Innholdsfortegnelse for 03/11/2021 i Classic Car Buyer

For as long as there have been cars, there have been irritating little faults to go with them. I’m not talking about the notorious major stuff like rusty subframes, head gaskets or gearboxes that grenade themselves; more things that don’t affect how the car drives but are annoying nonetheless. Examples from days gone by include VW’s Tornado Red that turned Tornado Pink and sagging velour headliners on a whole host of cars, but perhaps the best illustration is the Ford Mondeo, and chiefly the Mk2 version. For years, seemingly every example on the road had its cracked plastic bumper covers repaired with some form of gaffer tape. There was even a Facebook group dedicated to this phenomenon. It’s still online too, though sadly no one has posted in it since…

Enthusiasts have expressed concerns over a new Department for Transport consultation on modernising vehicle standards. The government wants the power to go beyond the existing Road Traffic Act 1988 in favour of a framework that better suits ever-advancing new vehicles, but there are fears that proposed new laws on ‘tampering’ will have consequences when it comes to altering vehicle systems and components on older cars. On the face of it, the aim appears to be to tighten emissions and allow a structured framework for autonomous vehicle testing, as well as preventing modification of factory speed limiters and data loggers, which are required on new vehicles by May 2024. However, the wording of the section on tampering is vague and has led to worries that it could prevent changing a standard…

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs’ Federation Village is set to be an unmissable highlight of this year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show. Located in the entrance to Hall 5, it will see the Federation joined by four new partners to the show: Childline, Motul, Great British Car Journey and the Federation Skills Trust. The opening day of the show, November 12, has been awarded “One Unforgettable Day” status in recognition of the historic vehicle community raising over £40,000 for Childline via Drive it Day 2021, with a 1900 Daimler Type-A Tonneau to be displayed in celebration. Meanwhile, the show’s new lubricant partner, Motul, will display a 1940 Renault AHS3 lorry and a Triumph motorcycle, while the recently-formed Federation Skills Trust will have its 5.0-litre Cirrus Buick on show,…

Paul Wager, Group Editor MGF Everybody loves the MX-5’s nimble handling and its back-to-basics sports car feel, but there are some who reckon the MGF is actually the better car. Its mid-engined layout makes it in theory the better handler, while in VVC form it’s also noticeably quicker than the Mazda and the Hydragas gives it a better ride, while boot space is actually greater. Don’t believe everything you hear about K-Series head gaskets but no, they’re not quite as reliable. What they are though is exceptionally cheap. Dave Youngs, Lancaster Insurance MX-5 Mk2 The ‘NB’ series Mk2 MX-5 is currently where the Mk1 was not so long ago, with some real bargains to be had for peanuts. Curiously, they tend to suffer from rot more than the older model,…

The Late Brake Show, the media brand and YouTube channel of TV presenter Jonny Smith, is back on tour for the third time with an indoor event at Manchester Central this Saturday (November 6). As with previous events, a diverse range of cars will line up including quirky classics, stunning custom-builds, ambitious projects, lost loves and the very latest hyper cars and electric scooters. Show favourites Launch cars, ‘Barn Finds’, ‘Car Caves’ and ‘Projects of the People’ will all feature alongside Jonny’s own, eclectic project car collection in the hall space, while the entire first floor of the venue’s car park will be dedicated to fans’ display cars. The show will also include the famous ‘tatty’ brown leather chair, with Jonny settling down for a chat with Top Gear and…

A Freedom of Information request by a national driving school has revealed the worst areas in England for potholes throughout 2020, when there was far less traffic on the roads than usual. The research by www.billplant.co.uk found that Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire repaired the most potholes in 2020, while Surrey, Kent and East Sussex received the most complaints about potholes. However, it was Lincolnshire that paid out the most in compensation at £218,618, followed by Oxfordshire (£79,339) and Staffordshire (£66,168). In all, more than £862,000 was paid out in 2020, but the reality could be higher as not all Freedom of Information requests were fulfilled, and some cases were still being reviewed.…

