Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/2/2022 i Classic Car Buyer

The motoring scene is changing at what can seem like a frantic pace. Last week, for example, came the news that Ford’s Fiesta will be withdrawn in 2023 – the car that was Britain’s bestseller until recently, and a staple of our roads since 1977. Other once-major models have also been dropped, and even entire genres of cars are seemingly passing by. The mid-size, mass-market ‘repmobile’ saloon is virtually gone; so are the small estate car, the three-door family hatchback, the MPV and the people-carrier. But there’s another trend that seems to have gone largely unnoticed and which has a distinctly classic angle to it: badges. A lot of car manufacturers have revamped or changed their logos recently, and many have been dusting off old versions that are instantly familiar…

Forty-seven years after its European launch, the Fiesta will disappear from the Ford line-up in 2023, with falling sales of the current-generation version likely to have hastened its withdrawal. The Fiesta’s demise was formally announced by Ford last Wednesday (October 26), when it also issued a promotional film – available on YouTube, #FarewellFiesta – paying tribute to the long-running supermini. The Fiesta no longer plays a role in the UK’s Top 10, while its main rival – the Vauxhall Corsa – continues to top the sales charts. The Fiesta’s fall from grace isn’t just confined to the UK, with 2022 Europe-wide sales (to the end of August) being 45 per cent down on last year. In August alone, the Fiesta failed even to make the Top 50, selling just 2735…

Sign up to our newsletter at www.classicsworld.co.uk A 1965 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 with Sir Stirling Moss racing connections, and the 1964 ex-Works Mini Cooper S that won the RAC Rally outright with Rauno Aaltonen at the wheel, are two of the classics heading to auction at the NEC’s Classic Motor Show next week – joining an eclectic selection of rarities in the Silverstone Auctions sale. The E-Type was faithfully built for competition use as a semi-lightweight model by respected marque specialist, the late Jeremy Broad, who followed the specification of the two special-order semi-lightweight cars constructed by Jaguar Works in 1964. The E-Type was purchased in 1991 by Manx Motor Racing Club director, Graham Warwick, and entered into that year’s Mountain Challenge – an event commemorating the Isle of…

Hobbs Parker returned to 2022 classic car action for the final time on October 19-20, working to its familiar timed online format. Archetypal British classics featured heavily, but there was more than a sprinkling of overseas rarities to build up the intrigue. Best performer on the day was a wonderfully original 1968 Mini Cooper S that had been in the same family since 1974 and sold for £26,510. It was one of six classic Minis in the sale to find a new home, with our interest also piqued by a low-mileage 1978 Mini 850 that sold for £5500. Other Brits to perform well included a 1952 Bentley R-Type that changed hands mid-estimate for £19,910, plus a 1973 Triumph TR6 that was sold for £18,700. A couple of MGB GTs also…

ALFA ROMEO SPIDER Another sports car of the 1960s that kept going through the ’70s and beyond, the Spider has arguably aged more gracefully than the MG – and you have the advantage of an Italian twin-cam soundtrack. At this price you’ll probably be finding left-hand drive imports in decent condition. TRIUMPH TR7 By 1976, the MGB was supposed to be gone and replaced by the Triumph TR7 and an eagerly-awaited octagon-badged derivative. That never arose, but the TR7 did later gain a convertible variant. Fully restored TR7s are rarer than this MGB, but good ones are usefully more affordable. VW GOLF CABRIOLET Despite the common telling of the story, the Golf GTI did not kill off the MGB, as ’B sales were many times greater than the VW’s. Still,…

Mourning Jaguar Reader Mark Burnley has been in touch following our recent story on Jaguar’s decision to cease production of the F-Type by the end of next year, bringing to an end a 75-year history of building sports cars. As the company gears up to become an all-electric brand from 2025, Mark is disappointed to learn there’s no place in the new range for a roadster. “I’ve owned several Jaguar sports cars over the years, starting with an XK150 in the early 1980s – when they were still affordable,” explains Mark. “I currently run a 2005 XKR and would love to replace it with an F-Type at some point. It makes me sad that this would probably then be my last Jaguar sports car.” Jaguar’s current range will be gradually…

The motoring scene is changing at what can seem like a frantic pace. Last week, for example, came the news that Ford’s Fiesta will be withdrawn in 2023 – the car that was Britain’s bestseller until recently, and a staple of our roads since 1977. Other once-major models have also been dropped, and even entire genres of cars are seemingly passing by. The mid-size, mass-market ‘repmobile’ saloon is virtually gone; so are the small estate car, the three-door family hatchback, the MPV and the people-carrier.…

Porsche recently brought together legendary racing drivers from its storied history in Group C racing, with Derek Bell, Jochen Mass, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Bernd Schneider meeting at Leipzig to share their personal recollections of the most successful Porsche racing cars of all time. At the Porsche Experience Centre, Bell and his colleagues were reunited with the winning 956 from the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans. Also present were the 956 that won the 1000km races at the Nurburgring and Spa, and the 1984 IMSA-spec 962 that posted the fastest qualifying time in Daytona.…

