Innholdsfortegnelse for 7/30/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

After its successful debut in 2024, Fiats & Friends returns to the British Motor Museum this Sunday (August 2). This event is one of the UK’s largest gatherings of Italian vehicles, open to cars, electric vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, commercial vehicles, campers, supercars and even tractors. But it’s not just for Italian aficionados: the show welcomes all ‘friends’ including interesting classic and retro cars from any make. Indeed, a Renault took home the Best Non-Fiat award last year. For more information and to book, see britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/fiats-and-friends.…

An impressive 177 lots went under the hammer as WB & Sons hosted the latest of its regular auctions on July 19. There were some impressive results recorded too, especially by cars that were either very small, or very big. One of the headliners was a 1960 Austin Seven, resplendent in Speedwell Blue. A superbly restored example of an early Mk1 Mini, it beat its £14,000-£16,000 guide to settle on £16,895. Elsewhere, a rare right-hand drive Fiat 500L dating from 1973 sold for £10,082 against a £6000-£7000 guide, and a 1976 Autobianchi A112 Abarth set up for tarmac rallies sold at the top end of its estimate for £15,532. Completing an Italian trio was a 1991 Fiat Panda 750 that showed just 35,000 miles and sold for £4200. At the…

The Silver Cloud and accompanying Bentley S-series were transformative cars in Rolls-Royce’s history. When they began life in 1955, they were still much in the mould of what had gone before, with traditional-looking (but very attractive) ‘Standard Steel’ bodies mounted on a separate chassis. As the years passed, however, they received changes and modifications that pointed the way towards the direction that Rolls-Royce would take in the 1960s and beyond, with the Silver Shadow. The switch from a six-cylinder engine to a V8 for the Silver Cloud II and S2 was regarded as quite radical for such a conservative manufacturer, while the later appearance of quad headlamps on the Silver Cloud III and S3 no doubt caused much discussion amongst traditionalists. The reality, of course, was that although the Silver…

Ten years after it had shocked traditionalists via the unveiling of its hi-tech monocoque-bodied Silver Shadow, Rolls-Royce created another stir with the official launch of its new-for-1975 two-door coupé: the Camargue. Joining the range rather than replacing an existing model, the head-turning newcomer sat above the Corniche, appealing to clients who demanded an even more expensive, more exclusive coachbuilt creation. Although inevitably sharing the same SY-generation platform as the Silver Shadow and Corniche, this Pininfarina-styled two-door couldn’t have been more of a contrast aesthetically. The sharp styling was almost simplistic, swapping the SY family’s curvaceousness and elegance for a low, flat look that alienated as many marque enthusiasts as it attracted. But that was fine as far as Rolls-Royce was concerned, as the idea behind the Camargue was to create…

Hargood Motor Sales in Greater Manchester sadly no longer exists, but the forecourt in 1958 had plenty to offer. A Mk2 Ford Consul takes pride of place being no more than two years old, the same applying to the Morris Minor 1000 next door. Next comes the older stock including Ford Populars in 103E and 100E guises, a Hillman Minx, followed by a Ford Zephyr and what looks like the tail of another Morris, this one an MO Oxford. What else can you spot? Let us know via ccb.ed@kelsey.co.uk.…

MG TA-TC If you want an ash-framed sports car that’s fun to drive and easy to own, then the T-Series Midgets are accessible and easy to look after. The pre-war TA and TB models are the pre-war variants, as like the Morgan, WW2 caused a break in production. The post-war TC, from 1945, was a massive sales success and is more prevalent. RILEY 9HP For those looking for a sports car in the immediate post-war era, the Riley 9hp or “Nine” was a fine choice. As well as Riley’s own roadster model, the Nine chassis was the perfect base for a number of special-bodied sports cars, which today have a following of their own. WOLSELEY HORNET SPECIAL Perhaps the most common ‘Special’ of its era was the Wolseley Hornet –…

A 1976 Ford Escort RS1800 set a new world record when it was sold at Historic’ latest auction in Berkshire for almost £279,000 – almost 100 times its original price, and nearly £100,000 more than its upper estimate. Just £2990 plus tax would have bought a new RS1800 as it rolled off the Ford production line in 1976. But on July 19, a frenzied bidding tussle over an immaculate 49-year-old example escalated the sale price well beyond a quarter of a million pounds, with the new UK-based owner paying an astonishing £278,848 for the car. After fulfilling its promotional duties as a Ford press car in 1976, ONO 804P passed into one-family ownership. It had covered 25,000 miles before resting under cover in a farm barn for decades. It was…

H&H’s Buxton sale is due to take place this Wednesday (July 30) and includes a very special 1975 Lotus Eclat 520, proven as Eclat chassis number 1 with a Lotus Certificate of Provenance to corroborate. Officially recognised as the first production Eclat, it is one of only 15 with the vertical rear bulkhead, larger boot and smaller rear seats. It was rescued from a garden in Essex by specialist LotusBits in 2018 and later restored, albeit with a second-hand galvanised chassis and a substitute body after poorly repaired accident damage was discovered on the original. It’s estimated at £14,000-£18,000 – see handh.co.uk for details.…

