Innholdsfortegnelse for 8/14/2024 i Classic Car Buyer

By the time you read this, our much-loved Jaguar X350 XJ8 will have departed, having been sold through South Western Vehicle Auctions’ July sale. While some of you might struggle to see why, I can’t help but feel sad that the big Jag’s left us – true, when I first drove it, I struggled to find any character in the X350. It was arguably one of the first Jaguars which needed no excuses made for it, so fantastically capable and competent was it in so many ways – economical, comfortable, spacious, fast, luxurious, stylish and, thanks to its alloy construction, resilient against rust in away Jaguars of old aren’t. While it’s true that cars that are almost without flaws can be hard to find character in, the more time I…

LED lighting rings Many older cars didn’t have orange indicators and some had no flashing indicators at all. These self-adhesive LED orange flasher rings are designed to fit around a stop/tail (rear) or sidelight bulb (front) but fit inside the outer lens and cannot be seen from the outside when in place. They are powerful enough to flash orange even through a standard red lens at the back. How much? £71.99 Where from? bettercarlighting.co.uk / 0121 773 7000 Poly Vdrive belt kit Burton is now offering alternator/water pump drive kits to boost reliability for tuned SOHC Pinto and Kent engines. They contain a multi-ribbed Poly V belt and a matching pulley set with tensioner that will reduce the chances of a drive belt being ‘thrown’ during spirited driving. How much?…

Since escaping the axe back in 2019, it seems that the historic Vauxhall manufacturing sites in the UK are under threat once more. Speaking at the half-year results event, CEO of parent company Stellantis, Carlos Tavares announced that the company has “a specific problem to solve in the UK,” referring to the ZEV mandate which requires 22per cent of a maker’s cars and 10 per cent of vans to be electric, rising to 80 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035, with punitive fines if these targets are not achieved. In the light of what he described as “disappointing” results, Tavares announced the decision to trigger “a strategic review of the business model, including the manufacturing footprint.” “As we have two EV plants in the UK, and…

REVS, a non-profit classic organisation that prioritises mental wellbeing, is partnering with charity StarterMotor for its annual Pilgrim Tour on October 11-13. StarterMotor has amassed an impressive Drive-It Fleet as part of its mission to put the next generation in the driving seat, and the new collaboration will allow two specially nominated automotive enthusiasts to experience the ancient Pilgrim routes of South Wales in one of its cars. Running for the fourth time, the Pilgrim Tour will also be supported by the first time by rally organisation HERO-ERA, which will join StarterMotor in helping provide an all-expenses-paid weekend for the two chosen participants. REVS is asking the wider motoring community to nominate people who have faced struggles in their life affecting their wellbeing, and who have never had the opportunity…

MINI TRAVELLER / COUNTRYMAN (1960-1969) Given the success of the Morris Minor Traveller, and the need for something more modern to the replace the Austin A35 Countryman, an estate version of the Mini seemed inevitable. As it was, the load-lugging A35 managed to survive until 1962, but it was made to look old hat when the new Austin Seven Countryman and Morris Mini-Minor Traveller, as they were known, were announced in September 1960. These new long-wheelbase Minis were compact, well-priced and had far more room inside than their external dimensions indicated. Indeed, they were almost as roomy as the bigger Morris Minor in terms of load space, with handy twin rear doors for excellent access and a low height that meant paving slabs and the like could be lifted in…

Quotation supplied by Lancaster Insurance  Web: lancasterinsurance.co.uk | Tel: 01480 400761 Example quote: £399 or £417 with Agreed Value (spec dependent). Quote based on a45-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.…

BEST B? The recent MGB GT Jubilee overview video on our Classics World YouTube channel prompted several responses on whether the special edition is the best rubber bumper MGB; @nelsonclub7722’s family were clearly fans “We have had three of these in our family – one when they first came out, and two in ’95 – a father, son and cousin respectively.” @jrdavies1982, meanwhile, doesn’t get the rubber bumper hate – “I’ve never found the rubber bumper unattractive, it looks better today than ever!” and @simonlilley already has his own Jubilee: “I have had my Jubilee for 26 years now, would never part with it. Jubilees are rare cars, but next year is their 50th birthday and plans are afoot for a celebration in Abingdon.” MEMORY LANE Keen to expand the…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTERAT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK The Bromley Pageant of Motoring will be back for 2025, having been absent from this year’s show calendar following the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ). The restrictions imposed by the zone played a major role in forcing the event away from the traditional Norman Park venue it had called home for more than 40 years, but now a much-anticipated return has been announced, in partnership with Classics World. Taking place on July 27, 2025, the event’s new home will be the South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex. The venue offers great road access, being just 10 minutes from the M23, and is very close to major rail stations and Gatwick airport. Crucially, it’s also outside of London’s ULEZ. The move…

