Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/12/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

There are clichés and stereotypes attached to all manner of cars and brands, many of which have either been grossly exaggerated by time, or since rectified – a well-kept Triumph Stag doesn’t overheat, an MGC with good tyres at the correct pressures needn’t understeer, an MGF with an upgraded head gasket shouldn’t have filled its coolant reservoir with mayonnaise. However, the jokes persist, and I’ve righted a couple of my own this week – I own a Fiat Seicento Sporting and the CCB team were all pouring over a tatty but honest example going through BCA. This particularly careworn car had various warning lights showing and a breakdown assistance card on the dashboard, to which one colleague joked “standard fitment, that!” Except in my near ten years and around 40,000…

A 1:1 scale wireframe artwork of the Porsche 934, created by renowned London-based artist Benedict Radcliffe, has sold for an impressive £201,000. Reaching international bidders, the model gathered over 6000 views across its seven-day auction on Collecting Cars’ platform, and attracted 218 bids. Sold to a collector in Asia, the winning price is over three times more expensive than a useable 911 Turbo of the same era sold by Collecting Cars in 2022, and more than the £180,500 achieved in February 2024 for a low-mileage example.…

1959 - Production of Sunbeam Alpine begins. 1960 - Series II Alpine arrives with 1592cc engine and revised rear suspension. 1963 - Series III Alpine introduced in March, available in two bodystyles: GT and ST. 1964 - Series IV sees lower-power engine scrapped and fins reduced in size. Automatic gearbox introduced as an option. Sunbeam Tiger enters production, boasting Ford V8 power. 1965 - Series V brings new twin-carb 1725cc engine and removes auto option. 1967 - Sunbeam Tiger Mk2 introduced in the US market only 1968 - Sunbeam Alpine Series V production ends…

It’s hard to imagine now given what a powerhouse Porsche is, but it was near bankruptcy in the mid-1990s. Thankfully, the Boxster saved the company by offering the authentic Stuttgart experience at a more affordable price, and Sherwood Restorations’ 2003 2.7 looks a great way to sample this landmark roadster. A facelifted car, it sports the sharper front bumper and later 2.7-litre variant of the wonderful flat six engine. With just 57,000 miles recorded, both the engine itself and the car’s Arctic Silver bodywork are in fine fettle. Typical for a Sherwood car, we couldn’t spot a single ding or scrape, the bumpers are straight and unmarked, the headlights aren’t cloudy and even the low nose is free of scuffs or stone chips. The hood looks good, showing no signs…

SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT WWW.CLASSICSWORLD.CO.UK Time is running out if small, traditional British car manufacturers are to be permitted to build cars with internal combustion engines beyond 2030, with a government consultation on the issue closing on Tuesday (February 18). The issue went viral recently when Lister Motor Company, the Cambridge-based British sports car manufacturer and Jaguar tuning specialist, said it has been forced to put future plans on hold due to a lack of clarity over the issue. Lister, which has been producing race and road-going versions of its Knobbly and Costin continuation cars for the last decade, said it wanted to introduce its first new model in over 32 years, but plans had been shelved. “In the past, small volume British car manufacturers, such as ourselves,…

The 2025 Goodwood Revival will showcase a vibrant collection of Volkswagen Type 2 ‘splitties’ when it takes place on September 12-14, celebrating the model’s 75th anniversary. Introduced in 1950 and manufactured until 1967, the aptly-named Type 2 was Volkswagen’s second mass-produced vehicle. Serving as everything from a campervan for family holidays to a delivery van, a race car transporter and a beloved part of the hippie movement, the Split-Screen Type 2 has acquired stronger classic status than many cars, and Goodwood plans to pay homage. The Revival’s daily track opening parade will feature the most diverse gathering of Type 2 Split Screens ever assembled, kicking off the event with a colourful display. This continues Goodwood’s tradition of honouring significant vehicles, with tributes to the Mini, Fiat 500, Ferrari 250 GTO,…

Have you ever stopped to consider where your street name came from? Yes, if you live in High Street or Mill Lane it’s self-explanatory, but developments all over the country are named after everyone from literary figures to local councillors, without the residents ever appreciating the significance. And so it is in the Coventry suburb of Allesley, where only car people will probably realise why Taylor Wimpey called its housing development Swallow’s Nest. The development is entered via Lyons Drive, off which you’ll find Heynes Walk, Walmsley Close and Hornets Close, with the neighbouring business park – Lyons Park – accessed via Sayer Drive. As Jaguar historians will know, each one of these names represents a significant name from the company’s history, Williams Lyons having partnered with Andrew Walmsley to…

ROVER 200 (1989-1998) After years of turmoil, a newly privatised Rover opened a new chapter with a model that can justifiably be said to have saved its bacon. The zenith of a long-running collaboration with Honda, the new ‘R8’-generation 200 received the kind of warm welcome that had deserted Rover for decades, and it went straight to the top of the class. Previous fruits of the Anglo-Japanese relationship had been the Triumph Acclaim and the SD3 Rover 200, which were essentially first- and second-generation versions of the Honda Ballade respectively. There was the Rover 800 too, which shared bits with the Honda Legend, but the R8 was much more of a joint effort, with Honda wanting its equivalent Concerto model to appeal to European tastes. Released in October 1989, the…

