Innholdsfortegnelse for 8/6/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

The extraordinary following for ordinary cars was once again proven as the 11th Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional took place at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire on Saturday, July 26. The event once again attracted thousands of guests and cars from around the world, contributing to a concours lawn filled with exceptional examples of mundane automotive rarities, and a parking area that stretched down both sides of the 1km-long entrance road. Hagerty created the first Festival of the Unexceptional in 2014 as a celebration of long-forgotten everyday family cars, particularly those in base trim. Now celebrating cars from the 1970s to the early Millennium, the Festival has become world-renowned among classic fans, many of them younger enthusiasts. Where else would you see the only remaining Yugo Sana GL, a Lada Samara…

JAGUAR XK8 & XKR (1996-2005) Launched in 1996, the XK8’s curvaceous retro style evoked memories of the E-Type and was perfectly judged for its market amid a period of ‘Cool Britannia’. Initially offered with the 4.0-litre, 290bhp V8 as either a coupe or convertible, it’s the former we’ll concentrate on here. The range gained the 370bhp XKR in 1998 and was facelifted in 2000 with revised bumpers and lights. A further, more extensive facelift arrived in 2002 when the V8 was stroked to 4.2 litres and 300bhp – or 400bhp in the XKR – and gained a six-speed automatic as well as electronic stability aids. The range remained essentially unchanged from here until it was replaced in 2005 by the all-new aluminium ‘X150’ generation, badged simply XK. XK8 coupes tend…

As I remember, MGF was a small design team, certainly nothing that compares with the design organisations of today. However, there was a passion to create an MG sports car that was modern, simple and fun which I think, overall, was achieved. There wasn’t really an original design concept as such, certainly not one that visioned the car against the production programme requirements. The design actually emerged through the production process rather than from a concept vision. The Hydragas suspension was a particular frustration, from a design perspective, because it created so much variance in the vehicle ride height, which meant you saw a lot of MGFs on the road that had more of a 4x4 off-road stance than that of a sports car. I recall a lot of euphoria…

If you get an MGF on a ramp, it’s not particularly pretty – and, in many respects, that’s all my fault. I’d worked for the company, which was still Austin when I joined, since 1955 when I was an apprentice, so I’d witnessed the car industry go through some of the biggest changes in all-time. My first job in the engineering department was to work on a project to reduce the cabin noise of the Austin A40 Farina when it was given a rear tailgate, and my last jobs there were working on final sign-off of the Rover 25 and 45, so that’s a pretty long stint working on a variety of very different cars. By the time MGF came about, I was a roving chief engineer. I was known…

For the Rootes Group, the mission statement was clear. By the mid-1950s, small-engined compact cars were a lucrative business, but the company didn’t produce anything of the sort. Wanting a slice of the pie, Lord Rootes commissioned his engineering team to come up with an answer, though the project would turn out to be anything but straightforward. Things started badly with the first concept, which looked a bit like a bubble car and was unflatteringly referred to in-house as ‘The Slug’. This didn’t go down well at board level, raising fears that such a vehicle would diminish Rootes’ carefully cultivated upmarket image, so it was back to the drawing board. Years passed, but eventually the formula evolved enough to win some powerful fans, paving the way for the newly named…

Not all the cars that attend the Festival of the Unexceptional live up to the name. In fact, as one of only 215 Flame Red cars made, we’d argue that this MG Maestro Turbo is very exceptional indeed. We’d also argue that it didn’t matter one jot, as we were delighted to see it in all its Tickford-kitted glory. Remember, the MG Maestro Turbo could reach 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds whereas the entry level Ferrari Mondial only had a 0-60mph time of 7 seconds. So, as the marketing claimed, it really was faster than a Ferrari……

Classic car emissions are falling year-on-year as more modern, fuelefficient vehicles achieve classic status, according to new research by automotive communications agency, loop. While the number of classics on our roads has more than doubled in the last 10 years, emissions from the sector as a whole have not increased at the same rate. That’s thanks to a 16 per cent reduction in average emissions per vehicle. Following FIVA’s definition of a classic vehicle as “a mechanically propelled road vehicle which is at least 30 years old,” loop’s research reveals there are now more classics on our roads than ever before. In 2013, there were 466,830 classic cars in the UK, but by the end of 2024 that figure had more than doubled to 1,056,919. The rate at which that…

As Product Communications Director it was my role to organise and deliver a successful global press launch and associated activities. What a pleasure that was. Although the Longbridge and Cowley teams had already been engineering and producing MGs in the form of Metro, Maestro and Montego, we now had the opportunity to go beyond cosmetics and start from scratch with a new generation, proper sports car. The project was approved with minimal funding so innovation was the key and Longbridge delivered it enthusiastically and energetically. It was a time to show the world what the team could deliver. The company was doing pretty well with its medium car range; the Rover 200 and 400 had done wonders for the image but we were still lacking the excitement that could generate…

