Innholdsfortegnelse for 14/04/2021 i Classic Car Buyer

It’s difficult to look back at cars like the Hummer H3 as anything other than a grotesque symbol of early 2000s excess; 2.2 tonnes of fake chrome bling culture, 3.5 to 5.3 litres of pretending fuel prices would always be at record lows, and five by three by two metres of supposed downsizing. And yet, just as the era of austerity that made the H2 look even more ridiculous seems to be continuing, we’ve got a new one for 2023. In a way, it’s good for us, because a 2.8-tonne behemoth larger in every dimension than any Hummer before it and with so many batteries that General Motors hasn’t managed to add them all up to tell us yet, well that’s surely not going to reflect well on the tightly…

The hunt is on to find a very rare high specification Middlebridge Scimitar after it was stolen last month from the owner’s driveway in Nottingham. Number 48 of just 78 built, the car had been kept in a marquee to keep it away from the elements, but it wasn’t until high winds caused the marquee to tear that the owner noticed the car had been taken. The car is in very good condition mechanically and is painted a Porsche metallic blue, complemented by a very rare light cream dash and leather seats with body-coloured piping. It wears the registration plate H855 TUA. It’s particularly sad news for the marque, as all 78 Middlebridge cars built were known to the Middlebridge Enthusiasts Scimitar Set until number 52 was stolen and never…

The British Motor Museum has been awarded an additional £261,500 as one of the 2700 beneficiaries of the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund (CRF). This is in addition to the £707,000 awarded last October, but while that was to help the museum face the challenges of the pandemic and to ensure it has a sustainable future, the latest funding is geared towards getting the doors open once again. The museum plans to reopen on Monday May 17, seven days a week. From June 7 to July 23 it will revert to Friday-Monday opening, then it’s back to a full week over the summer holidays until September 6. Everyone, including those with annual passes, must pre-book their visit. The museum is also gearing up for a full schedule…

Mathewsons is preparing for another bumper sale on April 23-24, with another eclectic mix of classic cars, motorbikes and choice memorabilia set to go under the hammer. As with recent sales, the auction will be held behind closed doors, with the first 100 lots offered on Friday evening and the remaining entries on the Saturday. The cars entered as we went to press were typically varied, ranging from a 1929 Austin 12/4 Burnham Saloon though to a 2012 BMW. However, this sale is probably most notable for rare Blue Ovals. Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworths have hit the headlines in Mathewsons’ last two sales, and we could be on for a hat-trick as another low-mileage example crosses the block with best bids invited. A 1996 Escort RS Cosworth showing just…

Contact: Car Cave Scotland Bonnyrigg, Midlothian Tel: 01875 820527 www.carcavescotland.co.uk As values of ’60s and ’70s Fords have risen, it’s suddenly made importing from Europe economically viable, which explains the rust-free examples we’ve seen recently imported from Portugal and the south of France. One place you probably wouldn’t expect to find a solid Mk1 however is Romania but that’s where this white 1100 has been hiding since 1971. Looking to be all original with just 76,000km (45,000 miles) under its skinny 12” steels, this is one solid Escort and Alan at Car Cave reckons it’s amazingly solid underneath, never having been welded. Sills, doors, inner arches and all the other trouble sports are all solid and original, although the car shows evidence of paint in the past. Car Cave suggest…

New images of MG’s all-electric Cyberster concept car have been revealed ahead of its debut at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show later this month. Potentially representing MG’s return to the sports car market, the Cyberster is a two-door, two-seater sports car featuring what MG claims are styling cues from classic models. These include round ‘Magic eye’ headlamps that are uncovered when switched on, plus a slim grille design. Other striking details are the ‘laser belt’ LED strip down the side of the car and a flat ‘kamm tail’ rear, which has tail lamps featuring a Union Flag design in a similar vein to the recent MINI hatch. The Cyberster’s all-electric architecture will enable a range of 500 miles and deliver a 0-62mph of less than three seconds. More information when…

Maintaining local roads in England and Wales to their target condition is still well out of reach despite a 15 per cent increase in budgets, according to the latest Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey produced by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA). The report welcomed the extra funding, but claims that budgets are still lower than they were two years ago, with this inconsistency preventing proper long-term plans to repair our roads from being made. Indeed, the report points to a lack of any significant improvement, claiming that the average frequency of road surfacing now stands at once every 68 years and a one-time catch up to fix the maintenance backlog would cost £10.24bn. While there has been a large increase in the number of potholes filled (one every 19…

Good things come to those who wait, and that certainly seemed to be the case for South Western Vehicle Auctions when it came to its maiden classic car auction of the year. Having delayed its January sale and brought forward its April date to create a special spring sale on March 26, the Poole auction house was rewarded with a resounding 98 per sale rate that saw just two entries fail to find new homes. There were some very strong sales too, led by a 1980 Aston Martin V8 Auto that sold for a hammer price of £59,000 against a £38,000-£39,750 estimate. Other good performers included a 1966 Jaguar Mk2 3.4 manual that doubled its guide price at £29,750, a lovely 1987 BMW 635CSi at £23,400 and a lovely Austin…

