Innholdsfortegnelse for 1/31/2024 i Classic Car Buyer

The sad end of Brighton Speed Trials has hit me hard for a few reasons. Firstly, as a former Brighton resident, I enjoyed some good times watching the event in my university days, and unlike most things from the period, I can still remember most of them. But more importantly, it’s an end to another long-running motoring event following the cancellation of the London to Brighton Mini Run and Bromley Pageant. There’s hope for the Pageant to resume in 2025 and we’re hopeful that something may happen on the Mini front too, but the bottom line is that three major events won’t happen in 2024. Though there’s a range of factors at play, all of them were suffering from some kind of hike to costs. Indeed, the Speed Trials has…

Goldfinger DB5 Corgi has commemorated 60 years of Goldfinger by recreating its most famous model. The re-tooled and feature-packed version of James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 is expected to be released in autumn, but is available to pre-order now. How much? £32.99 Where? uk.corgi.co.uk Crossflow pistons Burton Power now has good stocks of cast pistons in all oversizes to fit 1.3- and 1.6-litre Ford Crossflow OHV Kent 711M engines with flat (non-chambered) heads (introduced in 1970), and Fiesta 771M engines. How much? From £57 each Where? burtonpower.com / 0208 554 2281 Mini diff output seal Mini Spares can now offer Mini gearbox output shaft seals made from modern-day Viton, which should help stop troublesome leaks. They are suitable for all classic Minis except Cooper S models and early automatics.  How…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK The historic motoring world has been rocked by the news that Brighton Speed Trials, commonly thought to be longest-running motorsport event in the world, is sadly no more after almost 120 years of history. Organiser Brighton and Hove Motor Club has confirmed that 2023 was the final running of the world-famous spectacle, with rising costs at the root of the “heartbreaking” decision. Hosted on Madeira Drive, which lines Brighton’s seafront, the annual event has been enjoyed by generations of motorsport fans. The story began in 1905, when local hotelier Sir Harry Preston persuaded the Town Corporation to lay a motor racing track using the pioneering material of Tarmac. The event, known originally as Brighton Motor Week took place in July and consisted of…

Two stunt cars from the 1990 NASCAR movie, Days of Thunder, have been discovered in two separate Florida woodlands by YouTuber Coors Bandit. Both cars are Chevrolet Luminas, one of them the number 51 Yello Mello racer driven in the film by Cruise’s character, Cole Trickle, and the other a number 18 Hardees car. Both cars bare severe damage and wear, with missing wheels, tarnished paintwork, damaged body panels and mould in the interiors. The extensive bodywork damage would point to the theory that these were stunt cars, often deliberately damaged for on-screen effect. Coors Bandit recovered both cars from the woodland before cleaning them to asses the extent of the damage. With such severe cosmetic issues and structural rust, both cars were condemned to ‘display’ status, with no clear…

MINI CITY (1979-1992) A classic car can still be popular and fit the bread-and-butter criteria at the same time – just look at the humble Mini City. There are few cars that have been customised as much as the Mini, whether that’s to add a personal touch or to join the hordes in creating a Cooper replica. For years that meant that a humbler model was fair game for a sporty makeover, but though the tide has turned significantly and rare special editions are far more likely to be saved these days, it hasn’t quite happened for the 1979-on City model. Introduced as the new base model, the earliest examples featured a basic single dial, no lower dash rail, houndstooth trim, black-painted bumpers and full length ‘City’ stripes, not to…

FORD SIERRA (1982-1993) Back in the early ’80s, the Sierra was the soundtrack of my suburban walk to the school bus. If I had to, I could probably still identify the sound of a clattery Pinto being coaxed to life through a recalcitrant VV carb on a frosty morning, but the Sierra has all but disappeared today. Yes, I know every auction seems to have a headline RS500 freshly doused with that special ‘barn find’ dirt, but the cooking models are non-existent. Why? Well like all good Fords of the era, the Sierra was perfect for the job at hand – both as sales rep tool and family transport. After its three years were up, it passed to a private second owner who kept it until the sills fell off…

