Innholdsfortegnelse for 5/11/2022 i Classic Car Buyer

In last week’s CCB, we ran a story covering Citroën’s decision to leave the once-burgeoning MPV market by ceasing production of the Grand C4 Spacetourer, bringing to an end the company’s long-running involvement in the ‘people carrier’ sector. I have little interest in most new Citroëns, but I can’t help feeling saddened by this news. Citroën has been an integral part of the MPV scene for almost 30 years, achieving Europe-wide success since the debut of the seven-seater Synergie (a joint project between France’s PSA and Italy’s Fiat Group) in 1994. It was a clever collaboration, proving successful enough for a second generation of multi-badged MPVs to arrive in 2002 and last an impressive 12 years. But it was the originals that I recall with most affection, from a time…

A right-hand drive 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL in a dismantled state and missing its original engine and other parts managed to achieve an estimate-beating £38,250 when it sold at H&H’s most recent auction. Guided at £25,000-£35,000, the ‘mortal remains’ of what was one of the most desirable sportsters of the ’60s attracted interest from the USA and India before being snapped up by a UK-based buyer. The vendor’s father had bought the Mercedes in 1989, entrusting it to a garage for storage while his other restoration was completed. Unfortunately, the owner’s health deteriorated and the garage ended up stripping the car and selling off its engine and one of its axles. What was left of the Mercedes in 2022 came complete with the car’s original chassis and body plates and…

Sign up to our newsletter at www.classicsworld.co.uk With the government developing a Future of Transport programme to create the rules enabling new developments in transport over the next few decades, the Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA) has entered discussions to ensure that the UK’s classic vehicle industry isn’t adversely affected by any changes. A petition to safeguard the UK’s classic industry in this way attracted 115,000 signatures, resulting in the latest parliamentary debate involving input from the HCVA. The debate was opened on behalf of the petitioner, Gareth James, by Nicholas Fletcher MP, who talked about custom cars, racing and modifications. He described how Gareth got his start in engineering by modifying cars, and how many people around the country are in the same position. Fletcher suggested, as the…

The 2001 Land Rover Freelander converted to First Response spec by a classic car enthusiast couple, as featured in our March 23 issue, has made it to Ukraine and has been pressed into immediate service. One of two vehicles bought and converted by Richard Myers and his wife, Gosia, the Freelander Td4 was fully kitted out with essential equipment and donated to Ukrainian Medical Services. It was then driven to the Ukrainian border, where it was handed over last month. This latest photograph from Ukraine shows the Freelander in Dnipro, where medics are using it to evacuate mothers and children from the frontline in the Donbas region. Meanwhile, Richard and Gosia’s second First Response vehicle – a converted Fiat Ducato – has also made it to Ukraine and is being…

AUSTIN WESTMINSTER (1954-1968) The C-Series engine enjoyed its early success under the bonnet of the Austin A90 Westminster. Introduced in 1954, the 2.6-litre saloon was a solid entrant in the middle-class sector of the market, with over 25,000 examples sold in under two years. The A90 was updated for autumn 1956 as the longer-bodied A95, which was also offered as a Countryman estate. The 102bhp A105 was the star of the range though, featuring twin carbs, overdrive as standard and two-tone paint. It was also the first mass-produced Austin family car to be upgraded by Vanden Plas. The Westminster name was dropped from the sales literature for the A95 and the A105, but most enthusiasts still refer to them as such. Around 35,000 A95/A105s were built until BMC ‘went Farina’…

The days of the cheap Mini are long gone now – they’re all collector’s items. And since the Mk1 represents the Mini in its original, and arguably purest, form, they are among the most collectable of all. These were, after all, the models which saw the Mini take the world by storm, which introduced a host of new ideas to small car design, which became the fastest-selling British car in history and became a cultural touchstone that encapsulates an entire decade. But with value and historical importance, it’s even more important to know what you’re getting into if you choose to buy and run an early Mini. OVERVIEW The Mk1 version of the Mini spanned the first eight years of the little car’s long life, between the launch in September…

HILLMAN HUSKY Of near-identical dimensions all-round as the Minor, the Husky (based on the ‘Audax’ Minx) boasted a 1.3-litre engine which gives it significantly more guts than even the most powerful Traveller. The all-steel body is more modern, but ironically made the Husky more prone to terminal rot and harder to rebuild, making them much rarer. TRIUMPH HERALD ESTATE Not as capacious as the Minor Traveller, and in many ways more of a proto-supermini, the Herald Estate boasts chic looks, a versatile interior and blissfully simple structural design. Light controls make it sharp and easy to drive and it has a taxi-beating turning circle. Maintenance is a doddle thanks to that one-piece hinged front end. FORD ANGLIA ESTATE Ford finally surpassed the Minor with the 105E, which set the template…

