Innholdsfortegnelse for 23/06/2021 i Classic Car Buyer

My last editorial was spent espousing the environmental benefits of classic cars like my Citroёn 2CV, and now I’m going to do the same for a more modern generation of classics, courtesy of Kelsey’s latest project vehicle, a 2001 Honda Insight. This distinctive two-seat wheeled raindrop was one of the first production hybrid cars and was the most fuel-efficient and most aerodynamic production car ever built when it was launched. On looks alone it was certain to gain classic status from the moment it was introduced, and now it’s 20 years old it must be one of the newest entrants to the classic car world. I’ve been spending a lot of time with the Insight over the past week – more than expected when the auxiliary drive belt tensioner seized…

A survey commissioned by FIVA, the international federation for historic vehicles, has revealed the huge financial contribution historic vehicle enthusiasts make to local and national economies, as well as confirming the typically low annual mileage of historic cars. The survey was conducted in late 2020 and saw nearly 55,000 enthusiasts take part from around the world. It shows that the average enthusiast spends €3800 per year directly on their vehicle or vehicles, including insurance, repairs and restoration, storage, servicing and fuel. With non-direct spending added, such as food and drink, tickets and accommodation, this rises to €4858. The total spending by the 2m enthusiasts represented through FIVA member clubs alone is an estimated €10bn per annum. The survey also revealed that average historic vehicle is taken out 15 times a…

Edinburgh is set to implement a low-emission zone in 2022 that is likely to see older petrol and diesel vehicles banned from the city centre after a two-year grace period. Final approval on the zone was yet to be signed off as went to press, but it seems that vehicles that don’t meet Euro 4 petrol (roughly pre-2005) and Euro 6 diesel (roughly pre-2016) will be barred from entering the city centre from next spring. The decision would mean buses and HGVs would also be banned from the city centre. Unlike London’s ULEZ and Birmingham’s CAZ, there’s no charge for non-compliant cars to enter, they are just banned. However, it does look as if classics over 30 years old will be exempt. Those who don’t comply with the proposed regulations…

The historic Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb was graced with the most significant E-Types, ’60s fashions, contemporary Minis and glorious weather as it hosted a unique celebration of the Jaguar E-Type’s 60th anniversary on June 12-13. Organised by the E-Type Club, the event gathered row-upon-row of examples on the main display field at the Worcestershire venue, stretching as far as the eye could see. Cars of all eras were present, from the very earliest cars to the latest Eagle recreations, along with XK models, race cars and a wide range of other Jaguars. Remarkably, the event reunited the three E-types that starred at the Geneva launch in March 1961, 60 years on. The show stand car was joined by the coupe and roadster that thrilled passengers on the test course outside, registered…

Newcomers to the auction scene, Manor Park Classics will be holding their second auction on Tuesday, July 6. This will be held at the auction house’s purpose-built facility in Runcorn, Cheshire. This allows for a five-day viewing period before the auction, including weekend and evenings, and cars can be seen running and driving on-site. There is also access to a four-post lift, allowing hopeful buyers the chance to thoroughly evaluate the lots. Viewing and inspection slots have to be booked in advance. There is also secure on-site storage for cars being both delivered to auction and collected by new owners. Manor Park Classics aims to offer “a broad offering of genuine and interesting classic and collector’s vehicles” and the lots consigned at the time of writing certainly meet that definition.…

MERCEDES W120/W121 (1953-1962)) It’s easy to forget about the smaller Mercedes-Benz models of the past, below the Adenauers and SLs, but the W120 and W121 are perfect examples of the marque in quality, engineering and performance. As with many other successive generations, it did take some years to shake the taxicab image, particularly with so many diesel models made. But into the 1980s the best examples were comfortably taking over £2500, quite a difference against the rougher £750 examples of the time. The appreciation for top examples continued in the following years, supported by the Mercedes-Benz clubs that have long been exceptionally popular with cars of this era. Of course the ones to have were the convertibles and coupes, which always traded at a premium keeping them out of the…

Born out of the 924 – the car that saved recession-plagued Porsche in the 1970s – the broad-shouldered 944, a 1982 introduction, was evolutionary rather than revolutionary. But, it was a very fine car indeed. And, unlike the 924, which carried with it the ‘unfair’ Audi/VW parts stigma, the 944 was an all-Porsche concern. HISTORY The 924 was attractive, but the 944 took things to a whole new level, and a whole new demographic. There was a larger rear spoiler, new front spoiler, and trademark aesthetic: the wonderfully sculpted, aggressively flared, arches. This was a car with serious presence. The interior though, was lifted straight from the 924. Proven and functional, it was nevertheless something of a let-down. Fortunately, from February 1985 the 944 became the welcome recipient of the…

A blue plaque to commemorate Britain’s greatest racing driver, Sir Stirling Moss OBE, was unveiled on June 11 in the courtyard at a sunny Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb. When Sir Stirling passed away on Easter Sunday 2020 amidst the global pandemic, plans to celebrate his remarkable life were put on hold. Now though, it could be marked at one of his favourite motorsport venues with a blue plaque created by Worcester Civic Society to commemorate the achievements of eminent people who have had an association with the city and county. Stirling first competed at Shelsley at the beginning of his career in 1948, enjoying class wins and fastest times at times, and was also a regular at the Worcestershire venue in his later years. The celebration included an appearance for Stirling’s…

