Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/1/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards – the Oscars – were announced recently, as the movie industry prepares to pat itself on the back on March 12. And amongst the front runners expected to achieve recognition came the new film directed by Sam Mendes, Empire of Light, staring Olivia Colman. It was shot in my home town of Margate, on the Kent coast, just last summer, so I took a vested interest in whether it was shortlisted. Why is this relevant to CCB, I hear you ask? The flick is set in the 1980s, so for much of last year, Margate seafront was redrawn to serve as a period backdrop. Alongside the buildings and extras all dressed accordingly, came the cars. On several filming days, the beachfront road was closed…

Owners and enthusiasts of pre-war cars are being invited to a dedicated show at Hammerwich Cricket Club (located midway between Lichfield and Burntwood, Staffordshire) on Sunday, April 2 – with a second, larger show planned for September if the inaugural one proves successful. Although a ticketed event to help control numbers, tickets will be free – and all pre-war vehicles are welcome, including motorcycles and commercials. Organisers of the show describe it as “an opportunity to share knowledge and experience with others for whom cars built before WW2 hold a particular fascination”. To find out more about the event, search Facebook for ‘Hammerwich Pre-War Car Gathering’ or send an email to: klaxonhoard@gmail.com.…

So often it’s the projects in a sale that fire the imagination, and the catalogue for Brightwells’ February sale is a perfect illustration. Particularly fascinating is Lot 61, representing state-of-the-art 1960s German automotive engineering in the shape of a Mercedes 600. In long-wheelbase four-door spec, the ’69 Pullman has an interesting history, having been owned by a Berlin-based company until the operation was purchased by Japanese buyers and the Mercedes moved with it to Osaka. Returning to Europe in 2019, the car received extensive recommissioning – notably the hydraulics that operate everything from suspension to windows and bootlid – and is running and driving, although it needs further attention to tidy up some details. A less daunting project in the sale offers an affordable route into Jaguar Mk2 ownership, in…

XJ6 SERIES 3 (1979-1987) The trials and tribulations of the 1970s meant that Jaguar’s truly next-generation XJ was nowhere near ready as the decade drew towards its end. So, on a budget of just £7 million, a third instalment in the original series was produced. Pininfarina was engaged to carry out a subtle but very effective styling update, with an entirely new glasshouse and a higher roofline giving the XJ an airier cabin, better headroom and a sleeker look. The 4.2-litre XK6 engine received electronic fuel injection and other updates to improve its power output and delivery (the 3.4-litre version remained on carbs). Double the amount spent on the XJ Series 3 was spent on installing a new body and paint shop at the Castle Bromwich factory. The Series 3…

This fascinating photograph dates from 1968 and shows a prototype of the forthcoming Capri undergoing cold-weather testing in Finland. Developed under the codename Project Colt, what we now know as the Mk1 Capri went on to be a huge success for Ford, with almost 375,000 built at Halewood and Cologne during its five-year career. What makes this pre-production example particularly interesting is the shape of its rear side windows. Although Ford had decided on the characteristic U-shape windows as early as October 1967, prototypes were still being used with the design originally drawn up for Project Colt. The window shape was changed for the production version of the Capri following complaints from rear-seat passengers of a claustrophobic feeling.…

Two contrasting ‘barn find’ Jaguars have gone on sale via a Lancashire-based dealer, with both the 1959 Mark IX and 1965 S-Type 3.4 offering interesting opportunities for any marque fanatic who’s feeling brave. The Mark IX, which shows just 44,000 miles on its odometer, is one of around 10,000 examples built between 1958 and ’61. It has been dry-stored for over 40 years and still features its original 3.8-litre powerplant and automatic transmission. With its inevitable rust issues and missing trim, it’s obviously in need of major work, hence the asking price of £4495. The later, more compact S-Type is a manual-transmission example that appears to be largely complete and shows 38,000 miles. Again, it is said to have been dry-stored for over four decades, apparently on wooden blocks. The…

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu has acquired a Sprite 400, one of the most popular touring caravans of the 20th century. It will be used by the museum’s Learning Team to enable families to step back in time both on site and further afield. With its original four-berth interior intact, the caravan is typical of the Sprites of the 1970s, with its wood-effect Formica cupboards, gas-powered twin-burner hotplate and even its bold Sprite-issue curtains still intact. The museum plans to restore the caravan’s exterior and return it to its former glory with help from a local community group, sponsored in part by the Caravan & Motorhome Club (C&MC). Curator of the C&MC’s own collection, Angela Willis, comments: “By the early 1970s, the popularity of British caravan holidays had exploded,…

A 1988 Ford Escort XR3i that’s covered just 2850 miles from new has come to market via a Midlands-based dealer, with an asking price of £29,995. The selling dealer describes what must be one of the lowest-mileage Mk4 Escorts as “an incredible example”. It was bought new in August 1988 by its previous owner and has covered an average of just 84 miles per year since then. The XR3i will be fully prepared and recommissioned prior to sale. For further details, call 01788 577866 or visit townsendvehiclesales.co.uk.…

Morris Leslie’s latest Classic Vehicle Auction takes place later this month and already has plenty of fascinating lots within its growing catalogue. The February sale features a strong number of British classics, from 1980s performance Fords to affordable ’60s options. The oldest Blue Oval classic to catch our eye was a 1957 Ford Escort (the 100E-based estate), one of several modified classics forming part of this sale. The car in question is fitted with a 2.0-litre engine and aftermarket wheels, and looks tempting at a guide price of £4000-£5000. A Victor Super is one of two Vauxhall saloons we’ve highlighted, with this 1962 example being a former museum exhibit. It has been the subject of recent recommissioning, which means it’s ready to enjoy – and estimated to sell for no…

