Innholdsfortegnelse for 1/18/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

On a recent frosty morning, I watched a neighbour’s electric KIA hum out of its parking spot and up the street, shortly before my 27-year-old Citroen filled the air with the percussive clatter of a cold XUD diesel. It made me think of how few distinctive noises there are in the modern world of motoring – so much so that manufacturers have to add synthetic noises, either in the form of the tone generators that announce the presence of some EVs or the artificially-generated pops from the exhaust of modern hot hatches that are needed to add some character to the otherwise bland and over-refined soundtrack of a modern turbocharged four-pot. Modern cars with peculiar sounds are all too rare, but classic cars have them in spades. My Citroën 2CV…

One of the most popular annual events for Mini owners is under threat thanks to the forthcoming expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), with organisers of the London to Brighton Mini Run claiming their 2023 event is “probably the last” – amid fears that other events will be similarly impacted. If the run is cancelled from next year, it will mark the end of an era that began in 1986, when the newly formed London & Surrey Mini Owners’ Club staged the first London to Brighton Mini Run – attracting 220 cars and their owners, a figure that increased to 320 the following year and built steadily in the decades that followed. The 2022 event saw around 1800 Mini owners and their cars from all over the UK…

Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to dream a little, and there are certainly plenty of dream classics set to be offered as part of RM Sotheby’s next two auctions. The firm kicks off its 2023 sales in Arizona on January 26 with an eclectic mix of high-end classics ranging from prewar vehicles to modern, era-defining supercars, followed on February 1 by its 10th anniversary Paris sale at the new location of Salles du Carrousel in Louvre Palace, right in the heart of the French capital. Clearly these are sales for those with deeper pockets; in Arizona, 15 cars carry estimates at or over $1,000,000, with 28 estimates at or over $500,000. A 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra is expected to sell for as much as $3,600,000 (£2,950,000), with a 1971 Lamborghini…

Other than being built in the same year, this Humber couldn’t be more different from the Abarth. The smallest in the Humber range, the Sceptre came about rather by chance; Rootes had been looking to replace the successful ‘Ajax’ saloon family with a larger, modernised version of the same platform, but decided to introduce the ‘Super Ajax’ as an additional model sitting between the bread-and-butter saloons and the big Humbers. The basic version became the Hillman Super Minx, the middling model was the Singer Vogue, and the Sceptre offered traditional Humber luxury in a smaller, more economical package. In some ways the Sceptre was an idea ahead of its time, presaging both the executive segment that Rover and Triumph would swiftly define and the advent of highspec versions of ordinary…

Rolls-Royce and Bentley have both announced recordbreaking results for 2022, with increased sales and revenue for each of the ultra-luxury marques. Rolls-Royce achieved its highest-ever annual sales total last year, delivering 6021 vehicles (up eight per cent on 2021) to clients worldwide – marking the first time in Rolls-Royce’s 118-year history that sales exceeded 6000 units in a single 12-month period. The company achieved sales expansion in almost all regions, with particularly strong year-on-year growth in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the USA and Europe. Demand for its Bespoke commissions was also higher than ever, with almost limitless possibilities for personalisation seeing clients paying an average of £430,000 for their Rolls-Royce in 2022. This month also marks the 20th anniversary of the reinvention of Rolls-Royce under BMW control, plus its relocation…

Better Car Lighting, specialists in lighting upgrades for classic vehicles of all ages, has announced an LED dashboard kit for both pre-and post-facelift versions of the Jaguar XJ-S – ridding the car of its dim dashboard and warning lights. The dashboard lighting kits designed specifically for the XJ-S feature LED bulbs that dim normally with the standard rheostats – a feature that’s said to be unique to Better Car Lighting. Each fully comprehensive kit comes with detailed fitting instructions, and customers have a choice of green, ivory white or ice blue illumination. All instrument and warning lights are upgraded via the kit, which costs £129.99 and £199.99 (plus VAT) respectively for the preand post-facelift XJ-S. For details or to order, visit bettercarlighting. co.uk or call 0121 773 7000.…

WB & Sons gets its run of 2023 auctions off to a great start with what’s set to be another busy sale at its Newcastle upon Tyne base on January 28. The catalogue was still building at the time of writing, but already features the kind of variety we’ve come to expect from the company as it goes into its third year. Even so, to see two Ferraris on the entry list is something of a surprise, especially given the significant provenance of one example. Joining a very clean 1995 355 GTS showing just 40,000 miles is a 1983 400i in silver, bought new by former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. In tidy condition, it’s attractively guided at £18,000-£22,000. Other premium brands are well represented, with at least four Jaguars…

