Innholdsfortegnelse for 10/26/2022 Restoration Special i Classic Car Buyer

With 16 extra pages, this week’s CCB is a bumper issue packed with fascinating features – including our recommendations for 12 of the finest project cars to tackle this winter. With an array of different models from the 1950s to the ’90s included, there’s something to suit all tastes and budgets. It’s at this time of the year that many enthusiasts migrate to their garages and workshops, often to carry out essential maintenance and remedial work on their current classics. For others though, it’s the perfect time to take on a new project – the kind of car that can be picked up for sensible money and gradually transformed into a roadworthy and presentable example to enjoy next spring. Whether your budget is a few hundred pounds or several thousand,…

A potentially unique Ford Escort XR3i – a superb survivor with just 2849 miles under its wheels – is heading to auction with no reserve. The final sale of the year from Classic Car Auctions (CCA) will take place at the Warwickshire Event Centre on Saturday, December 10. The one-owner XR3i, first registered on August 1, 1988, comes with all of its original paperwork, including the official book pack, and was last driven in 2016 when it was MoT’d and serviced, including a cambelt and water pump. It has been in dry storage ever since. A spokesperson for CCA commented: “The vendor has agreed to bring the car to the market with no reserve. On that basis, the marketplace will decide its value, every bidder knowing that they could be…

A new heritage programme known as Alfa Romeo Classiche has been launched, enabling owners of classic and historic Alfas to access a range of different services. It can offer owners a Certificate of Origin, a Certificate of Authenticity, and even restoration services. The Certificate of Origin is particularly useful, providing a run-down of any Alfa Romeo via its chassis number. The service provides a review against the marque’s production registers and then issues a certificate confirming the year of production, model spec, engine serial number, plus original exterior and interior details. To order a Certificate of Origin for your Alfa, visit fcaheritage.com/en-uk/classic-services/alfa-romeo-certificate-origin.…

The Haynes Motor Museum in Somerset was once again the venue as pre-war cars joined an eclectic mix of three-wheelers, traditional Brits, projects, wildcards and several more besides for Charterhouse’s third classic car sale of the year, which took place on October 12. Headlining that pre-war selection was a 1935 Derby Bentley restoration project that had been in the same family since 1954 and had been stored in an old cart shed since ’68. The engine was probably seized, but that didn’t stop the hammer falling at an impressive £58,000. Much cheaper was a Morris Eight Tourer that was one year younger and sold for £6800. Skipping forward to post-war classics, a 1953 MG TD 1250 was hammered away for £19,000 against a£15,000-£17,000 estimate, with a 1960 Triumph TR3A reaching…

Given the success of the Austin-Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite both at home and abroad, BMC saw potential for developing its successor into an MG – a car capable of expanding Abingdon’s line-up by giving buyers a smaller, more affordable alternative to the MGA and forthcoming MGB. The result was the Midget of 1961, effectively a badge-engineered Sprite Mk2. The Mk1 Midgets, produced between 1961 and ’64, were almost as basic as the Sprite Mk2 Deluxe that sired them; while they had no external door locks, they did at least have a bootlid. By mid-1964, the Midget Mk2 was ready, although it would enjoy just a two-year run; the Mk2 swapped the Mk1’s 948cc A-Series and quarter-elliptic rear springs for a 1098cc and half-elliptics, upping the power and improving the ride. External…

Although the Triumph Spitfire began its career in the early 1960s, it was still a highly relevant sportster during the following decade, which began with the launch of a new-look Spitfire carrying a number of crucial upgrades. And it’s these models of the ’70s that we’ll be focusing on here, not least because they’re the most plentiful and among the most affordable. The original model of 1962, known as the Spitfire 4, was effectively a sports Herald that took advantage of the saloon’s separate chassis to make creating a Sprite-rivalling roadster relative straightforward. Updated in 1965 and ’67 to create the Spitfire 4 Mk2 and the Spitfire Mk3, the first major restyle came in the form of the Spitfire Mk4 of 1970. This would remain largely unchanged for the 1974…