After recently acquiring a 7.6 per cent stake in Aston Martin (as revealed in CCB, October 12), Chinese billionaire Li Shufu is said to be interested in boosting it further. According to Automotive News Europe (ANE), Li’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is keen to raise its shareholding in the historic British marque to around 10 per cent. Any attempt to gain too much control could run into opposition from existing shareholders, says ANE, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Canadian billionaire, Lawrence Stroll. Geely currently owns Volvo and Lotus, as well as black cab manufacturer LEVC. It also has minority stakes in other major automotive companies, including Daimler – owner of Mercedes-Benz.…

Anglia Car Auctions’ next classic sale takes place this weekend (November 5-6), and it’s certainly a diverse one. As well as memorabilia and parts, the fascinating catalogue includes vehicles from a wide range of eras and marques, numerous projects, a host of no-reserve entries and even 68 original artworks from Chris Rea’s La Passione series. Those looking for a particular marque or model will have plenty of choice here. No fewer than 15 Jaguars are included, with lesser-spotted models like the MkVII, MkIX and 420G all featuring, plus a 1959 XK150 FHC project with a very sensible guide of £22,000-£26,000 and a 1955 XK140 FHC with no reserve. But even the Jaguars can’t match the enormous Mercedes presence. There are 23 listed, including at least four ‘R107’ SLs, plus a…

Photographed almost exactly 58 years ago, on November 4, 1964, is this classic Cheltenham scene showing a typical row of Regency terraced houses. Of more interest to us almost six decades later, however, are the cars that were parked at the roadside, as well as the almost new (B-reg) Austin Mini – complete with L-plates – that’s heading towards the camera. On the far side of the road, we can see a Morris Minor van belonging to Post Office Telephones (a common sight back then) and an MO-series Oxford Traveller, ahead of which are a Mk1 Cortina, a Hillman Minx, a Standard Vanguard Vignale and a Mk2 Zephyr amongst others. On the left-hand side, meanwhile, ahead of the scooter are a Vauxhall Victor FB, an Austin A40, a Hillman Imp…

Aston Martin Works, the heritage division of the world-famous British marque, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Aston Martin V8 – the model that shaped the company’s image throughout the 1970s and well beyond. Arriving in 1972, shortly after David Brown’s sale of Aston Martin to Company Developments Ltd, the new V8 replaced the DBS V8 – a model that had already hit the headlines as the company’s first eight-cylinder model. The Aston Martin V8 swapped its predecessor’s angular nose for a more purposeful front end that, together with some subtle styling changes elsewhere, gave the new car a much more muscular look. Key to the new aesthetics were the arrival of seven-inch quartz iodine headlamps and a black mesh grille, while the return of an open ‘power bulge’…

Plans to relaunch Moskvich in its home market of Russia, as revealed in the June 8 issue of CCB, are said to be coming to fruition, with the first cars likely to be produced by the end of this year. Renault’s earlier decision to transfer its majority stake in Avtovaz – owner of the Lada brand – to a government-owned auto research institute created spare capacity at the French firm’s former Russian plant. Now, six months later, the factory is being geared up for Moskvich production. Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, has commented on the move, according to the Interfax news agency: “The automobile industry has seriously flopped this year, but nevertheless, I hope that we can launch the Moskvich plant in December with the help of the Industry and Trade…

Jaguar parts specialist SNG Barratt marked its 40th anniversary on Saturday, October 15, when it opened its doors to enthusiasts, hosting an open day to celebrate the company’s ongoing success. The Heritage Building, the company’s impressive Bridgnorth HQ, is a far cry from the Barratt family home in Hampton Loade, where it all began in 1982. By hosting its first open day in a number of years, the firm offered visitors a glimpse into its current services and its plans for the future. With access all areas, guests were treated to a private screening of SNG Barratt’s 40th anniversary video, a short film featuring interviews from branch managers in France, the Netherlands and the USA – a tribute to the growth of a business that now serves customers in over…

FORD ESCORT RS2000 (1973-1980) The original RS2000 adopted Ford’s new overhead-cam ‘Pinto’ engine, making 100bhp at a lower rpm and on a lower compression ratio than the 115bhp RS1600. This made it both more affordable and more practical as a road car. After a brief hiatus, the RS2000 returned on the Mk2 Escort, now with a unique slanted nose, polyurethane grille and quad headlamps. While Ford’s Works rally teams continued to field the RS1800, the RS2000 was lauded as a desirable and affordable ‘pocket rocket’ for the man on the street, teaming strong performance, agile tail-happy handling and fashionable looks with sturdy and easy to service mechanicals. Rarity and classic looks mean the Mk1 RS2000 is generally more valuable than the Mk2, although there are more ‘average condition’ Mk2s around.…

The traditional supermini sector feels like it’s in decline now, but head back to the early 1980s and it was truly buoyant, with plenty of manufacturers ready to cater to those after an affordable runabout. One such company was Peugeot, and here we focus on a huge-selling model that’s long since become a classic – and one that spawned arguably the greatest hot hatchback of them all. The 205 was launched in February 1983 to great acclaim, with right-hand drive cars landing on UK shores in September of that year. The styling was both pretty and superbly proportioned, and while often considered a Pininfarina design (they did the Cabriolet that appeared later), it was actually penned in-house under Gerard Welter. It certainly had plenty of rivals, including the likes of…