Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/5/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

While rather aimlessly scrolling through social media recently, I noticed someone had shared a cutting of a tabloid article from 2006 showing which were the top ‘vanishing cars’. At number one on the list was the Morris Marina, with the Ford Cortina Mk4/5 and Renault 18 completing the top three. I presume that the figures referred to cars that were currently licenced, and in the case of the Marina, it was 745. A quick rudimentary calculation using How Many Left? data shows that 412 are now licenced, nearly 20 years on. If you then consider that several hundred are on SORN, that’s not a bad survival rate. On the other hand, the Austin/Rover Metro, said to number 21,468 in 2006, currently totals 981 using the same method, and I’m including…

When a Motoring Illustrated writer described the new Renault 16 as a large family car that was “neither a four-door saloon nor quite an estate” 60 years ago, they surely couldn’t have predicted what was to follow. This was 1965, when people were still buying Morris Minor Travellers, and here was a strikingly modern, razor-edged design with front-wheel drive and a large rear tailgate. Not only was the Renault 16 an instant success, becoming one of Britain’s most popular imported cars, but it also sent waves through the rest of the industry. Over the next two decades, the majority of the major manufacturers similarly endowed their family models with hatchbacks. Now, 60 years after Renault started the trend, we pay tribute to eight significant examples. RENAULT 16 (1965-1980) Celebrating its…

The 1980s was a curious time for the family car – hatchbacks were the big new thing that blended capacious boots with more compact dimensions, but many traditionalist buyers preferred the more conventional look of a booted saloon. Ford was quick to capitalise on this demand, sticking a tail on the Mk3 Escort to create the Orion, and while many were used and abused as rep cars in period, Car Cave Scotland’s 1985 car is surely one of the nicest survivors. A rare example of the 1.6i Ghia range-topper, its shows 64,000 miles, which though unwarranted, looks correct given the car’s superb condition. Externally, its Rosso Red bodywork looks excellent, with no obvious dings or scuffs, the plastic bumpers and trims are unmarked and have resisted fading, and even the…

With early Mini Coopers still highly prized, it’s inevitable that the very nicest cars can command top prices. Turn Two’s 1968 Morris Cooper 1275 S looks to be one such car, blending specification, provenance, history and condition perfectly. A late-registered Mk1, it was subject to a nut-and-bolt restoration between 1992 and 2004; the process completed slowly between two owners. More than 20 years on, its Island Blue bodywork still appears flawless. The paint carries a lovely depth, the chrome fittings are all unmarked and bright, while the bodywork itself looks pin-sharp, with remarkably neat panel gaps showcasing the quality of the restoration. Spending its most recent years in the collection of Anthony Hamilton – father of a certain F1 driver – this Mini recently benefitted from a full engine and…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK Historic vehicle enthusiasts are being urged to have their say as part of a major survey that could have a sizeable impact on the future of classics in Britain. Commissioned by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), the National Historic Vehicle Survey (NHVS) is due to go live on February 10 as part of an on-going research programme that can be used to inform Westminster of the historic vehicle sector’s importance to the nation. The Federation has been at the forefront of research into historic vehicle activity for over 20 years, with the first survey conducted in 1997. They broadly take place every five years, with the most recent based on data collected in 2019. The survey is important because it…

MG MIDGET (1961-1979) Produced at Abingdon alongside the Mk2 Austin-Healey Sprite and released a month later, the MG Midget revived a famous name from the company’s past and brought sub-1000cc motoring back to its MG enthusiasts for the first time since 1936. British cars had grown up in the intervening years, meaning there was a gap in the market for something small, economical, cheap and fun. The original Mk1 ‘Frogeye’ Sprite of 1958 had answered that brief, and now it had two mechanically identical successors that built on the formula, yet remained resolutely basic themselves. Remodelled front and rear ends gave the ‘Spridget’, as the two cars became collectively known, a regular bonnet and an accessible boot lid at the rear. The cars were almost indistinguishable, but the MG boasted…

Often unfairly regarded as merely a V8-powered X300, the X308-generation Jaguar XJ is arguably the culmination of everything great about Jaguar’s upmarket saloon in one package. It also served to demonstrate the financial and engineering investment Ford were willing to put behind the Coventry car builder to turn its fortunes and firmly banish any memory of the infamous British Leyland era and ‘launched before ready’ XJ40. The X308 was launched in three models – XJ8 3.2, XJ8 4.0 and supercharged XJR – with a Sport option available only on the 3.2 and offering black window trim and vertical grey grille slats in a body-coloured surround as well as bigger wheels, sports seats, dark interior wood and stiffer suspension. The range-topping XJ8 spec for the UK market was the Sovereign which…

