Innholdsfortegnelse for 26/05/2021 i Classic Car Buyer

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs’ National Drive-it-Day proved to be a huge success for the historic vehicle community across the UK, both in terms of raising awareness of the movement but also in raising money to support the vital NSPCC Childline service. The FBHVC has announced that the funds raised so far now exceed £30,000, raised mainly through the sale of the official FBHVC rally plates and donations. There are still a smaller number of plates available for postponed or delayed events later in the year, and you can still donate via www.driveitday.co.uk. Sales and donations pages will remain open into the summer. The amount raised means that the NSPCC’s Childline activities will be completely funded by our community for a whole 24-hour period. It will be called…

With the reduction of carbon emissions an increasingly dominant issue in global politics, the freedom to enjoy our historic vehicles in future could depend on how we offset the footprint of their use. Although the carbon output of the sector is very small in relative terms, innovative schemes such as the latest from HERO-ERA could make all the difference when it comes to the classic car industry justifying its existence. HERO-ERA is one of the busiest events organisers in the industry, with a programme that ranges from single-day affairs through to 9000-mile rallies across different continents, such as Peking to Paris. In 2019, it committed to ensuring all sources of emissions from its activities would be 100 per cent offset, and by partnering with decarbonisation specialists BeZero Carbon, it’s made…

David Brown Automotive has finally revealed its new Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition in the metal. First announced in 2019, it’s the firm’s most powerful Mini yet and has been built in partnership with engine tuner Oselli – a company founded during the Mini’s 1960s competition heyday. The twin-carb A-Series has been bored to 1450cc and tweaked to produce 125bhp, while other upgrades include a limited-slip differential, AP Racing brakes, Bilstein dampers and 13-inch wheels. You also get the choice of a five-speed gearbox or an automatic four-speed, the latter mated to a 1380cc engine. Exterior-wise, the de-seamed shell is painted in Carbon Grey or Old English White, with a choice of hand-painted contrasting stripes. Other features include unique enamelled badging and a number ‘60’ on the grille to celebrate the…

VAUXHALL LIGHT SIX (1933-1938) Small-capacity straight sixes were something of a British speciality in the pre-war years – our Tax Horsepower system penalised engines with large cylinder bores and there was a market for drivers who wanted the refinement and guts of a six-pot but didn’t want to pay the hefty extra tax for one with a large capacity. Vauxhall catered strongly to this aspirational middle market with its Light Six models in the mid-1930s, available in 12 and 14 Tax Horsepower forms, both with six-cylinder engines of 1530cc and 1781cc respectively. The 1.5-litre version had a cylinder stroke almost twice the bore. Both engines used overhead valves and were much praised in their time for their combination of power and refinement. From 1935 the model also received independent front…

The Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to rumble on at an impressive pace, and fittingly, staffer Jeff was able to get his first jab at, of all places, a car museum. In this case it was the Haynes International Motor Museum in Somerset, which joined transport venues up and down the country in reopening its doors for more traditional reasons last week. Sadly the weather wasn’t great for Jeff’s vaccination visit, but our project Honda CRX Del Sol did at least keep him dry. Or at least, mostly dry……

A North American variant of the Rootes Avenger that never made it across the Atlantic has achieved an impressive £13,000 at auction. Sold via the Car and Classic platform, the 30,000-mile example is the only known right-hand-drive Plymouth Cricket in existence. It was apparently bought by its first owner from a UK garage that was known for dealing with and disposing of test cars and development models. Built in the UK but to full U.S specification, it features side marker lights, quad headlights from the GT and 9.5-inch disc brakes as standard. Unusually, this one has the later optional twin carbs but they’re fitted with US-market anti-smog kit. It was fully restored by its most recent owner, who had access to piles of NOS parts, meaning this 1500 Cricket looks…

The Great British Car Journey attraction in Derbyshire was due to open its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday May 22, treating visitors to an interactive timeline of the British Car Industry from a humble Austin Seven through to a McLaren 650S. The attraction is located just off the A6 in a former industrial site in Ambergate, Derbyshire. Originally set to open in 2020, plans for the attraction had to be shelved following serious health issues with two of its founders, but the project was rebooted and now features more than 150 classic British cars. In addition, the four-acre site features a gift shop, a café and the Drive Dad’s Car feature, which allows a nostalgic driving experience alongside an instructor in one of over 30…

A century to the day since Bentley’s first race win, the winning car itself – known as EXP2 – returned to Brooklands in Surrey to lead a 24-strong celebratory cavalcade of 3-Litre Bentleys. EXP2 is the oldest Bentley in the world, and only the second ever built by W.O. Bentley’s fledgling company in 1921. On May 16 of that year, Frank Clement raced it to victory in the Whitsun Junior Sprint Handicap, starting a series of race wins for the 3-Litre model that culminated in two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924 and 1927. These wins ingrained motorsport into Bentley’s foundations and paved for the way for over 1600 3-Litre models to be sold. The cavalcade took place on the remaining section of banked circuit and…