Given how much the automotive landscape has changed over the last 100 years or so, it’s remarkable that the 1.5-litre engine has remained something of a mainstay. Rewind to before the war, and such engines would most likely be the preserve of sporting exotica, or at least boast six cylinders. Nowadays, such a capacity appears to be the default choice for just about anything with a petrol engine, albeit with half as many cylinders and a turbocharger strapped on to add the grunt. Indeed, in recent times you’ve been able to find a 1.5-litre engine in a basic MINI, a myriad of family-sized hatches, countless SUVs and even hybrid sports cars like the BMW i8. But it’s not the first time the 1500cc engine capacity has cut across manufacturers and…

Quotation supplied by Lancaster Insurance Web: lancasterinsurance.co.uk | Tel: 01480 809176  Example quote: £195 or £213 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.…

This year’s Reis Race Retro will see a wealth of guests share their motorsport stories with enthusiasts when the event takes place at Stoneleigh Park from February 23-25 February. The new interview area, Talk Motorsport with Reis, will be located in Hall 3 and hosted once again by Chaz Draycott. Making his interview debut will be Ian ‘Fluxie’ Flux, one of motorsport’s most colourful and best-loved characters and a man with a history of driving classics, single-seaters, touring cars, and endurance racers. He will be sharing his stories as well as signing autographs and copies of his new book For Flux Sake on Saturday and Sunday. Joining Fluxie on Saturday is ex-Formula One pilot John Watson, one of Britain’s most successful racing drivers. John ended up racing seven times in…

There’s been much furore around the future of the SEAT brand recently – not only has its Spanish sibling Cupra risen to prominence, but VAG bosses have also gone on record to describe its future as a “mobility brand” rather than a car maker. However, it seems that SEAT’s potential demise may have been much exaggerated. Marcus Gossen, brand director for SEAT and Cupra UK said: “SEAT has to be accessible; it should be the entry level to the group. We have exciting news coming for SEAT.” In an interview with Auto Express, Gossen also confirmed that SEAT would still be selling cars until at least 2029, although denied rumours that it will produce cut-price models to rival Renault’s Dacia brand. SEAT began selling cars in Britain in 1985, initially…

FIAT CINQUECENTO (1991-1998) Small Fiats have been some of the best little cars throughout history, but the Cinquecento was more than charming and cheap. With independent front suspension and front disc brakes offering a driving experience far above its pay grade, side impact bars and crumple zones for safety and even galvanised body panels to stave off rust, the Cinquecento was a thoroughly modern small car. Interior packaging was excellent, with room for four adults in a car just 3.2 metres long, while decent equipment levels and cheeky styling helped it stand out from the crowd. The Sporting boasted alloys, a bodykit and sporty red seatbelts and is the most sought-after, but even the base-spec 899cc model is a cheap and cheerful charmer. In many ways, the Fiat offered a…

Transitional models often blend the purity of the earliest cars with the usability of those improved with hindsight, and the Classic and Sports Car Centre’s (C&SCC) E-Type fixed head coupe ‘Series 1.5’ demonstrates this perfectly. Many of the changes needed for the Series 2 had gradually been filtering onto the Series 1 via the ‘Series 1.5’ cars – reprofiled, open nacelle headlights, rocker switches in the cabin, twin cooling fans, adjustable seat backs – but the Series 2 now made these changes permanent. Further upgraded by its previous owners, this example covered thousands of miles all over Europe, but retained its unusual Opalescent Maroon paintwork it wore in 1967. Having begun life as a US-market ‘Series 1.5’, it arrived back in the UK in 1989, and was converted to right-hand-drive…

FORD CAPRI Mk2 (1974-1978) The Ford Capri’s combination of exotic coupe styling with an affordable price tag and simple saloon car mechanicals proved hugely popular, selling 1.2 million cars in Mk1 guise. Rivals were closing in, though, so Ford updated its coupe in 1974 to make it more liveable – the tapered tail gained a practical hatchback, countering criticism of its predecessor’s luggage space by granting it a superbly capacious 630-litre boot that was easily loaded. The push towards practicality continued throughout, with the Mk2 growing around two inches in width and an inch in length over the Mk1 to increase cabin space. Despite being stretched, however, the Capri retained its exotic, stylish silhouette, with the long bonnet, fastback roofline and bulging bonnet all remaining. Larger square headlights with orange…

