Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/1/2023 i Classic Car Buyer

One of the most famous names in performance engineering and motorsport, TWR, has been reborn for the modern era. Named after the man himself, the original Tom Walkinshaw Racing was a powerhouse on both road and track over a period of three decades. Established in 1975, Oxfordshire-based TWR created legendary competition machines, including its unforgettable Rover Vitesse, Mazda RX-7 and Super Touring-era Volvo 850 Estate. Significant road car projects included the design and development of the Aston Martin DB7 (credited with saving the brand), the TWR-built mid-engined Renault Clio V6, and even the Volvo C70 Coupe of 1996. These unusual cars often owe their existence to Walkinshaw’s persuasive, tenacious nature and innovative approach. By all accounts Tom was a racer at heart who cut his teeth behind the wheel in…

The stars and cars of a new British movie about a classic car show will make an appearance at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC. Classic tells the story of classic car ownership and the life affirming relationships and enjoyment this hobby can give us. Due to start filming this year, it is set at a classic car show held in North Yorkshire. Actress Katherine Kelly, best known for TV shows such as Coronation Street, Mr Selfridge, and the ITV drama The Long Shadow, plays Ruby and serves as both an actor and producer on the film. Katherine will attend the NEC show with multi award winning, writer, actor, director and playwright Tony Pitts, who also hosts the podcast Three Little Words with comedian John Bishop.…

Jaguar Land Rover is the latest big name to create an eBay parts and accessories store. Following in the footsteps of Ford, BMW, Toyota, Suzuki and more, the new Official Land Rover Classic Parts and Jaguar Classic Parts stores will offer more than 5000 items, all authentic, for some of the UK’s best-loved British-built classics including the Jaguar E-Type and Land Rover Series I. Customers will be able to find everything from a genuine period-correct E-Type toolkit to an entire tail door assembly for a 2007 Defender. The stores will be operated out of a state-of-the-art JLR Classic Works facility in Coventry. Visit ebay.co.uk/str/officiallandroverclassicparts and ebay.co.uk/str/officialjaguarclassicparts to browse.…

Reputation is everything when it comes to cars. Bad word usually spreads, usually unfairly, and before you know it a TV show is repeatedly dropping pianos on a particular model for cheap laughs. A rival, meanwhile, goes on to be critically acclaimed and enjoys much better fortunes. Indeed, automotive history is full of instances where one car has gone on to be praised and the other becomes something of an unloved also ran. But is that fair? We’ve delved deeper into four prime pairings to find out if we’re due some reappraisals. MINI (RATED) v HILLMAN IMP (SLATED) Few cars had such contrasting fortunes as the Mini and the Hillman Imp, and yet there were notable similarities too. The obvious one is that both tried to answer the need for…

It’s hard to imagine the clamour for new cars that must have abounded in 1945 – and the Riley RMA was one of the first British marques out of the block with a post-war model. Where other manufacturers were half-heartedly warming over their 1938 and 1939 lines, the RMA was Riley’s proud new flagship. Some 75 years later, the significance of the RMA hasn’t been lost on its previous owners, several of whom toiled to bring it back to life. Even when considered against one-off coachbuilt specials and ‘woody’ station wagons, the Classic and Sports Car Centre’s RMA is a rare saloon: it was one of 279 external bonnet lock examples built, and one of the last to leave the Foleshill, Coventry works before Riley moved to MG’s factory in…

For a car that was so modern at its release in 1948, the fact that the Morris Minor was available as a soft top from the very start might seem unusual. This was the tail end of an era when convertibles were the budget option for bodywork rather than a premium option, but with a strong focus on exports, it made sense to offer a drop-top Minor for warmer climes. The original MM-series Minor had removable rear sidescreens of perspex and vinyl that had to be stowed when the hood was down. In 1951, just before the launch of the Series II, the bodywork was changed so the rear windows and frames were now fixed in place and made of glass and steel. Morris itself swung between calling these models…

Styled by renowned Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, the Triumph Herald was intended to be a cut above rivals such as the Austin A40 and Ford Anglia. It was priced above its competitors when launched in 1959, but Triumph felt that its premium fit and finish, plus a noteworthy turning circle, meant it was worth the extra outlay despite being of an older chassis construction compared with the more modern unibody style used by Ford and Austin. Complete with glamourous tail fins and a 948cc engine, the Michelotti-penned Herald was initially available as a saloon and coupe. However, that separate chassis afforded great versatility, with the popular convertible version arriving in 1960, and three-door estate and van versions offered later. Initially the Herald was something of a commercial flop, but continuous…

The Great British Car Journey attraction in Derbyshire survived a scare by narrowly avoiding rising flood waters during October’s Storm Babet. Staff at the venue in Ambergate watched in horror as the River Derwent burst its banks, water breaching the overflow car park and reaching the vehicle workshop before flood defences held disaster at bay. Nearby roads were closed because of the storm, forcing a ‘Drive Dad’s Cars’ event to be cancelled. However, those with pre-booked tickets were permitted to rearrange for a future date. In a statement on social media Great British Car Journey said: “The pictures show the river at its highest. Both Richard and Ian stayed at the attraction all night on flood watch just in case they needed to move more cars… the flood defences did…