With modern and classic car showrooms alike reopening as lockdown continues to ease, there’s been a purple patch for many. One such success story comes from the Alvis Car Company based in Kenilworth, which reopened its showroom last month and has already sold five period cars. “There has been clearly been pent-up demand, as that’s an unprecedented volume of cars sold in a single month for us,” said Alvis owner Alan Stote. “It’s been a mix of pre- and post-war too, with everything from a 1931 saloon through to a 1964 DHC selling this month. “We introduced videos of all the cars, but some of our stock could be 90 years old,” he added. “It’s always good to see and try the car and talk to our sales or workshop…

FORD 103E POPULAR (1953-1959) Even by the standards of 1950s economy motoring, the 103E (essentially a continuation of the original Ford Model Y from 1932) was basic. Intended to provide a low-cost entry to the Ford range, the Popular also filled the vacuum in the used car market that the hiatus of car production during the Second World War and the export drive immediately afterwards had created – there were essentially no five-to-ten year-old used cars on the market, so Ford was building and selling them new! A thermosyphon-cooled side-valve engine, six-volt electrics, no heater, painted steel bumpers and dashboard, reduced-sized headlamps, a single combined tail/brake lamp and a single vacuum-powered windscreen wiper (which tended to work frantically when the car was stationary and drag to a stop once moving…

If any readers have recently dropped any Pyrex kitchenware then you’ll know why the incident tends to stick in your mind, which explains why this image caught our eye. Here we see the Wear Flint Glass Works in Millfield, Sunderland which back in the 1960s was the manufacturer of Pyrex for the UK market. The image is dated 1961 and in the staff car park we see that big finned saloons were clearly all the rage, the line-up including a Ford Zephyr next to the MG Magnette flavour of BMC Farina, a Ford Zodiac and not one but two Sunbeam Rapiers with sequential registrations, suggesting that perhaps company car driving management at Wear Flint had a penchant for Rootes products. At the end of the line we see a Ford…

Visitors to next month’s London Classic Car Show on June 25-27 will be able to enjoy the return of live driving displays at the event for the first time in over two years. The ‘Grand Avenue’ feature formed the centrepiece of the show during its time at the ExCeL Centre in London’s Docklands, but a move to Olympia last year saw meant it didn’t take place. With the show relocated to Syon Park for 2021, however, driving displays are set to make a comeback on the West London venue’s ‘Lime Avenue’. Steeped in history, the tree-lined avenue once formed the dramatic culmination to Syon House’s main drive and has been preserved with its original gravel surface. Conveniently, it also runs parallel to picturesque parkland where the main show is sited.…

As motoring attractions open their doors once again, the FBHVC has launched its Museum Action Plan, starting with the release of a new directory listing member organisations that are classed as museums. During the recent lockdown, the Federation unveiled an interactive map of transport museums across the UK, and its museum members have since been updating it with details of their exciting displays and activities. The aim is to give the nation’s custodians of transport heritage a valuable channel through which they can promote their activities and connect with enthusiasts and clubs, as well as joining fellow organisations in working towards a post-pandemic recovery for all museums. The directory is being continually updated and is surely a must for enthusiasts planning a day out. It can be viewed at www.fbhvc.co.uk.…

Brightwells’ latest classic car auction stuck to its successful timed online format, running from Saturday May 8 until Monday May 17. An impressive 153 lots went under the hammer, including a wide range of pre-war entries, traditional British classics, Italian exotica and a couple of intriguing oddballs such as a 1983 Hustler Hellcat 6. As the country opens up, we’re perhaps seeing a little correction in auction values, with some of the entries a little way behind their estimates. Nevertheless, there were still a wide range of impressive performers. One of our favourites was a beautiful 1971 Fiat Dino 2400 coupe, which sold for £38,800, while a selection of Alfa Romeos was headed up by a 1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 1300 project from a deceased estate, which beat its…

Having twice rescheduled its April sale, firstly due first to the pandemic and subsequently The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, Historics was keen to return to its planned auction calendar. Hence, less than a month after its April sale, the doors of Ascot Racecourse opened once again on May 15 for a sale of 166 consignments from a record 47 different marques. Over 800 visitors attended the three viewing days, with some 1200 gathering during sale day while respecting Covid-19 health and safety requirements. In addition, over 800 online bidders from 24 countries added to the spectacle, accounting for 40 per cent of all sales. The entries spanned an entire century, with the oldest lot sold a 1906 De Dion-Bouton AL2 at £39,620 and the youngest a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8…

Some three decades ago buyers wanting the famous British mud-plugger had the choice of the rugged workhorse that was the Ninety/One Ten or the much plusher Range Rover. But Land Rover wanted to add a third option, and the answer would be ‘Project Jay’, better known as the Discovery. Launched at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show the fresh, modern design perfectly bridged the gap between the utilitarian and the luxurious. Developed relatively quickly and on a modest budget, it borrowed the chassis and most of the running gear from the Range Rover and went on sale in three-door form only, reportedly to avoid it cannibalising sales from the more prestigious sibling. A more practical five-door arrived a year later, but what stood out for many was the interior; light and…

Bentley S3 The later incarnation of the R-Type, the S3 offered similar style with V8 power and Royce Service can also offer you a lovely Cardinal Red restored example. Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn The Rolls-Royce sibling to the Bentley R-Type and mechanically identical. If you must have that radiator grille then this is your alternative. Bentley Continental The ultimate evolution of the R-Type was the stunningly elegant Continental, once the world’s fastest four-seater production car. You’ll need more than 36 grand to buy one of these though.…