Innholdsfortegnelse for 4/10/2024 i Classic Car Buyer

“Where are they now?” A question asked of actors and, if you’re anything like us, cars. A YouTuber called Oscar’s Garage has a series dedicated to tracking down the cars from Wheeler Dealers years after their TV starring role — the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo ended up in Australia, if you’re interested — and numerous cars from The Grand Tour either get bought by the presenters after filming (such as Richard Hammond’s Subaru Impreza, Aston Martin DB9 Volante and Buick Riviera) or ultimately sold at auction, with Clarkson’s Mitsuoka LeSeyde sold at CCA’s NEC Restoration Show auction recently. I can’t be the only one who regularly checks the DVLA website to see if any of their old cars are still on the road, it’s an interesting way to spend an evening.…

LAND ROVER 90/110 (1983-1990) The meaning of ‘Land Rover’ to the average person on the street has shifted considerably since the first model appeared 76 years ago. Nowadays it’s more likely to be associated with luxury and affluence than for rugged off-road capability, with even the new Defender a far cry from what might be deemed utilitarian. Even before the previous Defender hit the end of the line in 2016, it was a world apart from what we now know as the Series I model. Officially launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show of 1948, the original Land Rover featured an 80-inch wheelbase and a 1595cc Rover P3 engine putting out 50bhp, plus permanent four-wheel drive. It nonetheless proved to be a brilliantly conceived product; within a year the Land Rover…

Quotation supplied by Lancaster Insurance Web: lancasterinsurance.co.uk | Tel: 01480 809176 Example quote: £148.96 or £166.96 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.…

In the Volkswagen scene, there are those who restore, polish and rechrome their cars to perfection, and there are fans of the ‘patina’ look, where paint and chrome is – either naturally or artificially – presented in a weathered, aged way. The 1963 VW Camper at Sherwood Restorations is an example of the latter, with a fascinating story. Sourced from Arizona, it was found on a farm yard, before ultimately being saved and imported to Britain. The bodywork is dented here and there, and obviously the paint is well-worn, but there is no rust or holes anywhere in the body. Since import, the passenger’s footwell, bulkhead panel and rear arches have been replaced, so the structure is solid. Used by the previous owner for his wedding, the custom interior trim…

Malpassi fuel filter and regulator Webcon can now offer the Malpassi Filter King fuel filter and regulator assembly, featuring a glass bowl to assess the condition of the replaceable filter, two push-on unions, a universal mounting bracket, and a captive thread for a pressure gauge. It’s suitable for all Weber carb installations.  How much? £108.82 Where? webcon.co.uk / 01932 787100 Scalextric VW Beetle Expected this spring, this 1966 Volkswagen Beetle Scalextric car replicates the racer campaigned in the American Historic Trans AM series, where it has humbled some much more powerful opposition. The 1:32-scale slot car can be preordered now as item code C4498. How much? £49.99 Where? uk.scalextric.com Pinto cam cover The tooling for Burton Power’s classic SOHC Pinto alloy cam cover has been resurrected, and they are now…

A “lost” MG Magnette ZA thought to be the one of the first seven cars off the production line is set to be auctioned by Morris Leslie during its next classic car sale on May 18, having resurfaced recently in a lock-up garage. On September 19, 1953, the first MG Magnette with chassis number 501 commenced build at Abingdon, and being the first production car, was destined to be one of the Earls Court Motor Show exhibits on October 21. The car was completed five days before the doors opened to the public. On October 31, the build of cars 505-507 commenced with completion by the year end. This particular example is car 507, and would have been a factory demonstration/publicity car. It’s reportedly one of the first seven Magnettes…

Commonly, we associate turbochargers with hot hatches and sports cars. The first turbocharged road car was the stylish Chevrolet Corvair, and Ford and Renault in particular ran rampant with turbos on their 1980s hatchbacks. However, the same decade also saw several run-of-the-mill saloons hotted up with forced induction, creating family cars that could keep pace with sports cars. Join us as we celebrate all the times the family holiday got faster… SAAB 99 TURBO (1978-1982) We can hardly mention turbochargers without mentioning the manufacturer that did so much to facilitate their popularity and accessibility in the first place: Saab. The 99 was Swedish manufacturer’s move to take the brand upmarket, and beyond the scope of the existing 96 model. The prototype was even badged ‘Daihatsu’, to throw spies (or indeed,…

1995 - BMW Z3 previewed in James Bond, Goldeneye movie. Production starts in America in November, initially only offering the 1.8-litre M43B18 engine. 1997 - Z3 2.8 launched, powered by 193bhp M52B28 engine. Z3M Roadster and Coupe also introduced, powered by 3.2-litre S50B32 from E36 M3, boasting 321bhp.  1998 - Z3 2.2 launched, sporting 2494cc six-cylinder engine.  1999 - Z3 range facelifted with 2.8’s wide-body standardised, rear lights, bootlid and both bumpers revised. Z3 1.9 now has 117bhp M43B19, Z3 2.0 offered with 150bhp 2.0-litre M52B20, Z3 2.2 launched with 170bhp M52B22. Range-topping Z3 3.0 launched with 3.0-litre, 228bhp M54B30. 2001 - Z3M Coupe and Roadster upgraded to S54B32 engine. 2002 - BMW Z3 production ends in June, with 297,000 sold in total. Z4 replacement launches in 2003.…

