government gives the green light. Organiser Clarion Events has collaborated with other event industry leaders to create the All Secure Standard, a document that outlines the measures required for visitors and exhibitors to feel confident that they are in as safe and secure an environment as possible. Measures include the extension of opening hours, along with allocated entrance times at specific halls to reduce people arriving at the same time. Shuttle buses will run with managed capacities and volumes will be controlled in the communal areas. Upon arrival, all visitors and exhibitors will undergo mandatory temperature checks, with isolation rooms available for anyone showing…

MG and Alfa Spares is inviting owners of all classics to join its second annual NASCAR run on August 2, so called because it’s run in aid of the National Autistic Society – a charity close to the heart of owner Jason Swinyard, whose seven-year old son Ethan is autistic. The run will begin at the firm’s Chadderton premises near Oldham, with the £20 run fee including morning tea or coffee, a run plaque and picnic for each car prepared by a caterer. Social distancing will be in place and every step will be taken to keep everyone safe including on the run itself, which will explore Yorkshire and cover around 60-70 miles. The event attracted 50 cars in 2019 despite awful weather, with over 30 entrants already signed up…

The month of August looks to be a busy one for those engaged in the business of buying and selling classic cars, with no less than three sales on August 22 from Mathewsons, Morris Leslie and Anglia. We’ve already picked a few highlights from the cars currently added to the catalogue and we’ll bring you full previews in the coming weeks.…

The Fiesta was a hugely significant car for Ford, and from its release in 1976 it would prove to be a mainstay of its European range for decades to come. In Britain it was good enough even to snatch sales from the Mini, offering more practicality for not much more money. Consequently, it has earned itself a following almost as strong, and with the oldest examples approaching 45 years old, values are on the rise. Mk1 (1976-1983) Numbers of Mk1 Fiestas thinned a good few years ago, so find a good one and expect to pay for it. The sporting examples, like the 1980 Supersport and later XR2 models are the most desirable and values have only climbed over the last couple of decades. Once easily obtainable, most have now…

As the car which at once both put Britain on wheels and saved the Austin company, the Seven is an important link in the history of the British motor industry. Marketed as “a real car in miniature,” it offered the first chance for average families to trade up from motorcycle and sidecar to proper four-wheeled transport. It looked the part too, with the right proportions despite its tiny (by 1920s standards) 6’3” wheelbase and 4’6” width. Over its 16-year lifespan, some 290,000 Sevens were sold in styles ranging from boxy saloons to sporty two-seaters and from 1937 the ‘Big Seven’ took the recipe and upsized it slightly as society became more affluent. Today the cars make a delightful introduction to the world of prewar motoring and their handy size makes…

This is a bit of a special Porsche 964. Registered in December 1993, it is one of the very last sold before production of the 993 began in January 1994. It is also a Targa – hardly a tenth of 964s were specified with this glass-back open middle setup. Then there’s the fact that this example is in exceptionally good condition. Supported by a hefty history file, the car has been no stranger to Porsche main dealers while also generally being maintained to a very high standard by specialists throughout its life under clearly committed and loving owners. It shows. Sitting on fresh 205/55 R16 tyres, the ride is surprisingly supple but just like any 911 excellent damping shows itself as speeds increase. This 964 feels tight as a drum,…