One of the first jobs that MG Rover undertook, after it was freed from the shackles of BMW ownership, was to develop the MGF and make it not only sharper to drive but also less expensive to manufacture. The result was the 2002 TF, which replaced the MGF’s Hydragas suspension with coil springs, gained a new, pointier nose and flared lower sills, but retained the same basic bodyshell, soft-top roof and interior components. Opinions are split on whether the MGF or TF is the better car, though the VVC-engined TF 160, which got the engine from the MGF Trophy, was certainly one of the best sports cars of its era, as well as one that offered stupendous value for money. While some purists rued the demise of the clever, interlinked…

JAGUAR XJS-C The replacement for the E-Type was only offered as a hardtop at first, but in 1983, Jaguar joined the roofless rebellion with the XJS-C, a model that featured targa-style removable hardtop panels and a fold-down rear window. It was followed by a full convertible in 1988. TRIUMPH STAG It wasn’t quite as clever as the SL, but the commonalities between the Triumph Stag and the Mercedes are closer than you might think. An in-house V8 engine, a choice of open, closed or hardtop roofs and elegant boulevard-cruiser styling being chief among them. MERCEDES-BENZ R129 SL The R107 is rapidly becoming a collectors’ car and that’s reflected by values. while the earlier Pagoda models now come with stratospheric pricing. It stands to reason, therefore, that the R129 should follow…

Transplanting a show from a busy London Borough to a showground in rural West Sussex may sound like a massive change, but the rebooted Bromley Pageant of Motoring proved it still had the old magic on July 27. The event was effectively forced out of its home of more than 40 years, Norman Park, due to the extension of London’s ULEZ – a change that saw it take a break in 2024. But with a new venue found at the South of England Showground near Ardingly, enthusiasts responded in their droves by amassing an impressive 2500 cars – 500 up on the last two events at the previous location. Remarkably, the layout remained pleasingly familiar, with a bustling live action arena at the heart of the show, huge car club…

Hampson Auctions’ latest sale took place as part of the Oulton Park Gold Cup on July 27. A much-loved historic motorsport meeting, the event brings classic racing, retro-themed fun and a wealth of car clubs to the Cheshire venue, with the auction only serving to add to the enjoyment. The entry list included everything from potential no-reserve bargains though to prestigious, premium brands. One of the headliners was a 1976 Ferrari 308 Vetroresina, which was one of just 154 right-hand-drive examples produced and sold for £73,125. Alongside, a 1978 Aston Martin V8 Series 4 ‘Oscar India’ that had been with its vendor for nearly three decades was temptingly offered with no reserve, and ended up changing hands for £55,125. Fords always part a major part in Hampson sales, and this…

The news of a new MG was always going to be an exciting moment, as it was previewed before by the loveable, albeit anachronistic, RV8. It was born at the expense of its sister Longbridge-built products – the Rover 200 and 400 – that had funded its development by selling in good volumes, along with their new and revolutionary K-Series engines, a new evolution of which was fascinating. There was so much going on at the time with Rover cars that the arrival of the MGF seems, on reflection, to have all been a bit rushed. On rare visits to the design studios at Canley, we’d been shown progress of its development, most memorable when in its lipstick red colour, with elegant, softedged EX-E cues. Soft-edged because the quick route…

This 1988 scene from St Werburgh Street in Chester looks refreshingly quiet, while the parked cars are a lineup of ‘when did you last see one’ models. The Mk2 Ford Transit seems tidy enough but amusingly sports an additional lock from a gate, the Chrysler Sunbeam LS would have its final MoT soon after this photo was taken, while the Mk3 Escort Van next door already appears to be fading to pink. The early Maestro is sadly no longer with us, while the Datsun 280ZX alongside is seemingly turning a few heads. Finally, we have a low-spec 957cc Mk1 Fiesta that’s been untaxed since 2000, and what looks like a Peugeot 505 saloon next to it. On the far right meanwhile, is a Leyland truck and the nose of what…

Historic rallying is more popular than ever, with it being one of the most popular and accessible ways into motorsport. And if you fancy having a go yourself, then here’s a very sensibly priced way through the door. It’s a 1968 Volvo 142 – the two-door version of the 140 Series saloon that was a stalwart of the Swedish brand’s range for many years. The car was originally built in January 1968 (with confirmation paperwork from Volvo), so should be eligible for Category 1 rallying. It comes with a newly rebuilt B18 engine showing 129bhp on a rolling road, twin HS6 SU Carburettors, a K Camshaft, a four-branch exhaust manifold and a bespoke Titan Stainless Steel exhaust. It also has twin coils, twin electric fuel pumps, Bilstein dampers, uprated suspension,…