Innholdsfortegnelse for 12/11/2024 i Classic Car Buyer

The world of classic cars, and our preferences regarding those cars, are often complex and irrational. In my own case, this can be related to two of the classics in my fleet, which are both left-hand drive. In the case of my Innocenti Mini, I’m perfectly happy for it to stay that way, and in truth I wouldn’t ever want to change it. Yet in the case of my imported Mk1 Ford Fiesta, I can’t shake the urge to convert it to right-hand drive. Why? I’m not really sure – it’s just a feeling. To me, the Mini was built in Italy, and therefore best represents that by staying as it is. There are enough differences with a UK Mini that the Innocenti stands alone, with its own identity. The…

Classic Mini badges Various badges for late-model classic Minis have been re-released courtesy of Mini Spares. They comprise several different bonnet shields, including for the Sky and Rose limited editions, the Mini 1100, Mini 95 and red and silver 1275GT rear badges, and the green Paul Smith grille badge. How much? From £25.66 Where from? minispares.com / 01707 607700 MGB manifold This new UK-made Webcon inlet manifold allows a Weber DCOE carb to be fitted to the B-Series engine, as used by classics such as the venerable MGB. It’s 125mm long and offers superb performance while still being compact enough to allow the use of stock Weber DCOE air horns. It is also available as a kit complete with a Weber 45DCOE. How much? From £247.99 Where from? webcon.co.uk /…

The man who Murray Walker once called ‘Mr Jaguar’, Philip Porter, has denounced the company’s “cheap and shoddy disregard for its heritage” following its controversial rebrand. As well as being founder of the Jaguar XK Club and E-Type Club alongside his wife, Julie, Philip Porter has written more Jaguar books than anyone else and published more than any other publisher. He owns the E-Type that starred in The Italian Job, but also two modern F-Types. “Jaguar has cynically chosen to ditch their heritage, turning its back on its global supporters and traditional customer base. It considers the entire Jaguar specialist infrastructure as utterly irrelevant to its future. It has traded Jaguar’s proud history and loyal following for meaningless sensationalism,” said Porter. “In recent years, Jaguar management has been consumed by…

HILLMAN AVENGER (1970-1981) When it comes to compact family cars from the early 1970s, the Hillman Avenger never seems to receive the column inches enjoyed by rivals from Ford, Vauxhall and British Leyland. And yet, Rootes’ mid-line challenger was significant. Not only was it the first Rootes Group effort to be developed under the leadership of Chrysler Europe, but it was also an all-new design that took a more youthful direction, with influences from Detroit and none of the complex badge-engineering applied to previous models like the Imp, Minx and Hunter. At least, not initially – the Avenger’s identity was to become confused in later years, and overseas was always something of a free-for-all in this respect. Despite having the Arrow-series Minx as its entry level four-door saloon, Rootes executives…

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A magazine subscription is the perfect gift: • Personal, thoughtful and fuels their passion • Provides enjoyment all year round • And saves you money on the shop price! OVER 45 TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM VISIT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/XMAS24 OR CALL 01959 543 747 AND QUOTE ‘XMAS24’ Lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate UK customers only. Offers end 31st January 2025 PLUS! Annuals, Books, Calendars, Event tickets, Clothing & Merchandise at shop.kelsey.co.uk/stocking…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK Owners of classics on the cusp of turning 40 are reminded to brush up on their MoT exemption knowledge – after the Scottish owner of a 1983 Triumph Acclaim was stopped on the M80 last month for “having not had an MoT for a year.” A minority of police officers remain in the dark about historic vehicle legislation, particularly for modern classics that don’t look stereotypically ‘old.’ Obviously, the MoT exemption for historics is still valid; nothing has changed since the Motor Vehicle (Tests) (Amendments) Regulations 2017 came into force on May 20, 2018. This meant vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago, and with no ‘substantial changes’ made in the last 30 years, no longer needed an MoT. The…

Thousands of photos of the Sultan of Brunei’s car collection were posted online last week. Allegedly leaked following a dispute within the Brunei royal family, an extensive collection of photos of cars within the collection – supposedly spread across four purpose-built tower blocks and taken in 2001 – were uploaded to Instagram via @Brunei_Cars_2001, which also shared a link to a Google Drive folder containing all the images. Although double-digit examples of ‘normal’ exotica is known about – including four Bugatti EB110s, eight Ferrari F40s and eight McLaren F1s in road-going, GTR and LM guises – it was the bespoke cars that stood out. Custom-commissioned Ferrari 456s included three estates, three four-door saloons and four convertibles, while dozens of bespoke Bentleys also featured, and an eclectic range of unique Mercedes…

Oxfordshire EV firm Electrogenic has bolstered its range of ‘plug-and-play’ electrification kits with a new package to suit the Mk1 Mazda MX-5. Following on from kits to suit the DeLorean DMC-12, Jaguar E-Type, Porsche 911 and classic Mini, as well as the Land Rover Defender and Series models, the electrified MX-5 weighs only 100kg more than the original ICE car, at circa 1100kg. The MX-5’s weight distribution remains identical, while the power to weight ratio is improved by 21 per cent. The Mazda kit is offered globally via Electrogenic’s network of vetted installer partners. As with all Electrogenic EV conversions, it is entirely reversible. What’s more, the conversion can be applied to both manual and automatic MX-5s. Steve Drummond. Electrogenic CEO, said: “We’ve long been intrigued by the concept of…