MG ZR (2001-2005) The ZR was the smallest model in the new MG ‘Z’ range, but was by far the biggest seller. MG Rover turned the ‘R3’ Rover 25 into something that offered genuine, back-to-basics fun in the corners. Upgraded suspension, steering and brakes did all the real work, but the real genius of the ZR was in its marketing. The MG cosmetic makeover – body kit, mesh grilles, rear spoiler, thin-spoke alloy wheels showing a peek of red brake caliper, bucket seats, alloy gear knob and orange instrument needles – made the ZR stand out from the crowd. The 1.8 and 1.8 VVC engines were the bread and butter, but the 1.4-litre ZR 105 offered a sporty warm hatch at a bargain price and with low insurance costs, while…

In the history of passenger aircraft, Concorde holds a unique position. This Anglo-French venture resulted in the world’s first supersonic airliner, a machine so successful it remained relevant for several decades, transporting passengers from Europe to the USA in record-breaking time – travelling at more than twice the speed of sound in the process. After making its first flight in 1969, Concorde was eventually given its airworthiness certificate six years later, and remained in service right through to 2003. Before its official launch, however, this half-French project provided Citroën with an ideal marketing opportunity, with the world’s most advanced airliner being lined up for a now-famous photo shoot with the DS, France’s most technically advanced family car. As recently as 2011, Citroën re-enacted the event with its then new DS5…

A fully restored Ford GPW used to transport His Majesty King George VI and General Carl A Spaatz, Commander of Strategic Air Forces in Europe, on a morale-boosting visit to RAF Chelveston in November 1942 will go under the hammer with Silverstone Auctions on February 25 – with an estimate of £35,000-£45,000. During his visit, the King spoke to the crews of Liberators and Fortresses and inspected the aircraft. The airfield was in use by the 301st and then the 305th Bombardment Groups, who flew the four-engine Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber. Ford built 300,000 GPWs (similar in spec to the more famous Willys-built Jeep) between 1942 and 1945, accounting for around half of all Jeeps produced during the Second World War. For further details of this historically interesting…

Tickets for this year’s events at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, have now gone on sale, with Early Bird discounts available for any of the 15 ‘Simply’ days planned for 2023 if you book before the end of February. Among the everpopular ‘Simply’ shows this year are Simply Aston Martin (April 2), Simply Italian (April 23), Simply Porsche (June 4), Simply Jaguar (June 25) and Simply VW (August 13). And of course, the usual line-up of other Beaulieu-based events will be hosted, including the Spring Autojumble (May 13-14), Custom & American Show (June 18), Supercar Weekend (August 5-6) and the world-famous International Autojumble (September 2-3). For the full list of Beaulieu’s 2023 events, plus details and prices of each, visit beaulieu.co.uk/events.…

Proving the excellent potential value of pre-war cars in today’s market is a 1925 Morris ‘Bullnose’ Cowley Tourer that’s heading to auction over the weekend of March 25-26 with a tempting pre-sale estimate of £10,000-£14,000. Said to be fully refurbished to a high standard, the Cowley is powered by a 1548cc four-cylinder sidevalve engine rated at 11.9hp when new, driving through a cork clutch and a three-speed gearbox. This handsome four-seater tourer was fully restored some years ago, while more recent work includes a complete engine overhaul and a fresh interior retrim. The Morris is just one of many classics set to be sold via CCA at the Classic Car & Restoration Show, which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham. For details, visit classiccarauctions. co.uk.…

A head of this month’s Autosport International show, which took place at Birmingham’s NEC, fans were asked to vote for their favourite motorsport memory from a shortlist chosen by a panel that included former Formula One world champion, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE. And it was the epic 1995 World Rally Championship win from fellow Scot, Colin McRae, that topped the poll. McRae’s cut-throat battle with Carlos Sainz led to a dramatic showdown between the Subaru teammates. It made icons of both McRae and the blue Subaru with its trademark gold wheels, creating a legend that continued after his untimely death in 2007. On many of the Welsh stages, McRae and co-driver, Derek Ringer, were more than a second per mile clear of the competition in foggy conditions. McRae was the…

South Western Vehicle Auctions returns with its first classic car sale of this year on January 27, with more than 50 varied lots consigned at the time of writing. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the auction hall will be open to the public, with online, telephone and commission bidding also still available. Potential bargains could be available right from the off, with no-reserve entries including a very late Daimler V8-250 project dating from 1969 and a 2004 Rover 75 Contemporary SE Tourer showing a warranted 53,000 miles. A modest £1000-£1500 could be enough to secure a tidy 1995 Renault 5 Campus, while those feeling brave could snap up a left-hand drive V6 Avantime that’s been off the road since 2015 for as little as £200.…