This year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, is due to take place at Birmingham’s NEC on November 12-14, with the 2021 theme revealed as ‘The Journey Continues…’ Each year, the organisers challenge exhibiting clubs and traders to create displays related to a suggested theme. Features and entertaining stage segments are also curated in line with that theme – for example, the organisers hope to have some of the rally vehicles entered into the epic journey that is next year’s Peking to Paris Motor Challenge present in November. Although the final stage in the government’s roadmap has been pushed back, we’re all crossing our fingers that things get back on track soon. “We wanted the 2021 show theme to reflect where we all are right now – and that’s…

DAIMLER 2.5 V8 The true alternative to the Mk2 – the same car with a 2.5-litre V8 engine, a different grille, a front bench seat and a higher standard of trim. Smoother, quieter and more refined than the Jaguar, it has a very different character. MERCEDES-BENZ 220Sb Illustrating nicely what extraordinary value the Mk2 was, this is the sort of exotica you have to go to find another mid-size saloon with a six-cylinder 100-plus horsepower engine and a 100mph top speed. The quality is vastly superior, the driving experience is not. ROVER P4 110 Similarly, the bigger-engined Rover P4s of the era offered an ostensibly similar package but were designed and built for comfort and quality, not speed or performance. A Rover P4 buyer would have considered a Jaguar very…

The growing affection for everyman classics has been reflected by a rapid rise in values, new data reveals. At one stage, humble former street furniture cars like the Austin Allegro and Princess were the subject of ridicule, but now they are enjoying growth that eclipses established classic exotica like the Jaguar E-Type. Analysts at insurer Hagerty have added 196 everyman classics to its latest price guide update, bringing the total to nearly 2200. Data has been compiled from UK auction results, trade sales and private sales to compare average values in 2020 with their average in 2021 to date. Models to post the biggest rises include the Triumph 1300 with an impressive 20.4 per cent increase, the Mk1 Ford Cortina with 19.4 per cent, the Austin Allegro with 13.6 per…

After 18 months of online and remote auctions, Classic Car Auctions will return to in-person business with its sale at the London Classic Car Show this weekend (Saturday, June 26). This will also be the first time this auction house has hosted a sale outside the Midlands where CCA was founded in 2015 – this sale takes place at Syon Park in west London. A large range of classics, from popular ‘everyman’ cars to those that stand out due to rarity, history or condition will be going under the hammer. There are two German classics with previous famous owners from the music industry. First is a 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 SSE Targa owned by Whitesnake singer and guitarist Bernie Marsden and now recommissioned after a decade in storage with…

ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 (1929-1936) As the first small Rolls-Royce, the 20/25 has long represented one of the easiest ways into ownership of the world’s finest marque, not to mention automatic entry into the clubs and shows. The other side of this coin is that the 20/25 hasn’t enjoyed so much of an aspirational image within the Rolls-Royce community, at least when we’re talking about the usual saloon bodied cars. The open-top cars, for example, are that bit more exciting and seem to have been increasing in value substantially over the last couple of decades. The top end of the 20/25 market is well above £100,000 today, comprising the cabriolets and most swoopy drophead coupes. Hanging around the £100,000 area are the sedanca de ville models, with the remaining DHCs and anything…

We recently bought our own South African Ford – a Mk3 Cortina 1.6 that will appear in our sister title, Classics Monthly. It was purchased from Car Cave Scotland, which currently has a fleet of imported Escorts, Cortinas and Granadas for sale, including a Sierra XR8. “If you're careful, you'll generally get something a lot better structurally than if it’s spent 45 winters in Scotland or England,” Car Cave’s Alan Potts told CCB. “Over here, most cars are scrapped or restored, which can either be done properly or hiding horrors. Look carefully there and you've more chance of finding a car on its first time round the block. It'll maybe need a bit of work, but go for a standard car and you're less likely to be fixing bodges.” Alan…

As the Euros get into gear, it seems appropriate that this week’s Classic Scenes should take us to that most cosmopolitan of European cities, Geneva. The year is 1965 and the city streets bear witness to the international motor show held that year with overhead banners rather awkwardly hyphenating the Chevrolet and Pontiac brands. Curiously, banners advertise both the Vauxhall Viva and Opel Kadett separately. Among the crowds of Volkswagens, the traffic contains a surprising number of British cars: a Rover P6 over on the left, with an Anglia, a Spitfire and even a Mk2 Jaguar parked up behind and a Mini prominent in the centre. Elsewhere, we see a Volvo Amazon in front of the garage, which zooming in reveals to be an Alfa Romeo dealer, no doubt explaining…

Paul Wager, Group Editor Lotus Excel It’s an illustration of the scale and audacity of Colin Chapman’s ambition that he dared to recycle the old Eclat into the Excel (with early cars even badged Eclat Excel to dodge the cost of Type Approving the new model) and then price it within a whisker of the 944. To be fair, the Excel was a great improvement on previous Lotus fare in terms of mainstream appeal and reliability but it still has something of the kit car whiff to it, while the twin Dellorto carbs seem like an anchronism next to the Porsche’s electronic injection. For the really keen driver though, the Lotus may just have the edge despite the crude fit and finish. Dave Youngs, Lancaster Insurance Alfa Romeo GTV6 The…