The Metro emerged as the end product of a series of abortive attempts to produce a Mini successor. Conceptually it was very similar, with a bodyshell sitting on a pair of subframes, the familiar transverse A-Series engine with a four-speed gearbox in the sump, wheels in the furthest corners and unusual compact suspension; but the number of bits directly shared with the Mini were few. The Metro was a few inches bigger than the Mini in each dimension; it had bigger wheels and much better brakes, while instead of the Mini’s solid rubber cone springs was the later Hydragas system that promised a more absorbent ride. Engines were familiar 998cc and 1275cc units offering 41bhp and 63bhp respectively. The cabin had seating for five and an ingenious 60/40 split-folding rear…

Dating from July 1963 is this photograph of Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth, looking towards North Parade, on what looks to be a fairly busy shopping day. And of course, that means an array of now fascinating cars on show, closest to the camera being the Singer Gazelle that’s parked at the kerbside on the right. Heading away from us, meanwhile, is an early member of the ‘family Farina’ line-up (thought to be a Wolseley 15/60) wearing the eye-catching registration number PM 5000 – which according to the DVLA, is now registered to a 2017 Bentley Continental GT. Other cars in the distance include a Ford Consul Mk2, while turning right are a Wolseley 1500 and a Vauxhall Wyvern. The models parked in front of the Gazelle are particularly interesting, though,…

The Karmann Ghia has often been dismissed as all style and no substance. The first part is certainly right – few cars have been so explicitly and entirely about looking pretty, the end result being a highly attractive classic. But no substance? That’s a charge made in error by people expecting the Karmann to back up its sleek looks with similar performance. All the Karmann Ghia ever had to do was be a handsome variant of the Beetle – and it does that superbly. By teaming the aesthetic know-how of one of the great Italian design houses with the high build quality of a German coachbuilder, Volkswagen cooked up a recipe that was sure to achieve classic status. It combined the style of a sports car with the thrifty running…

Final preparations for this year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show are taking place, with the traditional end-of-season extravaganza set to open its doors to the public on Friday, November 11. The three-day event will be bigger and better than ever for 2022, with countless exhibits and attractions to keep enthusiasts entertained. This year’s show theme is ‘Part of the Family’, with all of the 300 attending clubs interpreting it in their own way. Show director, Lee Masters, told CCB: “The classic car community is a family that continues to grow every year as the next generation joins. We need to welcome and embrace new family members as they are the future of classic motoring.” Ideas likely to be adopted by clubs include groups of cars from one manufacturing family; a…

Sign up to our newsletter at www.classicsworld.co.uk A new report investigating the carbon footprint of classic cars registered in the UK has revealed that their total annual CO2 emissions represent just 0.22 per cent of those from the entire UK transport sector. The report, Quantifying Classic Car Emissions 2022, was collated by automotive PR agency, loop, and included all cars over 30 years of age – the same definition of classics as used by FIVA, the international federation for historic vehicles. There are currently 874,083 such cars registered in the UK, 461,515 of which are declared SORN. According to loop, an average classic car’s annual emissions are comparable to a single round-trip flight from London to New York, a typical three-day Christmas for one person, or the equivalent of drinking…

British EV technology company Electrogenic, known for its classic car electric conversions, is introducing a new range of ‘drop-in’ kits. Operating alongside its in-house EV work, the kits provided by the company’s Powered by Electrogenic division will expand its customer base. The ‘drop-in’ EV conversions will be supplied to selected B2B partners, kicking off with a bespoke set-up for the Land Rover Defender. Each kit features a 120kW or 150kW water-cooled motor, a 310Nm motor delivering 900Nm directly into the transfer box, 62-93kWh of batteries located under the bonnet and behind the rear axle, plus CCS rapid charging. The Defender’s high/low ratio gear selection and permanent four-wheel drive are retained. Steve Drummond, Electrogenic cofounder, says: “Each kit will incorporate the latest technology, while also drawing upon the accumulated experience from…

VAUXHALL CAVALIER Mk2 (1981-1988) Various companies had offered front-wheel drive family and executive cars during the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the second-generation Cavalier arrived in 1981 that the layout was widely adopted by company car fleet buyers. Little more than a rebadged Opel Ascona C (itself part of General Motors’ global ‘J-car’ project), the Mk2 Cavalier stole a couple of years’ lead on the Ford Sierra, offering a crisp, angular and modern look that was reassuringly normal. Aside from the standard four-door saloon, there was a two-door model (a small seller that was dropped in 1985), a five-door estate and a rakish five-door hatchback. Engines ran from 1.3 to 2.0 litres and came from Opel’s Family 1 and Family 2 ranges of OHC four-pots. The appeal of the Mk2…