Two of today’s best known classic vehicle TV stars will be attending the Hagerty Hillclimb, set to take place at Shelsley Walsh on Saturday, May 28. Paul Cowland and Drew Pritchard of Salvage Hunters Classic Cars fame will be there throughout the day, each tackling the famous Shelsley Walsh hillclimb in a classic. Showgoers will get to enjoy their company, with Paul and Drew staying around to watch the on-track activities and mingle with the crowds. Adding to the event, a number of important competition and road cars have been hand-picked to put on a show for visitors, including the first of just 50 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato Coupes, a 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT (one of 75 such cars ever built) and a 1951 Jaguar XK120 Competition that…

An immaculately restored Ford Cortina Lotus Mk1 is set to go under the auctioneer’s gavel at the next Classic Car Auctions (CCA) sale, taking place at the Warwickshire Event Centre on June 18. The 1966 survivor has been the subject of a high-quality restoration over a 12-month period, with CCA emphasising that “nothing was left untouched”. A replacement bodyshell was used, keeping the original wings, etch-primed and finished in the traditional Ermine White with Sherwood Green flashes down the side. This car is said to be particularly desirable as it features the earlier Lotus gearbox with the tall 2.5 first gear. The box is mated to a fully rebuilt twin-cam complete with John Smurthwaite ‘fast road’ head and QED 420 cams. With the Cortina Lotus Mk1 commanding hefty sums in…

French firm Renault has announced it will be transferring its 68 per cent stake in Avtovaz, Russia’s biggest carmaker best-known for its Lada brand, to an auto research institute for a symbolic single rouble – the equivalent of 1.2 pence. The deal was first reported by Russian news agencies citing the country’s Trade Minister, Denis Manturov, who also announced that Renault’s factory in Moscow – which produces cars under the Renault and Nissan brands – will be passed to the city’s government. The moves are likely to build on concerns that Russian firms and institutions are buying up prized assets for bargain sums, as Western companies rush to comply with sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, as well as threats from the Kremlin that foreign-owned assets may be seized. The Russian…

The Morgan Motor Company has relocated part of its production line away from Malvern Link, Worcestershire, for the first time in its 113-year history, to showcase a mix of craft and technology at London Craft Week, taking place as this issue of CCB goes on sale. A selection of the company’s master craftspeople will relocate to Morgan Works London, the marque’s central London dealership, to continue building as an extension of the production line. Until Friday, May 13, visitors will be able to discover more about Morgan’s unique approach to vehicle production, as told by the individuals at the heart of it. From carpentry used in the body frames through to aluminium fabrication and leatherwork employed for the interiors, visitors will learn about how each Morgan sports car is made.…

Over 80 entries went under the hammer at SWVA’s most recent classic car sale on April 29, with a hugely diverse catalogue ranging from a 1924 Willys-Overland Model 91 through to a 2004 MG TF. However, it was well-established British classics that particularly impressed during a busy sale for the Poole firm. A 1968 Morris Minor Traveller set the tone when it was hammered away above guide for £7700, only to be trumped by a very smart two-door saloon model from the same year, which beat its £5995-£6995 estimate to reach a hammer price of £8800. It was a good day for the numerous Triumphs too, as a 1973 Stag was sold above its £6750-£7750 guide for a hammer price of £10,400, a lovely 1964 Spitfire reached £10,000 against an…

FORD CAPRI (1969-1986) As Europe’s answer to the muscle-bound Mustang pony car, the Ford Capri made its mark by following the same winning formula. Like its Stateside cousin, it borrowed the underpinnings of an existing saloon model and reclothed them in a svelte, sporty new package with room for four and a keen price tag. Just as the Mustang plundered the Falcon and Fairlane to keep costs down, the Capri’s platform was derived from that of the Corsair. But Ford was also every clever in its marketing. Using the slogan “The car you always promised yourself”, it gave potential customers the best possible chance of fulfilling that promise by offering an unprecedented range of engines and trim options to suit different pockets. Within a year of the UK launch in…

