Innholdsfortegnelse for 5/22/2024 i Classic Car Buyer

Last month, we reported on how the industry was eagerly awaiting an announcement from the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, regarding the way historic vehicles are handled by the DVLA. Now that announcement has been made, with Mr Harper launching a public call for evidence on how to future-proof classic cars and the £18 billion sector that surrounds them. Mr Harper made the announcement during a meeting hosted by the Historic and Classic Vehicle Alliance (HCVA) at Bicester Heritage on May 9. The day included a tour of technical businesses on-site and a chance for the Secretary of State to experience a selection of historic cars on the test track. In a move that could open the door for more classic EV conversions, Mr Harper said the government…

Haynes Motor Museum has announced the return of its popular Autojumble event, taking place on Saturday June 15. Now in its second year, it’s poised to attract visitors from far and wide to the Somerset venue, looking to buy and sell automobilia. From sought-after car and motorcycle spares to rare vintage parts, magazines, manuals, clothing and quirky collectables, there should be something to satisfy every automotive enthusiast’s cravings. Located next to the museum, the large outdoor venue has space for up to 200 trade stands as well as food and drink outlets and a display of classic cars. Tickets include parking cost and are £5 per person if purchased in advance. Trade stands cost £30 if booked before June 1, and £40 thereafter. A combo ticket is also available, which…

Historics ventured out of its Buckinghamshire base to host its May 11 sale at Farnborough International, the first classic car auction the venue has ever hosted – it proved to be a hugely successful sale, with 109 lots selling and gross sales exceeding £3 million. Mercedes proved to be the theme of the day, with arguably the highlight being the 1989 R107 300SL which, on account of its immaculate condition and remarkable 2700 miles, sold for an impressive £77,953. A 1991 190E 2.6 with the Sportline suspension package netted £6944, while a stunning 1971 230SL Pagoda sold for the strong sum of £62,590 and its 1962 190SL Roadster sibling fetched £66,004. A 1983 R107 500SL sold for £17,070, while an SL fan preferring something more frugal bought the 1985 280SL…

Born from Toyota’s desire to create a world-beating luxury car, the Lexus project came into being as early as 1983. Lofty expectations were set for the fledgling brand’s first model, the LS, which was to be engineered to last. The development process for the LS was fastidious, with detailed material analysis and particular attention paid to vibrations from mechanical components, while over 4.4 million kilometres were covered by prototypes in testing. This depth of engineering continues to impress even on older examples with hundreds of thousands of miles on the clock – an impressive feat. The LS was unveiled at the 1989 Detroit Motor Show alongside the Toyota Camry-based Lexus ES, with both aimed squarely at the US market, with inoffensive styling and traditional three-box proportions. The LS’s V8 engine…

Values of the early ‘Series’ XJs have inched steadily upwards over the last few years and the increasingly rare well-preserved XJ40s have also become something of a Jaguar collector’s favourite, meaning it’s often the turn of the Ford-era cars to step up as the first rung on the ladder of Jaguar XJ ownership. The first of the Ford-developed models, the X300, was launched exactly 20 years ago. It was offered in 3.2-litre, 216bhp form or as a 246bhp 4.0-litre, while the long-serving V12 was boosted to six litres and 318bhp but was rendered effectively redundant by the astonishingly capable XJR. Packing 321bhp from the 4.0-litre six courtesy of an Eaton supercharger, the low-key high-performance XJ took the fight to the BMW M5 and often emerged victorious in contemporary group tests.…

Everyone was a little puzzled when the Vauxhall Signum first arrived in 2003. Aiming to carve a new niche in the executive market, the Signum was a luxury hatchback/estate crossover that was based on the bones of the Vectra. It was the same up until the B pillars and shared the long-wheelbase platform of the estate model, but featured individually-adjustable ‘FlexSpace’ rear seats designed with the comfort of rear occupants in mind. Only two occupants, ideally – the hard-backed bit between them could be used as a seat for shorter folk, but was really intended for loftier uses, such as housing the ‘Travel Assistant’ in the posher models. This offered a pair of folding tables, a fridge, a litter tub, cup holders, a 12-volt power outlet and a holder for…

