Innholdsfortegnelse for 29/12/2021 i Classic Car Buyer

By the time you read this, you’ll hopefully have enjoyed a great period of festivities in the company of at least some of your loved ones. Because my friends and family are spread over opposite ends of the country, my fiancée and I opted to get a trip to her parents’ place in a couple of weeks early, and it was there that I was met with one of those uncanny motoring coincidences that seems to happen from time to time. Parked in plain sight on the driveway of her parents’ neighbour was a car that initially looked uncannily like the 2002 MINI that I used to own, and that’s because on closer inspection it was the 2002 MINI that I used to own. Back in 2017, I bought the…

A list of ten classics and modern classics that could potentially rise in value while being driven and enjoyed has been released by Hagerty. The insurance and lifestyle brand’s annual Bull Market list was originally launched in the USA in 2017 but has now been compiled for the UK market for two years running. To put the report together, Hagerty analysed insurance values and changes from its comprehensive Price Guide and combined them with sales results and data to look for indicators of cars rising in demand and value. The result is a diverse list of cars for the 2022 UK Bull Market list, covering a wide range of tastes and budgets. At the top end sits the 2010-2015 Ferrari 458 Italia, which is the newest car included. Values of…

It’s terrifying how few people truly think about tyres – not just the pressures and the tread depths, but the tyres themselves. Not only are there several tread patterns with differing qualities, but even the compound of the rubber and the flexibility of the sidewall design can have a drastic effect upon the handling characteristics of the car. The contact patch between those four pieces of rubber and the tarmac can fit onto a sheet of A4 paper, and yet it’s this which stands between the driver and certain death in the event of an accident. Logically then, you’d want the best tyres you could get – and because all vehicles are different, it’s clear that the best tyres for a Daimler Dart might not be the best tyres for…

You might assume that creating a larger-engined MGB was a fairly straightforward process, and yet development of the MGC brought plenty of challenges. Because the C-series engine was a relatively heavy unit, MG’s engineers would ideally have fitted it further back in the bodyshell than the MGB’s B-series in order to maintain efficient weight distribution. But this would have involved far more re-engineering than was both practically and financially feasible. The solution was to replace the MGB’s coil-sprung front suspension set-up with a torsion bar design, running longitudinally to a mounting point below the floor to transfer the suspension stresses back to the centre of the newly reinforced bodyshell. Meanwhile, the MGB’s rear suspension was uprated to include a stronger axle, while spring rates both front and rear were increased…

This month, my big news concerns what was the biggest vehicle in the Simpson collection. After getting on for 22 years, I’ve sold EKL 456K, my 1972 Leyland Leopard and my time as an active bus preservationist has come to an end. I can honestly say that this was, without the shadow of a doubt, the hardest vehicle disposal decision I have ever had to make; the bus had been with me for over half of my adult life, and a constant presence throughout a time when much else has changed. However, though I agonised over the decision for months and had actually been thinking about it for a couple of years, I’m happy that I have made the right decision now that the dust has finally settled. The 38-year…

NICHES AND NOVELTIES These days it seems you can have any car you like so long as it’s an SUV. But in the ‘70s and ‘80s you could get coupes, estates, hatchback 4x4s, small saloons, tiny hot hatches and other intriguing machines to fit every need. We look at some of our favourites. BUYING THE FORD ESCORT Mk1 These days there’s a lot of money tied up an original Escort of any sort, so it’s no longer the case of stuffing some notes in your pocket and looking at the free ads. You need to make sure you choose and spend wisely. Which is where this guide comes in. MG MIDGET v MGTF Old and small meets new and not-so-small. These two cars represent two different takes on the classic…

Until the late ’60s, BMC’s sports car range was traditionally topped off by the six-cylinder ‘Big Healey’ models, a successful line that began with the Austin-Healey 100 and ended with the MkIII 3000. Those old soldiers couldn’t be kept in production indefinitely, however – thanks to increasingly strict safety legislation in the USA – but how should they be replaced? The unlikely answer lay in the form of a six-cylinder version of the immensely popular MGB, launched in 1967 as the MGC and available in both roadster and GT guises. There was even a plan to badge-engineer the MGC into an Austin-Healey, though that never reached fruition and the idea was quietly dropped before the MGC’s launch. This made the new MGC a unique offering within the BMC sporting line-up,…

