Innholdsfortegnelse for 4/12/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

AUSTIN-HEALEY SPRITE Mk1 (1958-1961) In the latter part of the 1950s, BMC saw a gap in the market for a petite, lightweight, low-cost sports car that could balance decent levels of performance with low running costs. An existing relationship with the Healey Motor Company was revisited, and in partnership the two firms would divide and conquer; Healey would take care of the design and engineering, BMC the running gear. The Austin-Healey Sprite Mk1 – soon nicknamed the Frogeye – was born. The charismatic new sports car used parts from the Austin A35 and Morris Minor, including suspension, gearbox, rear axle and steering rack. But at its heart sat the 948cc A-Series with twin SU carburettors, in this application producing a healthy 43bhp. It was enough to ensure entertaining performance and,…

For many of today’s enthusiasts, even a 1098cc Minor 1000 just isn’t powerful enough. And in modern everyday driving conditions, its all-drum brake set-up might not be considered up to the job. All of which explains why the famous Morris has become one of the most modified classics on the road today. There’s no shortage of Minors now benefiting from 1275cc A-Series engine swaps, transforming the power and performance of Issigonis’ little saloon thanks to this ex-Midget (or Marina/Ital) transplant. And to complement the extra ‘oomph’, you’ll find a good number also treated to front disc brakes and even five-speed gearbox conversions. Other owners prefer to go even further, of course, which is why it’s not that unusual to come across a Minor with a Rover V8 or Fiat Twin…

Dating from 1963 or ’64 is this impressive image taken outside Vauxhall’s Luton plant, demonstrating how the British arm of General Motors made use of the railway network for the distribution of its cars. On the left of the photo, we can see the delivery of bare bodyshells for the new Viva (initially built at Luton but switching to Ellesmere Port, Cheshire in 1964), while across the tracks are plenty of completed vehicles ready for despatch. These include many examples of the new FC-series Victor and its sportier VX4/90 sibling, as well as a couple of PB-series Crestas, two Bedford HA vans and a good selection of Bedford CAs – including chassis cab versions, possibly destined for the coachbuilt ambulance treatment. At the far end of the platform, meanwhile, there’s…

TOURING CARS We take a look at the most exciting periods in the history of Touring Cars and the iconic road cars they spawned. SAFETY FIRST! An insight into some of the most important safety acronyms and the technological innovations behind them. BUYING AN MGB Fancy a chrome-bumper MGB this summer? We’ve got in-depth advice for buyers of this top-value sports car. 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…

A Land Rover Series 2A ceremonial vehicle, used by Queen Elizabeth II during her Silver Jubilee year, is to be auctioned as part of the Bonhams sale at the next Goodwood Members’ Meeting. The former MoD vehicle entered service from new in 1968, with the 109-inch chassis later undergoing special coachwork by The Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers(REME) Central Workshops. In 1977, the Land Rover transported the Queen and Prince Philip during their Silver Jubilee tour of Northern Ireland. The vehicle was sold by the MoD in 1983 and joined a private collection, where it stayed until 2017. Its home since then has been the Baddow Park House Estate in Chelmsford, a luxury wedding venue. In recent years, the ex-royal Land Rover has had various outings to…

Since reporting in our April 5 issue on the future of sustainable fuels, historic vehicle campaign group FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens) has welcomed news that carbon-neutral e-fuels will be officially recognised in Europe. The sale of all new cars with internal combustion engines (ICEs) will be banned across Europe from 2035. However, following a last-minute campaign led by Germany, revised rules have emerged from Brussels. The amendment will allow traditional engines to continue being sold as long as they are able to accept synthetic, non-polluting fuels. Studies by FIVA member organisations in Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands and the UK show that e-fuels work well in historic and modern vehicles alike. It believes that the new legislation will allow classic car owners to transition away from fossil fuels more…

Nissan has teased a preview of a unique electric version of its iconic R32 Skyline GT-R. The original R32 made its debut in 1989 and went on to make a name for itself on the Japanese motorsport scene, earning it the nickname ‘Godzilla’ and generating a cult following. Little is known about the one-off electric recreation, called the R32 EV, which Nissan showcased via a dimly lit video on its website. The video features the sound of the R32’s RB26DETT six-cylinder engine, but it is believed that the concept will be a fully-electric offering, potentially featuring augmented sound. According to Nissan, the car is the work of a single engineer who wished to add electrification technology to his favourite model of car.…

Anglia Car Auctions got spring off to a flyer with a busy two-day classic sale featuring a truly eclectic range of entries and some impressive results. The vast majority of lots found new homes, with a strong quota beating their upper guide prices. Italian cars were among those that particularly stood out, with an Alfa Romeo 147 GTA beating its top estimate at £10,044, both Alfasuds in the sale finding buyers, and a 2004 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider F1 proving to be one of the biggest hitters by selling above its guide for £50,220. However, it was a rare 1951 Lancia Aurelia B10 that was most notable; modified in period by Lancia’s technical department to enter the Mille Miglia in 1952, it soared past its £18,000-£22,000 estimate to reach an…

