Innholdsfortegnelse for 1/25/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

There’s no escaping the UK’s current cost-of-living crisis. It’s something that seems to be impacting all of our lives in various different ways, forcing some to consider spending cuts in order to make ends meet. Unfortunately, classic car clubs are not immune and as a result many are facing challenging times – a topic we explore this week. Happily, all of the clubs we spoke to have a solid plan designed to tackle the problem head-on, evolving their offerings to retain existing members, attract new ones and generally make life easier for enthusiasts. That’s great to hear, as the information sharing, sense of community and the general social aspect that classic car clubs provide really is something special that needs protecting. While we can all interact quickly and easily online…

Carl Hahn, the man who led Volkswagen’s success in the USA as well as the company’s major international expansion in later years, has died at the age of 96. Oliver Blume, Volkswagen’s current CEO, commented in a statement: “Carl Hahn was a great visionary and a great personality. Volkswagen AG and Wolfsburg owe [him] a great debt of gratitude and mourn with his family.” Hahn joined VW in 1954 and became its chief executive 30 years later. During his decade in charge, the company built factories in China and acquired both SEAT in Spain and Skoda in the Czech Republic. For fans of classic VWs, however, Hahn will be best remembered for his role in the USA during the 1960s, when he helped the Beetle to become an icon of…

Aston Martin has announced plans for a “year-long celebration” of a significant anniversary, with January 2023 marking 110 years since the company’s founders, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, officially confirmed a partnership that led to the first-ever Aston Martin – the ‘Coal Scuttle’ of 1915. This year also marks 75 years of DB-badged cars, 60 years of the DB5, and 20 years since Aston Martin moved into its purpose-built facility at Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company plans to unveil a new car during 2023, describing it as a “strictly limited” model. The celebrations will continue at a number of major automotive events throughout the year, including the British Grand Prix, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. To mark its anniversary, Aston Martin has just released this new image…

Rétromobile, the annual French classic car extravaganza, takes up its traditional position at Paris Expo at the start of next month, with the official auction by Artcurial taking place over February 3-4. Bidders at Porte de Versailles will choose from an eclectic mix of nearly 300 lots – and as you might expect, there are some fabulous Gallic offerings up for grabs. Not least of the French fancies is a 1968 Renault 8 Gordini owned by 1988 Monte Carlo Rally winner, Bruno Saby. A well-known car on the classic Renault circuit, it’s one of two offered at Rétromobile. The other, a 1969 example, enjoys equal sporting provenance, having competed in the Gordini Cup before joining the Renault Classic Collection in 1972. Both are estimated to sell for €40,000-€60,000 (£35,000-£53,000). Bookending…

Visitors to the recent Tokyo Auto Salon saw Toyota displaying a pair of AE86-generation Corollas, each sporting a livery inspired by the Initial D comic book series that helped cement the car’s cult-classic status. So far, so familiar – but the changes made underneath represented a radical departure from the fan-favourite 4AG four-cylinder. All was made clear in a speech made at the show by Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda, who wanted to “dismiss the fear that we won’t be able to drive our beloved cars when we go carbon neutral”. “Many automakers are targeting a shift to battery EVs by around 2030-2040,” he stated. “However, the reality is that we cannot achieve zero carbon emissions in 2050 simply by switching all new cars sales to EVs.” Toyota’s proposed solution is…

A final-year Mini Cooper Sport that’s covered just 734 miles from new is set to go under the hammer with Silverstone Auctions at the Race Retro Show on February 25, with a guide price of £25,000-£30,000. Having had just two owners from new (the first for over 20 years), the 2000 Mini has been cherished and remains virtually unused. Unlike so many stored-from-new classics, however, it has been serviced and MoT’d every year, returning to its heated garage after each annual trip. The Mini was recently treated to a three-layer ceramic coating, including the underside. Around 2200 examples of the Cooper Sport were built to mark the end of the Mini, with 1000 of them in right-hand drive. This survivor’s history file includes every tax disc and MoT from new,…

Hagerty International has announced a new partnership with journalist, driver and classic car adventurer, Charlotte Vowden, who joins the company as its latest ambassador. Vowden is now a regular on Hagerty’s UK media site and presented to the crowds at the 2022 Festival of the Unexceptional, appearing on the Hagerty live stage with the likes of Mike Brewer and fellow Hagerty ambassador, Paul Cowland. Throughout 2023, she will attend every Hagerty UK event, including RADwood, the Hagerty Hillclimb and the Festival of the Unexceptional.…

FIAT 128 RALLY (1971-1974) While the standard Fiat 128 deserves recognition for bringing together a lot of design and technical innovations to create what was arguably the first truly modern family car, one thing it didn’t add to its record was sporting success. But that didn’t stop Fiat jumping on the fashion for ‘boy racer’ cars with the 128 Rally. This two-door version gained a black grille, black stripes down the sills, front half-bumpers carrying big spotlamps, circular taillights, a two-spoke steering wheel, leatherette bucket seats and a tachometer (plus oil pressure and water temperature gauges in place of the ashtray). The 128 Rally wasn’t all show and no go, however, with its unique wide-bore engine of 1290cc (instead of the standard 1116cc), twin-choke carb, higher compression ratio and hotter…

