Innholdsfortegnelse for 3/6/2024 i Classic Car Buyer

Readers with sufficiently long memories might find something familiar about the mugshot at the top of the page, but although it seems like my last welcome column was a week ago, I’ve just discovered after a trawl through the archives that it was in fact February 2022. In that two years I’ve been editing our Jaguar World title and also immersing myself in the world of the modern Bentley Continental, a combination from which I’ve learned that nobody manages to provide a ride and handling balance quite like Jaguar, not even VW Group which threw the might of its early 2000s technology at the Bentley brand with mixed results. And if you’re asking, no it’s not possible to run the 6-litre twin-turbo W12 mega-Passat on a shoestring budget, although there…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK Green thinking – much of it sadly misguided – does mean the old car hobby is under a fair amount of pressure these days, so it’s nice to see some positive news. Such news came this week in the form of approval for a planned motoring-themed development in Oxfordshire. As we reported back in 2020, American car collector, the late Peter Mullin, was granted outline planning permission for a museum to be constructed on a site at Enstone Airfield, near Chipping Norton. The former RAF site is currently used for light aircraft operations and houses an industrial estate and quarrying operations, while it has also been used for rallying and track day experience events in the past. Unsurprisingly however, local residents objected to…

The Gay Classic Car Group – the group for LGBTQ+ classic car enthusiasts – has announced the relaunch of its Welsh area group. The move came following last year’s Cwm Carn Forest Drive event at which a pair of enthusiastic new area organiser volunteers, Philip Brown and Michael Saywell stepped forwards to take the reins. With over 1000 members running a very diverse selection of classic machinery, the GCCG organises a full calendar of national and international meetings, with the Welsh area offering a new dimension thanks to the great driving roads and scenery on offer in the country. Indeed, one of the forthcoming events is set to take in the Black Mountain Road, one of CCB’s own favourites. More details at www.gccg.org.uk or email wales@gccg.org.uk.…

Quotation supplied by Lancaster Insurance Web: lancasterinsurance.co.uk | Tel: 01480 809176 Example quote: £142 or £160 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.…

Bluetooth additions Not a new product, this but something which has made a big difference to our Bentley Continental project car, which despite costing £130k new in 2008 came with no auxiliary input to the audio system. With the factory screen integrated into the car’s dashboard and controls, it’s impossible to replace it with a slot-in replacement but the Grom Audio Bluetooth upgrade simply connects in place of the CD changer in the glovebox and provides a way to play any audio source of your choosing through the factory system. What’s more, the iPhone cleverly connects simultaneously to the car’s factory hands-free Bluetooth for phone calls and to the Grom unit for music streaming, pausing the sounds when you receive a call. How much? £122 Where? www.gromaudio.co.uk Machine Mart micro…

After a fanfare surrounding the reveal of the 2021 Renault 5 EV concept car, the production version has been confirmed and officially revealed, staying remarkably faithful to the retro-styled concept. Sporting futuristic interpretations of much-loved classic Renault 5 styling cues and shapes, the new 5’s silhouette echoes that of its namesake, while encompassing all necessary modern crash safety engineering. A highlight for us is the LED rear lights, that illuminate in a pattern and shape that matches that of the original 5's. Despite looking like the compact 1970s original, the new car is comparable in size to the current Clio, measuring 3.92 metres long and 1.77 metres in width, while the 18-inch alloy wheels (standard across the range) dwarf the 13-inch items seen on the 1980s 5 GT Turbo. We…

Before the days of wall-to-wall SUVs, the estate car was king if you had a family and lots of stuff to lug around. Many were treated as mere workhorses, used for tip runs and thrown away, but as the years have been ticked away, there are certain models that have become just as desirable – or even more so – than their saloon equivalents. It’s not hard to see why. In many cases, they’ll have all the qualities of a standard saloon, but with the added lure of greater rarity, increased practicality and – on some occasions – better looks. Here, we’ve selected eight classics that were all initially offered as saloons, but which many feel are at their best as estates. MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER (1953-1971) Now in its 76th…

FORD ESCORT RS TURBO ‘SERIES 2’ (1986-1991) The Ford Escort built itself quite the pedigree in rallying during the ’70s, with the RS1600 and RS1800 being seemingly unstoppable. Keen to continue that lineage into the front-wheel drive Mk3 Escort, Ford produced the motorsport homologation RS Turbo model. The ‘RST’ boasted a turbocharged version of the RS1600i’s 1.6-litre CVH engine and put its 130bhp down to the ground through seven-spoke RS wheels, tucked beneath a wide-arch bodykit. Loud, proud and unapologetically rough and ready, the RS Turbo’s looks and strong performance helped it sell 8600 units, remarkable given that Ford had only intended to produce the homologation-mandated 5000. The RS Turbo might’ve been popular, but its rough ride, laggy boost delivery and slightly wooden handling came in for criticism. However, given…

