Innholdsfortegnelse for 3/30/2022 Events Special! i Classic Car Buyer

Sometimes, we make life unnecessarily complicated for ourselves in the quest for ‘fun’, a case in point being a recent trip to the Retromobile show in Paris. It would have been so much easier to take a modern company car or the Eurostar over to the French capital, but as I was celebrating a milestone birthday I decided to team up with a pal and embark on an extended trip – in a £450, 25-year-old supermini I’d not driven further than 30 miles in. The car is question was a Nissan Micra 1.3 SLX wearing Halfords wheel trims and various battle scars. Not a traditional classic (and probably not one at all for many folk), although I did manage to get it on a classic insurance policy. To cut a…

The 2001 Land Rover Freelander Td4 that we reported on in last week’s CCB, converted to First Response spec along with a Fiat Ducato van, has just left the UK at the time of writing and is heading for Ukraine. Both vehicles are fully kitted out with medical equipment and are being donated to Ukrainian Medical Services by classic vehicle enthusiast Richard Myers and his wife, Gosia. Richard is hoping that what began as a two-vehicle project can grow into something bigger, enabling him and Gosia to supply others when funds allow: “We’d love to get another two – ideally 4x4s – converted and sent to Ukraine to help with this vital work.” Anybody wishing to donate to the Ambulances 4 Ukraine fund can do so at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ambulances4ukraine.…

The Russian invasion of Ukraine means the end of the road for UK sales of the Lada Niva – the ultra-tough 4x4 that’s remained in production with relatively few changes for more than 45 years. Although official UK Lada sales ceased in 1997, the last 12 months had seen specialist importer Mark Key recommence low-volume imports. Having first enjoyed success with Niva imports in 2010, the idea was revisited last year, with Key selling new left-hand drive examples to customers who were looking for a simple and affordable off-roader. However, the invasion of Ukraine means all future imports of the Russian-built Niva are suspended, although Key will continue to support existing owners in the UK. At the time of writing, just one brand new Niva remains available, a car that…

TrackDays.co.uk is offering enthusiasts a chance to sample the power of a Jordan Grand Prix car, driven by Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato in the 2002 season, as part of the company’s expanding range of single-seater opportunities. Participants will be given a full briefing and training programme, covering such essentials as how to take the perfect racing lines, throttle/braking techniques and safety tutorials. The Jordan can be driven at a choice of circuits and joins other single-seaters on the TrackDays.co.uk fleet, including Formula 1000 and Formula Renault.…

Anglia Car Auctions’ second classic sale of the year takes place this weekend (April 2-3), with a superb mix of everyman and prestige vehicles set to cross the block at the firm’s King’s Lynn base. For the second consecutive sale the venue will be open for public attendance, but remote bidding options remain, and the action will be streamed live on YouTube. Viewing is also available on the Thursday and Friday beforehand. The sale features several low-mileage entries, especially from the 1990s. The stand-out is arguably a 1998 Peugeot 106 GTI showing just 15,285 miles from new and estimated at £11,500-£13,500, but you’ll also find a 9500-mile Vauxhall Tigra 1.4 and a 1995 Volkswagen Corrado VR6 showing a mere 41,871 miles. More unusual is a 4415-mile 1990 Nissan New Cabstar…

VOLVO 1800ES (1972-1973) By the ’70s, it was clear that the Volvo 1800 belonged to the past decade. Designer, Jan Wilsgaard, worked up two proposals to modify the 1800 further in 1968; a radical, abruptly tapered shooting break, built by Frua (nicknamed ‘The Rocket’ by Volvo’s chief engineer, Tor Berthelius) and a shorter, less radical, glass-tailgated machine constructed by Coggiola. Management approved the latter car, and as coupé production wound down, the ES extended the 1800’s life span into 1973. For that year, the Reliant Scimitar GTE had some competition, albeit briefly. The fuel injected B20 engines couldn’t offer the same performance as the British car, but the Volvo countered with better build quality and passive safety. Although the P1800ES’s life was short, it inspired the front-wheel drive, Dutch-built 480…

Created by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) to help raise awareness of the classic vehicle movement among the wider population, and the promote the importance of our transport heritage, Drive It Day has played an important role since 2005. This year’s event takes place on Sunday, April 24 and looks set to be another resounding success. Each year, the date of Drive It Day is set as close as possible to the anniversary of the 1000-mile trial – a legendary tour from London to Edinburgh and back again, held by pioneering motorists in the year 1900. Happily though, Drive It Day itself doesn’t involve anything quite so grueling, being instead a day dedicated to the love of classic cars – and, just as importantly, the love of…