The ongoing restoration of the Land Speed Record breaking Sunbeam 1000hp, nicknamed ‘The Slug’, at the National Motor Museum has revealed original mechanics’ markings. During a major stage of its restoration loose paint, dirt and rust from the chassis was removed using a sympathetic soda blasting technique. National Motor Museum Manager and Chief Engineer Doug Hill said: “Soda blasting is not as aggressive as shot blasting and was therefore the best way to remove the worst of the detritus. It exposed original markings, which would have been made at the Sunbeam Works in Wolverhampton in 1927. This was one of the biggest tasks for the main structure of the vehicle and the process was successful. Thankfully, it did not expose any areas of concern.” The team are now stress testing…

Blink, and you’ll miss it; plenty of people did in the case of the last generation Honda Prelude. Two disparate demographics of customers bought Hondas in the late ’90s: those who traded in from one iteration of nameplate to the next, and the other, newer, nascent group for whom the marque was synonymous with high revving histrionics and front-wheel drive performance cars better than anything Europe had to offer. The comfortable, well-equipped, modest Honda of old rubbed shoulders uncomfortably with the VTEC crowd – but the former customer base still bought its cars in droves. Stone Cold Classics’ Prelude 2.0i was a case in point: bought in February 1997 from Westgate Honda in East Yorkshire, performance wasn’t a priority – underlined by the four-speed automatic gearbox fitted. Those three subsequent…

OVER 60 TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM VISIT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/XMAS23M OR CALL 01959 543 747 AND QUOTE ‘XMAS23M’ Lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate. Offers available for UK customers only. Savings are based on the standard cover prices. Offer ends 24/12/2023. The subscription will start with the first available issue after Christmas 2023. Prices correct at time of print and subject to change. For full terms and conditions visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. To see how we use your data view our privacy policy here shop.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy.…

Quotation supplied by Lancaster Insurance Web: lancasterinsurance.co.uk | Tel: 01480 809176 Example quote: £95.57 or £113.57 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.…

BMW Suspension GAZ has re-released its popular Gold suspension kit for the BMW E30 (1982-1991 including M3), now coated in a tough Black Zinc finish. Order as part number GGA300. How much? £1379.28 Where? gazshocks.com / 01268 724585 Mini Ashtray Clock Classic Mini owners can now replace their ashtray with this digital clock, thermometer and USB port. It seamlessly fits into the original ashtray insert, the display can be specified in red or green. How much? £40.90  Where? minispares.com / 01707 607700 MGB Manifold This Webcon MW0032 manifold for the 1.8 BMC B-Series engine facilitates the fitment of all single Weber 32/36 and 38/38 carburettors, as well as Webcon’s new Retroject EFI throttle body.  How much? £444.92 Where? webcon.co.uk / 01932 787100 Christmas Jumper This Porsche pullover is perfect for…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK We’re now only just over a week away from the annual historic motoring flagship that is the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC from November 10-12. Once again it promises to be a cracking event, with over 3000 classic cars on display, plus 350 exhibitors and traders, the UK’s biggest indoor autojumble and 300 car clubs. We can now get excited about one of the show’s major highlights too, for the final 20 cars for the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership have been confirmed after a late change. The latest addition to the line-up is a 1977 Leyland Mini owned by 16-year-old twin brothers Liam and Ryan Rippard, which was purchased as a restoration project when they were just 10.…

MERCEDES W123 (1976-1986) Now established as an iconic, reliable and affordable classic Mercedes-Benz, the W123 was launched in 1976 and would be a huge hit. It was initially available as a saloon and could be specified with an almost overwhelming choice of four diesel and four petrol engines, ranging from the entry level 200 to the range-topping 280 with fuel injection. Slightly smaller than what had come before, the W123 offered improvements across the board, with balanced proportions and clever design details that only revealed themselves upon close inspection. Those ribbed rear light clusters, for example, resist the build-up of dirt, while the wraparound front indicators remove the need for side-repeaters. In the eyes of many, the bombproof W123 isn’t just a contender as an excellent classic choice, but is…

1948: Morris ‘MM’ Minor is launched with ‘low light’ front end and 918cc sidevalve engine. Two-door tourer with flexible removable side screens and duck canvas hood offered from the start. 1951: Headlamps moved from alongside the grille to above the front wings. True tourer body replaced by convertible with fixed rear windows. Hood frame changes from using three hoops to four. 1952: Series II Morris Minor introduced with 803cc A-Series engine and Austin-sourced gearbox, driveshaft, final drive and rear axle.  1954: Front styling revised with wider, horizontal-slatted grille. New interior look with large central-mounted speedometer. Larger tail lamps also fitted. 1956: Morris Minor III launched with 948cc A-Series engine. Windscreen changes to one-piece wraparound style, with hood frame and top rail of Tourers altered to suit. 1961: Flashing indicators replace…

Based on the Heritage MGB bodyshell, the RV8 received some bodywork tweaks and a 3.9-litre Rover V8 engine to set it apart from its long-running forebear. When it was introduced in the early ‘90s it had a steep price tag at £26,500. Reportedly, the figure was set to curb demand as MG wouldn’t have been able to produce a significant number of RV8s in a short period of time. Ultimately, 1983 were sold and thanks to an appearance at the 1993 Tokyo Motor Show, the majority went to Japan. This example was originally exported but made its way back to the UK in 2004. The dealer reports the vehicle comes with a comprehensive service file and has been meticulously maintained by its owners in Japan and the UK. According to…