Despite being a product of the early post-war years, making its Earl’s Court debut in 1948, the Morris Minor was advanced enough in spec to enjoy an impressively long career. It really hit its stride in 1952, when the Series 2 – complete with 803cc A-Series power in place of the original sidevalve – went on sale. But it was via the subsequent Minor 1000 that the humble Morris would reach its peak of usability; and with most surviving examples dating from the ’60s, it deserves its place in this section. As projects go, the humble Minor should be near the top of anyone’s shortlist thanks to its simple layout and relative ease of restoration. Whichever version you go for, you’ll find it a joy to work on, making it…

The Rover SD1 had a difficult job ahead of it when it was launched in 1976. Not only did it have to replace two rival ranges of executive saloons, it did so by sacrificing a much-loved marque as well as some of the technological ideals of the brand it retained. The SD1 was a simpler prospect under the skin than the P6 it replaced; and while it was closer in concept to the Triumph 2500, the diehard Triumph enthusiast would have considered Rover ownership a betrayal of loyalty. Nevertheless, the SD1 proved to be a success, owing in no small part to its forward-thinking body and interior, plus a wide choice of models from 2.0 to 3.5 litres and from basic to palatial in trim. Facelifted in 1982, production of…

Let’s say your winter project wish-list has been narrowed down to something German with sporting appeal as well as daily-driver potential. There’s a reasonable chance that the BMW 3 Series is somewhere on that list, and quite possibly a model from the E30 generation. If so, let us congratulate you on a fine choice. Ever since the first 3 Series appeared almost five decades ago, it’s been a car that many aspired to; and while the roads seem filled with them today, that certainly wasn’t always the case. When the second-generation 3 Series – the E30 – was launched in 1982, it was seen as a premium saloon – a cut above the mainstream and a model that showed the neighbours you were doing well for yourself. The lowlier 316…

Designer Alec Issigonis was so right, and yet so wrong, with his predictions for the Mini he so skilfully created. In his view, it was a simple, spartan car to revolutionise transport for working public, not one designed for the fashion-conscious “who like to leave them outside their front gate”. Sure, with its innovative front-wheel drive, transverse-engined layout, the Mini ripped up the established rulebook to change the face of small cars forever. But not just for the working class. After a difficult start, here was a car that could be a fashion icon, city transport for rock stars and a motorsport hero – plus the ideal compact plaything for the home DIYer. Nowadays, those early cars – especially the go-faster Cooper and Cooper S models – have rocketed in…

SINGER ROADSTER A contemporary of the Morgan between 1939 and 1955, the Singer was based on the Bantam saloon, which meant useable rear seats were an integral part of the design. But that also meant that the Roadster was nowhere near as sporty in performance or character as the Morgan. Parts supply is not as good these days, either. LOTUS ELAN +2 Another specialist two-seater sports car given a veneer of practicality with the addition of some rear seats. Unlike the Morgan, the Elan +2 was intended squarely at the driving enthusiast who now found himself with a couple of young children, and the rear seating was really not suitable for adults. It is also only available a coupe. RELIANT SCIMITAR GTC If Morgan had progressed its designs in a…

Tickets for next year’s VolksWorld Show, which takes place at Sandown Park, Surrey, have now gone on sale – making them the ideal Christmas gift solution for any classic VW fan. Hailed as Europe’s premier air-cooled Volkswagen Show, with water-cooled Transporters also represented, the event will feature hundreds of show-quality vehicles both indoors and out, along with club stands, traders and a whole floor of swapmeet tables. Weekend camping is available, and the show is very much a family affair – with free admission for children aged 14 and under. VIP tickets are also available, giving you early (9am) access each day as well as a £10 discount at the VolksWorld shop and a free copy of CCB. All pre-booked adult tickets will receive a free show guide, usually priced…

The first sale hosted by Classix Auction Group takes places this Saturday (October 29) at its new 6000-square-feet headquarters in Hemswell, just nine miles from Lincoln, with an interesting selection of classics now entered. These range in age from a 1963 Morris Mini Mk1 guided at £6000-£10,000 to a 2006 Jaguar ‘X350’ 3.0 V6 with a low-end estimate of £5500. Other classics in the same inaugural sale include a 1979 Volkswagen T2 bus, a 1986 Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 1.6L Estate, a 1963 Rover 110, a 1968 Jaguar 240, a 1996 Bentley Brooklands, a 1986 Jaguar XJ-SC V12 and a 2000 MGF. Visitors to the auction are welcome on the day, with viewings available in advance. Classix Auction Group is a family-run set-up that aims to establish its own niche within…