This year’s Retromobile show at the Paris Expo – marking the return of one of Europe’s biggest classic car events after a two-year hiatus – concluded on March 20. Set over two large floors, the 46th edition of the show delighted visitors with an incredible mix of everyman classics, quirky curiosities and the cream of Europe’s exotica. Summing up the everyman content best of all was the official golden anniversary tribute to the Renault 5, with the company curating a fine display of 13 cars. These included its 1972 electric R5 alongside the prototype Renault 5 EV expected for 2024, plus examples of the early R5 TL, R5L, R5 Alpine, a rare ‘Le Car’ van, a wide-bodied R5 Turbo and a police version. The later Supercinq was also represented by…

The legendary V12 Vantage name has been revived by Aston Martin for a commemorative, limited-edition version of its two-seater coupe, with a substantial performance boost over the standard V8 car. The company will build just 333 examples of the newcomer, all of which are pre-sold despite a starting price of £265,000. This latest model represents the third and final V12-engined Vantage that Aston Martin will ever build. It uses the same 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine as the current DB11 and DBS but in a bespoke state of tune, with 690bhp and a torque figure of 555lb.ft – enough for a 200mph top speed, with 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. The eight-speed automatic gearbox is carried over from the standard Vantage but recalibrated to give faster shift times. The car is also…

One of the highlights of this year’s delayed Salon Retromobile was the annual Artcurial auction on March 18-19, which was so vast it took up a good proportion of the event’s lower floor at Paris Expo all on its own. This was never going to be a sale for those looking for a three-figure bargain, but as a window into the top end of the market it made for a fascinating two days in the French capital. The sale’s headliner was an ex-Works Porsche 907, which attracted a winning bid of €3.8m plus fees, nudging the total to almost €4.4m. However, most of the million-Euro results were achieved by Ferrari supercars, with a 1989 F40 smashing past its €1.3m-€1.6m prediction to reach a hammer price of €1.8m. That was still…

We all like to think our cars are maintained pretty well. But how often have you taken your classic down to the MoT station and discovered a major unknown fault? And that’s assuming, of course, that your classic is even due an MoT. With Historic Vehicles (those over 40 years old) being exempt from the annual roadworthiness test, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant after a winter of automotive hibernation. It’s well known that lack of use has just as harmful an effect on a car as driving it hard. Many of us will have booked an old car in for an MoT test at the first sign of spring, only to find a leaky wheel cylinder or perished coolant pipe… or at the very least, a flat…

Donington Historic Festival April 30 - May 1 Celebrating eight decades of motorsport is this amazing two-day event, with an array of highlights this year that include the Jaguar Classic Challenge, the ‘Mad Jack’ Pre-War Sports Car series, the Historic Touring Car Challenge (for ’70s and ’80s racers), the Amon Cup for Ford GT40s, the ’60s Touring Car Challenge, and the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy. Car clubs are welcome to attend, with space available for displays of members’ cars, and all visitors will get to witness plenty of close-fought historic racing action. You can save money on your ticket by pre-booking in advance. Single-day adult tickets start at £25, with two-day passes available from £40 each. Children under 13 are admitted free of charge. For…

If you were to only briefly glance at the history books, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Lotus took to building production cars like a duck to water. The Lotus Elan, one of the company’s earliest designs, is of course a renowned car for all the right reasons. However, its less spoken-of predecessor can’t quite claim the same legacy. Most at home on the racetrack, the Lotus Elite of 1958 didn’t quite translate so well as a road car. However, company founder Colin Chapman was anything but a quitter, and at his next attempt, the legendary engineer struck gold. OVERVIEW The biggest area that Chapman identified for improvement was the chassis. The previous unibody structure was thrown out, and instead, the new car – named Elan - would be built…

Few would deny that the original Mini was Britain’s biggest automotive icon of the swinging ’60s. It might have got off to a shaky start saleswise, but once it appeared in glossy magazines being driven by the rich and famous on the fashionable streets of London, there was no stopping it. From Twiggy to The Beatles, everyone wanted a slice of ’60s-style Mini action. The question for British Leyland, however, was how to maintain that momentum in the decade that was to follow. The answer lay in the new flat-fronted Clubman range, which arrived in 1969 alongside the sporting derivative shown here: the 1275GT. It was a way of replacing the ’60s sensation that was the Mini Cooper with something more in tune with ’70s style; and it went on…

Sign up to our newsletter at www.classicsworld.co.uk What were described as “the mortal remains” of a 1963 AC Ace 2.6, offered with no reserve in the most recent H&H sale, went on to sell for an impressive £202,500 – despite the car’s original chassis having been scrapped many years ago. The winning bidder acquired what was left, which included the AC’s engine, gearbox and differential, plus some external and internal panels and interior parts. The late-model Ace boasted an eventful history, having been hillclimbed by its first and second owners. It had been in its last family ownership since 1969 and was taken off the road in 1979, when it was stripped in readiness for a full restoration. Sadly, the work never progressed and the dismantled car remained in storage…