Following the Standard Motor Company’s acquisition of Triumph in 1945, Sir John Black’s idea for the marque’s rebirth included a proper modern sports car – the kind of machine that could take on MG. The prototype, dubbed the 20TS, was built on the chassis of the pre-war Standard Eight teamed with the front suspension from the Triumph Mayflower and the new wet-liner engine from the Standard Vanguard. But it was clear that the 20TS was not a viable product, and so with input from BRM engineer and driver, Ken Richardson, a new version on a bespoke chassis was developed – a car that became the TR2 of 1953. The TR2’s 90bhp output and top speed of over 100mph was in another league to the MG T-type, while its streamlined, low-slung,…

The original Jaguar XK – the 120 – had two purposes in life. The first was to showcase the company’s new high-performance twin-cam engine (the XK6) and the second was to capture the lucrative American market. It fulfilled both aims with startling success, immediately defining the XK6 as one of the great engines of the era and becoming one of the most glamorous and desirable cars to be seen in across the Pond. The success of the XK120 caught Jaguar by surprise, and production never met demand. It was also a rather hastily improvised product, heavily using whatever existing parts Jaguar had to hand. It could be argued that the XK didn’t really ‘come good’ until the XK140 of 1954. Rack and pinion steering, long-travel suspension with telescopic dampers, uprated…

All vehicles built in 1982 will be eligible for ‘Historic’ taxation status from April 1 this year – and with the change in tax class comes MoT exemption as well as free-of-charge Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). The earliest examples of any cars that made their debut in 1982 will become ‘tax-free’, which has led BookMyGarage.com to create a list of contenders. This includes the ‘E30’ BMW 3 Series, Ford Sierra, Porsche 944, second-generation Volkswagen Polo, Reliant Rialto, Volvo 760, Lotus Excel, Renault 9, Austin Ambassador and Talbot Samba. Although 1982-built cars registered as ‘Historic’ won’t be required to undertake an annual MoT test, owners are still legally required to make sure their classics are roadworthy. The driver of any vehicle – even MoT-exempt – that’s caught with just one illegal…

An impressive, low-mileage example of the Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II owned by actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson goes under the hammer with Silverstone Auctions on February 25, with an estimate of £65,000-£75,000. The car had covered just over 87,000km when purchased by Atkinson in May 2021. He is said to have enjoyed “many happy hours” in it, although the total ‘mileage’ still remains below 90,000km. The history file also confirms recent money spent on keeping the Lancia in superb condition. Originally supplied to Japan, this Integrale was imported to the UK in 2011. It comes complete with comprehensive paperwork, including a Japanese service history. The car will be offered at this month’s Race Retro Show, taking place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. For details of the sale, visit silverstoneauctions.com.…

BEETLE 1300/1500/1302/1303 (1965-1978) As the 1960s came to a close, the Beetle’s popularity showed few signs of waning. This was in no small part due to regular small but useful improvements made to it over the years. The body was re-tooled in 1965 (with curved windscreen and more glass area), and in 1966 a 1.3-litre engine was introduced (standardised in America) followed shortly after by the 1.5-litre version to really modernise the Bug’s performance. Then the distinctive slanted and cowled headlamps went in 1968. Beetle sales did dip at the turn of the decade, and the model received a major engineering overhaul. As well as the standard model, there was a longer, wider one with more modern running gear which was more akin to a Type 4 with Beetle styling.…

HILLMAN IMP (1963-1976) Although the Hillman Imp wasn’t conceived solely as a Mini competitor, the young Rootes talent behind it was tasked with creating a car with youth appeal – the kind of machine that would attract a younger demographic than any Minx or Hawk. Also marking a break with tradition was Rootes’ decision to build an all-new factory in Linwood, Scotland, with an equally new workforce – something that would result in teething troubles and earn the Imp a reputation for reliability issues early on. With the car rushed into production, research and development schedules were pushed to the limit. The Imp was unusually specified for the time, with an aluminium engine with racing pedigree mounted in the rear and driving the rear wheels. It was all wrapped up…

FORD MONDEO Ford shook itself out of its decade-long design malaise in grand style with the Mondeo, which redefined standards for its sector. As the Laguna proved, Ford was by no means alone in being able to produce cars that handled well. Overall, the Ford probably has crisper handling and sweeter engines but the Laguna is (perhaps not surprisingly) more comfortable. CITROËN XANTIA The Laguna’s contemporary compatriot had both a very different style (wedgy and straight-cut) and very different engineering (advanced forms of Citroën’s classic hydropneumatics suspension) but delivered a similar package – something very spacious and very comfortable, and available in five-door hatch and estate form. More prone to old-age niggles than the Renault. NISSAN PRIMERA Something of an unsung hero, both in its day and since, the original…

Legends identified Mark Richards emailed us after seeing our Classic Scenes photograph (CCB, January 4) taken at Brooklands in July 1939. We identified a few of the cars in the photo, but Mark’s gone much further – and has come up with the following impressive list. From left to right, Mark has identified a Riley TT Sprite (No.8), a 1938 Lagonda V12 (No.30), a couple of Jaguar SS100s (Nos.33 and 35), a 1939 Atalanta 2 Litre (No.26), a 1934 Ford V8 (No.32), a 1932 Ford V8 (No.28), a 1934 Fraser Nash TT Replica (No.5), a Lagonda M45 (No.36), a 1934 Aston Martin Ulster (No.38), a 1938 Alvis 12/70 (No.10), a 1933 Hudson Terraplane (No.27, Mark’s favourite of the lot), and a 1935 Aston Martin Ulster (No.40). We’re very grateful to…