Innholdsfortegnelse for 4/19/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

Following a fresh new look a few weeks ago, Classic Car Buyer now has a new editor too. However, I’m perhaps not quite as fresh, having been part of the team since 2018, most recently in the role of Markets Editor. The title has been in good hands with Paul Guinness at the helm over the last 14 months, and I wish him all the best in his new role heading up another of Kelsey’s motoring publications. I’m delighted to finally be in the driving seat, and it’s certainly an exciting time to be immersed in the classic car scene – especially with the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs’ annual Drive It Day coming up this Sunday (April 23). Not only is this a great excuse to get your…

A new exhibition at the National Motor Museum offers a fascinating look at how the future of the motor car was imagined in the past. The ‘Motopia? Past Future Visions’ exhibition will examine how the futuristic concepts of days gone by have become reality, looking at car design, propulsion, and including visions from the world of science fiction. It will display landmark vehicles like the Volkswagen XL1 plug-in hybrid and Sinclair C5, as well as a Columbia Electric vehicle from 1901. The exhibition at the Beaulieu in the New Forest, Hampshire, will open on May 20 and will run until April 14 next year.…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK Classic car experts are reporting that cars first sold in the 1980s and 1990s are performing well in a topsy-turvy market, bucking a trend that has seen an overall drop in values. Hagerty’s Price Guide collates the results of auction, dealer and private sales, building a financial picture of the UK’s classic car market over a full calendar year and indicating trends across all sectors of the market. Over the last 12 months, the average across over 40,000 values monitored has dropped by 3.8 per cent, or £8961 on average per car. However, cars first sold in the 1980s and 1990s seem to be substantially bucking that trend, having gained an average of £5856 in the same period. There have been some significant…

A special edition plate commemorating the coronation of King Charles III has been designed by the UK’s leading provider of rally plates, Dragonfly Rally. Dragonfly has a long history of producing bespoke rally plates, metal plaques, badges, stickers and promotional products. Its latest offering is digitally printed and measures 290 x 145mm. Finished in brushed mirror gold laminate, the plate has four fixing holes and is supplied with two reusable cable ties and four suction cups for fixing to your vehicle. Priced at £23.00 each, the plates are available from dragonflyrally.co.uk or via telephone on 0800 783 8634.…

Handsome, sporty, simple to work on and with two more cylinders than an MGB, the Triumph GT6 has rightfully grown in both desirability and value in recent years. But when a company that has specialised in classic Triumphs for the best part of 40 years says a car is “without doubt the best” of its type that it’s ever had for sale, you can’t help but take notice. And before you even consider the car itself, the history file accompanying this GT6 (actually two large lever-arch folders and a photo album) tells the story. As well as all the original documents – bill of sale, service booklet, warranty card, driver’s handbooks and so on – there is a thorough financial and photographic record of the car’s body-off, bare-metal, nut-and-bolt rebuild…

Enthusiasts will need little in the way of introduction to one of the most affordable and popular cars on the classic scene. Launched in 1962 to replace the MGA, the MGB proved to be an instant hit, and with monocoque construction it was a much more modern affair. The roadster appeared first, with the GT arriving in 1965 boasting its neat Pininfarina styling that blended sporting looks with useful practicality. All were powered by the durable four-cylinder B-Series engine (plus a V8 from 1973, although we’ll save that for another time) and while there were numerous rivals – including the likes of the Triumph TR4 and Sunbeam Alpine – few could match the overall usability and driver appeal of this newest MG. We’re concentrating here on the chrome-bumpered B that,…

It seems to be the fate of every affordable, low-performance, accessibly-priced sports car to be immediately criticised for not being powerful or fast enough. From the MGB to the Toyota GT86, there is a big divergence between the armchair product planners who say there is great demand for affordable, handling-focussed sports cars and the people who actually put down the money and buy one. So it was with the Porsche 924; conceived as a joint project with Volkswagen, the 924 was supposed to be a practical sports car for the everyday use of the everyman. An Audi-sourced drivetrain and running gear sourced variously from the VW Golf, the Audi 100 and the Beetle were all part of keeping the price for the 924 down, and its selling points were to…

The future of the BBC’s Top Gear television show has been thrown into doubt following an accident involving presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff. The former cricket star was airlifted to hospital after his Morgan flipped during filming in December, with production of series 34 of Top Gear paused ‘indefinitely’ as a result. Now it has been confirmed that the 45-year-old will not shoot a second series of his BBC cricket programme, Field of Dreams, throwing doubt on whether he will return to Top Gear at all. Flintoff was reported as ‘lucky to be alive’ following the crash at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. The open-topped three-wheel Morgan Super 3 which he was driving flipped over, leaving him with broken ribs and facial injuries, and he is said to be convalescing at home.…

