Innholdsfortegnelse for 9/25/2024 i Classic Car Buyer

The quirky and much-loved Classic Car Boot Sale returns to King’s Cross this weekend, marking the centenary of MG and adding some new family-friendly features. The Family Fun Zone will include a mini Ferris wheel and fairground rides as well as music and entertainment, while popular features including the charity supermarket and Repair Fair will return. Alongside the usual selection of vehicles from the 1920s to the 1990s, the organisers promise a display of MGs to celebrate the centenary of the marque, which was first registered as a trademark by Morris Garages in 1924. Much like Goodwood events, visitors often arrive in carefully planned vintage outfits and the laid-back feel of the event has made it a highlight of the old car scene over the past 13 years. Running from…

The latest Historics sale at Ascot Racecourse proved another success for the auction house, finding homes for the vast majority of the 156 lots that crossed the blocks. Land Rovers from all ages enjoyed success, including a 2008 Discovery3 that was built to expedition spec and was part of Prince Harry’s 2008 Namibia Tour – boasting lifted suspension, off-road tyres, a snorkel, roof rack and numerous pieces of memorabilia from its travels (including a toll booth ticket from Namibia), it sold for £7150. The stunningly-restored 1951 Series 1 80-inch soft-top, meanwhile, was far more bare-bones, but presented in its original specification to a remarkable standard, earning it a £24,000 sale. A 2001 Range Rover P38A Holland & Holland boasted its enormous spec and rarity to win an £11,440 highest bid,…

MGB (1962-1980) Like the Minor, no British classic car scene is complete without an MGB, Abingdon’s ‘poor man’s Aston Martin’ as MG boss John Thornley dubbed it. Successor to the MGA, the B was MG’s first monocoque car, ditching body-on-chassis construction for a stiffer yet slimmer bodyshell – it even brought with it improved safety, boasting some of the first crumple zones offered in a British car. It utilised the B-Series engine introduced in the MGA, now bored out to 1.8-litres and boasting a strong 95bhp as well as a lovely gruff exhaust burble that went onto be one of the B’s defining characteristics. Performance was fast enough to be fun, while sharp rack-and-pinion steering combined with a simple live rear axle to create safe but fun handling. The MGB’s…

VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (1938-2003) The story of the VW Beetle has been well told – a project to create the perfect mass-mobiliser for the German people, capable of carrying two adults and three children at 100kph, while using no more than seven litres of petrol every 100 km – or 40mpg in real money. Ferdinand Porsche’s design gave the Beetle a teardrop profile, yielding excellent aerodynamics and with it, high-speed stability, remarkable refinement and respectable fuel economy. The air-cooled flat-four engine, meanwhile, was a simple unit designed to be rugged in all climates and easily-maintained, while the air-cooled setup was chosen as it couldn’t freeze during harsh winters. Throw in fantastically solid build quality – the door sealing is so good that if all the windows are firmly shut, slamming one…

AUSTIN-HEALEY SPRITE/MG MIDGET (1961-1971/1979) Produced to succeed the original ‘Frogeye’ Austin-Healey Sprite, the ‘Spridget’ duo consisting of the Austin-Healey Sprite Mk2 and its badge-engineered MG Midget sibling were released within a year of each other and differed little under the skin. Spending an additional £30 on the MG version got you a different grille, improved interior trim, more instrumentation and additional exterior brightwork, but either version is a decidedly basic car – early cars had all-round drum brakes, the heater was an optional extra, the windows were sliding pieces of Perspex that didn’t require an additional mechanism, and there were no exterior door handles. The Spridget also utilised humble everyday mechanicals in a bid to keep the price low, being powered by the familiar A-Series engine and weighing in at…

MAZDA MX-5 Mk1 & Mk2 (1989-2005) When Mazda looked to pay tribute to the much-loved classic British sports car with its own interpretation for the modern day, it likely never could have imagined the success story that would result. In so many ways, the Mazda MX-5 was a love letter to classic Brits, from its Lotus Elanesque styling (including the signature pop-up headlights), to the short-throw gearchange reminiscent of an MGB, the engine’s cam cover designed to mimic the look of a Lotus Twin Cam and according to urban rumour, an exhaust note tuned to evoke the MGB. It all sounds like the result would be a tragic pastiche, but quite the opposite – what Mazda did was blend these classic traits with modern refinement and convenience, fitting a fuel-injected…

Our digital editor James Howe recently took to the skies at the Scottish Gliding Centre on the banks of Loch Leven, and was happy to find some classics hard at work. This first-gen Land Rover Discovery is kitted out both as a fire response vehicle and tow car for a portable controller’s office. A second Disco with a full complement of grass-friendly wide wheels is used in the deployment of the airfield’s launch winch, which fires aircraft into the sky at supercar-rivalling speeds – needless to say, James highly recommends the experience.…