1983 - XJ-SC made available with the all-new 3.6-litre 24-valve AJ6 unit, producing 221bhp. 1985 - V12 version of the XJ-SC made available. 1988 - XJ-S Convertible replaces the XJ-SC. 1991 - XJ-S facelifted to become the XJS. Restyled rear end and structural changes made under the skin. 1992 - Convertible made available with new 4.0-litre version of the AJ6 engine. Underfloor struts added to end the scuttle-shake that had plagued earlier cars. V12 enlarged to 6.0-litres. 1993 - Small rear seats added to create a 2+2 option. More aerodynamic front and rear bumpers, plus a different instrument pack.  1994 - 4.0-litre AJ6 engine revised with coil-on-plug ignition and renamed the AJ16, with power up to 241bhp. 1995 - Celebration model launched to mark the 60th year of Jaguar Cars,…

At first glance, this is an MG Midget, but it’s actually the far rarer twin sister, the Austin-Healey Sprite. We’re great fans of the Spridget duo, but the Austin-badged version immediately has more interest value on account of its rarity, particularly when it’s as tidy as the 1970 car sold by Turn Two Classics. Resplendent in Tartan Red, this Sprite appears extremely straight, with good panel gaps – a crucial detail on these cars – and no noticeable dents or rust on any area of the bodywork, even those divisive square arches. Underneath is also described as rot-free, while Minilite-style wheels and a chrome luggage rack complete the tidy, smart look of this Sprite. Turn Two also reports that the hood is in very good order, with a clear screen…

MEMORY LANE Today, Fiat is part of the enormous Stellantis empire, comprising the FCA and PSA groups, but in the early 1970s, Fiat was a force to be reckoned with in its own right. This advert from circa-1971 proudly stated that “for every Volkswagen sold in Italy, 8 Fiats are sold in Germany. For every Renault sold in Italy, 3 Fiats are sold in France. For every Volvo sold in Italy, 9 Fiats are sold in Sweden.” This remarkable reach to other European countries saw Fiats become a common sight in the 1970s, with over 100,000 employed by Fiat in 1970 to produce over 1.4 million cars in that year alone. The ad goes on, stating that “of the fifty different small cars sold in Europe, Fiat sells more than…

The Volksworld Show is gearing up for its return in 2024, with a dedicated display of 1980s classics taking centre stage. A dedicated display marking the very best feature cars from the 1980s will have a starring role at the event, taking place over the weekend of the 16/17 March at Sandown Park, in Esher, Surrey. The show will be packed with the very best air-cooled VWs and Porsches all weekend, while the Sunday will broaden the event’s appeal with a top flight selection of retro water-cooled VWs and Porsches. The Back to ’89 display will be curated by Stu Betty, who explains: “The late 80s was a time when creativity and imagination ran riot. No two feature cars were the same, and there was an eclectic mixture of styles.…

Finding a TR3A at this price point is a little unusual, so it’s best to note that this is something of a project from the off, with plenty of room to fettle and turn a profit later on or just to realise the dream of owning a classic car. In mint condition, these models can sell for over £30,000. Although it’s well-priced, there is some work to be done to get this TR3A back to its best. The bodywork has received some repairs over the years, so in some areas the paintwork has a matt finish. There are multiple areas with cracked paint too, so stripping the car back to bare metal and respraying it would ultimately be the target for some buyers. The nearside wheel arch has a T-shaped…

Launching an expensive, thirsty V12 coupe in the wake of a fuel crisis was one thing, but replacing the much-loved E-Type with it was quite another. And yet, that’s just what Jaguar did in 1975 with the arrival of the XJ-S, a model which left marque traditionalists scratching their heads. The styling was divisive to say the least, and fears over a proposed (but never realised) change to American regulations meant a drop-head version was noticeably absent. The hostile reception, allied with Jaguar’s controversial BL connection and hefty fuel consumption, resulted in the near demise of the XJ-S in 1980. But well-judged updates including roofless options and a new engine contributed to reversal in fortunes, amounting to an impressive 21-year production run that resulted in 115,413 cars – making it…

The Mulsanne Turbo was perhaps the most significant car in Bentley’s history since the ‘Blower’ of 1929. By fitting a turbocharger to the 6.75-litre L-Series V8 to give it a remarkable turn of speed, the Mulsanne truly set itself apart from its Silver Spirit stablemate. The 1984 car offered by Ghost Motor Works sets itself apart from others on the market in a similar fashion – one of just 332 Mulsanne Turbos produced in right-hand drive before the Turbo R successor came along, this is surely one of the best survivors. Georgian Silver is a classy colour amongst a sea of white Mulsannes, and the unrestored bodywork of this car looks to be in excellent condition. Owned by the same family since 1987, the 37-year-old bodywork still has a lovely…