The future of the excellent AROnline website has been secured, with the announcement that Great British Car Journey, the award-winning interactive classic car museum based in Derbyshire, has acquired the site from its founder, Keith Adams. Since 2001, AROnline has reported on and collated the history of the British motor industry through the prism of British Leyland and its successors, but had been due for closure this year due to time and financial pressures. Thankfully, its acquisition by the popular Ambergate attraction means the content, which comprises nearly 6000 published articles, will remain online. Richard Usher, founder of the museum, commented: “As a classic car authority and renowned journalist, Keith was a terrific help to us four years ago when we were putting Great British Car Journey together. He has…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK Revised Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates introduced from the start of this month have increased the cost burden on running classic and modern classics under 40 years old, with many enthusiasts pointing out an unfair dichotomy between costs and mileage typically covered. It’s also feared that the latest increases could put the appeal of younger classics under threat, as enthusiasts struggle to justify the rising costs of owning such vehicles amid a cost-of-living crisis. VED changes were part of the Spring Budget announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last month. Like most years, an increase in rates in-line with the Retail Price Index was rather buried in the official document, but it means the cost of taxing an older diesel or petrol car that’s…

An impressive array of classics, custom creations and even supercars provided a feast for the appetite of enthusiasts in Feltham on March 30, all whilst fundraising for Nishkam SWAT, a charity supporting the homeless and underprivileged. With Fast Fords, classic Brits, 1980s icons, German Giants and Japanese models, visitors could admire a variety of cars, all while digging deep to make donations. The level of dedication and commitment to prepare and present was second to none, including a recently restored 1981 Fiat 131 belonging to charity founder Randeep Singh Lall. This was not the only Italian, with some Ferraris and a Lamborghini present too. The charity relies on around 800 committed volunteers throughout the week for outreach services in dozens of locations, including other countries. Donations help fund this important…

Knowing the dancer from the dance was not only a problem for WB Yeats, but for Morgan in 2000 when it first unveiled the Aero 8 at that year’s Geneva Motor Show. Having gained years of hard-won motorsport experience, then-chairman Charles Morgan, grandson of founder HFS, knew that there was a new demographic of customer who wanted an altogether more modern car, one that dispensed with sliding-pillar suspension and a separate steel ladder chassis. Commissioned in the middle of Series 1 production (2002), this Aero 8 at Allon White Sports Cars is among the first 120 cars produced. With fewer than 30,000 miles on the clock and a packed service history, it’s worn multiple private plates in its 22 years; unfortunately, its current registration mark is not included. What little…

When the MGB bowed out in 1980, it had been in production for 18 years and was already touted as a classic. It’s now over 25 years since the launch of the BMW Z3, yet it’s a car that’s still only just on the cusp on being a classic. With values for good examples on the rise and its contemporaries already widely accepted, we reckon now is the Z3’s time. The previous Z1 from 1989 had been a technological marvel, introducing the all new Z axle and composite construction, but the BMW Z3 was designed to be built cheaper and in volume. The floorpan, suspension and running gear were shared with the 318Ti Compact, complete with its old style semi-trailing arm rear suspension, revised from the previous-generation E30 3 Series.…

Until the early 1960s, Volvo had a reputation for building solid, dependable, safe but unexciting cars. The P1800, therefore, was a shock – a gorgeous sporting coupe that could easily wear a Maserati badge, yet it heralded from Sweden? Small wonder it proved a smash hit, and continues to be sought-after today; the 1962 car offered by Yorkshire Classic & Sports Cars (YCSC) is an absolute beauty, and ably demonstrates the appeal of Volvo’s unexpected coupe. Being an early car, this P1800 was built by Jensen and boasts numerous features not found on the 1964-onward Swedish-built cars: the chrome trim inside and out is actually chrome-plated brass, in contrast to the less durable plated aluminium and polished stainless steel found on later cars. The bodywork on this car is seemingly…

After the XJ40 evolved the Jaguar XJ, the X300 of 1994 arguably made the model the best it had ever been, and the 1997 3.2 example sold by Sherwood Restorations appears one of the nicest we’ve ever seen. Specced in the gorgeous Carnival Red, the bodywork on this car looks in fantastic condition – Sherwood shows evidence of no rot around the arches or screen apertures, and the lovely lines are uninterrupted by dents or scrapes. This could be down to the incredibly low 34,000 miles on the odometer, with the mileage of some X300s we’ve encountered suggesting that this car has around 250,000 miles left in it. The wheels too present superbly, and reassuringly wear matching Continental tyres. Sherwood says that the underside is rust-free, and a fresh treatment…

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES Reader Richard Andrews got in touch with a spelling mistake he’d spotted in a news story on page six of our March 20 issue: “I think Earl Mountbatten’s family would be stricken to have learnt he’d had an ‘assignation’!” Well spotted, Richard! We of course meant after his ‘assassination’ for the benefit of any other readers that may have been confused. Not an ideal subject on which to make a typo, granted… SPECIAL CITROËN? Reader Paul James got in touch following the Classic Scenes image in our 27 March issue; “There seems to be something a bit unusual about the Citroën DS/ID camera car pictured. There is a blanked out panel above the rear door (to aid on-screen monitoring?), and the rear may be an open…

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED We celebrate the crazy cars from manufacturers that came out of nowhere, from the muscular MGB V8 to the wild BMW Z3M Coupe. CLASSIC CHOICE Three 1980s rep cars go head-to-head, but will the Ford Sierra, Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 or Austin Montego triumph? COOL COUPE One of the most dramatic cars of its generation, the Fiat Coupe is also a thrill to drive. We show you 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…