Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/12/2020 i Classic Car Buyer

There’s a growing movement within some circles that is making a distinction between performance and enjoyment. It’s becoming much easier to understand as each generation of high performance car goes up another 50 or so horsepower, shaves another few seconds off a lap time, and adds some more tech in the interior. That’s all great, but it doesn’t really hit on why we might go for a Sunday drive. We are programmed to want it all though. We want the most powerful one, the one with the badges, the flashy kit. Values for the top models are always decisively above the run-of-the-mill ones for this reason. Of course they are. But something struck me the other day when discussing how fast someone’s Saab 9000 Turbo was. These famously outran all…

The London Classic Car Show will be on the move again for spring 2021, with uncertainties surrounding the immediate future of large indoor gatherings prompting a move from Olympia to the more viable outdoor setting of Syon Park in West London. And in search of more favourable weather, the event will move from its regular February slot to the weekend of April 16-18. The new Covid-compliant venue is located on the banks of the River Thames, opposite Kew Gardens. Its open green spaces are set to provide a backdrop for more than 500 classic cars and accompanying attractions. The major display areas will be under temporary covers with open sides to ensure social distancing as well as a healthy flow of spring air. “With so many indoor events still being…

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has outlined its position on the UK government’s plan to ban the sale of new cars and vans with conventional internal combustion engines by 2030 – and is urging enthusiasts not to panic. The Federation exists to maintain the freedom to use heritage transport on the UK’s roads unhindered. So rather than get bogged down in ‘for or against’ debates about new vehicle power sources, it’s putting its focus into ensuring the ban doesn’t extend to restrictions on the use of pre-existing vehicles powered by fossil fuels – particularly historic vehicles over 30 years old and “future historic vehicles” yet to reach the rolling 30-year classification of historic. Furthermore, it plans to monitor the effect that changing mainstream consumer demand for petrol…

In what could well be a familiar tale for shows over the next few months, two headline 2021 events on the Continent have been postponed from their usual February dates until later in the year due to uncertainty surrounding large-scale indoor gatherings. Popular classic car show Rétromobile was due to take place for the 46th time from February 3-7 but has now been postponed until June 2-6. The Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, an exhibition centre located close to the centre of the French capital, remains the venue. “The anticipation surrounding the 46th edition is very important, which is why we are adapting and looking forward to seeing you in June 2021 for an exceptional spring edition,” says Jean-Sebastien Guichaoua, Rétromobile’s Show Director. “Our objective remains the same: support the…

This is the sixth timed auction held by Brightwells so far, and by now it’s familiar to many as a good alternative to the traditional. All the cars are on site as before and can even be viewed, – although only by appointment from December 7 to December 9. And there is a great deal to view. The pre-war selection is strong on this occasion, as are the modern classics. Right in the middle are some promising gems like a fully restored 1954 XK140 heading up a four-strong selection of classic Jaguars, plus a 1964 Daimler V8 250 recommissioning project. The XK140 expects between £80,000 and £90,000 while the Daimler just £4000-£6000. Other lots to note here include a 1953 Wolseley 4/44, 1953 Triumph Renown TDC, a rare Mulliner-bodied car…

As any parent will know, it’s a tricky game, choosing a name. Extended family, cultural considerations and the likelihood of innocent offence all play their part and it’s similar with car names. All the millions spent developing a new model can be quickly destroyed by going to market with a name which is ridiculed or worse, turns out to be offensive in a key market: witness the Mitsubishi Pajero in Spain and the Rolls-Royce Silver Mist in Germany. Some marques have simply used their own theme to avoid the problem. Ford went for European resorts when it chose Cortina, Capri and Granada but by the ’90s had resorted to making up words: Mondeo was created by a marketing department to conjure up the image of a world car. Meanwhile, VW…

The world looks set for a future with drastically fewer combustion engines, but not everyone is putting its eggs in the EV basket. Indeed, just a few days after the UK government’s announcement to ban new petrol and diesel car sales in 2030, Hyundai and Ineos went public over a new non-exclusive collaboration to explore new ways to accelerate growth in hydrogen technology. The two firms will jointly investigate opportunities for the production and supply of hydrogen as well as the worldwide deployment of hydrogen applications and technologies. Hyundai has been producing fuel cell electric vehicles since 2013, as evidenced by its Nexo SUV, while Ineos can share its vast experience around the infrastructure of hydrogen and how to produce it cleanly. Ineos has launched a subsidiary that aims to…

A full programme of motoring events will take place on Brighton’s historic Madeira Drive despite a councillor describing rallies such as the London to Brighton Mini Run as “ridiculous”. Green councillor Sue Shanks was speaking during an online meeting for Brighton and Hove City Council’s Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture Committee on November 19, which debated the future of motoring events on Brighton’s seafront. The closure of Madeira Drive during the first national coronavirus lockdown and its subsequent reconfiguration as a one-way street, with half given over to a wider dedicated cycle lane, had led to concerns that such events would not survive. Councillor Shanks said that the Veteran Car Run, due to run for the 125th time in 2021, was a lovely event. However, she was less positive about…