A car that’s as mechanically straightforward and as well-served by independent specialists as the Morris Minor makes a great choice for anyone planning a classic project. Whichever version you end up with, you’ll find almost everything you need is available off the shelf, while the Morris Minor Owners’ Club (mmoc.org.uk) is famously helpful when it comes to technical advice, parts support and general help. Membership is a must for anyone buying a project, particularly if you’re a younger driver, as the club has its own Young Members’ Register. Restoration-wise, it was the late Charles Ware who had the most influence in Minor restoration techniques from the 1980s onwards, when he introduced his philosophy of Durable Car Ownership. The idea was that instead of owners regularly paying to have their cars…

It’s hard to resist the DB7 on looks alone; not only is it a magnificently graceful shape, it directly recalls the other DB-series Astons of the past, something that no doubt helped it to become the bestselling Aston Martin of all. But with the heart temporarily overruled, it’s a good thing that the DB7 was – and is – so handsome, because there was otherwise little uniquely special about it. Sitting on the Jaguar XJS platform (hardly the cutting edge of automotive engineering by the 1990s) and sharing much of that car’s running gear, the DB7’s engines were also closely related to Jaguar units and the interior and other body fittings were drawn from various parts bins of the broader Ford empire. The DB7 wasn’t even built at anything like…

London has been revealed as the UK’s worst car theft hotspot. Following a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA by Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA), an insurance claims specialist, the capital has emerged as top of a list of the nation’s worst offending car crime locations. According to DVLA data, 98,730 vehicles were reported stolen in 2022, meaning on average a vehicle is stolen somewhere in the UK every five minutes. Ranking second to London is the West Midlands, with Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Essex also making the top five. South Yorkshire, Thames Valley, Kent, Hampshire, and Staffordshire made up the bottom end of the top ten of theft hotspots.…

The ninth Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional, the event for the ‘ordinary’ and ‘mundane’ classic cars of the late 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, will take place on July 29. Returning to Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire, there will be hundreds of classics on show, while 50 cars will compete for the Concours de l’Ordinaire. Judges will get to choose the most unexceptional winner in each class, and nominations are now open. Tickets are priced at £25 per car (not per person). Visit hagerty.co.uk/official-events/hagerty-festival-of-the-unexceptional for further details.…

Oxfordshire-based Theon Design is set to reveal its latest Porsche 911-based bespoke commission, entitled ‘Italian Job’, at London’s Salon Privé on April 20-21. The firm’s first commission for an Italian customer (hence the name) is based on a 964-generation 911 Carrera 4. The unique car benefits from lightweight carbonfibre bodywork, while its 4.0-litre air-cooled flat-six engine produces 400bhp. It is mated to a 993 RS six-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential. Every element of the car has been modified, with further additions including a switchable suspension system.…

WB & Sons’ third auction of 2023 takes place at its Newcastle upon Tyne base on April 22 – and although the catalogue was still building at the time of writing, another impressive showing is all but guaranteed. Over 100 lots are expected, with the normal variety we’ve come to expect in the north-east. We often wax lyrical about a wide selection of Fords on offer at these sales, but this time it could well be the time for Vauxhalls to shine. A 1987 Astra GTE with just one owner from new could make as much as £15,000, while later Griffins include a 1996 Calibra, two Corsa Bs – one showing just 19,000 miles – and a 1997 Omega estate. At the other end of the scale is a 1964…

VAUXHALL ‘HB’ VIVA The original Viva was crushingly austere, especially when compared with the glamorous Anglia. But by 1966 the ‘HB’ generation had come along, bringing a Coke-bottle waistline and ‘baby Chevy’ looks to the bottom of the Vauxhall range. The Viva is better handling than the Anglia but has an older and rougher drivetrain. AUSTIN A40 This was really BMC’s equivalent to the 105E Anglia and shows how modern the Ford was. By 1967 the A40 had only just gained fully hydraulic brakes and it still had a pre-war steering box. But it was – and is – compact, easy to drive and simple to work on. And it was begging to be upgraded with some MG Midget parts. CITROËN AMI The Ami shared the Anglias reverse-slope rear window…

COMPANY CAR MEMORIES After reading our recent comments on company cars and our three-way comparison between the Sierra, Cavalier and Montego, Andrew Lobb got in touch with his own recollections: “I ran company cars for over 40 years until fairly recently. I was in sales for a food ingredient processing company, so for a lot of this time I was driving 70,000-plus miles a year, until later when I was down to around 35,000. I’ve lost count of the number of vehicles I had over the years, as sometimes I changed them every 12-18 months.” The first of Andrew’s company cars was a 2.0-litre Ford Cortina ‘Mk5’, which was followed by a succession of Mk3 Escorts and one Orion (“lethal snap oversteer, and a terrible carb that meant it would…