Innholdsfortegnelse for 1/4/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

AC Cars has released the first teaser images of its new Cobra GT roadster, set to be officially unveiled in spring 2023. The newcomer inherits the classic Cobra profile that dates back six decades, but is claimed to be the marque’s most advanced model ever. The Cobra GT will feature an extruded aluminium spaceframe chassis and will be powered by a V8, developing up to 654bhp and 575lb.ft of torque fed through either a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. AC claims the Cobra GT will hit 60mph in around 3.6 seconds. Prices and the full specification of the new roadster will be confirmed at its unveiling. For more details, visit accars.eu.…

Austin Allegro Replacing the long-running 1100/1300 range in 1973 was the new Austin Allegro, available in saloon and estate guises with a choice of 1.1/1.3-litre A-Series or 1.5/1.7-litre E-Series engines. Criticised for its dumpy styling and imperfect build quality, the Allegro still enjoyed a successful nine-year career. Datsun 120Y This new-generation Sunny went on to become one of the UK’s most popular imports of the time. The 120Y was a well-equipped family saloon that offered “90mph performance” from its 1171cc, 65bhp engine. It was well-equipped too, coming as standard with tinted glass, cloth upholstery and carpets. Jaguar XJ Series 2 Although an update rather than an all-new model, the Series 2 XJ6 and XJ12 offered enough changes to get them noticed. A raised bumper line and shallower grille brought a…

FORD ESCORT Mk 1 Jack Grover, Production Editor By the time the updated Mk2 ADO16 arrived, Ford’s new challenger was ready – and would go on to become a legend. More conventional in looks and specification, the Escort proved a huge hit and makes a fine classic today, although values of even the lowliest versions can be hefty. Don’t ignore these cooking models though, because they handle tidily and there’s ample space for family duties. Simple mechanicals make an Escort easy to look after. MORRIS MINOR Andrew Evanson, Lancaster Insurance Prefer to stay within the BMC stable? Then the ubiquitous Minor makes a fine alternative, and one that will introduce you to a terrific ownership scene. It might feel dated to drive after its fluid-suspended rival, but there’s charm by the…

Saab 900 supporter Geoff Davis has written in after reading our 64-page bumper issue (CCB, December 14) featuring 23 top modern-classic buys for 2023. He doesn’t disagree with any of our choices, and he’s a big fan of several in particular – including the Jaguar XK8, Land Rover Freelander and Lotus Elise. But he reckons we could have added even more pages and increased the number of cars featured. “I really enjoyed your choice of modern classics,” explains Geoff, “but in an ideal world I’d like to have seen even more included. For example, although you featured the MG ZT, it’s a shame there wasn’t space for its Rover 75 cousin – a car I’ve always found to be more comfortable and just that bit more stylish, yet it can…

OWEN SHEPHERD, SWVA What sales trends have you noticed in 2022? It’s been a strange year for the buying side of things. Although our sell through rate is still high, I believe the current ongoings in the world have affected people’s desire to buy, and possibly caused some reluctance when it comes to price. What was your biggest or most remarkable auction of 2022? Personally, I think every classic sale we hold is a remarkable occasion – each represents the diversity of car subcultures and eras, which makes them a very enjoyable event to be a part of. If pushed, however, I would pick our spring sale back in April. The three largest sales were an Escort RS1600, a supercharged MG PB and a Lagonda 3 Litre Drophead Coupe. Now that…

Ford doesn’t often get it wrong. The great Blue Oval behemoth has survived its epic 120 years thanks to innovation and a knack for giving car buyers exactly what they want – if not necessarily what they need. Such ubiquity has all too often led to complacency, however, and a somewhat cynical belief that loyal customers will buy anything with Henry Ford’s signature on the badge. Take, for example, the Cortina long outliving its sell-by date, and remember the UK’s reluctance to accept the aerodynamic Sierra as its replacement. When Ford gets it wrong, the world takes notice. And that’s exactly what happened when the much-loved Escort reached its fifth generation in October 1990. Instead of the market-leading machine most people expected of Ford’s four-year development and billion-dollar investment, the…

Although there was plenty of choice for family car buyers at the beginning of the 1960s, just two years into the new decade they’d be treated to a brand new model – one that would evolve into a wide range of bestsellers. Turning his engineering genius to something more spacious than the Mini, Alec Issigonis came up with the car you see here, codenamed ADO16 (for Amalgamated Drawing Office, project 16) and initially available in Morris 1100 guise. The range would ultimately encompass six different versions, with the Morris being joined by Austin, MG, Riley, Wolseley and Vanden Plas variations on the same theme. From sensible family car to something sportier or more luxurious, this feast of badge-engineering ensured just about every taste and pocket was catered for. Pininfarina was…