If a £5000 XJS is just a gamble too far away from your comfort zone, then consider its successor, the XK8. The first-generation ‘X100’ XK is not only much younger but is also modern enough to be perfectly usable as a daily driver, courtesy of its AJ-V8 engine which offers driveability and economy in a different league to both the AJ6 and V12 engines. Launched in 1996, the XK8 owed more to the E-Type than the XJS in appearance, but its retro style was perfectly judged for its market, offering a curvaceous contrast to the chunky Mercedes alternative. Initially offered with the 4.0-litre, 290bhp V8 as either coupe or convertible, the range gained the 370bhp supercharged XKR in 1998 and was facelifted in 2000 with revised bumpers and lights. A…

The enigmatic Ferdinand Piëch had a penchant for pushing VW Group brands to think big, and that’s quite literally what happened in 2002 with the arrival of the Volkswagen Phaeton, the brand’s first-ever full-size luxury saloon. It was aimed squarely at the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class and Lexus LS – but also faced up against its Audi A8 VW Group cousin, built on the same platform. Piëch famously stipulated that the Phaeton should be able to travel at 300km/h (186mph) in 50°C ambient temperatures all day, while maintaining a cabin temperature of 22°C. Much like the depth rating on a Swiss dive watch, the bar was set impractically high as a flex of VW’s engineering muscles. Luxurious, refined, understated and decent to drive, the Phaeton was a great car…

We’re calling this a wildcard choice because it’s bound to raise a few eyebrows. After all, the Vanden Plas 1500 was based on the Allegro, the British Leyland product that so many love to hate. And yet, we think it deserves a place here; for starters, it was a lot better than the armchair critics would have you believe, and now, as back in period, offers luxurious features at an affordable price – precisely the point of this feature. Vanden Plas was a coachbuilding firm based in Kingsbury, northwest London, that built bodies for prestigious marques. However, tough financial times saw it become owned by Austin from 1946, and from 1960 BMC launched Vanden Plas as a brand in its own right, with its range of ‘Princess’ models including the…

And now for the wildcard. The 147 GTA was created by endowing Alfa’s humble hatch with the 3.2-litre 24-valve V6 – known to many as the ‘Busso V6’, named after legendary Alfa engineer, Giuseppe Busso. Producing 247bhp, the engine put the GTA ahead of its rivals in terms of its sheer power and addictive soundtrack. Despite the wheelspin, it could hit 60mph in 6.3 seconds, and go on to hit 153mph. However, while the Focus RS and Golf R32 boasted major chassis tweaks to cope with their hefty power output, the Alfa was far more unsophisticated and unruly. Its nose-heavy nature and weak brakes were often raised as concerns by drivers, and there was no limited-slip diff as standard, though it was optional for a period. But the appeal of…

Given the number of Skylines often in attendance, it’s not unusual to hear a straight-six soundtrack at Caffeine & Machine’s Japanese-themed ‘Daikoku’ evenings, but when this 1973 Triumph 2500 arrived, it certainly made everyone look. The contrast between the modern Japanese performance cars and the classic Triumph made for a great photo, and the big stainless pipe poking out from under the rear bumper made us wonder if it was indeed running the fabled RB26 turbo six. Whatever was in there, it sounded superb.…

Fiat Motor Club GB has announced it will host a brand-new event at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire on Saturday, August 3. ‘Fiats and Friends’ is being held to celebrate 125 years of FIAT but is set to be an all-encompassing celebration of Italian vehicles from all manufacturers, genres and eras. In addition, the event will have a display area for ‘friends’, which will consist of non-Italian vehicles and will ensure there is plenty on display for all attendees to admire. There’s no need to be in a shiny motor, either; project cars, daily drivers and vehicles with considerable patina are all urged to be part of the action. The occasion is being organised for Fiat Motor Club GB by PRL Events, the events company behind spring’s smash hit…

