Innholdsfortegnelse for 1/1/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

On the first day of 2025, it delights me to wish all CCB readers a very Happy New Year. Thanks for all your support in 2024 – we hope that the next 12 months are good ones for everyone, and that those New Year’s resolutions involve spending more time with classic cars. From a personal point of view, I’m hoping 2025 is the year I finally manage to get my long-running Mini 1275GT project completed. That was also a resolution last year, and the one before that come to think of it, but it’s now been off the road far too long. Indeed, the last time anyone drove it was back in 1996, so it had already been idle for nine years before I bought it in 2005. After another…

Enthusiasts of the AC 2-Litre saloon and Buckland have a new source of reproduction, new old stock, and second-hand spares available online. Long-term 2-Litre fan, Ian Strange, has had a 1949 saloon in his family since 1962. Realising that there was a shortage of certain components, he added an e-commerce store to his long-running website, ac2litre.com, in November. Introducing the shop on his YouTube channel, he said: ‘There’s no one-stop-shop for AC spares, so I hope I can centralise the supply for these models.’ He added: ‘For new parts, I want to avoid any cheap imports. I have fitted handmade, mostly British parts to my AC and that will be the theme for what I sell to other owners.’ Having drawn up a shortlist of hard-to-find parts as a long-term…

Any remaining hope for a resurrection of Saab, or at least the Trollhättan factory where its cars were made, has now disappeared with the news that the production machinery is to be liquidated. The disposal is being handled by German auction house Surplex, which is offering the presses and other machinery for direct sale. As you can imagine, these are costly pieces of industrial equipment which include production lines, hydraulic presses and CNC machining facilities, all said to be in good condition and ready to repurpose. Some of the kit still remains paired with the reference panels it was used to stamp out, including the rear quarters of the Saab 9-3 latterly produced under the NEVS brand after the Chinese enterprise acquired the former Saab facility in 2011. There has…

After writing about old cars for more years than I want to work out, I’ve come across most of the common misconceptions and urban rumours, but one which still raises a smile in the CCB offices is the use of wood in automotive construction. Certainly the fastest way to alienate yourself from the Morgan community is to ask whether they still use a wooden chassis. Of course, they never have and apart from the ash framework holding together the rear of the Morris Traveller, very few cars of the 20th century used wood as part of the structure – bodywork framing maybe, but not the chassis. Except, that is, for two notable exceptions. The first is Marcos which used wood in the chassis of the GT until 1969, and the…

Everyone at CCB agreed that this handsome 2002 Jaguar XKR offered by Hanwells of London represents extraordinary value – a 4.2-litre supercharged V8 luxury coupe, with a leather-lined cabin and looks to die for, all for half the price of a new Kia Picanto. What’s more, that £6250 buys you a lovely-looking example of an X100; the metallic silver paintwork appears unmarked and a consistent paint match on all panels suggests no previous repairs. The rust-prone bodywork is equally straight and unmarked, while the low nose is free of stone chips, the xenon headlights haven’t clouded up or leaked and the lovely 20-inch BBS wheels have been painted gunmetal grey, offsetting the silver bodywork nicely. Even the electric aerial – which can get stuck on X100s – operates perfectly, leaving…

SOLD A LADA CARS Reader Penny Hart got in touch following the ‘Platform Sharers’ feature from our last issue; “Maybe the best example of platform sharing is the Lada, which sold vastly more and lived far longer than the Fiat 124 that spawned it – I’d say more people would know what a Lada is than a 124! In some ways, it was a step back with its heavier steel body, drum brakes and Soviet styling, but it served its purpose perfectly.” Great point, Penny! With over 20 million Ladas built, they’re probably easier to come by, too. ACCEPTABLE IN THE ‘80S Our ‘Why Are 1980s Classic Cars SO Cool?’ video on our Classics World YouTube channel prompted numerous responses in the comments. @VSB83 said it was because: “They were…

Evice, a Surrey specialist in reimagining British classics has begun testing on its first all-electric Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow prototype. Known as XP1, this technology testbed will pave the way for a drop-in electric conversion for all Rolls and Bentleys built on the SY platform, including the Silver Shadow, Corniche and T1/T2. The 400-volt electric drivetrain in testing produces 400bhp – around double that of a Shadow I using the 6.25-litre L-Series V8 – in total silence, coupling with a 77kw/hr battery to give over 200 miles of range in testing, although this could be increased with bigger or more batteries for customer cars. New active suspension responds to driving style and the road conditions, while upgraded brakes all-round ensure sufficient stopping power for the luxury car that weighs in excess…

OWEN SHEPHERD, SOUTH WESTERN VEHICLE AUCTIONS (SWVA.CO.UK) What sale trends have you noticed in 2024, and how was it for you? 2024 has been a strange year. I think we have seen a real shift in the market with late ’70s, ’80s and ’90s cars really starting to pick up. On a wider spectrum, cars that are in good condition with good history continue to be very sought after, but projects like full restorations or recommissioning jobs have taken a big dip. What was your biggest or most remarkable auction of 2024? It has to be our Spring Auction sale back in April. The market felt really healthy at the time, and the result was helped even more by having some cracking cars in the auction. What were your headline…