It might seem odd that a brand created deliberately to step away from its parent would then create a tribute to it, but that’s exactly what DS Automobiles has done to celebrate ten years of involvement with the Chantilly Arts et Élégance event – a kind of French Salon Privé. You might not have noticed when DS first appeared as a Citroën sub-brand but it was back in 2009 when the name was first used – the letters DS of course harking back to the Citroën of the same name, with the French pronunciation of the letters effectively making the word ‘dé-esse’ or goddess. The SM Tribute began life as a series of sketches back in 2020 according to DS design director Thierry Metroz and has now been made reality,…

W116 S-CLASS (1972-1980) The first car to officially wear the ‘S-Class’ moniker was the W116 of 1972. The Friedrich Geiger design was sharp, modern and imposing, commencing a design language that the whole Mercedes range adopted. Boasting six-pots and several V8s – the highlight being the 6.8-litre 450SEL – the tech was abundant, including the first turbodiesel engine offered in a production car, self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension, the first electronic four-wheel ABS brakes on a production car and class-leading safety. Combine this with bomb-proof Mercedes quality, a floaty ride, excellent refinement and high-speed cruising ability and a luxurious, spacious cabin, and it’s not surprising that the W116 sold 473,000 cars, despite its high £6000 starting price – half as much again as a 4.2 Jaguar XJ6. Sadly, the W116’s vast size,…

MORRIS MINOR (S2-S3) (1952-1971) It’s hard to picture a British classic car show (or indeed, magazine) without a Morris Minor, and seven decades after its introduction, the humble Moggy remains one of the best ways into classic motoring. Post-war, the Nuffield Group wanted to replace the ageing Morris Eight with a modern, yet resolutely affordable car that war-torn Britain could aspire to. A young Alec Issigonis was brought in on the Morris Minor project, working with chief engineer Vic Oak to produce a saloon car that boasted unitary construction rather than body-on-chassis, as well as independent front suspension. Every detail was designed to maximise interior space and handling ability, from the diminutive 14-inch wheels that meant minimal wheelarch intrusion, better ride comfort and stability, to the engine being fitted inches…

VOLVO AMAZON (1956-1970) Volvo’s reputation for bombproof reliability and durability to last the decades largely stems from the Amazon, while also carrying with it a significant industry first: the three-point seatbelt, a feature that’s estimated to have saved over one million lives since. The Amazon wasn’t the most radical car in most other regards, sharing its dimensions and B16/B18 four-pots with its PV predecessor, but it clothed them in standout styling. Designed by Jan Wilsgaard and heavily-influenced by Americana such as the Chrysler New Yorker, the Amazon boasted bold proportions, a hefty complement of brightwork and a swooping roofline, all decidedly adventurous features for previously staid Volvo. The B-series engines weren’t the most powerful or the most refined, but they proved fantastically durable in all conditions down to a Swedish…

ROVER P6 (1963-1977) Just as the Citroën DS represented a game-changing car for France, the Rover P6 did the same for Britain. It might have lacked the hydropneumatic suspension, but in every other respect the P6 was a technical showcase for Rover and British industry. The P6 slotted into the range just below the popular but decidedly staid P5, boasting a sharp, radical Spen King/David Bache design that bestowed it with Americanaesque fins, a deep inset grille and slightly faired-in rear wheels. Behind the radical styling was plenty of clever engineering, too – its ‘base unit’ construction (like the DS) was effectively a skeletal structure that kept the weight low, meaning the body panels – including the roof – were merely decorative, while impact-absorbing crumple zones and a collapsible steering…

SAAB 900 (1978-1994) Saab had long been a builder of sturdy, safe and slightly left-field cars that were generally bought by the wilfully different. That is, until the 900 came along – successor to the 99, it evolved the tried and tested Saab formula by placing a slant-four engine longitudinally in a front-wheel drive car for better traction, placing the gearbox beneath it and supplying drive via a chain. Wacky engine layout aside, the 900 made a good first impression with sharp Björn Envall styling that sported some typically Saab quirks, such as a wraparound windscreen, forward-hinged clamshell bonnet and sills effectively integrated into the doors to keep clothing clean on dirty winter roads. Inside too was upmarket yet unusual, with an offset steering column and slightly concave rear window,…

Join us outside The Cowherds Pub in Southampton this week – while the pub itself still looks the same as it did in the early 1970s, the typical traffic passing is quite different. On the left is a Mk2 Cortina 1300 Deluxe, whose performance is likely blunted by the roof rack. Next is a Hillman Avenger with its distinctive ‘hockey stick’ lights and a Triumph TR4A, which appears to be hiding Mk3 Cortina. Not to worry, there’s another further along, next to a Triumph GT6 and Mk1 Capri. On the far side of the second Cortina is an 1800 Landcrab, Triumph Dolomite, Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina and what looks like a Mk1 Consul beyond the Bedford CF van. Glance behind the hedge and you’ll find the third Mk3 Cortina in…

Famed Essex Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialist P&A Wood, is currently offering up for sale a 1962 Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur by Mulliner – but this is no ordinary example of the breed. The car – chassis number BC109CZ – was ordered new by Mr H C Green, whose wife was an artist. She chose the Bentley’s special-order shade of Light Green after experimenting with watercolour paints on a profile image of the model’s H J Mulliner coachwork. Over the next 30 years, Mr & Mrs Green would cover almost 440,000 miles, with the Bentley used daily. Maintained to the highest standards by P&A Wood since the late 1960s, the Bentley’s history file is appropriately vast, featuring hand-written notes, invoices and letters. The car’s second owner topped up its impressive…