This year’s London Concours – taking place from June 4-6 at the Honourable Artillery Company – is shaping up to be quite the show, with a whole section dedicated to icons of the ‘60s. The star of the display will be the car that arguably best defines the swinging ’60s: the Beach Buggy. Specifically, the example on display is the Meyers Manx driven by Steve McQueen in the movie The Thomas Crown Affair. McQueen also had input into the design of the movie car, specifying a wraparound windscreen, headlights fared into the bonnet as opposed to standalone items, and triple the standard power courtesy of a Chevrolet Corvair flat-six. Alongside the Buggy will sit Eric Clapton’s 1969 Ferrari 365 GTC Berlinetta, purchased after Clapton fell in love with the example…

FORD FIESTA MK3 (1989-1997) The Fiesta had proven a runaway success, breaking into Britain’s top five best-sellers list within a few years of its UK introduction in 1977. But it wouldn’t top the charts until 1990, which was the first full year of sales for the Mk3. On sale from April 1989, the Mk3 boasted an entirely new platform and a longer wheelbase, with five doors finally offered for the first time. The rear suspension was also switched from a beam axle to a semi-independent torsion beam setup, improving the ride and handling. The CVH engines remained, as did the Valencia powerplants in ‘HCS’ (High Compression Swirl) guise. The diesel option swelled from 1.6- to 1.8-litres, while shortly after launch the sporty XR2i arrived, followed in 1990 by the hot…

The Mercedes S-Class is often credited with being “the best car in the world,” and has repeated pre-empted features that have become commonplace elsewhere a decade later. Launched in 1997, the W220 generation sought to offer more technology and innovation than ever before on an S-Class, boasting adaptive air suspension (with active hydropneumatic suspension optional) that offered a remarkably soft, floaty ride regardless of speed or terrain, ventilated seats that blew cold air onto you, keyless entry and ignition, radar-guided cruise control with adjustable following distances, rain-sensing wipers, heated door mirrors, soft-closing doors, voice control for the radio and satnav, and even cylinder shutdown on the S500 & S600 for improved fuel economy. This myriad of technology is notable even now, so imagine how impressive this Teutonic limousine was in…

If you’re looking for a definitive statement of luxury and prestige, then surely a Rolls-Royce or Bentley has to be it. The SZ generation of models are probably the most accessible when the budget is tighter. The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit and Bentley Mulsanne were first introduced in late 1980 and their aim was simply to offer similarly imperious quality, luxury and refinement to their Silver Shadow and T-Series predecessors but in a delicately modernised package. The styling is therefore updated, with bolder, more angular lines – very much en vogue at the time. The interior was subtly tweaked as was the drivetrain, with the now famous 6.75 V8 still powering the rear wheels from under that long bonnet, driving through a three speed GM Hydramatic gearbox. The suspension was again…

Replacing the Mk3 Granada – whose top-spec trim shared the name of its successor – the Ford Scorpio was the Bue Oval’s final attempt to break into the big executive car market dominated by BMW and Mercedes. Available in guises ranging from the basic 2.0-litre Executive (which still boasted electric windows and ABS) right up to the top-spec 2.9-litre Cosworth V6 in Ultima trim that sported air conditioning, electric mirrors, a CD changer, climate control, leather seats and cruise control, the Scorpio aimed to pick up the Granada’s baton in being a plusher Ford at the low-end and a genuine Mercedes alternative at the higher-end. Comfortable, well-priced, refined, well-built and well-equipped, the Scorpio ticked all the boxes to fulfil its brief. Sadly, the almost universally disliked styling earned it the…

Over on our Classics World YouTube channel you’ll find a short film of us showing how you can reset the air suspension on the third generation Range Rover without the marque-specific diagnostic kit, simply by plugging in a BMW code reader and telling it the vehicle is a first-generation ‘E53’ X5. That, in a nutshell, explains an awful lot about the genesis of the so-called L322 model which arrived on the market in 2001 produced by a Ford-owned Land Rover, but developed while Land Rover was in BMW hands. There’s a delightful urban myth which suggests the Solihull engineers were flown out to Munich, shown a hangar full of X5 parts and told to create a Range Rover from them, but naturally the reverse could equally be true, since it’s…

