Innholdsfortegnelse for 5/3/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

The whole country is in coronation mode this week as we prepare to officially welcome our new King – Charles III – to the throne. When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953 our roads certainly looked rather different to how they appear today. Street scenes from the day of the ceremony 70 years ago underline the natural evolution of the automotive world. Alongside the street parties and images of people gathered around televisions, pictures reveal the cars in everyday use – vehicles that we now consider classics. In this special bumper issue we take a look back at a selection of the key classic cars with royal connections. Not just the magnificent state vehicles used for official occasions, like the numerous Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles employed for formal…

TR7/8 Dampers These fully adjustable GAZ GT dampers enable the damping bump and rebound rate to be adjusted. The GT4-2276 rear dampers will fit both the TR-7 and the later, more powerful, TR-8, retailing for £82.56 each. GAZ also produces front strut inserts for the TR-7/8; order as part number GAI1006 – £125.45 each. How much? From £82.56  Where? gazshocks.com / 01268 724585 Porsche Bushes These new rear shock lower bushes for the Porsche 911/912 offer a replacement for the original worn Koni items. Fitting 1960s 911s and 1960s 912s, part number PFR57-1414comes in a classic Grey 95A durometer material to retain the factory look. They offer the perfect accompaniment to the matching rear shock upper mounting bushes. How much? £31.14 Where? powerflex.co.uk Boltless Shelving The perfect addition to your…

Why join a car club? How the MG Owners’ Club (MGOC) are setting the standard for clubs worldwide. With the rise of social media, some of those new to the classic car world are asking “what does a car club add to my experience of ownership?” For those who haven’t owned classics before, the world of car clubs can be a revelation. From tech support to a brimming social calendar; clubs are so much more than a collective of people who own the same car or vehicle marque. The MG Owners’ Club, which this year is celebrating 50 years since its launch, is an absolute trailblazer in defining what a car club should do and have created a level of support envied by clubs worldwide. With over 140 branches across…

Ford of Britain rearranged its model range for the 1960s. Previously its ‘big Ford’ range had consisted of the four-cylinder Consul, the six-cylinder Zephyr and the plusher and more powerful Zodiac. Now Dagenham was looking to fill out its range offerings with models sized between the small Anglia and the big ‘Z-cars’, and decided that the Consul name would be used to do so. The initial offering of the Consul Classic and Consul Capri were a bit of a marketing misfire, but the Consul Cortina really hit the spot and the executive-orientated Consul Corsair didn’t do badly either. But that meant that when the time came for the third generation of the big Fords the Consul name was absent. The old 1.7-litre OHV four-pot from the Consul remained, but in…

1980 – The Mondial 8 is launched in coupe form and with a 214bhp V8. Styled by Pininfarina, it looked the part but not everyone was impressed with the performance. 1982-83 – Ferrari addressed concerns over power and performance by giving the V8 four-valve cylinder heads - the QV now makes 240bhp. The Cabriolet arrived in 1983. 1985-87 – The QV is replaced by the 3.2 model that gets 270bhp along with a mildly-revised exterior, including body colour bumpers, and an improved cabin. ABS brakes become optional. 1989-1993 – 3.2 production ends and it’s replaced by the 300bhp 3.4t which now features a longitudinally-mounted engine. Production of the Mondial ends in 1993 with more than 6000 made.…

JAGUAR XK8 CONVERTIBLE (1996-2005) Jaguar’s XK8 – known as project X100 – was unveiled all the way back in March 1996 at the Geneva Motor Show. Launched in coupe and convertible form that October, both came with an all-new aluminium V8 engine linked to a five-speed ZF automatic gearbox – the 4.0-litre AJ-V8 producing a healthy 294bhp. The design team, led by Geoff Lawson, was quickly in a position to pat itself on the back, for the press and public both took a liking to the XJS replacement and it was an outright commercial success. Priced at £56,850, the convertible was £8900 dearer than the coupe equivalent. Two years on from launch came the XKR variant. While it looked very similar to the untrained eye, this was a supercharged performance…

