Innholdsfortegnelse for 12/8/2020 i Classic Car Buyer

As our story on page 5 outlines, getting certain parts to repair or restore a classic can be particularly tricky at present. It appears that all our beavering away in the workshop or garage during lockdown has led to stocks of selected items running out, not helped by the effects of the pandemic on the supply chain. Indeed, that was the case when my clutch master cylinder went kaput this week and left my project car stranded. With the suppliers I usually use out of stock, I visited another vendor I’d not used in several years. To my delight, it not only had the cylinder I needed, but also a host of parts I was planning to personally import from Japan at hefty expense, unaware that it had already done…

The last three months have been very challenging for classic specialists, and as the UK gears up to go back to work, to school and cope with the backlog of MoTs caused by the temporary Covid-19 suspension, disruption to their supply and service chains threaten to make things even more challenging. The sudden drop in regular servicing that is the bread and butter of many garages has had deep effects on the industry since March, from the workshops right through to the suppliers of automotive components. Many classic car specialists have been able to switch from servicing work to the projects that were previously in waiting, but this has shifted cashflows. Service work is now resuming, but with so many hobbyists working on classics at home during lockdown, parts supply…

David Brown Automotive, known for its luxury Speedback GT and Mini Remastered models, has sold a controlling stake in its business to UK Advanced Industrials Limited (UKAI). The company founder since 2013, David Brown, will remain involved as a Company Director and Brand Ambassador. The firm has experienced significant growth over the past seven years and moved to its current base at Silverstone in 2017. It says the new investment will herald the beginning of an exciting new future for the business and the next stage of its expansion. UKAI is backed by David Roberts and Richard Westley. David is a veteran entrepreneur with a wide portfolio of industrial and luxury goods companies, while Richard is founder and CEO of Fablink, the UK-based manufacturing group that supplies metal pressings, structures…

Anglia Car Auctions returns to the rostrum for another bumper two-day sale on August 22-23. The sale will once again be held behind closed doors, with online bidding offered and the entire sale streamed live on YouTube. Otherwise it will be business as usual, with viewers able to hear and see the cars being started up and driven through in front of the auctioneer. Over 150 entries had been consigned as we went to press, containing a mix of iconic British classics, German prestige and plenty of alluring oddities. The sale majors on sub-£5000 classics, but a number of headline acts are expected to generate much larger figures. The oldest of three BMW M3s in the sale – a 1986 example in black – could command as much as £65,000,…

ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SPIDER (1955-1965) It’s the powerful Alfa Romeo droptops that command six-figure sums, like the Touring bodied 2-litre and six-cylinder 2.6-litre Spiders, while the little 1.3-litre Giulietta Junior Spiders are about half the price. This has been the case for some time, ever since the two became seriously valuable classic cars in the first place. They were never dirt cheap, even projects in the early 1990s were £3000 but as the millennium approached things did really take off for all 1960s Alfas. By 2005 the Giulietta Spider was a good £20,000 car, and the best examples especially in twin-choke Veloce specification were approaching £35,000. In the last decade things have remained fairly stable, with values only gradually picking up about £7000 to make the average price of a…

Taken in the golden age of motorway travelling when eating at a services was an event enough let along staying at a hotel, this Vauxhall Ventora sits proudly outside the Great North Road services at Selby Fork, then on the A1 but now reclassified as the A63. The building remains but has since been converted into a more plainly decorated hotel. Here, the valet’s extravagant dress is a stark reminder of those days while the Ventora hides its 3.3-litre performance rather more subtly beneath its modest Victor bodywork.…

The future of the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton looks to be uncertain if plans to redevelop the area for housing go ahead. As part of a larger development along nearby Bollo Lane, Transport for London has identified that some additional land at Ealing Common also has the potential for development. This is currently occupied by the London Transport Museum’s storage facility. A TfL Prior Information Notice and a TfL spokesperson have confirmed that any development on the site will have to consider the requirements of the storage facility, and a replacement will be provided. It is understood that TfL are accelerating the development of their landbank amid financial pressures following the drop in revenue during the Covid-19 outbreak. The notice suggests the value of the 2.6-hectare site redevelopment…

In addition to being open every day for the first time since March, the British Motor Museum has announced it will host a busy weekend of events in early September. In line with the extra safety measures put in place for inside the venue, events will be more informal than usual, with reduced numbers present. Nevertheless, there should still be plenty to keep the pre-booked attendees entertained. A fortnight after The Old Ford Rally, which will take place on August 23, the museum will kick off September with a newly announced ‘Jaguars at Gaydon’ event. Taking place on September 5, it’s billed as a friendly gathering for all Jaguar fans and will also celebrate the XJS Club’s national day. The following day will see the National Metro and Mini Show…