Conceived as a means of making a car’s nose as low, pointy and aerodynamic as possible, the pop-up headlight would soon achieve iconic status thanks partly to its use on some of history’s best-loved sports cars, but also its ability to effectively offer two different looks to a car. Sadly, by the early 2000s they were consigned to the history books on mainstream models thanks to pedestrian safety laws, but pop-up headlights illuminated various cars for the best part of 40 years. By way of celebration, we’ve gathered some notable examples here. We should also give honourable mentions to the Porsche 928’s ‘reverse’ pop-ups, as well as the Panther Solo’s rotating cylindrical items that haven’t made out cut, but if there’s a glaring omission you think we should have included,…

1999 - Production of the seventh-generation Toyota Celica, codenamed T230, begins in July at the Kanto Auto Works factory in Susono, Japan. European sales commence in November, beginning with the Celica 190 2001 - Celica 190 phased out of UK lineup; flagship T-Sport arrives 2003 - Facelifted Celica introduced 2004 - Celica discontinued in the US market in summer 2005 - Celica GT released for the UK market (not to be confused with the US-market model of the same name) with revised bodykit and wheels, plus lowered suspension and Alcantara trim 2006 - UK sales end in January following new emissions regulation. Production ends in April; from the first Celica in 1970 until the last in April 2006, 4,129,626 examples are produced…

The convoluted Jaguar Mk2 range had something for everyone, but the dark horse of the family was the luxurious muscle car that was the Daimler V8, badged ‘250’ later on, but ‘2.5’ in the case of Fayre Oak’s lovely 1966 car. Recently benefitting from an extensive cosmetic and mechiancial overhaul, this dark blue saloon was treated to a bare-metal respray and looks stunning for it – we couldn’t spot a single dent or mark in the bodywork, the chrome carries a lovely shine and being an earlier car, this Daimler has the desirable bigger bumpers. The shut lines also appear tight and consistent, a good sign that a Mk2-based car has been thoroughly restored. The Daimler wheeltrims are equally smart, while the sight of a slightly corroded exhaust pipe is…

SMALL BUT MIGHTY Reader Mark Beetham got in touch regarding our ‘Bombproof Cars’ feature from last issue: “I loved reading about cars from when their life expectancy was beyond their warranty period – I’ve owned a Mk2 Golf and it did indeed feel tough as boots, as did my Peugeot 205 diesel. I couldn’t believe how well it took all weather conditions, rough roads and minimal maintenance, such a little trooper!” Couldn’t agree more, Mark – our old 205 Junior D (pictured) had 204,000 miles on the clock! ROVER ALL The Rover P6 vs SD1 video on our Classics World YouTube channel prompted some debate in the comments. @MotoMark55 said: “P6 for me – Dad took me for rides in two V8s when I was young. I was dumbstruck and…

SHARING IS CARING As ‘platform sharing’ becomes more common, we look at our favourite classic examples, from the Beetle-based Karmann Ghia to the XJ-S-derived DB7. CLASSIC CHOICE A trio of early hot hatchbacks go head to head, but will the Renault 5 Gordini, Talbot Sunbeam or Fiesta XR2 come out ahead? ROAD RALLY The Lancia Fulvia is a sporty classic coupe, packed full of Italian flair and character. We share our tips on finding a good 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…

Firstly, we should clear up that this Mk2 Ford Cortina is not a 1600E. That’s a nameplate that still draws in crowds today – and it’s pretty clear that whomever previously owned and restored Peterborough Classic Cars’ Mk2 wanted to own one. To that end, this Cortina 1600 Super has got quite a few bits an example of its status wouldn’t have left Dagenham with: 1600E Rostyles, driving lamps, and 1600E-style wing mirrors. The Super brightwork, which ran along the edge of the wheel arches and outer sills, has also been deleted. Hop in, and – apart from the very period ’80s head unit install with footwell speakers that still work – you’re very much in a Super interior. There’s a wood-rimmed Moto-Lita-style three-spoke steering wheel that’s very much like…

Once a staple of the UK sports car market, the last Toyota Celica – by this point in its seventh generation – rolled off the production line in April 2006. Where some previous iterations had drawn on Toyota’s rally heritage, the T230 instead concentrated on being an engaging sports car that was equally at home on the daily commute as it was providing B-road thrills. Revealed as a concept at the 1999 Detroit Motor Show, there was an edgier, more angular look for the new model. European sales began in November the same year; just two engines were available, both 1.8-litre four-cylinder units, with the entry-level VVT-i motor producing 140bhp. This was joined shortly after by the 190bhp VVTL-i unit that boasted variable valve lift technology, an impressive specific output…

There’s something admirable about an old design of car that lives far beyond its life expectancy, the MG TF being a great example – despite its Metro-derived parts and roots in the MGF of the mid-1990s, it soldiered on into the 2010s and late examples are collectibles today. The 2008 LE500 offered by S.M.R. Classic Cars is one of the NAC MG UK TFs, built after the Chinese firm’s takeover. The LE500 was a 500-strong limited run model, with unique features including a restyled front bumper, mesh grille, 16-inch alloy wheels, piano black interior fascia, new dials and an iPod-compatible Pioneer radio. Mechanical changes came in the form of lower and firmer suspension, alongside bigger brakes and an uprated head gasket and low coolant level warning system to evolve the…

You have to hand it to the Metro – it might not have succeeded in replacing the Mini, but it remained a talented and charming supermini throughout its life and today, makes for the perfect starter classic. The 1991 Rover 1.1L offered by Fayre Oak Classics looks a great example, with just 39,000 miles on the clock, all driven by its one former owner. It sat in storage for nine years following the owner’s passing, before having the carburettor rebuilt and fuel tank cleaned out thoroughly. The brakes were rebuilt and engine serviced, before it passed its MoT first time, and without advisory – proof if needed that the Metro deserves more love. As you’d imagine for a little-used car that spent nine years in dry storage, the bodywork is…