The XJ-S Convertible is the car that many think Jaguar should have launched in 1975. While a softer car than the outgoing E-Type and a grand tourer rather than a true sports car, much of the criticism levelled at the original XJ-S came from its lack of an open option, leaving specialist companies like Lynx or Hess & Eisenhardt to fill the gap. From 1988, however, Jaguar’s own in-house soft-top rendered all imitations useless. Today, the XJ-S Convertible (and the subsequent facelifted XJS Convertible) offer one of the best-value ways into open-top Jaguar ownership. With brisk six-cylinder and silken V12 options, it’s one of the ultimate classics of its era and prices are likely to only go one way. But if you’re thinking about ownership, what do you need to…

THE MG ROVER STORY We chart the fascinating five-year career of MG Rover, a company that fought valiantly for survival against tough odds. ’70s SPORTS SALOONS We compare three high-performance compact saloons from the 1970s: Dolomite Sprint, Escort RS2000 and BMW 2002. FIAT PANDA GUIDE The Fiat Panda has become sought-after as the ultimate utilitarian car of the ’80s and ’90s – but how do you buy the best? PLUS… All the latest classic news, price trends, auction updates and cars for sale. DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL ISSUE OF CLASSIC CAR BUYER FROM AS LITTLE AS 94p! Visit: www.pocketmags.com or download it via the App Store; search ‘Classic Car Buyer’. The printed version of Classic Car Buyer is available in ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons and WH Smiths, plus all good newsagents…

Lotus has revealed the branding it will be using throughout 2023, as it celebrates its 75th anniversary with a number of major announcements and events. Lotus says it will use 2023 to look back on “seven and a half decades of innovation and success”. It was in 1948 that a young engineer called Colin Chapman built his first car, based around an Austin Seven. Work was carried out in his spare time in the lock-up garage belonging to his girlfriend Hazel’s parents. He called his car the Mark 1 and entered it into local trials. Different models followed, each an improvement on the one before, and within four years it became a business that he and Hazel called Lotus. Matt Windle, managing director of Lotus Cars, commented: “The pioneering spirit…

The first wife of Edward, Lord Montagu, the name behind the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, has died aged 90. Belinda, Lady Montagu was a needlework expert who made presentation cushions and kneelers for the royal family, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. She helped Edward, Lord Montagu create Montagu Motor Museum, which became the National Motor Museum, in 1972. Her death, a few weeks before what would have been her 91st birthday, was announced in a statement issued by the museum. It said: “The Montagu family is sad to announce the death of Belinda, Lady Montagu, first wife of Edward, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, and mother of Ralph, the present Lord Montagu, and Mary Montagu-Scott.” Edward, Lord Montagu married the former Belinda Crossley in 1959. Writing in his autobiography,…

MG ZT & ZT-T (2001-2005) Having made its motor show debut in late 1998, Rover’s new 75 executive saloon finally entered UK showrooms the following June. It was, however, a period of turmoil for BMW-owned Rover Group, which was suffering the effects of a weak pound as well as falling sales in its home market. What was nicknamed BMW’s ‘English patient’ wasn’t in great shape, and in May 2000 it was sold for a nominal £10 to the Phoenix Consortium led by John Towers. This is all relevant to the MG ZT featured here, as the Phoenix Consortium had limited funds to develop all-new models for what had become MG Rover. It did, however, have imagination combined with a desire to see the MG brand expanded. Thanks to superb styling…

Quotation supplied by Lancaster Insurance Services Web: lancasterinsurance.co.uk Tel: 01480 809176 Example quote: £89.97, or £107.97 with Agreed Value. Quote based on a 45-year-old marketing manager, access to another car, no claims or convictions, club member, 3000 miles per year, no modifications, living in SP2 0HL. Disclaimer: Subject to underwriting criteria. An additional charge may be payable. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.…

Contact: TRGB, Somersham, Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 3HJ  Tel: 01487 842168 trgb.co.uk The Triumph TR6 is often thought of as a car of the 1970s, albeit not quite as much as its wedge-shaped successor. It was actually introduced in the late 1960s, of course, being announced in the autumn of ’68 and with sales beginning the following January, and its basic engineering went a lot further back than that. But with its square ends, rectangular tail lamps, black rear panel, matt black grille, steel dish wheels and an increasingly garish colour palette, the TR6 was a definite break from the models that had preceded it. Traditionally, this affected the TR6’s desirability and values, with those in more traditional colours and wearing wire wheels gaining a sort of grudging acceptance as a…

Contact: RFH Classics, Upper Stondon, Henlow, Beds. SG16 6LJ Tel: 01462 338755 rfhclassics.co.uk With demand outstripping supply several times over, plus a perennial shortage of cash in a flailing and failing British Leyland, the Range Rover went through the 1970s with few changes to recognise that its audience was very different from the practically minded, outdoorsy types it had been intended for. Much more affluent, white-collar and urban people were wanting Range Rovers, but the product remained distinctly agricultural. This was progressively addressed in the early 1980s with the introduction of the hotly demanded four-door model and a steady stream of mechanical and specification improvements. These culminated in the In Vogue luxury special edition, which was so successful it was produced in three batches in 1981, ’82 and ’83, and…