Dating from the early 1960s is this classic image of the former Rolls-Royce factory at Crewe, which remains the home of Bentley Motors to this day. The last Rolls-Royce rolled out of Crewe in 2002, when the Silver Seraph was discontinued and the marque was prepared for its transfer to a brand new plant at Goodwood under BMW control, culminating in the new Phantom of January 2003. Under Volkswagen custodianship, meanwhile, both Bentley and the historic Crewe plant have flourished over the last 25 years, with a whole range of new-generation models selling successfully around the world. At the time of this photograph, however, the factory’s main products were the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III and its Bentley S3 sibling, with two of each of the ‘Standard Steel’ saloons shown here.…

The trend over the past few years has been a sharp divergence in prices between cars that are merely average or good and those that are in top-notch condition. Coupled to this is the inevitable result of the passage of time, where surviving examples of virtually any model you care to mention are sifted into either those that show all the inevitable signs of ageing, at best scruffy and at worst project material, or those that have either been preserved in aspic from new or recently and fully restored. For anything over about 25 years old, it is increasingly hard to find a middle ground of solid, presentable, usable and enjoyable cars that are nonetheless imperfect, and with prices that reflect that condition. That’s why this Capri caught our eye.…

UK battery startup company Britishvolt has collapsed into administration, with the majority of its 232 staff made redundant with immediate effect. Employees were told the news at a staff meeting on Tuesday, January 17. Britishvolt had planned to build a giant factory to make electric car batteries in Blyth, Northumberland. Ministers had called it a “levelling up” opportunity that would boost the region’s economy and support the future of UK car manufacturing. But struggling Britishvolt was forced into administration last week when no viable bids were made to keep it afloat. Plans for the £3.8 billion factory in Blyth were part of a longterm plan to boost UK manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries and create around 3000 skilled jobs. The UK currently has just one (Chinese-owned) battery plant next to…

Classic car clubs are braced for the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, which could affect their survival. Amid difficult financial times, clubs are preparing to face the possibility of dwindling membership numbers and reduced event participation, as existing members look to cut their spending this year. Alongside this comes the growing challenge of attracting the new blood that is essential for future club growth. Fighting back against the current financial climate, car clubs both large and small are deploying a range of new measures designed to ensure their continued success. These advents include a raft of increased benefits for members, an amplified online presence, the streamlining of meets and shows, and even payment plans to spread the cost of annual membership. The Mercedes-Benz Club is finding its biggest current challenge…

An intriguing mix of British marques, prestige brands and near-extinct former street furniture will go under the hammer as Anglia Car Auctions returns to classic action with a busy two-day sale at its King’s Lynn base. The auction hall will be open to the public on both days, with viewing available on the Thursday and Friday beforehand. The sale’s headliner is predicted to be a Gulf-liveried Ford GT40 replica that could sell for as much as £80,000, but there are plenty of far more affordable entries. This is particularly the case for BMC/BL fans, with a very tidy no-reserve Austin 1300 automatic from 1970 joined by a 1969 1800 Mk2 ‘Landcrab’, which has been family owned since new and shows just 30,000 miles on its odometer. You’ll find a couple…

JAGUAR Mk2 (1959-1967) The Jaguar Mk2 must stand as one of the finest examples of a good product being made even better – what needed improvement on the ‘Mk1’ was changed, and what had made it so popular was retained. The Mk2’s panels were nipped and tucked and its details slimmed and tweaked to produce a more streamlined and athletic look. The interior retained its polished wood and cossetting leather, but with more comprehensive instruments in a more ergonomic layout. A lower waistline and slimmer door pillars produced more glass area, improving visibility and adding to the new car’s sense of purposeful grace. Mechanically, a wider rear track, revised front suspension and four-wheel disc brakes as standard improved the Jaguar’s handling and added to its performance credentials. And that all…

BENTLEY ARNAGE This was really the true ‘new Turbo R’, with a brand new platform and – briefly – a new BMW-sourced engine, although the old Crewe V8 soon returned once VW’s custodianship of Bentley was confirmed. Objectively superior to the Turbo R in every respect, it lacks some of the older car’s character and majesty. MASERATI QUATTROPORTE As contemporary-looking as the Turbo R was traditional, the fourth generation of the Maserati with four doors boasted twin-turbo V6 and V8 power units, giving equal or superior performance to the Bentley in a much more modern and easy-to-live with package. Arguably, however, it’s the Bentley that has aged better. TOYOTA CENTURY If you really want an off-the-wall alternative, or the Bentley isn’t big or brazen enough for you, then this budget…

Smart motorway reactions Our front page story on smart motorways (CCB, January 4) generated plenty of interest, following a report by the Office of Rail & Road suggesting that up to one-third of smart motorway breakdowns go undetected. We subsequently received an email from Keith and Susan Walker, who experienced a breakdown whilst aboard a coach on their way home from holiday: “The coach ended up in one of the little pull-in lay-bys on the motorway south of Exeter. We had to sit there whilst the driver tried his best to sort it out. He managed a quick fix that enabled us to get to motorway services in the vicinity of Exeter, where all passengers were off-loaded so that the problem could be sorted properly, with the aid of an…