Innholdsfortegnelse for 7/2/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

Next year’s Nürburgring 24 hours race will see the return of an iconic racer to the famous track, when HWA’s Evo competes. The street-legal car is a recreation of the 500-off Mercedes 190E Evo II from the early ’90s but unlike many modern restomod recreations, the company does in fact start with an original ‘W201’ 190E donor vehicle. Naturally this is dipped and restored before the restyled carbon bodywork and uprated running gear is fitted, when the original straight-six gets swapped for a twin-turbo V6. Company chairman Hans-Werner Aufrecht was a founder of AMG, so we can safely assume that HWA very much knows its stuff when it comes to classic Mercedes performance. The finished article certainly looks the part and customer deliveries are scheduled for the end of the…

Former Jaguar design chief Ian Callum has turned his attention to the classic Mini, in conjunction with Wood & Pickett, the coachbuilder responsible for many celebrity Minis back in the day as well as oddities like six-wheeled Range Rovers. Rather usefully, the name is now under the same ownership as the former MG Rover parts business as a subsidiary of Motaclan. Unusually, the 'Wood & Pickett Mini by Callum doesn't seek to recreate a classic '60s Cooper but to modernise the Mini which is why it’s based on the last of the cars to be produced by Rover: the 1997-2001 Mk5 in wide-arched Sportpack form. Exterior styling changes include the arches, front and rear bumpers and of course new LED lights, while the crowning touch are the 13-inch wheels penned…

A reboot of the rotary-engined Mazda sports coupe has been discussed off and on ever since the RX-8 left production in 2012, but speaking to US media in June, Mazda’s chief technical officer Ryuichi Umeshita suggested that the Iconic SP concept shown in 2023 is nearly production-ready. Like the more recent MX-30, the SP would use a more emissions-friendly development of the Wankel rotary as a range-extender for the EV powertrain, but would be considerably more muscular: figures of 365bhp have been mentioned.…

MINI 1275 GT Distinguishable from the standard Clubman model by its distinctive ‘sidewinder’ stripes on each flank, the 1275 GT has enjoyed a real reversal in fortunes. For many years, it was the lazy journalist’s default position to label the GT as a poor substitute for the Cooper S it supposedly replaced in 1969. The BL boss at the time, Donald Stokes, resented paying royalties to John Cooper to use his name, and so ditched the Cooper S for the side-striped GT with its detuned, single-carb 1275cc motor and controversial Roy Haynes-designed Clubman front end. That’s how the story is often told, anyway. In reality though, the Cooper S soldiered on alongside the GT for almost two more years, though it was never really advertised. It would be more accurate…

Traffic on the M20 like this queueing 30 years ago isn’t unusual, as this writer can confirm. The cars were at least more interesting in 1995, however – a Mk3 Cavalier is sandwiched by two PSA stablemates in the Peugeot 405 and Citroën XM, a smaller ZX next to it. Next comes a Mk2 Astra Convertible, a Mk1 Mondeo and what look like a Mk4 Escort hatch, then an estate. The left-hand lane hosts Golfs in Mk2 and Mk3 flavour, as well as a Sierra (possibly an XR4i) and a Peugeot 205. Looking up the road, highlights include a Morgan of some sort, R129 Mercedes SL and numerous Mk3 Granadas. What else can you spot? Let us know via ccb.ed@kelsey.co.uk.…

In the year we see SEAT mark 40 years since it began official imports to the UK, this dusty negative found in an archive box seemed worth showing to the world. The occasion is the launch of the original Mk1 Ibiza in 1988, complete with Giugiaro styling and engines for which the Spanish firm paid Dm7 per car for the right to put the 'System Porsch'e logo on the cam covers. The fledgling SEAT UK operation clearly wasn't flush with cash at the time, as the foreign location was as close it gets: the assembled journos went no further than Calais. On the flip side, they did get to make a return trip on the Hoverspeed SR.N4 hovercraft ferry which would sadly leave service two years later when the Channel…

The Rover club scene is known for its friendly nature and the Roverfest held in August is the perfect example of this. Unusually, it sees all the Rover clubs working together under the Joint Rover Clubs banner including the Rover Sports Register, P4 Drivers’ Guild, Rover P5 Club, Rover SD1 Club, Rover 200 & 400 Owners’ Club, Rover 800 Club, Rover Coupe Owners’ Club and the Rover 75 & MG ZT Owners’ Club. Just the sheer number of clubs tells you how vibrant the Rover enthusiast scene is and the event promise to be a good one, with road runs, a gala dinner and an anticipated show field of over 500 cars. Roverfest is held on August 2-3 at Weston Underwood, near Olney in Buckinghamshire and you’ll find more details…