The lineage of the ‘quirky big Citroën’ extends back to 1934, and though they haven’t always been cost-effective for the manufacturer, they sold rather well. The CX reached an impressive production total of 1,170,645 units in its 23 years, and its XM successor managed a respectable 333,775 in less than half the time – though the rot had already started when it came to UK sales. Launched in 1989, the XM’s platform was shared with the Peugeot 605, but it was unashamedly Citroën in outlook, with a space age dashboard, less than ergonomic layout and quirky styling. It won the prestigious European Car of the Year award for 1990 and was positively received, but it suffered from buyers changing their habits. This was exacerbated when the C6 arrived as a…

There was some debate about the year of this unlabeled image from Tralee, County Kerry in Ireland. Based on what appears to be a Renault 5-based Extra van on the left – a model that was launched in July 1985 – we’d say it was some time after then. In front of it sits a seemingly base-spec Mk1 Astra, while a Rover P6 3500 looks perilously close to a Mk1 Volkswagen Jetta turning in the road. Parked in the central taxi rank are arch rivals in the form of an Opel-badged Mk2 Cavalier and Mk5 Cortina, while a Mk3 Escort – in what could be Ghia trim, given the chrome windscreen surround – drives past. Behind it looks like a Mk1 Renault 5, while a glance into the distance turns…

Returning to the South of England Showground in Ardingly on Sunday May 12, Classic Ford Show enjoyed fantastic success on a warm and sunny day. With over 700 cars and 3300 total visitors, it broke its own previous records for the venue, following a successful post-Pandemic return in 2022. As ever, the show prided itself on celebrating the clubs and people that made it possible, handing out awards throughout the day – FordTEC was awarded Most Varied Club Stand, while South London Retro Power took home Best Regional Club. In addition, YouTuber Marcus Hayes’ stand won Best Large Club Stand and the Ford Anglia 105E Owners Club was awarded Best Themed Display with its eclectic mix of standard, restored and modified Anglias, before it nominated their admin, John for the…

The venue has now been confirmed for the return of Rustival, the all-encompassing classic/youngtimer show hosted by YouTubers Ian and Carly from HubNut, Matt from Furious Driving and Steph from idriveaclassic. Rustival 2 will take place on Saturday 28 September, and will return to the location of its hugely successful inaugural outing – the British Motor Museum. Ticket sales were already very brisk as we went to press. Head to rustival.co.uk for further details and to buy tickets.…

A Brightwells classic car auction never fails to turn up a range of interesting and unusual cars, and the May 8 sale was no exception. The sale was complemented by the firm’s Online Garage sale ending May 9, only broadening the diversity in the lots available. Prestige motoring was in demand, with a 41,000-mile Porsche 993 911 Cabriolet that looked to be a lovely example selling for £48,790. A 1990 Bentley Mulsanne S that came with a reassuringly hefty history file to back up its 45,000 miles sold for a hefty £13,440, while the final low-mileage slice of 1990s prestige was a 1995 BMW 840Ci with a meagre 44,000 miles on the clock, which fetched £8960. There was even a Ferrari – saved from a barn, the 1974 365 GT4…

In these uncertain economic times, many of us are tightening the financial belt of late. But, shopping on a budget doesn’t mean you have to restrict your motoring taste to the austere Populars and ‘L’ models of the world – we’ve compiled a list of our favourite classics from the ‘70s, right up to the early-2000s that offer a luxurious feel and experience, all for the attainable budget of £5000. Are there any affordable luxury cars that we’ve missed? Let us know via ccb.ed@kelsey.co.uk.…

It’s easy to dismiss Volvo next to the Germans, but the Swedish firm has produced some excellent luxury cars over the years, the first-generation S80 being one of the best. Built on the P2 platform that would later underpin the V70 and XC90, the handsomely styled S80 was an executive saloon to challenge the BMW 5 Series. Measuring 4.82 metres in length, the S80 is a big car, but this translates to big car feel inside and out – not only does it sit planted on the road and cruise at high speeds effortlessly, but the boot is vast and five passengers can enjoy ample leg and headroom. The interior lacks the technology of the Germans, but you still get lashings of soft, high-quality leather in all but base-spec cars,…