CITROËN AX SPORT, GT, GTI (1987-1994) A Citroën AX Sport instead of a Peugeot 205 Rallye, an AX GT instead of a 205 XS or, indeed, a GT, or a GTI instead of a GTI – at least if you aren’t after the 1.9-litre. There is a near-enough equivalent to a sporty 205 in a sporty AX, and while the Citroën isn’t exactly the same as the famous Peugeot, it offers very similar thrills for substantially fewer bills. The AX has always played second fiddle to its Peugeot sibling, particularly when it comes to the sporting models. However, over the last decade or so and as 205 prices have shot up, there is enough enthusiasm for the little Citroën and recognition for it as a worthy 205 alternative that prices…

It’s October 1960 this week as a new building nears completion on London’s Cannon Street, but look closely and the construction isn’t causing the traffic chaos you might think: the Morris Minor and the elderly Fords behind it are all empty, suggesting this was where the construction crew were parking. The cars in the foreground are an intriguing mix: there’s a Vauxhall Victor, followed by a Ford Zodiac but in front of the Charrington dray, there’s the exotic sight of a Facel Vega, the short-lived Chrysler V8-powered French GT. The lack of sill trims suggests it’s the HK500 rather than the earlier FV and the arm out of the window shows it’s a rare right-hand drive example, too. The sort of car you only ever saw on a trip to…

The Jensen Owners’ Club will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the NEC Classic Motor Show next week by unveiling a pioneering plan to help preserve and extend the skills needed to perpetuate the UK’s motoring heritage. The JOC plans to support Heritage Skills Academy Apprentices by joining forces with a well-known automotive tool manufacturer to set aside up to £2500 in 2022, and in subsequent years thereafter. In 2022, it will invite apprentices to apply for individual awards and support others through the HSA. The award, or awards, will be presented at the NEC in November next year. The club will ask selected apprentices to work with the Jensen Owners’ Club to promote this scheme, including regular inputs to our club website and magazine. In so doing, it believes it…

The growing popularity of retro-fit EV conversions is leaving classic car clubs with the dilemma of whether owners who have stripped out their internal combustion engine and replaced it with an all-electric drivetrain can remain members. Companies converting older vehicles to EVs continue to proliferate, with London Electric Cars, Electrogenics, Volt EV, Zero EV and Electric Classic Cars just some of the names involved, along with conversions by OEMs. Much of the motivation stems from future-proofing cars against restrictive legislation and the global will to turn away from fossil fuels, but also increased performance and reliability. However, converting a classic to electric is at odds with the FIVA definition of what constitutes a historic vehicle, a stance shared by the Federation of British Historic Vehicles (FBHVC). While electric vehicles manufactured…

All killer and very little filler” would be a very apt way to describe Silverstone Auctions’ forthcoming classic car sale, which runs as part of the NEC Classic Motor Show on November 13-14 and will feature some incredibly desirable vehicles. Fans of Blue Ovals are very well catered for, with no reserve entries such as a French-registered 1985 Ford Sierra 2.8i 4x4 in three-door guise and a Capri 2.0 Laser sharing floor space with some competition-bred stunners. There’s the choice between a Mk1 Lotus Cortina, an early Mk1 Escort Twin Cam and its RS1600 successor, plus at least five Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworths including two RS500 variants, one of which could sell for as much as £120,000. You’ll also find two Escort RS Cosworths and a 335-mile Mk1 RS Focus,…

To those not well versed in the history of the idiosyncratic Malvern car maker, the world of Morgan can be a confusing place. There’s the 4/4, the 4-4. the Plus 4, Plus 8 and whatever a Plus 4+ might involve… and then just when you think you’ve got your head around it all, along comes a raft of newer cars to confuse you all over again. Enter the Aero 8 and its derivatives, the Roadster, Plus Four and Plus Six. It doesn’t help that the cars have looked essentially identical since the curved grille was first introduced in 1954, but there’s a handy cheat to separate the generations: the chassis. Contrary to what you might have been told by the ill-informed, none of the cars leaving the Malvern Link factory…

The 2CV reached the peak of its sales success in the UK in 1986 and it was still one of the Tin Snail’s top-three markets when production ended in 1990. This is a little surprising because the 80s was also when the 2CV’s image was arguably at its lowest ebb. In the age of excess, hot hatches, super saloons and turbos, when a BMW or a Range Rover was the target of aspiration, there was nothing cool about the Deux Chevaux, Dolly or otherwise, and it was this period when Jasper Carrott made the 2CV a regular punchline. The intervening decade when the Dollys were thinned out by rust (about the only thing an 80s 2CV does quickly is corrode) did little for their esteem or their value…but my, how…