Production of the current Morgan 3 Wheeler is set to end next year after a 10-year run, as type approval for its V-twin engine expires. To mark its departure, the Malvern firm is building 33 special ‘P101 Edition’ cars – named in refence to the Project 101 internal code given to the revived 3 Wheeler when it was launched in 2011. Morgan’s beginnings are rooted in three-wheelers, right from the very first car designed by H.F.S. Morgan in 1908. The format soon took off and enjoyed considerable motorsport success, with development keeping quick pace through the 1910s and 1920s. The V-twin cars were replaced by four-cylinder F-Series three-wheelers in 1932, then the format was abandoned altogether in 1952. The P101 Edition makes a real show of the threewheeler’s heritage, with…

ALFA 166 (1998-2005) It might not have been one of the true greats, but the Alfa Romeo 166 is at least recognised as something a bit collectible these days, particularly when it comes to acquiring a Busso V6 for less than £5000. It was a value proposition when new, a top of the range 3.0 Lusso listing at a shade under £28,000 while a comparative BMW was well over £30,000. Depreciation was twice that of the Germans though, and soon not even rarity could keep 166 values up. By the mid-2010s many were dipping considerably below £2000. But rarity is coming into play now that barely a tenth of the 166s on the road in 2010 remain so in 2020. It’s increasingly difficult to find a running example for less…

Think of the ultimate British sports car of the 1960s – the kind of machine that only the well-heeled could afford to buy brand new – and there’s every chance the twosome featured here will pop into your head. Each one became a legend in its own lifetime, revered by car enthusiasts and the motoring press alike for its combination of glorious styling, sensational performance and sheer head-turning capability. Yes, we’re talking about the 1961-on Jaguar E-Type Series I and the 1963-65 Aston Martin DB5. Thanks to their wide-ranging prices (when new, as well as on today’s classic market), the Jaguar and Aston Martin appealed to quite different customers. Or did they? Maybe there were wealthy buyers tempted by the exclusivity of the DB5, but who were subsequently swayed by…

There’s certainly no mistaking the Consul Classic for anything else in Ford’s 1960s output and it’s said that the brief from Dearborn required the lower half of the Galaxie 500 to be paired with the roof from the Lincoln Continental and the result scaled down to British tastes. It sounds like a recipe for disaster but worked surprisingly well and certainly gave the larger car a family resemblance to the Anglia 105E with its reverse-rake rear window. Produced from 1961 to 1963, the Consul was positioned as Ford’s mid-range contender in the days before the Cortina existed and followed the well-chosen Ford recipe of MacPherson strut front suspension, live rear end and the Kent crossflow engine, initially in 1340cc and then 1498cc form. It’s the latter we have here, complete…

The UK government’s plan to halt the sale of new conventional combustion-engined cars and vans by 2030 and hybrids by 2035 has understandably caused a huge furore as the industry speculates on what will transpire. The motoring landscape looks set for sharp changes, but what could the ban mean for some of Britain’s most iconic car brands in terms of making – or breaking – their futures? One British brand that already looks set to do well is MG. Granted it’s owned by Chinese giant SAIC Motor these days, but the brand’s lineage stretches back almost a century. In the past the brand has often had to make do with repackaging older technology, and for much of the last decade we’ve been used to laughing at it for mediocre sales…

Morris Leslie’s November 21 sale saw a first for the Perth auctioneer, with the entries started up and driven though the hall rather than remaining static. The big crowds present at sales had previously prevented this, but with only staff and a film crew onsite due to the pandemic, the cars could be seen in action via a live online stream. Bidding also took place online, but was supplemented by commission bids and healthy telephone activity. Once again, a striking mix of eccentricities were combined with more mainstream classics and a selection of once ubiquitous but now rare models. For the latter, we only had to look to a couple of Blue Ovals – a low mileage early Mk3 Escort 1.3 GL looked a real bargain at a hammer price…

SILVER SHADOW MPW & CORNICHE (1966-1981) The fixed head coupes first named after the coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward then, from 1970 simply as Corniche, are increasingly hot property at the moment. While not quite at the point of crossing over six figures as the even more glamorous drophead coupes are, these are more than double what they would have been just ten years ago. The earlier cars, particularly the MPW models, but really anything with the chrome bumpers up to 1977 were the first to go up in value. Once £10,000, these quickly added on a premium of as much as £5000 against the later cars and by 2015 a nice MPW was easily £30,000. An appreciation for the later cars with their various refinements began to grow during this…

This week we rewind to central Birmingham in the lead up to Christmas, 1979. Forget the non-socially-distanced streets or even Father Christmas on his tour – it’s the window into 1970s motoring we’re interested in. And what a window it is. On the left we see a Morris Marina, which judging by the bigger ’78-on bumpers can only about a year old at best, despite looking rather grubby. Behind that you’ll find a four-door Mk2 Escort, probably a GL going by its wheels, and a car that’s now all but extinct in the shape of a “Handbuilt by Robots” Mk1 Fiat Strada. Right at the back appears to be an Austin Allegro and a Granada, while what we think is a Maxi on the right is concealed by a Series…