1979 - Lancia launches the Delta family hatchback, with bread-and-butter models soon followed by quicker variants. 1987 - The HF Integrale is launched in 8-valve form, the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine making 185bhp. Around 9900 were made. 1989 - The Integrale gets a further boost in power and performance with the launch of the 16-valve at the Geneva Motor Show. A power bulge in the bonnet is the obvious external change, with the addition of a rear-biased torque split. 1991 - The Frankfurt Motor Show sees the debut of the Evoluzione that features a wider track, bulging bodywork and 200bhp. It hits 62mph in just 5.7 seconds. 1993 -Further changes to the bodywork and revisions to the turbo and engine management mark out the Evoluzione II. Power is raised to 215bhp.…

With so much excitement surrounding the six-cylinder Austin-Healey 3000, it’s easy to forget that its four-cylinder forerunner is still a tremendous thing. Tremendous is also the perfect way to describe the 1955 100/4 BN1 at Sherwood Restorations – previously restored and sold by Sherwood, this Old English White example presents beautifully with its colour-matched wire wheels. The bodywork is immaculate and the chromework has a lovely lustre to it, showcasing the gorgeous lines of this stylish roadster. The previous owner only used it on dry days, and you can tell; there isn’t even a mark on the leather bonnet strap. There’s leather inside too, with red hide on the seats, centre console and door cards, nicely complemented by a similarly unworn carpet, Moto-Lita steering wheel and aluminium dashboard, in which…

In an age obsessed with upmarket trim levels, sporty badges and top-spec models, a following has increasingly developed for humbler ‘bread-and-butter’ models and variants, proving you don’t need to break the bank to own a show-stopper. This trend has no doubt flourished as a result of Hagerty’s increasingly popular Festival of The Unexceptional. Celebrating humdrum cars that were once street furniture but now rare, events like ‘FOTU’ brings together models that didn’t necessarily do anything special, but represent nostalgia as much as any sports car or hot hatchback for many. With this in mind, we decided to celebrate our favourite unexceptional classics. The majority here are rare but still obtainable, but we’ve added some personal choices and eight truly scarce wildcards, just for good measure. So join us as we…

FORD FIESTA Mk3 (1989-1997) A Ford Fiesta would absolutely be on my list. A Mk1 would always be my preference, simply because it was the origin of the breed, the trouble now is finding an earlier Fiesta for sensible money. So the sensible choice is to consider the more spacious Fiesta Mk3, launched in 1989. Ignoring the hot XR2i and RS models, £2000 gets you into a nice example of a Mk3, usually a later model with the clear indicator lenses. The choice expands further if you consider the Mk4 and Mk5 models, which are essentially the same car with some styling tweaks and some Richard Parry-Jones improvements to the ride and handling. Rover 200 ‘R8’ (1989-1996) I’ve always been a fan of Rovers, ever since my dad came home…

The world of rallying has given us some fantastic road cars, and in the late 1980s, one of the most desirable heralded from Italy. Incredibly, the Lancia Delta was revealed as early as 1979, but though its Giugiaro styling looked neat and it was awarded European Car of the Year for 1980, it took a while for its sporting credentials to shine though. The first truly performance-oriented model was the turbocharged 1.6-litre HF model of 1983, which as followed in 1986 by the first four-wheel drive variant, the turbocharged 2.0-litre Delta HF 4WD. For 1988 though, Lancia took things a stage further with the iconic HF Integrale. Boasting beefier bodywork and uprated running gear, the Integrale featured a turbocharged 8-valve engine making 185bhp with power sent to all four wheels…

In an age where ‘luxury car’ means ‘tech-laden spaceship that can corner at 100mph’, it’s nice to rewind to when the ultimate luxury car plied its trade on upmarket surroundings, badge prestige and impeccable quality. That car was, of course, the Mercedes S-Class and for many, the W126 generation represents the iconic limousine at its best. The 500SEL at Kim Cairns makes a very good case for that point, its crisp and imposing Bruno Sacco design as classy as ever, finished in sharp Impala Grey and reportedly unmarked. Despite its 5.1-metre length, this 35-year-old limo appears never to have knocked anything and is reassuringly free of rust, defying its 82,000 miles. The interior of the S-Class is where you want to be, though – the W126 was said to be…