Innholdsfortegnelse for 10/22/2025 i Classic Car Buyer

It’s a strange world for young car enthusiasts right now – the number of 17-25-year-olds with a driving licence has fallen by around 500,000 since 2020. Even allowing for the pandemic halting tests, the fact that young driver numbers are at their lowest since 2012 is shocking. When I turned 16, I was counting down the days until I could take lessons, browsing classifieds and getting hypothetical insurance quotes for my first car. My exams, relationship and job all took second place to the thought of driving – like most of my peers. That priority has clearly shifted. Some blame soaring insurance premiums, the cost-of-living crisis, university campus car bans or the convenience of Uber and public transport. But I’d also argue that enthusiasm has waned because there are fewer…

More than 100 classic Aston Martin and Lagonda models were gathered in Newport Pagnell on October 11 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the marque’s iconic Works site in the Buckinghamshire town. The event drew enthusiasts from across the UK and Europe to Aston Martin’s longest-serving factory, where many of the brand’s most famous 20th-century models were built. Cars spanning the 1950s to the early 2000s made their way along the famous Tickford Street to arrive at the famous site. Keynote speakers included acclaimed Aston Martin designer Ian Callum, motorsport legend Ray Mallock, and Iain Heggie, son of 1960s Aston Martin Managing Director Steve Heggie. Yet, for many attendees, the real stars were the vehicles themselves. DB models, V8s, V12 Vanquish models, Lagondas, and rarities such as the V550 and…

Broad Arrow Auctions marked a triumphant debut at its first Zoute Concours Auction on October 10, held alongside Zoute Grand Prix Week at Approach Golf, Knokke-Heist. The sale drew 445 registered bidders, and featured a mix of classic and modern collector cars. The auction achieved €26,293,150 in total sales, with 78 perc cent of lots sold, including standout vehicles such as a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 in rare Verde Pino fetching €3,015,625 and the unique Lamborghini Pregunta concept car selling for €2,143,750. Supercars also drew fierce bidding, including a 2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie from Daniel Ricciardo’s collection at €2,284,375 and a Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse at €1,862,500. Broad Arrow is now looking ahead to its next European sale, the Zürich Auction at Dolder Grand hotel.…

There are some things that happen in life that you swear were ‘only a few years ago’ until you stop and do your research, usually reaching the conclusion that you’re older than you thought you were. The year 2005, for example, was 20 years ago. The very same year that the Xbox 360 came out, the Airbus A380 superjumbo made its maiden flight, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sithbecame the highest grossing film globally, the first iPhone was introduced and YouTube was launched. Surely, that can’t have been 20 years ago? But it was. It was a vintage year for cars, too, with each of these eight models turning 20 this year. We find it hard to believe, too… ALFA ROMEO BRERA/159 The Alfa Romeo Brera made…

ROVER 200 SD3 (1984-1989) Perhaps it’s fitting that we should major on the car that became a TV star thanks in no small part to brilliant actress Patricia Routledge, who passed away at the age of 96 earlier this month. Her character in Keeping Up Appearances, Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet of course) was a social climber with a perfectly casted vehicle – a 1986 Rover 200. Here was a car that was seen as just that little bit posher than class rivals, epitomising respectable British suburbia perfectly – despite being largely based on a Japanese Honda… When a cash-strapped British Leyland was looking for another manufacturer to collaborate with at the end of the 1970s, it made an inspired move in partnering with Honda. The first fruit of the marriage,…

Arguably the most attractive of the sports cars to emerge from Matra’s factory in Romorantin-Lanthénay in mid-France was the Murena, which replaced the Bagheera, both designed by Antonis Volanis, in 1980. Continuing the signature three abreast front seat arrangement of its predecessor, the Murena also used the same chassis as the Bagheera but it differed crucially in that it was made from galvanised steel, so that it did not rot away as the chassis of the Bagheera was renowned for. Inside the new fibreglass-polyester body there was a mid-mounted 1.6-litre ‘Poissy’ engine, as found in the Talbot Horizon and Alpine models, which delivered surprisingly peppy performance. Production, though, didn’t last long. A well-documented fall-out between Matra and PSA, which had taken over Chrysler and Talbot’s European operations, meant that the…