A Porsche 928 with the starring role in a1980s classic film will be the headline lot at Bonhams’ Quail Auction at Monterey Car Week this Friday (August16). The car is one of three 928s used during the filming of Risky Business, starring Tom Cruise. This example was used for many principal shots during the film’s production, including the scene featuring the famous line “Porsche: there is no substitute” and preceding car chase. It is also claimed that the car played an important role in Tom Cruise’s rise to fame as a hands-on action star, with the film’s producer Jon Avent suggesting that he taught the 20-year-old star how to ‘drive stick’ in the 928. The five-speed manual example was originally finished in white, but was repainted in Platinum Metallic for…

Sometimes a car maker is unable to build a powerplant for its latest model, whether because of budget constraints, manufacturing limitations, or simply because another firm’s engine offers a neat shortcut to more prestige and power for a halo model. Over the years, we’ve seen numerous deals being done to fit engines sourced from other companies and often entirely unrelated models, resulting in some truly unusual and special cars. Some have gone on to become highly desirable, while others have remained a little more under the radar. Here, we pay tribute to some of the most notable. SUNBEAM TIGER (1964-1967) The pretty Sunbeam Alpine had proven popular with European buyers as an MG alternative, but its underpowered 1.5-litre engine limited its appeal for the American buyers that Rootes was keen…

1998 - The new Astra is launched in the spring with a choice of three- and five door hatchback or five-door estate body styles. Engines comprise 90bhp 1.4i 16v, a 75bhp 1.6i 8v, a 100bhp 1.6i 16v, and 115bhp 1.8i 16v petrol units, plus 68bhp 1.7 turbodiesel and 2.0-litre direct injection diesel units. September sees the 136bhp 2.0-litre SRi model added, and in November the four-door saloon range is introduced. December sees the advent of Bi-Fuel versions, running on Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) as well as regular unleaded. 2000 - The Bertone-styled coupe is added to the range, while other models see revisions to power outputs and equipment levels. The 1.7-litre turbodiesel is replaced by a more advanced turbocharged direct injection unit of similar capacity, and an intercooled 2.0Dti engine…

We see restored cars for sale constantly, but the quality of the work is often unknown. Not so with the gorgeous MGA 1600 offered by St Andrew’s Autos; originally an American-market car, it was repatriated in 1990 and treated to a chassis-up restoration. That was 34 years ago now, but it’s held up remarkably well, the white paintwork still holding a lovely shine and apparently sporting only a single blemish on the bootlid. A tell-tale of a poor restoration are the shut lines, but this one looks to boast neat, even gaps, with doors that reportedly open and close as they should. The chrome trim still looks extremely smart, while the wire wheels are shod with Uniroyal Rallye 280 radial tyres, meaning there should be ample grip when pressing on…

To pay tribute to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ 120th anniversary this year, the Salon Privé Concours will see an eclectic mix of the company’s most significant 20th Century cars displayed on the lawns of Blenheim Palace. Taking place on August 28-29, the seven-strong line-up will include a1911 40/50hp that achieved atop speed of 101mph at Brooklands and was the model that The Autocar (as it was then known) called “the best car in the world.” Other highlights will include a1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental by Freestone &Webb (pictured), which was originally ordered by cotton Magnate and Conservative MP for Clapham, Sir John Leigh. These two significant examples also join a1965 Phantom V by HJ Mulliner Park Ward, as well as a1988 Silver Spirit with extremely rare Hooper & Co two-door bodywork,…