Paul Wager, Group Editor Triumph GT6 If you want a six-cylinder sports car with a hint of Jaguar E-Type at an affordable price then the GT6 is just the ticket. No, it wasn’t offered as a roadster but makes a great alternative to the MGC GT. They’re currently affordable, too. Dave Youngs, Lancaster Insurance MGB V8 If you want a more powerful MGB then why not go the whole hog with the V8? If a factory car is out of reach, then there are many V8-converted cars out there or you can enjoy building up your own.…

Contact: Epping Motor Company, Murrells Farmhouse, London Road, Ongar, CM5 9QE Tel: 01277 365415 www.eppingmotorcompany.com/index.htm The third generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL marked a bit of a left turn for the nameplate. Weighing in at 1715kg, it was now only a ‘Sport Light’ in name, rather than nature. By the ‘70s however, when it was first introduced, this seemed somewhat fitting given what the Mercedes brand had become. This wasn’t a marque that was chasing driving dynamics. It was a marque that was chasing status and solidifying itself as one of the go-to luxury car manufacturers in the world. The SL no longer needed to be agile and dainty, like its W198 and W113 predecessors. Instead, it needed to have a big engine and a big roadgoing presence while keeping…

After a 2020 that was incredibly challenging year for everyone, it looked like 2021 may follow a similar path as the UK spent the early part of the year behind closed doors. But slowly, those doors unlocked, and in the end we were able to enjoy a busy year of classic motoring – one that could build on the innovation, dedication and enthusiasm shown during lockdown. It wasn’t all plain sailing, especially at the petrol pumps, but it’s certainly been memorable. So join us as we look back on the big stories of 2021 – the year that saw us meet again. JANUARY FRAUDSTERS TAKE TO FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE With the country firmly ensconced in lockdown at the beginning of 2021, online transactions remained vital in ensuring the classic car world…

Morgan has completed its first Plus 8 GTR, a hotted-up 375bhp swansong for an otherwise discontinued model. Based on the standard modern-era Plus 8 that ceased production in 2018, just nine examples will be built thanks to “the recent availability of a number of Plus 8 rolling chassis” according to Morgan. The BMW-sourced 4.8-litre V8 motor sports ‘cannon-style’ twin-exit exhausts and a power hike over the standard car, while the exterior design focuses mainly on Morgan’s modern motorsport history and includes centre-lock wheels, re-sculpted wheel arches, a revised rear end and a front splitter. A hard top with a cockpit vent has been added too, but perhaps the biggest visual change is the high-topped doors, giving a look that Morgan says has “not been seen on a traditional Morgan body…

➤ 1968 MG MGC GT, value £17,000: £80.48 or £98.48 with Agreed Value ➤ Based on 45-year old, with a second vehicle. It’s garaged, covers 3000 miles a year and lives in an SP2 postcode. They have no claims or convictions, are a club member, and are employed as a marketing manager. Disclaimer: Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may vary between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. An additional charge may be payable. ➤ Subject to underwriting criteria. www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk 01480 809176…

Contact: TRGB Sycamore Industrial Estate, Somersham, Cambridgeshire, PE28 3HJ Tel: 01487 842168 www.trgb.co.uk/ Mechanically speaking, there wasn’t all that much to separate the Triumph TR6 from the outgoing TR5 when it was unveiled at the tail end of the ‘60s. Instead, it was the styling that was the main difference. As a new decade approached, Triumph decided that their TR sportscar needed a bit of a makeover, having only made subtle changes to its exterior since 1961. With their usual stylist, Michelotti, too busy to take on the work, Triumph sought input from Germany – specifically, the production firm Karmann, which had most famously been involved in Volkswagen’s aptly-named Karmann Ghia coupe. Between them, Karmann and Triumph came up with a new look for the car which very much stayed…

I kind of grew up with Alfas, and the one that switched me on to the marque was the nifty front-drive Alfasud. It’s 50 years since this went into proper production yet I remain convinced that the Sud was the best car they ever made. Why? Because nobody made anything convincingly better during its lifespan although the original Golf GTI was as close as anyone got. Cheaply made and rot prone it was, but as a total engineering solution it was unequalled. So, having driven and digested Alfa’s Neapolitan wonder it would be right to assume that the 105 Series cars would again be a revelation. I mean, that all-alloy Alfa twin cam engine is to my reckoning one of the best four-cylinder engines ever made. It’s just the car…