Fans of blue cars with gold wheels will want to visit Shelsley Walsh on the weekend of July 19-20 when the annual Classic Nostalgia festival celebrates 30 years since Colin McRae’s World Rally Championship win. The famous Subaru Impreza L555BAT will take centre stage at the event alongside other cars formerly piloted by the legendary driver and will also be performing demonstration runs on the hillclimb. The event will also include a live Q&A session with original members of McRae’s Prodrive team and rallying fans can win a chance to take a ride in McRae’s 1996 Rallye Catalunya-winning Group A Impreza with David Lapworth. Away from the Subarus, expect plenty of other period rally cars, plus some special machines to mark the 75th year of the F1 world championship and…

Classic fans in the South West have a new autumn event to add to the calendar, in the shape of the inaugural John Haynes Classic. Held at the Haynes Motor Museum and named in honour of its founder, the late John Haynes who established the Haynes publishing empire, the event will take place from 10am to 4pm on Sunday, September 7 and promises to be a great spectacle marking the 40th year of the museum. Attractions will include a Haynes Manual Display featuring some of the cars and bikes featured in the iconic books, plus a club arena, dedicated classic parking and a live stage hosting discussion and live music. You’ll also find vehicle parades, a market stocked with local Somerset food and drink suppliers and a Discovery Zone providing…

Hobbs Parker’s summer classic car sale on July 9-10 looks set to be another hit for the Ashford auction house, with almost 140 entries at the time of writing. As usual, the sale will take place on a timed online basis, with physical viewing available on the weekdays leading up to the sale. One of the early lots is a 1991 Ford Escort XR3i sold by well-known YouTube channel, Salvage Rebuilds, with the buyer’s premium set to be donated to the Demelza Hospice Care for Children charity. For those who prefer tin top models though, a tidy, two-owner MG Metro is one of four Octagon-badged cars in the sale, and is joined by a Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 project estimated at a mere £2500-£3500. We also rather liked a 2000…

By the mid-1950s, British motorists were admiring the sleek, glamorous saloons emerging from the United States. These large, stylish cars made British family saloons look dull by comparison. Although the sheer size of these ‘Yank tanks’ made them ill-suited to Britain’s narrow roads, their bold designs captured the imagination. Styled with a nod to the Space Age, these American cars contrasted sharply with the post-war austerity still present in many British-made vehicles. British saloon choices were limited – Ford’s 1956 MkII Consul, Zephyr, and Zodiac stirred interest, but many offerings were uninspiring. British cars still featured interiors with wood veneer and leather, making them appear more utilitarian than stylish. With the rise of rock ’n’ roll and space exploration, British car buyers craved something fresh. In 1957, Vauxhall responded with…

OPEL MANTA General Motors’ ‘Capri’ enjoyed a production run that was even longer than the Ford’s, from 1970 to 1989. The closest you’ll get to the Mk3 2.8i is a 1980s Manta GT/E, but unlike the Capri, the Opel never had a V6 engine. Nevertheless, it’s still a cool companion, great to drive and with simple, easy-to-maintain mechanical parts. JAGUAR XJS Comparing a Capri with an XJS may not have been the natural choice back in the day, but if you want an iconic, British-built coupé then today, prices of XJSs and Capris are comparable, with the very best Fords commanding more than the equivalent Jaguar. Yet if you go for a later six-cylinder XJS, you get a smart, dependable car that can be surprisingly affordable to run. FORD MUSTANG…

TEAM EFFORT Reader Perry Pessia from Oregon, USA got in touch about Joe’s column on enthusiast solidarity in our June 11 issue; “I always give two-wheelers the salute when I’m on the Royal Enfield 650, and when I’m out in the Porsche or Volvo, I always try to acknowledge other classics or people who give me a thumbs up. It’s interesting how drivers of newer Porsches usually ignore me. Boxsters and Caymans, very seldom. Cayennes, never. Oh well…” Good on your for your community spirit and lovely cars, Perry! MEMORY LANE The Polo-based Derby saloon received rectangular headlights to distance it from its hatchback counterpart, and this 1981 brochure leans heavily into the three-box saloon’s appeal. “The Derby has the mature engineering and quality of the new Volkswagen generation…because we…