JAGUAR X-TYPE (2001-2009) Two decades on, like its driver Inspector Barnaby, the X-Type still looks youthful. Petrol versions in 2.5 and 3.0-litre V6 guise came first, both endowed with all-wheel drive. The 2.1-litre V6 (badged as 2.0) followed in 2002 in front-drive form only, with a 2-litre diesel in 2003 and the 2.2TD in 2005. The handy 2004-on estate version was a first for Jaguar. Sadly, despite its virtues, with those Blue Oval underpinnings, executive car buyers struggled to see it as anything other than a posh Mondeo and residuals suffered as a result. To illustrate this, the 2.5 SE cost £24,750 new in 2001, £4855 more than the equally sumptuous Ford Ghia X with the same engine. But in the two years that followed the Jaguar had lost £7345…

The automotive world is often dictated by compromise. Performance is at the expense of fuel, practicality traded for looks, comfort for agility. Fortunately, bright ideas occasionally come along to break these rules, making classics in the process. Both these cars are examples of this anarchic breed, though each choosing to rebel in their own way. Both are small, relatively inexpensive cars with mechanical features normally expected of a class or two above. One has a V4 engine with front-wheel drive while the other uses a straight six and rear-wheel drive. You can tell from their characteristic designs which one is which. Two different approaches and two different results, both costing between £10,000 and £25,000 in today’s money, so which do you go for? Triumph GT6 The Triumph gets off to…

Caterham Cars is beginning a new chapter under the Japanese ownership of VT Holdings. VT Holdings is one of Japan’s largest retailer groups with over 200 showrooms nationwide and investments in UK, Spain, Thailand and South Africa. It’s been the Japanese importer for the Seven since 2009, where it currently sells over 120 cars annually, and is also the importer for many others including Royal Enfield and Lotus. Commenting on the acquisition, Chief Executive Kazuho Takahashi said: “We have not only purchased a globally renowned performance car manufacturer but become custodians of a motoring legend. We will protect and develop the Seven to meet the legislative challenges that lie ahead.”…

Classic Car Auctions has been appointed as the official auction partner for the London Classic Car Show when it takes place at Syon Park from June 25-27. Taking place on the Saturday and Sunday, it will be CCA’s first auction outside of the Midlands and will feature more than 120 ‘everyman’ classics. For those attending the auction in person, a special sale room is being created under cover and virtual bidding will also available online for those registered in advance. The show itself will be celebrating the entire 135 years of automotive innovation under its central theme of ‘The Evolution of Design’, while other confirmed exhibits include tributes to special milestones in both Bugatti and Lancia histories as well as a celebration to honour 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type.…

The Brightwells sales have been notable for their variety recently and the latest timed online auction was no exception: as well as traditional classics from the ’50s and ’60s, we saw curiosities like the Micra-based Jaguar Mk2-inspired Mitsuoka Viewt and a rare example of Cadillac’s first serious stab at the European market, the Seville STS. As we discuss in this week’s news pages, sought-after modern classics were hot property, illustrated by a Toyota Supra selling for over £28,000 with fees, but there was plenty for all budgets: a very usable Morris Minor cost its new owner just over £4000 and promises to be a secure investment, while a similar budget secured a presentable MG Maestro. Star of the sale in the CCB office though was the Fiat Panda 4x4 which…

ALPINE A310 (1971-1985) Meant as a rival to Porsche’s 911, the A310 had the same layout as its predecessor, the A110; namely backbone chassis, glassfibre body and a rear-mounted Renault engine, albeit in slightly more feisty 1605cc 140bhp guise which meant it was good for 130mph. Alas, it still underwhelmed, so from ’76 instead of the four-pot from the 17TS, it had the more torquey 2664cc V6 PRV. Yes, that’s the same engine as in the DeLorean DMC12 no less, as well as the top end Renault 25 and Citroen XMs. Just 2340 four-cylinder cars and 9276 V6 A310s were built and because it was never officially sold here only a handful of imports exist in the UK which adds to its mystique. So, on paper at least, it ought…

Every year around this time we remember the collapse of the last British-owned volume car maker, MG Rover but this week we have a reminder of happier times for our car industry. Our scene dates from May 1966 and captures the centre of Reading, specifically the site which would become the new Civic Centre development. Before the concrete-and-asbestos edifice was constructed, the site was used as a car park and closest to the camera we see two BMC ADO16 models, which at the time were enjoying their fourth year in a run as top-selling model in the UK. The following year would see it knocked off its best-seller perch, but it would regain the number one spot in ’68 and retain it until 1971. We spotted several more ADO16 models…