LOTUS EXCEL (1982-1992) Refreshing the Eclat for the 1980s, the Excel took advantage of Lotus’ newly formed relationship with Toyota to give the old design a new lease of life. A cash-starved Hethel now had the use of the Japanese giant’s parts bins, allowing it to endow what was initially known as the Eclat Excel with a slick new five-speed gearbox rather than the old Getrag unit, plus a Toyota differential, clutch components, driveshafts and ventilated disc brakes – and even fluish-fitting door handles. But it wasn’t just about Toyota. Lotus created a new, rounder body that closely resembled the old one, but looked smarter and reduced drag. Granted, the rear seats were low-slung and steeply raked, making entry something of a contortion act, and despite the Excel’s redesigned cabin…

For such a humble family saloon, the Mk1 Ford Escort looked truly special, taking elements of Americana and shrinking them down to European scale. The stunning 1971 Twin Cam offered by St Andrew’s Autos is amongst the best-looking examples we’ve ever seen. Resplendent in Jewel Green Metallic, this is one of 12 cars to wear the stunning hue and was restored to concours standard by a reportedly meticulous owner. Accordingly, not only is the paint job flawless and has a lovely deep shine, but the bodywork – entirely original bar the front wings, which were replaced during the restoration – is seemingly faultless. Every panel is straight and absolutely free of blemishes in the paint or any dings or dents, the panel shutlines are tight and consistent and it’s likely…

By contrast to the affordable XKR, this 2000 Rolls-Royce Corniche proves that sometimes, you get what you pay for. One of just 384 built, this stunning Amethyst Blue example shows why the Corniche V is so sought-after. With just 26,000 miles on the clock, this vast convertible is seemingly unmarked – the paintwork has a lovely deep shine, all four corners are free from damage and the bodywork is straight and sharp. The chromework appears free of pitting or damage, the chrome-centred wheels polish up nicely and the plastic headlights are absolutely free of clouding or deterioration, which can blight Arnages and Silver Seraphs. The staple RR grille, meanwhile, looks unmarked, has polished up nicely and wears an unblemished Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. The soft-top hood is in French Navy…

ROLE REVERSAL We celebrate the cars with poor reputations that have enjoyed a resurgence, from the ill-fated MGC and hot-running Triumph Stag to the supposedly bland Mk3 Golf GTI. CLASSIC CHOICE The discerning executive saloon buyer of the 1960s could’ve had a Rover P6, Triumph 2000 or Citroën DS, but which comes out ahead today? TIME MACHINE Few cars are as attention-grabbing as the DeLorean DMC-12. If you like drawing crowds, we show you how to buy 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…

Expanding to a three-day format, Donington Historic Festival 2025 – now organised by Motor Racing Legends – will take place on the May 2-4 bank holiday weekend. The expanded timetable boasts on-track racing from the new GT3 Legends series, featuring race-spec supercars. The full event timetable has yet to be announced, but promises to feature classic racers from 90 years of history, spanning a diverse range of classes. 1920s cars will compete, as will 2006-2012 homologated GT3 cars and numerous eras of touring cars from the 1950s onwards. DHF 2025 also sees the return of the Formula Junior single-seaters. Numerous legendary drivers are also set to compete in various disciplines across the three-day event, again with the full list set to be released early this year. “I’m really looking forward…

Picture the scenario. You need a car that’s roomy and practical, but like many, find the thought of a modern SUV a turn-off. While an estate car is the obvious answer, choices for buyers have become more and more limited thanks to those SUVs. So, when it comes to cargo-carrying, how about delving back a few years for something that can carry plentiful cargo, but enjoys classic status at the same time? We reckon a classic estate is a cool and clever solution, which is why we’ve gathered the cars here together. There’s certainly no need for an SUV when there’s this much space on offer, and while some are bigger than others, there’s still plenty of practicality to enjoy. Add the fact that a number of our chosen cars…

Launched at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, the E46 M3 was offered in coupe or convertible forms and featured more purposeful styling compared to previous iterations, with wide arches and a squat stance improving upon the already handsome E46 3 Series styling. Under the bonnet was the S54 straight-six, a 3.2-litre unit making 343bhp and driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or optional SMG (sequential manual gearbox) transmission. That motor could rev to 8000rpm and with the M3 weighing less than 1500kg, performance was more than a little brisk: the 0-60mph benchmark was cracked in around five seconds, with top speed limited to 155mph.But while the muscular engine dominated proceedings, enjoying the E46 M3 wasn’t just about outright pace: handling and response was scalpel-sharp, yet with its controlled…

This is Princes Street in central London, in 1986 specifically. As well as three Routemaster busses, our eye was drawn to the Mk2 Granada on the left, resplendent in base 2.0 L space and sadly untaxed since 1994. Numerous FX4 black cabs also feature, although perhaps unsurprisingly, none of the ones we can see the reg for are still on the road. What looks like a Ford Transit dropside pickup is followed by a delightful white Renault 5 Mk1, a car that could drive back to this road today on account of its ULEZ compliance. What else can you spot? Let us know via ccb.ed@kelsey.co.uk.…

VAUXHALL VIVA BRABHAM The hotted-up Viva was perhaps the Escort’s closest rival, but sheer rarity means it has less of a following. Prices are more affordable, but you’ll spend months watching the market to track down this rare performance special. FORD ESCORT RS1600 Wood veneer trim, Recaro seats and a standard radio made the Twin Cam’s successor that much more refined and liveable, while delivering comparable performance. The RS1600 is easier to track down and sometimes cheaper, but the Twin Cam’s halo status might swing it for you. LOTUS ELAN Slot the same Twin Cam engine into a compact, minimalist fibreglass-bodied roadster, and you get one of the finest driver’s cars ever made. It’s faster and more exciting than the Escort, but you’ll pay more for the equivalent Lotus and…