CONTACT TRGB, Somersham, Huntingdonshire, PE28 3HJ 01487 842168 trgb.co.uk When the TR6 was introduced in 1969 a lot of people were rather disappointed that it was effectively just a TR5 with new nose and tail sections. In America, Road & Track magazine said they were surprised (and not in the good way) by the lack of an all-new model. But they still found a lot to like about the TR6, saying it offered “a distinctive combination of qualities at a reasonable price: a traditional British sports car package, with ride and handling far from outstanding and a somewhat cramped cockpit but…an excellent six-cylinder engine, luxurious finish and trimmings and a roadster top that’s easy to put up and down.” That summing up of the TR6’s characteristics is as true now…

We’re just over a week on from a very successful – if slightly soggy for some regions – Drive It Day. This year’s event took place on April 23, offering classic owners the chance to raise awareness and support amongst the public for the historic vehicle movement and keeping transport heritage on our roads. And as ever, they responded in excellent number, with events taking place all over the UK and countless classics taking to the road, many sporting their plaques supporting the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs’ chosen charity, Childline. Here are just some of the many highlights.…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK History will be made at the Goodwood Revival this summer, with the announcement that the event will host an all-synthetic fuel race - the first of its kind. All 30 of the pre-’66 Porsche 911s contesting the Fordwater Trophy will race using such fuels, boosting optimism that a sustainable future for classics is possible without the need to replace their internal combustion engines. Two of the cars used synthetic fuels at the 2022 edition, and the next stage is to roll this out across an entire grid. It’s reflective of the growing momentum behind new sustainable fuels, which come in different categories ranging from advanced bios to synthetics and e-fuels. However, all essentially stop taking crude oil from the ground, instead recycling waste…

The British Motor Museum is to host a brand-new show catering for Vauxhalls on May 13. Vaux ALL will feature a wide variety of Vauxhall, Opel and Bedford models from all eras at the museum, which is also home to the Vauxhall Heritage Collection. More than 30 club stands are confirmed for the first event, with 300- plus exhibitor vehicles expected on the day. The show will mark an important anniversary for the Vauxhall Viva, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Vaux ALL is being organised by Tim Watson, a lifelong Vauxhall enthusiast and owner, and a long-standing freelance commentator of the museum. “I wanted to do this with the British Motor Museum for a few years now, as it directly supports the museum and allows enthusiasts access…

With the Coronation of King Charles III now almost upon us, the world is preparing to officially welcome the arrival of a new King. The pomp and circumstance on the big day is sure to impress, with pageantry aplenty involving horses, carriages and – above all – cars. The occasion naturally presented Classic Car Buyer with an opportunity to delve into the various royal classics from today and years gone by; ranging from those cars used for formal state occasions to the more mundane transport employed by the royals, and their extended family, in everyday life. From bespoke Bentleys to stunning sports cars, hatchbacks to estates, the royal household has a rich history with classic and modern classic cars – as we will discover. THE LATE QUEEN’S DAIMLERS Prior to…

Quotation supplied by Lancaster Insurance Web: lancasterinsurance.co.uk  Tel: 01480 809176 Example quote: £198.86 or £216.86 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.…

If things had gone to plan, the Ford Capri would have bowed out with a limited run of 500 ‘Capri 500 SVPs’ with a turbocharged option provided by well-known aftermarket boost providers, Turbo Technics. However, Ford found an unexpected backlog of 538 extra Capri bodyshells and didn’t think there would be demand for over 1000 turbocharged Capris, and so the model ended its life with an upgraded version of the standard 2.8 Injection model called the 280 but usually known as the Brooklands because they were all painted in Brooklands Green. They also came as standard with alloy wheels, a limited slip differential, Recaro front seats, a six-dial instrument pack and the standard 160bhp fuel-injected Cologne V6. Given how desirable Capris – and the 280 especially – are now, it’s…

