Innholdsfortegnelse for 8/30/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

E65 7 SERIES (2001-2008) Of all the Chris Bangle era BMWs, the E65 generation 7 Series was perhaps the most controversially received. That’s because it debuted Bangle’s ‘flame surfacing’ design language (some nicknamed it the ‘Bangle Butt’), and yet it was largely penned by Dutch designer Adrian van Hooydonk. Not only was it a styling revolution, but it boasted technological innovation too – introducing BMW’s all-new iDrive infotainment system. A facelift in 2005 toned down the styling somewhat, but whichever version you buy you’ll find that the E65 generation 7 Series is really a car to be driven in, with rear passengers cosseted by comfortable seats with masses of legroom. A choice of six-cylinder, V8 or V12 petrol engines, or six-cylinder and V8 diesels were available, all delivering decent performance…

The meaning of Land Rover to the average person on the street has shifted considerably since the first model appeared 75 years ago. Nowadays it’s more likely to be associated with luxury and affluence than for rugged off-road capability, with models like the Range Rover Velar the darling of the rich and famous and the Discovery more associated with the school run rather than ploughing through the mud. Even the new Defender is a far cry from what might be deemed utilitarian. The Defender, of course, is the model that’s the closest descendant of the original Land Rover of 1948. But even before the previous Defender hit the end of the line in 2016, it was a world apart from the first Series 1 models. The later incarnations were still…

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT (2003-PRESENT) The series of events that saw the Bentley brand end up in the hands of the VW Group is one of the strangest stories of modern automotive history, but 25 years since the deal was finally done, both the Crewe workforce and car enthusiasts have reason to be grateful to the late VW head Dr Ferdinand Piëch. Not only has production at the historic Pyms Lane plant tripled, but the products themselves have become vastly more credible in a competitive modern market. The accepted version of events is that VW craftily outbid BMW at the last minute for the combined Rolls-Royce and Bentley business, only to discover that they didn’t own the rights to use the R-R emblem, at which point a deal was done to…

HILLMAN IMP (1963-1976) Launched 60 years ago, the Imp was the realisation of Rootes drawn-out process to produce a small, economical car to complement its existing medium and large offerings, and it broke with convention in more ways than one. As a condition of extra government funding, it was built in a new factory in Linwood, Scotland, that had no previous car-building experience. And unlike most rivals of the period, it was rear-engined. The new all-aluminium, Coventry Climax-derived powerplant was mated to an all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox, and mechanically speaking, it was advanced for its time. By the early 1960s, the Mini was making huge inroads on the market and rear-engined cars were becoming outdated, but that didn’t bother the press. Journalists waxed lyrical about the Imp’s handling and performance, and…

VW GOLF GTI The iconic Golf GTI was in Mk2 guise by the time the Escort Mk4 was released, and in truth was the far more accomplished product. Other hot hatches of the period could beat the Golf in individual areas, but as a package it was the most complete, and still passes muster as a daily drive even now. PEUGEOT 205 GTI The Golf GTI may have been more expensive than the Escort, but the 205 GTI was cheaper in 1.6 guise and faster than the Ford, turning the thrills up to 11 in the process. Good examples command decent money and they don’t exactly feel premium, but the 205 is a legend for good reason. VAUXHALL ASTRA GTE The Astra GTE was another hot hatch contender of the…

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Insurance specialist, Hagerty, has opened its UK Clubhouse at Bicester Heritage. The purpose-built social and member hub sits within the Heritage Quarter of Bicester Heritage, and is a unique space that has been designed for entertaining, with a member lounge, bar area and exhibition space for curated vehicle displays. A calendar of enthusiast events set to take place at the venue will launch soon. These are planned to include industry presentations, celebrity and enthusiast-led talks, as well as car culture-inspired activities. Hagerty customers can also use the space to discuss their insurance requirements or simply as a place to relax whilst visiting the Bicester Heritage site – home for over 50 specialist automotive businesses. Alongside being adopted as Hagerty International headquarters, the space is also available to hire, which is…