Insurers were beginning to turn against hot hatches by the early ’90s; while they were adored by all walks of life, premiums began to mitigate against them. Four-cylinder sports cars from mass manufacturers had died with the Triumph TR7, but higher performance six- and eight-cylinder models survived in the hands of small-scale makers, including Morgan, Reliant and TVR. With the vast parts bin of the British motor industry to call on and smaller overheads, these faster and more costly cars could survive in the specialised ends of the sports car market, for which niche demand in Britain has always existed. A shock to the sports car consciousness was delivered in 1989, however, when a certain Japanese marque proved that the cheap roadster was a lucrative sales proposition. TVR V8S (1991-1994)…

An OSCA MT4 with an impressive competition history was presented with the Prix d’Honneur in the Concours de Vente at the recent Salon Privé event in London. The Italian sports-racer had been entered for the innovative competition – in which every car entered was being offered for sale – by the Classic Motor Hub. The 1954 OSCA – chassis number 1143 – was built for racing driver Francesco Giardini, its first competition outing being that year’s Coppa della Toscana, in which it won its class. It was then a works entry in the Le Mans 24 Hours, with Giardini and co-driver Jacques Péron leading their class until Giardini crashed out of the race with only two hours remaining. Having been acquired by Attilio Brandi ahead of the 1955 season, the…

Crewe-based Bentley Motors has announced a recruitment drive for 100 talented engineers as the company accelerates its Beyond100 strategy, described as “the boldest plan of its kind in the sector”. Working across multiple disciplines within engineering, a key responsibility will be to support delivery of the ambitious Five-in-Five plan, which commits Bentley to launching a new electric model each year from 2025. Further information on the current vacancies can be found at bentleycareers.com, with applications currently open for the first 50 roles but set to increase to 100 over the coming months. The positions cover multiple disciplines of engineering, plus research and development, although around half the vacancies are focused on electrical competencies as Bentley aims for full electrification of its product range within eight years.…

Despite hosting its April 30 sale a mere five weeks after the previous one, WB & Sons didn’t disappoint when it came to filling its auction catalogue. More than 90 entries crossed the block at its Newcastle base, with another great mix of established classics, performance models and intriguing rarities. The sale offered further evidence that a dearth in the value of pre-war vehicles has been exaggerated. A 1929 Humber 9/28 was able to considerably top its £2000-£4000 guide price to achieve £6850, with a modified 1928 Ford Model A Roadster also impressing at £28,000. Towards the other end of the scale, it was an exceptional day for sporty 1980s classics. A 1989 Mk1 Toyota MR2 showing just 37,000 miles sold above estimate at £10,450, with a very tidy Mk2…

While the 190E was Mercedes’ first attempt to make a small saloon, it wasn’t a flash in the pan. Development had taken almost a decade, and £600 million was spent perfecting the design before it was released to the public in 1982. Using the same 2.0-litre engine as the basic W123 in carburetted and injected forms, it adopted the 190 and 190E epithets to mark that it sat below the existing 200 in the range. From September 1983 it was exported to Britain, priced to compete with the 320i and 323i models from BMW’s E30 range. In 1985, Britain got its first new engine – a 2.6-litre six-cylinder unit shared with the larger W124 260E. The 190E 2.6 took the fight to the new BMW 325i, offering comfort and performance…

Dating from November 1960, this photograph was taken outside the paint, trim and assembly section of the Ford plant at Dagenham, with a long line of Mk2 Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac models parked behind a large number of Anglia 105Es. At the back, meanwhile, is a row of Thames Traders, the heavy-duty commercial that proved a hit for Ford between 1957 and ’65. The Mk2 had been another success story for Ford, launched in 1956 and appealing to buyers who craved a big saloon (or estate, or convertible) at a sensible price. But the company’s biggest seller of 1960 was the new Anglia, launched in September of the previous year and proving an instant hit, with Ford hailing it as “the world’s most exciting light car”. It was the first…

In 1959, Rootes Group attempted to make a dent into the fruitful roadster market that had served BMC and Triumph so well. The Alpine model that consequently arose certainly looked the part, although using the same platform as the Commer Cob van meant that it wasn’t really as dynamic as its rivals. The original Minx-derived engine it was supplied with was rather underwhelming too, but later models were blessed with a much-improved 1725cc version. Series IV cars like this 1964 example didn’t originally come with the uprated engine, but it has been fitted to this particular example. Although lacking the ultimate sporting edge, practicality was where the Alpine shone: there was an impressive amount of boot space, as well as a comfortable cockpit with proper wind-up windows (unlike some more…