As the company’s first ready-to-drive complete saloon car, the Bentley Mark VI holds a significant place in history. To meet post-war demand, the model was factory fitted with bodywork made by Pressed Steel rather than be supplied to as a rolling chassis to a coachbuilder, hence becoming known as a Standard Steel Saloon. This example offered by Ghost Motor Works dates from 1949, and surely looks as good as the day it rolled out of Jack Barclay Ltd in London 76 years ago. That’s in no small part down to a full strip-down, restoration and bare-metal respray in recent years. The contrasting light-blue-over-dark-blue colour scheme suits the car’s lines perfectly, the darker hue concentrated around the rear and the two colours broken up nicely by the chrome trim below the…

The MGC can neatly be described as a transitional classic, defying its initial infamy for poor handling and underwhelming performance to become a well-loved member of the famous Octagon’s lineage thanks to its torquey six-cylinder engine and long-legged touring ability. Sherwood Restorations’ 1968 roadster looks a lovely example, resplendent in Tartan Red and (perhaps unsurprisingly for a 60,000-mile car) sporting an all-but immaculate body. The beautiful paintwork is perfectly complemented by 15-inch chrome wires and rechromed bumpers, while an immaculate mohair hood completes a show-worthy exterior. Inside, the red-piped black leather seats are very smart, the dark wood dashboard looks immaculate, and the typical Moto-Lita steering wheel looks as correct in an MG as ever. Even the boot area boasts clean carpet and tidy trim, indicating how well this rare…

START OF SOMETHING The interview with Boreham Motorworks on our Classics World YouTube channel prompted some debate about its new Mk1 Escort evocation. @Lot76CARS said: “This looks like an incredible project…receiving sanction from Ford Motor Company is no mean feat, fantastic endorsement of what Wayne’s team are doing!” @CortinasAndClassics, meanwhile, was no fan of the modern updates: “If I had that money, the LED headlights would be in the bin. Put the bumpers back on!” For @Cyberdyne-kg8ku, however, it’s today’s SUVs that need rectifying instead of making a reborn Escort: “Please make a proper Capri!” they asked. MEMORY LANE It’s hard to believe, but the Kia Sportage is 30 years old. This 1995 brochure proudly called the company “one of the largest car makers, selling to over 100 countries.” The…

FUNCTION OVER FORM We look at the European cars that required major cosmetic surgery for American safety legislation, from the rubber-bumper MGB to the quad-lights on the Jaguar XJ-S. CLASSIC CHOICE Your discerning 1960s aristocrat buying a luxury saloon could’ve plumped for a Rolls Silver Shadow, Jaguar XJ6 or Mercedes W108, but which makes the best classic today? LOTUS POSITION Viewed as a classic almost as soon as it launched, the Lotus Elise S1 is a truly special sports car that entertains like few others. We share our tips on buying 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…

There will be an opportunity to see one of just a handful of surviving Type 341 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet prototypes at the VolksWorld Show, which takes place at the South of England Showground on March 23. A dozen such prototypes were made by Karmann of Osnabrück, one of which stunned journalists when it made a surprise appearance alongside the new Type 3 1500 Coupé at the September 1961 Frankfurt Auto Show, and it’s thought only five or six still exist. However, what makes this example particularly interesting is the fact that while all the others were white, this one was originally finished in glorious Pacific Blue. The vehicle belongs to the world-famous Grundmann Collection in Germany and has undergone a restoration that involved extensive welding as well as returning it…

The Wolfson Foundation has awarded a £75,000 grant to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, which will go towards the cost of refurbishing its ground floor galleries – transforming the entrance and welcome areas, and to develop a new Ages of Motoring gallery. The foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts. Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the foundation, said: “We are pleased to support the National Motor Museum with the redevelopment of its ground floor galleries. Through creative and engaging displays, this project will bring the story of motoring to life, inspiring and connecting broader audiences with the museum and its collections.”…

The Mk3 Golf was well-built, practical and safer than its predecessors, but it did lack a little excitement. Its styling was bland and the driving experience somewhat uninspiring, while the lacklustre GTI version failed to live up to its iconic Mk1 and Mk2 predecessors. The 2.8-litre VR6 and later 16-valve GTI did help, but the Mk3 became somewhat forgettable, even among die-hard VW fans. Volkswagen realised the next Golf had to hit higher notes, so it pushed it upmarket, positioning the new Mk4 of 1997 as a more refined, premium-feeling hatchback. It didn’t handle as well as the Ford Focus that would emerge a year later, but VW’s approach of downplaying sportiness in favour of comfort and quality ensured it found many fans. Another bonus was a vast range of…

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