When it comes to affordable prestige, the 7 Series has long been a value champion and can be surprisingly easy to own, thanks to its quality engineering and the many aftermarket parts suppliers catering for the German marques. The modern 7 Series began with the E32 generation in 1986 which brought a sleek new style to the market after the sharknosed first-generation E23, and was packed with technology. The E32 was notable for debuting BMW’s 5.0-litre V12 engine in the 750i, something that allowed the brand to leapfrog Mercedes for maximum Autobahn kudos. The V12 would be joined in 1992 by a newly developed V8 engine, the first offered by BMW since the 1950s, and the car’s understated styling was part of its appeal. It looked very much like a…

If you still regret missing out on the E-Type when they were still just about affordable, then here’s your second chance. The XJS is currently one of those classics where values are all over the place, with late ’80s coupes at the entry level and £30,000 upwards often demanded for pristine late-model Celebration convertibles. Launched in 1975, the XJ-S effectively replaced the E-Type in the range, but was more Grand Tourer than sports car. It got off to a slow start in the market, not helped by its thirsty V12, although the more efficient HE engine from 1980 improved things. The XJ-S’s success would come later in life though, with the newly developed AJ6 engine offered from 1983. The combination of six-cylinder engine and manual gearbox gave the car a…

If you thought the Volvo S80 was a left-field luxury car choice, Renault decided to throw its hat into the ring in the early-2000s with a duo of premium curios. The Vel Satis – a portmanteau of ‘Velocity’ and ‘Satisfaction’ – was pitched at the BMW 3 Series, costing Renault £550 million to develop. Space was recognised as key for a luxury car, so the Vel Satis was 13cm taller than its Safrane predecessor, and while the front end was typically sharp for a Renault of the era, the pillarless hatchback glass gave it a truly distinctive silhouette. The soft suspension meant a typically French ride but squidgy handling next to BMW, while the interior comprised mostly of fittings from other Renaults wrapped in leather or clad in aluminium switches.…

Before Jaguar turned to aluminium construction to modernise the XJ, Audi had developed and released its D2 A8, a high-tech rival for the Mercedes S-Class that undercut its rival on weight and added the option of the brand’s trademark quattro four-wheel drive system. The result was a full-size luxury saloon that weight little over 1500kg, with plenty of driver appeal and real all-weather ability – quite the statement in 1994. Base cars were front-wheel drive and used a Volkswagen-derived 2.8-litre V6 with 190bhp, while the 4.2-litre V8 put its 296bhp through all four wheels. Other engine options included a 3.7-litre V8 with front-drive only, as well as the Europe and Asia-only 6.0-litre W12 that would go on to power other VW Group products The sportier S8 arrived in 1996 with…

It is no secret that the fabled Golf GTI had lost some of its sparkle by the time the Mk4 Golf arrived, with excellent quality but a dearth of driver appeal. Even in Mk3 guise the flagship sporty Golf was wearing a VR6 badge rather than a GTI one, and it would prove to be a similar story for the Mk4 when the R32 arrived as the new range-topper in 2002. It ran the same 3.2-litre V6 engine found in the Audi TT – a direct descendant of the old 12-valve VR6 lump – with its 237bhp transmitted to the road via an intelligent four-wheel drive system with a Haldex electronic multi-plate clutch, which was clever enough to send power rearwards when grip was lost up front. For the first…

The Minx was something of a Rootes mainstay, with the nameplate survivng for an impressive 39 years in various forms. It was first used in 1931, but it wasn’t until the modern looking, ponton-styled Phase III Minx arrived in 1948 that it lost the pre-war looks, and it wasn’t until 1954 that it dispensed with sidevalve engines. The automotive world was moving quickly, and by this point the Minx was starting to look severely dated. And so, in 1955, Rootes took the covers the two-door Sunbeam Rapier pillarless coupe, designed by ex-Studebaker man Raymond Loewy as the first of a new series of ‘Audax’ cars, which translates from Latin as ‘bold’. A new Minx quickly followed in 1956, beginning with the Series I four-door saloon. With initial sales strong, Rootes…