AN AVENGER? Reader Simon Burtwell got in touch regarding the Classic Scene in our October 1 issue: “The one that has really got me is the white estate car – I don’t think it is a Regatta – they had a strange lip to the rear wheel arch, lots of lower plastic cladding and bumpers and no side trim. None of that here. “I thought Peugeot 504 or 505 but it’s not that. I keep thinking it looks like a Chrysler 2-Litre if they did an estate, so I can only conclude that it’s actually a Hillman Avenger estate.” Great thinking, Simon – if it weren’t for the Bedford box van, we’d know! MEMORY LANE Launched in 1969 as effectively, a booted version of the 204, Peugeot’s 304 was promoted…

RESTORE FAITH In our Restoration Special, we offer our top tips before starting your next classic car rescue, as well as the tools and contacts that could prove useful. CLASSIC CHOICE A trio of rear-engined family saloons compete, but will the Hillman Imp, Renault 8 or NSU Prinz come out on top? IRON FIST, VELVET GLOVE The Jensen Interceptor is handsome, powerful and brimming with character. We show you how to buy a great example of this Anglo-American 70s GT. 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…

One of the prominent ‘Class of 1972’ players alongside the Renault 5 and original Honda Civic, the Fiat 127 was an instrumental part in propelling a new breed of three door hatchback ‘superminis’ into the mainstream. Never mind that the Fiat had actually been launched the previous year as a two-door car – another version was quicky added in ’72 that introduced a full-size top-hinged tailgate, and it was in this guise that the 127 would prove most popular. The 127 enjoyed a long life, but come the early 1980s, a new wave of superminis were emerging that moved the game on again – cars like the Vauxhall Nova and Peugeot 205. Fiat’s own contender, the Uno of 1983, would be a smash hit and would beat the 205 to…

If you want the very best, then you must be prepared to pay for the very best – and in terms of the Mercedes-Benz R107 SL, the true enthusiasts genuinely are. Values of the elegant convertible have shot up in recent years, and this one is described by the vendor as “suitable for any concours lawn,” such is its overall condition. But that’s hardly surprising. It’s a genuine 40,000-mile from new car, and just four years ago was subject to over £14,000-worth of repairs courtesy of the esteemed SL Shop, arguably the best-known R107 specialist in the world. The work included replacement of both sills and a complete suspension overhaul. What’s more, it’s an SL Shop Certified Car, meaning that it has been verified as one of the best there…

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has issued a warning to classic car owners and clubs after a member narrowly avoided falling victim to a sophisticated cheque fraud. The alert follows a case involving a seller who advertised a Rover for £8500 on their club’s website. The seller was approached by someone using the false name “Derek W. Jemie,” claiming to be a petroleum engineer working offshore. In a series of convincing emails, the fraudster agreed to buy the car without viewing it in person, offering an extra £500 to reserve it. They explained that a transporter would collect the vehicle once the cheque cleared, stating: “The cheque payment includes a handling and insurance fee for the transporter once the funds are cleared into your account.” The scammer…

The top five finalists in the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership ‘Best of the Best’ competition have been decided, and now it’s a race to the finish to decide the winner. The final round of voting is open now and continues until the Classic Motor Show opens at Birmingham’s NEC on November 7, when the victor will be announced. Of the 14 previous winners taking part, the public have voted their top five as Simon McNamara’s 1983 VW Golf GTi Mk1 (which won in autumn 2017), James Cribb’s 1989 Austin Metro City (autumn 2016), Paul Clappison’s 1972 MGB GT (spring 2018), Ted Brookes’ 1961 Morris Minor Million (autumn 2019) and Colin Fidler’s 1956 Austin A35 (spring 2024). Yvonne Gosney from Lancaster Insurance said: “The Pride of Ownership display has been…

A magazine subscription is the perfect gift: • Personal, thoughtful and fuels their passion • Provides enjoyment all year round • And saves you money on the shop price! GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM £22.99 OVER 45 TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM VISIT SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/XMAS25P OR CALL 01959 543 747 AND QUOTE ‘XMAS25P’ Lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am to 5pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate UK customers only. Offers end 31st January 2026…

When it debuted in 1964, the Ford Mustang sent shockwaves through the British car industry, which had enjoyed years of sales success with sports car exports. The ‘Pony Car’ was America’s own performance icon and the precursor to an amazing muscle car era. This one is an early V8, dating from 1966. It comes with Ford’s 289 cubic inch engine, as found in other such icons as the Thunderbird and the AC Cobra. This one’s a stunner, subjected to a comprehensive refurbishment by its long-term UK owner. Presented in its original Ford Nightmist Blue metallic with black Pony interior, it also has GT350-style stripes, but the vendor is happy to remove these if required. The car has been in the UK for over a decade, having been imported from California…