The Classic Car Loan project is set for a seventh year of success, with 20 vehicles spanning a large variety of eras handed over to young drivers to encourage a new generation of classic enthusiasts. The handover day took place at the British Motor Museum, which is one of the scheme’s sponsors, with each recipient able to keep the car for a whole year. Tom Caren, Show Manager at BMM, welcomed the group and the drivers were congratulated on being selected by CCLP Ambassador Sarah Crabtree and special guest Victor Riley. Hospitality was courtesy of the Federation Skills Trust and Peter James Insurance. The cars include several pre-war vehicles such as Morgans and Austin Sevens, a Triumph Herald, Morris Minor and Riley Elf from the 1960s, a 1980s Morris Ital…

MGOC Spares is offering you and a friend the chance to enjoy an indulgent Afternoon Tea for Two with Champagne at Carriages of Cambridge. You'll be transported to the 1920s in one of their First-Class Pullman style railway carriages. What’s more, MGOC Spares will lend you their 1964 MGB Roadster so you can arrive in style and once you re finished, a chauffeur will whisk you back to MGOC Spares in a sumptuous Mk1 Jaguar. For your chance to win, simply subscribe to their monthly newsletter by visiting Bit.ly/mgocspares before 31/5/2023.…

A rare MG VA that was bought as a basket case wreck and lovingly restored is heading to auction in early June. The MG VA was only produced for two years prior to the outbreak of WW2, and featured a 1.5-litre engine, twin carburettors and a neat Art Deco interior. This 1939 example failed an MoT test in 1969 and was rolled into a garage. It remained in its dismantled state for the next 45 years until it was rescued by the current owner. Over the next five years the car was lovingly restored, with the owner carrying out all the work himself apart for some engine work and a respray. But having enjoyed restoring the car rather than driving it, the owner has decided to let it go to…

With classic Ford prices still routinely rocketing off into the stratosphere, a good example of a Zephyr Mk3 certainly offers a lot of Blue Oval for the money. Little is known about this particular example’s history, but it has not wandered far in its life – now for sale in Portsmouth, it was originally sold on the other side of the New Forest in Dorset and wears a Bournemouth-issued registration (on very nice original white-on-black raised-letter plates). The last owner acquired the car in 1996, by which time it had covered just under 88,000 miles, but it was placed in dry storage without being used. Last summer the car was recommissioned with various parts such as new clutch hydraulics, overhauled brakes, new cooling hoses and a fresh battery, as well…

Replacing the 308 GT4, the Pininfarina-styled Mondial delivered supercar looks with four-seater practicality and could be had in coupe and, from 1983, Cabriolet forms. It first arrived in 1980 as the Mondial 8 with a 214bhp V8 and slightly underwhelming outright performance, but this improved with 1982’s 240bhp QV model. During a production run that lasted to 1993 there was a raft of changes, including a 3.2 model to replace the QV and the 3.4t that boasted 300bhp, a more Ferrari-like 0-60mph time of 5.4 seconds and a new longitudinal engine layout. This latter model got power-assisted steering and electronically-adjustable dampers, making it the pick of the bunch for many enthusiasts. As for what 1980s buyers might have considered instead, four-seater rivals weren’t that numerous, but an argument could certainly…

The old idiom “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” could’ve been written exclusively for the A-Series engine. By 1980, several attempts had been made to replace the old cast iron unit, including the lightweight DX motor used in Alec Issigonis’ 9X concept, the H and K-Series prototypes in the early ’70s (not to be confused with the later Rover K-Series) and a low-cost overhaul of the A-Series with an overhead camshaft cylinder head. And yet, the engine under the bonnet of the newly released Metro was still the familiar old OHV unit. It had been tweaked into A-plus guise, granted, but British Leyland’s “British car to beat the world” ultimately made do with an engine that looked like the one fitted to the Austin A30 of 1951. As it…