Visiting an autojumble is one of the great pastimes for anyone with a classic vehicle hobby, and now the biggest regular event is back. The Normous Newark Autojumble will take place at Newark Autojumble on Sunday (August 16), with a few extra changes to keep people safe. Buying a ticket in advance is the best way to beat the queues, but there will also be contactless card or cash payment on the day, although due to social distancing, the latter is expected to be quite a bit slower than normal. In addition, all visitors must adhere to the government’s social distancing guidelines, keeping two metres apart where possible. Indoor areas will be restricted to a set number of visitors at any one time, with people counted in and out. Meanwhile,…

The latest Charterhouse auction saw some great cars sold, like a 1972 MGB GT for £11,500, a 1955 Land Rover for £8200 and a 1923 Bullnose Morris Cowley, all showing the ongoing appeal for the timeless British classic. Perhaps the best value of the lot was a 1955 Bentley R-Type standard-bodied saloon that went for just £23,000. That is except the car that will have its buyer busy: a 1948 Jaguar 2½-litre saloon project. Having not seen the road since 1975, it nonetheless sold for £5800. The big story was, in fact, the performance of modern classics. While we saw a couple of projects go for little money, a 2002 Mercedes CL500 and 1989 Honda Legend Coupé only earning final bids of £870 and £320 respectively, more desirable models in…

StarterMotor, the charity founded to promote historic car usage, skills and industry involvement for the next generation, has announced it is now supported by historic car specialist and fellow Bicester Heritage resident, Blue Diamond Riley Services. BDRS, which specialises in the servicing, repair and restoration of historic vehicles – and Rileys in particular – has agreed to take responsibility for the charity’s ‘Young Drivers’ cars. This fleet of vintage and classic cars are held by the charity for use by young drivers and will now be maintained by BDRS without charge. The firm has also committed to supporting StarterMotor financially by encouraging all customers to add a donation to each invoice paid. StarterMotor CEO David Withers said: “We’ve been supported by the Blue Diamond Riley Services team since StarterMotor was…

With the thick end of 200 entries expected, Mathewsons’ next classic car auction on August 22 is poised to be another hugely busy affair. Once again, the sale will be behind closed doors with bidding taking place online or via telephone and commission bids. Viewing is by appointment only, and PPE must be worn. One of the headliners is a yellow Mk1 Ford Escort Mexico expected to command over £25,000, but it’s not the only sporty Blue Oval in the sale. A rare Mk2 Escort Mexico with a 2.1-litre Pinto is also included, together with a Mk3 Escort RS1600i and a Mk2 Cortina Savage Evocation. More plush than sporty is a very early example of the ‘Cortina 80’ – a 1979 2.0 Ghia model. Elsewhere, you’ll find plenty of British…

VOLVO 240 (1974-1993) Produced for nearly two decades and with 2.8 million units sold all around the world, the Volvo 240 is unsurprisingly an iconic example of the marque. Unapologetically boxy because the design was largely unchanged from Volvo’s utilitarian safety design concept of 1972, it was always a bit of an oddball in the market but proved even more popular amongst Volvo’s loyal customer base than models past. Initially named 244 or 245 for the estate, after 1983 it was just called 240. Many Volvos would stay in one family for decades and so used values remained robust even into the 2000s, although the other side of that was that many of the estates were used and abused. Estates were generally cheaper as a result, older ones with high…

The second-generation 3-Series and Mercedes’ first compact saloon are often considered in the same breath as icons of the 1980s Yuppie boom, but in reality they’re very different animals coming from two very different places. As you can read in this week’s feature on downsizing, the BMW built on the legacy first established by the ’02 range back in the 1960s and was therefore the third generation of BMW’s compact performance car. The Mercedes W201 however, was Daimler-Benz’s very first attempt at a smaller car, encouraged by the promise of a market BMW had so far had to itself. As a result, the BMW majored on the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ slogan of the day and in its larger-engined forms was intended to offer a sporting choice as a kind of…

The American car makers were among the first to embrace the swept back styling suggestive if not actually indicative of aerodynamic efficiency, and the late 1930s Fords are great examples. It was also the era of the flathead V8 and in 1939, with the birth of the Mercury brand there was an uprated 3.9-litre version. It would later become an option for Ford models, but as is common practice, this particular 1939 Ford has been gifted the high-output engine. Its previous owner really has demonstrated an astonishing level of commitment and the results really show. The car is in impeccable condition inside and out, from the roof to the chassis from chrome grille to tail pipe. The handpainted flames on the red paintwork allude to additional performance given this example…