A 1992 Ford Escort Cosworth formerly run as a long-term test car by Jeremy Clarkson is due to be offered by Iconic Auctioneers as part of its sale at Silverstone Festival on August 23-24. A pre-production example in Mallard Green, K38 FMC is one of three hand-built test cars that differed slightly in specification from customer cars, including a catalytic converter delete. As a marketing stunt, Ford offered the car to Jeremy Clarkson as a 12-month test car, featuring in numerous magazine reports in his tenure. During that time, it also appeared on the Top Gear TV show, was daily driven by the presenter, used as a camera car for the show, and was even keyed at one point – damage that long since seems to have been rectified. The…

Mitsubishi Motors is gearing up fora series of special events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its presence in the UK. The biggest of these will be the Golden Jubilee Tour on September 21, with 50 cars set to be in attendance spanning each of the brand’s five decades in Britain. The tour will start at the brand’s UK base in Watermoor, Cirencester, and will finish at Badminton House in Gloucestershire, home to the famous Badminton Horse Trials – an event that has been sponsored by Mitsubishi for the past 25 years. Many applications for the Tour have already been received but Mitsubishi is encouraging more, especially from owners of rarer models like the Mitsubishi Lonsdale and Tredia, or cars that “combine an interesting or special customer or vehicle story.”…

After messing about with and writing about old cars for more years than I care to remember, there are a few that will always stand out. Naturally, some are exotics like the Jaguar C-Type and ’50s Bentley Continental, but perhaps surprisingly it’s the humbler machinery which leaves more of an impression. Two which immediately spring to mind are the Frogeye Sprite and the Austin A30/A35, both of which provide grins per mile far in excess of what you’d expect from the modest power outputs of their A-Series engines. Sales of all A30 and A35 variants just topped 500,000, but that was dwarfed by the 1.6 million achieved by the car it was intended to take on, the Morris Minor. Today, this makes the Austin the lesser spotted of the duo…

Today’s buyers want crossovers and SUVs, but go back a couple of decades or so and the family hatchback market was where the real action was. Ford changed the game in 1998 with its new Focus, with the competition struggling to match the style and excellent driving experience, but eight months earlier we also saw the arrival of the fourth-generation Astra ‘G’. A touch conservative next to the Ford, it was still a sound effort, with smart looks and much-improved ride and handling compared to its predecessor. It was also safer than before with a four-star Euro NCAP rating, and abroad range of variants meant there was a model for every taste and budget; buyers could choose from a hatchback, saloon or spacious estate, with Bertone-styled coupe and convertible versions…

The ubiquity and universal appeal of Mazda’s prodigal MX-5 means many have been used, abused and either rusted away or fallen into disrepair. Accordingly, nice examples are both increasingly rare, and increasingly valuable – the 1994 Eunos V-Spec offered by specialist, MX5 City isn’t the cheapest Mk1 ‘NA’ on the market, but could be one of the nicest. Originally a Japanese market car, it was imported in 2005 and has approximately 74,000 miles to its name, with its condition reflecting that. Rot should be your major concern when inspecting an MX-5, but MX5 City reports that on this car, the chassis, sills and bodywork are all original and in very good condition, having never been welded. All the factory spot-welds are clear and visible on the sill flanges and wheelarches,…

If one high-quality restoration wasn’t enough, what about a charming big Ford? This 1958 Consul was in the same family for over 50 years, and includes a simply vast history file that documents much of this car’s life and ownership from day one, including the original order form and brochure, then every service receipt and MoT certificate for every year since. It’s the kind of history that collectors dream of, and this car would sit smartly in a collector’s garage. Fully restored in 2008, the car was treated to an expenditure of over £30,000. The work included bodywork and a full respray in its original Brecon Grey on a rotisserie, meaning every inch was made perfect. It still looks extremely smart today, with a lovely shine. We spotted a fewstone…

HIDDEN GEMS We celebrate the often-forgotten models from big brands to see if they deserve attention, from the radical Ford Corsair to the controversial City Rover. CLASSIC CHOICE We compare what could be the best three generations of Jaguar XJ, but is the X300, V8 X308 or all-alloy X350 the best all-rounder? PERFECT PORSCHE The Porsche 911 has been through many iterations over the past 60 years, but hit areal highpoint in Carrera 3.2 form. We show how to buy a great one. DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL ISSUE OF CLASSIC CAR BUYER FROM AS LITTLE AS £1.37! Visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/classic-car-buyer-magazine The printed version of Classic Car Buyer is available in ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons and WH Smiths, plus all good newsagents…