Bentley and The Little Car Company have collaborated to create an 85 per cent scale version of the most famous Bentley in the world – the Blower. The recreation of the iconic 1929 4.5-litre Supercharged Team Car No.2 currently held in Bentley’s Heritage Collection seats two adults in tandem and is the first road-legal offering from The Little Car Company. Measuring 3.7 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, it is classified as an L7e quadricycle, powered by a 48V electric powertrain. The 15 kW (20 bhp) motor propels it to a top speed of 45mph on UK roads, with an anticipated range of around 65 miles. Crafted entirely by hand using a blend of authentic and modern materials, the ‘Blower Jnr’ is made from a mix of steel, carbon-fibre and…

Britain is privileged to boast a history to be proud of, and that’s especially true of the automotive sector. Over the years, British firms have been responsible for creating some of the most capable and iconic cars in the world, and even the ones that perhaps didn’t hit the high notes have still garnered loyal followings that are worthy of celebration. 2023 marks several milestone anniversaries for iconic British vehicles. Over the following pages we will pay tribute to 75 years of Lotus, the original Jaguar XKs, Land Rover, the Morris Minor and the Aston Martin DB line, as well as 60 years of the Rover P6, Triumph 2000, Hillman Imp and Mini Cooper S. We also mark 50 and 40 years of the once-unloved Austin Allegro and Maestro respectively,…

There’s no denying the war years were tough on everyone involved, but amidst the chaos the seeds were planted for what would become the very foundation of the modern Jaguar brand. As with so many car factories, the war years had seen Jaguar’s manufacturing facilities turned over to military contracts. The constant risk of aerial bombardment, however, meant that staff were required to spend one night a week on fire-watching duties, and the ever-efficient ‘Mr Jaguar’, William Lyons, ensured that the time was made productive by turning them into design seminars for what his company would do when car production could be resumed after the war. At that time, the engines used in SS Jaguars were all supplied by Standard, but Lyons’ love-hate relationship with Standard boss Sir John Black…

Brilliantly served by clubs and specialists, instantly recognisable, plentiful in number and still affordable, the Morris Minor has long been a definitive classic car. And its launch at the 1948 Earl’s Court Motor Show was just as significant for its maker, the company finally having an exciting new family saloon with which to boost its early post-war sales. It was Morris’ way of shaking off its outmoded prewar image, gained via hastily reintroduced models like the Eight Series E, while at the same time offering Britain’s crucial export markets something genuinely fresh in terms of design. From the earliest sidevalve-engined Series MM of 1948, through the 803cc A-Series updates and on to the eventual 1000 models, the humble Morris Minor was developed steadily throughout its career. Aside from the bestselling…

AUSTIN ALLEGRO (1973-1982) Including the Allegro in a Best of British round-up may raise a few eyebrows, but 50 years on from its launch, many enthusiasts are able to look back with fondness, overlooking the Allegro’s faults and enjoying it as a classic icon with a cult following. And let’s face it, it wasn’t dealt the easiest of hands, having to follow the best-selling ADO16 series during a period of turmoil for British Leyland. Ex-Ford designer Harris Mann had penned a stylish body, but his original vision was compromised by the requirement to use existing drivetrain packages and components from BL’s parts bin. When it was launched in 1973 it looked rather dumpy, and early reliability problems didn’t help either. The Allegro employed Hydragas suspension and two engine types: the…

ROVER P6 (1963-1977) This October will mark 60 years since Rover P6 was announced at Earls Court – among the first of a new breed of compact executive saloons to arrive on the market. It would combine the aspirational lure of the larger 3-litre class of saloons with the affordable running costs of a mid-size car, adding the latest styling and engineering trends to create a dynamic and forward-looking package. With an advanced and safety conscious body structure, clever de-Dion tube rear suspension, all-round disc brakes and a square-stroke 2-litre overhead camshaft engine, the P6 was seen as something of a yardstick in the industry – a status confirmed when it took the inaugural European Car of the Year award the following year. The car was first launched as the…

To celebrate 50 years of the MG Owners’ Club, Octagon House, the club’s headquarters in Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, will hold a free open day on Saturday October 14. A local road run will take place nearby, starting at 10am, with participants set to be treated to a scenic tour of the area before returning to the MGOC HQ. The building will throw its doors open between 12noon and 4pm, and anyone interested in paying a visit can take part in tours of the building. Light refreshments will also be provided alongside live music and opportunities to talk to staff from all of the club’s various departments, including the Spares Department and Workshop. Everyone is welcome, whether taking part on the road run or simply wishing to drop in. Those interested in…