Are you aware of what your classic is worth? Only a few years ago £1000 would’ve bought you a fairly decent example of almost anything you fancied, whether it was a Land Rover, mid-century classic or even a now more costly classic like a Ford Anglia. Many of us bought ours in these times and have logged the value of the vehicle with insurance providers as the value we paid on the day we bought the car, but times have changed and perhaps it’s time your agreed value did too! Lancaster Insurance asked the MG Owners’ Club, who provide an excellent valuation service, to give an approximate guide to the prices of some of the most popular classics in ‘average’ condition. Although circumstances vary and each car deserves to be…

Putting the high-rise SUV driver barrelling down the high street with little regard for their surroundings to one side for a minute, statistics show that our roads are safer than ever. Since 2003 the number of incidents has fallen by 37 per cent, while the fatality rate has reduced by more than half. But the groundwork to achieve all this started a whole lot longer than 20 years ago – and led to a whole host of acronyms appearing on cars over a period of more than four decades. The first part of the 20th century is not an era generally associated with safety-conscious motoring, and yet we’d already seen advents like the windscreen wiper (1903), rear view mirror (1911), indicators (1914), and laminated safety glass (1927) introduced. The first…

1962: The B is launched as a replacement for the MGA, bringing unitary construction and dependable mechanicals. It arrives in roadster form first.  1963-64: Overdrive becomes optional and the original B-Series engine is replaced by a stronger and more durable five-bearing unit. 1965-1967: The roadster is joined by the Pininfarina-designed GT. Mk II is launched in 1967 with an all-synchro gearbox and push-button door handles replace the original pull handles. 1969: Becoming the Mk III, improvements include reclining front seats and a year later the roadster gains an improved hood while a steel bonnet replaces the alloy item. 1973: Further styling changes include a honeycomb grille and a brake servo and radial tyres become standard. A V8 engine is available, too.  1975: Production of the chrome bumper cars ends as…

Classic vehicle attraction, Great Northern Classics (GNC), is motoring towards its completion. Located in the former Victoria Ironworks foundry in Derby, previously the Rolls Royce Heritage Centre, the site will be dedicated to displaying and preserving classic vehicles. The £3million project is due to be ready to open in August, with the steel work to support a mezzanine level having been erected in back in February. The project aims to bring together around 30 specialist restoration and fabrication firms, and from here it will operate an apprenticeship programme via a not-for-profit training school. This will enable older experts to pass on their knowledge to a younger generation. It is expected that 120 jobs will be created by the scheme. A visitor centre, café, and event space will allow customers to…

Trucker Cap Castrol Classic Oils has launched a GTX branded trucker cap. The cap is designed in a retro style, and features the distinctive green, white and red colours that have been synonymous with the brand since the early 1900s. It features a mesh back for ventilation and an adjustable rear strap.  How much? £15.95 Where? classicoils.co.uk / 01954 231668 Striker Plate Reproduced to better match the OEM versions, this Courtesy Lamp Striker Plate from Jaguar specialist, SNG Barratt, has a chrome plate and countersunk fixing holes. Part number BD19070 is suitable for all E-Type six-cylinder, and some XJ Series 1-3, models, and it is in stock now.  How much? £5.78  Where? sngbarratt.com / 01746 765432 BMW Manifold This manifold enables the fitment of Weber 40 and 45 DCOE carburettors…

Back in the ’50s, marketing was a whole lot simpler. The emerging world of saloon car racing looked to be an ideal way for manufacturers to showcase the prowess of their latest tin-tops, and on Boxing Day in 1957, the British Saloon Car Championship arrived to fill the void for a national series. Jack Sears was crowned as the first champion in 1958, and though many might not remember the Austin A105 Westminster he drove for its racing pedigree, the motto “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” was well on its way to becoming a thing. Indeed, it didn’t take long before manufacturers were building performance variants of their mainstream cars to homologate them for racing. Over the years, British Saloon Car Championship became a phenomenon, being renamed as the…

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 Turn Two Classics, Winwick Grange, Winwick, Northants. NN6 6PB 01798 285661 turntwoclassics.co.uk The Morris Minor is cemented as a commercial success and an emblematic piece of British motor industry – so much so that it can be overlooked how long it took to really get into its stride. For all their modern engineering, styling and design the early ‘MM’ versions were powered by a pre-war sidevalve engine that offered economical but lacklustre performance. When Morris merged with Austin in 1952, along came the Series II Minor with the 803cc overhead valve engine developed for the Austin A30 and now known as the BMC A-Series. Despite having a smaller capacity than the old sidevalve unit, it developed slightly more power and provided a small improvement in top speed, plus much-improved…