ROVER P4 (1949-1964) These solid, separate-chassis cars with torquey engines and rugged, long-travel suspension made for a superb and utterly British tourer. Named by its horsepower, the 75 was first; a 2.1-litre inlet-over-exhaust (IOE) six was mated to transatlantic, Studebaker-aping styling, with a third ‘Cyclops’ driving light, dropped by 1952 together with the early car’s column gear change, followed by a facelift in 1954 which included a larger rear window, A year later, the range broadened to encompass an entry-level four-cylinder 60 and a range topping, 2.6-litre 90; by 1956, Rover had increased its output to 105bhp, creating the 105, 105R (automatic) and 105S. The 90 and 105 gave way to the 100 in 1959 along with the 60, supplanted by the newer, four-cylinder 80. The fully equipped, steel-doored 95…

LONGSTONE TYRES If you need to change the tyres on your classic and you’re looking for some advice from the experts, talk to Longstone Tyres – a leading name in the supply of tyres for classic and vintage cars, run by a small team of dedicated enthusiasts. They’ll do their utmost to help fellow old car fans find the best tyres from the enormous range of sizes and tread designs held in stock at the company’s warehouse. The firm sells tyres from all the world’s best classic tyre manufacturers, including Michelin, Avon, Dunlop, Firestone and BF Goodrich, and it even stocks its own brand of tyres for small pre-war cars like the Austin Seven. One particular Longstone Tyres contribution to the classic car movement has been a collaboration with Pirelli,…

Prescott Speed Hillclimb Classics at Prescott May 15 Away from the regular hillclimb series, the Prescott events season kicks off with the local Rotary Club’s charity event. Now in its 19th year, the event returns to its traditional spring slot after an enforced September date last year. As usual, it’s open to all vehicles aged 25 years or over, with exceptions made for interesting cases. The £65 donation entry fee gets you two runs up the hill in your classic, plus an allocated paddock parking spot, but since these aren’t timed runs you don’t need all the safety kit. Naturally there will also be static displays and the usual laid-back atmosphere, all in the aid of good causes. Entry for non-participants is £20 per car. More details and tickets from…

This week’s image was taken on busy Earlsdon Street, Coventry on October 31, 1973. And with so many independent shops still around (including Live & Let Live Stores, Pennycook & Sons Jewellers, Amy Wright Millinery and Peggy Seager Fashions), locals were spoilt for choice when it came to spending their hard-earned cash. There was plenty of variety when it came to vehicles too, with Ford commercials being represented by Mk1 Transit and Mk1 Escort vans. The parked-up cars offered a real mixture of marques and models, with (from left to right) a Mk1 Cortina, J-reg Mini, L-reg Mk1 Granada (relatively new at the time), Triumph GT6, Chrysler 180 (a rare sight even then), Hillman Avenger, Austin A60, Triumph Spitfire, plus another Granada bringing up the rear. Driving past, meanwhile, were…

During the 1950s and 1960s, Volkswagen was accelerating down a blind alley. Boss Heinrich Nordhoff had seen that the rear-engined models were selling steadily and discouraged any effort to vary the formula out of fear of upsetting the apple cart. But what worked in post-war Germany didn’t work as the nation was regaining prosperity. People didn’t want rear-engined economy cars, and the attempts to expand the formula upwards met with mixed success. The Type 3 sold reasonably well, but the 411 bombed. After Nordhoff’s death in 1968, Volkswagen could shift focus. Kurt Lotz and later Rudolf Leiding saw that the future was with front engines and front wheel drive, and through the NSU-based K70 established that the market was there if Volkswagen wished to take it. From there, the Audi-based…

ALLARD M-SERIES DROPHEAD COUPE Powered by a 3.6-litre Ford V8, the Allard M offers a roadster aesthetic in a more touring-oriented package. Despite only being produced in limited numbers, values remain comparable with the Morgan, perhaps due to its somewhat Marmite styling. LOTUS SEVEN SERIES I Even more driver-focused than the Morgan, the Lotus Seven Series I prioritises lightness and handling over outright power. It offered little in the way of creature comforts either, as its bare alloy bodywork outwardly suggested, and that means it won’t be for everyone JOWETT JUPITER Given its somewhat bulky front end, the Jupiter doesn’t exude much of a sporting persona, especially when you learn that it has a three-abreast bench seating arrangement. The left-field British roadster won its class at both Le Mans and…