With over 200 lots crossing the block, the September 14 sale would be the biggest ever for WB & Sons and a very successful one at that. Fords of all sorts proved popular, the most unusual being the 1995 Fiesta Van – boasting a full RS1800 conversion including bodykit, Recaro seats and the Zetec engine, it beat its estimate to fetch £4360. Next came a very smart-looking 1981 Mk2 Escort 1.3L Huntsman estate, one of 150 produced and thought to be one third of the surviving total – its excellent condition saw it sell for £8500. Fast Ford fans will have liked the unmodified and very tidy 2006 Mk6 Fiesta ST, which sold at the upper end of its estimate for £2998. Older hot Ford offerings came in the form…

TRIUMPH HERALD (1959-1971) Effectively replacing the Standard Eight/Ten range when Standard-Triumph became simply Triumph, the Herald sought to offer the traditional family saloon with an upmarket edge. Gorgeous Michelotti styling endowed it with tailfins, a sweeping nose and lashings of exterior chromework that turned heads immediately, while under the skin simple separate chassis construction was a necessity given rival BMC’s monopoly over Britain’s coachbuilders, but gave the Herald a modular construction that made it easy to create variations on the platform, from the upmarket Vitesse to the sportier Spitfire. The Herald’s real party piece, however, was its rack-and-pinion steering, an unusual fitment on a small saloon car that granted the little Triumph fantastic steering sharpness and a remarkably tight turning circle to rival that of a London taxi. As a…

MINI (1959-2000) It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Mini was simply a starter car and never mind a starter classic car. Plenty of mates had them as first cars in the late ’80s and as a result we gained plenty of experience tinkering with A-Series engines and rusty subframes. Back then you could still buy a brand new Mini of course, but these were old cars run on a shoestring, which if nothing else demonstrated just what a great DIY prospect a classic Mini is. That’s something which endures today of course, but the quality of the Minis out there has improved markedly since we were patching up sills to eke out another year’s ticket. The realities of supply and demand mean that the bangers have all disappeared,…

AUSTIN A30/A35 (1951-1968) After creating Britain’s first people’s car with the Seven, Austin watched its crown slip away to the Morris Minor post-war, and was having none of it. Launched in 1951, the A30 was marketed as “New Austin Seven” and undercut the Minor by £62. Boasting monocoque construction, the A30 was stiffer and lighter than many rivals, while also offering more interior space despite being such a compact car. Power came from the new A-Series engine, initially in 803cc guise, which offered respectable performance for its size and impressive fuel economy. As well as its simple yet charming styling, key to the A30’s success was its affordability, simplicity and fun driving experience, all traits that were amplified with 1956’s A35, which offered a more powerful 948cc and later 1098cc…

CITROËN 2CV (1948-1990) Necessity, so they say, is the mother of all invention. That was certainly true when Citroën wanted to get war-torn France moving and famously designed and engineered a car that could carry four people across a ploughed field without breaking any of the eggs they were carrying. The car had to be as affordable as possible, easily-maintained by those with no prior car experience, reliable, economical and offer a comfortable ride that ironed out France’s rutted rural roads. The 2CV was the result, introduced in 1948 and sporting fantastically quirky styling with its narrowing nose, rippled bonnet and fabric roof. Power came from an air-cooled flat-twin engine that was all but unburstable, removed in minutes and would run on the lowest quality fuel available – initially a…

TRIUMPH TR7 The Plus 4 has never had many direct rivals to worry about, but the TR7 is a similar blend of drop-top touring ability and fun B-road sports car. Parts support is far more of an issue with the Triumph and you’ll likely have to explain yourself more than with the Morgan, but you get more refinement and arguably styling which is just as distinctive. HONDA S2000 Again, not a direct competitor, but if you want a 2-litre twin-cam engine in a rear-drive roadster, Honda’s manic S2000 offers a totally different flavour from the same recipe. More modern in every way than the Plus 4 but no less exciting or engaging, it lacks the ‘traditional’ classic styling, but makes up for it elsewhere. MG RV8 Traditional styling and driving…

HIDDEN GEMS Reader Andrew Hardy got in touch to share some interesting spots: “I saw these last month at Tollesbury Marina in Essex. The Mercedes W108 on American plates stands out, as does the BMW E9, while the relatively modern Mondeo ST220 is a real curiosity. If not restored soon, then the salty seaside air will no doubt do away with these relics fairly soon.” Thanks for sharing, Andrew – we only hope someone saves them! MEMORY LANE The Citroën BX was keen to appeal to fleet buyers and families alike, touting its practicality, long service intervals and fuel economy, as this 1983 brochure details; “The highly aerodynamic BX body shape and details like flush-bonded screens, give effortlessly efficient high speed cruising – 39mpg at a steady 75mph.” What’s more,…