Winter is just around the corner, which means many of us are retreating into our garages and workshops to embark upon our latest projects, hopefully emerging next spring with a smart and usable classic to enjoy. Well, that’s the theory! Over the next few pages, we take a look at 12 of today’s top choices for winter projects, covering four decades (the 1960s to the ’90s) and featuring an array of saloons, soft-tops and coupes. Whatever your taste in classics, there should be something here to tempt you. We investigate what makes these 12 cars such great project choices, and we examine what you’re likely to face – whether you’re taking on a major restoration or a minor tidy-up. So, check out our recommendations. And don’t forget to tell us…

Better known (but not officially badged) as the Amazon, the Volvo 120 proved to be a roaring success for its Swedish maker, attracting buyers from across the world. The UK first received 120s in 1958, two years after the model’s unveiling, as a four-door twin-carb saloon with two-tone paint. A 1.8-litre five bearing ‘B18’ engine, in single-(121) and twin-carb (122S) form, replaced the 1.6 ‘B16’ in 1961, with the two-door saloon (130) arriving at the same time. Estates (220) appeared between 1962 and ’63, and by late 1964 the range had received a minor interior and exterior facelift. The high-performance (115bhp) 123GT arrived in late ’66, with that same year seeing the square-rigged 140 series replacing the four-door 120. A 1986cc ‘B20’ engine (again with one or two carburettors) was…

Although Jaguar’s class-leading new XJ started its career in the late 1960s and lingered on in V12-form through to 1992, the Series 2 and 3 models featured here were both launched in the ’70s. Indeed, the Series 2 evolved from the Series 1 in 1973, featuring a raised front bumper to appease the American safety mob, and a redesigned dashboard with clearer and safer switchgear. Towards the end of the decade, however, the car was looking a little dated and Jaguar needed a rethink, particularly as its long-anticipated XJ40 successor was suffering long delays. With the help of Pininfarina in Italy, Jaguar raised the XJ’s roofline for 1979, modified the detailing to give us the Series 3 – the form in which Jaguar would produce the ‘series’ XJ for more…

From the launch of the first Golf way back in 1974, it became the go-to choice for those wanting practical, well-engineered and classy family transport. Almost a decade later it was time for what could have been the ‘difficult second album’, but buyers needn’t have worried; the Mk2 Golf picked up where the first generation left off, with those much admired attributes present and correct in a model that was more spacious – and one that had been designed in-house, unlike the Giugiaro-penned original. The Mk2 arrived on UK shores in March 1984 and, despite strong competition from mainstream brands such as Ford and Vauxhall, it proved as popular as VW would have hoped. So much so, more than six million were built before it made way for the Mk3,…

Top-down fun came back to our roads from Japan (rather than Europe) for the 1990s, kickstarting the renaissance against the hot hatch hegemony of the previous decade. Sports cars – bar a few stragglers from Morgan and Reliant – had been consigned to the history books, but Mazda timed its new model perfectly. Released across the world between 1989 and 1990, the 1.6-litre (114bhp) NA-generation MX-5 and parallel Japanese-market Eunos Roadster received three iterative updates – plus numerous special editions – throughout its career, gaining a 1.8-litre engine and a stiffer bodyshell by 1994, alongside further small upgrades by the end of ’95. Latterly facing stiff competition from the MGF, Fiat Barchetta and Alfa Spider (916), the range splintered into a basic, detuned 1.6 and two 1.8 models. By this…

Memories of a Matiz Our Classic Choice feature comparing the Ford Ka with the Fiat Seicento and Daewoo Matiz (CCB, October 12) created interest, with David Saunders writing in to explain he’s a fan of the South Korean offering: “I was really pleased to see the Daewoo Matiz getting a good mention in the latest issue. The three cars you featured have always interested me, although the Matiz is the only one I’ve owned so far.” In fact, David has previously owned a couple of examples of the Matiz: “I had an early V-reg car in about 2010, followed by a much later Chevrolet version. Both models proved to be totally reliable and were great fun to drive. The Daewoo attracted lots of attention, too. I don’t know whether it…