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The VolksWorld Show, the annual event for air-cooled VWs, is set to feature an exclusive showcase of world-class Beach Buggies when it takes place at the South of England Showground in West Sussex on March 23, 2025. The nostalgia of the original 1960s Meyers Manx Buggy will meet the imagination and creativity of today’s most talented builders, with each Buggy on display boasting jaw-dropping detailing, vibrant paintwork and innovative modifications that elevate them to true works of art. Among them will be Spencer Pritchard’s turbocharged Street Buggy. Featured on the cover of the March ’25 issue of VolksWorld magazine, Spencer’s fierce, green creation is a modern twist on the iconic Beach Buggy theme – and quite possibly the UK’s wildest street Buggy. At the other end of the scale, meanwhile,…

Tens of thousands of drivers are repeatedly ignoring fines relating to the controversial expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in 2023, new data has revealed. Some 1.1 million penalties remain unpaid, totalling £438 million. Of these, one particular vehicle has received 1077 separate fines worth £2.4 million alone. The data, obtained through a Freedom of Information request for car sharing marketplace Turo, runs up to October 2024 and shows that over 105,000 vehicles have received more than five fines, while over 76,000 have received 10 or more. TfL has issued over 2.4 million penalties since the expansion – equivalent to one every 15 seconds – but only just over 20 per cent are being paid on time. Of those who do pay, most settle quickly to benefit from…

Comedy confusion can result when trying to explain the Standard marque to someone not well versed in classic cars. “Standard? A standard what?” is the likely response when you tell someone your working day has involved driving a Standard Pennant, while fans of more modern machinery will simply assume the vehicle in question hasn’t been modified. The explanation that “it’s a Triumph really… well, sort of,” doesn’t exactly help but despite its comparative rarity these days, Standard was once of Britain’s biggest car brands and certainly one of its most significant exports. As clued-up classic fans will already know, the Standard company started out in the usual fashion with bicycles, before graduating to cars and by the 1920s, rivalled Austin for sales. Concentrating on affordable products brought Standard success, and…

1996 - X308 XJ8 is launched, replacing straight-six X300 and offered in XJ8 3.2, XJ8 4.0 and XJR Supercharged guise. 1999 - XJ8 3.2 receives traction control, electric front seats, chromed window trims and 7x16-inch ‘Corona’ wheels, XJ8 4.0 gaining 8x16-inch ‘Eclipse’ wheels, top-spec Sovereign gets auto wipers, heated screen, CD changer and 7x16-inch ‘Lunar’ wheels. XJR gains fly-by-wire throttle and more equipment. 2001 - Sir William Lyons’ 100th birthday celebrated with XJR100 limited edition, offered in black with red-stitched black leather, Brembo brakes and 19-inch BBS wheels – 100 are produced. 2002 - All-alloy X350 successor unveiled, ending X308 production in early-2003.…

The Mercedes S-Class was championed as the best car in the world in period, with the W126 gaining particularly high acclaim even four decades on from its release. Turn Two Classics’ 1987 300SE certainly looks to be a fine example of the model, resplendent in smart in Smoke Silver Metallic and still wearing its original dealer plates and stickers from Portman Mercedes of Manchester. With its service book extensively stamped by dealers and specialists, plus all the original paperwork, it’s clearly been a well-kept vehicle. Its vast bodywork is seemingly free of any dings or dents, while the bumpers hang straight and are free of cracks or scuffs. The chrome trim is all smart and boasts an impressive shine, while the ‘bottletop’ wheels are unmarked and wear good tyres. Moving…

FAKING IT The Classic Scene based in Stratford Upon Avon in our January 22 issue had an easter egg that reader David Upton spotted: “The article describes one of the cars as a Lotus Cortina. On closer examination, the badge on the rear wing looks like a GT badge and not the round Lotus type. Also the Lotus version doesn’t have a boot badge, but the GT has. Could be a case of someone making a GT look like a Lotus Cortina by painting the green stripe on? You might be right, David – an ‘ST Line’ in modern Ford parlance? MEMORY LANE Fresh off the back of a WhatCar? Review calling the Polo “the world’s best small car,” VW’s marketing team went to town in this 1979 brochure: “At…

BEST OF BROWNS LANE As Jaguar enters a new era, we celebrate the greatest hits to come from the Browns Lane Factory: the E-Type, XJ6 Series 1 and XJ-S. CLASSIC CHOICE The Rover 200 ‘R8’ was a game-changer in the family car sector, but how does it stand up to its Mk5 Escort and Mk3 Astra rivals today? RAY OF SUNSHINE Handsome and great to drive yet often forgotten behind the lure of its more famous rivals, the Sunbeam Alpine is a solid leftfield choice. 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…