The final Anglia Car Auctions sale of the summer took place on August 19-20 and attracted a great deal of attention, primarily thanks to a group of barn-find classics that ACA unearthed in the weeks prior to the sale. Known as the David Brown Collection, they included several AC and Jaguar classics which had not seen the light of day since the 1970s. Estimated to be worth in the region of £200,000 collectively, the no-reserve lots generated a great deal of interest and actually made £358,908 combined. Leading the charge was a 1957 AC Bristol that once belonged to British racing driver, Betty Haig, which sold for £156,600 including the buyer’s premium. Alongside the excitement of the barn find lots came many interesting classics ranging from the 1930s to the…

Even after more than 40 years since his passing, one man is inextricably linked with the Lotus marque: Colin Chapman. Born in Richmond, West London, in 1928, Chapman studied structural engineering at University College London before a brief spell in the Royal Air Force. Working from a garage belonging to his then-girlfriend Hazel, who also played an instrumental role in the company, he built his first car in 1948 based on a modified Austin 7 and termed the ‘Mark 1’. Evolutions followed and by the time he reached the Mark 6, Chapman was selling customer kits. He formed the Lotus Engineering Company in 1952 with a loan of just £25 and the rest, as they say, is history – and a very rich one at that. Motorsport soon beckoned. Team…

The XK engine would remain in production long after the sports car which bore its initials had disappeared. It was also successfully used in the E-Type, the Mk1 and Mk2 saloons, the MkX and 420, as well as all six-cylinder XJ saloons prior to the XJ40. Even after the XJ40’s 1986 launch, however, the XK remained in limited production, with its final outing being in 1992 under the bonnet of the last Daimler DS420 limousine. From its original 3.4-litre capacity, the XK was to shrink to 2.4 litres for the Mk1 and the later 240, while it would also grow to 4.2 litres in later years, gaining fuel injection along the way.…

With this issue paying homage to the British icon that is the Morris Minor, it seemed appropriate to revisit this scene from November 1949 that shows Minors and Morris Oxford MO models being prepared for packing for export. Wing-top headlamps were created in 1949 for North American export models (to comply with new US safety legislation) and didn’t appear on UK versions until the four-door saloon arrived in October 1950. The Minor enjoyed much early success in the USA; good early years were 1950 and 1952, while 1953 saw Minors outselling the recently landed VW Beetle threefold. Of course, the Minor went onto be the first British car to sell a million units. As ever, if you spot anything else that we’ve missed in this scene, do tell us via…

When northern industrialist David Brown bought Aston Martin in 1947, what he got was a company that wasn’t actually producing any cars. All it had was an awkward-looking four-door saloon prototype known as the Atom, but Brown was a fan of its impressive roadholding, and it was this that convinced him to buy the company. While he wasn’t so keen on the looks, he knew that Aston Martin needed a new model and gave the green light for the Atom to be updated for production. Ready for the 1948 Earls Court show, it was simply called the 2-litre Sports and clothed in a sleek drophead coupe body that was the work of Lagonda designer, Frank Feeley. Just 15 were produced, which became unofficially known as DB1s following the launch of…

The all-new C-Class replaced the 190 range as the baby Benz in the model lineup, at least until the arrival of the A-Class which became the new entry level model from 1997 onwards. Alongside its new design language, the W202 offered a wide range of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines positioned in both saloon and estate bodies. The sporty AMG versions garnered attention, but even in the common or garden spec the C-Class was packed with kit, much of it safety-orientated with the likes of ABS, side-impact protection and airbags being standard issue. The W202 changed little during its lifetime with only a minor facelift in 1996 that helped it to remain fresh. However, it was soon known for issues with rust, with the build quality of early…

MINIATURE HEROES We compare three small classics in the shape of the Citroen Bijou, Singer Chamois and Riley Elf / Wolseley Hornet to see which makes the best classic choice. GOODWOOD CELEBRATIONS Goodwood is celebrating 75 years of its Motor Circuit, 30 years of Festival of Speed, and 25 years of Revival – we explore its rich history. BUYING: ASTON MARTIN DB7 The Aston Martin DB7 is still a surprisingly affordable route into luxury British GT ownership. We examine how to buy a good one. 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…