For fans of Rolls-Royce, 2025 marks a rather special year. Not only does it mark the centenary of the first Phantom model launched in 1925 – a nameplate that’s still with us today in its eighth incarnation – but it also marks anniversaries for some of its most popular and significant models. There’s 70 years of the Silver Cloud, 60 years of the vitally important Silver Shadow, 50 years of the divisive Camargue, 45 years of the Silver Spirit, and finally 25 years of the short lived and very exclusive Corniche V. By way of tribute, we’ve put together this special 14-page celebration of these major Rolls-Royce milestones, covering over 100 years of fascinating history for one of Britain’s best-loved and respected marques.…

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The longevity of the range of saloons known as the SZ generation was truly impressive, being introduced in late 1980 as the Silver Spirit (and Bentley Mulsanne) and finally bowing out almost two decades later. The platform that underpinned the newcomers, however, was in use for even longer, as the Silver Spirit was in essence an evolution of the Silver Shadow – the first Rolls-Royce to use a modern-spec monocoque bodyshell and a sophisticated hydraulic braking and suspension system. Indeed, it’s impossible to consider the development of the Silver Spirit without discussing its predecessor, since it’s reckoned by marque historians that work on a Silver Shadow successor began while the car was still in its infancy. Former Crewe stylist Graham Hull is reported as saying that serious discussions of a…

Following on from the hugely successful Charterhouse auction at The Moretonhampstead Motor Museum in May, which achieved over £550,000, the Dorset firm is poised to sell another private collection in September. The owner has instructed Charterhouse to offer his cars, spares, workshop and other tools, with plenty of projects to choose from. Many of the classic cars were bought decades ago, the earliest in 1969, with a view to restoring them gradually in retirement. A professional mechanic for many years, the vendor completed many cars, restoring them to a high standard, but is no longer able to look after them. He also spent years developing a series of barns near Dorchester in Dorset to keep his cars and projects in. There are over 20 vehicles and a couple of motorbikes,…

A sudden storm surge couldn’t dampen the buoyant atmosphere in the auction hall for Historics’ ‘Summer Serenade’ sale, held at Windsorview Lakes in Berkshire on July 19. Plenty of variety among the entries led to strong bidding, resulting in a gross sale figure of over £3.62 million and an impressive 70 per cent of the 185 entries going to new homes. Many entries exceeded their top estimate, including the 25,000-mile Ford Escort RS1800 featured on page 4, which finally settled on an astonishing £278,848. It wasn’t the only six-figure sale, though – a 1994 Lamborghini Diablo VT, presented in exquisite condition and showing just 8500 miles, rewarded its owner with a sale price of £265,408, which was well up on its estimate of £180,000-£210,000. Significantly, Historics had sold this car…

The chronology of Rolls-Royce’s model line-up can be very confusing, but it was far simpler in the early days. Once its 40/50 hp had arrived in 1908, all other models were dispensed with, and it would stay that way until the early 1920s. The model became known as the Silver Ghost, and with over 6000 built, it was responsible for the firm’s lofty early reputation. Its chassis was even used as a basis for the first British armoured car used in both world wars. Faced with falling sales of Silver Ghost after WW1, Rolls-Royce introduced the smaller, affordable Twenty in 1922. However, it’s the 40/50 Silver Ghost’s replacement, the ‘New Phantom’, that we’re celebrating here. Introduced in 1925 and now celebrating its centenary, it began a lasting legacy for the…

From their debut in 1955, the Silver Cloud and S-series had been highly successful models for Rolls-Royce and Bentley respectively, proving particularly popular in ‘Standard Steel’ guise and maintaining healthy sales for a whole decade, aided by the launch of the all-important L-series V8 engine in ’59 and a visually successful update three years later. It was obvious, however, that the two marques would each need a successor during the 1960s in order to stave off more modern competition. This meant a whole new approach for ‘The Best Car in the World’, with a fresh focus on technology and up-to-the-minute design, which inevitably meant that the Silver Shadow shocked traditionalists when it took a bow in 1965. It made headlines worldwide, not only for its drastic change of style compared…

The eventual loss of the traditional Rolls-Royce Corniche in 1995 after almost three decades of production (if we include the original MPW two-door) meant that the only soft-top emanating from Crewe in the second half of the ’90s was the Bentley Azure, derived from the Continental R coupé. And this left the Rolls-Royce marque without a convertible for the first time in a very long time, with the company’s focus being on the forthcoming Silver Seraph saloon and its Bentley Arnage sibling. The launch of that duo in 1998, however, would be followed by a change of ownership for both Rolls-Royce and Bentley, with German rivals BMW and Volkswagen entering into a well-publicised spat over which company had acquired what assets from previous owner Vickers. The end result was that…